Monday, December 21, 2009

A Christmas Story (1983)



Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) dreams of receiving a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. When his mother asks him what he wants, he quickly says "an official Red Ryder carbine action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time". Her response, "you'll shoot your eye out".

The movie is filled with small sub-plots concerning life in the 1940's for a 9 year old boy. His wait for his Little Orphan Annie pin, his avoidance of school bullies, his brother Randy's (Ian Petrella) inability to eat a full meal, a tongue frozen to a flagpole, a father who has a supreme war with a furnace and the dogs next door. The worst of all, having to wear a bunny costume made by an Aunt.

Ralphie's father (Darren McGavin) enters a contest in which he must name the Lone Ranger's nephew's horse. His mother (Melinda Dillon) comes up with Victor as the correct answer. He gets notification that he has indeed won the prize (a major award) and it turns out to be a lamp that looks like a sexy leg (yeah, a statue). His father insists on putting the lamp in the front window much to the chagrin of his mother.

While shopping for their Christmas tree, the car gets a flat. Ralphie is told to help his father and while holding the hubcap that is holding the lug nuts, his father hits it and the nuts go flying. Here is where the famous "Oh fudge, but I didn't say fudge" line comes from. He also professes his preference for Lux as opposed to Lifeboy soap as he is a connoisseur of the soap used to wash out his mouth.

Back at school, Ralphie has written his composition on what he wants for Christmas, a Red Ryder BB gun.. He butters up his teacher, Miss Shields, with a huge fruit basket, but still gets a C+ along with a note that says "you'll shoot your eye out". He feels that his mother had gotten to Miss Shields. Dejected, he begins to walk home only to be confronted by the school bullies, Scut Farkus and Grover Dill. They throw a snowball that hits Ralphie in the face. Ralphie explodes and starts to beat Scut up. Grover runs away and says that he is going to tell his Dad (like all bullies do). Ralphie begins to swear just as his mother runs up and calms him down. She tells his father about it, but quickly changes the subject before he asks questions. Ralphie realizes his only chance left to get his gun is to go straight to the man himself, Santa Claus.

The family watches the Christmas parade in town and he and Randy get in line to see Santa. It is not the experience that either of them expected, especially since the "Big Man" himself, when Ralphie asks for his BB gun, says "you'll shoot your eye out kid, Merry Christmas, HOHOHO!".

It's Christmas morning and all of the presents are opened except one that is hidden from view. His father had gotten him the gun as he had one when he was 8 years old. Ralphie goes out back to test out his gun and, you guessed it, hits his glasses with a BB "oh my god, I shot my eye out!". He tells his Mother it was an icicle. While his Mother helps him in the bathroom, the neighbors dogs come in the door and eat the turkey.

The family goes out to Chinese food and have Chinese turkey (duck). Ralphie falls asleep with his Red Ryder BB gun in his arms. Merry Christmas!

The photo above is a real Red Ryder BB gun owned by Ron's father when he was a child (thanks for the photo Ron!). The Little Orphan Annie pin, the actual model from the movie, is mine.

Most of this movie was filmed in the Cleveland area and in Ontario. Based on short stories as well as the story "In God we trust, all others pay cash" written by Jean Shepherd. Many of the landmarks such as the school name come from the author's own life. A couple of people from Canada have made a documentary that goes to all of the landmarks from the movie called "Road trip for Ralphie. Be sure to tune in for at least one showing of the continuous 24 hours of "A Christmas Story" on TBS beginning on Christmas Eve at 7:00 p.m. I triple dog dare you!!

93 Minutes. Rated PG. I give this movie FOUR AND ONE QUARTER STARS!

Elf (2003)

The film begins as a baby in an orphanage crawls into Santa's sack and emerges when Santa is back at the North Pole. Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) is given the task of raising him by Santa (Ed Asner). The baby is named Buddy (Will Ferrell) and is not told that he is human until it becomes obvious due to his size and inability to make toys without destroying them. Papa Elf tells him that he was put up for adoption and learns that his father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan)a publishing executive, was not aware that Buddy was born. Buddy decides that he must go to New York to see his father, especially since his father is on the "naughty" list.

When he arrives in New York, Buddy finds his father at this office, but Walter throws him out. Buddy takes a security guards suggestion to go back to Gimbels (since he looks like an elf) literally and he meets an employee in the Christmas area named Jovie (Zooey Deschanel). When the department store Santa shows up, Buddy realizes that he is not the real Santa and a fight occurs with Buddy ending up in jail. Walter bails him out and takes him to a doctor for a DNA test. When it is proven that Buddy is his son, Walter takes him home to meet his wife Emily (Mary Steenburgen) and son Michael. Michael doesn't like Buddy initially until Buddy helps him in a snowball fight with some bullies. He also talks Buddy into dating Jovie.

Walter takes Buddy to work and gets him a job in the mail room, but Buddy gets drunk with another employee. While trying to get a temperamental author to sign with his publishing firm, Buddy comes into the room and mistakes him for an elf and a fight ensues. Walter is so mad that he tells Buddy to get out of his life.

While walking the streets, Buddy sees Santa's sleigh crash in Central Park. Buddy helps fix the sleigh. While this is going on, Michael bursts into Walter's meeting to say that Buddy had gone and Walter needs to help. They find Buddy and he introduces them to Santa. Even though Buddy tried to fix the sleigh, it still won't fly. Jovie helps get the sleigh get going by getting everyone gathered and those that are watching television (thanks to news crews) to sing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". The spirit of everyone gives the sleigh it's energy. Buddy and Jovie eventually marry.

This is a really cute movie and, thank goodness, one in which Will Ferrell isn't running around in his underwear or worse (a sight that no one should ever have to see!).

97 Minutes. Rated PG. I give this movie THREE AND ONE HALF STARS.

Scrooged (1988)


Based on Charles Dickens novel "A Christmas Carol", this movie has appearances by many celebrities.

Frank Xavier Cross (Bill Murray) is an egotistical T.V. executive at IBC. He was a nice person who became cruel and hard hearted since climbing the ladder at work. He has alienated himself from everyone from his girlfriend Claire (Karen Allen)to his family members. When he wins a television award, he leaves it on the seat of a cab. He treats his hardworking secretary Grace (Alfre Woodard) horribly. When one of his employees Elliott Loudermilk (Bobcat Goldthwait) disagrees with his assessment of a show, Frank fires him.

While working late close to Christmas, he gets a visit from his long dead, decomposing ex-boss telling him that he is going to get a visit from three ghosts that are going to show him the error of his ways. He also says that he needs to change or else! He freaks out and the phone in his office dials his old girlfriend Claire's number. He leaves a message and hangs up.

The next day Claire shows up at the rehearsal for the live "A Christmas Carol" show that Frank is putting on. Frank sees her and even smiles. She gives him her card and he sees that she is working at a homeless shelter.

After he eats lunch with his boss (Robert Mitchum), in which he freaks out after seeing eyeballs in his drink, he gets picked up in a cab by the ghost of Christmas Past (David Johansen). He is taken to his childhood home, shown the moment that he met Claire and the year that he was on the "Frisbee" show. It is here that he chose the show over Clair and lost her.

When he wakes up, he goes to see Claire at the homeless shelter and meets some of her clients. When Claire can't go to lunch right away because of a crisis at the shelter, Frank gets mad and tells her to "scrape them off" instead of helping them, meaning the homeless people.

When he meets the Ghost of Christmas Present (Carol Kane), he gets annoyed because she likes to hit him (she likes the rough stuff!). She takes him to Grace's house and shows him how poor they are and shows him how much his brother James (John Murray) misses and defends him.

There is some more work on the set of the live T.V. show in which Bryce, an upstart who knows Frank's Boss, is trying to take Franks job. During this time, the Ghost of Christmas Future shows up, in all of his seven foot robed glory, and shows Frank that Grace's son has ended up in an institution, Claire has turned into a heartless person just like Frank is and he watches James and his wife Wendy at his cremation.

Frank sees the light and wants to change. When Elliott Loudermilk shows up and tries to shoot him, Frank recuits him to go into the booth at the show and stop Bryce from continuing the show. Frank stops production on the show and gives a speech about spending time with family and friends and the spirit of Christmas. Claire shows up on set and they kiss in front of the camera. Sweet!

There are many cameo appearances by celebrities in the movie including Robert goulet, Lee Majors and Mary Lou Retton. Three of Bill Murray's brothers made appearances in this movie.

100 Minutes. PG-13. I give this movie THREE AND ONE QUARTER STARS.

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation (1989)

The Griswolds take the family truckster out on a Christmas tree hunting expedition. After participating in a road rage incident, he finds a gigantic tree that is too tall for the living room.

Clark (Chevy Chase) is excited to get his bonus from work this year as he intends to put in a pool. Getting into the Christmas spirit, he goes shopping with son Rusty (Johnny Galecki) and meets a sexy saleswoman who he later imagines skinny dipping in his new pool.

As Christmas gets closer, the in-laws (John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall and Doris Roberts) come into town to stay with them for their fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. The usual family dynamic problems occur and Clark goes outside to put up his fantasy of lights. While doing so, he causes a sheet of ice to shoot out of his rain gutters that goes through the snotty, yupster neighbors house and destroys their fancy stereo. Later Clark makes a big show of turning the lights on, complete with drum roll, and they don't turn on. They work later when Ellen (Beverly D'angelo) figures out what switch to turn on. When the lights turn on, they are so bright that they blind the yuppie neighbors in the process. When Clark gets through hugging the relatives, he realizes that Ellen's cousins Catherine and Eddie (Randy Quaid) and kids have shown up to stay complete with dilapidated R.V. in the driveway.

On Christmas Eve, Uncle Lewis and Aunt Bethany arrive complete with a cat wrapped up in a box as a present. It is an awful evening with the cat getting electrocuted after playing with lights, a burned Christmas tree when Uncle Lewis lights it on fire, a dried out turkey thanks to Catherine and Clark finally gets his bonus in the form of a month subscription to the jelly of the month club. This was NOT the bonus that Clark was hoping for.

Clark goes ballistic and yells at everyone prompting Eddie to round up Clark's boss and bring him to the house. In the meantime, Clark WILL have a tree and cuts down the tree in their front yard. In the process, he breaks the neighbors window. Once the tree is put up, there is a "funny squeaky sound" and a squirrel jumps out of the tree and is let loose in the house. A huge mess is made after a chase and the squirrel runs out of the house. When Clark's boss arrives, he yells at him for not giving him a bonus (they must not have a recession there). Clark's boss sees that he was being cheap as opposed to not having the money and decides to give Clark his bonus plus another 20%. A few minutes later, SWAT infiltrates.

There is an explosive ending in which Uncle Lewis throws a match into the sewer and blows Santa and his reindeer into the stratosphere.

This movie is a Christmas staple and is on many top 10 Christmas movie lists. There was some question of whether this movie pushed the PG-13 limit with the skinnydipping scene. A word of warning, the clip below does have some swearing in it as it is the "tylenol" scene. This movie will be showing 24 continuous hours on AMC.

97 Minutes. Rated PG-13. I give this movie THREE AND A QUARTER STARS.

The Polar Express (2004)

This Oscar nominated film is based on the children's book "The Polar Express" written by Chris Van Allsburg.

On Christmas Eve, a boy is thinking that there is no Santa Claus after seeing articles about striking department store Santa Clauses. He hears the loud sounds of a train stopping in front of his house and a conductor (Tom Hanks) gets out and asks him if he is going to board the train that is on it's way to the North Pole. The train is filled with children in their pajamas. The children all have tickets that are punched by the conductor with a couple of letters that don't have any meaning. There are several adventures aboard the train and some songs before the train pulls into the North Pole where what seems like thousands of elves are heading to the town square. The boy is picked by Santa to be the child to receive the first gift of the Season. When he is asked what gift he would like, he tells Santa that he wants a bell that he had seen fall from Santa's sleigh. This bell can only be heard by those who believe in Santa. The child puts the bell in his pocket and re-boards the train to go home. All of the childrens' tickets are punched for the round trip. this time, the rest of the letters spell a word that has personal meaning for each child. While on the train, he discovers that his bell has fallen through a hole in his pocket. When he gets home, he opens a box on Christmas morning and finds the bell along with a note from Santa. He mentions that over the next years, that everyone but him stops being able to hear the bell, meaning that they have lost their belief in Santa Claus.

This film initially did not do well in theaters. Tom Hanks voices six characters during the movie and the animated likenesses of him were so real looking it was kind of strange.

This was the first time that I had seen this movie. I thought that it was pretty good especially for smaller children.

100 Minutes. Rated G. I give this movie THREE STARS.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

While on his way to meet friends to go ice skating on a local pond, Charlie Brown talks to his buddy Linus about Christmas. He feels that even though Christmas is approaching and everyone is buying gifts and decorating, that he is feeling down about the commercial aspect of Christmas.

He visits Lucy in her psychiatric booth and she seems to agree with him about Christmas saying that she always gets "stupid toys" instead of the real estate that she desires. She suggest that he get involved in a school play about the Nativity.

While walking to the auditorium, he runs into Sally who wants him to write a letter to Santa for her asking Santa to "send money". He also finds Snoopy decorating his doghouse for a neighborhood display contest. At rehearsals for the play, Charlie Brown gets frustrated because the players want to update the play with modern music while Charlie Brown wants the play to be traditional, not commercial. Charlie Brown thinks that they need a Christmas tree so that maybe the mood will be right. Lucy suggests that they get a pink aluminum tree. Charlie Brown and Linus set off on one of Charlie Brown's famous "quests" to find a tree. He finds a small "needlebare" tree (the kind that to this day we all refer to as a "Charlie Brown Tree") and take it back to the auditorium where everyone makes fun of it.

Charlie Brown speaks aloud about the fact that maybe he really doesn't know what Christmas is about. Linus walks to the center of the stage and begins to quote scripture pertaining to the birth of the Christ Child. When he is done, Charlie Brown picks up his tree when he realizes that he doesn't have to let the commercialism ruin HIS Christmas. He walks past Snoopy's house, that now has a winning ribbon attached to it, and puts an ornament on his tree. The tree droops under the weight of the ornament. The gang follows and gathers round to decorate Charlie Brown's tree with the decorations from Snoopy's doghouse. They sing Christmas Carols and the movie ends with a boisterous "Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!".

Good, Clean, Retro fun! Takes me back for sure!

30 Minutes. Not Rated. I give this movie THREE STARS.




It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

This film, based on the story "The Greatest Gift" written by Philip Van Doren Stern", is recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the best American films ever made.

On Christmas Eve, George Bailey(James Stewart) is despondent and is having thoughts of suicide. He prays and is heard by Joseph, the head angel, and assigns George's case to Angel Second Class, Clarence (Henry Travers). Joseph and fellow Angel, Franklin, narrate what George's life had been up until the present time.

When he was a young boy, George saved his younger brother Harry's life when he fell through some ice. He also saved the life of another person when the druggist that he worked for, Mr. Gower (H.B. Warner)upset about his sons death, had incorrectly filled a prescription with poison. George always sacrifices his own dreams for those of others. When his brother graduates from high school, it is his chance to stop working at the family business, the Bailey Building and Loan Association, and travel the world and go to college. He goes to a dance and meets up with Mary Hatch (Donna Reed) a girl who has had a crush on him for years. He tells her about her dreams, and when he is walking her home, he finds out that his father has had a stroke.

When his father dies, George must take over the Building and Loan because if he doesn't the evil Mr. Potter (Lionel Barrymore) will stop them from providing loans to the cities poor. George decides to stay and gives his brother his school money. When his brother graduates, George becomes excited because he has another chance to get on with his life. When his brother comes home, he has a wife and will be starting a job with her father's company. George must keep working at the Building and Loan.

He stays in town and marries Mary Hatch. As they are leaving for their honeymoon, there is a run on the bank. Evil Potter offers everyone "50 cents on the dollar" to come to his bank, but George uses his and Mary's honeymoon money to save the bank. George and Mary start a family and George starts up "Bailey Park", a low cost housing development, so that people don't have to go to Potter. When World War II occurs, George can't enlist because of the hearing lost he acquired when he saved his brother years ago, but his brother becomes a war hero as a pilot, winning the Medal of Honor.

On Christmas Eve, Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) is reading the article about Harry in the paper and while distracted, leaves an $8,000.00 deposit on Potter's desk. Potter finds the deposit and doesn't say anything. They need the money for a bank examiner and when they can't find it, George appeals to Potter for the money and Potter says no.

An unhappy George thinks that he is worth more dead than alive and goes to the bridge and states that he thinks that everyone would be better off if he was never born. Clarence the Angel jumps into the water and George jumps in to save him. Clarence reveals himself to be George's guardian angel and shows George what life would have been like had he not been born. His brother Harry would have died if he had not been there to save him and therefore would not have been able to save lives in WWII. His pharmacist boss would have killed someone if he hadn't been there to stop the prescription from going out. Mary would have been an old maid, Uncle Billy would have been in an asylum and the town of Bedford Falls would be named Pottersville with Mr. Potter controlling everything.

George wants to live again and his prayer is answered with a yes. He finds that his family and friends have collected the money needed to satisfy the bank examiner. As he looks at his life and the people around him, George realizes that he does have "A Wonderful Life" after all!

Although the film was considered a flop when it was originally released, it was still nominated for five Oscars. It did not win any of it's categories. The pool scene was located at Beverly Hills High School where the pool is still in operation after all these years.

This is a great film with a great message!

132 Minutes. Not Rated. I give this movie FOUR AND ONE HALF STARS.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Miracle On 34th Street (1994)

This film follows the basic storyline of the original film reviewed below. There were, however, changes for people and locations.

The film begins as Dorey Walker(Elizabeth Perkins), director of Special Events at Cole's Department Store, sees the a drunk Santa during the Cole's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Kris Kringle has berated this Santa and started to walk away. Dorey runs after him and asks him to be Cole's Santa Claus.

In this version, her neighbor is Bryan Bedford (Dylan McDermott) and he is hosting her daughter Susan (Mara Wilson) during the viewing of the parade. Susan does not believe in Santa Claus but realizes that the great looking Santa in the parade could bring in a lot of money for Coles.

Kris brings in many sales for Cole's by using the same philosophy as the original film. Susan visits Santa with Mr. Bedford, but this time Santa uses sign language to sing Christmas carols with a deaf child. This time when Kris babysits Susan, not only does she want a house, she wants a Dad and a baby brother! You just can't satisfy kids these days!

Kris is arrested this time when Coles bitter former Santa provokes him into smacking him with his cane on behalf of the evil management of Cole's rival store, the Shoppers Express. Brian decides to defend Kris and this time his is freed by a dollar bill. On the dollar bill it states "In God We Trust". The judge is let off the hook because if this piece of paper that the government recognizes as legal tender states trust in a figure that some believe not to exist, then the same must be true for Santa Claus. The prosecutor, Ed Collins (J.T. Walsh) is again dismayed by a family subpoena. This time it is his wife, who admits that Kris is the real Santa. Kris is free to go!

On Christmas Eve, Dorey and Bryan are married in a secret ceremony orchestrated by Kris. Susan is excited that she now has a Dad. They drive to a house where they shoot the Christmas catalog's for the store under the premise, orchestrated again by Kris, that they have to start shooting the catalog for next year already. When they pull up to the house, it is the house that Susan wished for. Her parents ask what her other wish was, she tells them a baby brother. The look on their faces, priceless.

Macy's didn't want anything to do with this film, so they changed the name to Cole's. It was produced by John Hughes and was filmed primarily in the Chicago area where he seems to do most of his filming. Allison Janney has a very small part in the film as a customer in Cole's.

This film is not as good as the original although the photography was nice, very lush. It also seemed to be a bit darker than the first version while Kris is on trial.

114 Minutes. Rated PG. I give this movie TWO AND THREE QUARTER STARS.

Miracle On 34th Street (1947)

The film begins as Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn)finds that the department store Santa that will be at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is plastered. He can't have that, so he complains to the event director for Macy's, Doris Walker(Maureen O'Hara) and she persuades Kris to take his place. He does such a fabulous job that she tells Mr Shellhammer(Philip Torge), who is the head of the toy department at Macy's, to sign him up to be the store Santa Claus.

After the parade, Doris goes home to find her daughter Susan (a very young Natalie Wood) watching the parade from her neighbor Fred Gailey's (John Payne) apartment. While watching the parade with Susan, Fred learns that Susan doesn't believe in Santa or Fairy Tales. When he questions Doris about this, she says that she wants Susan to know what's real. He basically invites himself over for Thanksgiving dinner and it is obvious that he has a crush on Doris.

The day after Thanksgiving, Kris is told by Mr. Shellhammer to promote certain toys that are overstocks. He doesn't like this and when a mother is frustrated by Santa telling her child that she would get him a certain toy, Kris tells her where to get it at a good price at a store that isn't Macy's. When Mr. Shellhammer finds out about this, he blows a gasket. Shortly after that, a customer congratulates Mr. Shellhammer on Macy's program to help the consumer during the Christmas season. Macy's adopts this philosophy of gift giving and goodwill and the store becomes the busiest store in town. Their chief rival, Gimbell's Department Store, adapts a similar policy and their years long rivalry is softened by a photo-op in which Mr. Macy and Mr. Gimbell shake hands.

Fred brings Susan in to see Santa and she tells Santa that she knows that he is a make-believe Santa as her mother is Mrs. Walker, although she admires his real beard. She later sees Santa speak Dutch to a little girl that doesn't speak English and begins to believe that he may be Santa.

Doris begins to worry that Kris may harm someone because he must be delusional if he believes that he is Santa and sends him to their in-house psychologist Mr. Sawyer (Porter Hall). Kris passes the tests, but angers Mr. Sawyer by taunting him. The doctor at the nursing home where Kris lives assures Doris that Kris is harmless, but asks if there is somewhere close that Kris can stay so that he doesn't have to travel every day. He ends up staying with Fred. While babysitting Susan one evening, Susan tells him that if he can get her a life sized house, she will know he is Santa Claus instead of just a nice old man like her mother says.

When Kris learns that Mr. Sawyer has upset one of his friends at the store, he confronts Mr. Sawyer and smacks him with his cane. This lands Kris in a mental hospital where he fails his tests on purpose because he is so upset.

Fred quits his job with his law firm so that he can defend Kris from being permanently committed. Kris goes before Judge Henry Harper (Gene Lockhart) and the Judge is put in the unenviable position of being the judge to put Santa away. His own grandchildren are mad at him. The district attorney, Thomas Mara (Jerome Cowan) asks Kris whether or not he thinks that he is Santa Claus and when Kris says yes, Mara rests his case. Fred decides to prove that Kris is Santa Claus. Fred subpoena's Mara's little boy and when he asks the boy who is Santa, the boy points at Kris. When asked who told him this, he says his father did. Cute!

A smart postal worker comes up with the idea to send all of the Santa letters from the dead letter office to the courthouse thereby getting rid of them and helping Santa. Fred proves that because the Post Office, a branch of the government, sent the letters to that courthouse and to Kris, that he is indeed the real Santa Claus. The Judge rules in favor of Kris. Doris invites Kris over for dinner, but he states that he will be very busy that night, "It's Christmas Eve!".

When Doris, Fred and Susan visit Kris at the rest home on Christmas morning, he gives them a map of a shortcut to go home. The map leads them to a house for sale that is the exact house that Susan wanted. Mission accomplished Santa!

This film was nominated for best picture and best supporting actor. Edmund Gwenn won for best supporting actor. This movie was released in May instead of at Christmastime as the studio thought more people saw movies in the summertime. This film was also played live on the Lux Radio Theater. Most of the same characters were on the radio show. I own this CD. It has all of the original Lux detergent commercials included. Fabulous!

96 Minutes. Not Rated. I give this movie FOUR AND ONE HALF STARS! A TRUE CLASSIC!

The clips below include one from the television and one theatrical trailer. The theatrical trailer is a hoot, shameless studio promotion at it's best! Look for the big stars!



The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause (2006)


All of the characters from the first two films reprise their roles in the third film from the series except for David Krumholtz who played Gerard, including the characters called the Legendary Figures.

Santa/Scott Calvin(Tim Allen) and his wife Carol/Mrs. Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell) are expecting their first child and are hoping that she doesn't deliver when Santa needs to make HIS deliveries. To make things easier for Carol, Scott brings in her parents, Silvia(Ann-Margret) and Bud(Alan Arkin), although they don't know that he is Santa so the whole North Pole is told to act like it is a Canadian toy factory complete with everyone saying "eh" all the time. Scott's ex-wife Laura and her husband Neil and their daughter Lucy come to the North Pole as well. His son Charlie is there, but has a very small part.

At a meeting of the Legendary Figures, Jack Frost(Martin Short) is unhappy that he doesn't have a higher profile and decides that he wants the power that Santa has. Scott begins to feel the pressures of the impending Christmas Eve, birth and in-laws and begins to stress out. In the meantime, Jack realizes that if Santa says "I wish that I had never become Santa at all" while holding a certain snow globe from the "Hall of Snow Globes" he will de-santify. Jack finds the globe after being led there by an unknowing Lucy and threatens her by freezing her parents into a couple of Popsicles. Jack takes the globe to Santa and has Santa talk about his frustrations and gets him to say the magic sentence which activates "The Escape Clause". Jack and Scott go back in time to when Scott first put on Santa's coat and became Santa. Jack beats him to it and when Santa wakes up, he is Scott the CEO of the toy company again. Years have apparently passed and Laura and Neil have split up and no one likes him. He resolves to reverse everything. He goes back to the North Pole where he finds that Jack has turned the North Pole into a moneymaking amusement resort where parents can pay to have their children put on the "nice" list and the Elves are forced to perform for the tourists.

Scott convinces a skeptical Lucy to sneak into the Hall of Snow Globes to retrieve the magical snow globe. Scott gets Jack to hold it and plays back a recording of Jack saying "I wish I had never become Santa at all". Scott rushes to put the Santa suit back on and things immediately go back to the way they were before except that Lucy's parents are still frozen. Jack can't turn them back until Lucy hugs Jack and melts his heart which makes her parents defrost. Scott also tells his in-laws that he is Santa Claus. Carol announces that she is in labor and gives birth to Buddy Claus.

I found this movie to be rather boring and fractured. Martin Short was pretty good as Jack Frost.

92 Minutes. Rated G. I give this movie TWO STARS.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

Barbara Stanwyck plays Elizabeth Lane, a writer for a woman's magazine in which she writes a column that outlines her happy life on a farm as a wife, mother and excellent cook. The only problem is that she is single, lives in a small apartment in Manhattan and orders in from a restaurant and gets her recipes for her articles from her "Uncle Felix" who owns a restaurant.

The film opens with a couple of sailors floating in a life raft. They are rescued and Jefferson Jones (Dennis Morgan) is hailed as a hero for giving the last of his food to his fellow sailor Seymour Sinkiewicz (Frank Jenks) before they are rescued. While floating on the raft, they have dreams about food. While they are recovering in the hospital he tells his nurse Mary Lee (Joyce Compton) that he doesn't know what a real home is like. Mary writes to Mr. Yardley (Sydney Greenstreet), the publisher of Elizabeth Lane's magazine, and asks if Jefferson can spend Christmas at Mrs. Lanes Farm. Mr. Yardley thinks that this will be great publicity for the magazine.

Elizabeth's editor calls her and tells her the situation. She knows that Mr. Yardley is a stickler for accuracy in his magazines and knows that she and her editor will be fired if the truth comes out. She goes to Mr Yardley to tell him the truth and ends up agreeing to have not only the sailor come to her farm, but Mr. Yardley as well. Fortunately she has a friend, John Sloan(Reginald Gardner) who owns a farm in Connecticut. He is a rather pompous architect who wants to marry Elizabeth and she agrees to marry him after turning him down so many times to save her job. Felix will come along to cook the meals.

They get to the house and meet Nora the housekeeper and see that she babysits a baby that they can use as their baby to try and fool Mr. Yardley. Just as Elizabeth is about to marry John, Jefferson Jones the war hero shows up and it is love at first sight for Elizabeth and Jefferson. Most of the rest of the movie is Elizabeth and Jefferson trying to resist each other as he thinks that she is married and he is engaged to Nurse Mary. Elizabeth also must cover up the fact that she knows nothing about cooking, babies or domestic duties.

In the end, Nurse Mary shows up to reveal that she has married Sinkiewicz. It soon comes out that Elizabeth is not married either and all ends happily. A light, entertaining movie! I own it.

There was a remake that was directed by Arnold Schwarzenegger that was widely panned. Duh!!! A second remake is apparently in the planning stages with Jennifer Garner attached to it for a 2012 release.

103 Minutes. Not Rated. I give this movie FOUR STARS!

Bad Santa (2003)


Billy Bob Thornton plays Willie Stokes, an alcoholic disgrace of a department store Santa Claus. Tony Cox plays his partner Marcus, a "little person" who is the elf to Willie's Santa. They are partners in a Christmas Eve scam which they pull off every year in a different state.

The movie begins on Christmas Eve in which Willie and Marcus pull off their yearly Christmas Eve robbery and part ways until the next holiday season. The next year they end up in Arizona where Willie meets a kid at the mall who lives with his Grandma (Cloris Leachman) and thinks that he is really Santa Claus. When Willie must leave his trashy apartment, he moves into this kids house (Grandma doesn't seem to notice), takes up residence, and uses the family car. Willie also acquires a bartender girlfriend played by Lauren Graham who seems to like the idea of having sex with Willie when he wears his Santa gear. Most of the film is devoted to Willie being a jerk and being disgusting. Once the robbery is committed, Marcus turns on Willie but they are caught by the police before Marcus can shoot him. In the end, Willie seems to have developed a small bit of conscience and becomes friends with the kid.

This movie is loaded with bad language, sexual situations and some violence. I have a pretty dry sense of humor and I often think that movies are funny that my friends can't stand to watch (I'm kind of juvenile that way), but I still think that this movie was crap. Critics overall gave this movie excellent reviews. I don't know if it is because I am getting older, or if it is because I am more of a traditional Christmas kind of person, but I just didn't like it. Sure it had a few places that were pretty funny, but I would not recommend this to anyone that is interested in seeing a traditional Christmas type movie. Teenage boys, frat boys and twenty somethings (even thirty or forty somethings) who think that peeing in a Santa suit, swearing at children and drunken, drooling Santa's are a good time will LOVE this movie. Not a movie for children.

90 Minutes. Rated R. I give this movie TWO STARS.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Santa Claus is Comin' to Town (1970)


Fred Astaire is the narrator of this stop motion animated film made for television. Burgermeister Meisterburger is the mean, grouchy, mayor/type dictator of the town of Sombertown. A baby arrives on his doorstep with a tag that says "Claus". The Burgermeister tells his assistant to take the baby to the orphanage. Along the way there is a huge gust of wind that blows the baby away and he lands in the snow where some animals hide him so that the Winter Warlock won't see him. They take him to a family of elves named "Kringle" ruled by Tante Kringle and they name him "Kris". As he gets older he tells his family that he will one day restore them to their rightful place as the "Toymakers to the King".

When Kris grows up he decides that he will deliver toys to the kids of Sombertown where toys are not allowed and the Burgermeister says that anyone found with toys will be arrested and thrown into the dungeon. On his way Kris meets up with the Winter Warlock who warns him to stay away from his land. When Kris gets to Sombertown he meets Miss Jessica, the schoolteacher, and gets a crush on her. When the Burgermeister sees the toys, he wants to arrest the children but Kris gives him a yoyo. He loves the yoyo, but his assistant reminds him of his own rules and he chases Kris out of town. Kris meets up with the Warlock again and things get ugly until he gives the Warlock a toy train which melts the frozen heart of the Warlock. Kris continues to get toys to the children and when the Burgermeister finds the toys, he conducts a house to house search until he finds and burns all of the toys. Kris and party are arrested, but escape when the Warlock gives Jessica "magic feed corn" to give the reindeer so that they can fly everyone to safety.

Kris goes back into the hills as an outlaw and grows a beard to disguise himself and changes him name to "Claus", the name that the was born with. Jessica and Kris get married and move to the North Pole where they build their workshop. The Burgermeisters eventually die off and Santa decides that he can only deliver toys once a year due to demand. History is made!

One of my favorites! Who can hear Burgermeister Meisterburger and not go back to when they were 7?

48 Minutes. Not Rated. I give this movie THREE AND A HALF STARS.

The Santa Clause 2 (2002)


Tim Allen reprises his role as Scott Calvin/Santa in the second of the "Santa Clause" films. All is happy and good at the North Pole until it is discovered that Scott's son Charlie (Eric Lloyd) is on the "Naughty List". He also must grapple with another problem, he must find a wife by Christmas Eve or stop being Santa!!. Curtis the elf (Spencer Breslin), the Keeper of the Handbook of Christmas, has discovered that Santa must find a wife or he will de-Santify. Almost immediately Santa begins to notice changes such as his beard getting shorter and his body getting slimmer. Before Santa leaves to find a wife and tend to Charlie, he has a meeting with the other Legendary Figures such as Mother Nature, Father Time, Cupid, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

Scott begins to try to find a wife and finds one unexpectedly in the outwardly cold principal Newman (Elizabeth Mitchell) of his sons middle school. In the meantime, Curtis the elf has developed a fake Santa so that the workers at the North Pole don't suspect that something is up with Santa. The fake Santa takes the "Naughty List" seriously and decides that everyone needs coal, not gifts and becomes dictatorial and takes over the North Pole with his toy soldiers (kind of creepy). In the end, Santa marries and all is well at the Pole.

All of the characters from the original movie appear in this installment. There is a part where Santa stops the fake Santa from taking off in the sleigh and calls him "a sad little man" which is what he said as his character in "A Toy Story" as Buzz Lightyear. It has been said that it is a tradition in Disney films to have things from other Disney movies in them.

104 Minutes. Rated G. I give this movie TWO AND THREE QUARTER STARS.

The Santa Clause (1994)


Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is a divorced, workaholic, toy company executive who must rush home to spend Christmas Eve with his son Charlie (Eric Lloyd). He tries to cook dinner, but burns it and they end up eating Christmas Eve dinner at the local Denny's which seem to be where the other divorced Dad's with kids end up. When they get home, they read the "Night Before Christmas" and hear a loud noise on the roof. Santa has fallen and disappeared. Scott puts on Santa's Jacket after finding a card in the pocket that tells him to put it on With some encouragement from Charlie he makes Santa's deliveries for the rest of the children. When they are done, they find themselves at the North Pole (the reindeer must have autopilot). The head Elf Bernard (David Krumholtz) tells him that he has eleven months to get his affairs in order as he is now "the big guy" since he put on the suit and found the card that binds him to become Santa in the pocket of the jacket. Since he did this, he has agreed to "The Santa Clause" and is now Santa. The next part of the movie shows some domestic type conflict between Scott and his ex-wife Laura's (Wendy Crewson) psychiatrist husband Neil (Judge Reinhold).

When Scott begins to physically change into Santa problems begin to occur. Children begin to want to sit on his lap and Charlie tells everyone that he is Santa. This bothers his ex-wife and her husband and they try to stop his visitation with Charlie. Charlie ends up going to the North Pole and Laura and Neil notify the police that Charlie has been kidnapped by Scott/Santa. Santa is thrown into jail when he tries to deliver presents and his elves break him out. Santa is soon able to make Laura and Neil believe that he is Santa and all ends up happily.

This is a nice, cute, clean movie.

97 Minutes. Rated PG. I give this movie THREE AND A QUARTER STARS.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

The Year Without A Santa Claus (1974)



I realize that this is not a theatrical movie, but I felt that since it has been around since I was a kid, that I had to include it. This movie is made in Stop Motion Animation.

Santa Claus(the voice of Mickey Rooney)wakes up with a bad cold and is told by his doctor that he can't do his regular trip. It then falls to a couple of elves, Jingle and Jangle, to find people that still believe in Christmas. While they are doing this, their reindeer Vixen is mistaken for a dog and is thrown into the pound. The Mayor of the town, Southton, agrees to let Vixen go if they can make it snow in this hot area on Christmas.

Mrs. Claus then goes to the famous stepbrothers, Heat Miser and Snow Miser, who control the weather in the world, to help them out. Neither one wants to compromise and Mrs. Claus has to tattle on them to their mother who happens to be Mother Nature. It works out and they end up finding some generous people to help Santa out. Spurred on by this outpouring of good cheer, Santa decides to make the Christmas Eve deliveries.

The pictures above are of Brian and Steve as the Heat Miser and Snow Miser last Halloween. Thanks for the pictures Mykel!

48 minutes. Not Rated. I give this movie TWO AND THREE QUARTER STARS.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1964)

Our hero Rudolph is born and his father is embarrassed because he has such a shiny nose. When he begins his reindeer training, his father covers up his nose because he doesn't want Santa to see his "defect". He befriends a young doe named Clarice who thinks that he is 'cuuuuuuuuuute". During his training his nose is discovered and he is ostracized. He meets a misfit elf named Hermey who wants to be a dentist. They decide to run away and on their journeys meet Yukon the prospector who is searching for peppermint, some misfit toys, and an abominable snowman called a Bumble. Rudolph's mother and Clarice decide to look for him and end up getting cornered by the Bumble. Rudolph tries to protect them, but gets knocked out. Hermey and Yukon end up removing the Bumble's teeth and Yukon pushes the Bumble into a hole and falls in after him. He ends up showing up later as "Bumbles bounce!" and he was able to get out of the hole. Everyone finds their way home and Rudolph becomes the hero as Santa needs his "nose that shines so bright" to light the way for his sleigh to make his Christmas Eve deliveries. The good news continues as Hermey gets his dentist shop and the Misfit Toys get rescued and become gifts for girls and boys.

Rudolph was first created in 1939 by an employee of Montgomery Ward. The song from the story was first recorded in 1948, but it did not become popular until 1949 when Gene Autry recorded it for commercial distribution. This stop motion animation special is the longest running special today and it has great memories for me!

Not Rated. 60 Minutes. I give this movie THREE AND ONE HALF STARS.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Holiday Inn (1942)


"Holiday Inn" begins as Jim (Bing Crosby) and Lila (Virginia Dale) are finishing their last song and dance show with Ted (Fred Astaire) before they retire to a farm in Vermont. Lila decides that she wants to keep working, dumps Jim and gets together with Ted. Jim goes to the country, and finding that he can't hack the country farm life, check himself into a sanatorium. While there he comes up with the idea of turning his farm into an inn that is only open on national holidays. On those holidays, they offer dinner and elaborately themed song and dance numbers according to which holiday it is. He pitches this to Ted, where he finds out that Lila dumped Ted for a millionaire, and they set it up. Before they get started, Jim meets a woman named Linda(Marjorie Reynolds)who ends up getting a job at the Inn. Ted tries to take her away at the Independence Day celebration and she goes with him to Hollywood to make a movie about the Holiday Inn. Jim is depressed about this and at he goes to Hollywood, confronts Ted and gets Linda back. Ted also gets back together with Lila as her rich boyfriend seems to have some tax problems.

This film has some great entertainment. Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby do a fine job singing and dancing. With it being an Irving Berlin movie, there are many of these song and dance numbers. The clothes that the ladies wear are absolutely beautiful! The set at the Inn is the same set for the Inn in "White Christmas". This movie is considered a Christmas movie although the only "Christmasy" part about it happens at the beginning and the end.

This movie is the first in which the song "White Christmas" is introduced. Today some of broadcasts of this movie have cut out the politically incorrect "Abraham" musical number because of it's depiction of a black face mistral show. Turner Classic Movies retains this part because of the historical value as well as the fact that they only show uncut versions of their movies. Interesting fact: The Holiday Inn's of today are named after the film.

101 Minutes. Not Rated. Black and White. I give this movie THREE STARS.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Jingle All The Way (1996)

This movie begins with the well-used premise that workaholic Dad Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger)has missed yet another Karate event in which his son Jamie (Jake Lloyd) would receive his latest belt. To make up for it, he promises Jamie that he will make sure that he gets whatever he wants for Christmas. This gift turns out to be the Turbo-Man(the Cabbage Patch Doll of the season) that he had also previously promised his wife Liz (Rita Wilson) that he would pick up weeks ago. He, of course, says that he picked it up earlier and his wife says great because Turbo-Man is sold out all over town.

The rest of the movie is of Howard desperately trying to find this doll for his son all the while trying to hold off another father, Myron (Sinbad), who is also in the same situation. Along the way he has several run-ins with a cop (Robert Conrad awesome in the old T.V. show "Baa Baa Black Sheep") and also has to keep his divorced next door neighbor (Phil Hartman perfect in this role) from making the moves on Liz. Howard is not able to secure a doll, but by strange events becomes Turbo-Man in the Christmas parade and holds off Turbo-Man's arch nemesis Dementor (Sinbad) and finally gets a special edition doll for his son. His son, after hearing Myron's sad story about his own son, gives Myron the doll after declaring that he doesn't need the doll when he has Turbo-Man at home. Awwww!

Filmed in the Twin Cities, this movie is not quite as bad as most of the critics say it is. Don't get me wrong, this is not a great movie, but it is not as unwatchable as it has been made out to be. There were a couple of funny parts including one in which Howard and Myron as well as about a hundred other people try to get lottery balls to be in a drawing for a late shipment of Turbo-Man dolls. With lottery balls flying and people biting and crawling around to get them all perfectly timed to the song "It's the most wonderful time of the year" made me laugh out loud. Sinbad was good, but Arnold's acting is as awful as usual (he should stick to mainly non-speaking roles such as Terminator I). This movie, like "A Christmas Story" was put on FX for 24 continuous hours in 2004, please note that this did not continue. Kids would like this movie.

89 Minutes. Rated PG. I give this movie TWO AND THREE QUARTER STARS.

Friday, November 27, 2009

White Christmas (1954)

This is a magnificent film that is about two men who meet in Europe during WWII in 1944. Captain Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Private Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) are entertaining the troops on Christmas Eve with Wallace, who is a successful Broadway entertainer in his regular life, singing "White Christmas" as Davis works the record player. Their commander, General Waverly (Dean Jagger) arrives and as it is his last day in command, the soldiers all give him a grand send off by singing "The Old Man". After the General leaves, the men come under attack and Davis saves Wallace's life injuring himself in the process. Feeling guilty, Wallace gives in when Davis suggests that they work together when they get home.

Soon they become "Wallace and Davis" the darlings of Broadway with their variety show. They get a letter from an old army buddy asking them to take a look at an act that his sisters, Judy(Vera-Ellen) and Betty(Rosemary Clooney), put on. The four of them meet and when the girls have to escape a landlord who is trying to say that they skipped out without paying, the men help them out and put on a funny routine to buy the girls some time to get away by doing a very funny turn to the girls' "Sisters" number. The men meet up with the ladies on the train going north and decide to join them at their next show at the Columbia Inn in Vermont. When they arrive, they are told by the housekeeper Emma (Mary Wickes)that since there is no show and therefore no guests, that their act isn't needed. They also find out that Bob and Phil's former commander, General Waverly, owns the inn and has sunk his savings and pension into the Inn. To help him out, Bob and Phil decide to have their whole show come up and rehearse at the Inn. Later they come up with the idea to have as many former soldiers that had been under the command of General Waverly come up to Vermont as a surprise for the General on Christmas Eve.

Throughout the film there are misunderstandings, ploys to get couples together, many song and dance numbers and much more.

The dancing and singing in this movie is top notch and is in my top 5 Christmas movies! Plus Cathy and I like to drive Jean nuts with our exemplary rendition of "Sisters". I am also looking forward to a Christmas tradition in which Cathy, Brittany and sometimes Bret put up and decorate Cathy's tree while I recline under a blanket, drink and watch this wonderful movie! I was surprised to see that a lot of critics rated "Holiday Inn" over "White Christmas", they don't know what they are talking about!!

I found out some interesting facts on Wikipedia regarding this movie. Fred Astaire was offered the part of Bob Wallace but turned it down and Danny Kaye ended up with the part. Vera-Ellen's costumes all have a high neck as she was battling Anorexia (you can see how thin she was) and her neck looked rather old. Rosemary Clooney actually sung both parts of the "Sisters" number, although she was not on the soundtrack for the movie because she was under contract with another company. The set for the Columbia Inn is indeed an exact replica of the Inn in "Holiday Inn". The choreography for the dance numbers was done by the famous Bob Fosse.

120 Minutes. Not Rated. I give this movie FOUR AND ONE HALF STARS!





Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009)



In this installment of the "Twilight" series, adapted from the book written by Stephenie Meyer, Bella (Kristen Stewart) must deal with the fact that she may never again see her beloved Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson).

The film begins as Bella realizes that although her love Edward, a vampire who will always stay 17, will not age, SHE will. The fact that this is her 18th birthday does not help matters. This disturbs her and she wants Edward to turn her into a vampire to prevent this. At her birthday party at Edward's family's house, she cuts her finger and one of his family members tries to attack her because of the blood. The Cullen's decide that they must move away so they won't put Bella in danger. We don't see much of Edward until the last part of the movie. Unhappy Bella mopes around for months until she goes out with a girlfriend with prompting from her caring father. While out with her friend, she realizes that when she puts herself into a dangerous situation, that the ghostly specter of Edward appears to warn her not to proceed.

This seems to pull her out of her funk and she runs over to her friend Jacob Black's (Taylor Lautner) to have him rebuild her a couple of motorcycles that seem to have appeared in the back of her truck. He, just like Edward, is enamored of her. They spend a lot of time together until he begins to act strangely. Bella discovers that Jacob as well as some of his fellow Quileute tribe members are actually werewolves (by an inherited gene) whose purpose is to kill vampires. He tells her that a vampire is hanging around and that they are trying to catch her. The vampire is Victoria who has made it clear that she wants to kill Bella. Bella wigs out and decides that she is going to have some "fun" and go cliff jumping into the ocean and is pulled out of the water by Jacob. Edward is led to believe that Bella is dead (he can somehow see this) and therefore decides that he can't live without her and is going to Italy to ask the Volturi (kind of like the royalty/vampire jury of the vampire nation) to kill him. They refuse because of his talents as a vampire. He decides that he is going to break the cardinal vampire rule and expose himself to the public (he likes to sparkle) which results in certain death by the Volturi. Bella meanwhile speeds to Italy with Edward's sister Alice (Ashley Green) to stop him. She manages to get there in time, but the Volturi want to see her. Aro (Michael Sheen and the "head" vampire) is amazed to discover that Bella is immune to their vampire powers of mind reading and pain inducing and decides not to kill her as she can be useful later when they are assured that she will be turned into a vampire by the Cullen's.

I know that most people loved this movie, and I did thing it was pretty good, but not great. It's not that I don't like the romance, but it was a bit over the top. Don't get me wrong, this 40 something body is still housing a 17 year old mind and I still remember what it was like to be devastated by a failed romance that was supposed to last FOREVER!!!! But come on! I did like the parts with the werewolves but thought that there wasn't enough of that action. I was also looking forward to the part where Jane (Dakota) and the Volturi interact with Edward and Bella, but this part was much more interesting in the book. Dakota Fanning's Jane did not have nearly the impact and presence that she had in the book, the part was very small here. I thought that Kristin Stewart's acting was pretty bad and exaggerated but Michael Sheen's too brief portrayal of Aro was great. The best part was that when Jacob pulled off his shirt to dab the tablespoon of blood on Bella's forehead after her motorcycle accident, there was an audible gasp in the theater by ladies of all ages quickly followed by groaning by the men. Hilarious! The forest scenes in the movie were beautifully photographed.

130 Minutes. Rated PG13. I give this movie THREE STARS.

The Blind Side (2009)

Based on the book written by Michael Lewis, "The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game", "The Blind Side" is an inspirational film.

Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is admitted to Briarcrest Christian school by a coach hopeful that he will be able to contribute to his sports program. Michael is basically illiterate at this point, he has a GPA of almost 0, but he is not unintelligent. A teacher discovers that he does well when he is given his tests orally. She meets resistance from the other teachers initially, but they come around.

Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), an interior designer, first notices Michael when he sees her son S.J. (Jae Head) speaking to him at school, she is told that he is known as "Big Mike". When she sees him walking along the road in the freezing cold, she and her husband Sean (Tim McGraw) pick him up and set him up on the couch in their palatial home (her husband owns a large amount of fast food restaurants). Most of the rest of the movie is about how he began to live with the Tuohy's and became a member of their family (they eventually became his legal guardians). He brings up his GPA thanks to a tutor, Miss Sue (played humorously by Kathy Bates) and begins to play football. He has a hard time at first, but picks it up fairly quickly with a little help from Leigh Anne and S.J. Michael does so well, that he is recruited by colleges and ultimately makes it to the NFL.

Along the way they face the expected resistance from friends and family. They made a special point of the fact that a large African-American male was living in the same house as their teenage daughter Collins (Lily Collins). A large part of the movie shows that although the Tuohy family helped to change Michael's life, it highlights the fact that he changed theirs as well.

This film kept me interested, made me laugh and yes, made me teary. Sandra Bullock delivers a great performance here and Tim McGraw as Leigh Anne's husband does well as her patient, fast food magnate husband. Jae Head steals the show as the perpetually spunky S.J. This is one of the most uplifting movies that I have seen in quite some time.

During the college recruitment scenes, there are appearances by several current big name coaches such as Nick Saban and Lou Holtz. Michael played at Ole Miss and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens where he is currently spending his rookie year as an offensive lineman. Make sure that you stay for the credits and watch the pictures from Michael's real life with his family!

130 Minutes. Rated PG13. I give this movie FOUR AND ONE QUARTER STARS!

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

2012 (2009)


This film begins as geologist Dr. Adrian Helmsley (Chimetel Ejiofor) goes to India in 2009 to see evidence that the earth's core is heating up at an alarming rate. He runs back to the U.S. and explains his findings to a presidential aide, Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt) who then reports it to the President (Danny Glover with a really bad lisp. Did he get new teeth or something?).

Several years later, Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) a one time published author and limo driver, is taking his kids camping in Yellowstone despite the fact that many earthquakes are occurring. He is separated from his wife (Amanda Peet) who is living with her plastic surgeon boyfriend Gordon (Tom McCarthy) who, it seems, his son prefers. While in Yellowstone, they enter a restricted area and are whisked off to a military/scientific base where Dr. Helmsley recognizes Jackson from his book which, by the way, predicts a global catastrophe. What are the odds? Jackson and kids head back to their campsite where they run into a whacko (Woody Harrelson in a role tailor made for him) that runs a pirate radio station out of his R.V. that predicts the end of the world. He tells Jackson about what he thinks is going on with the government and the end of the world and tells Jackson that he has a map of where the government is building "spaceships" to survive.

Jackson takes the kids home and later that day is when the world begins to fall apart. When things start to crumble, he drives to get the kids, his wife and her boyfriend. He then drives like a crazy man as the world is literally collapsing all around them to the airport where he has reserved a plane that Gordon flies (he is taking flying lessons)to Yellowstone so that Jackson can acquire a map from the wacko that tells them where the "spaceships are located. The so-called "spaceships" actually turn out to be Arks complete with animals that were available for the low low price of a billion dollars for those that could afford it (they had to finance the building of the Arks somehow. What?...the government would pay for it?). They are obviously expecting the flooding by the tsunami's that come with geological events that are so powerful that the continents and the Poles move (the South Pole ends up in Wisconson. Really!).

A couple of parts, such as the part where Jackson is making his mad dash for the airport, are so unbelievable they would be funny if not for the fact that people are being killed all over the place. There is a scene where they had to land a plane in a snow covered area in China in the middle of nowhere and a truck just happens to drop by and pick them up. Again, what are the odds?

The film, directed by Roland Emmerich who seems to be the king of the end of the world as his other movies "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow" both deal with apocalyptic type events, is not horrible as long as you don't take it seriously. If you look at it for what it is, a silly, slightly entertaining way to pass the time, then you might enjoy iT. The effects are good and may best be viewed at the theater.

180 Minutes. Rated PG13. I give this movie TWO STARS.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

American Graffiti (1973)



Wonderful movie about the last night of summer vacation for a high school graduating class located in the small town of Modesto in 1962. We follow the characters as they "cruise the strip" and get themselves into all kinds of adventures all to one of the best soundtracks there is. This is the movie that will catapult the careers of George Lucas and many actors into the stratosphere. The acting and directing are exceptional.

The film begins as main characters and old friends Steve(Howard), Curt(Dreyfuss), Terry "the toad"(Martin) and John(Le Mat) meet at the local Mel's Drive-In. Curt, who received a scholarship from the local Moose Lodge, is waffling about whether to go back East to school with Steve who is absolutely itching to get out of their small town. John is older and has been out of school for some time and is the resident drag racer with a constant line of challengers who want to go up against him at "Paradise Road" the local drag strip. Laurie (Williams) is Curt's sister as well as Steve's girlfriend and still has another year in school. We follow them and their schoolmates through various activities including sock hops, pick-ups, run-ins with the law, unsolicited relationships with the local gang (the Pharaohs), a hold-up and a woman in a white Thunderbird who declares her love for Curt. There is much more, but too much to list.

This movie includes many actors that were unknown but later became household names such as Harrison Ford, Suzanne Somers, Bo Hopkins, Richard Dreyfuss, Mackenzie Phillips, Cindy Williams and Wolfman Jack just to name a few. The majority of the movie was filmed in Petaluma California but parts were also filmed in Sonoma, Richmond, Novato and Concord. Many of the male characters were modeled after different parts of Lucas' own life. This was one of the first films to use already recorded music instead of a regular film score. The radio callers during Wolfman Jack's show were actual phone calls from his real radio show. This film was also shot in sequence.

The photos above are of my beautiful niece Jordyn wearing her grandfather's letterman's sweater from Dinuba High School (out in the valley South of Modesto) from 1959!!!

This movie is in my top 25. 112 Minutes. Rated PG. I give this movie FOUR AND ONE HALF STARS!!!!!

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Amelia (2009)


Starring Hillary Swank as Amelia Earhart and Richard Gere as her husband George Putnam, "Amelia" is on the boring side. How can this be when she is such an interesting and iconic figure? Most of the film dealt with her relationship with George and her affair with Gene Vidal, an aeronautics instructor and the father of the famed author Gore Vidal. She was way ahead of the game when it came to feminism. When she and George finally married, she made him promise that they would both be free to do what they wanted in their marriage and even had the word "obey" removed from their vows, which people didn't do in those days. The film begins as she approaches George Putnam to be the first woman to go across the Atlantic in a plane. She would not be the pilot, she would just be a passenger, she was not happy about this. She would later remedy this with a solo flight across the Atlantic at a later date. She was made to endorse products that she didn't believe in and hated it, seeing it as fraud. The best parts of the movie were of the shots when she was flying, whether it be above the clouds, or flying over parts of Africa and seeing the animals on the ground. The film ends while on her second try to fly around the world and couldn't locate Howland Island where she was to refuel and disappeared along with her navigator Fred Noonan on July 2, 1937.

I like Hillary Swank (great in "Million Dollar Baby" for which she won an Oscar) and thought that she did a good job in this movie. There just wasn't much to keep my attention.

Amelia received the Distinguished Flying Cross from Congress for being the first woman to fly solo non-stop across the Atlantic. It was mentioned that she felt that her wanderlust came from her father, but it was not mentioned that her mother was the first woman to summit Pike's Peak. Amelia also became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt.

There are several theories as to what happened to Ms. Earhart. The most popular theory being that she ran out of fuel and ended up in the ocean somewhere around Howland Island. Her radio was not working correctly and although the people on the island could hear her, she could not hear them and therefore could not locate the island. It was also thought that she had somehow gotten herself to Gardner Island as it has been suggested that radio signals came from there and signs of recent occupation were there even though the island was uninhabited. A skeleton was later found, but was thought to be that of a man. By the time that better tests were available, the bones were lost. One of the others was that she was actually alive and changed identities. This was not believed by most.

Rated PG. I give this movie TWO AND A HALF STARS.

Yours, Mine and Ours (1968)


The original Yours, Mine and Ours is a good film for families. This movie was based on a book written by Helen Beardsley based on her book "Who Gets The Drumstick?". The film is about the true story of Helen North (played by Lucille Ball) and Frank Beardsley played by Henry Fonda) who met, married and combined their families of her eight children and his ten children. They would eventually have two more together. It is very interesting to see how such a large family learns to function and perform everyday tasks for so many people when the rest of us find it hard for just a few people.

I read the book and it is quite different from the movie, most likely to make it more entertaining. Many things were changed from the way the Beardsley's met, to where he was stationed in the Navy, to the birth order of the children. I found this movie more to my liking than the modern version starring Dennis Quaid and Rene Russo, but I'm sure that today's kids would prefer the modern version. This movie is good, old fashioned, clean comedy.

The movie rights were purchased by Desilu Productions which was the production company owned by Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The movie also included Tim Matheson as Frank's oldest son Greg, and a very young Tracey Nelson (Ricky Nelson's real life daughter) as one of Frank's youngest daughters. The Beardsley's actually lived in the Monterey/Carmel area and when Frank retired, he opened a candy store. Helen worked for the California Governor's Commission on the Status of Women while Ronald Reagan was Governor. Helen died in Healdsburg in 2000 and Frank later re-married.

Entertaining for the whole family, I own it.

114 Minutes. Not Rated. I give this movie THREE AND ONE HALF STARS.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Paranormal Activity (2009)

This independent film directed by Oren Peli takes place over a number of days in which a couple (Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston) decide to film themselves overnight to try and see if there is a ghost haunting them. This film is recorded in the manner of "The Blair Witch Project" and "Cloverfield" in which all is done with a hand-held camera. In this case, a lot of the time the camera is steady, thank goodness. It didn't feel like I had to break out the Dramamine.

The film begins with Katie coming home from school and Micah already filming her as she gets out of her car. We find out during the movie that Micah is a day trader and Katie is an English student, however, neither of them seems to do any work. Katie doesn't seem to want Micah to film her, but gives in most of the time. She has called a psychic to come and visit the house and we find out that she has been haunted off and on by some sort of entity since she was eight years old. The psychic agrees that there is something in the house, but he feels that it is a demonic sort as opposed to a ghostly type and gives her the number to a demonic expert. He also advises them not to antagonize the demon as it could become more aggressive. Micah doesn't want her to call the expert, he wants to try to take care of it himself.

For much of the rest of the movie, they are filming continuously at night and during the day. The night filming produces paranormal activity that begins slowly, but quickly becomes more frequent and aggressive and eventually occurs during the day as well as at night. We are led to believe that this escalation is due in part to the fact that Micah has purchased a Ouija Board after Katie has asked him not to. When they go out to dinner, filming shows the cursor being moved about the board and it catching on fire leaving some sort of wording on it. This, strangely enough, doesn't really seem to bother them. Katie decides to call the demon expert, but he is out of town. The psychic comes back, but leaves the house quickly when he senses how angry the demon is. See Ya!

Upon reading how others saw this film, many seemed to think that this film was the scariest thing that they had seen. According to some things that I have read, in early viewings, people actually walked out because they were freaked out. I didn't feel this at all. There were definitely parts that were creepy and made me feel uneasy. There was a part where Katie got out of bed and just stood and stared at Micah for three hours, and a part where something pulled her out of bed and down the hall. VERY unsettling! There were more, but I don't want to give them away. A good movie to see on Halloween!

This film was first screened at ScreamFest in October of 2007 and was shown at Sundance in October of 2008. It took several people from Dreamworks to view it before Spielberg saw it and was creeped out by it. Paramount also bought rights to it. This film cost $11,000.00 to $15,000.00 depending on where you read and was made in about seven days. As of October 30, 2009, it has grossed over 74 Million in the U.S and Canada and has become the most profitable independent film ever. There are plans for a sequel.

99 Minutes. Rated R. I give this film THREE AND ONE QUARTER STARS because it was different and creepy!

Random Harvest (1942)

This film is an adaptation of a novel by James Hilton, the author who also wrote "Lost Horizon". The film begins as a man in an insane asylum is hopeful that a couple is coming to claim him as their son. This man, John Smith (Ronald Coleman), has amnesia since being fired upon while in a foxhole during WWI in 1917. He is not identified by the couple as their son. When the war is declared over, he manages to slip out of the facility during the celebration. He finds a friend in a woman, Paula (Greer Garson) who is a member of a Vaudeville troupe working in the English town where they are located. They fall in love, marry and settle in a small English country village. They are very poor but very happy and have a child a few years after settling in the village. John finds that he has a talent as a writer and need to go to Liverpool for an interview. While there, he gets hit by a car and regains his memory, but forgets all that transpired since he originally got amnesia.

His name is Charles Ranier and he finds his way home where his family are wealthy members of society. When he returns home, his sisters' young stepdaughter, Kitty (Susan Peters), decides that she is in love with him and continues to write him letters from her boarding school. As he takes over the business, he begins to get involved in politics. When Kitty comes of age, she returns and they decide to marry. It is at this point that we also find out that his wife Paula has taken a job as his secretary to be close to him. His marriage plans don't work out and as his political career begins to take off, he asks Paula to marry him in name only because a politician should have a wife. When Paula decides to take a trip, John has to go to the same small town in which the asylum was located to stop a strike at a mill. His memory begins to come back and he finds his way to the little cottage that he lived in with Paula. Paula walks up behind him and his memory rushes back to him. Awwwwww!!!

This was a very good movie, especially for those of us who like sappy love stories (Guilty!). It was interesting though that back then, they weren't so careful with the details with regards to time periods or accents when filming. The film was supposed to take place from 1917 to the early 1920's, yet the clothing and hairstyles they wear are decidedly from the 40's. They are living in England, yet their accents sound as though they are from New England. This does not detract from the movie however, especially since clothing from the 1940's is my favorite era.

This movie was nominated for seven oscars, but did not win any. Greer Garson won an Oscar for another movie "Mrs. Miniver".

125 Minutes. Not Rated. I give this movie THREE AND ONE HALF STARS.

Thanks Julie for recommending this film!


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Saw VI (2009)

I had not seen any of the "Saw" movies, so I tried to keep an open mind. My husband, sister and brother-in-law have seen all of these movies in a really strange and twisted tradition, they attend together. I think that we were four of the thirty people in the theater and that included the people who brought in the six and four year old (Who DOES that? Some people really need to go through the "Saw" puzzle for other reasons!).

I was not a fan of this movie. While there did seem to be a plot, that of a killer ("Jigsaw" played by Tobin Bell) playing his game with an insurance executive that denied him access to alternative treatment for his Cancer. Although the mastermind behind the killings is dead, he seems to be able to use his minions (Detective Hoffman played by Costas Mandylor and his ex-wife Jill played by Betsy Russell) to continue his games. There are many flashbacks to why Jigsaw wants this executive to go through the parts of his game. The flashbacks show that the executive William (Peter Outerbridge) uses a formula that he concocted to basically decide who lives or dies by denying treatment when it is not financially positive for Umbrella Insurance. When the killing starts it includes random people from his office, anyone from the janitor to his secretary. Just like in his job, he must decide who lives and who dies. The warehouse that this takes place in reminds me of a really bad haunted house that they make up a few days before Halloween. This movie is not scary in any way although I do cover my face right before the predictable killing parts (because I'm wimpy). The "acting" is really bad although there is an interesting twist at the end.

90 Minutes. Rated R. I give this Movie ONE AND ONE HALF STARS.

Jezebel (1938)

Julie Marsten (Bette Davis) is a spoiled young woman who is engaged to Preston Dillard (a young Henry Fonda)in the pre-civil war South (New Orleans). When her fiance doesn't jump to fulfill her request to accompany her to a dress fitting for a ball gown (something that gentlemen just didn't do) she decides to exhibit her displeasure by purchasing a scarlet red dress for the occasion. At this ball only white dresses are worn by the young ladies to showcase their "innocence". Her Aunt (Fay Bainter) and Uncle implore her not to wear the dress as does her fiance. She insists on wearing the dress and when she arrives at the ball is shocked at the unwelcome reception she receives in her defiance of the unwritten dress code. Everyone steps away and/or turns away from Julie and her escort. Julie wants to go home, but her fiance is not letting her out of the situation that she has put herself in and insists that she take her medicine and dance. The dance sequence in which they are the only ones left on the dance floor is awesome. Her look of embarrassment at being kept there and his of steady control are priceless. He makes sure that she has learned her lesson. Even though Preston breaks up with Julie after the dance, she believes that he will come back to her.

A year later he does come back...with a wife! Preston comes back to help with the Yellow Fever outbreak that is occurring in the New Orleans area and drops by Julie's house as she is having a dinner there. Julie is devastated by his marriage to Amy (Margaret Lindsay) and tries to use an old suitor, Buck Cantrell (George Brent)a man who loves her, to get back at Preston. Her old flame ends up getting killed in a duel over words that were said as a result of her shenanigans, she is still up to her old tricks. She feels awful about what happened and when Preston gets Yellow Fever, she decides that she is going to try to make it up by putting herself in danger by nursing Preston back to health.

This movie was great. Bette Davis is one of my favorite actresses and this was a fantastic film that I had not yet seen (hard to do). There were some interesting things happening in this film such as the fact that the people thought that by firing off cannons, that the air would be expunged of the Yellow Fever. There was also abolitionist talk when Preston and his wife came down from the North with another point of view on slavery. Keep in mind that this is a Hollywood film, but it is interesting to see how the "Hollywood South" worked.

Bette Davis was up for the Scarlett character in "Gone With the Wind" but did not get the part. One of the rumors is that Warner Brothers would not lend her out to David O. Selznik for the part and she was upset, so they gave her this part in Jezebel. In the old days, actors had contracts with studios and the studios had ultimate control as to what movies their employees worked in. They were often put in movies that they did not want to be in and the studios could make or break their career. This movie was filmed as "Gone with the Wind" was in pre-production. It seems to have worked out for Ms. Davis as she took the Oscar for her role as the scheming Julie. Fay Bainter also received an Oscar for her portrayal of Aunt Belle.

Thanks to Ron for suggesting this movie!

105 Minutes. Not Rated. I give this movie FOUR STARS!!

Love the old trailer!!