I’m loath to have my first post be a bout Christmas films, as I am Ebeneezer, the Grinch and Lietenant Dan combined regarding the festive season. My first post was actually going to be my favourite Halloween films, but as we all know, Halloween occurs in October- so its serves my procrastinating arse right. Christmas is a weird ‘thing’, it’s one of those things that some people manage to take personal offence at you not liking. Like weddings or.. the Royal Family. And while I’m a fan of any month of the year where its socially acceptable to be half cut 18 out of 24 hours a day, I don’t think it would do any of us any harm to spare a thought for why it’s also very difficult time of year for some people(I’d actually guess a silent majority) so maybe just skull your mince pies and wind it in. As I've always said, film is great for escaping your reality and what better time for a movie marathon than Christmas when there is usually endless amounts of time to sit on your arse ?And if you do feel like indulging in a couple of Christmas themed titles, here's my pick of the best of a bad lot. Scrooged 1988 Apparently there have been 135 film adaptations of A Christmas Carol since Dickens wrote the book back in 1843(as if I didn’t just totally google that) . Don’t get me wrong, I like a Christmas Carol but that seems a little bit like overkill. Even Dickens would probably be like; “Steady on guys, it wasn’t that good.” Yet this eighties-tastic interpretation with Bill Murray at his cynical best was worth the rehash, in my opinion. The 1980s was probably the ripest decade for re-imagining the Victorian fable, as much of the personality traits Ebeneezer Scrooge was known negatively for had since been embraced as Reganism. In fact, it probably took audiences at the time a while to cotton on that Scrooge was supposed to be a prick. Murray’s Scrooge is a ruthless cable TV exec, his long lost love a bleeding heart liberal working for a charity taking care of New York’s dire homeless problem, his Bob Cratchett a black single mother with a tiny Tim traumatised from the death of his father. It’s so eighties it's basically American Psycho with less murdered sex workers and more ghosts. But it’s also genuinely funny, suprisingly touching and really nails that timeless ‘reflecting on everything you fucked up in your life’ feeling that seems to hit like a brick some Christmases and make it such a bittersweet, melancholy time. Unfortunately it completely shits the bed in the last act by having an all-out American sentimental- off complete with musical number and breaking of the 4th wall(when the actors start addressing the fucking audience). They just can’t bloody help themselves. But if you can just roll your eyes and enjoy Bill Murray personally talking to you from 1988, it’s definitely worth a boozy watch. Home Alone 1990 Firmly into the optimistic 1990s now and what list would be complete without this ode to the American suburbs? I have a really vivid memory of seeing this film on the front row of the cinema, meaning I must have been three years old and that we must have gone there with our ‘cool neighbours’ who let us get popcorn and sit on the front row( unlike my mingey guardians) I don’t remember much of the film from that first viewing except the opening credits with that banging John Williams score followed by the exterior shot of the house. And even, at three years old, like British kids everywhere (and probably plenty of American ones) suddenly thinking: “Why do we live in a tiny, shit house and not that absolutely MASSIVE festive, playtime heaven?” It really was the American dream for kids. Everything was bigger, the beds, the cars, the PIZZAS, the toys, the amount of snow..snow full stop. It’s easy to forget now, that in the 90s we didn’t really have anywhere near as much exposure to American culture. There were no Starbucks coffee shops on the corner of provincial market towns, no pizza delivery. Most people watched British television, ate very British food and unless it looked like they were about to nuke someone, paid very little attention to the Americans. We spoke the same language, but in 1990 the UK and the US were two very different countries. I know I’m not alone when I say this was my baptism in the American way. I did a year abroad in the states at 19 at a college full of some very affluent yanks(a decision that was at least partly influenced by having seen films like this as a child) One of them took me to her family home in Winnetka, Illinois for Thanksgiving. Unbeknownst to me this was the suburb where Home Alone was filmed. When I found out that we were staying just a few blocks over from THE house, I absolutely lost the plot and demanded we go immediately while my baffled friend was probably regretting the invite. It was crazy to me that someone had actually grown up in that lifestyle, that neighbourhood and just thought it was normal, not Hollywood. There’s a meme doing the rounds along the lines of ‘The older I get the more I wonder what the hell Kevin McAllister’s Dad did to afford that house and a holiday to Paris for nine people.’ Quite. I mean if I saw this film for the first time as an adult, I wouldn’t last five minutes. I’d be like who are these negligent, upper middle class stress-heads and absolutely abysmal burglars? Uncle Frank is a twat, the mum looks like a South London hipster and you get the slightly uncomfortable sensation of watching Tommy from Goodfellas terrorise an eight- year-old child around an empty house. Yet if you saw it as a kid, somehow that’s how you’ll always see it. And even I wasn’t cynical as a child. It’s a wonderful life 1946 This classic is worth watching for Jimmy Stewart’s voice alone. Seriously, why did actors have those brilliant drawls back in the day? You don’t get anyone like that now. The urge to shout ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS MR POTTER!’ after watching it aside, this black and white oldie always goes down well. But it’s only recently occurred to me that it’s essentially the same plot as A Christmas Carol. Small town, family man George Bailey is on the verge of suicide on Christmas eve when he is visited by his guardian Angel, Clarence. Claiming he wishes he’d never been born he is shown an alternative universe where he wasn’t leading to all sorts of misery and.. voila teaching him that it is,indeed, a wonderful life. Alright so George Bailey was actually a nice guy to start with unlike Scrooge but this theme of feeling shite at Christmas time until a supernatural presence shows you sentimental things from your past that sort you right out. I guess it's that theme again of getting all maudlin and reflective at this time of year, that resonates with everyone. Even little Kevin McAllister had 'learned' the same lesson by the end of Home Alone. Despite being older than anyone I know, or pretty much older than anyone at this point, the film is actually pretty bleak in parts. I'm always reminded of that Friends episode where Monica lends Phoebe some films with happy endings to cheer her up and Phoebe doesn't last the whole film before turning it off, upset! So its' certainly not the cheese fest it's often assumed to be. There's also something really strangely soothing about watching films this old, knowing everyone involved is now dead, life has gone on but the themes remain timeless and universal. So there we have it. My first entry about a genre of films I'm generally adverse to. You're welcome. Do let me know what your faves are and why in the comments. Except Love Actually. If that's your favourite then you need a bloody ghost/angel to come along and have a word with you about your life this Christmas, quite frankly.
Join me for my next blog post when, judging from my current speed of updating, it'll be Valentines day. And if you think this entry was bitter....
4 Comments
JWill
12/16/2016 11:01:43 am
My fave is the Christmas Carol episode of the WB teen series "Popular." No regrets.
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Claire
12/20/2016 03:44:04 am
Loved this! And that's coming from someone who loves Christmas :) Literally his cheese and tomato pizzas were the dream. Def looking forward to a nice scathing V day one! ;) xx
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Ranga
9/4/2019 12:47:53 am
Just being through your blog Nora. Quirky.. My memories of Home Alone is when I thought why did I born to a Buddhist, but not in a Christian family. If so I would have enjoyed all that xmasy decorations of a heaven...
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