National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

 

There are so many Christmas movies out there that it is sometimes tough to decide which ones to watch on an annual basis. In the case of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, there was never any doubt that this film would become a perennial for us.

Some people are over Chevy Chase and that's understandable. His personal Behavior and professionalism have always been question marks. What has never been in doubt however is whether or not he is funny. That man can make us laugh over the stupidest kinds of things. If there was going to be a Three Stooges of the later half of the 20th century, Chevy Chase would clearly have been one of those Stooges. He can take a board to the face, a slip down the stairs, or a prat fall off the roof, with the best of them. Frankly I started laughing in anticipation of some of those movements before they even happened in last night's screening.

Christmas Vacation succeeds on the shoulders of its star. There are lots of other films where The Supporting Cast can make up for a week lead. This however, is a film that can only succeed if Chase is in top form. In this movie he clearly is. His smirk, his sense of dignity even in the most ridiculous circumstances, and his rants, are all enough for us to ignore any of his personal failings and just enjoy 90 minutes with Clark Griswold and his family.

This film is the second Christmas movie I've watched in the last week that was written by John Hughes. It still has a very strong sense of humor but also a warmth that separates the movie from some of the Lesser Pretenders in the Christmas movie sweepstakes. In the end we are glad that Clark accomplishes what he set out to do, in spite of his sometimes frustrating behaviors. We know that he has a good heart and that he loves his family. Sure he may daydream about the beautiful girl at the lingerie counter, but he stays true to his wife and she in turn is his biggest Defender. He's even willing to put up with Cousin Eddie in spite of his clear dislike of his uncouth relative.

Randy Quaid is brilliant in the part of the dimwitted, thin skilled, hapless husband of Ellen's cousin. The fact that he has no job, no prospects, and no plan for Christmas gifts for his children are enough to make any of us frustrated with him. Yet he still manages to be somewhat lovable and it is as good heart that leads to the solution at the end of the movie that puts us all in the right Christmas spirit. But the movie splits our sides and warms our hearts and reminds us that family is important is the real reason that we should watch this annually. Oh yeah, and the fact that Chevy Chase gets smacked in the face repeatedly by Boards when he is trapped in the Attic. I'm not sure I ever heard my late wife laugh is hard as she did every time Clark stepped on one of those loose boards. The attic staircase crashing into his face was also a gut buster.

This movie has it all for me, there's a great deal of nostalgia, there are appropriate Christmas tropes, and there is entertainment value in just about every scene. The screening we attended last night at the Alamo Drafthouse was a film party where the audience was encouraged to participate in the screening. We were given small American flags to waive during the blessing. We had glow sticks that we waved around our heads every time Clark's house lit up. We even had pine scented air fresheners to open when the family is out searching for that perfect emblem of the Christmas season, the tree. The whole audience was happy to quote along with some of their favorite lines from the movie. No one wanted to spend their holiday dead. And I don't know Margo, is uttered with the complete disdain of 150 people simultaneously. In all it was a great night. I think I had the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby danced with Danny f****** Kaye.

Godzilla Minus One

I was a fan of Godzilla movies when I was a kid. There have been a number of us made films in the last decade that have tried to repeat the phenomena of the original Godzilla. Most of them have not been very successful, but there have been a few that have been Worthy of viewing. None of them, however, will measure up to the film “Godzilla Minus One”. This is the kind of movie that people who love Godzilla want to love. I was inspired to see this film after seeing many positive reviews from fellow bloggers. Everyone enthusiastically proclaimed this the best Godzilla film since the original in the 1950s. I can say that in my opinion those are not hyperbole but in fact an accurate representation of the film. “Godzilla Minus One” is set in a post World War II Japan and tells the story of Godzilla as if it is being told for the very first time. I won't describe the plot in great detail it is sufficient to say that a Japanese Aviator who had not been able to carry out his Kamikaze role returns to his home, which has been destroyed by the the war and he now must confront a new source of Destruction as the giant monster Godzilla begins to approach Tokyo. The fact of the matter is that most of the film is really a drama about dealing with the post-war economic situation for the Japanese. Our pilot basically adopts a woman and a child and takes on responsibility for them out of his guilt for failing during the war. There are a relatively small number of scenes that feature the actual Godzilla. Much of the film focuses on the human drama of the pilot, his adopted family, and the other veterans who are trying to figure out a way to stop the Kaiju. Most of the scenes of Destruction take place at the very beginning and in one long sequence on land. There are several action scenes where Godzilla destroys warships on the high seas. The CGI in this film is combined with some traditional man in a suit moments but the film still looks very good and the effects are convincing.

The work of the Japanese actors, who I am not going to name right now, is excellent. The lead struggles with his guilt and his anger and an unrequited love story. If you can do all of those things effectively you must be a pretty solid actor. I can recommend Godzilla - 1 to those fans of giant monsters, and to people who are interested in the characters that usually just get wiped out in these types of movies. This time we get a real story to go along with all the Mayhem. It feels like a fully formed film and not simply product, so that there is something to fill seats with during the summer. There have been over 30 of these Godzilla movies from the Japanese film industry, as well as a half dozen made by us and other National film companies. With the exception of the first Godzilla film, this is likely to be the one that is the most memorable, the most dramatic, and the one that is most deserving.

Home Alone In Concert (Revisit 2023)

 

One of my favorite concert experiences, is to see a film I love, with the score delivered by an orchestra. Earlier this year I had the chance to see "Star Wars" in Concert with the Austin Symphony Orchestra. I suspect that the music director of the symphony is a fan of composer John Williams (of course who isn't?), because this week, for the second time this year, a score featuring the music of Williams was featured accompanied by the film, in this case it was the holiday film "Home Alone". 

I was confident that I had written a post on this film before. I thought I might have seen it in a Fathom Event screening, so it would have been on my list of films I have covered. When I looked however, I found no record of having covered the movie before, so it turns out this will be a first time as well. "Home Alone" was the most successful film of 1990, and it shared end of the year financial records with "Dances with Wolves".  The Kevin Costner film ended up with all of the end of the year honors, but this John Hughes written, Christopher Columbus directed film ended up as the box office champ. So Kevin McCallister turned out to be the top Kevin of the year, at least when it came to money. The two Academy Award nominations that "Home Alone" did receive however, both went to John Williams, one for the song he wrote which Leslie Bricusse did the lyrics for, and a second for the score of the film.

Before I get to the music, a little at least about the film. Certainly, almost anyone reading this will have seen "Home Alone", it has become a Christmas Classic. It was the first 20th Century Fox film to be released to the sell through market on VHS, and became, along with E.T. the Extraterrestrial, the biggest selling video of the era. This movie has been in the heads of families for more than thirty years, and it has been parodied relentlessly as well as making a star out of Macaulay Culkin. The plot has been described by some as "Die Hard" with a kid.  Young Kevin, having been accidentally left behind by his family, defends the homestead from burglars played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. Amazingly, Pesci was also in the very different role of  Tommy DeVito, a murderous Mafioso, in theaters just a few weeks before this comic role. The combination of the two may have been the reason that his performance in "Goodfellas" was the sole Academy Award win for that film. 

Director Chris Columbus was responsible for adding the character of the neighbor, suspected of being a shovel killer, Mr. Marley. The character played so effectively by Roberts Blossom, is one of the things that raises the film from a slapstick farce to a more touching human comedy. The movie features several sequences where eight year old Kevin, speaks quite wisely, but still like a kid, and most of that works pretty well. His encounters with the checkout girl at the grocery store, and the Santa finishing his shift, let us believe a lot more in the final conversation with Marley in the church. Of course there is plenty of eye poking, three stooges type humor when the home invasion starts, so you can laugh and cringe simultaneously.  

The audience for the concert was wired for this experience from the very start. There was a noticeable amount of applause and cheering for the 20th Century Fox logo at the start of the film. Maybe some of the audience was like me, nostalgic for a classic film studio that no longer exists. The theme music plays throughout the picture, but it is in the last half of the film that the music soars, in part because of the chorale music and singing that occurs around the time Marley and Kevin have their conversation. In the concert hall, this was accompanied by a 70 person chorale of high school singers who came in and sat in front of the orchestra, after an intermission, which is invented by the event and not part of the original film. 

I have said it before to others when talking about this movie, it is so much better than it has a right to be and than you remember. I took my kids to see the film when they were four and two, neither remembers the experience but I do. We went with my best friend's family, they had two children the same age as ours, and we all enjoyed the movie as best as young kids could. It became a favorite of James, my friend's son. Three years later I lost my friend to cancer and his family dropped out of our lives, but I always think of them when I see this movie. Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals.

Die Hard (Revisit 2023)

 

There is nothing like seeing a movie in a theater to remind you of why you fell in love with a film in the first place. Regardless of the number of times I have seen a film at home, the experience of a theatrical presentation contains an electricity you just won't find anywhere else. Part of the effect comes from the sound system that will be so much more fine tuned in most theaters than you can achieve at home. Another part is the size of the screen, which, despite recent tech advances, is just not going to be 60 feet wide and thirty feet high. The biggest difference however, is that you have committed yourself to an experience, disruption free, with a willingness to be engulfed by the movie in front of you. That's what happened to me last night at "Die Hard".

I knew was engaged before the movie started, because the 20th Century Fox Logo that came up was squeezed and I was immediately on edge that something was wrong and the aspect ratio of the film would be off. That tension was short lived as when the film itself started, all was right. I frequently forget the opening section where John McClane is on the airplane arriving in Los Angeles. I should recall it because it is the reason John ends up without his shoes later on in the film. This was also my only exposure outside of MTV to "Christmas in Hollis" by Run DMC, which was not in heavy rotation on the classic rock stations I listened to. 

Speaking of music, I appreciate the stereo in the theater when I hear Ode to Joy in the background of several early scenes. The crescendo of that Beethoven masterpiece at the opening of the vault is a great use of classical music in an action film. McClane is a simple guy, with modest tastes and the everyday manner he conveys in in great contrast to the ostentatious Hans Gruber. The music sends a subtle reminder of these differences. 

The re are people out there who deny that "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie. For all of you doubters, I will refer you to my previous post on the subject: here. 

The Muppet Christmas Carol (Revisit 2023) Rockin' Around the Paramount

 

No apologies, no excuses, no doubt, The Muppet Christmas Carol is the best version of the Charles Dickens story and as a result, the best Christmas movie out there. Years ago on the LAMB, we had a voting bracket that established this film as supreme over all other holiday movies, including "Die Hard". The reasons are very straightforward, Michael Caine and the Muppets.

Michael Caine is not a singer by nature, but then neither was Rex Harrison. Both of those actors can do a walk through of the songs in their respective films, and talk their way through a song with enough rhythm and inflection to fool us into thinking they sing. Harrison was acting against Audrey Hepburn who's voice ended up being dubbed. Caine is singing opposite Kermit the Frog, Gonzo the Great and a dozen other Muppet characters, so he has to work especially hard.

Because Caine plays it straight, the film works dramatically, even though there is Muppet Mayhem everywhere. The story is one of redemption, and Scrooge's encounters with the Muppet ghosts are really effective. The Ghost of Christmas Present is especially moving as he relates the situation of the Cratchetts to Scrooge, who suddenly seems to be awakening to his own indifference. The look on Caine's face when he sees his nephew revealing that the unwanted creature of the guessing game they are playing is Ebenezer Scrooge. 

Getting a chance to see this heartwarming film on the big screen again is great, that it was at my new favorite spot in my new hometown was even better. The Paramount was packed to the rafters for the show. There were some pre-show activities that we skipped because we were meeting a friend for dinner, but the atmosphere was exactly the tone you want for a holiday outing. 

If there is a third component to the success of the film, it would be the songs by composer Paul Williams. The melodious transition songs are fine but the highlight is the opening number that introduces Scrooge and gives an active part to most of the Muppets in the film.  The wordplay is delightful and sets the tone for the film. 

I was shocked to hear on the Podcast the other day, that my frequent guest, occasional substitute host, and friend, Howard, has not seen this version of A Christmas Carol. If you , like Howard, have not yet found this movie, I strongly encourage you to make an effort to watch, maybe even on Christmas Eve. The Muppet Christmas Carol can put both the Grinch and Scrooge, and maybe even Krampus, in a real Christmas spirit. The fact that this was the first Muppet Project after the death of Jim Henson, makes its quality a sweet comment of the genius of the man who created the performers in this film. God Bless us, everyone. Especially you Jim Henson.

Love Actually (Revisit 2023)

 

This film came out twenty years ago, and that was seven years before I started this blog. That means that this is the first time I have had an opportunity to include it for the main purpose of this site, which is theatrical presentation of movies. Sure, I occasionally have a special post or retrospective, but my real goal is to document my own experiences in a theater and this is the first time I have seen "Love Actually" in a theater since it's original release. 

In the twenty years that have elapsed between then and now, this movie has had a rollercoaster of a ride in the circles I travel in on-line. First it was promoted by fans as a new Christmas Classic, to be repeated annually as part of your holiday. Then there was a backlash, criticisms that it is just a rom-com, treacly at times and unworthy of much respect. Then there was a ten minute charity short in 2017, and the film's love quotient went up again. If you look at a site like Rotten Tomatoes, you will see very divergent views of the film.  Let me say right now, I actually love this film. I bathe in the warmth of the relationships , in spite of some of the contrivances. I enjoy the thought that Great Britain is a nation that is clean, quirky and tolerant of eccentricities. There are moments in the film that make me laugh out loud, and there are sentiments that bring a tear to my eye. I suppose that the film is a sort of Rorschach test for film watchers, it is capable of separating the cynics from the sentimentalist with ease.  

The opening segment of the movie sets up the optimistic tone of the stories. The scenes of actually people greeting loved ones at the airport, and the narration by Hugh Grant, lays out a thick layer of sentiment that will cover the next two hours in various ways. The fact that the stories are mostly interconnected, gives us a little bonus puzzle to work on as we suck up the warm fuzzies. There is a musical segment at a wedding and there is one at a funeral, and they both work. Brothers and sisters connect and divide in just about every storyline, and the struggle of a step father to help his child, while simultaneously grieving for his lost wife, may seem like it is laying it on a bit thick, the winsome performance of the child and the honesty of Liam Neeson, sell it for me.

It is not automatically a picture worthy of love, simply because Bill Nighy and Billy Bob Thornton are in it, but I will say that it pushes me a long way into accepting the film with that casting. Nighy's Billy Mack made the audience laugh every time he was in a scene. Billy Bob channels both the lecherous Bill Clinton and the demanding George Bush into one character. His time in the movie is brief but impactful. Although Hugh Grant belittles many of his films and disliked doing the dancing scene in this movie, he still has the charisma and comic chops to pull off what might otherwise be a impossible version of a high ranking political figure. 

To me, the romantic highlight of the film is the last section of Colin Firth's story, as he travels back to France, to locate the Portuguese woman he has fallen in love with, and speaks in broken vocabulary to her and the assembled crowd at the restaurant she works at. The hope for love, in the unlikely circumstances is one of the things that all of us are motivated by at times. The sweetness of the characters, in spite of what might be seen as incorrect these days, overcomes my bullshit detector and just makes me want to feel the way so many of the characters in this movie do at the end of the day. 

White Christmas (Revisit 2023)

 

When I was younger, I thought of the movie "White Christmas" as a clunky Hollywood story, trying to manufacture a Christmas Movie. It was ok but never a favorite. As I have gotten older, I tend to appreciate some of the finer aspects of the film and I have come to a completely different conclusion, "White Christmas" is a delight and deserves repeated visits, although maybe every other year rather than annually. 

Six years ago, I attended a sing along presentation of the film at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. When shared with a couple thousand other fans of the film, it is so easy to overlook some of the clunky elements and instead, revel in the joy that so many sequence evoke. The story will take care of itself, the drama is not really what we come to a movie like this for anyway. We are here for the glorious dancing and singing parts, and the performers that make you long for the golden age of Hollywood.

I have always been a fan of Danny Kaye. Every time I see Bing Crosby in a movie, I also appreciate why he was the biggest star in the world at one point. These two guys are unparalleled entertainers, who knew where their lane was and filled that groove with the things we craved.

Bing smoothly croons all of his songs with such a lightness of effort that it might make you wonder if he is not just an AI creation. Of course it doesn't hurt when the songwriter was the amazing and prolific Irving Berlin. Danny Kaye does a beautiful job matching him in the duets and brings a comic liveliness  to the proceedings.

I especially liked the number "The Best Things Happen When You're Dancing". Kaye and the terrific Vera Ellen, glide across a dance set that includes a water feature and fences which allow them to twirl, leap and gracefully fall into one another's arms. The director of the film was Michael Curtiz, who directed two of my favorite films, "Casablanca" and "The Adventures of Robin Hood". He worked with the choreographer to stage some beautiful moments in this sequence and he clearly knew how to make the rest of the film come together as well. The film was the highest grossing film of it's year and for a decade, the highest grossing musical ever. 

With so many segments that are backstage musical moments, the movie does feel a little long, and some of those segments are completely unrelated to the story. That does not matter however, because you want to enjoy them anyway. So Danny Kaye, making fun of modern choreography, and a Vera Ellen dancing segment, or Rosemary Clooney doing a torch song solo in a nightclub, all make the movie luxurious in production, if not efficient in storytelling. 

I'll just say that I swam in the warm waters of nostalgia, smiling for two hours, and glad that there was nothing more pressing in the film than being entertained. The production is spectacular, the look of the film is beautifully colored, and the final rendition of the title song should give you the  " hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f##king Kaye."