I think I'm one of the few people on the planet... but I don't find Christmas Vacation funny. I think Chevy Chase is one of my least favourite comedians. I realize I'm in the minority on this view.
For many years, my go-to film was Sound of Music. Don't know why, but I watched it every year since I was a kid. A year or two ago, I got it on BluRay.
I think that's been succeeded by doing a Lord of the Rings marathon every Christmas.
Although, I know one of my kids is getting a new BluRay set that may succeed that.
I have never seen Sound of Music either. What is wrong with me, am I weird?
If I could just get me girlfriend to sit through one Lord of the Rings I would be happy. I mean I sat through the many "chick" flicks, she should reciprocate right? We will see how she feels when the Hobbit comes out.
Going out to Butchart Gardens with the extended family to see the lights, hosting dinner on the 24th and breakfast on the 25th for friends and family - more meaningful entertainment for me at least.
" With Lenny Henry, John Gabriel, Alan Cumming, Rowan Atkinson. Bernard Bottle, a mild mannered art buyer, is fired by his greedy boss, abandoned by his girlfriend and discovers a genie in an old bottle. The genie immediately embraces the modern world and helps Bernard on the side."
As Christmas approaches, my favourite film of the season is a reminder of how we reached this point in our socio-cultural development. A film that explores the origins of our faiths and obsessions. A film that, indeed, was banned for telling the (cheeky) truth. That film is:
The Roman Catholic Church denounced the film and gave it their own rating – “C” for “Condemned”. Brian was banned in several countries, including Norway. This famously led to the film being marketed in Sweden as, “The film so funny it’s been banned in Norway.” When the UK premiere was held at the Plaza, Regent Street, on November 8, 1979, protestors stood outside and sang hymns. And, when the film finally went on general release, some cinema-goers found they had to cross intimidating picket lines to see it.
I think I'm one of the few people on the planet... but I don't find Christmas Vacation funny. I think Chevy Chase is one of my least favourite comedians. I realize I'm in the minority on this view.
For many years, my go-to film was Sound of Music. Don't know why, but I watched it every year since I was a kid. A year or two ago, I got it on BluRay.
I think that's been succeeded by doing a Lord of the Rings marathon every Christmas.
Although, I know one of my kids is getting a new BluRay set that may succeed that.
Going out to Butchart Gardens with the extended family to see the lights, hosting dinner on the 24th and breakfast on the 25th for friends and family - more meaningful entertainment for me at least.
White Christmas, and thanks to the Cineplex in Oakville this year, I actually got to see it for the first time on the big screen.
Close runners-up would be:
- It's a Wonderful Life
- A Christmas Carol (Allastir Sim version)
- The Santa Clause (being an Oakville guy there is a certain fondness for it - much was filmed in Oakville)
On my bucket list is to see It's a Wonderful Life at the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto. They have had a Christmas Eve showing of the movie every year since at least the mid-90's. They usually show The Shop Around the Corner during the week before Christmas. I've seen a couple of shows there but they were during the summer months.
I have plenty of traditions, but not a traditional movie to watch.
Our family tradition to do with movies was, back when we were children, watching my father haul out the old 35mm camera with the four 150 watt lights 'light bar' that lit the room up to 'on the sun' brightness, and blind us while recording us opening our presents. My parents compiled and transcribed the old 35mm onto VHS a few years ago, so every year we get to watch my sister get all excited about getting 'The Monkees' record, watch my brother play with his new train set, and watch as my other sister twirls around in her new crinoline. (I was cute, but not particularly excited, as every year I got new pajamas, so there was no recorded leaping or dancing on my part.)
I have plenty of traditions, but not a traditional movie to watch.
Our family tradition to do with movies was, back when we were children, watching my father haul out the old 35mm camera with the four 150 watt lights 'light bar' that lit the room up to 'on the sun' brightness,
CanadaRam: You're right - 8mm. I don't know what I was thinking: 35 mm would be awfully wide for the film projector! Earliest ones were in black & white, and then we graduated to colour.
We still have our reel to reel. I found a small tape the other day of me and my siblings singing when we were still children, so I'm going to play it this weekend (the whole fam damily will be here, so it should be fun, and possibly embarrassing.)
I purchased an old series to be my movie treat (12 hours). Some might remember this one: The Jewel in the Crown. Have not viewed it for 25 plus years when I watched it on PBS by the week. I have been enjoying all the British productions of period pieces on NetFlicks and recalled this series and Amazon had a good price for DVD set.
I also watch Kill Bill 1&2 - or Horatio Hornblower, an A&E series - or Lonesome Dove and the prequel to that series - or the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series and of course Alistar Sim's Christmas Carol.
No - Not all of them but some over the weekend.
I listen to Alan Maitland reading "The Shepard" every Christmas Eve. Gives me a lump in the throat every time.
For those who may never have heard this superb piece, it is available free here as a podcast instead of the $17.95 CBC demands for it on their web site:
Alistair Sims "A Christmas Carol"
Miracle On 34th Street (original) The Homecoming: A Christmas Story
White Christmas
Elf
It's A Wonderful Life
I added the link for The Homecoming: A Christmas Story because it is a lesser known movie as it was made for TV and although not intended to be so was effectively the pilot for The Waltons. The kids are all the same as is the Grandma (Ellen Corby, also in It's A Wonderful Life) but the parents and Grandpa are different actors.
It is a wonderful movie for Christmas, if anyone can find it at their local video store or on NetFlix I highly recommend it. It gets an 8.5 on IMDb only 0.2 lower than It's A Wonderful Life.
I like watching old B&W movies. Caught Holiday Inn (1942) on TV last night. This is one of my holiday faves. Corny, schmaltzy, often very funny. Oh and there's a few dance numbers. Gotta check the TV listings for other oldies...
I like watching old B&W movies. Caught Holiday Inn (1942) on TV last night. This is one of my holiday faves. Corny, schmaltzy, often very funny. Oh and there's a few dance numbers. Gotta check the TV listings for other oldies...
Ya Holiday Inn is a really good one Doug, I forgot about it because it has been so long since I have seen it. The corn and schmalz is what makes it... Thanks for reminding me, gotta try and find it now.
The Ref, with Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis. Leary, a thief, takes a soon-to-be-divorced couple hostage, and finds himself in the middle of a rather complicated family gathering on Christmas Eve. Couldn't find it on either Netflix or iTunes, so the wife and kids and I watched it in 10 parts on YouTube. Lots of foul language for a Christmas movie, but man is it funny.
Bill and Opus: A wish for Wings that work, Die Hard, Harry Potter, Christmas Vacation, the grinch (both classic and remake), and I always try to get the whole series of Band of Brothers or Lord of the Rings extended in just because of the time off.
Whoops, totally forgot A Christmas Story!! What an oversight!
We like the Alastair Sim (1951) "Scrooge" (called "A Christmas Carol" in North America). I'm always interested in productions of "A Christmas Carol" on film or TV but I've yet to find one as good and true to the original as that one.
We also like "Black Adder's Christmas Carol" as something of a counterpoint.
Since 2006, the day after Christmas is reserved for viewing the Doctor Who Christmas Special that year. They are atypical from the rest of the season but are in the spirit and lovely, this year's was no exception (though I don't think it will go down as the best one).
Watched the Dr. Who special last night - enjoyable, but yeah, not one of the better episodes. The three company soldiers who make a brief appearance were the highpoint for me...
I can't even count the number of times I have seen them, probably 7 or 8 or more each....
My wife is less enamoured... she likes them, but I think that the Christmas movies that you grew up with are the ones you have the strongest feelings for, at least IME (in my experience).
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