Mery Christmas Specials

Wow is it Christmas eve already? Actually it's not so surprising since I've spent most of this week christmas shopping and preparing presents for loved ones. I havent had much time for merry making this year, and by this I mean that school let out a week before christmas, and by mery making I mean setting up the small tree in my room, decorating, the tasting of different holiday confections and so on and so forth. And I've missed watchign a lot of my old favourite christmas cartoons. Which brings me to the purpose why I am writing this. I (like many people) have a list of some of my favourite holiday cartoons and movies which I watch like clock work every time Christmas rolls around. Allow me to elaborate.
My top Favourite Christmas Specials (in no particular order)

1) A Charlie Brown Christmas
For many of us out there this is a favourite. I thought i'd put this first because I just finished watchign it. I suppose for any Charles Shultz fan this would be a delight, and of all of his specials I think that this one really stands out. Oh sure, "It's Christmas time again Charlie Brown" had it's moments, ("I said Hockey Stick!") but this one really hits the spot with all of the familliar Shultz gags, and all of the great Peanuts characters and the fact that they put the real christmas message in this one instead of some of the "It's about giving" or "being which your family" type messages which are all well and good, but just dont compare to the birth of a savior.

2) A Chipmunk Christmas Carrol
This is probably one of the first specials I ever saw. I still remember the day when my aunt gave us a copy of this one. She caught us singing "Jingle bells Batman smell's" shortly after and threatened that if we ever sung it again she would never bring us another chipmunk tape. She never did! Needless to stay this has been a favourite one of mine for a long long time adn still is. Gotta love those chipmunks.

3) A Christmas Story
For those of you who arent familliar with this one it is the tale of many merry mishaps during the christmas season revolving around a nine year old boy and his family set I think some time in the 1940's held together by the central plot of him desperately trying to get a red rider BB gun for Christmas. The funny thing about this one is that some of the sequences (especially the day dream ones) are quite bizzare, but the characters never seem to notice that, and they them selves are quite normal (all things concidered). I gotta say though, that sequence at the end where the family enjoys a "Chinese Chrismas Dinner" has got to be one of the funniest scenes I ever saw and still gets me laughing. Also for all of you Torontonians out there, yes those are in fact the old TTC busses, the movie was shot in toronto. And for all of you fans of the Canadian Series "Road to Avonlea" the crasy tree man? Thats Ed Lawson who runs the general store!

4) Home Alone (one and two)
How could I not include this one? Even Jewish People have seen and loved it. The funny thing is how the story of a kid brutally bashing two would be criminals becomes a holiday classic. Seriously! This not withstanding it is great fun to watch. I think I prefer the second one more simply because there are more fun sequences like Duncans toy chest, seeing Kevin live it up in the Hotel and of course the secene where the Hotel concierge gets down on their knees and professes love to the tv. Man...this is the stuff holidays are made of.

5) It's a Wonderful Life
If you ever get the chance also check out the Tiny toons version of this, its pretty funny. A few years ago this version of ours was inadvertently taped over, and I've never seen it since, but it was good. Also you will note that in this version, Busters Guardian toon angel is playing homage to Jimmy Stewart who played George Bailey in the original. It is also doing a nice spoof of a character from another one of Stewart's movies.
Y'anyway, back to the main topic. Yeah it's funny to think that no one liked this movei when it first came out. On second thought thought, I first saw it back when I was five and I found it too slow and only rediscovered it recently. I guess the problem back then was it's unconventional style, most of the movie is build up to when George wishes he had neve been born and realizes how screwed up everyone else would be without him in the last twenty minutes or so. I like this because this is probably some of Stewarts nicest work, and the movie is very typical of Frank Capra's work as well, which makes it very enjoyable. Maybe not an old favourite with me but a favourite none the less. Yeah, but how could I make a list of fav holiday movies without putting this lil' gem here?

6) A Christmas Carrol (numerous versions)
Of course every one has tried to get in on their version of this beloved holiday tale, and many of them have been flops. There's the the George C. Scott version (give this one a pass) and the musical Kelsey Grammar version (dont even get me started!) but then there are good ones. One of them is the Muppet version with Michael in the role of Scrooge. What's great about this one is the songs, the humor, and the fact that besides the fact that they are playing opposite a bunch of puppets, the human actors give it their all and give convincing serious performances. Of course Alistar Sims version is probably the one that most of you out their love. Every Christmas eve night my family has watched this one (save last year and this when we watch the Muppet one.) Most of these scenes are word for word with the book (which I just finished reading) and sim gives a great performace, especially at the end where he starts standing on his head, scaring the house keeper and singing "I dont know anything" without once ever stepping out of character. He and Cane are thw two best scrooges I have ever seen.

Yeah that's basically it! Well actually theres lots more such as the original grinch movie, Santa Claus is comming to Town, the Preachers Wife...but too many to list here. So if you haven't heard of some of these movies and specials, trust me, their worth a rent. So what are you doing? Christmas is tomorrow! Go rent some of these, their greeat to wrap presents by. Well bye for now! Merry Christmas!