Top 10 Christmas Movie #1: It's a Wonderful Life

Some of the movies on this list were instant hits. Home Alone, White Christmas, and Miracle on 34th Street were among the highest grossing movies the years they were released. Others like A Christmas Story and Planes, Trains and Automobiles took some time to find their audience and take their place among the classics. It's a Wonderful Life is considered  to be not only a classic feel good Christmas movie but is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made (#20 on the American Film Institutes top 100 movies). But, when it was released in 1946 it was a box office flop and looked to be destined for obscurity. 

Fate had a different plan. A clerical error caused the movie's copyright to lapse which made it inexpensive for local televisions stations to broadcast, This resulted in stations airing it repeatedly especially during the holiday season and bringing the movie back into the public's consciousness. What they discovered was not a corny, lighthearted fluff piece but rather a brilliantly written and  acted film that goes to some pretty dark places to tell an ultimately inspirational story.

The movie starts with Angel Second Class, Clarence (played by Henry Travers) being assigned to help George Bailey (played by Jimmy Stewart) on Christmas Eve. George is contemplating ending his life and it will be Clarence's job to restore his hope. To prepare he is given an overview of George's life. He sees events like a young George saving his brother from drowning and stopping the local druggist from accidentally poisoning a child. He watches as George sees his dreams of travel and achieving great things continually being thwarted usually because he has sacrificed his own interests to help somebody else. 

Even though he has set aside his dreams he has his wife Mary (played by Donna Reed) and children who he loves. He is, if not completely satisfied, content until the fateful Christmas Eve. Suddenly, through no fault of his own the life that he has built and the family he loves appears to be in danger of collapse. The dreams he never achieved seem to mock him as irreversible failures. His past is a bad joke and his future appears to be a nightmare. The two clips below take place just as George is hitting rock bottom. (By the way, Jimmy Stewart's acting in this scene is amazing)

Soon after this scene George and Clarence finally meet in person. George tells him that everyone would be better off if he had never been born. Clarence decides that his best chance at helping George is to show him what the world would be like if he had never existed. What follows is a nightmare. George gets to see how he touched not just the lives of his friends and family but how his absence had effects far beyond what he could have imagined. Clarence sums it up this way, "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" George also also learns that the help he has given to others will be returned in kind. As Clarence reminds him at the end, "No man is a failure who has friends".

I like all of the movies on this list. They are all entertaining. They have made me laugh and in some cases have made me cry. They have all contributed to what makes this time of year so much fun. This film though is the only one to have actually had an impact on me. I remember stumbling across it one afternoon on TV. I think I was about 12 or 13 years old. I was struck by the message of the film. After watching it I wanted to be George Bailey. I wanted to be the guy that had that kind of effect on other people. This movie made me want to be a better person. How many movies can you say that about?

There is no question in my mind that this is the greatest Christmas movie of them all. In fact I will fight you on this. (So much for being a better person) If you haven't seen it you need to fix that soon. And if you don't tear up when Harry says, "To my big brother George. The richest man in town", well you need to get an x-ray to make sure you have a heart.

Merry Christmas!

Top 10 Christmas Movies #2: White Christmas

Andy Bauer weigh in on movie #2 on our list.

I’ve written about White Christmas in this space a couple of times, and truth be told, could probably fill a substantial volume writing about all it’s awesome sauce.  It’s one of those movies I’ve seen so many times I don’t even really pay attention to the plot anymore.  I spend my time looking in the background for all the little things I missed on the previous 100 viewings.  And boy is there some great stuff in the background.  Whether you’ve seen it dozens of times like I have or if this is the first time you’ve ever heard of it, do yourself a favor and watch the backup dancers during the Mandy routine.  It’s solid gold.

For the ones that somehow aren’t familiar with this Christmas gem, White Christmas is the story of army buddies Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) who team up after WWII to become a “boffo” song and dance act.  Doing a favor for an old pal from the Army, they meet the Haynes sisters, Betty (Rosemary Clooney) and Judy (Vera-Ellen), another song and dance duo.  Phil, scheming to get Bob a wife and kids, and therefore some time away from the show biz grind for himself, conspires with Judy, looking for some freedom from Betty, to get Bob and Betty together.  The four travel to Vermont for a little R&R, where they run into Bob and Phil’s old commander, General Waverly (Dean Jagger), who now runs an inn.  Times are tough for the General (who prefers not to be called general, but everyone calls him that anyway).  The lack of snow has been bad for business and the inn housekeeper Emma (Mary Wickes) let’s Bob and Phil in on the secret that the General is in over his head.  Bob and Phil, look to their show business sway to find a way to save the inn and show the General he hasn’t been forgotten.

Song and dance hijinx ensue.  Also, occasional cross-dressing.

Like Holiday Inn, White Christmas has tremendous music penned by Irving Berlin, including of course the eponymous title track.  In a similar fashion, it centers around show biz folks, so most of the song and dance numbers appear like natural performances or rehearsals, not just people randomly bursting into elaborate musical numbers on the street.  There are exceptions, most notably The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing number.  The silliness in which that particular routine ends and abruptly returns to reality only adds to the movie’s charm.  Oh, and this chestnut.

Lovely as it is corny.  I can’t get enough of it.

If you’re the kind of person that enjoys musicals, then you will love White Christmas.  If you’re not that person, you will probably still enjoy it.  It’s a good story on it’s own and Bing and company are impossible not to love.  It’s a funny and sweet movie, and you might just get a little misty at the ending.

If you’re a White Christmas veteran but have never taken the time to appreciate all that’s happening on the margins, do yourself a favor this year and keep an eye on the scenery.  It’s more than just spotting the miscues and continuity mistakes.  There is actually a lot going on outside the main action that  will enhance your viewing experience.

A few clues to help you out:

• Watch modest Bing in the dressing room after Blue Skies
• The aforementioned backup dancers during Mandy
• Watch the coffee pot in the Haynes sister’s dressing room
• Bing’s wardrobe in the Army hospital tent

There’s just a few to get you started.

Not only is White Christmas one of my favorite Christmas movies, it’s one of my favorite movies period.

Top 10 Christmas Movies #3: A Christmas Story

Do you remember that one Christmas gift you wanted more than any other? Maybe it was a bike or a Cabbage Patch Kid. Depending on when you grew up it might have been a video game system (Atari, Nintendo, Playstation...) or an Erector Set.  The specific gifts may differ from person to person and time to time but the dream is the same. We all went to bed on Christmas Eve hoping the morning would bring us joy tied up with ribbon.

A Christmas Story taps into this universal longing with protagonist Ralphie's quest to get a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model BB gun for Christmas. He seems to be thwarted at every turn. Whether it's his mother, his teacher or even Santa Claus himself he always hears the same refrain, "You'll shoot your eye out". Sprinkled throughout his pursuit are views into his everyday life.  We get to watch as Ralphie and his friends try to survive encounters with the school bully. We meet his parents (in particular The Old Man). We even get a glimpse into his childhood fantasies. These looks provide some classic moments: Flick and the frozen flag pole, the major award, The Santa Slide, the bunny suit just to name just a few.

All of this leads to Christmas morning. After all the gifts appear to be opened and the Red Ryder is nowhere to be found, Ralphie has one last surprise.

This is my favorite scene in the entire movie. Darren McGavin (The Old Man) deserved an Oscar nomination for this scene alone. He captures perfectly that as great as it is to finally get that gift you have been wishing for it's even better as a parent to be able to give your child exactly what they wanted for Christmas.

A Christmas Story is set in Hammond, Indiana during  the post WWII 1940's, It is a period piece that perfectly presents its era yet it ties into themes that audiences from any generation can relate to. The result is that whether you are a Baby Boomer, Gen X, Gen Y, or even a dreaded Millennial you walk away from this movie with a sense of nostalgia.

Top 10 Christmas Movies #4: Home Alone

Here is Andy Bauer's thoughts on our #4 movie.

As a 13-year old, I saw Home Alone in the theater when it was released in 1990.  For reasons explained elsewhere, I did not go to the movies much as a kid, and persuading my mother to let me see the hottest new movie amongst my demographic in the theater was something of a coup.

Some time later, a family member informed my mother, who still had not seen Home Alone, about the bad attitude Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) has toward his family and how disrespectfully he speaks to his mother (Catherine O’Hara).  Mom pointed this out to me, as if I had been keeping it a secret from her.  I assured her I knew Kevin’s attitude was not acceptable, as I probably rolled my eyes while she wasn’t looking.

A parent myself now, I can of course understand a little better Mom’s concerns about how a Hollywood movie might influence her child.  But, Kevin’s terrible attitude is of course central to the plot of Home Alone (and I’m happy to say Mom has since seen it and, by appearances, seemed to enjoy it).

When the movie opens, we find the McCallister house a-bustle with activity, as the family and extended family prepare to leave for France the next morning.  Eight year-old Kevin is fed up with all the relatives and the lack of enough plain cheese pizza.  In his defense, his siblings and cousins do treat him cruelly, insulting him in French, calling him a disease, and eating all the aforementioned cheese pizza on purpose.  This last offense breaks the camels back and Kevin flips out, causing a scene in the crowded kitchen which results in some misplaced travel documents.  Only adding to his disdain for his own family, Uncle Frank spews a sneering invective in one of the greatest insults in movie history ever leveled at an eight year-old:

Somewhat understandably, yet completely inappropriately, Kevin declares he wishes he didn’t have a family.  Hurt, his mother hopes he doesn’t mean it and sends him off to bed in the attic.

When he awakes the next morning to find the family gone he thinks his wish made his family disappear (in their rush to leave for France, they just forgot him).  At first, it’s a dream come true and he revels in it.  Enter the Wet Bandits (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern), a couple of burglars who have had their eyes set on the McCallister house, the “silver tuna”, since they started working the neighborhood.  As the days go by and Christmas Day draws nearer, Kevin defends his house from the criminals, conquers his fears, and realizes he misses his family and loves them after all.

The final John Hughes movie on our list, in Home Alone Hughes again reminds us that while family can drive us nuts, when it comes down to it, it’s what really matters.  There are great performances by Culkin, Pesci, and O’hara.  The late, great John Candy has a fairly minor, but scene stealing role as Gus Polinski, the Polka King of the Midwest, who helps O’hara get home to Kevin.

For us 90’s kids, Home Alone is a Christmas classic, but I wonder if today’s kids have realized that the whole madcap scenario could have been solved rather easily since the advent of cell phones.  My kids haven’t clued in on that yet, but I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.  For it’s time, the movie does a pretty good job of realistically thwarting all of the family’s attempts to contact Kevin from France, though I would not give their communities police department high marks for diligence.  One unanswered knock on the door and the officer assumes the abandoned eight year-old is fine?  Okay.

Of course, you can’t talk about Home Alone without bringing up the funhouse of horrors Kevin transform his house into when the Wet Bandits make their final assault.  Irons to the face, blowtorches to the head, and broken glass to the feet are just a few of the booby traps Kevin sadistically dreams up and employs.  I recently read an article that documented all the injuries Pesci and Stern’s characters would have suffered in real life.  It’s a Christmas miracle they survived.

Home Alone is a full of slapstick fun and a lot of heart.  Good performances, a great–and Oscar nominated–soundtrack from John Williams, a ton of quotable lines and memorable scenes also help to make it #4 on our list.  Merry Christmas, you filthy animals.

Top 10 Christmas Movies #5: Elf

Have you ever wondered what would happen if a human, raised by elves at the North Pole, traveled to New York City to meet his long lost father? I know I have. Luckily the next movie on our list lets us know.

Elf (starring Will Ferrell in the title role) tells the story of Buddy. He was a baby living in an orphanage when one Christmas Eve he crawled unseen into Santa's (Ed Asner) sack and ended up stowing away to the North Pole. There he was raised by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart) and grew up believing that he was an elf himself. The elves loved and accepted Buddy as one of their own but eventually his 6'3" frame and lack of toy making skills lead to his discovery that he is actually human.  On top of this shocking revelation he also finds out that his real father (James Caan) is on the Naughty List. 

Having learned his true identity Buddy heads to New York to meet his father and find his place in the world. What ensues is what one might expect when a large elf-man armed with nothing but an over abundance of Christmas spirit and childlike optimism confronts the harsh realities of the modern world and a cynical father who is not exactly overjoyed to find out he has one of Santa's helpers for a son. He even has a less than friendly experience with one who he thinks is his own kind (Peter Dinklage.)

Eventually Buddy is able to make peace with his father, fall in love, and even save Christmas. Happy endings all around.

This is a movie that could have been terrible. It is an admittedly silly story and uses a lot of slapstick humor to get its laughs. In different hands it could have been nothing but a corny schlockfest. But, what makes it work is Will Ferrell's absolute commitment to the role. He is completely without inhibitions but never stoops to mugging for the camera. He has a real sense of innocence and heart. The movie doubles down on the fish out of water theme: first with Buddy's humanness conflicting with his life at the North Pole and then with his elfness in New York creating mayhem for himself and pretty much everyone he comes in contact with. All of it results in plenty of genuine laughs.

This is the most recent of the movies on our list. It was released in 2004 but it has already claimed its place as a classic must see holiday favorite. I took my family to see it when our kids were still kids. I watched it with them just the other day and we laughed and loved it just as much

Top 10 Christmas Movies #6: Christmas Vacation

Andy Bauer gives his take on our #6 movie.

Poor Clark Griswold.  All he wanted was the perfect good time, old fashioned family Christmas.  The lights, the tree, the carols, sledding, the perfect Christmas dinner, and of course that big Christmas bonus.

What he got was frustration, a squirrel infested Christmas tree, Cousin Eddie, a cat food jello mold, a SWAT team invasion, and the Jelly of the Month club.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation takes all of the elements folks come to dread about the Christmas season and puts them on steroids.  Chevy Chase’s well-intentioned family man Clark Griswold does his best to give his family a Christmas to remember.  It certainly will be, but for all the wrong reasons.  His wife Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) and kids, Rusty (Johnny Galecki) and Audrey (Juliette Lewis) do their best to stay encouraging as the wheels start to come off the closer the big day gets and the house fills up with more cantankerous family members than it was made to handle.  Coupled with the realization that big Christmas bonus may not be coming, and thus leaving him unable to pay for the big gift he had planned and paid for, by Christmas Eve, Clark is pushed to the brink of holiday insanity.  The arrival of the chronically uncouth Cousin Eddie (chronically tax-evading Randy Quaid) didn’t help.

Another Chicago-based holiday movie with John Hughes’ fingerprints on it (he wrote this one), Christmas Vacation is the holiday nightmare that seems far fetched, and yet all too real.  Fortunately for me, my good time, old fashioned family Christmas’ all turned out pretty well.  But it isn’t hard to see how bringing so much family under one roof at one time during what should be a festive but is often stressful season, can go horribly awry.

As is usually the case in Hughes’ movies, despite the chaos endured, when it gets down to it, with your family by your side, things have a way of working out.  Even if you do have to live in constant fear of being accosted by a Mississippi leg hound.

Top 10 Christmas Movies #7: Planes, Trains,and Automobiles

The only reason this movie is not higher on our list is because it is not a Christmas movie. It is a Thanksgiving movie and it is maybe one of the two or three funniest movies I have ever seen.Written and directed by John Hughes (who was involved in two other movies on this list and the '94 version of Miracle on 34th Street) it stars two of the all time great comedic actors, Steve Martin and John Candy.  It is a shame that this team never collaborated again because when they did, it resulted in pure gold.

 Martin plays Neal Page, a straight laced, sort of uptight ad executive who is on business in New York City. All he wants is to get home to his family in Chicago in time for Thanksgiving. His path crosses with Del Griffith, played by Candy, a friendly but uncouth shower curtain ring salesman. When bad weather strands them in Wichita this unlikely pair teams up to try and make it back to Chicago in time for Neal to get his turkey. Thus begins the road trip from hell.

Neal and Del find themselves facing every imaginable obstacle on their journey: robbery, biting  dogs, missing rental cars, the worst imaginable wrong turn, exploding cars, and uncomfortably affectionate bus mates just to name just a few. When you add the oil and water quality of their personalities to these foibles you get as many laugh out loud moments as I can remember having in any movie. (As I write this I have been giggling just thinking about some of them)

What makes this movie stand out though is that with the laughs comes real heart. Neal may be uptight but he loves his family. Del is obnoxious but he possesses more than meets the eye behind his goofy mustache.  The scene below is one of my favorites. Forced to share not just a motel room but also a bed Neal is driven to the breaking point by Del's nighttime routine. He delivers a rant for the ages. It's hilarious, but watch as Hughes with his writing and Candy with his acting take this from being simply a funny tantrum to a truly poignant moment.
This scene is followed up with one of the biggest laughs ever in a movie. I won't spoil it here but after you see it the words "Those aren't pillows!" will be forever burned into your mind.

This movie has become a part of my Thanksgiving routine. It gets the holiday movie viewing off to a fantastic start. (One warning: if you watch an unedited version of this movie on DVD or by streaming, it it does contain strong language. In one scene Steve Martin uses one particularly profane word 19 times in one minute. This is donefor comedic affect and it is pretty funny but I didn't want anyone to be caught off guard by it)

Top 10 Christmas Movies #8: Holiday Inn

Andy Bauer waxes eloquent on our #8 Christmas movie.

Holiday Inn was released in 1942 and features some classic Irving Berlin holiday (not just Christmas) songs that would pop up in various other movies over the years.  Most notably, it features the first appearance of White Christmas, which would of course be the eponymous title of a movie that may or may not be featured later on this list, and go on to be the best selling song of all time.

Like The Nightmare Before Christmas, Holiday Inn is a musical appropriate for more holidays than just Christmas.  The similarities pretty much end there.  There are surprisingly few clowns with tear-away faces in Holiday Inn.  All told Holiday Inn covers Christmas, New Years Eve, Lincoln’s Birthday, Valentine’s Day, Washington’s Birthday, Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas again, New Year’s Eve again.  Each holiday features a great song and dance number.

Oh, right, the plot.  Jim Hardy (Bing Crosby), Ted Hanover (Fred Astaire), and Lila Dixon (Virginia Dale) are a song and dance trio at the top of their craft.  Fed up with show biz life, Jim convinces Lila to leave the rat race, marry him, and take up the lazy, carefree life of a farmer. Apparently Jim has never seen or heard of a working farm before this proposal.  Spurned by Lila, who opts to marry Ted instead, and discovering farming is anything but lazy or carefree, Jim turns the farm into the Holiday Inn, a venue only open all holidays, giving him the rest of the year to kick up his feet and think of clever Bing Crosbyisms (“take a slug out of the mug”).  Joining him at his new venture is Linda Mason (Marjorie Reynolds), yes Linda Mason, an aspiring performer and new love interest for Jim.

But before long, in stumbles Ted, drunk and dumped by Lila, on the opening night of Holiday Inn, New Year’s Eve.  In his stupor, Ted trips the light fantastic with Linda to wild approval of the crowd.  But, he’s too fractured to remember her after the fact.  What follows is a festive spate of musical scheming on the part of Ted and his unscrupulous agent Danny Reed (Walter Abel) on the one hand, and Jim on the other, in a battle for Linda’s affections and sway in determining the course of her show biz career.

The performances are great all-around.  I’m not really a dance guy, but somehow Fred Astaire makes it look pretty cool, especially his fireworks tap dance routine (brief snippet in the trailer below).  All the holiday musical numbers are great, and feel more organic and realistic than they might in other musicals.  They don’t just randomly burst into song like in a lot of other old musicals.  They are giving actual performances for the most part, so they seem natural.  There are a couple exceptions of course, but when it’s Bing doing the crooning, who cares?

Post Script:

Besides being great on it’s own merits and providing us with the greatest Christmas song ever, Holiday Inn also spawned this amazing (and only?) Bing Crosby remix.  Enjoy.

Top 10 Christmas Movies #9: Miracle on 34th Street

What do you do when the same Christmas movie has been made twice and both are excellent? One option would be to include both in our list. Another option would be to have them face off in a head to head, winner take all death match to determine dominance and therefore inclusion. Based on what I have observed in shopping malls, this seems to be in keeping with the holiday spirit so let's go with option two.

This first MO34S (as it shall be referred to henceforth) was released in 1947 and stars Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn, and Natalie Wood in the essential roles. The second came out in 1994 and correspondingly stars Elizabeth Perkins, Richard Attenborogh, and Mara Wilson. Both follow the same basic plot line. Little Susan Walker has been raised by a single mom (an executive at a New York City department store) to be a realist and therefore does not believe in Santa Claus. Enter the store's new Santa for the Christmas season who not only looks and acts the part to a degree never seen before but actually believes that he is Santa Claus (he even enters Kris Kringle as his name on his employee information). Kris sets out to convince Susan that he really is Santa Claus culminating in a court battle to determine his true identity.

I like both of these movies but I can only include one. I am going to compare 4 important elements side by side and let that determine which Miracle rises to the top. (Warning, this will contain spoilers)

1. The Santas:
If you want to make a movie about whether or not there really is a Santa Claus you had better have an actor that brings the goods when it comes to that role. As it happens, both versions possess that. In the 1947 MO34S Edmund Gwenn actually won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal. (Apparently Natalie Wood was convinced that he really was Santa Claus until the wrap party.) Richard Attenborogh for his part exudes warmth and charm and hits all the right notes in his performance. He also looks the part. It's hard to imagine other actors from their respective eras doing a better job than either of these two.
(Edge: Even)

2. The Susans:
MO34S 1947 was Natalie Wood's first major film role and to be honest it shows. She would grow up to become a big star and respected actress. She gives a fine performance but it's pretty much one note. Mara Wilson's acting though, is nuanced. She displays a wide range of emotions, often with just her facial expressions and instantly makes the audience care about what happens to her. Plus she is completely adorable.
(Clear Edge: 1994)

3. The Moms:
In both movies the mother has been hurt by her past and has had to make it on her own. She is obviously strong and resourceful but she is guarded and even cynical. The difference in the performances is that in MO34S 1947 Maureen O'Hara is able to show a spark of warmth behind the layers. Her change of heart for Kris is more subtle and seems organic. Elizabeth Perkins comes across as an Ice Queen. She is prickly and almost mean. I honestly don't see what her kindhearted love interest sees in her other than that she is pretty. When she finally comes around it seems to come out of left field.
(Edge:1947)

4. The Climax
As mentioned before, both movies wind up in a courtroom for a competency hearing to determine whether or not Kris should be committed. The only way for him to be declared sane is to somehow prove that Santa Clause does in fact exist and the Kris is Santa Claus. In both movies this appears to be a lost cause until a last minute maneuver tips the scales of justice in Kris' favor. In MO34S 1994 the judge uses "In God We Trust" being printed on U.S. currency as the basis for an argument that Santa Claus is real. It's confusing and anticlimactic. The 1947 version does a more satisfying job of proving Kris' case.

This has become one of the most iconic scenes in movie history and is one of the main reasons this movie has been a Christmas mainstay for almost 70 years.

(Overwhelming Edge: 1947)

Winner: 1947

While I had to declare a winner, I recommend you make time for both of these movies this Christmas season. You will find plenty to love with both. 

Top 10 Christrmas Movies #10: The Nightmare Before Christmas

Here is Andy Bauer's take on our #10 Christmas movie.

A few years ago I posed a question to my legion of Facebook friends (385 and shrinking):  Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie?  The overwhelming (and obvious) answer was “both!”  So really, the movie covers three major holidays; Halloween, Christmas, and because it fits neatly between those two, Thanksgiving.  This is important because there really aren’t any  good Thanksgiving movies, with one exception, Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.  But more on that later in this series.

Due to it’s unique amalgam of multiple holidays, it’s the one that usually kicks off the holiday movie viewing season at my house in October.  I’ve got small kids, and I’m not really into horror movies anyway, so this is about as scary as it gets in our living room.  For an animated Christmas movie, it’s pretty creepy.  For a Halloween movie, not as much.

Released in 1993 and springing from the warped mind of Tim Burton, it’s the story of Halloween Town and it’s pumpkin-headed Hallowen party planner Jack Skellington.  Growing tired of the same-old-same-old spooky life in Halloween Town, Jack wanders into the woods and stumbles into Christmas Town.  He’s immediately smitten with Christmas Town–where the kids are throwing snowballs instead of heads–and tries to bring the holiday to Halloween Town, with disastrous results.  Trying to play the role of Santa, Jack quickly learns the world is not ready for a Halloweenized version of Christmas.  People prefer the gifts under their tree not try to eat them.

Nightmare is a musical, and all the music is written by Danny Elfman, who is also Jack’s singing voice. The music is the best part of the movie with some really great, memorable songs.  Some are creepy (my son is constantly quoting the line from This Is Halloween “I am the clown with the tear-away face!”), some are festive like What’s This, some are melancholy like Sally’s Song, and some just weird like Kidnap Sandy Claws (sample: “Kidnap the Sandy Claws, beat him with a stick, lock him up for 90 years, see what makes him tick”).  Oh, and of course the jazz-inspired Oogie Boogie’s Song.  They’re all great.

The animation is of the stop-motion variety, and pretty impressive, especially for 1993.  The production included the use of about 400 different heads for Jack to capture all his expressions!

Most of the movie takes place in Halloween Town, full of all kinds of fun and creepy characters.  There’s the aforementioned clown with the tear away face, the two-faced mayor, the mischievous trio of Lock, Shock, and Barrell sent by Jack to kidnap Santa Claus, and Sally, the Frankensteinesque monster love interest of Jack.  And of course, Ooogie Boogie, who is basically a burlap sack full of bugs who lives in some kind of death trap casino.  

The town is also full of all the Halloween regulars; vampires, werewolves, skeletons, and bats.

I was a bit of a late comer to the party, not ever seeing Nightmare until a few years ago, watching it with my then four-year old daughter.  The wife was not so happy about that.  Neither was the daughter, to be honest.  Ooops.  She is eight now and my son is five and they both love it.

If you want something a little subversive and off the wall during your Christmas movie viewing this year it’s worth checking out.  It’s funny, clever, and the songs are infectious.  If it were strictly a Christmas movie, it would be higher on our list, but it’s Halloweeness worked against it in this case.  Also, Jeff has only seen it once.  Shameful.  Happy Halloween!  I mean, Merry Christmas!  Or something.

Top 10 Christmas Movies: The List

The Christmas season is upon us once more. With this comes Christmas music, Christmas shopping, Christmas parties, Christmas cookies, and even Christmas sweaters. In addition to these, this time of year brings a cavalcade of Christmas movies. There is so much to choose from. You have everything from the heartwarming to the cynical, from family friendly to not family friendly at all. No matter what your taste you can find something to help you get in the holiday spirit or in some cases escape from it.

With this in mind Andy Bauer over at Life of Ando and I have comprised a list of and will be posting about our top 10 Christmas movies of all time. There are some parameters. All the movies on this list are theatrical releases so that means no Rudolph or Charlie Brown (maybe next year we will tackle TV specials). Also we have expanded beyond strictly Christmas movies to include other holidays, but being a Christmas movie does increase a film's ranking.

If you have not seen one or more of these movies, hopefully you will be inspired to check them out for yourself. We would also love to hear what you think and look forward to your comments. If you disagree with us that's OK,  just know that you're wrong.

25 Things I Would Prefer to the Dodgers Winning the World Series

As I write this I am watching pregame analysis for game 6 of the National League Championship Series between the Chicago Cubs and the Los Angeles Dodgers. I feel more nervous about this game than I normally would for a game not featuring my beloved San Francisco Giants. Let me explain.

I'm an amiable guy. I get along with just about everyone. I try to see the best in both people and situations. In fact I can only think of two things that I actually truly hate. One is walnuts (the open lip sore of the food world). The other is the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The disdain I feel for this team is difficult to describe but it is all too real. Let me put it this way. One of my top ten favorite sports moments of all time is when Joe Morgan hit a home run on the last day of the 1982 season to beat the Dodgers.(you can watch it here) This home run did not propel the Giants into the postseason but it did keep the Dodgers out and that was just as sweet. As far as I am concerned this is a team that should not be allowed to win. Since 1988 that has been the case and I hope it continues.

With this in mind, below is a list of things I would prefer rather than have the Dodgers win the World Series,

• Food Poisoning
• A root canal without anesthesia
• A popcorn shell permanently lodged between my teeth
• A long airline flight sitting between an ardent Trump supporter and and equally ardent Clinton supporter.
• Ear hair
• Photograph by Nickelback  on a continuous loop
• Eating my birthday dinner at a vegan restaurant
• "And the Oscar goes too...Pauley Shore"
• Binge watching a Housewives of (you name the location) marathon
• Ingrown toenails
• Taking a swig of expired milk
• War and Peace on audio-book as read by Fran Drescher
• Gluten free Thanksgiving
• A world free of deodorant
• Morning mouth all of the time
• "Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States,,,Pauley Shore"
• Having everyone I know start referring to me as Mr. Fancy Pants
• Living with a goat
• Joe Buck's voice in my head doing play by play of my everyday life
• A bacon free lifestyle
• Presidential elections every year
• The new voice of Darth Vader: Gilbert Gottfried
• Waking up to purple eyebrows
• Less cowbell
• Any other team winning

Some of you may think I unreasonable but I don't. When faced with this level of pure evil, reason and tempered responses are not what is called for. I believe my cause is just and my heart is pure. This passion was given to me by my father and I have passed it to my sons. I will fight the good fight. Go Cubs!

Five Pixar Moments That Made the Room a Little Dusty

Sometime during the holiday season of 1995 my wife and I took our 6-year-old daughter and almost 4-year-old son  to see Toy Story, a movie released by Disney from a new studio called Pixar. They loved it and you know what? I did too. I could not remember having ever seen so much pure imagination on screen. Films like this are why I love going to the movies and why I loved taking my kids to them. This started a journey that I would share with my kids as they grew and continues now with my grandchildren.

To date Pixar has produced 17 feature films. Nearly all have been first rate. Several have reached classic status. The studio's track record for excellence is almost unprecedented. Even it's rare misses are at the very least visually engaging and entertaining. What makes these movies great is not just the amazing animation the filmmakers produce but also their power for storytelling and creating unforgettable characters. In addition they combine the silly humor that kids love with themes that adults identify with; themes like love, jealousy, marriage, parenthood, insecurity, ambition, and loss. All without stooping to cheap cultural references or double entendres in order to keep the grown ups engaged. The result is that audiences connect with these movies on an emotional level.

This creates a problem though. When you take your kids to the movies you hope you will be entertained but you're not necessarily prepared to be moved by Woody and Buzz's friendship or Dory's quest to find her family. While the kids blissfully eat their popcorn you suddenly have to reach for the napkins not because you got butter on your fingers but because your "allergies" have started acting up causing your eyes to water and giving you a bad case of the sniffles. Your 10-year-old son seeing his grown up dad bawling like a little girl over a cartoon is, well...humbling.

Below I present five clips from Pixar films that provoke this phenomenon. Warning: these will contain spoilers and you may want to keep a hankie close by.

When She Loved Me: Toy Story 2

If you don't find this heartbreaking, I have to question whether or not you actually possess a heart. What makes this great is how it provides a backstory narrative and adds depth to a character who up to this point was just loud and kind of annoying. If you don't care about Jessie now, well shame on you.

The Toys Hold Hands: Toy Story 3

A family member of mine (a grown up mind you) responded so strongly to this scene that when the claw finally  reached down and rescued the toys she literally stood up and cheered in the theater. Seriously though, when Buzz holds his hand out to Woody, that says more about friendship than a doctoral thesis.

Andy Says Goodbye to Woody: Toy Story 3

The quality of this clip is not the best but it is the only one I could find that shows the entire scene. This movie came out right after our son had graduated from high school and was getting ready to leave for college so this hit home. Growing up is hard and watching your kids grow up is harder.

Riley Comes Home: Inside Out

I love this scene! Everything from the interaction between Riley and her parents to the cutaways with Joy and Sadness is perfectly executed. Once again what is taking place on screen hits very close to home for me. Having moved my own adolescent daughter 2000 miles from her home, I can tell you without a doubt, they nailed this.

Carl and Ellie: Up

 

I saved the best (or maybe the worst) for last. I watched this in a packed theater and we were collectively completely unprepared for what was about to happen. By the end of the montage, the room echoed with the sound of sniffles. Some of those belonged to me. Everything you need to know about who Carl is and why he does what he does is beautifully explained without a word of dialogue.

Please let me know if you have other moments that stood out to you. Would love to hear about them.

Opening Day: Why Baseball Is Great

Play ball! Do two sweeter words exist? I don't think so. Every year as the Autumn chill gives way to the cold and grey of Winter our hopes and spirits are kept alive by the memory and anticipation of this beautiful phrase. Our minds conjure up the smell of freshly cut grass mingled with the leather of a glove. We can hear the echo of ball meeting bat and the crowd erupting into frenzied cheers as the newest hero of the diamond circles the bases. Today the wait is over and we no longer have to imagine. It is Opening Day! In honor of this, I am going to share some thoughts relating to what makes baseball so great

• No clock. If you have one out left you always have a chance.
• The Pennant Race. Winning your division is still important and the day to day movement and competition is unmatched in sports.
• Redemption. Lose today? There's a game tomorrow. Strike out with men in scoring position? There's another at bat coming.
• The dimensions. 90 feet. 60 feet 6 inches. Absolutely perfect .
•  Fenway's Green Monster.
• Wrigley's ivy.
• ATT's McCovey Cove
• Oracle's Mt. Davis ( OK not that one)
• The 7th inning Stretch
• Take Me Out to the Ballgame. The greatest sports song ever written.
• It's really hard. (Have the best players from any other sport try to hit a major league fastball and see what happens)
• Game 7's.
• Listening to a game on the radio. (Unless Hawk Harrelson is calling it)
• The first view of the field as you walk out of the tunnel.
• Towering home runs.
• The Suicide Squeeze.
• The vernacular. Texas Leaguer, going yard, can of corn, bean soup (That last one isn't real but my wife thinks it should be so I included it to make her happy.)
• The superstitions. Far too many to list.
• Spring Training. "Pitchers and catchers report" : the second greatest phrase.
• The hope that springs eternal.
• It's the only game where the defense controls the ball. ( I got that from Ken Burns' Baseball documentary)

I could go on and on and on. Please feel free to share your own thoughts. To my fellow baseball fans good luck on the upcoming season. (Unless you're a Dodger fan. I hope your team loses every game.) Play ball!

50 Thoughts at 50

My life span has reached a half century. This really isn't a great accomplishment. Literally billions of others  reached this plateau ahead of me and billions more lurk behind me waiting their turn to hit the big 5-0. So in the vast array of human history my having been able to avoid dying up to this point oozes with insignificance.

 But it feels important to me, therefore, that makes it important. It only makes sense then that I should do something to mark this momentous occasion.

They say with age comes wisdom. I don't know if that's true in my case but whatever wisdom I may possess is about to be shared. What follows are 50 thoughts, little nuggets of what I have observed and learned through my 50 year journey through life. Interspersed will be some songs that have aging related themes.

 

• I thought I would be smarter than I am.
• Walnuts are disgusting and people who put them in perfectly good cookies and brownies should be ashamed.
• Some of my biggest regrets are things I wished I had said but didn't.
• Some of my bigger regrets are things that I actually said.
• There are two kinds of people. People who pick their noses and people who lie about it.
•  Really, if God did not intend for us to pick our noses, why are our nostrils and fingers the perfect size for each other?
• Bacon is delicious.
• My children are raised but they will always be my kids and my personal happiness is hopelessly tangled up with theirs.
• Being a grandparent is the coolest thing ever.
• Smoking cigarettes makes you stinky.
• I have never looked back on a conflict and thought, "I wish I had been meaner."
• Treat people with the respect you think you deserve.
• The bravest thing a parent will do is let their child get behind the wheel for the first time.
• I wish I could remember where I put my memory.
• Marrying my wife was the smartest thing I ever did.
• Being able to laugh at yourself is an underrated skill.
• Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and hoping the other guy gets sick.
• Who coined the phrase, "coined the phrase"?
• Why did I hate broccoli so much when I was a kid? It's pretty tasty.
• If I could go back and tell my childhood self one thing I would say to keep playing Little League baseball.
• Why are farts funny? They are, but why?

 

• Pretty much all of my best memories include people who share my last name and/or bloodline.
• I don't understand why some people have such a hard time simply being decent.
• I also don't understand why some people choose to root for the Dodgers.
• Unless you're in active military service, in the act of hunting, or under the age of 12 leave the camo clothes in the closet.
• Circumstances are mostly the result of choices. I had to learn this the hard way too many times.
• Does anyone find Kathy Griffin funny? Somebody must but I can't imagine why?
• I really hate excuses, especially my own.
• Nothing can make me smile faster than thinking about my granddaughters.
• If you are going to drive under the speed limit get in the right hand lane.
• The best things in life might be free but you can still buy some really cool stuff.
• One of the best and worst gifts I have given my sons is being an avid sports fan.
• Rocky V never happened.
• When I remember events from college and then realize that they took place 30 years ago, it kind of freaks me out.
• Can we just pause for a second and give thanks for Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner?
• The fact that Steve Carrell never won an Emmy for his portrayal of Michael Scott in The Office and that one note hack in Big Bang Theory has won several is a unbelievable.
• I don't know why I care about that kind of stuff.

 

• I have to face facts, I'm never going to be very good at golf.
•  I've never had a bad day in Hawaii (Granted, I haven't spent that many days there but I am    willing to risk spending more)
•  Having extended family that all get along is a true blessing.
• When it comes to when, where and into what circumstances I was born I pretty much won the Triple Crown
•  I probably should have accomplished more with that.
• Wouldn't it be great if there was a baseball season where the Dodgers lost every game?
• Who figured out that it's better if you peel the bananas first?
•   I don't believe in reincarnation but if I did I think I would want to come back as some rich person's housecat.
•   Today in the car my wife and I started laughing uncontrollably about something silly. I am glad we still do that after 28 years.
•  I am a bit of a grammar Nazi which makes living where I do quite painful at times.
• A sense of entitlement is one of the worst traits an individual can possess.
• I miss performing. I would love to be in a play or sing in a group again sometime.
• All in all I have it pretty good.

Thanks for reading. Below is maybe my favorite song ever and I think it fits the theme of this post pretty well.

 

When I was young, the smallest trick of light,
Could catch my eye,
Then life was new and every new day,
I thought that I could fly.
I believed in what I hoped for,
And I hoped for things unseen,
I had wings and dreams could soar,
I just don't feel like flying anymore.
When the stars threw down their spears,
Watered Heaven with their tears,
Before words were spoken,
Before eternity.
Dear Father, I need you,
Your strength my heart to mend.
I want to fly higher,
Every new day again.
When I was small, the furthest I could reach,
Was not so high,
Then I thought the world was so much smaller,
Feeling that I could fly.
Through distant deeps and skies,
Behind infinity,
Below the face of Heaven,
He stoops to create me.
Dear Father, I need you,
Your strength my heart to mend.
I want to fly higher,
Every new day again.
Man versus himself.
Man versus machine.
Man versus the world.
Mankind versus me.
The struggles go on,
The wisdom I lack,
The burdens keep pilling
Up on my back.
So hard to breathe,
To take the next step.
The mountain is high,
I wait in the depths.
Yearning for grace,
And hoping for peace.
Dear God...
Increase.
Healing hands of God have mercy on our unclean souls once again.
Jesus Christ, light of the world burning bright within our hearts
forever.
Freedom means love without condition, without a beginning or an end.
Here's my heart, let it be forever Yours,
Only You can make every new day seem so new