Next Thursday at noon I will be with my intolerable in-laws and having a big takeout lunch, because they are terrible cooks and the Thanksgiving meal will be inedible, despite their insistence on preparing everything. Now I have something to look forward to.
I saw “Silent Night, Deadly Night” as a youth. It is a slasher movie and a twisted Santa is the perp. I looked back and they made 9 of them. Is it a Christmas movie? Yes!
Okay. Enough about what you and Gene want to comment on. Time to get serious. Never too early to raise that nagging metaphysical question (at least for those with too much time on their minds): if a film falls in the yuletide without sugar plum fairies, is it a Christmas movie ? A classic example is "Die Hard," the 1988 action film. There are still more than a few who see it as a Christmas film. Unsurprising, apart from several Christmassy elements, since even its studio, 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios), called it "…the greatest Christmas story ever told" in a trailer. Not quite the generally accepted view among Christians, but then again, Hollywood hype does tend to overlook such niceties.
By my reckoning there are at least four possibilities (and their advocates) for a "Christmas movie" designation: (A) films indisputably about Christmas; (B) films set in the Christmas time period; (C) movies with a nod to the holiday, having an appropriate vignette, scene or song or two or — (D) films you simply watch as a tradition or as part of a ritual during the holiday season, but exhibit neither “good tidings of great joy,” nor have “seven swans a-swimming.”
The categories are certainly not mutually exclusive but you do get strange bedfellows like: "Die Hard" (B and C); "Gremlins" (B); Bergman’s "Fanny and Alexander" and "Meet Me in St. Louis" (C) and yes — blasphemous as it may seem — "It’s a Wonderful Life" as a (B) IMO, since it's more about George Bailey’s life than Christmas. Et cetera.
"Meet Me in St. Louis" does seems to be considered a Christmas movie these days. I never thought of it as such. Yes, the climactic scene is at Christmas, but it takes place over the course of a year.
Of course, by that logic, "Holiday Inn," which I do consider a Christmas movie, is not one. It takes place over two years. But to me it feels more Christmassy because it begins and ends on Christmas, and Christmas just seems more important to the story.
Also, I don't know if "The Sound of Music is considered a Christmas movie, but "My Favorite Things" seems to be considered a Christmas song. I don't really know why.
In category D), at least while my dad was alive, Fantasy Mission Force (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079509/) starring a young Jackie Chan, made many appearances on Xmas at the parents' house. Basically incomprehensible and larded with quotable non sequitrs. Ho Ho Ho!
The Mantle baseball card idea is inspired. They know you so well. And the Flowbee story is my kind of prank - no pain inflicted. Pure joke!
"Honey, what happened to that $11 million we had last week?"
"I spent it."
"You *spent* it? On what?"
"A baseball card."
"A baseball card?!"
"Don't worry, honey, it's a very valuable baseball card."
"It better be. Do you have it locked up in a safe or something?"
"No, I'm purposefully destroying it to blackmail a two-time Pulitzer-winning journalist into giving me worthless awards."
Next Thursday at noon I will be with my intolerable in-laws and having a big takeout lunch, because they are terrible cooks and the Thanksgiving meal will be inedible, despite their insistence on preparing everything. Now I have something to look forward to.
I’ll be having a nice meal with my extended family. It’s my wife who must suffer dealing with her horrible inlaws.
The Philadelphia Weekly needs a copy editor.
I saw “Silent Night, Deadly Night” as a youth. It is a slasher movie and a twisted Santa is the perp. I looked back and they made 9 of them. Is it a Christmas movie? Yes!
Okay. Enough about what you and Gene want to comment on. Time to get serious. Never too early to raise that nagging metaphysical question (at least for those with too much time on their minds): if a film falls in the yuletide without sugar plum fairies, is it a Christmas movie ? A classic example is "Die Hard," the 1988 action film. There are still more than a few who see it as a Christmas film. Unsurprising, apart from several Christmassy elements, since even its studio, 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios), called it "…the greatest Christmas story ever told" in a trailer. Not quite the generally accepted view among Christians, but then again, Hollywood hype does tend to overlook such niceties.
By my reckoning there are at least four possibilities (and their advocates) for a "Christmas movie" designation: (A) films indisputably about Christmas; (B) films set in the Christmas time period; (C) movies with a nod to the holiday, having an appropriate vignette, scene or song or two or — (D) films you simply watch as a tradition or as part of a ritual during the holiday season, but exhibit neither “good tidings of great joy,” nor have “seven swans a-swimming.”
The categories are certainly not mutually exclusive but you do get strange bedfellows like: "Die Hard" (B and C); "Gremlins" (B); Bergman’s "Fanny and Alexander" and "Meet Me in St. Louis" (C) and yes — blasphemous as it may seem — "It’s a Wonderful Life" as a (B) IMO, since it's more about George Bailey’s life than Christmas. Et cetera.
"Meet Me in St. Louis" does seems to be considered a Christmas movie these days. I never thought of it as such. Yes, the climactic scene is at Christmas, but it takes place over the course of a year.
Of course, by that logic, "Holiday Inn," which I do consider a Christmas movie, is not one. It takes place over two years. But to me it feels more Christmassy because it begins and ends on Christmas, and Christmas just seems more important to the story.
Also, I don't know if "The Sound of Music is considered a Christmas movie, but "My Favorite Things" seems to be considered a Christmas song. I don't really know why.
In category D), at least while my dad was alive, Fantasy Mission Force (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079509/) starring a young Jackie Chan, made many appearances on Xmas at the parents' house. Basically incomprehensible and larded with quotable non sequitrs. Ho Ho Ho!