Fun With Film (Holiday 2012)
I have sadly neglected my blog lately. With the onset of Christmas festivities, school-ending necessities, and other such shenanigans, I simply haven't been in the best of mindsets to write about education. I hope this posting finds everyone well and happy at the ending of the Christmas season, but I have to be honest, I'm still NOT back on school focus just yet.
I had an exceedingly difficult time finding my Christmas spirit this year. I don't really know why. It should have been easy to come by, as my husband and I split time between his family and mine every other year, and this was our year to stay here in NC (where we live), have Christmas with my family, and be in our own house for the holidays. Sadly, it was less than a week before Christmas and my holiday cheer was still MIA, so I went on a quest to find it. My first idea was to search for the holiday spirit through the magic of holiday movies, and lo and behold, I found it!
I realize that movies are not literature, and they are not educational, but SOMEONE has to write a script for a movie, and I watched a lot of movies in my educational career. So what the heck? It's Christmas break! Here's how I found my Christmas mojo.
1. White Christmas (1954) Is there a more iconic Christmas movie than this one? Just thinking about it makes me smile. A few random observations: First, how ridiculous are sock suspenders? I love the scene where Wallace and Davis perform Sisters in semi-drag, but the whole time I was distracted by the sock suspenders. Second, what's up with the "Choreography" number? I always thought it was a little unrelated to the theme of the movie, even though everyone is wearing red and green in Mandy. I do love the line about the "Theater, the theater, what's happened to the theater? Especially where dancing is concerned," but the whole thing is a little strange. Third, I never noticed the strange relationship dynamic between Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen. I always thought of them as the more believable couple, but there's definitely more chemistry between Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. Finally, I do believe that in spite of all the ridiculous costumes and scenery, child ballerinas hiding under Christmas trees, and implausible story lines, there has never been a more beautiful Christmas song than White Christmas, and if you don't get into the Christmas spirit after hearing it, you're made of stone.
2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) and Funny Farm (1988) I lumped these together because Chevy Chase's movies are all so similar with the one-liners, animal gags (cat wrapped as gift, stuffed squirrel gives writer's block), and various and sundry character actors who steal the show (Cousin Eddie, the crazed mailman). I also firmly believe that watching these movies is not that great. What makes them great movies is when you can later run one-liners from them with your friends. They become MUCH funnier then.
3. Mixed Nuts (1994) This is hands-down my favorite Christmas movie, and maybe my favorite ensemble-cast movie of all time.
Steve Martin, Juliette Lewis, Anthony LaPaglia in a stolen Santa suit, wall-painting, Liev Shrieber in drag, Liev Shrieber in drag dancing the mambo with Steve Martin to What Are You Doing New Year's Eve, Madeline Kahn stuck in an elevator, Gary Shandling as a mass murderer, Carly Simon songs, Parker Posey and John Stewart as roller-blading grouchy hipsters, Adam Sandler dressed as a ukulele-playing gondolier, a bit with a dog and love triumphant. Wonderful film!
4. Love, Actually (2003) I watch this movie for really only two reasons: first, the scene where Mark shows up at Peter and Juliet's house in the snow with the flashcards to tell Juliet he loves her (most romantic movie scene since John Cusack stood outside with the boombox in Say Anything), and second, because of the scene where Colin Firth proposes to Aurelia with the hilarious subtitles. Well, and if I' m being honest, I will watch ANY movie with Colin Firth and/or Alan Rickman in it.
I suppose if you've read this far, you're probably wondering if it was all worth it... if I did, in fact, find my holiday mojo. Well, you'll be happy to know that somewhere between Madeline Kahn singing "Stuck in the Elevator!" and Chevy Chase sampling Rocky Mountain oysters, this Grinch's small heart grew three sizes and the magic of Christmas swelled up all around me. So I marched in the kitchen, put some wassail in the crockpot, and cooked up a roast beast.
I hope the holiday season has been blessed and happy for you, gentle readers, and I hope that you will forgive me for this rather facetious and unnecessary posting. I do promise to get back to serious writing sometime around New Year's! Best of wishes for the remaining holiday (we're only on day three of the Twelfth Night celebration), and a happy 2013!
I had an exceedingly difficult time finding my Christmas spirit this year. I don't really know why. It should have been easy to come by, as my husband and I split time between his family and mine every other year, and this was our year to stay here in NC (where we live), have Christmas with my family, and be in our own house for the holidays. Sadly, it was less than a week before Christmas and my holiday cheer was still MIA, so I went on a quest to find it. My first idea was to search for the holiday spirit through the magic of holiday movies, and lo and behold, I found it!
I realize that movies are not literature, and they are not educational, but SOMEONE has to write a script for a movie, and I watched a lot of movies in my educational career. So what the heck? It's Christmas break! Here's how I found my Christmas mojo.
1. White Christmas (1954) Is there a more iconic Christmas movie than this one? Just thinking about it makes me smile. A few random observations: First, how ridiculous are sock suspenders? I love the scene where Wallace and Davis perform Sisters in semi-drag, but the whole time I was distracted by the sock suspenders. Second, what's up with the "Choreography" number? I always thought it was a little unrelated to the theme of the movie, even though everyone is wearing red and green in Mandy. I do love the line about the "Theater, the theater, what's happened to the theater? Especially where dancing is concerned," but the whole thing is a little strange. Third, I never noticed the strange relationship dynamic between Danny Kaye and Vera Ellen. I always thought of them as the more believable couple, but there's definitely more chemistry between Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. Finally, I do believe that in spite of all the ridiculous costumes and scenery, child ballerinas hiding under Christmas trees, and implausible story lines, there has never been a more beautiful Christmas song than White Christmas, and if you don't get into the Christmas spirit after hearing it, you're made of stone.
2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) and Funny Farm (1988) I lumped these together because Chevy Chase's movies are all so similar with the one-liners, animal gags (cat wrapped as gift, stuffed squirrel gives writer's block), and various and sundry character actors who steal the show (Cousin Eddie, the crazed mailman). I also firmly believe that watching these movies is not that great. What makes them great movies is when you can later run one-liners from them with your friends. They become MUCH funnier then.
3. Mixed Nuts (1994) This is hands-down my favorite Christmas movie, and maybe my favorite ensemble-cast movie of all time.
Steve Martin, Juliette Lewis, Anthony LaPaglia in a stolen Santa suit, wall-painting, Liev Shrieber in drag, Liev Shrieber in drag dancing the mambo with Steve Martin to What Are You Doing New Year's Eve, Madeline Kahn stuck in an elevator, Gary Shandling as a mass murderer, Carly Simon songs, Parker Posey and John Stewart as roller-blading grouchy hipsters, Adam Sandler dressed as a ukulele-playing gondolier, a bit with a dog and love triumphant. Wonderful film!
4. Love, Actually (2003) I watch this movie for really only two reasons: first, the scene where Mark shows up at Peter and Juliet's house in the snow with the flashcards to tell Juliet he loves her (most romantic movie scene since John Cusack stood outside with the boombox in Say Anything), and second, because of the scene where Colin Firth proposes to Aurelia with the hilarious subtitles. Well, and if I' m being honest, I will watch ANY movie with Colin Firth and/or Alan Rickman in it.
I suppose if you've read this far, you're probably wondering if it was all worth it... if I did, in fact, find my holiday mojo. Well, you'll be happy to know that somewhere between Madeline Kahn singing "Stuck in the Elevator!" and Chevy Chase sampling Rocky Mountain oysters, this Grinch's small heart grew three sizes and the magic of Christmas swelled up all around me. So I marched in the kitchen, put some wassail in the crockpot, and cooked up a roast beast.
I hope the holiday season has been blessed and happy for you, gentle readers, and I hope that you will forgive me for this rather facetious and unnecessary posting. I do promise to get back to serious writing sometime around New Year's! Best of wishes for the remaining holiday (we're only on day three of the Twelfth Night celebration), and a happy 2013!
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