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ANOTHER post about Christmas movies?

Christmas movies, Christmas movies, Christmas movies. Everyone writes about them around Christmas, but I really don't mind it. There's something different about pieces on Christmas movies. Something that sets them apart from the lists of horror films that are written every Halloween. We've probably seen most of the movies in both cases, so they're not really doing what they're written to do. They're not (for the most part) exposing people to new films. There are standards. Old classics. There aren't many new Christmas films being made (of any quality). So if there aren't new Christmas films being made, why is it still so interesting to read about people's Christmas favourites? It's because inevitably, when writing about the films, they're also going to write about their childhoods. Their formative years. Childhood Christmas memories are just really great! Unless you didn't celebrate it. But even then... Stories of a resentful childhood are great too.

I looked at some old childhood Christmas photos at my grandmother's last month, and was kind of shocked by how happy I looked in them. Surrounded by piles of toys up to my waist... I guess it makes sense. Back then, my family would watch "A Christmas Carol" (live action and Mickey Mouse versions) every year. Eventually my sister and I were old enough to watch "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" and then "Scrooged", and of course we would always watch the Rankin Bass specials, and the Grinch. But for some reason, my parents never thought it was important for me to see the BEST Christmas movies? The ones that I now watch every year. Films that I didn't see for the first time until I was almost 20. The first time I saw "A Christmas Story" was on TBS, Christmas day. I saw the second half, and then watched the first half right after because it was all the station was showing all day. I was overwhelmed by how great it was! Why hadn't my parents ever shown it to me when I was a kid? I went upstairs to the kitchen where my mom was, and told her that I was unhappy with her. Told her that if I had had "A Christmas Story" to watch every year, those old Christmases that were great, could have been ten times better.

A few years later, I went to see "It's a Wonderful Life" for the first time in its entirety. I'd seen the majority of it in pieces over the years, but never all the way through. Never so that I could experience the roller coaster of emotions (sorry for using that expression) that the film is. Never had I sat down and spent nearly two hours with George Bailey, constantly being pushed into a snow bank and being pumelled with slush balls, only to be given probably the most sacarine but still incredibly uplifting ending ever put to film. I've watched it every year since, and I get just as emotionally involved every time. And every year when I walk out of the theatre, I feel on top of the world. It's a rare film that can make you feel as good as "It's a Wonderful Life". Did my parents not want me to feel great about life?

The other Christmas movie in the holy trinity of Christmas movies is "Die Hard". My parents hadn't deprived me of it as a teen. I was probably allowed to see it a little too early even. But... It took me forever to realize that it's a Christmas movie. That Christmas is a GREAT excuse to watch it every year (not that one is really needed). The Fox Theatre, in Toronto's Beaches showed "Die Hard" last night. I think it might have been the first opportunity I'd ever been given to watch it on the big screen, on 35mm. I was too young to go to a Restricted film when it came out, and I've never seen it pop up in any of the rep theatre listings. I was THRILLED! Maybe too thrilled though. I was so excited to be seeing "Die Hard" in a theatre for the first time. I was going to come home afterwards and write a blog about how incredible it was (the review was almost already written in my head before it had happened). I got together with some friends before the movie to have some drinks, and then we headed over to the theatre. So excited, I had forgotten to eat dinner. My large popcorn that I got at the theatre was delicious, but it didn't absorb the alcohol like a proper meal would have. I didn't throw up or anything. Not to worry. My condition didn't even impair my ability to enjoy the film. Perhaps, it even improved it. The problem though, was when I got home, filled to the brim with "Die Hard" joy and Christmas spirit, and then sat down at my desk to try and write something on my evening, the best I could manage before giving up was, "DIE HAR%D (IS THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVEI EEVEF RWHEN You"RE DRUNK! WI{TS A O WNDERUFL LIFE IST THE BEST CHSIMSAS MOVIE WHEN YOU"ERE SOBER!!!!!!!"

Do I make a convincing argument, or what?

Merry Christmas!

-Jeff.
whatsaninternet.blogspot.com

Posted on 12/19/07 by: Jeff. 09:23 PM

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