Man COVID has been nuts, right? Well, Christmas has been a new low of crazy. I think this family easily misses all those Christmas plays and musicals the girls do. Thankfully Ella's choir teacher still tried to spread some cheer for all to hear. So enjoy the High School Virtual Choir Concert and a special message from Ella in her somewhat messy room.
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
They're not just getting rich... They're getting even.
1983 | R | 1Hr 56 Min | Comedy | Paramount Pictures
Writers: Timothy Harris, Herschel Weingrod
Stars:
Eddie Murphy
Dan Aykroyd
Ralph Bellamy
Jamie Lee Curtis
Synopsis:
Louis Winthorpe is a businessman who works for the commodities brokerage firm of Duke and Duke owned by the brothers Mortimer and Randolph Duke. Now they bicker over the most trivial of matters and what they are bickering about is whether it's a person's environment or heredity that determines how well they will do in life. When Winthorpe bumps into Billy Ray Valentine, a street hustler and assumes he is trying to rob him, he has him arrested. Upon seeing how different the two men are, the brothers decide to make a wager as to what would happen if Winthorpe loses his job, his home and is shunned by everyone he knows and if Valentine was given Winthorpe's job. So they proceed to have Winthorpe arrested and to be placed in a compromising position in front of his girlfriend. So all he has to rely on is the hooker who was hired to ruin him.
I remember watching trading places in my early teen years and shelved it ever since. Lately, it has been getting a lot of talk as one of the greatest Christmas Comedies of all time. Now, I have to admit I did not remember this as a Christmas story nor do I remember liking it back in the '80s. So when I was given the chance to revisit Trading Places I did and well I loved it!
In fact, the inside jokes that made me chuckle as well as the underlined racist story came through loud and clear now unlike it did in '84. Back then all my buddy and I cared about was Eddie Murphy. And for a role that he was not supposed to get he knocks it out of the park. The fact he was nominated for best performance in a comedy/musical Golden Globe in 1984 does not surprise me.
Ok, I have to admit I totally forgot that Jamie Lee Curtis was one of the stars in Trading Places. And I must confess she was one of the best parts! Paramount did not want her due to her being a Scream Queen. According to John Landis, Jamie Lee Curtis was a hard sell because she only has done horror and wasn't known for comedy. But wait a second...
Our beloved scream queen goes topless in this one. All those years of Horror flicks and her first comedy we see her shedding her clothes? Even though horror movies were infamous for exploiting their female stars; Jamie Lee Curtis says she did not feel exploited in Hollywood until she started starring in mainstream movies like Trading Places. She had never been asked to appear naked in any of the horror movies she starred, but once she went mainstream and starred in Trading Places she had to take her top off. Don't get me wrong I know that the late 70s and early 80s had its fair share of nudity but for Curtis to get naked I felt a tad bit sad and not going to lie I was shocked.
Although the plot does not play out as well in this decade Trading Places definitely deserves its spot on Christmas lists. Maybe not for 24 hours straight but it should at least be playing somewhere right? This one fits the mold of AMC or FX. My guess would be the use of the "N" word along with the line used outside of the world trade center "In this building, it's either kill or be killed" keeps it off the small screen. When this can easily be edited for today's audience.
I had so much fun going back and watching Trading Places, back to a time when Eddie Murphy was funny and Aykroyd was hitting his stride. Though this takes place at Christmas it's not a true Christmas movie and can be enjoyed anytime. Dubbed as one of the top 100 comedies of all time Trading Places is well worth the revisit.
| 4 Ninja Santa's out of 5 |
Holiday Movie Catch Up
Just a quick rundown of a few other Holiday treats that I watched this year.
Wanted to knock this off the bucket list thought it would be a mindless comedy. Sadly it is just a ho-hum comedy. The boring start did not help the ending any. The last 15 minutes are cute as well as predictable.
| 2 Ninja Santa's out of 5 |
This Home Alone clone had nothing original about it. The cute young cast just could not save this snooze fest.
2 Ninja Santa's out of 5
Strange enough I did not deep dive into the Hallmark movie overload this year. Sure it is the same old plot but Return to Christmas Creek was a fun ride. I really fell for Kristen Hansen she was not over the top sweet.
4 Ninja Santa's Out of 5
I feel this one deserves a review on its own. I have never seen animation drawn so dark and yet so beautiful! As the flow took you through Klaus you can see the progression of light and bright colors happing it's pretty magical I must say. If you are still looking for some holiday spirit fire up the old Netflix and check out Klaus.
4 Ninja Santa's out of 5
One more pleasant surprise filled my stocking this year! 2018's the Grinch was in a word, wonderful!
With so much charm eye-popping colors and energy flowing it was hard not to feel the holiday cheer after this one. It was also nice to see Cindy Lou Who step forward to become the star of the show. Cindy Lou brings a fresh take to an old tale.
4 Ninja Santa's out of 5
Oof is a word for my lack of movie watching this year! Only 40 movies so far with less than a week to go. I will never hit my goal of 75 but I will put some work into hitting my average of 52 before the year ends thanks to a small vacation coming up. I would like to hit up a few more Holiday flicks before deep diving into Disney Plus for 2020. I sure hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season.
They say money talks. All mine ever says is "Goodbye".
1981 | TV-G | 1Hr | Holiday | HBO
Director: John Trent
Writer: Red Skelton (story)
Stars:
Red Skelton
Vincent Price
Imogene Coca
As Freddies song goes There is nothing worse than loneliness at Christmastime, When old friends forget where you are, While your memory still lingers, You can count upon your fingers, Those that know the meaning of the Star. This is just one of the many heartfelt moments.
Oddly enough Vincent Price's charter was well odd. In fact, once he was brought into the story that's when the story started to fizzle out for me. In fact, once they made it to dinner it kind of lost its heart. Not completely but just enough to drag this one down. I love watching the old Christmas Specials from Red Skelton's Tv Show and I'm glad this came up on YouTube to check out. I truly believe this deserves to be cleaned up and released on Blu-Ray. If you are looking for something a little funny and pre Hallmark Channel love fest check out Freddie The Freeloader's Christmas Dinner by clicking here.
| 3 Ninja Santa's out of 5 |
Twas the Night Before Bah Humbug
1977 | TV-G | 60 Min | Holiday | ABC
Director: Tim Kiley
Writers: Dick Clair, Jenna McMahon
Stars:
Paul Lynde
Foster Brooks
Alice Ghostley
'Twas the Night Before Christmas is a Christmas television special loosely inspired by the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" by Clement Clarke Moore. It first aired December 7, 1977, on ABC.
During the night, Clark's mother-in-law's cat escapes from the house and winds up on the roof. Clark goes to retrieve the cat and creates a ruckus, waking the house. When the children ask if the noise came from Santa Claus, Clark initially wants to dispel the myth of Santa Claus. Instead, he appeases them by reciting A Visit from St. Nicholas.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas was part of a series of ABC television specials starring Paul Lynde. Most notably the 1976 production of The Paul Lynde Halloween Special, relied on a sketch comedy revue format, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas retained a narrative format where Lynde and his castmates remained in character for the entire show. Lynde's casting as a relatively straight, dramatic lead fulfilled a longstanding wish of his for more serious roles.
This is so hard to watch Paul comes off as one big A-Hole! This special was so poorly received by both critics and the public - placing #30 in the Nielsen ratings - that it was never re-broadcast nor made available on VHS or DVD. Thanks to someone out there holding on to there old VHS struck gold by finding and posting this one to YouTube for the rest of us to see. Sadly the magic of the Halloween special was missing, leaving us with a lump of coal. I will leave a link below for the show so you can be the judge but you have been warned this one is a clinker!
| 1 Ninja Santa out of 5 |
The sort of Christmas you don't dream of.
1974 | R | 1Hr 38 Min | Horror | CFCD
Writer: Roy Moore
Stars:
Olivia Hussey
Keir Dullea
Margot Kidder
John Saxon
Synopsis:
It's time for Christmas break, and the sorority sisters make plans for the holiday, but the strange anonymous phone calls are beginning to put them on edge. When Clare disappears, they contact the police, who don't express much concern. Meanwhile, Jess is planning to get an abortion, but boyfriend Peter is very much against it. The police finally begin to get concerned when a 13-year-old girl is found dead in the park. They set up a wiretap to the sorority house, but will they be in time to prevent a sorority girl attrition problem?
Not wanting to completely miss out on Creepmas and thanks to a little help from Joe Bob Briggs and Shudder this past weekend helped me get into the dark holiday spirit. I have always wanted to dive into Bob Clark's Black Christmas when it started to gain momentum of a lost gem in the early 2000s shortly after Clark's death. And with Clark's career helping feed my desires, Porky's is on my top ten of the all-time list, and of course, Christmas Story is his legacy and forever to be a Christmas Classic, it's always fun to look back on to there roots of director's when they started there career with Horror!
When rock royalty Elvis Presley and Steve Martin claim Black Christmas to be one of there all-time favorite horror flicks. And Black Christmas star Margot Kidder admitted in an interview that she never thought that the film would become a hit and was surprised to learn that it had gained such a large cult following over the years you can not help but think this is going to be a wild ride when instead you get a slow burn with subduing twists and turns that get seasoned vets of horror like me to go crazy trying to figure it out. Every time you think you know the answer to the puzzle Clark and writer Roy Moore slap you in the face and take you in a different direction. Hailed as the movie that helped jump-start the slasher genre the rules of horror have not been written yet so anything goes, and the survival of neither virgin nor even final girl comes guaranteed.
The movie does a great job of settling you into the warm feel and glow of Christmas setting the tone. Yet the story keeps you guessing as it weaves you through the story of whodunit and why. With a fine-looking young cast and a well-shot movie, it is hard to look away. When the credits roll you're left with thoughts of why who and man that was a pretty wild ride. Your left thinking about this movie for days after and yet you don't know why. And this is a good thing! It is the uncertainty that is unveiled in the final moments before the credits roll that makes Black Christmas stand alone in its genre and a must-see Christmas Horror Flick.
Look this movie is not for everyone yet the film still manages a good slice of old-fashioned suspense like Aunt Jean's Fruit Cake. Like John Carpenters Halloween, Clark avoids graphic gore, focussing instead on suggestion and using careful editing and use of music to build suspense. Oh and that soundtrack! The cleaver way of slowing down Christmas classic's giving them a creepy sound that fits in. If you have not seen the 1974 Black Christmas and enjoy the classic feel of a slasher flick do check this out. If you need your horror spelled out for you or fast-paced action your better off skipping it.
The movie does a great job of settling you into the warm feel and glow of Christmas setting the tone. Yet the story keeps you guessing as it weaves you through the story of whodunit and why. With a fine-looking young cast and a well-shot movie, it is hard to look away. When the credits roll you're left with thoughts of why who and man that was a pretty wild ride. Your left thinking about this movie for days after and yet you don't know why. And this is a good thing! It is the uncertainty that is unveiled in the final moments before the credits roll that makes Black Christmas stand alone in its genre and a must-see Christmas Horror Flick.
Look this movie is not for everyone yet the film still manages a good slice of old-fashioned suspense like Aunt Jean's Fruit Cake. Like John Carpenters Halloween, Clark avoids graphic gore, focussing instead on suggestion and using careful editing and use of music to build suspense. Oh and that soundtrack! The cleaver way of slowing down Christmas classic's giving them a creepy sound that fits in. If you have not seen the 1974 Black Christmas and enjoy the classic feel of a slasher flick do check this out. If you need your horror spelled out for you or fast-paced action your better off skipping it.
| 3 Bloody Brains out of 5 |
The Magic Hockey Skates
2012 | G | 21 Min | Family | Amberwood Ent.
Directors:
Jason Boose
Based on the 1991 book of the same name and produced by Amberwood Entertainment, “The Magic Hockey Skates” is a 2D animated special that follows a young boys’ journey as he gains confidence and self-respect with the help of a pair of magic skates. This lovely tale comes with plenty of fun and guidance wrapped around wonderful looking animations as well as the gleeful cast. The Magic Skates is a nice little surprise for the holiday season.
Sarah Mercey
Writers:
Lorne Cameron
Allen Morgan
Stars:
Don Cherry
Bob Cole
Millie Davis
Young Joey dreams of playing hockey like his idol, Rocky St. Jean, but he can barely skate. Determined to prove his doubting brother, Zack, wrong, Joey dearly wants Rocky endorsed brand skates to improve his game. Unfortunately, Joey has to settle for a used pair, but an old bearded store clerk secretly assures him that they can grant three wishes. However unbelievable that sounds, Joey tests that claim and he finds he has uncannily improved. With now convinced, Joey strives to use this magic to be the best he can, including considering using his last wish to interview Rocky at an upcoming tournament. Once he is there though, Joey finds himself in the center of something far more magical in itself.
This was such a wonderful gift on a cold afternoon that I just happened to stumble upon. If your still young at heart and looking for a fun journey this holiday season seek out The Magic Skates. This heartwarming tale just might make your day.
| 4 Ninja Santa's out of 5 |
Christmas means comfort, joy and chaos
2015 | PG-13 | 1 Hr 47 Min | Comedy | Image Ent.
Director: Jessie Nelson
Writer: Steven Rogers
Stars:
Steve Martin
Diane Keaton
John Goodman
Ssynopsis:
When four generations of the Cooper clan come together for their annual Christmas Eve celebration, a series of unexpected visitors and unlikely events turn the night upside down, leading them all toward a surprising rediscovery of family bonds and the spirit of the holiday.Ssynopsis:
Back in the day when I worked for the theater we always agreed on one thing the bigger the star list the worse the movie gets. Well, Love the Coopers takes an amazing line up and squanders it away with the likes of Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Marisa Tomei, Alan Arkin, Olivia Wilde, June Squibb, Amanda Seyfried and Anthony Mackie in a Christmas comedy of numbing boredum and tackiness.
However though all of its subplots Olivia Wilde is the only storyline that holds your interest. Almost as if this was the main part of the story and the rest was pure fluff around it. It is quickly established that Joe Swanberg is her Drinking Buddy as we watch them awkwardly flirt their way through this movie. Their storyline does bring much-needed vinegar to otherwise flat material. The scenes of Eleanor and Joe also stand out as the only ones grounded in any sense of contemporary reality; she ribs him about climate change, gun control, and religion, though of course, their clashing values are no match for the parents need to see Eleanor settle down.
And then there is what I think the main story to be and that involving Tomei who plays Emma, Charlotte's (Keaton) sister and easily the film's least charitable creation. Childless, husband-less, needy and passive-aggressive, Emma is also a shoplifter and ends up in the back of a police car while trying to compete with finding the perfect gift. She's envious of Charlotte's seemingly perfect suburban existence but learns a valuable life lesson, which, as far as I could tell, had something to do with the importance of buying expensive gifts for the people you love. Tomei is a superb actress as well as Keaton but man its comforting to know they both go on to make better movie choices.
I did laugh a little and was moved mainly by Amanda Seyfried story even if it was a short one. But in the end, it was just another Christmas Movie about a dysfunctional family over the holiday looking for a cheap laugh as we watch them struggle. Many of us struggle through the holidays and are looking for a laugh or an escape through the warm glow of our television sets. Sadly the Coopers did not do it for me as Chevy Case can.
| 3 Ninja Santa's out of 5 |
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