God awful Christmas specials...

[Pete Hanlin]

Okay, I'm not exactly a fan of the old classics (e.g., Its a Wonderful Life), but the latest attempts at Christmas movies are truly horrid! For example, last evening, I made the mistake of turning on Once Upon a Christmas (with Kathy Ireland). Within 10 minutes I was ready to go into hyperglaucimic shock from all the sickening sweetness, but by then the wife had become insistent that we finish the movie.

I think the kids made me watch one with Tom Arnold the other day as well that was a total travesty!

So, has anyone seen a recently done Christmas movie that isn't completely without redemption? The last "really good" one I've seen of late was the Patrick Stewart rendition of A Christmas Carol- which isn't all that new.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I was playing through the Christmas carols in an old hymnal I have laying around on my piano and came upon one that actually made me cry! Read verses 3 and 4 of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" as you reflect on the world today, and tell me if I'm just turning into a hyper-sensitive glob of goo or if this hymn really hits home in times like these!

PS- I see there's a new special called "Meet the Santas" coming out... It has Crystal Bernard in it (and I have a soft spot for Southern women, so I'll be sure to check it out), but the story line sounds pretty sorry.

[Blake]

Last night I watched "Single Santa Seeks Mrs. Claus", sort of a prequel to "Meet the Santas", if you will. After the first commercial break I grabbed a pizza crust, some sauce and some pepperoni. Didn't need any cheese - the movie was cheesy enough! Apparently someone in TV land decided it would be a good idea to have Steve Guttenberg (of the Oscar-nominated Police Academy saga) to play Santa Junior, who at the tender age of 47 1/2 is informed that he has a couple of weeks to find a wife so he can assume the family business. In order to show that Junior is a natural Santa, he exhibits probably every single child molester warning sign. In fact, he's kinda like Michael Jackson, but with a real nose.

After that experience, I somehow doubt "Meet the Santas" will be like "Meet the Fockers" minus the toilet-flushing kitty cat.

I thought it couldn't possibly get any worse after someone actually made a cartoon movie based on the song "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer." Well, come to think of it it didn't get worse, but nearly as bad. Grandma would be a tough one to out-do.

[chip anderson]

Tonight's Episode: "Grandma Got Run Over by a Raindeer"

[chm2023]

Watch "A Christmas Story" and "Miracle on 34th Street" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas"--can't beat the classics. Some of the newer things you mention are so horrific I find myself hoping for some really nasty act of God--famine? locusts?--to take these cloyingly sweet families out. Ho Ho Ho.......

[Spexvet]

Don't forget Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol.:cheers:

[For-Life]

Best one may be childish, but it is still the greatest. The Muppet Christmas Carol.

[Blake]

Omigod! I, like, totally saw "A Carol Christmas" with Tori Spelling the other night. And to make it even better, it had Gary Coleman and William Shatner. Nothing says Christmas (I mean, "Holiday Season") like Bill Shatner!
Spelling played a TV talk show host who was on the path to Springer-dom. After her journey to Christmases past, present and future she: a) tripled her assistant's salary, b) sent her entire staff to Hawaii - with their families and c) agreed to endorse a host of products - with ALL the proceeds going directly to the homeless. Unfortunately there wasn't enough time for her to find a way to feed the poor African children by supersizing the AIDS virus and then killing it, thus creating both a vaccine and a tasty BBQ recipe.

[QDO1]

uh - hate all of them role on January

[karen]

Best one may be childish, but it is still the greatest. The Muppet Christmas Carol.

I LOVE THE MUPPETS!!!! Anything Muppets I am all over. I just bought the first season on the Muppet show on DVD. One of my favortie scenes is when Scrooge tells the rats they can have a job or more coal to keep warm and they all say "heatwave" and dance around in tropical garb. I coulda been a writer for those guys.

I like Scrooged and of course the obligatory A Christmas Story....

[shanbaum]

I LOVE THE MUPPETS!!!! Anything Muppets I am all over. I just bought the first season on the Muppet show on DVD. One of my favortie scenes is when Scrooge tells the rats they can have a job or more coal to keep warm and they all say "heatwave" and dance around in tropical garb. I coulda been a writer for those guys.

I like Scrooged and of course the obligatory A Christmas Story....

Best Christmas song (I think I heard it on a Muppet Christmas special):

I don't know if you believe in Christmas
or if you have presents underneath a Christmas tree
but if you believe in love
that will be more than enough
for you to come and celebrate with me
for I have held the precious gift that love brings
even though I never saw a Christmas star
I know there is a light I have felt it burn inside
and I have seen it shining from afar

Christmas is the time to come together
a time to put all differences aside
and I reach out my hand to the family of man
to share the joy I feel at Christmas time

for the truth that binds us all together
I would like to say a simple prayer
that at this special time you will have true peace of mind
and joy to last throughout the coming year

and if you believe in love
that will be more than enough
for peace to last throughout the coming year
and peace will last throughout the year.

John Denver, I think.

[drk]

There is something sublime about the Charlie Brown Christmas special, especially the scene with the ice skating to "Christmastime is Here" (or is it "Skating"?). Can't beat the dance party during rehearsal, either, with some of those moves. Or Linus' quoting of Luke. That's good stuff.
http://wilstar.com/xmas/cbxmas.htm