If you are a lover of a different kind of Christmas movie Thy Critic Man gives 2 suggestions. I do enjoy Gremlins and I am not a horror movie fan. It’s pretty tame but fun.
Nostalgia
Watching all these Christmas movies has got me thinking about nostalgia. Often especially during the holidays we can get accused of liking something ‘for nostalgia purposes only’. Everyone is guilty of this for one reason or another, but I often find there is more to the story than the accusation would suggest.
What is nostalgia? Well, it is defined as “a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations”
So for example I lived for 3 years with 2 roommates in the basement apartment of a house. We had many good times at that house and when I drive by it I am often overwhelmed by nostalgia for that period of my life. Now those friends have married and I don’t see them as much as I would like. It is a time in the past that I miss and look back fondly on.
I’m not a psychology expert. but I think nostalgia is actually healthy as long as it doesn’t make us forget the blessings of the present because we are idealizing the past. I did that once on my mission where I moved to a new area and all I could think about was how life changing the old area was. My companions had to sit me down and say ‘Lafayette was great but we’ve got to work here now in Indy”, which I did and it was awesome!
That said, it is good to be able to look back at our lives and remember the good times. Remember with fondness all the love and happiness we shared, especially if those people have passed on. So nostalgia can be quite powerful and motivating in our lives.
But let’s stick to entertainment. Like experiences, we can also have nostalgia for films. A particular movie meant something to us or is associated with an era or person in our lives, and so we remember it with ‘wistful affection’.
I believe if you enjoy the movie it doesn’t really matter whether it is nostalgia or not. It’s kind of like taking a placebo for depression. If it helps your depression who cares if it is a sugar pill? Better is better. Enjoyment is enjoyment.
The only difference is it is usually impossible to pass on that nostalgia to other people so it can feel frustrating when they do not share your ‘wistful affection’. In fact, it can even seem insulting because the film and the time in your life are so interconnected insulting one, feels like an insult to you and your moment in time.
Here is a funny clip from my favorite show How I Met Your Mother about when people don’t get your nostalgic movies (excuse the bad clip but it will give you the idea)
There is however a distinction I would like to make:
In nostalgia we have 2 kinds of experiences. The first are films that really aren’t good that we have nostalgia for. The second is films that are good and were important to us in the past (probably because they are so good)
For example, many people have nostalgia for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, ET and The Goonies. Those are all legitimately good movies that I remember fondly too. Whereas, say someone has nostalgia for Howard the Duck? That film doesn’t have the same inherent quality of content argument as Star Wars…
Here’s some examples from my life:
Cutting Edge vs Footloose- Both of these films would be considered by me as ‘sleepover movies’. They were the kind of movies my girlfriends and I liked to watch at sleepovers. Other favorites were Dirty Dancing, Fame, Grease, Dance with Me, Bring it On, Save the Last Dance (dancing in general was a popular theme of these sleepovers for some reason). The Cutting Edge is a silly movie that I have nostalgia for. It’s completely predictable and stupid but it’s about the Olympics that I love and skating and there is pretty good chemistry between its stars, but it would definitely be a bad movie I have nostalgia for and enjoy (I have it on blu-ray!).
Footloose on the other hand I also have nostalgia for but I actually think is a good movie. It is well written with an interesting discussion about religion, safety, freedom of choice and some terrific choreography and music. I watched it again not that long ago and was surprised how dark it gets. All that definitely went over my head but I liked it then and I like it now. Definitely a good nostalgia movie.
Beverly Hills 90210 vs Boy Meets World- We were not allowed to watch 90210 when I was a kid because it was considered too adult by my Mom- probably rightfully so. But nevertheless I have a certain nostalgia for it. When I could sneak it I enjoyed it and I enjoy it now even though it is totally soapy and stupid and poorly acted. It went on for like 10 years and especially near the end when I was on my own I really got into it even though I knew it was kind of terrible.
Boy Meets World on the other hand I was allowed to watch and I sincerely think it is a great show. Yes it is extreme cornball but it has such heart, it teaches good messages, has an appealing cast and the acting is not half bad. I love it and I love Girl Meets World, so it’s good nostalgia in my book!
Clueless vs Girls Just Want to Have Fun- We’ve got two more sleepover movies. Girls Just Want to Have Fun is a stupid movie about girls who want to make a dance show (again with the dancing!). But I still enjoy it. It’s charming in its own way and has an appealing cast. Definitely bad but I enjoy it for nostalgia purposes.
Clueless on the other hand is the nostalgia movie of my high school experience, and I think it is one of the best written comedies ever made. It makes me laugh to this day. Things like Cher’s speech on the Haitians and the garden party or the scene where Dion drives on the freeway for the first time crack me up. I have strong nostalgia for it but it is also genuinely a good movie.
Some might claim they can be more objective than those of us who have nostalgia for films or shows, but I don’t think that is the case. If I acknowledge I have the nostalgia and can say if it is good or bad despite my sentimental feelings how is that not the peak of objectivity? I am able to look at it and say ‘I love it but I know it isn’t very good’. That is objective! If I tried to defend it as good when it really isn’t than you’d have a point. If I like something on this blog because of nostalgia I will tell you. Like I admitted upfront I was going to have a hard time reviewing Little Mermaid because I am sooooo attached to it and it meant so much to me as a little girl. I still think I was objective but maybe not as critical as I was on things that didn’t have the same personal value. But that is the exception to the rule. Most films I look at with the same perspective and eyes and can objectively say whether I like it for nostalgia or other reasons.
Just to sum it all up- we all have movies that are nostalgic for us when we watch them. They remind us of eras of our lives, particularly childhood and if we enjoy the experience of watching them than who cares? Enjoy watching them for whatever reason you want. Just don’t expect others to experience the same whimsey and delight. Also, there are films we have nostalgia for that are actually good movies and others that are pretty bad. It’s important to see that difference and not discount something merely because it is a sentimental favorite.
Especially at Christmas many of us have nostalgia for It’s a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Christmas Story and Christmas Carol etc but those are great movies so watch and remember all the good times you’ve had over the holidays with these wonderful nostalgic movies.
I will add too that Perks of Being a Wallflower is the first movie I’ve seen as an adult that felt really nostalgic for me, so nostalgia doesn’t have to be a movie from our past. It could have been filmed in my high school amongst my friends and I LOVE it so much. I saw it at least 5 times in the theater because I kept taking my friends, twice in one week. It spoke to me and excited me in a way no other movie has in years. I think the writing is great, acting great, and the story is so moving, funny, sad, scary, just perfect. One of my all time favorites. Definite nostalgic but still very good movie!
Scrooge 27: Christmas Carol 1997- Tim Curry
I’ve told this story before on the blog but let me repeat it one more time. When I was a little girl there was this restaurant called Shoney’s by our house and when we would drive by it my Grandmother would always say ‘Shoney’s, it’s not that bad”. We would all laugh because why would you want to go to a restaurant that ‘is not that bad’ when you can go some place good. Every once in a while I will find a movie like that and I call it a Shoney movie. It’s not that bad but it’s not really good and since you have so many options why see a not that bad movie when you can see a good one?
So is the case with 1997 animated version of A Christmas Carol. I know many hate it but I think it is a Shoney movie. It’s certainly not good but on the other hand I didn’t think it was that bad either.
What makes it passable for me is Tim Curry as Scrooge. He is one of my favorite actors who is not in near enough movies. He has made playing a Scrooge a bit of a passion over his career and if you are an audible member you can download a recording of him reading Christmas Carol free which is infinitely more entertaining than this movie. It’s a shame really because he is so good he deserved better than to be saddled with a Shoney version in the movies.
He even did a performance in 2001 at Madison Square Garden, which I’ve heard was amazing. Here he is singing from that production. This is particularly touching when you realize he sang it just 2 months after 9/11. Amazing they even did the parade that year.
He’s still my favorite Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island (also my favorite Treasure Island). He chews up every scene he is in.
I wish this version had allowed him to bring a 1/10th the charm and swagger he brought to Silver.
But let’s talk about what it is, not what it could have been.
Trailer
Cast:
Tim Curry as Ebenezer Scrooge
Whoopi Goldberg as Ghost of Christmas Present
Michael York as Bob Cratchit
Edward Asner as Marley’s Ghost
Frank Welker as Debit
Kath Soucie as Mrs. Cratchit, Ghost of Christmas Past and Fan
Jodi Benson as Belle
Scrooge- Again, I love Tim Curry, and I think he is fine in this. Certainly the faults of the movie are not in his voice performance, which has gusto and nuance. He also has a good singing voice where required.
Differences- It is a pretty straight forward retelling with a few differences- most of them not really working.
First of all, Scrooge has a dog which is very distracting. We don’t want to see the expressions of the dog. We want to see Scrooge. I guess I am just not an animal person, so I did not need the dog. Scrooge is enough. We do not need a mean dog to add to his meanness.
The songs I actually think are fine but two are totally unnecessary. One called Random Acts of Kindness is sufficiently random sung by the woman who is bringing Scrooge dinner before he gets to his door. This just lengthens the time it takes for the story to really get going and isn’t sung by anyone important or pertinent to the story.
Another strange choice is at Fred’s party they sing a song called Santa’s Sooty Suit and supposedly it was sister Fan’s favorite song. This seems like an incredibly silly song to be your favorite song and again isn’t necessary.
One interesting difference is it is the only Victorian version I am aware of to have an African American ghost with Whoopi Goldberg voicing Present; although, it does not sound anything like her.
Strengths- Even though I just criticized 2 songs the rest of the songs were pretty engaging and all are well sung. My favorite is Song on the Bridge with the voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson as Belle.
The whole Belle/Scrooge scene is done very well. Also I liked when Scrooge is looking at the Cratchit’s he says ‘I wish I had a family’ and Present says ‘But you do you silly man’. As a single adult sometimes it is easy to forget that we all have family even if it isn’t our own progeny.
The voicecast is also across the board better than the movie deserves. Ed Asner as Marley, Michael York as Cratchit etc.
Weaknesses- The animation is definitely the weakness. It is on the Saturday morning/direct to DVD level. It’s jerky in spots, it doesn’t match up with the vocals sometimes and it just doesn’t look that pleasant.
Like look at Future. It looks like a cheap He-man villain.
So if you can handle that kind of Saturday morning, cheap animation than the movie is much more tolerable.
I just love Tim Curry so much that this version gets a Shoney vote from me. It’s not that bad and the music, and strong voices make it tolerable. I would certainly recommend the 2009 Disney version over this but that’s just my preference. This is a good one if you do not like the scarier elements as those are very tame.
A few of the songs are decent and the voicecast is very good. So take it for what you will. If you feel like something that is ‘not that bad’ than go for it. I would say watch a great version instead of good but it’s passable. (Glowing endorsement I know but I call it like I see it!).
This same year 20th Century Fox released Anastasia which is a million times better than this despite not being perfect. Can’t win them all I guess! But seriously Hollywood get Tim Curry more parts!
Scrooge 26: Looney Tunes Then and Now
This really isn’t a Scrooge Month review but I’m honestly running out of versions so I thought it would be fun to talk about the Looney Tunes. I love the Looney Tunes. Last year I caught a lightning round on amazon and was able to get the complete Looney Tunes collection on DVD and as I watched them I was so impressed with the animation, intelligence and great laughs. I finally understood why they were such formidable competition to Disney for so many years. They are brilliant.
Then I heard about a new show that ran from 2012 to 2014 and my friends told me it was horrible . Just the drawings convinced me of that fact but I hadn’t watched an actual episode until this project.
I mean just look at these characters. Look how weird they look. Daffy’s beak is strangely shaped . The eyes are off. There are characters I don’t remember seeing.
In contrast look at the original.
The proportions look right . The characters we all know and there is a sense of fun about it. The new is so unpleasant to look at.
But I always say that with good writing anything can be good so I sat down to give both old and new versions of a Christmas Carol a shot. See what you think
Old
New (Just a clip since it is 22 minutes but it definitely gives you the idea)
To me there is no comparison. Neither really has anything to do with the Christmas Carol but the old is actually funny in a Home Alone style way with pratfalls and great music cues that add to the humor. The new is Lola, a most unfortunate character, bossing everyone around and talking about manicures. The whole episode was crass and trying to be modern and sarcastic. The voices are also off. Let’s just say whoever they got is no Mel Blanc… Urgh! That’s not Looney Tunes. Warner Brothers should be ashamed of themselves! I’m serious!
They have a brilliant legacy to uphold and if you are going to stick Looney Tunes on the label you better make sure it is bright and creative and funny. Not cool, hip, lazy and unpleasant looking. I’m telling you if they mess up with Animaniacs there will be no end to my wrath.
In contrast look at the recent Mickey Mouse show by artist Paul Rudish and how it respects the old shorts but adds a little bit of modern humor.
So in conclusion Warner Brothers I want more of this…
And less of this…
Have I made myself clear? End of rant….
Scrooge 25: The Worst Christmas Carol Movie Ever Made
I know some of you out there enjoy reviews of bad movies and I would include myself in that group. I’ve tried to keep these Christmas Carol reviews positive but I decided to take my hand at being witty and write about what is without a doubt the worst Christmas Carol movie ever made. If anyone tries to defend this garbage I will be stunned.
Yes, this is even worse than the Tori Spelling Christmas Carol movie. At least Tori had a little bit of fun with how bad they were. This junk actually takes itself too seriously. There are no jokes. Nothing funny at all. It’s even worse than All Dogs Go to Heaven Christmas Carol (although not by much) because it has way more potential to be good.
We are a talking about a The Ghosts of Girlfriend Past made in 2009 and starring 2 Oscar winners Matthew McConaughey and Michael Douglas. Decent actresses of Jennifer Garner and Emma Stone and directed by Mark Waters of Mean Girls fame. It was written by Jon Lucas who wrote The Hangover and Wedding Crashers.
All of that talent produced this junk!
Now I am a staunch defender of the romantic comedy. We all experience romance. It’s a part of life where other genres are not part of most of our lives. When they are done right they are an important part of cinema and very entertaining for poor saps like me.
The Ghost of Girlfriends Past screams of a board meeting where people came up with a gimmick and then pumped out a movie using the latest flavor of the months. They didn’t have an idea or a theme. It was the ultimate in cynical film-making. No effort, no attempt to do anything creative or different. It’s not even stupid funny. It’s just 95 minutes of vanilla laziness.
So here’s the gimmick. Matthew McConaughey is one of the least convincing photographers in movie history and the ultimate womanizer. He is never condemned for these choices but actually applauded for them. It is just time for him to settle down with the old friend Jennifer Garner now that he has sowed his wild oats…
The movie never stops to ask why a woman like Jennifer Garner would want a womanizing jerk like McConaughey? She is merely the puppet that is waiting when he is ready to accept her. This is after they dated as adults and he left her after a one night stand. Groan.
She is even the one who started him on the path to photography by giving him his first camera. Because we know all women in these types of movies are there for is either be frigid ice queens or adorable hags who can’t get a date. Double groan.
Here’s the main problem with this movie (well one of many). The whole point of a Christmas Carol is to show Scrooge how isolating himself from others and from the faith and hope of Christmas has made him a terrible, horrible person and hurt other people. This is a new understanding for him.
In this film, McConaughey has used people too much so showing him people doesn’t show him something different. It’s merely one in the same. It makes everything that is intense and thought provoking in the original story feel crass, manipulative and incredibly stupid. There is no reason to believe McConaughey’s change in the end because he hasn’t been shown anything different, certainly nothing worthy of a dramatic life shift.
What is an intense realization of the life Scrooge could and should be enjoying becomes a clipshow of his greatest hits.
Michael Douglas is the Marley character and it is an embarrassing performance. He tells Conner that in order to not get his heart broken he should love women and leave them. Yeah because that doesn’t lead to any heart break…I know he is trying to put on a Hugh Hefner persona but it comes off as cliched and stupid and insulting. This is Michael Douglas’ grand advice for bedding women (this is the way this movie looks at women):
“So here’s a couple of tips. When you first meet a girl you give her two compliments above the neck. Yeah, tell her she’s got nice lips, nice eyes, nice hair… she’s intelligent, her moral ethics, whatever crap comes to your mind. Then just when she begins to thinks that you’re another – you know – vanilla nice guy that she can tool around with all night without getting naked… then you *insult* her! Flip the power dynamic and your let her know that you’re here to play”
Are you kidding me movie?
Then we get the usually delightful Emma Stone as the Ghost of Girlfriends Past and we get to see how Jennifer Garner was a surrogate mother figure for Conner and he didn’t ask her to the prom and all went to pot. Again, there’s nothing mind altering that McConaughey learns here, nothing that makes him wonder about his life.
For Present we get Noureen DeWulf where he learns that his friends make fun of him when he is out of the room…Wa, wa, wa. That’s the kind of thing that makes someone really change their life.
There is also a scene where 3 of his former loves bond over the fact that he dumped them via a conference call. Isn’t that hilarious…These women are also told by past to “Don’t be sad, you whiny bitches”…That’s right they had the chance to be with McConaughay so they don’t have any right to complain or have feelings. They aren’t human beings but neither is he. He is worse than a bad soap opera character. At least those men have some drama to their past!
And then finally we get Future by Olga Maliouk where he finds that Jennifer marries his friend Brad who is actually a nice guy. Never good in a movie when we actually want the girl to pick the other guy…
About this time McConaughey says “Really? I mean, now a days being a single means, what? You’ve lost your way? That something is missing? Never mind that every night I swim in a lake of sex, and they fall asleep in each others arms, spooning. ”
And he is right. There are of course concise and thoughtful answers to why his life is shallow and bad but in the world of this movie he is right. There is no good reason given why he should be doing anything different. No convincing case is made for him to change his life and like I said it isn’t even funny.
The movie just assumes, like it’s women, that the audience is too stupid to realize that. We will just accept that he needs to change even though the plot hasn’t convinced us of it. Instead we feel manipulated and unsatisfied with the ending for Jennifer Garner.
McConaughey wakes up in time to save his friends wedding and tell Jennifer Garner that she is the one for him. Groan, groan, groan.
This movie sucks because the lead character is unlikable and stays unlikable. The twisting of a classic story into this premise is insulting and stupid. The writing isn’t funny. The character doesn’t work because he isn’t shown anything different from his life?
He is not offered a new perspective or shown how he is wrong. He is merely shown more of how he lives his life. It’s like if Scrooge was just taken to various counting houses he’d worked at over the years. Sure that would make him change and yet the movie expects us to buy that?
Women are treated like objects to check off a list and then it tries to redeem itself by making the jerk a good guy and all the women readily forgive him as if we are all sheep and he is leading us off a cliff. And the dialogue for the women is insufferable.
There is no chemistry between Garner and McConaughey or any of the other women. Nothing is funny. Nothing is clever. There is no skill in any of the movie making at all.
I saw this piece of junk in the theater- yes you read right I saw this in the theater with friends and it made me so angry I wanted to throw popcorn at the screen. To take a story about ultimate redemption and turn it into a booty call is insulting. What were they thinking? I’ll tell you what they were thinking- they assumed we were all so stupid that we wouldn’t care that it had lazy characters, stupid story, pandering writing, stupid women and a story that doesn’t make sense.
So, that’s the worst Christmas Carol movie I’ve ever seen and will always be on my short list of the worst movies I’ve ever seen. It’s trash. Complete trash. Nobody was trying to make a good movie here. There is no spark, no effort, no creativity. Nothing. On top of everything it’s actually even kind of boring. There’s just nothing. It’s an insult to the name of Dickens.
Golden Globes Nominations
For those of you that care about awards and recognition the Golden Globe nominations are out and the animated category went safe.
Best Animated Feature- Click on each film to be taken to my review
All these movies are deserving of nominations but I really think Tale of Princess Kaguya belongs in the place of Book of Life. These will probably be the 5 at Oscars and they are all good movies. Four I gave A+’s too so no argument there. I think out of those 5 either Big Hero 6 or The Lego Movie will win. I’m a little surprised Everything is Awesome didn’t get nominated for best song and the music in Kaguya should have been nominated. Joe Hisaishi’s score is one of the best I’ve ever heard. You would think the Hollywood Foreign Press Association would recognize achievements by foreign animation companies not just domestic productions.
Oh well. It does say something about the year when a list that strong is nominated and Kaguya and Song of the Sea is left off (haven’t seen it but heard great things). Kaguya still has a 100% on rotten tomatoes. That is almost unheard of. Usually there is some idiot who detracts from the crowd. Kaguya is a stunning visual masterpiece and it deserves to be recognized. Hopefully maybe the Oscars will nominate it but probably not. I did like Book of Life but it is no masterpiece. Sigh…
So glad to see Boyhood get lots of nominations. Well deserved. A brilliant movie. Richard Linklater should win for best screenplay and director because what he did required vision and was incredibly smart. He didn’t just create a story and characters but he created whole lives. It is a film that sticks with you and makes you examine your life in a new way.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Guardians of the Galaxy get nothing which I thought were both so brilliant. Boo!!! And I really think that Andy Serkis deserves to be nominated for the great ACTING he does!
Into the Woods has 3 nominations including Meryl Streep who seems to get nominated no matter what movie she is in. I think if she did a tampon commercial it would get nominated, but I am very excited to see that movie because I love Sondheim and I hope it is one fairytale retelling I can buy into. Johny Depp’s presence makes me nervous but the trailers have been good.
Annie got a lot of love which makes me even more excited to see it. It was nominated for best song and best supporting actress for Quvenzhané Wallis. The early buzz for that film has been really strong and I love the trailer.
These awards are total junk so I don’t know why I care but occasionally they get it right and honor the right thing and that is nice to see. This they got some right but some wrong. I guess that is too be expected.
What do you think of the nominations?
MOTION PICTURES
Best Drama
- “Boyhood”
- “Foxcatcher”
- “The Imitation Game”
- “Selma”
- “The Theory of Everything”
Best Comedy
- “Birdman”
- “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
- “Into the Woods”
- “Pride”
- “St. Vincent”
Best Director
- Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
- Ava Duvernay, “Selma”
- David Fincher, “Gone Girl”
- Alejandro González Iñárritu, “Birdman”
- Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
Best Actress in a Drama
- Jennifer Aniston, “Cake”
- Felicity Jones, “The Theory of Everything”
- Julianne Moore, “Still Alice”
- Rosamund Pike, “Gone Girl”
- Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”
Best Actor in a Drama
- Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”
- Benedict Cumberbatch, “The Imitation Game”
- Jake Gyllenhaal, “Nightcrawler”
- David Oyelowo, “Selma”
- Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything”
Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy
- Ralph Fiennes, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
- Michael Keaton, “Birdman”
- Bill Murray, “St. Vincent”
- Joaquin Phoenix, “Inherent Vice”
- Christoph Waltz, “Big Eyes”
Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy
- Amy Adams, “Big Eyes”
- Emily Blunt, “Into the Woods”
- Helen Mirren, “The Hundred-Foot Journey”
- Julianne Moore, “Map to the Stars”
- Quvenzhané Wallis, “Annie”
Best Supporting Actress
- Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood”
- Jessica Chastain, “A Most Violent Year”
- Keira Knightley, “The Imitation Game”
- Emma Stone, “Birdman”
- Meryl Streep, “Into the Woods”
Best Supporting Actor
- Robert Duvall, “The Judge”
- Ethan Hawke, “Boyhood”
- Edward Norton, “Birdman”
- Mark Ruffalo, “Foxcatcher”
- J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash”
Best Screenplay
- Wes Anderson, “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
- Gillian Flynn, “Gone Girl”
- Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, and Armando Bo, “Birdman”
- Richard Linklater, “Boyhood”
- Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game”
Best Foreign Language Film
- “Force Majeure Turist,” Sweden
- “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Ansalem Gett,” Israel
- “Ida,” Poland/Denmark
- “Leviathan,” Russia
- “Tangerines Mandariinid,” Estonia
Best Animated Feature
- “Big Hero 6”
- “The Book of Life”
- “The Boxtrolls”
- “How to Train Your Dragon 2”
- “The Lego Movie”
Best Original Song
- “Big Eyes” from “Big Eyes” music and lyrics by Lana Del Rey
- “Glory” from “Selma,” Music and lyrics by John legend and Common
- “Mercy Is” from “Noah,” Music and lyrics by Patti Smith and Lenny Kaye
- “Opportunity” from “Annie,” Music and lyrics by Greg Kurstin, Sia Furler, Will Gluck
- “Yellow Flicker Beat” from “The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 1,” Music and lyrics by Lorde
Best Score
- “The Imitation Game”
- “The Theory of Everything”
- “Gone Girl”
- “Birdman”
- “Interstellar”
Scrooge 24: Mr Magoo’s Christmas Carol
This is why doing this kind of project is beneficial. It forces me to watch things I would not normally watch and every once in a while I’m pleasantly surprised. So is the case with Mr Magoo’s Christmas Carol. I’m not saying it’s a masterpiece but it was way better than I thought it would be.
I will say this was my first introduction to Mr Magoo. I have not seen the tv show or read any of the comics but as its own feature you didn’t really need to be familiar with any of the backstory so that didn’t matter.
I guess Mr Magoo is a controversial figure for how he portrays the visually impaired and I can see that but in this feature there aren’t many pratfalls aside from a crashed car at the beginning. At first I was wondering how Magoo would see the ghosts and all of the things they were showing him but they kind of forget about the blindness for most of the movie.
The animation was much better than I was expecting. It was done by UPA animation who were behind the Dick Tracy cartoons and it has an Al Hirschfeld look to it. It reminded me of the Gershwin segment of Fantasia 2000.
The songs are also pretty good by Julie Styne and Bob Merrill who wrote Funny Girl that launched Barbara Streisand’s career.
I found out in my research that Mr Magoo’s Christmas Carol was the first holiday program produced especially for television. Interesting right?
Trailer: (It must have aired the same time as Snow White given this trailer)
Cast-
Jim Backus- Ebenezer Scrooge/Mr. Magoo
Morey Amsterdam- James Brady
Jack Cassidy- Bob Cratchit
Royal Dano- Marley’s Ghost
Paul Frees- Stage Director/Charity Man//Fezziwig/Old Joe/Undertaker
Joan Gardner -Tiny Tim/Ghost of Christmas Past
Jane Kean- Belle
Marie Matthews- Young Scrooge
Laura Olsher- Mrs. Cratchit
Les Tremayne- Ghost of Christmas Present
Scrooge- Mr Magoo is Scrooge. The whole program keeps remarkably true to the story and that is true with Scrooge. It’s a little confusing what Magoo can and cannot see. Sometimes it seems he can’t see a person standing in front of him and others he can read his initials on a pair of cufflinks.
It is also a little hard to understand Magoo sometimes. But other than that he is a pretty good Scrooge.
Differences- Like I said, it actually stays pretty close to the source material.
Like the Flintstones Christmas Carol it is part of a play but that is more of a framing device where in Flintstones we go in and out of the play more often. This Mr Magoo goes to the play and then we are pretty much watching the play the whole way through.
They also make the choice to have Present go first which is strange and I’m not sure why they did that as it doesn’t really do anything to the story?
Strengths- There were actually quite a few. As I said the animation was pretty good. The backgrounds, colors and style of it I really liked.
The music was also good. We get Ringle Ringle, The Lord’s Bright Blessing, We’re Despicable, Winter Was Warm and Alone in the World sung by the young Scrooge.
The singing on all the songs is very good (it is supposed to be on Broadway after all). I particularly liked Jane Kean as Belle singing Winter Was Warm.
Also, the script is pretty straight from the book. I was impressed they kept the decrease the surplus population and Tim talking about being a cripple and Jesus. Often those sections are softened for kids.
The Pawn Shop scene is also fully included with Old Joe, the Char Woman, Undertaker and Laundress selling Scrooge’s things. That was very well done with the song ‘We’re Despicable’.
Weaknesses-
Like I said, it can be tough to understand what Magoo is saying. Also, the blindness is inconsistent and I guess it offends some people. I didn’t think it was mocking in this version. In fact, most of the time I forgot he was blind.
The Ringle Ringle song isn’t my favorite abour Razzleberry dressing and the introduction as a play isn’t really necessary. Why not just start it with the Scrooge story?
Also the moving around of the spirits seemed to serve no purpose and if people are expecting a comedy they might be disappointed. There aren’t really any laughs. It is played like a straight forward telling of Christmas Carol.
Other than that. I really liked it. I am surprised how much I enjoyed it. The animation is pretty good, with good music and it stays pretty close to the feel of the book. Aside from the Disney, this is probably my favorite animated feature length version I’ve seen.
It just goes to show with good writing any concept can be entertaining.
Scrooge 23: 3 Sesame Street Holiday Films
Sesame Street started its regular weekly programming for children in 1969 and it has remained on air for over 40 years. So naturally most Americans were raised on Sesame Street and have a fondness for them.
It is a combination of educational skits, puppets, and human characters. The puppets or Muppets were first introduced by Jim Henson and there are worlds of Muppets that actually rarely combine together.
You have Sesame Street that has Elmo, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Ernie, Bert and the Count.
You have Muppets that has Fozie, Kermit, Miss Piggy, Skeeter, Ralph, Swedish Chef, Animal, Gonzo and many more.
Then there are Muppet Babies which are baby versions of the traditional Muppets.
and Fraggle Rock.
We’ll talk about The Muppets more when I review their Christmas Carol but today we are talking about Sesame Street and 3 of their Christmas films including one that has a rare combination of all 4 Muppet universes. Pretty exciting!
What makes Sesame Street so wonderful is it teaches children ABCs and other skills while making them laugh and providing messages from a diverse multicultural cast. They do not talk down to kids and have tackled hard topics over the years including AIDS, death, and divorce. The writing in all the Muppet Universe is always sharp, funny for adults and full of a warmth.
The key is they treat the world like an ordinary world. In the Christmas Eve on Sesame Street Big Bird is lost and the adult troupe at Sesame Street are as worried and upset as if it was their own little girl. It’s the same with the comedic moments. When Steve Martin has a scene with Kermit in the Muppet Movie he plays it just the same as if he was working with Chevy Chase or Dan Akroyd. That’s what makes The Muppets stand the test of time like Mickey or Winnie the Pooh because their worlds are thoughtfully rendered with universal themes.
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So let’s talk about 3 Sesame Street Movies
First our Christmas Carol movie-
A Sesame Street Christmas Carol
This is my least favorite of the 3 and is more of a clip show than a movie but let’s talk about it.
Scrooge- Naturally our Scrooge is Oscar the Grouch. He is the Muppet that lives in a trash can. This is very similar to the Grouchy in the Smurfs movie.
I’m really surprised they didn’t use his song ‘I Hate Christmas’ from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street but there is a very funny narration by Tim Curry that starts out regal and stuffy and Oscar interrupts them.
The gimmick here is that Oscar doesn’t want to be disturbed until after Christmas but he gets a visit from Joe Marley of Scaredy Pants Delivery Service.
Then he gets a vintage bean can or a ‘ghostigram’ and is visited by 3 spirits that are not puppets. That was a major problem for me!
No CG in Muppets movies!!!
But if I ignore the CG they are actually pretty clever. The first ghost is Rhubarb the Scottish Grouch to show 2 clips of Christmas Past.
The 2 clips are Burt and Ernie Gift of the Magi which we will talk about in a bit (a favorite of mine).
And then we get Big Bird singing ‘All I Want for Christmas’. She is missing Snuffy and it is a lovely heartfelt moment originally from Elmo Saves Christmas.
Both of these segments have tons of heart and I enjoyed them both.
Next for Present we have Christmas Carole who is voiced by Kristen Chenoweth.
There are 4 clips in this segment.
1. Elmo and Santa Claus from Elmo’s World: Happy Holidays
Elmo in the Muppet World symbolizes love. He isn’t telling jokes or getting stressed out like Kermit, or full of himself like Piggy. He is always loving.
2. Elmo sings about ‘Everyday Can’t be Christmas’ from Elmo Saves Christmas.
3. A nice segment on Chanukah and Kwanza from Elmo’s World Happy Holidays.
4. Keep Christmas With You from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street.
Final Ghost is a Robot from the future and we get a cartoon about Christmas in the future.
And that’s about it. It’s a pleasant film but the other 2 I am going to talk about are much better.
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Christmas Eve on Sesame Street-
This is a film I loved growing up and you know what I still love it! It’s funny and got real heart like the best of the Muppets.
This one starts with 2 musical numbers with the kids and adults skating.
Coming out of the rink Oscar starts teasing Big Bird about Santa not being small enough to fit down the chimney. This starts the plot for the film.
Worried Big Bird asks Kermit to find out how Santa gets down the chimney so him and Grover interview a bunch of cute kids during segments. Freaking adorable.
We also get a the Gift of the Magi from Bert and Ernie and this is one of my favorites Muppets moments ever. It is so sweet and heartfelt, and gets to the core of the message of Christmas. I loved it as a kid and love it now even more.
I also love they sing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas at the end which is one of my favorite Christmas songs. It honestly makes me tear up a bit. It’s just a sweet little story about friendship and thinking of others more than yourself . I mean its his paperclip collection!
We also get this hilarious segment from Cookie Monster trying to write to Santa.
Everyone starts searching for Big Bird because he is up on the roof trying to see Santa and find out. Everyone becomes very worried. Maria scolds Oscar and says with real intensity (again like they are dealing with real people).
“The nest is something different. He’s got electric blanket there. And his friends are there. ‘What are you going to do about it”
When they find Big Bird it turns out Santa has come and he says ‘Now we will never know’
Bob says ‘Why do you want to know?”
Big Bird says ‘Because it’s important’
Bob says “No, what is important is we lost you tonight and we were all very worried and now we’ve got you back safe and sound for Christmas”
That’s the kind of heart I love in Sesame Street and Muppets. It’s just great.
This film is a perfect Christmas film for kids. It will make them laugh with Cookie and Grover, teach them about friendship from Bert and Ernie and remember from Big Bird what is important.
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A Muppet Family Christmas
This is a very special Muppet movie because it is the only one that includes all of the Muppet universe- Muppets, Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock, and Muppet Babies! It was very exciting to watch!!
It’s a pretty simple story. All the Muppets are gathering at Fozzie’s house and we get to meet his mother and as the day goes more people arrive. As they arrive we get more songs.
Robin and Kermit go in the basement and find a Fraggle Hole and invite the Fraggles up for Christmas. They sing a song.
It ends up being a very full house but the writing is funny. Ms Piggy is hilarious with a photo shoot at the beginning. Again, the photographer treats her like any other model which is why the Muppets works . He says ‘do that pouty thing’ and it is very funny.
Like I said the rest of the movie is just people arriving and singing songs. We get We Need a Little Christmas, Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride, Deck the halls, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, No Place Like Home for the Holidays.
Then the last 10 minutes are a Christmas medley of carols and it is very cheerful and entertaining.
This movie is a real treat. It’s so much fun to see so many of the universes together and so many characters. The jokes are funny. The songs are good. It’s not that long so the gimmick worked fine for me. It’s just great!!
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So we have 3 solid Sesame Street Christmas films. I think kids and adults will enjoy all 3 with Christmas Eve and Family Christmas being the best of the 3. They are well written, funny, and have real heart. The Muppets are treated like real people and they don’t talk down to kids or patronize them. It’s the best!
Have a great evening!
Scrooge 22: Blackadder’s Christmas Carol
And now we have a very unique offering for Scrooge Month, all the way from Great Britain- The Blackadders Christmas Carol.
This is a completely hilarious riff on the Christmas Carol story but unlike Scrooged it completely subverts the narrative of Christmas Carol which might annoy me in lesser-able hands, but the jokes are plentiful and they nail it every time. I laughed my head off. Seriously one of the funniest things I’ve seen in years.
The gist behind the special is the Blackadder played by Rowan Atkinson is constantly taken advantage of by people because ‘he’s the nicest man in town’. Much to the chagrin of his assistant Baldrick, a parade of people come into his office and take money and items from him including his Christmas tree and chicken. Pauline Melville as Mrs Scratchit is particularly funny begging for her Tiny Tim son who is clearly not so tiny.
Miriam Margolyes and Jim Broadbent are very funny as Prince Albert and Queen Victoria. Robbie Coltrane from Harry Potter is Spirit of Christmas and the way he does his ‘magic’ is a riot. Hugh Laurie, Stephen Fry, Miranda Richardson, Tony Robinson, Pauline Melville all at the top of their comedic games.
Coltrane takes Blackadder to the Past with a diva queen and then goes into the future with a sci-fi world and it’s so strange and hilarious.
It’s the writing that makes this so funny. You get lines like “I want a present! Give me something nice and shiny! And if you don’t, I’ve got something nice and shiny for you and it’s called an axe”
or 
“Baldrick, you wouldn’t see a subtle plan if it painted itself purple and danced naked on top of a harpsichord, singing “Subtle plans are here again!” 
or
“It’s a fist. It’s for hitting people with. (Punches Baldrick) And the great thing is, you can use it again and again! (hits Baldrick again)”
or
“Yes! Unless I’m very much mistaken, you’re the winner of the ‘Round Britain Shortest Fattest Dumpiest Woman Competition. And for her to be accompanied by the winner of this year’s Stupidest Accent Award is really quite overwhelming” (said to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert!).
The whole point of the story is to show Blackadder that the mean people have all the fun. What a clever and humorous subversion of the classic story. At least I thought it was very funny.
That gives you an idea. It’s kind of like Monty Python type humor, very dry and sardonic.
Here’s a clip from when they go into the future. Ha!
If that looks like your style of humor you will love it. If not than skip it. I laughed my head off!
Oh and if you are a hulu plus member you can stream the entire Blackadder series.