Holiday Challenge 2012 (1 Viewer)

[JohnS]

I'm trying to get a bunch of holiday stuff watched today since it's my day off.
I've started by watching Tosh.0 #430
This was Tosh's end of the year Christmas special.
Tosh showed highlights from the year 2012, winter and Christmas related videos.
Tosh also spent what was left over in the show's 2012 budget to give us a Christmas themed "dominos fall' which was very funny.
Tosh showed us the hot Christmas toys to get your little ones including a cornhole Elmo doll and a Fisher Price hand gun.
I love Tosh.0 and it was a great way not to take the holidays so seriously.
I've added even more stuff to the schedule.
Highlights include A Christmas Carol (1984) , Smurfs' Christmas, Cabbage Parch Kids First Christmas, Christmas Comes to Pac-Land, Christmas in Connecticut and All I Want for Christmas
Christmas movies have also been added to the Hulu Plus list
Epix online list has been added with Santa Claus: The Movie and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Every Saturday and Sunday starting at 6am, Boomerang network are playing 80's Christmas cartoon specials. (Check the calendar)
Star Wars Holiday Special can be found on YouTube

 

[Radioman970]

Seems like Rifftrax guys did one for the SW special. I remember liking it without better since it's so nostalgic.

 

[bryan4999]

Here are two that I don't think anyone has mentioned. AUNTIE MAME has a touching scene at Christmas, Mame has just been fired and is broke, but decides to have Christmas early. Then Beau shows up and her problems are solved, to quote him, "It's a good old fashioned Christmas miracle!"
And GYPSY (newly on blu-ray by way of Warner Archive) ends on New Years Eve with "Minksy's Salute to the New Year" and Natalie Wood emerges from a champagne bottle as its cork explodes (wow, daring symbolism for 1962!).
Saw these one year in the 1970s in a double-feature at a revival house on Dec 31. I had never seen them in their OAR and it was great. Watch them every year at holiday time.

 

[Radioman970]

All in the Family. "The Bunkers go West". Meathead and Gloria are supposed to visit for Christmas but it doesn't quite work out that way. Great scene when Archie brings home a tree. But my fav is when Stephanie doesn't want to leave the house and Archie uses a method he once used when Gloria was an actual little goil! Great stuff. I'll have to remember that.

All in the Family. "California, Here we Come!" Good having Mike and Gloria back in the picture for a bit. I wish there had been more with Stephanie and little Joey, although I wasn't overly impressed with the little actor playing Joey. So maybe for the best. The totally different setting was strange, but appealing too. Gloria has some I Love Lucy-esque moments in a chair. And Archie gets a little intense. This one takes me back to that time since it reminds me of being a child and going to a relatives house; a relative that you know well, but their house is all strange and stuff...you're sleeping in a strange place (usually a horrible couch and flat pillow they usually don't use)... kind of an adventure. I miss that.

 

I ended up watching the following last night:
"A Flintstone Christmas," "Smurfs Christmas Special," "Tis the Season to Be Smurfy," "Flintstones Christmas Carol," "Christmas Flintstone," "A Flinstone Family Christmas," and the 1969 and 1971 animated "A Christmas Carol.

 

Tonight: "Pinocchio's Christmas" (dvd), "Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Great Santa Claus Caper," and "Sesame Street Christmas" (dvd.)

 

[JohnS]

The Office #613 "Secret Santa" Jim and Dwight tries to get everyone in the holiday spirit. Michael is furious that Jim let Phyllis be the Santa Claus.
A top notch Christmas episode. My favorite part is when Michael acts like a sarcastic child when Phyllis is playing her part if Santa Claus.
Love Michael's sarcastic comments during secret Santa time.
#711 & #712 "Classy Christmas" With Toby on jury duty for the Scranton Strangler, Holly comes to fill in. Michael prepares for Holly's visit by throwing away the planned Christmas party and makes a new one. Another top notch Christmas episode. Dwight finally gets the upper hand on Jim during their snowball fight.
Funniest part is at the end when Dwight strikes fear in Jim with the numerous snowmen waiting for I'm in the parking lot.
#909 "Dwight Christmas" The party planning committee and everyone in the office forgets about the Christmas party. Dwight steps in to throw everyone his German version of Christmas. Dwight playing Belsnickel

was creepy yet funny. It may not be a top notch Christmas episode, but still worth watching every Christmas for an alternative take on the standard Office Chrsitmas party episodes.
Parks and Recreation #509 "Ron and Diane" Tammy II returns to torment Ron and the woodcarvers awards show. The P&R staff attend Jerry's Christmas party.
Not a full on Christmas episode but enough to make it a yearly viewing at this time. Great writing and very funny. This show continues to satisfy. We find out just how hot Jerry's wife is, and ponder the thought of how he produces the hot daughters. Ron's academy awards type show for the woodcutters was very funny and a nice break from the Christmas stuff. It would have been nice to spend more time at Jerry's Christmas party.
He-man and She-Ra Christmas Special Hoard Prime has Skeletor and Hoardak kidnap Earth children to stop the joy of Christmas that they bring to Eternia. Orko also stows away inside of Man at Arms' test rocket.
I like watching this episode just to see all of the characters from both He-man and She-Ra that get together. It sucks that most of them are just drawn into the background and don't get any real interaction time. Great 80's cartoon nostalgia.
My Christmas watch list
I'm adding more to the calendar.
12 Dates of Christmas will be on ABC Family Saturday (12am) and Sunday (12pm)
Stars Amy Smart and Mark-Paul Gosselaar. Amy Smart experiences Christmas Eve over and over while trying to find her true love. I've already seen this. It's not the greatest but fun to watch with the very cute Amy Smart.

 

[TravisR]

Parks and Recreation #509 "Ron and Diane" Tammy II returns to torment Ron and the woodcarvers awards show. The P&R staff attend Jerry's Christmas party.
Not a full on Christmas episode but enough to make it a yearly viewing at this time. Great writing and very funny. This show continues to satisfy. We find out just how hot Jerry's wife is, and ponder the thought of how he produces the hot daughters. Ron's academy awards type show for the woodcutters was very funny and a nice break from the Christmas stuff. It would have been nice to spend more time at Jerry's Christmas party.

Parks And Recreation is far and away the best comedy on TV in years and other than Breaking Bad, it's the best show on TV as a whole. Last night's ep was a really good example of why. And I guess I should be ashamed but I'd have been stuck outside with Tom, April and Andy because I'd be merciless to poor old Jerry.

 

[JohnS]

iTunes has these Christmas TV episodes to download for free
Doctor Who Christmas special, "The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe" and its prequel.
Christmas at Downton Abby
Long Island Medium "Christmas Spirit"
Craft Wars "Christmas Craft-tastrophe"
Either it was a mistake or a quick offer, but the Doctor Who Christmas special is no longer free.
There is still a free download of this on iTunes.
You have to go to the TV section, then to free TV episodes, then find it half way down the page and hit the free button.
But anywhere else on iTunes and they charge you $2.99

 

Up tonight: "The Polar Express" (blu-ray)

 

[Radioman970]

Nightmare before Christmas. Been while, and a bit sleepy before it ended, but not the fault of the Pumpkin King. Lovely little ride, brilliant idea. The mayor character always made me uneasy, with the alternating faces. It's the one that stays inanimate on the back.
lol, I bought all the He-man stuff when BCI was ending all that. Picked up that He-man xmas special. Still has the plastic on it. I never watched He-man as a kid, always preferring Thundarr by a wide margin. Watching as an adult, it still comes off nostalgic and reminds me of my nephew who did watch it and had the toys. It was a pretty good show. But I still prefer thundarr.

 

Ended up watching "Christmas Vacation" last night instead.

 

Up Tonight: "Home Alone" (blu-ray), "Elf," and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (Jim Carey.)

 

Up Tonight: "Home Alone" (blu-ray), "Elf," and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (Jim Carey.)

 

[Michael Elliott]

Sorry for the long post. With the exception of the one feature, all these shorts were watched the past two Fridays, which are just so slow at work I have plenty of time to jump on Youtube and Netflix.
Jack Frost (1934) :star::star::star: (Netflix stream)
Ub Iwerks' directed this animated short about a young grizzly bear who decides to go outside even though his mother warned him that a cold winter was about to hit. I always enjoy watching the work of Iwerks because even today his images are quite striking and they're certainly unlike anything else that was out at the time or even today. This film isn't among his greatest works but I think there are enough unique touches that make the thing worth watching. I really liked the images but this here should go without being said. I especially liked the winter landscape as the bear wonders out of his house thinking that his fur is going to protect him. The scene showing the snowman being created was terrific and the imagination in it was excellent. Earlier there's a very good sequence with some dancing trees and the scenes with the pumpkins was also very good. The bear cub himself was a good and memorable character and his little journey has many cute moments as well as some darker ones.
Jack Frost (1979) :star::star::star: (Youtube)
Fun stop-motion animated film from the Rankin-Bass team has a groundhog telling the story of the one and only time that Jack Frost was human. We learn that Jack Frost, when he was the bitter winter, fell in love with a girl and was given permission from Father Winter to become human as long as he would be able to fit in with human life. JACK FROST is certainly another winner from the duo who by this time were already legends in their field. This film clocks in at 45-minutes but it not once feels like its running too long and this is due to the wonderful animation but story itself is also a very good one with memorable characters. I thought the Jack Frost character was truly a memorable one and especially the way he came from being nothing but winter to a human. I found the story to be fun to sit through but at the same time touching and especially the ending. What really makes the film so memorable is the actual animation that just jumps off the screen. I really loved the visuals, the colors and especially how the animation just really makes the characters and location come to life.
Jack Frost (1998) :star::star::star: (ABCFamHD)
Musician Jack Frost (Michael Keaton) has neglected his kid Charlie (Joseph Cross) for years and one day before Christmas he's killed in a car wreck. Flash forward a year when Charlie builds a snowman who is magically taken over by the spirit of his father and two begin to spend some quality time together. You can read just about any review out there for this film and words such as disgusting, creepy, ugly, rude and traumatizing are going to be used. I must admit that there are times when I watch movies and I just can't see what people see in them and there are times when I view a movie where I can't see why people hate them so much. Look, I agree that this kids film has a rather ugly subject in regards to a kid losing his father but for the life of me I can't figure out why there's so much hatred thrown at this film. I thought the film was very sweet, featured some good performances and I think its heart is in the right place. I really don't understand why some are taking such a strong moral clause with this film and throwing a judgment on it as to what damage it might do to kids. Really? Countless Disney films have scared young children yet no one says a word about them. E.T. scared me to death as a child but no one bashes that film. Is JACK FROST in their level? Not even close but no matter the quality I don't see the need for the moral police. Again, I thought the film was innocent enough and had a good heart. I thought Keaton did a very good job early in the film when we actually see him and I thought his vocal work as the snowman was terrific. I found him to be fun to watch and I thought the relationship between him and the son was quite good. Is JACK FROST the next IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE? Of course not but I don't see the need for calling this movie child abuse.
Frosty the Snowman (1954) :star::star::star::half: (Youtube)
This timeless short originally aired on a Chicago station and has since become a favorite to many. At just under 3-minutes there's really no story being told outside of the song itself. We see a group of kids dancing around the snowman and as soon as they put the hat on him he begins to dance as well. There are so many Christmas shorts out there that one could get lost in trying to track all of them down but many are very much worth it and that's the case with this one. I think most people are going to be familiar with the more recent, color films but seeing a Christmas cartoon in B&W just adds a timeless quality to it. I really loved the animation here and especially the look of Frosty. I hope this comes out the right way but he looks like what a real snowman would look like if a bunch of kids just put it together in the back yard. In many Frosty cartoons he looks like, well, a fake cartoon but in this version he really does look like a snowman.
Christmas Fairy Tale (1961) :star::star::half: (Youtube)
Mildly entertaining short that has appeared on few Christmas compilations, although there's very little to nothing known about the actual film. The film starts off with a little girl looking through some of her books and imagining that the people in them come to life. We see Robin Hood, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Rip Van Winkle and various others before we're told the story of The Littlest Snowman. Overall this here is certainly far from a classic and there's no question that it doesn't feature anything that makes it a must see. At the same time I think the narration by Bob Leonard is sweet enough to where it really brings you into the story and lets your imagination go just like a kid's would when it came time for them to imagine that their toys or favorite characters are coming to life. The life action nature of the film is good and I thought the various sets for the toys looked quite good. At just under 10-minutes the film has a rather slow pace but I think this actually helps things as it allows one to really get into the story.
The Home of Santa Claus (195x) :star::star::half: (Netflix stream)
There's not too much known about this short other than it was shot in Turkey by the Turkish Tourism Board who obviously wanted people to know the real Santa Claus didn't wear a red suit. I was really surprised to see how entertaining this thing was as it's basically a lot like James A. FitzPatrick's TravelTalks series that he did at MGM. The biggest difference is that this short is in B&W but other than that it has a lot in common with the MGM series. There's a lot of information given about the real Saint Nicholas from his birth to various aspects of his life. Throughout the short running time the narrator is constantly reminded people that Santa is from Turkey and not the North Pole. Overall this is a pretty pleasant short that adults should find mildly entertaining, although it's certain you'll want to keep this away from children and especially if they believe in the "other" Santa Claus. The film offers up some nice local scenery of Lycia, Turkey and various other places, which is another bonus. THE HOME OF SANTA CLAUS is really nothing more than Turkey wanting to bring in some tourists but it's still worth viewing.
Santa Claus' Punch and Judy (1948) :star::star: (Netflix stream)
Everything that could possible go wrong in a Christmas movie pretty much happens here. Santa Claus is entertaining a roomful of children when he decides to bring out a couple puppets and perform a show. This "show" is something that makes this short not that appropriate for children so parents will certainly want to watch this before they show it to anyone. I had heard some pretty wild things about this film and it didn't disappoint as it certainly lived up to the hype. Puppet shows are weird enough on their own but for the life of me I'm not certain what was going on with this one. For starters, it's full of violence as the male puppet pretty much beats up the female on, throws her around and even cracks her with a stick a couple times. He then goes on to beat up a cat before he gets eaten by an alligator. As you can see, the violence level is rather high and this is why kids will probably be terrified of this thing. Even stranger is that it appears the male puppet is attacking the film in a sexual way. Again, I'm not sure what was going on in the director's mind and perhaps it was innocent but the end result is just really weird but highly recommended to adults who like strange and weird things.
A Collection of Carols (1946) :star::star::half: (Netflix stream)
Cheaply produced but mildly entertaining short has six Christmans songs (O Come All Ye Faithful, The First Noel, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, Joy to the World, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, Silent Night) by a group of kids. That's pretty much all there is to this short as we're just given generic things going on in the background and the majority of the time the camera is just set on those doing the singing. On a technical levels there's certainly nothing too impressive about this film as it's clear they were working on a very small budget. The film is mainly going to be for film buffs wanting to check out any Christmas short they can or people simply wanting to hear some music for the holidays. For the most part I thought all six songs were performed pretty well as there's at least nothing bad or anything that will make you want to hit the mute button.
The Little Match Girl (1954) :star::star::star: (Netflix stream)
Nice version of the Hans Christian Andersen story about a poor match girl who dreams of something better but in tragedy. According to Wiki (yeah, I know), this version was originally a 1952 French movie that was purchased by Castle Films in 1954 and they added the English narration. I had a hard time really getting too much information on this as the titles and credits have been replaced by the Castle Films one so even the print I watched did no good in that regards. For the most part I think this is one of the saddest "Christmas" stories out there and it really doesn't take too much to film it. This version here has a few different takes on the story including the girl being "rescued" by the Virgin Mary. I thought the young actress playing the girl did a pretty good job with it and unlike so many other dubbed movies, this one doesn't suffer from the translation. In fact, the story itself is so strong that you could easily turn off the sound and still be able to enjoy the message and the drama.
The Night Before Christmas (1954) :star::star::star: (Netflix)
This here is just one film version that takes the poem and tries to do something new with it. The one difference here is that this mixes live action and animation to tell the story of the night before Christmas. If you've seen one version of this poem then you've pretty much seen them all as it seems there's not too much that hasn't already been done. I found this version here to be worth watching because it has a somewhat creepy feel to it and especially the Santa Claus. I'm sure nothing bad was meant but just take a look at the sequence where the jolly old Santa is just laughing away. Again, I know this is part of the poem but the laughing Santa here seems more like a madman than just a jolly old guy. It was also interesting that they wanted to mix the live action with the animation but the only animated sequences are basically when Santa is flying through the air. I'm going to guess that it was a little cheaper to do animation over a special effect of him flying. Either way, fans of Christmas shorts will want to check this one out and especially if they want to see one of the weirder ones.
The Christmas Visitor (1959) :star::star::half: (Netflix)
This animated short starts off with a reading of 'Twas The Night Before Christmas and then we see Santa as he goes to deliver a few gifts. Overall this is a decent short to watch around Christmas time but there's still a good reason why it's not considered a classic or a film that is better known. I think those people who enjoy going through as many Christmas shorts as they can are going to be the main audience for this thing as it certainly has some mild charm but little else. I think the biggest problem with the picture is that none of the actual action is all that entertaining. I will say that the reading of the poem is quite good but outside of this there's just not much going on. The animation is decent at best and none of the characters are all that memorable. Seeing Santa smoking is certainly something that wouldn't go over well today but it makes for a quick laugh.
Toy Time (1931) :star::star::star: (Youtube)
This animation film shows a lot of imagination and especially when you consider it's basically just a mice versus cat type of story. The film takes place at Christmas time as a mouse and his girlfriend decide to go out and look at presents in the home and it doesn't take long for the mean cat to show up. I really thought this short featured some good imagination and especially during an early sequence where the mouse is trying to get a piece of cheese off of a trap so he has to use a way around getting caught. Things really turn fun once the cat shows up and the mice have to use various gifts to try and fight it off. This here leads to some really good stuff including a blown up cat that helps put everything to an end. The male mouse has a strong resemblance to Mickey Mouse so I'm a little surprise that Disney didn't have an issue with this. The animation style was quite impressive and really dragged you into the fun of the situation. The copy of this that I viewed came from a TV print with the title THE TOYLAND CAPER.
The Candlemaker (1957) :star::star: (Youtube)
Decent animated film that's main goal is to spread to word of Jesus. The film takes place, as the narrator says, before cars or electricity. The important jobs in a small town were the butcher and the candlemaker. It's a week before Christmas and the candlemaker in town gives the most important job to his young son. The son then must create two candles that will appear in the local church. I think for the target audience this here is going to be enjoyed. I don't mind films that have major religious overtones but I just don't like being preached at. This film goes way over-the-top in the preaching department and at times the film beats its message over the viewers head. There's no question that the film has a good message to be told and this message was strong enough to where we didn't need the preaching. With that said, for the most part the animation was quite nice and the film was certainly put together well. At 13-minutes it ran on a bit too long but again, those target members of the crowd will certainly enjoy it.
Silent Night: The Story of a Christmas Carol (1953) :star::star::half: (Youtube)
Decent 13-minute documentary taking a look at the song "Silent Night" from the time it was written to the music and finally to it being performed across the world. A few weeks ago I watched a British short from 1939 called STARLIGHT NIGHT, which covered the same information but it was so drawn out and boring that it was nearly impossible trying to figure out the story of the song. This here runs half the time shorter and does a much better job at giving you the history of Father Mohr, his journey and how it led him to write the song. It's pretty obvious that this was shot on a very low budget so the cinematography, editing and structure isn't the greatest. There's no doubt that the film could have used a tad bit more energy to keep things moving better but if you're unfamiliar with the history then I think this film does a good job at telling it.
Hector's Hectic Life (1948) :star::star::star: (Youtube)
Charming animated film about Hector, a dog whose owner grows tired of him making messes so right before Christmas she tells him that he must remain good or else she's going to put him out in the cold. Hector swears to be good but his secret puppies can't quite stay out of trouble. HECTOR'S HECTIC LIFE isn't going to go down in animation history of being one of the greatest films out there but I think it's charming enough and features enough action to keep people entertained. The highlight of the film is a scene where the puppies knock over a fish bowl, spilling all of the water and Hector having to rush to the scene and get it cleaned up. Another good sequence deals with Hector throwing the pups out of the house but then getting a visit from his good and bad sides. For the most part the animation is quite nice and at just over 7-minutes the thing certainly moves good enough with no slow moments.
Winter Draws On (1948) :star::star::half: (Youtube)
This animated sing-along starts off showing a bunch of birds getting ready to head South for winter and once they're on their way we then get a bouncing ball leading us in singing "Alabama Bound" to the Mason-Dixie line. If you've seen these sing-along shorts then you pretty much know what to expect. This one here is pretty far from being good but at the same time I've seen much worse. I actually think the best part of the short is the actual story dealing with the birds going South. I thought this had several funny moments including one bird not allowing people to ride on her and another where a female bird is carrying just one small bag while her even smaller husband is forced to carry everything large. There's even a pretty funny joke about "Yankees coming back" at the end of the film. The animation itself is quite nice and there's a lot of imagination going on in the drawings. The song itself isn't the best version you're going to hear but it's good enough for this type of film.
Jive Turkey (1945) :star::star::star: (Youtube)
The pilgrims land on Plymouth Rock and soon after one wants to catch a turkey for his family's dinner. The big-nosed, large-belly Pilgrim goes out into the woods and finds a turkey but it's not going to be easy to catch him. This Tex Avery short is a pretty good one that features a couple memorable characters going through various violent things that these MGM shorts always seemed to feature. There are several funny gags to be seen here including one that has Plymouth Rock actually being a rock looking like a turkey. Another funny gag deals with a bear walking around advertising for people to "Eat at Joe's." I found both the Pilgrim and the turkey characters to be quite good and memorable. They have a good comic timing against one another and I thought they helped make the action go by at a quick pace. The animation is nice and certainly helped the film as well.
Snow Foolin' (1949) :star::star::star: (Netflix stream)
Entertaining animated short has a rabbit turning the calender to the first day of winter, which brings a ton of snow. The animals all gather around and play in the snow, skate and do other winter events until we get a sing-along for Jingle Bells. SNOW FOOLIN' is one of the better sing-along shorts that I've seen as we're given more than just the bouncing ball to follow as we sing. This one here actually has some pretty funny stuff going on before we get to the singing and I really enjoyed the majority of the characters here. This includes a very funny skating sequence where we see someone get "eight the hard way" and later we see an alligator crash into a tree and become luggage. I thought the film did a very good job at showing how much fun one can have in the snow and while watching this you'll be wishing it would start snowing so that you could go out into it. The version of Jingle Bells here was a pretty good one and it's such a powerful version that I'm sure people in 1949 had no problem getting charged up to join in and sing.
Santa's Surprise (1947) :star::star::star: (Netflix stream)
It's Christmas Night and Santa Claus is traveling around the world dropping off gifts for the little kids. When he gets back to the North Pole he goes right to bed not realizing that several kids have followed him home and have a surprise for him. What this short basically teaches us is that Santa Claus is so busy that he's unable to clean his own house, which leads to a lot of messes and dust. The kid's decide to be nice and clean the house while he catches up on his sleep. Overall this here is a pretty entertaining short that certainly has its heart in the right place but at the same time I'm sure most parents will have a lot of explaining to do to their kids. I say that because there are quite a few stereotypes on display here that are obviously going to offend many people today so parents will be explaining that this type of thing was at one time normal. The black kid and the Asian kids all have stereotypes about them and this includes the black kid shining Santa's shoes. Even with this stuff I still thought the film was entertaining. All of the characters are charming enough and even the Santa here is quite memorable. Another major bonus is that the song the kid's sing is actually pretty catchy in its own right.
The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives (1933) :star::star::star:
Good short from Merrie Melodies has an orphan stumbling through the snow on Christmas Eve when she eventually bumps into Santa Claus. The jolly fat man takes the child for a ride and they land at a house where all the toys are being made. With a good song and dance sequence, we see the toys come to life and perform for the child. THE SHANTY WHERE SANTY CLAUS LIVES runs just around 7-minutes and it's pretty delightful from start to finish. Even though the film is in B&W I think a lot of kids today would still enjoy it because the visuals are terrific, the song is nice and there's no question that there's just something unique about seeing Santa in B&W. That big red outfit is just so familiar that I always enjoy seeing these shorts where Santa is shown in B&W. Perhaps this is just a strange thing of mine but I think the vintage image that comes with B&W just really adds an extra layer to the Santa myth. I was also very impressed with the images and especially the winder wonderland and the stuff dealing with Santa flying through the air.
Jingle Bells (1950) :star::star::star: (Netflix)
This five-minute short from Neil E. McGuire is just a sing-along for Jingle Bells. Going back through time and watching older movies is always fun for a number of reasons but one is just getting to see normal things back then that most people probably wouldn't know about today. When I think of these sing-along short I always remember the scene in HUD where the entire technique of a crowd singing is perfectly shown. This short here is quite charming enough and I think it would make for an entertaining way to get the family together if you're one who still actually sings. The visuals are pretty simple as some people are riding through the snow on a (you guessed it) one horse open sleigh. The words at the bottom of the screen are easy to read as well. Again, this certainly isn't anything ground-breaking but if you enjoy this type of thing then it's good enough.
The Kids in the Shoe (1935) :star::star::half: (Netflix)
Mildly charming animated short from Dave Fleischer deals with a group of children who live inside a giant shoe with the elderly woman who takes care of them. What we basically see is that the children are well taken care of but they still want to have a little more fun so when their keeper goes to bed the kids break out a guitar and piano for some swing music. The Fleischer boys made so many cartoons that many of them were pretty middle-ground stuff that might have been seen as being much higher quality to a regular artist. When you have the name Fleischer you just expect high quality all the time so something in the middle like this can be overlooked. For the most part this short was cute enough and it certainly didn't overstay its 7-minute running time. The characters for the most part were entertaining but the highlight was certainly the song that gets played at the end. It was very catchy and you'll be tapping your feet to it just like the characters in the film.
Somewhere in Dreamland (1936) :star::star::star:
Animated short from Dave Fleischer has two poor children crossing in front of a bakery where they see all sorts of great food. They then have to walk home where their mother (voice of Mae Questel) has just hard bread for them to eat. That night they go to bed hungry but dream about a place where there's all sorts of food. I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed this film as at first I wasn't sure much was going to happen. I thought the storytelling was extremely good and I liked all the little points that Fleischer is able to get across without being preachy or having it in your face. I also thought the title song was quite catchy and done in a very good way. As you'd expect, the animated is quite good from start to finish and I really liked the Dreamland sequence because, well, it really did seem like a real dream. I won't reveal the twist at the end but it's quite charming and makes it easy to see why this short has turned up on many Holiday collections.
The Snow Man (1940) :star::star::half: (Youtube)
Don't be taken in by the title because this B&W short is something you'd be better off watching at Halloween time rather than Christmas. An Eskimo and some of his creature friends go outside for some fun in the snow. Once there they build a snowman who then comes to life and it turns out he's quite naughty. This here actually turned out to be a quite memorable short but not for the reasons I was expecting. This thing is so memorable because of how ugly, mean-spirited and un-Christmas jolly it is. I'm not going to sit here and say that this is an evil film because it isn't but at the same time I think a lot of young kids would be terrified of this snowman. The scene where the snowman comes to life is the most memorable sequence because when he "melts," the black really does come off looking like blood so it appears as if the snowman has blood pouring out from him. Add in his scary looking face and the fact that he's trying to harm kids and you're left with a quite memorable snowman. As for the story, there's really not too much going on to get excited about so the only real purpose in watching this is to see one of the strangest snowmen out there. I'm sure this guy would scare Frosty too.
The Star of Bethlehem (1956) :star::half: (Netflix stream)
Pretty bland animated short tells the story that I'm sure most people are already going to know going in. While watching this film I kept wondering if perhaps it was produced to try and cash in on the success of THE TEN COMMANDMENTS from Cecil B. DeMille. I will admit that I liked the approach that director Vivian Milroy took in the visual style but this still isn't enough to make up for the bland storytelling. The actual look of the film was quite unique as everything in the background was in color as was any actual non-living object. The actual humans were always shown in shadow only and this mixed against the colorful backdrop actually made for a good looking picture. The problem with the short is that it simply doesn't feature any exciting storytelling. The actual story is going to be familiar to most so it doesn't tell us anything in a new fashion or an original way. Even at just 10-minutes the film drags along and becomes tiresome after a while.
A Christmas Carol (1969) :star::star::star: (Youtube)
Highly entertaining and effective animated version of the Dickens' story is without question one of the better adaptations out there. By now everyone is familiar with the story itself so there's no real point in going into great details about it. It seems like each year I try to locate new versions of this famous story and each year it really makes me think that Dickens' original story has to be one of the greatest ever written. It's so perfectly mixes in so many emotions and comes across as being so real that it's impossible not to get caught up in it no matter how many times you've read it or how many versions you've seen. The animation here is certainly one of the high-marks as everything is drawn so perfect and with so much detail that it almost feels like a live action film. It also helps greatly that nothing is lost in the animation meaning that the characters still feel very much human and none of the stories power is missing. I was very much impressed with how much emotional connection you were able to have with the characters and especially with Scrooge. The film opens up at the grave site of his partner as the rich man throws a fit about having to pay to bury him. This perfectly sets up everything that's to follow. The four ghosts all have a terrific look and manage to be quite creepy as well. At 45-minutes the film goes by extremely quick and it never feels long for a single second. Fans of animation or the story itself should really enjoy this version.
A Christmas Carol (1971) :star::star::star: (Youtube)
Animated version of the Charles Dickens' tale about the mean-spirited Scrooge who is visited by three ghosts who will try to teach him the right way to live. While this isn't the greatest version of the story that I've seen, those such as myself who enjoy watching different versions should enjoy it. I think the main interest here is that Alastair Sim does the vocal work of Scrooge. Most fans consider his performance from the 1951 film to be the greatest ever so getting to hear him do another version of it was quite nice. He does a very good job with the vocal work and Michael Redgrave also does a fine job with the narration. The animation here is quite good throughout and I really enjoyed the more simple, laid back approach. There's nothing in the animation that's going to jump off the screen at you but I thought it fit the story and the pacing quite well. Another benefit is that there's really not any downtime in the film as the screenplay pretty much sticks to the high points of the story and go to them without any smaller pieces sticking together. As an example, as soon as Scrooge is done with the first ghost he immediately goes to the second without there being any time between the two. A Christmas CAROL hits the best parts of the story and manages to keep its heart and message in place.

 

[JohnS]

Up Tonight: "Home Alone" (blu-ray), "Elf," and "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (Jim Carey.)

Home Alone on Blu-ray and what is this new format called Jim Carey?
I watched Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too Winnie the Pooh and his friends write a letter to Santa Claus asking for what they really need most. Pooh sends the letter by the way of the wind, and mistakenly sends it in the wrong direction. Pooh makes up for it by trying to walk the letter to Santa himself.
Never seen it before. It was simple and a few cute moments.
12 Dates of Christmas Amy Smart keeps reliving her blind date on Christmas Eve over and over again.
Basically this is Groundhog Day on Christmas.
The very cute Amy Smart makes this enjoyable to watch.
I've seen it before and actually liked it more the second time around.
The second time around I noticed that they keep track of what day she's relived by the number from the 12 days if Christmas hidden somewhere in the scene.
10 lords a keeping on a hockey jersey, 11 pipers piping on a pizza taxi cab ad.
Doctor Who Christmas Special "The Doctor, The Widow, and The Wardrobe"
After the death of her husband, a bomber pilot, Madge Arwell and her two children, Lily and Cyril, evacuate to their uncle's home in Dorset. However, they discover that the caretaker is a strange individual in a jacket and bow tie. He has a present for them, a box that leads to a miraculous world. However, when Cyril goes through before Christmas morning, he finds himself in danger and the Doctor, Lily, and Madge go through to rescue him.
Not my favorite Doctor Who Christmas episode. Most of the times it doesn't feel Christmasy.
But I do like the daughter Lily tagging along with The Doctor.
With Chanukah starting tonight, don't for get there is Chanukah stuff to watch like...
Rugrats: “A Rugrats Chanukah”
Friends: “The One With the Holiday Armadillo”
An American Tail (It begins on Chanukah)
The O.C.: “The Best Chrismukkah Ever”

 

[PatW]

Elf (2003) :star::star::star::half:
I like Will Ferrell a lot. He's charming and very personable on screen but man do most of his movies suck. This one is one of his better ones. It's funny, engaging with a charming story and that's a win in my books.
Bad Santa (2003) :star::star::star:
I know a lot of people like this but for me it was only slightly tolerable. It has some touching bits and for that it gets a pass. Billy Bob Thornton was great though at playing this type of seedy, obnoxious character.
Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) :star::star::star::half:
Lacking in originality and too similar to the first one, but it still has some great moments, touching moments and some good laughs courtesy of Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern and the great Tim Curry. Can't believe this movie is twenty already.

 

LOL @ Jim Carrey format. I didn't watch it anyway. Tonight: Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas on dvd. I ended up watching "A Muppet Family Christmas" (uncut, taken from my broadcast copy) and "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street." Tonight will complete my Jim Henson holiday specials for this year. Next year I hope to add the John Denver/Muppets specials and some of the newer Muppets specials.

 

[JohnS]

LOL @ Jim Carrey format. I didn't watch it anyway. Tonight: Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas on dvd. I ended up watching "A Muppet Family Christmas" (uncut, taken from my broadcast copy) and "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street." Tonight will complete my Jim Henson holiday specials for this year. Next year I hope to add the John Denver/Muppets specials and some of the newer Muppets specials.

If you have Netflix, they have classic Sesame Street Season 2 Episode 2, where winter comes to Sesame Street.

 

I'll have to check that out! I watched the newly released dvd of "Sesame Street Christmas" which premiered the exact same week as "Christmas Eve on Sesame Street." The former is a complete cheese fest!