25 Days of Christmas: Elf

Elf (2003)

"You sit on a throne of lies!" - Buddy












People kept telling me I had watch this flick. They said that it was one of the best Christmas movies out there. They said it was equal to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. They said that even though I wasn't a big fan of Will Farrell I would like him in this movie.

Well... they were wrong.

While it isn't a terrible movie it's not as great as they said it was. It's watchable. I won't watch it again, I don't think.

First off, it's Will Farrell doing the same thing he does in every comedy he makes. It's him being stupid and not noticing that he's being stupid. That shtick got old with me a long time ago. If there is more than that to this guy it's being suppressed by the big money making machine of Hollywood that says that if something makes us money then we need to keep doing that same thing over and over again till it stops making us money. That's Will Farrell... even in this movie.

The story is ok but a little silly. Actually... what little story there is, beyond the crutch of Buddy not knowing a thing, is really weak. We get surface level characters that give us the slightest hint of a personality and then we're back to Will Farrell not knowing something else. I would have liked to see more of him in the department store and interacting with the people there. I would have liked to see more between Buddy and the girl he falls for. But we get first date and then they have a family in less than thirty minutes. Plus... isn't he a little old for her? I didn't see chemistry there at all.

He gets brought into the family very quickly and everyone but his father loves him within minutes. The change of heart for James Caan is rather fast as well. This whole movie felt pretty rushed to me and that's probably due to there not being much there in the first place.

Like I said... it's not terrible but it's no where near the top of the list when it comes to Christmas movies.

Jingle All the Way is far superior to me.

25 Days of Christmas: An Update

Well... I tried. I had to skip a couple days and on top of the internet issues I was having this weekend I feel that my challenge has come to an end. I tried... and I failed.

I still have some reviews to post that I collected over the weekend and I will get those up tomorrow so it doesn't feel like a total loss. Sorry if I didn't get to a movie you were really looking forward to.

Coming up tomorrow... I finally watched Elf for the first time.

25 Days of Christmas: Day Sixteen

It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

"You've been given a great gift, George: A chance to see what the world would be like without you." - Clarence










I didn't see this movie until I was 22 years of age. I'm not sure why it never crossed my path before then. I was alone that Christmas. My wife was deployed away from me for six months and Christmas happened to fall in there at some point. I had been asked by a friend to come over to his house for Christmas dinner and to hang out a little before that and when he heard I had never seen the movie he put it on and made me watch it.

My first thought upon finishing the film was... that was a really long movie. But not in a bad way. I didn't know we would get to see so much of the life of George Bailey. I didn't know we would get to see his childhood and his young adult days. We traveled with him all the way to his marriage and into his gray hairs. It was a good trip. One that it took George a visit from an angel to see.

I knew the story. I had seen countless copies through out my life. Someone on the edge gets to see what the world would have been like if they had never been born. I remember Bevis and Butthead doing an episode like it and the angel was telling Bevis that maybe it was best if he really hadn't come into the world because it would have been a better place without him. An interesting twist.

I like the movie. It's not one I feel the need to watch every Christmas though. Maybe every couple of years here and there. It's not one I want to abuse and have it become another Christmas Story for me. I don't need another movie ruined by over exposure.

The acting is great in the flick but that's almost a given since we have Jimmy Stewart giving life to George Bailey. He is one of the most consistent actors that has ever graced the silver screen. It doesn't hurt that he is the star of my favorite flick, Rear Window, either.

I recommend seeing this one of you haven't already. You may have seen the ending all over the place or seen other versions of it but trust me. It's the journey George has to go on... not the destination that is important.

25 Days of Christmas: Day 15

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

"Don't you know a kid always wins against two idiots?" - Kevin










Once again, Kevin is on his own. It's up to him to fight the bad guys and save Christmas for us all. Well, I guess it's not for all of us but it is for all the boys and girls that will be getting the cash the returning thieves are trying to get their hands on.

The family is heading to Miami for the holiday's and Kevin isn't too pleased with the situation. He wants to stay home where there are Christmas trees. It's a little silly but he's a young guy and the thought of no Christmas tree during Christmas is something that he just doesn't want to wrap his head around. So once again the family is late in getting to the airport and Kevin gets sidetracked and ends up on a plane to New York. Once there he finds himself alone and holding his dad's wallet with all his credit cards.

One hotel room at the Plaza later and Kevin is having a good old time riding in limos, visiting toy stores, and running into the two bumbling thieves from the first flick. Ok... that's not good times. But the ensuing chase and torture of the two thieves is fun.

It's pretty much the same movie as the first flick with Kevin in a different location. It's the same bad guys and nearly the same ending with Kevin loading up a house with home made booby traps designed to keep the baddies at bay. Once again he befriends a lonely older person that is scary at first but shown in the end to be a caring person who helps him out when he really needs it.

It's the same but I like it. The first movie has some charm to it that I enjoy and this one carries that same charm into the big city. I don't mind that it's a carbon copy much like the Teen Wolf movies. It was good the first time and it's good this time.

There are other movies in the series but none of them featured the original cast and characters and went straight to DVD or cable. I remember watching one of them once but I don't think it was any good and I'm not sure I made it through the whole movie. They managed to capture lighting in a bottle twice and that was the end of it.

25 Days of Christmas: Day Fourteen

Home Alone (1990)

"This is my house, I have to defend it." - Kevin












What kid didn't want this to happen to them. Being left home alone during a crappy family get together sounds like the best thing ever. You get to eat whatever you want. You can watch anything you want on television. You don't have anyone to tell you when to go to bed. It's amazing. Until you get to the part with the thieves trying to break into the house. Then it gets to be less fun. Unless you are Kevin McCallister.

The whole movie centers on a kid who gets left alone while the rest of the family packs up and heads off on a family Christmas vacation not knowing they have left the youngest of the family behind. Kevin wakes up to find that the house is empty with the thought that his late night wish that his family would go away has come true. His mother, on the other hand, realizes what has happened as her plain is taking off into the air and is freaking out that her baby is in the deepest of troubles.

Kevin makes the most of his new found freedom as he eats crappy food, watches crappy tv, and does whatever he feels like doing with his time. The real fun starts as a couple of local robbers decide that his house is the next one on their hit list. Kevin has to go up against these guys with a house full of MacGuyver style booby traps to make sure they don't get what they want.

The film is funny and touching at the same time as the kid begins to realize that he needs his mom and the rest of the family and that being on your own isn't all that it's cracked up to be. The casting of Kevin with Macaulay Culkin was a stroke of genius and a death warrant for this kids career as an actor. Suddenly he was type cast as the cute kid and that is a monster label to shake off in Hollywood. He would forever be known as the kids from Home Alone.

The two bumbling thieves are played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern and they couldn't have picked a better pair. One is short and stout while the other is tall and lanky. They have great chemistry together and, for me, are a good example of a great on screen duo.

Everything from the music to the sets to the directing all comes together for this movie and it works. You believe this kid could hold up against these guys with a handful of micro machines and an iron. He's written as a smart kid so you buy that he's smart enough to pull this off. The ridiculous becomes plausible.

This movie could easily stand on it's own but there are more of them to see. That's what we will do tomorrow...

25 Days of Christmas: Day Thirteen

White Christmas (1954)

"Well how do you like that? Not so much as a "kiss my foot" or "have an apple"." - Doris











They just don't make them like this anymore. This an excellent movie with an all star cast that could really do anything. Comedy, singing, dancing, drama... you name it they had it in spades.

Yes, it's a musical. Don't let that put you off of seeing it though because the story is just as compelling as the excellent music that fills it. We begin in the days of World War II. Two guys, Wallace and Davis, are brought together during an attack and after the war is over they team up to do a duo singing act that grows and grows until they are two of the biggest stars out there.

A chance encounter with the sisters of an old war buddy has them heading to Vermont to a down on it's luck ski resort in the middle of a season that has not brought any snow. Wallas and Davis decide to bring a brand new version of their hit show to the resort to help drum up business. The resort happens to be owned by a General they served under in the war. A General which they feel deserves to have a Christmas miracle.

I love the music and dance numbers in the film as well. They range from the very simple to the massive as we go from bombed out battle front to small train car to the grandeur of a broadway musical number being rehearsed for the big show. The tunes are catchy and fun to watch as each of the talented actors knows there way around a stage. Plus we get to hear Bing Crosby croon through the whole thing to finish with the best version of White Christmas there has ever been.

There is also the love story that unfolds between the Haynes sisters and Wallace and Davis. It feels natural and the guys and gals are paired off perfectly. It's not fun and games and musical numbers though. There is misunderstanding and drama that pulls everything apart at the last minute. But all turns out well as it's Christmas... the time of miracles.

I watched this movie a hundred times or more as I grew up as it was a favorite in my house. We all know the songs and can quote nearly the whole movie by heart. It's old fashioned movie making that makes it feel like Christmas each time I put it in.

25 Days of Christmas: Day Twelve

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

"Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey *beep* he is! Hallelujah! Holy *beep*! Where's the Tylenol?" - Clark W. Griswold


This ties one other movie for my favorite Christmas movie of all time. This is the best of all the National Lampoon movies out there and it's all thanks to the masterful comedy timing of Chevy Chase. His portrayal of Clark W. Griswold is one of the best ever in the history of comedy.

All the man wants to do is have a fun traditional family Christmas. The kind he remembers as a kid. The kind you see in holiday specials on television. Family, decorations, carols, presents, snow, a swimming pool...

But no. There isn't one thing he tries to do that goes right no matter how small that thing may be. Putting up Christmas lights resulted in hours of labor and almost falling off the roof and dying. All of that and the stupid things didn't even twinkle. Plus the bright light brought Cousin Eddie right to his doorstep.

A simple sledding outing turned into a death race. Cutting down a Christmas tree... well... you know. All of this to show that he was trying really hard. And in the end when his boss screws him over for the bonus he deserved... he snapped. We've seen him snap before. It's never good.

But leave it to Cousin Eddie to save the day. I know... I can't believe it either.

I know it's the comedy that makes this movie great but it's also the fact that we can all relate at least a little. We know the stresses of the holiday and we know that no matter how hard we try it's never going to be perfect. Some one in the family is going to give you a headache and the scene of the perfect holiday dinner that you played out in your head is not going to match up to the scene you find yourself in come that snowy night. If you have snow, that is. At the moment I have way more than enough. I can send you some.

My favorite scenes are too many to count but the dinner scene, sledding scene, tree cutting scene, Cousin Eddie scenes... see what I mean! I love them all. But I guess if I had to narrow it down to one tiny scene... it would be Clark plugging in the lights. His excitement as he leads his family in this most important of events and his disappointment and rage as the whole thing mocks him when no one else is looking. When he beats the ever loving snot out of the reindeer and then drops kicks Santa right out of the sleigh I lose it every time. I've been there. I've been that guy. I killed a toaster once. It wasn't pretty.

It's also one of the most quotable movies out there. Nearly every word that Clark says is funny and memorable and the rest of the family follows suit. Cousin Eddie explaining why he shouldn't put the spray on his sled is repeated at every sledding trip I have ever gone on since the age of ten.

It's a fun movie with heart, laughs, and a lot of crazy. I can't not watch this a couple times or three during the Christmas season. It's as necessary as Santa to me.

25 Days of Christmas: Day Eleven

The Santa Clause 2 (2002)

"Oh, a battle of wits. It's a shame that you come unarmed." - Carol Newman











Who knew this could be a franchise? Tim Allen as Santa returns to find a woman. Turns out that if he doesn't get married soon he can't be Santa anymore. That would hurt the chances for another sequel so he gets to looking.

Eventually he falls for the hard nosed principal of his son's school and holiday miracles ensue. Plus there is trouble in the North Pole as the robot Santa that was left in charge while Tim Allen was out looking for a bride malfunctions and starts causing all sorts of issues.

I liked this movie for the most part. I was down with the search for the wife and the whole deal with him falling in love again. But the parts with RoboSanta really didn't do it for me. It felt uneeded. I think there was enough drama going on with Tim Allen trying to woo the woman with the heart of stone. Did we really need the crazy hijinks of the robot.

The whole cast returns for the sequel which was nice. I enjoy it when the cast can be preserved for extra outings. Charlie, the son, is having issues in this movie as he goes about tagging buildings and getting busted by the cops. Things get worked out in the end though and he's put on the path of good once again. He's older in this flick which threw me off watching these movies right after each other. He's no long the squeaky voiced little kid forcing his dad into a dead man's clothes...

What happened to the former Mrs. Clause? If you need a wife to keep being Santa what happened to the wife of the guy who fell off the roof? I don't remember them saying anything about her...

Anyway...

My favorite scene is when "Scott Calvin" livens up the teacher Christmas party by giving out the toys that the adults always wanted as kids. It's a sweet scene that gets me every time.

Um... I don't really have too much to say about the flick other than that. I liked it. It's a good watch this time of year. The acting gets the job done. I'm not sure it really needed to be a three film franchise which is why you won't find the 3rd movie on the list for this little experiment in cheerfulness. I think the first two say it all.

Onward we go on the list...

25 Days of Christmas: Day Ten

The Santa Clause (1994)

"It's Santa! You killed him!" - Charlie











This is the second film in this years viewing that has the job of Santa being one that is passed on. Unfortunately, in this version it passes on when the current Santa dies. In this flick he falls off a roof and, I'm guessing, breaks his neck and dies instantly. This is a pretty dark movie if you think about it. After the big guy dies none of the elves even morn the guys passing. It's business as usual for them and they don't even miss a beat. Not to mention the guy who takes over the job is pretty much responsible for his death in the first place.

Tim Allen plays Scott Calvin, a toy designer that inherits the role of Santa Claus and bumbles his way into adventure through out the course of this flick. He's joined by his young son Charlie most of the time and this leads to some issues as Scott is divorced and his ex thinks that being with Scott is hurting the mental stability of their son.

I like the year we get to see before Scott becomes the man himself as he struggles with magical weight gain and a beard that grows back the second he shaves it. The fat suit used in this movie is pretty flawless and Tim Allen wears it well.

Scott's attitude shifts as the year goes on as he inherits other abilities as well such as knowing if people are naughty or nice. When the elves do come for him he is prepared but still questioning that whole mess he's gotten himself into.

The bottom line is that this is a pretty decent Christmas movie. It has all the family drama, the magic, and a pretty good dose of humor that makes repeated viewings hold up.

The thing I keep coming back to though is the lack of mourning over the death of the Santa before Scott. How many Santa's have died in the line of service for all the elves to become so jaded? Even Charlie, Scott's young son, doesn't seem to broken up over the fact that the man has died. He's just really excited that his dad is now wearing the dead man's clothes. It's a little morbid and a fact that gets to me every time I watch the flick.

What happens when Tim Allen dies while trying to deliver the toys one year? Will it continue to be business as usual? Will Charlie care then?

Maybe I'm thinking about it too much...

25 Days of Christmas: Day Nine

A Christmas Story (1983)

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid." - Mall Santa

Not a fan. I know. There are those of you out there who must think I've lost my mind. How could I not love a movie that is played on television 24 hours straight every Christmas? How could I not dig the antics of Ralphie as he tries his best to get the coveted Red Rider BB Gun under that tree come Christmas morning? I don't know. I just don't care for the flick.

I guess I can see why other folks like it so much. It's very quotable. There are some things from everyones childhood represented in the flick. I can relate to having a crush on a teacher. I know the fear one feels when tormented by the school bully. I know what it's like to yearn for a toy all Christmas season with no garuntee that it would end up being yours in the end. I just find the whole movie a little over rated.

The film centers around Ralphie as he goes about his life during the Christmas season. He really really really wants a Red Rider BB Gun but no one seems to understand. They just keep telling him that he'll shoot his eye out if he did get it. He tries trick after trick and ploy after ploy with nothing to show for it except a bruised ego.

Of course... he does get the gun in the end thanks to his father who understands more than his mother why the kid needs to get the coveted gun. It's a guy thing, after all.

Over the years I've learned that most folks see this as the fathers movie as much as it is Ralphie's. We get to see the Old Man through the eyes of his young son as he attempts to fix a heater day after day and when he gets excited over winning a prize that for everyone else is a joke but to him it's a validation that he has worth in the world other than bringing home the bacon.

There is one seen that always comes to mind when I think about this movie. The tounge to the flagpole scene. I get chill everytime I see this scene for what boy hasn't thought about doing the same thing. I remember having a root beer float ice cream bar when I was younger and when I took the first lick my tounge stuck to the icy exterior and for a brief moment I knew the fear of that young lad as he froze, literally, in place for fear of ripping his tounge from his head. The fact that all his friends leave him there to suffer is a point of sadness in the movie for me and not the humor that most get from it. That's just messed up.

While I don't think it's a terrible movie I just don't see what all the hype is over. I could do with a couple of years without having to see this on television everytime I flip through the channels.

25 Days of Christmas: Day Eight

Jingle All The Way (1996)

"It's Turbo time!" - Turbo Man












I know it's not a great movie but I like it and eventually see it at some point in the Christmas season. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays a dad who has to head out into the dangerous world of last minute toy shopping to score his kid the most wanted action figure on the market that year... a Turbo Man.

Not only does he have to deal with the mass of other parents racing from toy store to toy store, fighting in the aisles, and double crossing each other... but he seems to have picked up a nemesis in the form of Sinbad who is playing a mail man down on his luck and searching for the same toy. The result is a chase through the city and into the underground toy selling market itself. Eventually we end up at a version of the Macy's parade and Arnold actually gets to become Turbo Man on a massive float and do battle with the evil... Sinbad?

The story, for me, is pretty fun as I have been one of those people out there running around town looking for that special something that will make the holiday for someone you love. I have fought with other shoppers and even hidden away certain items so that I can return to them later if a better price hasn't been found. I've even made the call to friends that have sounded like this...

"Dude... are you still looking for the rare Superman figure with the black "S" on the cape instead of the yellow one? Sweet... you need to head down to Target and go to the linen department. In the second aisle with the pillows you will find an ugly orange shag throw pillow three shelves up in the middle. Yeah... ok... behind that pillow is a plastic divider with the screws taken out. Behind that is the figure. Sweet."

So... yeah. I can relate.

There is the usual plot device of Arnold having disappointed his kid a couple times in the beginning of the movie so getting the toy is the one thing he thinks will make up for all the times he screwed up with the kid. A side plot is that his next door neighbor, played sleazily by the late Phil Hartman, is trying to move in on his wife during this whole thing. I really enjoy the fun had with this flick. It doesn't take itself seriously and neither do I.

The cast works pretty well and the direction is as good as you're going to get in a movie like this. The future Anakin Skywalker plays Arnold's kid and he's just as dopey in this as you would expect him to be. We don't really care though as it's all about Arnold and Sinbad falling into one mess after another.

In the end the father comes out on top, the jerk neighbor gets his due, and the world is once again safe thanks to the heroics of Turbo Man.

25 Days of Christmas: Day Seven

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

"Ooh, and I am about to raise you right off the pavement!" - Miss Piggy










We return again to the world of the Muppets as they set their sights on the classic Christmas story of the Christmas Carol. There had been a little bit of time between the last Muppet production and this one as Jim Henson passed away and the future of the Muppets seemed a little uncertain. After all... Jim Henson was not only the creator and guiding force behind the Muppets but he was the voice of Kermit as well as others in the cast of characters.

His son, Brian Henson, comes in and directs the movie with skill and passion. Michael Cain brings the role of Scrooge to life and you can feel the hate and greed pour off the man in the beginning and see the light grow brighter in his eyes as the ghosts take him through the night. Plus the man had to act opposite the Muppets. I'm actually surprised an actor of his caliber agreed to do the flick. He didn't phone it in... he excelled.

This might be my favorite of the "Carols" that I have currently seen due to it being the Muppets and for the straight up fact that it's a well made movie. The set is massive and detailed and all the Muppets were well cast for the story. Sure... some liberties were taken here and there but nothing that changed the story or the intent.

I love the music as well. I find myself humming and even singing along with each tune. Sometime during musicals there might be a song or two you don't really care for and one or two that you want to put on your iPod right away. All the songs in the movie are good and it's nice to hear them again as the holidays come back around each year.

There is so much good about this movie that it's really hard to find something wrong with it. The only thing I noticed for the DVD is that they have a anniversary edition that has an extended cut on it. But you can only watch the extended cut on the full screen version of the movie and only the theatrical version is in widescreen. That bugs me. But that has nothing to do with the film itself.

The humor in the flick gets me each time as well. I love when Piggy is going off on Scrooge at the dinner and her daughters are coping the last ew words she says. I know it's coming but each time it makes me laugh.

The more serious notes of the flick are... well... serious. They don't tone down the heart break over losing Tiny Tim or the dark events surrounding the looting of the recently deceased Scrooge. You may think this is a kids film but it treats the topic at hand with seriousness so as not to delude the lesson it's meant to tell. I respect that as they could have easily watered it down with humor. I believe it when Scrooge has his transformation.

All that to say that this is an excellent Christmas movie and one that I try and watch every year on Christmas eve with the kids.

Thanks to all who have commented on the past posts. I'm enjoying going through all these movies and it makes it all the more worth it to know you are enjoying the posts as well. See you tomorrow for another flick...

25 Days of Christmas: Day Six

Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)

"We can call it... Christmas 2!" - BZ











I went and saw this movie in the theater when I was a little kid and ever since then this is what I picture when I think about Santa and his workshop. The whole place is made out of wood and the elves work happily making the old fashioned wooden toys for all the kids of the world. The night I went and saw the flick it was snowing like crazy and I remember we almost didn't go to the movie due to the weather. It's a good Christmas memory.

The movie begins with the origin of Santa as he and his wife are trapped in a snow storm and are transported to the North Pole where they meet the elves as learn what the future has in store for them.

We get a pretty good montage as Santa gets his bearings and we travel through time with him as he makes his name until we come to the present day. He befriends a homeless boy and we get to see how Santa lives and how much he cares about what he has been called to do with his eternal life.

Things go a little bad when the newly appointed assistant elf, Dudley Moore, messes up one Christmas and allows a ton of defective toys to leave the workshop only to break soon after they are delivered. It breaks my heart every time when the little boy with the wagon full of leaves watches as the handle comes loose and the thing rolls into the path of a massive truck and is smashed to bits. The little kid is heart broken when he sees his new toy that he asked Santa for destroyed before his eyes. *sniff*

I'm ok....

Anyway... Dudley Moore is broken up about the mess he made and he takes off for New york City to try and prove himself once more. He hooks up with a sleazy toy merchant and offers him a chance to make candy that will allow people to fly for a short amount of time. This is all well and good but the toyman wants to make tons of money off this venture and in the end make the world forget about Santa Claus all together.

It gets even worse when we find out that the candy explodes when it gets too hot. That's an issue. With the help of the young boy and another young girl Santa sets out to rescue his disgraced elf and ultimately Christmas itself.

It's fun little movie from the same people who brought us Superman: The Movie and the director who gave us Supergirl. The cast is pretty good with a few cheesy folks thrown in for good measure. I'm looking at you, John Lithgow...

It's very 80's and the product placement is pretty in your face at times. I can tell you right now that Coke and McDonalds gave up a lot of cash to be in this flick. At one point you see the homeless kid with his face smashed up against the window of the local McDonalds and drools as the packed restaurant serves it's customers. It also seems as if each patron has ordered something different so that we can see the full range of the menu on screen.

Watching this flick again for the first time in decades brought it all back for me and I enjoyed every moment. David Huddleston was excellent as Santa. I liked his gray beard and his massiveness as he stood with elves and children. He easily makes the top of the list as the best Santa so far.

And with this movie the sleigh rolls on and I pick out the next flick on the list...

25 Days of Christmas: Day Five

Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

"Naughty." - Billy












I don't know why I put this on the list. I was trying to have a good mix of old and new, comedic and dramtic... and then there is this thing.

It cause quite a stir when released back in '84 as parents all over the country were trying to get the film banned from their movie houses. The ads depicting a murderous Santa was thought to be unfit for the public as the question came up as what would happen when children started seeing them. Would they think that Santa really was an axe murderer?

It's a cheap horror movie that capitalized on the trend of basing horror flicks after holiday's and this happened to be the first to use Santa as it's villain. Of course it isn't the real Santa. It's Billy. Billy who had watched his father and mother murdered by a man in a Santa outfit and then would eventually get a little... off... due to that traumatic experience.

We see that in the orphanage he is sent to with his little brother, Ricky, that every year around Christmas he starts acting up. The repressed memories of his parents murder come out here and there. Eventually he grows up into a strong young man who gets a part time job at the local toy store. But soon the holidays roll around and he starts to remember more and more until Christmas Eve is upon him and he is asked to be the store Santa. This is when it gets bad.

Billy remembers the murders of his parents and he snaps and just starts killing folks. All the people at the store Christmas party go first and then random people around town who are being "naughty". See... Billy's crazy grandfather in the beginning of the movie told him that Santa gives toys to good kids... but the naughty ones get punished. So he's punishing folks doing bad things. Having sex, drinking, and stealing some kids sleigh will be the end of you in this flick.

At the end Billy goes after the Mother Superior at the orphanage that tormented him for years and this proves to be his final act. Before he can off the nun he is gunned down while his little brother watches. It ends with the passing of the torch when Ricky looks hatefully at the nun and says one word. Naughty.

And that's why there a few sequels to this flick.

It's your run of the mill horror movie with t & a, blood & gore, etc. The only thing different about this flick is that it feels more appropriate to watch it during Christmas rather than Halloween. Is it really worth the watch? Not really.

So far... on the list of best Santa's in the movies on this list... this one is at the bottom.

25 Days of Christmas: Day Four

A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)

"I don't care if the turkey said the dog was a turkey! The dog is not the turkey! The turkey's the turkey, you turkey" - Doc








Of all the Christmas movies of my childhood this is the one that stands out the most. I remember watching this every year on an old VHS tape and marveling at the fact that all the muppets were in one place at the same time. We go to see the Muppets interact with the Sesame Street gang. Kermit and Robin sang with the Fraggles. There were live action Muppet Babies! It was awesome!

It's a simple little story about how the whole gang crashed the farmhouse of Fozzie's mom for the holidays and a massive storm rolls through and everyone is worried about Miss Piggy as she is the only one that hasn't arrived yet. So we have the little bit of drama needed for a Christmas special, we have music, jokes, and even a surprise appearance by the man himself, Jim Henson.

It was magic to me as a kid and it still holds up to this day. I still love the running gag about the slippery spot on the porch that causes all who enter to fall on their butts. I like the Swedish Chef trying to lure Big Bird into the kitchen so he can cook him for the Christmas dinner. I also love out of tune pianos...

As I said... the story is simple and the whole thing is really just a bunch of sections slapped together to make an hour long special. It's jumbled. But it doesn't matter. To see the original cast get together and have some fun is great in itself.

One thing that I never noticed when watching this over the last few years... when the Sesame Street folks show up caroling I thought to myself that this was my Sesame Street. Back before Elmo took over. No Elmo here, no sir. And then I saw him. That little red guy was singing with the rest of them. I had never noticed him before and was a little shocked that Elmo was hanging with the crew even back then. I wonder if he was Elmo back then or just another random unnamed monster...

Another thing I never noticed before... When the Fraggels come out to see what the singing is near the end of the movie, I never noticed that Uncle Traveling Matt was there as well. He was standing right underneath where they were. He was so close to his Nephew and he didn't even notice... kinda sad.

It's a great Christmas special and I urge you to take a look. I just watched the whole unedited version on YouTube. There is a DVD out there but it's edited and some of the music is missing. For your first viewing I guess that would work but for those who grew up on the special we can see that there is something missing and it's not cool at all.

After watching this I truly feel like the Christmas season is upon us...

25 Days of Christmas: Day Three

Ernest Saves Christmas (1988)

"Careful, now... them be PISIN!" - Ernest as Snake Wrangler











I remember watching this as a kid in the theater and loving it. And I still do.

When I was younger the Ernest movies were in full swing. He went to camp, saved Christmas, saved Halloween, and was sent to prison and died in the electric chair for a crime he didn't commit.

Don't worry though... he came back to life as a electrically charged superhero of sorts.

But I digress.

Today we talk about how the lovable everyman saved Christmas from fading away forever. You see... Santa Claus was in town looking for his replacement. It turns out that the mantle of Santa is passed down every hundred years or so and in doing so the magic of Christmas is charged full and kids all over the world get to look forward to another hundred years of Christmas.

This isn't the only movie out there that holds the idea that Santa is a rotating cast of characters. Later in the month we will see Tim Allen take over for the big guy after he causes the somewhat accidental death of the current suit wearer. But again... I digress.

Ernest is a cab driver in this flick and he's the lucky guy to pick up Santa from the airport. This begins the adventure as the guy Santa wants to hand the reigns over to doesn't have a chance to hear the pitch before the man's agent gets Santa hauled away by the cops. So Ernest and a runaway girl, who goes through the whole movie going back and forth in her unbelief of what's going on, have to bust him out and help him track down the guy that is supposed to take over for him. All of this happens on Christmas eve for the most part so there is a ticking clock running.

Ernest is going strong in this flick and I enjoy each scene he is showcased. He manages a little Fletch action in this flick as well as he goes from costume to costume to help get Santa to the places he needs to be. The snake farmer is my favorite. The mother of the agent is creepy and effective.

We even get a sequence with Vern! Ernest shows up at Vern's house to help him decorate and he ends up trashing the place instead. Reminds me of the old commercials and at this point it reminds me that Jim Varney is gone and he will be missed.

It also struck me that if they ever wanted to remake any of the Ernest movies they could use Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs as the title character. They look similar enough... but... nah... Ernest is one of a kind.

Douglas Seale does a good job as a somewhat naive but wise Santa. He looks the part and dresses pretty slick. He even gets to punch a guy in the face. We don't get to see our Santa's do that very often. So far in this little movie watching journey he is the number two Santa next to Art Carney though. The new Santa that gets tapped in the film wasn't on screen as the big guy long enough to make the list.

The movie stands strong in the realm of Christmas movies and I think will continue to hold up for a few more decades.

Knowhatimean...

25 Days of Christmas: Day Two

Prancer (1989)















I won't lie... this was a little tough to get through.

The movie tells the story of a young girl in a small town who thinks the injured reindeer she finds in the woods is the lost Prancer. She nurses him back to health with the intention of taking him up into the hills the night before Christmas eve in hopes of Santa coming to get him.

I'm going to assume it's because I'm older and wiser now with kids of my own but during this viewing all I was thinking was "Sam Elliot should send that brat girl packing to her aunt's house."

The girl Jessica played by Rebecca Harrell was such a turd in this flick I really didn't care about anything she wanted as the story progressed. I could see if the father was a jerk and was mean to her but I only saw a man who was trying everything in his power to keep a roof over his kids heads and his turd daughter kept running off and ignoring everything he said to her. I wasn't broken up at all when it came out that he was thinking of sending her off to live with the aunt. Don't let the door hit you on the way out, kiddo...

The first thirty or forty minutes I was wondering why people thought this was a good flick and it wasn't until Jessica had to make some cash to feed the hurt Prancer that the story got a little interesting. She heads over to the crazy lady who lives in the spooky old house over the hill and offers to clean her house. The woman agrees and is soon breaking into a smile and seems to enjoy the company until she finds out Jessica has gotten into the mass of Christmas decorations hidden in the attic.

It turns out that this lady used to be a nice woman who would go all out during Christmas every year but something happened to change her into the old crone we now see in the flick. Jessica manages to melt the frozen heart of Mrs. McFarland enough that she allows the decorations to be put up on the house and then we see her rejoining the town at life. But what was the thing that turned her into the town shut in? What's her story? Well, they don't bother telling us. Bummer.

The last bit of the movie picks up as we see the healing of the relationship between the father and daughter and sister and brother and the town comes together for the usual Christmas miracle. Sam Elliot takes his daughter up to the hills to set Prancer free so he can go back to Santa and it's pretty much shown that the reindeer is in fact the lost pet of Santa himself. Or is he? Sam Elliot doesn't seem to be surprised that the animal disappeared off the edge of a cliff. He doesn't look up in the sky to see the sleigh and eight tiny reindeer fly across the full moon. He doesn't even acknowledge the jingle bells. The only one to see the sight is the girl. Was it in her mind?

I think Prancer jumped. I felt like doing the same through most of the flick.

It's not horrible though. But it's so slow at parts and when it does start to get interesting it's only on the surface and doesn't try to get any deeper than that. This was a better movie when I was younger.

25 Days of Christmas: Day One

The Night They Saved Christmas (1984)

"If you continue, there's a very good chance you're going to blow up Santa Claus!" -- Ed









Like I said in the last post... I watched this on YouTube. It's a movie from my childhood and it was good to revisit it after all these years. Heck... decades. Plus it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

The whole story is that there is a man, Michael Baldwin, drilling for oil in the North Pole and all the blasting he's doing is wrecking house over at North Pole City where Santa lives. So Santa sends his chief elf, Ed, to see about getting them to stop blasting. As you might guess, this doesn't go over as smooth as planned.
When Ed comes back to offer Michael a visit to North Pole City and a chance to talk to Santa about the matter the disbelieving Michael pushes the elf onto his unsuspecting wife and children and rushes out to a meeting with his boss. The elf takes the family to North Pole City and soon they realize that it isn't a practical joke and that Santa is real and the danger to the city is growing.
The race to stop the blasting continues and the family must find a way to convince Michael that there really is a Santa Claus before Christmas is doomed forever.

It's a pretty simple story and the effects are low budget but it was made for tv so I didn't expect much in the area of visuals. The Santa in this story relies more on technology than the magic you would normally see as some of the things he uses to get all those toys to the kids include transporters, orbiting toy holding satellites, and even a machine that slows time. Some of the things were pretty cool and a nice change from the usual magic stuff I feel I'm going to be seeing a lot of as I get through all these movies.

The acting was really good on the part of Art Carney as Santa but the rest of the cast were really hamming it up for the camera. There are two times during the movie when Jaclyn Smith, as the mother Claudia, and the kids go missing and are presumed either kidnapped or dead and the father gets a little bummed out and heads to work. He doesn't seem to broken up that his wife and kids could be gone forever but by golly... he is going to be upset if he doesn't find that oil.

The music is way cheesy and like most movie productions in the 80's it's heavy on the sax. It ends with a song that's supposed to be good I think but it's pretty bad. I'm not sure if it's bad in a good way or not.

We also get to see a toy of the future near the end that's given to one of the boys as a present from Santa and let me tell you... if this movie wasn't dated before this will make it show it's age. It's a small rolling robot that has the ability to store over a hundred riddles on it's hard drive. OVER A HUNDRED! Man... it's almost magic!

The kids are pretty bad but you don't mind them. The rest of the cast pulls it off enough so that there is little to no cringing. In the end it's a fine little family flick for it's time. I had fun watching it.

The first flick of the 25 Days came out a success. I don't know how many sappy Christmas movies I'm going to get through before I crack...