Leading up to Christmas Eve, while others go crazy shopping for Christmas gifts until the stores close their doors, I go a little bananas binging on my favorite Christmas guilty pleasure: a marathon of Christmas movies. Be they classic or contemporary, nostalgic or nutty, heartwarming or heart stopping, or maybe all of the above, I try to watch all my favs to the point of exhaustion and major eyestrain.
Classic and Nostalgic—
Miracle on 34th Street, the fabulous 1947 original in black and white—not the inferior 1994 Technicolor remake. It’s a Wonderful Life, well of course. White Christmas, natch. [I never miss an opportunity to watch the late, multitalented Danny Kaye perform.] The incomparable Peanuts gang in A Charlie Brown Christmas, definitely. I encountered one disappointment. I couldn’t find a TV listing in my area for March of the Wooden Soldiers [aka Babes in Toyland] the musical comedy classic starring Laurel and Hardy. A Google search turned up an opportunity to watch a free showing on Hulu. I hadn’t yet tried hulu, so it will be a Christmas first for me.
Contemporary and Nutty—
The insanely funny A Christmas Story [based on Jean Shepherd’s insanely funny In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash]. ::snicker, snort:: National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation [they should have added “from hell” to the title]. Home Alone 1 and 2, The Santa Clause 1 and 2, and Elf 1. ::chuckle, snort, cackle::
Heartwarming—
The Hallmark Channel’s annual month of Christmas movies—including Hats Off to Christmas, which was co-written by Deanna Talcott [shameless plug for one of my writing buds].
Heart Stopping—
I find The Polar Express kind of creepy-scary. Don’t forget that cup of hot chocolate while you watch.
Classic, Nostalgic, Heart Stopping, and Heartwarming—
Today is Christmas Eve, which means it is at last time for Charles Dickens’ memorable A Christmas Carol, la crème de la crème, the ultimate fictional Christmas story, my Christmas movie guilty pleasure pièce de résistance.
There have been a number of cinematic incarnations of A Christmas Carol; some theatrical film productions, some filmed for television, and some animated. I’ve viewed most of them. In my estimation, none have equaled or surpassed the1951 black and white British production—which was restored recently and is undeniably the very best filmed version there is for a variety of reasons.
The main reason is its casting, primarily that of Alastair Sim in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. His portrayal of Scrooge is perfection and not to be missed; he is Ebenezer Scrooge. He and the rest of the British cast bring Dickens’ characters to life in a way that is wondrous to behold. The Victorian costumes, the period sets, the music, and the dancing all ring with authenticity, and I believe filming in the starkness, shadows and gloom of black and white makes this Christmas ghost story all the spookier. If Dickens were alive today, I’m sure he would love it. Merry Christmas, All, and as Tiny Tim says, “God bless us, everyone.”
Do you have a guilty Christmas pleasure to share? Please be sure to leave a comment if you do.
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