What's your favorite holiday movie(s)?
studio
SPOILERS!
But if you haven't seen these by now you're living in a cave somewhere
in Pakistan.
March Of The Wooden Soldiers (aka: Babes In Toyland).
Stan and Oliver mix up Santas orders and build 100 soldiers 6' tall,
instead of 600 soldiers 1' tall.
But their mistake saves their village. Every time I see the scene with
Stan and Oliver pushing the activation buttons on the wooden soldiers
it brings a tear to my eye.
Gift of the Magi (short story from O. Henry's Full House).
A young newly married couple in the early 1900's who hasn't much money
to buy each other nice Christmas presents; he loves her beautiful long
hair. She loves his beautiful pocket watch.
Unknown what the other is planning to buy; she cuts her hair off and
sells it in order to buy him a platinum fob for his watch. He sells
his watch to buy her a tiara for her long hair. A story of unselfish
love and sacrifice. Another real tear jerker.
Then there's the epic religious movies.
Of course there's always the more humorous Christmas Story, Christmas
Vacation, Home Alone.
And many other good movies worth mentioning that are shown around the
holiday season.
nmstevens
I think the never-surpassed Alistair Sim version of "A Christmas
Carol" still has a place at the top of the list. Top cast of British
character actors -- Tiny Tim is only moderately unbearable, and most
importantly, the movie never forgets that it's a "ghost story" -- and
it fully embraces not only the moments that are moving but the moments
that are terrifying.
You can say the same about It's a Wonderful Life -- which has all of
this wonderful, sentimental small town stuff -- but isn't at all
afraid to go into really dark night of the soul stuff with the Jimmy
Stewart character and "never born" sequence is really one of the most
nightmarish scenes you'll ever find. Again, this same idea of having
to go through the valley of darkness to come out again into the
light.
And, while not exactly a Christmas movie, I'll toss in A Tree Grows In
Brooklyn -- just generally a perfect movie about love and loss and
growing up in turn-of-the-last-century Brooklyn.
Oh, and speaking of O'Henry's Full House -- my favorite is "The Last
Leaf" -- but for those who haven't seen it, I won't spoil it.
NMS
studio
> Vacation, Home Alone.
>
> And many other good movies worth mentioning that are shown around the
> holiday season.
Another good humorous holiday movie is Trains, Planes and Automobiles.
I get something in my eye at the end of that one too.
STJensen
and sentimental.
Avoid normal situations.
> On Dec 20, 10:05?pm, studio <tl...@hotmail.com> wrote:
[..]
> I think the never-surpassed Alistair Sim version of "A Christmas
> Carol" still has a place at the top of the list. Top cast of British
> character actors -- Tiny Tim is only moderately unbearable, and most
> importantly, the movie never forgets that it's a "ghost story" -- and
> it fully embraces not only the moments that are moving but the moments
> that are terrifying.
> You can say the same about It's a Wonderful Life -- which has all of
> this wonderful, sentimental small town stuff -- but isn't at all
> afraid to go into really dark night of the soul stuff with the Jimmy
> Stewart character and "never born" sequence is really one of the most
> nightmarish scenes you'll ever find. Again, this same idea of having
> to go through the valley of darkness to come out again into the
> light.
Hear, hear. I have a copy of each on decaying old VHS, and I re-run them
every year at some point in December.
Like so many really fine works of art, you can actually appreciate them
*more* as you get older and pick up on stuff that you never grokked when
you were a kid. It's one thing to feel sorry for Mr. Gower because his son
Robert died of influenza... then, as you get older and better educated, you
realize that's perfectly in character for the times, as there was a massive
epidemic of the flu around WW1... and it was a much nastier thing in those
days than today, where getting the flu means you miss three days of work
instead of one and sit at home and watch TV the whole time.
I do not think there is much point in my seeing the new version of _A
Christmas Carol_, although I have been a Robert Zemeckis fan for a long time,
and I find that there are actually quite a few strong cinematic versions of
the tale. It's just that, while watching all that elaborate CGI, I am sure
I will be constantly thinking about how hoaky and clumsy the matte FX were
in the Alastair Sim version, but somehow they seem rather charming when you
reflect that all the artistry is note-perfect. I wouldn't change a single
frame.
--
alt.flame Special Forces
"It is providential that the youth or man of inventive mind is not 'blessed'
with a million dollars. The mind is sharper and keener in seclusion and
uninterrupted solitude. Originality thrives in seclusion free of outside
influences beating upon us to cripple the creative mind. Be alone -- that is
the secret of invention: be alone, that is when ideas are born."
-- Nikolai Tesla
Avoid normal situations.
> "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947) Fun, light-hearted, non-religious,
> and sentimental.
And, let's not forget, very well thought out. When you see it, you can't
help but be impressed by how clever rather than treacly it really is.
Wordsmith
In the animated category, Satoshi Kon's *Tokyo Godfathers* sticks
with me, although for a Christmas tale, there's a suprising amount
of violence. The transvestism and crossdressing also may turn some
off.
W : )
studio
> I always look forward to the
> older, British versions of "A Christmas Carol", but like to watch the
> newer versions, too, like the one with George C. Scott.
Speaking of which, the George Scott version came on right after I
posted.
nmstevens wrote:
> You can say the same about It's a Wonderful Life...
Probably the most popular of all Christmas stories.
> Oh, and speaking of O'Henry's Full House -- my favorite is "The Last
Leaf" -- but for those who haven't seen it, I won't spoil it. <
Also a very good short story in tune with the season. That one also
can put something in your eye.
Ovum
o
Ovum
are the top films related to it?
o
Alan Brooks
> I'm curious: what's the most important holiday in Judaism, and what
> are the top films related to it?
I'm not Jewish, so I could be wrong, but my impression from years of living
in NYC is that the most important Jewish holiday is Donna Karan's Sample
Sale day, and the traditional songs are all off Madonna's Material Girl
album.
But again, I'm not Jewish, so take that with a grain of kosher salt.
Alan Brooks
---------------------------
A Schmuck with an Underwood
-- Why is this night
60% - 80% cheaper
than every other
night?
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nmstevens
> "Ovum" <lk1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > I'm curious: what's the most important holiday in Judaism, and what
> > are the top films related to it?
>
> I'm not Jewish, so I could be wrong, but my impression from years of living
> in NYC is that the most important Jewish holiday is Donna Karan's Sample
> Sale day, and the traditional songs are all off Madonna's Material Girl
> album.
>
> But again, I'm not Jewish, so take that with a grain of kosher salt.
>
> � � � � � � � � Alan Brooks
> ---------------------------
> A Schmuck with an Underwood
>
I have to say that some people, Jewish and otherwise, Alan, even with
a grain of kosher salt, might take those "I'll get it for you
wholesale" Jew remarks as, to say the least, a bit overdrawn at the
ethnic cliche bank.
If the most cogent thing you've got to say about Jews at the holiday
season is that, gee whiz, those New York Jews sure like to buy stuff
and they're materialistic -- have you really come up with with a
comment that deserves memorializing -- even after seasoning with
kosher salt?
NMS
Alan Brooks
> If the most cogent thing you've got to say about Jews at the holiday
> season is that, gee whiz, those New York Jews sure like to buy stuff
> and they're materialistic -- have you really come up with with a
> comment that deserves memorializing -- even after seasoning with
> kosher salt?
Oh man... I knew that just wouldn't work.
My apologies. I'll get back to work on my regular routine.
Alan Brooks
---------------------------
A Schmuck with an Underwood
-- Blonde on Blonde.
wcmartell
COVER UP - a 1940s hardboiled detective film about an insurance
investigator tracking a killer in a small town on the dozen days
leading up to Christmas. Will he figure out who the killer is before
the holiday so that everyone can have a merry Christams? Or will the
holidays be ruined by shoot outs and car chases? The strange thing
about this film is that it really is a Christmas movie, with scenes of
trimming the tree and Christmas Carolers, etc.
I also love DIE HARD and LETHAL WEAPON and KISS KISS BANG BANG...
great Christmas films!
This is the Holiday Cheer movie clip I'm running on my blog...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2Yy2a3apps
- Bill
wcmartell
and Marilyn Monroe is in another story for a minute - a Christmas tale
about a homeless man played by Charles Laughton who tries to get
arrested so that he can spend Christmas and some of the cold winter
weeks in a warm jail cell. Monroe plays a hooker in the story. Also, a
fun version of RANSOM OF RED CHIEF with Fred Allen.
I think the film flopped, so you don't hear much about it.
- Bill
Betterduck
There isnt one cause on the Jewish Holy day they arent allowed to mess
with gadgets. See Lebowski.
BD
Betterduck
Elf, Heat Mizer and all those weird stop motion things, Christmas
Story, Die Hard, Black Xmas, Dragnet baby Jesus episode.
For the record, Miracle on 34th St is terrifying.
BD
studio
> Richard Widmark gives his worst performance in on one of the stories...
???
The story is called The Clarion Call, Widmark gives an absolutely
terrific performance in it. Maybe not his best, but most definitely
strong.
> and Marilyn Monroe is in another story for a minute - a Christmas tale
> about a homeless man played by Charles Laughton who tries to get
> arrested so that he can spend Christmas and some of the cold winter
> weeks in a warm jail cell. Monroe plays a hooker in the story.
Also one of the weaker stories, although still decent.
> Also, a
> fun version of RANSOM OF RED CHIEF with Fred Allen.
Absolutely! This was Home Alone long before there was a Home Alone,
albeit different.
> I think the film flopped, so you don't hear much about it.
I don't know how successful it was, but it's true you that not many
people know or remember it. Possibly because it's comprised of short
stories? People do seem to remember The Last Leaf, which along with
The Gift Of The Magi is a somewhat popular story for college and
amateur plays.
I like them because number one, they're concise and to the point,
number two it's ageless and for all ages, and number three, you can
show them to people who aren't really movie fans and don't like
sitting through long movies and they leave feeling satisfied for the
experience.
studio
> On Mon, 21 Dec 2009 05:14:54 +0000 (UTC) nmstevens (nmstevens2000
> @yahoo.com) stepped to the mic and said...
>
> > Oh, and speaking of O'Henry's Full House -- my favorite is "The Last
> > Leaf" -- but for those who haven't seen it, I won't spoil it.
>
I highly recommend you ask your video store for it.
Wordsmith
>
> - Show quoted text -
Hey, *Scrooged* is no milestone in cinematic
art; however, it definitely has some funny lines,
like in the scene where Frank is reliving a
Christmas from childhood and his dad complains
his child isn't working and his mother says
he's only four. The dad responds: "I hear so
many excuses why someone shouldn't work:
'My back hurts. My legs ache...I'M ONLY FOUR!'"
Hahahahahahahahaha!
W : )
Ovum
Are you talking about the Sabbath? My understanding (hopefully Phil or
Neal will correct me) is that you can't work on the Sabbath, and
"work" has been interpreted to include things like using certain
gadgets, driving, etc.
(Side note: this is why Senator Joe Liberman walked three miles from
the synagog to the capital last Friday to vote on the health care
bill.)
But anyway, you could still walk to a theater and watch a movie. Isn't
that why movies have traditionally opened on Fridays?
o
studio
tonight.
A lesson in how you teach a person born blind and deaf to communicate
through hand language, and as much a lesson in patience and
perseverance.
Damn good movie and insight into people with these disabilities.
I remember a person asking the question; "do blind people see things
when they dream"?
Depends.
If the person was born blind, they do not because they never seen
anything to be able to see anything in their dreams either.
If the person went blind at an early age; what they saw may dissipate
like a faded memory, be replaced by flashes of colors, or become
distorted or vanish all together.
If the person went blind later in life; they can still remember what
sights are like.
The follow up question is; "what do people born blind dream of"?
They dream of sounds-speech-music, touches, feelings, smells, tastes,
emotions.
But in the case of people like Helen Keller, you can subtract the
sounds also.
Quite a different world compared to what the seeing have in their
dreams. So much of what we know is based upon the ability to see.
Ovum
> While not a Christmas story, I caught the end of The Miracle Worker
> tonight.
> A lesson in how you teach a person born blind and deaf �to communicate
> through hand language, and as much a lesson in patience and
> perseverance.
> Damn good movie and insight into people with these disabilities.
Speaking of people with disabilities, I was pumped that "Avatar's"
hero is a guy in a wheelchair. I wonder how the movie is going over
with people who use wheelchairs?
o
Remysun
> But anyway, you could still walk to a theater and watch a movie. Isn't
> that why movies have traditionally opened on Fridays?
Actually, I don't think so, at least for the Orthodox, because they
are not allowed to handle monetary transactions.
Your Mom
I can't give the complex historical breakdown that Neal probably
could, but the basic idea of Jews not being able to do tstuff on the
Sabbath is that somewhere in the Old Testament it says "you can't work
on the Sabbath" and Orthodox and Hasidic Jews, who are vaguely
comparable to Jehovah's witnesses and compound dwelling polygamist
Mormons, respectively, in terms of their religious wackiness, have
very strict and specific definitions of what work means. The orthodox
folks I know pretty much just don't go to the office, drive, or cook
from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, while the Hasidim can't flip
light switches and crazy crap like that.
Like most religious groups, it seems like the vast majority of Jews
neither belong to the more religious sects nor are very observant of
what their sect believes. My mom, who's not Jewish, was the one
pushing for us to light shabbat candles and say a prayer before dinner
on Fridays. I used to work with a bunch of Orthodox people and have
actually made out with an Orthodox woman, who was drunk and wearing
pants on the sabbath (three no-nos) and then had the chutzpah to tell
me that, since my dad's the Jewish one, I wasn't really a Jew. Since
I'm somewhere between Woody Allen and Fyvush Finkel on the semetic
looks scale, all I could tell her was that in 1939 Poland the
stormtroopers wouldn't have made that distinction.
Alexei
Martin B
> But in the case of people like Helen Keller, you can subtract the
> sounds also.
I read somewhere that it's quite noisy inside a deaf person's head --
howls, whistles, buzzes etc.
(Written with a cicada-like buzzing in my ears caused by too much sugar.)
--
Martin B
nmstevens
Movies have traditionally opened on Fridays because of that old-
fashioned secular tradition known as "the weekend."
For the record, in Jewish tradition, the day ends at sunset, so the
Sabbath begins at sunset on Friday and ends at sunset on Saturday.
And Lieberman, by the way, is a complete hypocrite, because his "work"
is that of a Senator, and taking a vote is part of his work, and
whether he walks, rides, flies or crawls to his place of business, he
shouldn't be working on the Sabbath, whether his work is busting up
bricks, selling cars, curing the sick, or voting in the Senate.
For observant Jews, the definition of labor -- work of any kind, is
very far-reaching. Because you are not allowed to make fire, observant
Jews are not allowed to light ovens (electric or otherwise) on the
Sabbath. They have to be turned on before sunset. They aren't allowed
to turn on their lights (although they can leave them on).
My son's friend is part of an Orthodox family. They don't answer the
phone on the Sabbath. No television. No radio. No computers. They are
not even supposed to tie knots, which is traditionally considered a
form of labor. When he comes over here to visit, they can play chess,
play other board games, but nothing involving turning on anything
electric on the Sabbath.
And they are absolutely forbidden to handle money or deal in any kind
of monetary transaction. You can't buy anything and you can't sell
anything on the Sabbath. That's why there's no such thing as an
offering plate in Jewish services. To give money, even to the shul,
isn't permissible on the Sabbath.
So, for observant Jews, there's no such thing as going to the movies
or to any place where you have to pay money to get in. Can't do it.
As to why there aren't "Jewish holiday movies" (and there really
aren't) -- I think it has more to do with where holidays fall more
than anything else. There really is a "Christmas season" where it's
always made sense to release a whole bunch of Christmas movies where
kids who are off for school break and their parents can go and see
those movies.
But there aren't, for instance, a lot of "Easter" movies -- other than
movies that simply deal with the life of Jesus generally. I mean, I
suppose you could call Mel Gibson's "The Passion" an Easter movie, but
honestly, I don't really remember when it was released, and I don't
really think it quite fits the bill as a "holiday" film -- I somehow
doubt it's going to be showing up as a TV perennial around Easter time
the way It's A Wonderful Life shows up around Christmas time.
On the other hand, when the high holy days come around, they don't
particularly correspond to any "natural" holiday cycle. In fact,
because they work off of the Jewish calendar, they can come at quite
different times -- sometimes as much as several weeks one way or
another, compared to the standard calendar.
So while there are some movies that deal with certain Jewish
"holidays" -- like the Ten Commandments and Prince of Egypt deal with
the story of the Exodus which we celebrate at Passover, I don't know
that I've ever really thought of them as "Passover Holiday Movies" --
I couldn't even tell you whether they specifically air around the time
of Passover. Certainly there's no particular tradition in our family
(or any Jewish family that I know about) of gathering around the TV
and watching The Ten Commandments come Passover.
Generally, you celebrate Jewish holidays either by going to shul or by
some kind of family meal or some combination of both (or if it's the
Day of Atonement, you fast and go to shul and then you eat).
NMS
Your Mom
> So while there are some movies that deal with certain Jewish
> "holidays" -- like the Ten Commandments and Prince of Egypt deal with
> the story of the Exodus which we celebrate at Passover, I don't know
> that I've ever really thought of them as "Passover Holiday Movies" --
> I couldn't even tell you whether they specifically air around the time
> of Passover. Certainly there's no particular tradition in our family
> (or any Jewish family that I know about) of gathering around the TV
> and watching The Ten Commandments come Passover.
The fact that Jewish holidays adhere to the completely loopy lunar
calendar complicates things, too. When's Pesach? April? May? October?
It's all over the place every goddamn year, is when it is.
Alexei
Ovum
>
> Movies have traditionally opened on Fridays because of that old-
> fashioned secular tradition known as "the weekend."
> So, for observant Jews, there's no such thing as going to the movies
> or to any place where you have to pay money to get in. Can't do it.
Another myth debunked. Hate when that happens.
:-)
> On the other hand, when the high holy days come around, they don't
> particularly correspond to any "natural" holiday cycle. In fact,
> because they work off of the Jewish calendar, they can come at quite
> different times -- sometimes as much as several weeks one way or
> another, compared to the standard calendar.
Yet, but you can plot out the lunar calendar years in advance. A movie
exec can know today when the Jewish holy days will fall in 2011, 2012,
2013 -- and plan film release dates accordingly.
Is this short-sightedness on the part of the film industry? Isn't
there a niche here waiting to be served? Last time I looked at the
stats, about two to three percent of the U.S. population is Jewish. Of
that, I'd guess (correct me if I'm wrong) that the minority is
orthodox. That leaves millions who *could* go to a theater or turn on
the TV to watch a religious-themed film.
o