Scrooge 13 and 14: Basil Rathbone in 2 Films

fredric march Stingiest Man DVD Front Cover

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time to talk about 2 more obscure versions of Christmas Carol that are honestly not great but they have their appeal.

It’s interesting I would review both of these films tonight because they were both made for TV musicals with the Stingiest Man in Town filmed live and tonight is a continuation of that tradition with Peter Pan Live.  Some things have improved in 50+ years.  Other things are basically the same.

They were only made 2 years apart so let’s take a look.

1954 A Christmas Carol

Scrooge- Fredric March is our Scrooge and they took the description seriously down to the pointed nose, which doesn’t look great but he is fine as Scrooge.

fredric march 2Differences-

This version is only an hour and the songs take up a lot of the time so we don’t get some iconic scenes like door knocker with Marley (in fact Scrooge seems to live in some kind of apartment).

We also miss on Scrooge as a boy and go right to Fezziwig.  This seems to be the popular choice for most abbreviated.

The other big difference is Past is played by the same woman who is Belle and it is acknowledged by Scrooge they are the same.

And then Present is played by nephew Fred.

fredric fred

Strengths- The score is one of the best by Bernard Hermann of Psycho fame.  It is not overpowering but subtle using chanting and some of the best carolers in any version I’ve seen.  The original songs aren’t anything to write home about but the score is great.

Another interesting touch is that Scrooge can hear the music and that is often scarier to him than any image.  He see’s Basil Rathbone as Marley and is mildly scared but then after he leaves the music remains and Scrooge can barely get off the floor.  I thought that was interesting.

frederic marley

Marley also shows Scrooge the ledger from their counting house and it terrifies him.  When he leaves the ledger remains so he cannot deny what happened.

Weaknesses-  The original songs are very generic like one between Belle and Scrooge ‘What Shall I Give My Love at Christmas’.  The singing is good and like I said the choral music by the Roger Wagner Chorale is fabulous, so it’s a mixed bag.

March is good but it is a little distracting that he is missing a tooth in his top teeth.  It looked strange and it is a ‘stay away and let me do my business version of Scrooge’.  The religious conversion elements are minimal.

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Stingiest Man in Town

stingiest man2

This version is very similar to the 1954 version and has Basil Rathbone this time as Scrooge himself instead of Marley.

Scrooge- He is fine as Scrooge . It is again the ‘keep to my own business’ workaholic version of Scrooge and little is made of the religious loneliness.

It is a little longer than the 54 version but the music is similar although the score is not as strong.  It’s kind of neat because they included the old title cards from the TV production and the Alcoa Aluminum ads, which are fun to see.

This version was also filmed live which is interesting and we get a wave from the cast when they are finished.  stingiest man cover

Considering they are a play the production qualities aren’t too bad.  The 4 Lads provide narration in kind of a barbershop style.

Strengths-   The cast is all good with good singing voices throughout.  The dance sequences feel a bit out of place but they are well staged. In the final cemetery scene Scrooge even argues with a figure dressed like the devil, which was a new take on it.stingiestman01

The sets are also pretty good for a live TV filming in the 50s.

Weaknesses- Oddly Santa Claus is a big element of this version.  Tiny Tim is worried Santa isn’t real and Martha sings him a song called “I Believe in Santa Claus”  It felt out of place for the story.

At the end Scrooge kind of becomes Santa Claus bringing gifts that are perfect for each of the Cratchit’s.

Tiny Tim has a beautiful boy soprano voice and his song One Little Boy is a nice song.

They aren’t ‘good’ movies but they aren’t rip your hair out awful either.  I’m glad I saw them.

My laptop wouldn’t play either DVDs so I don’t have a ton of photos but hopefully that gives you a feel for them.

fredric march3

 

Scrooge 11 and 12: Silent Movie Scrooge’s

wise men

When I started Scrooge Month I knew I would have to do the Alistair Sim, Muppets, Mickey’s and Scotts and I looked forward to them, but I also wanted to dig deeper and find more obscure versions of Christmas Carol.  Today’s entry probably takes the cake in that department. I was able to dig up 2 silent movie versions of Christmas Carol and they were both fascinating.  I make no claim to being a silent movie aficionado so I can’t really judge the movies for quality as I’ve seen probably 5 in my life.  If you live in Utah we do have an awesome movie-going experience in Salt Lake with an original Giant Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe Organ at Edison Street Events.  I have been there twice, once to see The Kid, and then Phantom of the Opera and the silent movie with the organ the surrounds the entire room is amazing.  And it costs $6!

I wish sometime they would do these Christmas Carol versions there because the new recorded music on the DVD I had were weak at best.  In the second film I muted the sound and just watched (something that is a unique feature of silent movies I suppose!).

The first version is from 1923 and it is only 23 minutes long.  The quality is not great but I suppose it is all part of the charm. It only lists 4 people in the cast although more than that appear.

Scrooge is played by Russell Thorndike and Forbes Dawson plays Marley.

silent 1 scrooge

To show how mean Scrooge is they do something you’d never see in a million years in movies today (rightfully so) Scrooge wallops the kid singing Christmas carols outside his office with a heavy book.

silent 1 bookFred is the emphasis here and Cratchit is briefly seen.  We even get a random proposal to Mrs Fred’s Sister (that’s her name on the title cards)

silent 1 proposal silent 1 mrs fred

The Marley looks pretty good considering the quality of the rest of the movie.

silent 1 marley

silent 1 cards

Instead of taking Scrooge to see his past, present, future it is projected onto the wall (both films).

silent 1 past silent 1 expressions

We do not look in on Cratchit family but only briefly at Fred, Mrs Fred and Mrs Fred’s Sister.

What’s interesting is that Scrooge is already pleading with Present for redemption, just when Present announces he will visit Cratchit and Fred tomorrow.

silent 1 cards2

Evidently the thought of Present visiting is enough to scare Scrooge! We do get a brief visit from Future.

silent 1 future silent 1 changed

It’s just so different it’s hard to really judge it as bad or good, and I don’t know enough about silent films to judge it for its day.  It was fascinating to watch; however, and I enjoyed it. Hopefully you enjoyed getting a little taste of it.

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Silent Film #2

Old Scrooge 1913 (released in 1926 to US)

This version is a longer 46 minutes but it makes some choices that are so different from what we are used to in modern versions.

It stars Seymour Hicks who I will review again in the 1935 talkie version.  He is good but it is clear this era saw Scrooge as a Frankenstein character.  He is even called an ogre in the title cards.

silent 2 scrooge silent 2 scrooge2

silent 2 ogre

He dresses like a bum which I have never seen in a version.  It’s so strange because he’s still rich and a businessman but he dresses like a tramp?  Maybe some of you know more about this era and can elaborate as to why this might be? 1913 was well before a depression era America so that’s not it.

Scrooge also refuses an actual poor person and the benefactors which I have never seen before.

silent 2 woman

It is also the only version I have seen where the office and house are in the same room and where Jacob Marley plays the part of all 3 ghosts.

silent 2 marley silent 2 past

We get the projections on the wall like we did in the previous picture but this time we see a few more scenes (and no strange proposal).

He comes to a pretty speedy penitence in this one as well and then it is the strangest thing.  Instead of going to Cratchit’s or Fred’s he imagines it. It’s like he is still the monster and can’t really celebrate with the people.

silent 2 cardssilent 2 toast Isn’t that so odd?

And that’s the end of the movie with his imaginary feasting.

I would say these films are more of a fascination than anything else.  The choices  they make, the way films worked, the silent movie acting are all very interesting.

If you aren’t a film buff than probably not for you.  They aren’t like Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin which will entertain in any era.  Definitely more challenging but I’m glad I saw them and if you can hunt them down give them a watch!

Merry Christmas from Me!

Every year I work with a friend of mine at Bitsy Creations to make a custom Christmas card and Valentine.  This is what I came up with this year and I just wanted to share it with all of you.  Thanks for giving this girl from Utah with a hurt knee something to work for. I hope you all enjoy Scrooge Month and have a Merry Christmas or a happy time no matter what you celebrate.

christmas card

Scrooge 10: A Christmas Carol (1984)

scott scrooge

After being completely silly in my last entry let’s get to a legitimate version of Christmas Carol.  Made in 1984 for television, A Christmas Carol, stars George C Scott as Scrooge surrounded by an excellent cast all around:

George C. Scott – Ebenezer Scrooge
Frank Finlay – Marley’s Ghost
Angela Pleasence – Ghost of Christmas Past
Edward Woodward – Ghost of Christmas Present
Michael Carter – Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
David Warner – Bob Cratchit
Susannah York – Mrs. Cratchit
Anthony Walters – Tiny Tim Crachit
Roger Rees – Fred Hollywell
Caroline Langrishe – Janet Hollywell
Lucy Gutteridge – Belle (Scrooge’s unappreciated fiancée)
Nigel Davenport – Silas Scrooge (Ebenezer’s and Fan’s cruel father)
Mark Strickson – Young Ebenezer Scrooge
Joanne Whalley – Fan Scrooge (Ebenezer’s beloved sister and Fred’s mother)
Timothy Bateson – Mr. Fezziwig

Trailer: I couldn’t find a trailer probably because this was made for TV but this is a highlight reel:

Differences- This version is very good but it doesn’t take any risk.  It keeps it pretty close to the book with no backstory or delving more into Scrooge’s choices and why he became the way he was (aside from the normal past stuff in the book). As I like the book I don’t have a problem with that.  I’m fine either way.

scott scrooge2

The biggest difference is Scott is a very light hearted Scrooge.  He laughs a lot more than other Scrooge’s I’ve seen.  This is not in the book.  As I shared in my Disney review Dickens describes Scrooge in very harsh terms:

” Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue; and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dog-days; and didn’t thaw it one degree at Christmas.”

I mean he has thin lips and rooms get colder when he enters them.  The laughter is certainly mocking in tone so it is still wicked but in a lighter more subtle way than other versions.  Here’s a screencap I took of the beginning of the movie when he is talking to Fred.

scott smilingLooks like quite a jolly bloke.  I realize he was smiling about the wrong things but it does seem to weaken his repentance at the end when he isn’t as bad to begin with. But I don’t mind it.  It’s just different.

Strengths- All the performances are good.  David Warner is great and warm as Cratchit and Frank Finlay is very scary and effective as Marley.

bob 19842marley scott

The other major strength is the sets.  It feels like England.  Every detail from the turkeys and geese that go as high as the building at the poulters to the street lamps and carolers.  This attention to detail is particularly impressive considering it was made for TV (we saw in my last post the quality of made for TV nowdays…).

london

It is also very strict to the book as far as the plot.  So if you are a purist you will enjoy it.  I like traditional telling’s and more creative so this is great with me.  And like I said with such likable performances it is easy to be engaged throughout.

Past, Present, and Future don’t really do anything new or take any risks with the story but it’s a great story so it isn’t needed.

scott past scott present

The scenes with the Cratchit’s are particularly good and warm.  It feels like an actual family and Mrs Cratchit and Tiny Tim are wonderful.

Scott is very good in the ending, both the penitence and the Crazy Scrooge segments.  When Present leaves him he justifies his behavior for a few lines and then realizes he has been left alone and it seems to be the first time he has recognized his loneliness and it frightens him.

This is a Scrooge that is more misapplying his energy than a covetous sinner who is frightened by poverty.  I always saw Scrooge as being more motivated by that fear but in this one it is more a love of business, being smarter than everyone else,  and a lack of courage (he says that to Fred) that leads him to his unhappy lot. It’s a different and interesting take on the story.

Weaknesses- Well, there are two big weaknesses.  Even though Scott is very good he is a very American Scrooge.  He makes no attempt at a British accent and sounds like he should be leading Americans to war as Patton not giving orders at the stock exchange in London.  Everyone around him is British including his young self so it is very distracting.  He must have just not been able to do a convincing British accent.

It’s a little puzzling when they had any number of British actors they could have selected.  They could have even had Laurence Olivier do it.

The other weakness is the music. It is very annoying and distracting with a sharp electronic sound to it (I’m talking about the score not the sections of carols).  At certain scenes especially with Marley it is so loud and shrill I had to turn down the volume on my TV.  It belongs in a thriller not an 19th century period piece.  I realize Christmas Carol is a ghost story but it just didn’t work for me at all.

But those are two relatively minor quibbles to a very strong film.  It is definitely in my top 5 versions and one I reach for every year when I just want the traditional version, no strings attached.  I am sure you and your family will enjoy it too.

Annie Award Nominees

Today the Annie Award Nominees were released.  These awards celebrate the best in animated films.  I still say this has been an amazing year for animation.  It’s certainly been one of my favorites that’s for sure. I have seen all of the nominees but 2- Song of the Sea comes out Dec 19th, and I will hopefully see it, and Cheatin I must admit I hadn’t heard of but it looks awesome.

Cheatin trailer (this is clearly an animated feature for adults but I’m ok with that.  In fact, sometimes I prefer they go all adult instead of trying to make it appeal to kids and adults (ala Hunchback):

Anyway, the nominees are:

Big Hero 6,

The Lego Movie,

How To Train Your Dragon 2,

The Boxtrolls,

Book Of Life,

Cheatin’,

Song Of The Sea (here’s Song of the Sea trailer if you haven’t seen it yet. It looks amazing)

The Tale of The Princess Kaguya.

What an impressive list.  I LOVED Big Hero 6, How to Train Your Dragon 2 (even more than original), Lego Movie, Boxtrolls and Kaguya (gave A’s to all 5 of those!).  Book of Life I really liked despite some problems (got a B). They are all so different it is tough to compare.  But again what a great year especially when you consider no Pixar and some highly entertaining films didn’t even make the list (Mr Peabody and Sherman and Penguins of Madagascar were really fun comedies).

Well, what would you pick to win?  I’d be happy with any of them winning but if I had to pick I’d go with The Lego Movie.  I know all of you weren’t as crazy about it as I was but this is my blog and my opinion so for me it was the most creative, visually inventive, had heart, showed how kids play, their randomness and fun, and it made me laugh a lot.  But I was really moved and dazzled by Big Hero 6 also, so I would love to see it win.  Same with Kaguya, which was so beautiful, and The Boxtrolls, which had a great look, and a story that makes kids (and me!)  think while charming them.  How to Train Your Dragon was an epic adventure and dazzled me from beginning to end.  Plus, I loved the flying sequences.

But push come to shove I would still pick Lego Movie.  What was your favorite? (And remember there are no wrong answers it’s just an opinion)

Scrooge 8 and 9: 2 Diva Tales

A_Carol_Christmas_DVD diva christmas carolI’m afraid I have a bit of a confession to make- I like cheesy made for TV movies.  I can’t explain why because they are the junk food of the cinema world.  What can I say every now and then I feel like some junk food movies!  This is particularly true at Christmas.  Most made for TV Christmas movies are syrupy and silly but overall pleasant.  The kind of movies that used to be made all the time and are out of fashion by the bigger studios.  There are times when I don’t want to be challenged but just enjoy a silly movie and romcoms in Hollywood have gotten so vulgar and crass these days that it’s very frustrating.  But at least I still have my Hallmark and Lifetime movies to keep me goey and happy.

So with that said let’s talk about 2 made for TV versions of A Christmas Carol.  I group them together because they are essentially the same movie- A Carol Christmas starring Tori Spelling and A Diva’s Christmas Carol by Vanessa Williams.  They are both technically weak but I enjoy watching them.  Of the two the Diva’s is better but mostly because I’d take a funny Kathy Griffin over Gary Coleman any day.

They are both the story of the Barbie Christmas Carol but that movie is a little more clever with details like mirrors for the Aunt Marley character and lots of traditional Christmas songs sung well.  Plus at least Barbie has animation that while on a direct to DVD level is more interesting than any film-making in either of these TV movies.

So they are both about divas who have let fame get to their heads:

Vanessa Williams plays Ebony, a Whitney Houston type who has forgotten her past as a foster kid who was part of a trio and then became a star.

vanessa williams

Tori Spelling plays Carol Cartman a TV Show host who’s aunt manipulated her career, forcing her to choose fame over friends (this one is really like the Barbie version).

cc tori

Both of them are making their poor beleaguered staff work on Christmas Day and both say ‘bah humbug’ and order people around like slaves. (Must be nice to be a diva sometimes… 😉 ).

Both have assistants that are the Bob Cratchit’s.  Vanessa’s is a man named Bob who she briefly dated but now has a son Tim who is dying. Tori has an assistant named Roberta who has a daughter named Lilly who’s ex is trying to take away from her because of all the hours she works for Tori.

So we get our Marley

For Vanessa she is an ex-bandmate named Marli who died in a car crash played by Chili from the band TLC.  There are some special effects that are pretty good when she shows her ‘real’ face to Ebony.  I also thought her chains were kind of clever.

ganz besonderes Weihnachtsfest, Ein / A Diva's Christmas CarolTori’s Marley is her Aunt Marla who Tori (Carol) always thought had her back but she tells Tori she was wrong.  She comes alive in a picture first and then we see her.  They could have done something more clever with her chains than just a few normal looking necklaces. tori marleyDid Marla have Carol’s back or was she actually out for her own good? Hmmm…

Then we get Past

For Vanessa it is Kathy Griffin who has some funny lines like when her outfit is complimented “last year I had to show Tom Ford all of his Christmas”.  That made me laugh.

diva pastAlso when she see’s the shadows she tells Ebony “these aren’t real people.  It’s like Los Angeles”  That also made me laugh.

Another funny line is “Stop being so hauntable. You skinny witch.  Did you say skinny?” Considering what she had to work with I thought it was pretty good.

We learn from Past that Ebony had a tough road with a mean father, and she was taken away from her brother on Christmas.

tori pastThe Tori version we get the considerable downgrade to Gary Coleman.  He’s actually fine but not as funny as Kathy Griffin.

He gets some jokes at his past.  The main point of Past is to show Tori who her Aunt really was and how she caused her to end things with her philanthropic ex.

diva presentFor Vanessa Present we get John Taylor playing a hard rocker that reminded me of Russell Brand in Get Him to the Greek.

He shows her the dumps her band is staying in and that Bob is about to quit to be with his son who is dying.  He also shows her how Terri her former bandmate is doing.

tori presentIn Tori’s version we have the great William Shatner as Present, and we see Tori’s ex is still doing good, and Roberta’s ex trying to take Lily away.  We also look in on her sister’s family who Roberta buys nicer gifts than the $20 Tori gives her to spend.

We also learn that her aunt Marla’s cohort is trying to change the show to a Jerry Springer like program that focuses on Freaks because sincere stories don’t sell (tell that to Oprah…).  Tori is horrified.

diva futureI thought Future was kind of clever in Vanessa’s version instead of having an actual ghost she stumbles upon a VH1 ‘Behind the Music’ program about the rise and fall of her life.  She then watches as everyone from Bob to her crew hate on her and she finds out about her tragic death.  Given the Diva’s Christmas Carol aired on VH1 I thought it was a funny in-joke and touch.

future toriTori’s Future is a definite letdown from Shatner and is a fairly generic limo driver.  She see’s herself as a washed up has been who everyone hates.

Both films show the characters funerals with nobody attending but the Cratchit’s of the stories.  The endings are also basically the same with them giving their Cratchit assistants raises and helping out the Tim’s.  They both treat their cast and crew better and give money to charity.  Tori ends up back with the ex (spoiler alert!).

Both of these movies fall into the category if my explanation sounds like something you will hate than you will hate them.  If they sound like something you will enjoy than you will enjoy them.  Movies like these are kind of like soap operas.  We all know when watching a soap opera that it is stupid and the acting is terrible but if done with enough camp and silliness than they are entertaining. A guilty pleasure I guess.

So while I can’t recommend them, I must own that I enjoyed watching both of them. (I mean doing a strengths and weaknesses on these films is kind of ridiculous)  It also probably helps that both leading ladies have reputations of being high maintenance and I’ve always liked Tori Spelling since 90210 days.  Vanessa Williams also can sing which helps in those sections.  Diva is definitely better than the Tori film but they are close.

Want a good laugh? Read this article of why Diva’s Christmas Carol is best holiday film ever. http://www.buzzfeed.com/lucaslascivious/why-a-divas-christmas-carol-is-the-best-holiday-54hg

I’m going to have to watch the silent films next to regain any kind of credibility I just lost from this review 😉

Also- the difference between these movies and the All Dogs Go to Heaven Christmas Carol which I hated so much is that wasn’t even fun. These movies know they are terrible and embrace it.  You don’t cast Gary Coleman and William Shatner in your movie if you are trying to make a serious film.  All Dogs is shrill, mean, obnoxious and stupid; whereas, these are just stupid and silly.

Scrooge 7: A Terrible Movie: All Dogs Go to Heaven Christmas Carol

You know how I said it is impossible to do Christmas Carol wrong? Well, I was wrong. All Dogs Go to Heaven Christmas Carol did it.  It’s a terrible movie.  It makes the Smurfs look like Alistair Sims. It was shrill, mean, stupid, ugly and has a witch dog with demon spawn and a plan to hypnotize the dogs and destroy Christmas for some reason. That just screams Christmas Carol to me.

I wasn’t even going to review it but then I saw this video that sums it all up very well.  If you like Nostalgia Critic style reviews of bad movies you might enjoy this . It certainly is better than the movie.

I want to keep this blog positive.  It’s Christmas after all, so on to the next one.

Must See Holiday Films

I thought it would be fun to interrupt my Christmas Carol reviews and give you all a quick list.  I am a huge sucker for holiday films, not just Christmas Carol.  It is tough to make a Christmas movie I don’t like (4 Christmases and The Grinch I’m talking to you).  Even more mediocre films like This Christmas and The Family Stone I found charming in their own way.  I even watch the Hallmark Christmas movies every Saturday night.  Yes they are completely cheesy and silly but I enjoy them.

So what are the films I make sure I catch every Christmas?

Here goes in no particular order.

White Chrsitmas- Classic cast, Bing Crosby singing White Christmas can’t be beat, great music and dance throughout. Completely cheesy love story but I don’t care a bit!

Christmas Story- Hilarious narration, love the imagination segments of a boy who just wants a red rider air rifle for Christmas, very funny but also has real heart, the scene with the bully is so well acted it moves me every time.

Elf- the male equivalent of Enchanted with a fairytale creature having to make it in big city NYC, Will Farrell is hilarious, great supporting cast including James Caan, and real heart with all the laughs

Muppets Christmas Carol- My personal favorite non-traditional take on the story, will have to wait for my review.

Christmas Carol 1984- A solid very faithful adaptation.  Will have to wait for my review!

Christmas Carol 1951- Read the review

Charlie Brown Christmas- Our friend Charlie Brown overthinking Christmas again, worrying about the commercialization, ends up directing the pageant and picking the lowliest tree for the school, great jazz music by Vince Guaraldi, I love the ending when Charlie realizes it is all about the Babe in Bethlehem.

Joyeux Noel- A less well known holiday film that is absolutely lovely, about a truce between the fighting lines during a WW1  Christmas.

Arthur Christmas- Probably my favorite Santa film along with Elf.  The North Pole has gone commercial! But Santa’s younger son Arthur still believes in the old ways and when he finds out a little girl is not going to get her present he is devastated. I love the elfs and the voicework and the heart.  Great film.

It’s a Wonderful Life- What do you say about this wonderful Frank Capra film that hasn’t already been said.  A moving reminder that we are all important.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (animated short)- What is it about the 60s that could make good versions of Dr Seuss that nobody can seem to follow today?  I’ve hated, hated, hated, hated, hated every contemporary Dr Seuss retelling.  This animated classic is everything the Jim Carrey version was not.  It’s fun, bright, simple in its message with great music sung by Thurl Ravenscroft

Mickey’s Christmas Carol- Read the review

Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer (and other stop motion shorts)- These are just charming stop motion stories.

Home Alone- The first comedy I saw in the theaters and I remember laughing my head off.  Watched it again a few years ago and it still makes me laugh.  It would have been my dream to be left at home like Kevin! (I always wanted to do things on my own, in my own way).

Meet Me in St Louis- Judy Garland is my Hollywood idol.  I just love her and this is certainly one of her best performances.  It is not strictly a Christmas movie but we get “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ and it is perfection.

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation- Family stressing you out during the holidays?  Perfect film to watch and get a good laugh while you are at it.  The scene with the squirrel gets me every time and when they say pledge of allegiance for grace.  Ha!

Love Actually- Not every plotline works but most of them do.  I love Colin Firth in almost everything and he is great here, same with Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Hugh Grant, Liam Nielsen, Kiera Knightly and more. I love a good romantic comedy and this is the Queen while still having real heart.

Shop Around the Corner/You’ve Got Mail- Anyone who follows my regular blog knows how important You’ve Got Mail is to me.  I love Nora Ephron’s writing and think of her as my literary muse.  People tend to discount it as fluff but not only is she incredibly witty but there is real heart their too.  Shop Around the Corner is also lovely.  Both are about people who hate each other in real life but in their writing they fall in love.  Both are movies about work and change- 2 topics that always move me. If you think they are just another rom-com than I challenge you to watch them again and really pay attention to the writing.  In the end, all I know is that I love them.

For a New Years movie I recommend When Harry Met Sally and The Apartment.  Not that terrible Gary Marshall movie!