Thursday, December 13, 2007
Christmas Faves
Okay, I realize my last post was somewhat depressing, so I decided to leave you with something a bit more uplifting. One of my favourite things about the holidays is catching some classic Christmas tales on TV. Every year, for as long as I can remember, we'd watch the Christmas specials. Even though I'm 31 (Argh...okay, 32 in 5 days!), I still watch my favourite Christmas classics. I suppose it just reminds me of my childhood...or as my brothers, cousins and I call it, "The Golden Days" (the 'Nothing Gold Can Stay' days, the age of innocence, or whatever else you'd like to call it).
How the Grinch Stole Christmas has got to be one of my all time favourites. I can't believe the cartoon was released in 1966! Most people are familiar with the Grinch who tried to ruin Christmas for the Whos in Whoville. As a kid, I always felt so sorry for Max! That Grinch was so mean. Of course, the message in this story is simple. Family and community are far more important than material things.
I caught a bit of the newer movie version with Jim Carrey acting as the Grinch. No offense to anyone who likes that movie, but I think I'll always be a fan of the original cartoon version. I can only take Jim Carrey in small doses. I know, I know...He's Canadian and I should support Canadian talent. I can't help it. The guy just really annoys me. Ooops! I did say that this was supposed to be a more uplifting post, right? Okay...
Another Christmas show I always watch is A Charlie Brown Christmas. I just love that Charlie Brown. Disgusted by the commercialism of Christmas, he sets forth in finding the true meaning of Christmas. Perhaps this is the reason my Christmas tree looks strikingly similar to the "Charlie Brown Tree"? Can you believe this show has been on TV since 1965?
Who can forget that cute reindeer with that crazy red nose? Here's another oldie, which was released in 1964. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer just made my heart melt. I'm sure many little boys and girls out there can somehow relate to the reindeer who didn't belong. The story does well in teaching children that differences are okay and that everyone can prove to be helpful in some way or another. It's such a wonderful animated show. The only thing I remember not liking about it as a child was that horrible screeching noise Rudolph's nose would make when it glowed!
Next, a cartoon that makes me cry every time I watch it. Yes, even though I've been watching the show every year for a few decades and I know what happens in the end, I still cry when Frosty the Snowman melts. Here's yet another goody that came out in 1969. Tell me that this tale of friendship and love doesn't tug at your heartstrings!
I don't know if many of you have seen this next movie. My brother (Middle Bro) and I always got a kick out of A Christmas Story. The main character, Ralphie just seems to be the goofiest, most accident prone kid ever. The one thing he wants more than anything for Christmas is a BB gun. Many obstacles come between Ralphie and his dream present. Will he get it for Christmas or not?
There are loads of funny scenes all throughout the movie. For instance, the scene where he was given a bunny suit as a present. The expression on his face is classic! Then there's the scene where Ralphie utters the f-word in front of his dad. There are so many funny scenes in this movie. You just have to watch it for yourselves and let me know what you think.
Finally, another movie I always watch around the holidays is The Sound of Music. Now, I don't really know why this movie always aired on TV around the holidays, but nonetheless, it has become a holiday classic for me. This is another movie that always gets me so emotional...no matter how many times I've seen it.
Do you have any holiday favourites? What are they?
How the Grinch Stole Christmas has got to be one of my all time favourites. I can't believe the cartoon was released in 1966! Most people are familiar with the Grinch who tried to ruin Christmas for the Whos in Whoville. As a kid, I always felt so sorry for Max! That Grinch was so mean. Of course, the message in this story is simple. Family and community are far more important than material things.
I caught a bit of the newer movie version with Jim Carrey acting as the Grinch. No offense to anyone who likes that movie, but I think I'll always be a fan of the original cartoon version. I can only take Jim Carrey in small doses. I know, I know...He's Canadian and I should support Canadian talent. I can't help it. The guy just really annoys me. Ooops! I did say that this was supposed to be a more uplifting post, right? Okay...
Another Christmas show I always watch is A Charlie Brown Christmas. I just love that Charlie Brown. Disgusted by the commercialism of Christmas, he sets forth in finding the true meaning of Christmas. Perhaps this is the reason my Christmas tree looks strikingly similar to the "Charlie Brown Tree"? Can you believe this show has been on TV since 1965?
Who can forget that cute reindeer with that crazy red nose? Here's another oldie, which was released in 1964. Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer just made my heart melt. I'm sure many little boys and girls out there can somehow relate to the reindeer who didn't belong. The story does well in teaching children that differences are okay and that everyone can prove to be helpful in some way or another. It's such a wonderful animated show. The only thing I remember not liking about it as a child was that horrible screeching noise Rudolph's nose would make when it glowed!
Next, a cartoon that makes me cry every time I watch it. Yes, even though I've been watching the show every year for a few decades and I know what happens in the end, I still cry when Frosty the Snowman melts. Here's yet another goody that came out in 1969. Tell me that this tale of friendship and love doesn't tug at your heartstrings!I don't know if many of you have seen this next movie. My brother (Middle Bro) and I always got a kick out of A Christmas Story. The main character, Ralphie just seems to be the goofiest, most accident prone kid ever. The one thing he wants more than anything for Christmas is a BB gun. Many obstacles come between Ralphie and his dream present. Will he get it for Christmas or not?
There are loads of funny scenes all throughout the movie. For instance, the scene where he was given a bunny suit as a present. The expression on his face is classic! Then there's the scene where Ralphie utters the f-word in front of his dad. There are so many funny scenes in this movie. You just have to watch it for yourselves and let me know what you think.
Finally, another movie I always watch around the holidays is The Sound of Music. Now, I don't really know why this movie always aired on TV around the holidays, but nonetheless, it has become a holiday classic for me. This is another movie that always gets me so emotional...no matter how many times I've seen it. 
Do you have any holiday favourites? What are they?
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City girl moves to the country, falls in love, and marries a farmer. She tries to incorporate her city ways with her new country lifestyle and blogs to keep in touch with friends, family & students who live far, far away :) Can this city girl go country? Watch as she learns all sorts of exciting things about life on the farm and in a small rural community. *UPDATE* We are now parents! Our baby girl was born on Nov. 11, 2008 (at 28 weeks gestation- 12 weeks premature, but she's quite the trooper)!!!
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19 comments:
I LOVE Rudolph! It just isn't the Christmas season without watching Rudolph!
Would you believe that I have never seen any of those (with the exception of the Sound of Music)? The Yanks and the Cannucks here always talk of those films. It must be a North American thing.
-Pete
I really love "Trading Places" with Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd. That movie is so hilarious! Almost every line is a classic. It's not your typical Christmas movie, but the holiday serves as a background for the movie.
As a kid, I really liked the classic stop motion animated Rankin/Bass Christmas specials such as "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" (I loved Burl Ives as the snowman narrator), "Santa Claus is Coming to Town (remember the Meisterburger Burgermeister?), and lastly, "The Year Without a Santa Claus" which had the Snow Miser and Heat Miser. As kids we loved those songs!
Rudolph rules! and so does Billy Ray Valentine! ha ha
I with Pete a bit with this one - there is usually a Christmas movie or two on over this time but not many are watching TV - most are outside enjoying (hopefully) the fine weather!
TV kind of gets pushed into the background a bit!
you named all of my favorites, so i can't add to the list! although around this time of year, our family also cracks out "elf," and "the nightmare before christmas."
I love all of those C!!! I totally forgot about the Sound of music; I also love "It's a Wonderful Life" ... a real classic. And newer fare, I think ELF is absolutely hilarious... Will Farrell is really quite adorable in that one!
The Grinch is our favorite!
but, weve also liked "The Polar Express"
You named all of our favorites Chris ! the kids love Elf and Polar Express now too. The ones you mentoined are my childhood favorites- classic!
Roudoplh is my absolute favorite christmas 'toon. this is a great post, I really enjoyed it C!
Elf is now my favorite Christmas movie.
The Next Corny thing apart from watching "The Sound of Music" is actually acting and singing in a Christmas production of "The Sound of Music".
I'm proud of it too, dang it. :) C'mon, sing with me! Do Re Mi!
Those are all great! I especially love Charlie Brown Christmas and A Christmas Story. I can watch them over and over. Oh, and National Lampoon's Christmas is a good one too. Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
This is such a great post! You reminded me of all my favorite childhood holiday shows! Don't forget National Lampoon's Christmas! That one always cracks me up!
D'Rae:
I know what you mean! :) I don't watch that much TV during the year, but at Christmas, we have to watch our old favourites!
Pete:
I guess it's a North American thing. Many of my friends from the UK say they haven't heard of many (or any) of the shows I listed. Are there any holiday shows that you watch in England?
Canine:
Oh, yes! I forgot about all of those ones! It's amazing to think about just how many holiday movies there are. My little brother was in a made-for-TV movie a few years ago. It's called "Must Be Santa". He only had a little part in this movie, and I'm embarrassed to say that this is one of the only movies that he's been in that I haven't seen. It was released in 1999 and I was overseas, teaching at the time.
mrinz:
I agree with you! If we could be on the beach on Christmas too, I wonder if there would even be Christmas movies for the holidays! LOL! We never watched much TV in our household, but the week before Christmas there were always Christmas specials on TV. Ordinarily, we weren't allowed to watch TV during the week and if we were granted permission, we only had an hour or two to watch. My parents were quite strict and my dad felt that TV interfered with school work. On weekends we were able to watch TV if we wanted, but the weekends were so full with other activities!
Now that I'm married, we have satellite TV with over 600 TV and movie channels, but we're always so busy that we don't watch it much. Hubby may watch the news or some of his favourite programs after working so he can unwind. I have maybe 2 or 3 shows a week that I try to watch. Unfortunately, I seem to have meetings on the days that my shows fall on! LOL!
Hello, Melissa:
Yes! "Elf" is really funny! I almost forgot about "A Nightmare Before Christmas"!
Karen:
How could I have forgotten about "It's a Wonderful Life"??? What about "Miracle on 34th Street"? That's one of my Dad's favourites. He loves the old black and white movies.
barngoddess:
My nieces love "Polar Express". I watched it for the first time last year. It's a really good movie. It's amazing how the characters in animated films can look so much like the actors who play their roles! The conductor really does look like Tom Hanks!
hotmommy:
Looks like many of us have the same holiday favourites :)
Palm Springs Savant:
Thanks! I really enjoyed your list of favourite holiday songs! I must admit that I had never seen the video for Wham's "Last Christmas" before! Thanks for sharing!
CK:
"The Sound of Music" is one movie where I always catch myself singing along! LOL! I can watch TSOM over and over and over again and never get tired of it. The same goes for "The Wizard of Oz" and "West Side Story"!
M:
Yay! Another person who has seen "A Christmas Story"!!! Most people I talk to have never heard of it! I can't believe I forgot to mention "National Lampoon's Christmas"!!! I think I might have mentioned it last Christmas though. That is a funny movie! Chevy Chase is crazy! LOL!
cara:
Hi! Thanks for popping by! Haven't seen you in a while! Got any more holiday faves? I'm sure there are many I forgot to mention.
I love A Christmas Story! I have even found a place that sells replicas of that leg lamp they won for Christmas, and I nearly drove off the road when I saw one in a window in someones house for Chrismas. It didn't have any other decorations, just that lamp!
I love all the movies you listed. And I am with you on the Jim Carrey thing. He is the perfect person to be able to pull off playing the Grinch. But that movie is so obnoxious, I cringe everytime the kids want to watch it!
Ellie
I've never seen Sound of Music. Shh. Don't tell. ;) I love all of these, except I can't get into A Christmas Story. We love Scrooged, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and It's a Wonderful Life. :)