Jump to content
GreaseSpot Cafe

Favorite Christmas Show


Belle
 Share

Recommended Posts

Belle,this past weekend they just had a big shindig at the house where A Christmas Story was filmed (here in Cleveland). Several of the actors were there, and they were doing tours and dinners and all sorts of activities.

Some guy (I think he was from California) came here a few years ago and bought the house and made it into a museum of sorts. He also manufactures and sells the leg lamp that figured so prominently in the movie.

:offtopic:

Here's my teeny tiny claim to almost-fame: I was an extra in the sequel to the movie, called My Summer Story.

It was a blast! The sequel didn't get as much attention, but I think it's hilarious. Mary Steenbergen played the mom in the sequel, and she was really really nice to everyone and seemed so serene and kind. I think Charles Grodin plays the dad in the summer version (not positive--haven't watched it in years). He wasn't in any of the scenes I was, so I never saw him until the movie came out.

I think my favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Carol--especially the really old versions with the hokey special effects. I also still like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Then there's Holiday Inn and White Christmas.

Oddly enough, I'm kinda sick of It's a Wonderful Life, even though I love Frank Capra's films, and Miracle on 34th Street, too. I guess I've finally reached saturation with those!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So many to choose from!!

I love watching the various versions of A Christmas Carol. The 1951 version with Alistair Sim has the highest critical acclaim but I loved the 1938 version first. Actually.. the version with Henry Winkler (Fonzie from Happy Days) was pretty good, too!! I love seeing Scrooge redeemed.

sudo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can't forget "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Last Christmas I sat down with my son who was home from college and my daughter (who was a junior in high school) and watched a bunch of Christmas specials together that I had taped off of TV when they were very young. It was like they were my little kids again. They even got a kick out of watching the TV commercials from the early 90's. My daughter loved those 7 Up commercials with the red dots that would jump off the soda bottles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

#1 on my list: It's a Wonderful Life

#2: A Christmas Carol - like all the versions, but really like the one with George C. Scott as Scrooge.

Love this time of year, Thanksgiving through New Years! So festive and people seem to be more loving and giving towards their fellow man. Course, I really love dressing in my Christmas sweaters and tops and socks and jewelry - as I am the Christmas Carol! :biglaugh:

Suda (known off-line as Carol!)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Dooj, please do not read my last comment to Linda. :redface2:

Belle,this past weekend they just had a big shindig at the house where A Christmas Story was filmed (here in Cleveland). Several of the actors were there, and they were doing tours and dinners and all sorts of activities.

Some guy (I think he was from California) came here a few years ago and bought the house and made it into a museum of sorts. He also manufactures and sells the leg lamp that figured so prominently in the movie.

How kewl! Ya know, I started to buy the string of leg lamp lights from Betty's Attic last year for my Daddy but chickened out. :biglaugh:

:offtopic:

Here's my teeny tiny claim to almost-fame: I was an extra in the sequel to the movie, called My Summer Story.

It was a blast! The sequel didn't get as much attention, but I think it's hilarious. Mary Steenbergen played the mom in the sequel, and she was really really nice to everyone and seemed so serene and kind. I think Charles Grodin plays the dad in the summer version (not positive--haven't watched it in years). He wasn't in any of the scenes I was, so I never saw him until the movie came out.

I did not know there was a sequel! I am now going to have to go rent that... which scenes are you in? Can we find you if we look real hard?

I think my favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Carol--especially the really old versions with the hokey special effects. I also still like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Then there's Holiday Inn and White Christmas.

Hokey effects are the best! They were killer when they first came out and now, I think, the nostalgia effect makes them even more special. :)

Oddly enough, I'm kinda sick of It's a Wonderful Life, even though I love Frank Capra's films, and Miracle on 34th Street, too. I guess I've finally reached saturation with those!

I think I'm a wee bit strange in that the sappy Christmas movies like those never really interested me much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So many to choose from!!

I love watching the various versions of A Christmas Carol. The 1951 version with Alistair Sim has the highest critical acclaim but I loved the 1938 version first. Actually.. the version with Henry Winkler (Fonzie from Happy Days) was pretty good, too!! I love seeing Scrooge redeemed.

sudo

Henry Winkler was in A Christmas Carol???

You're just the keeper of all things trivia, aren't you, Sudo? I had no idea... or my memory really sucks. :confused:

I do like all the versions I've seen.... my favorite, of course, is the first one I saw which was B&W with hokey special effects, but I have no idea which version that would be.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You can't forget "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Last Christmas I sat down with my son who was home from college and my daughter (who was a junior in high school) and watched a bunch of Christmas specials together that I had taped off of TV when they were very young. It was like they were my little kids again. They even got a kick out of watching the TV commercials from the early 90's. My daughter loved those 7 Up commercials with the red dots that would jump off the soda bottles.

That's the stuff memories are made of, TommyZ!

I loved it when Mama would bake her famous cinnamon raisin bread and popcorn "trash" for us to enjoy while watching the specials together.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

#1 on my list: It's a Wonderful Life

#2: A Christmas Carol - like all the versions, but really like the one with George C. Scott as Scrooge.

Love this time of year, Thanksgiving through New Years! So festive and people seem to be more loving and giving towards their fellow man. Course, I really love dressing in my Christmas sweaters and tops and socks and jewelry - as I am the Christmas Carol! :biglaugh:

Suda (known off-line as Carol!)

I also love this time of year, Suda. It just does not get cold enough down here, though, for me to get to wear any sweaters.

How special that we have our very own Christmas Carol here at the Cafe! :love3: I think we have the best Christmas Carol there is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My all time favorite, though, is A Christmas Story!

Mine too, Belle. First time we saw it was at the inlaw's house during Ho Ho Relo while in the family corps. It was a great movie anyway, but being tv/movie deprived in residence just made seeing it that much better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bump in the Night: 'Twas the Night Before Bumpy,1995

It offers a Christmas themed episode of the claymation cartoon series.

Mr. Bumpy, a monster who eats socks, travels to the north pole with his two best friends, and learns the true meaning of the holiday season after he realizes he could keep all of Santa's toys for himself.

It's A Wonderful Life

Elf

A Christmas Story

White Christmas

The Holiday

Sarah, Plain and Tall- The Winters End

I am sure there are more but I can't remember right now!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Belle,

Yeah can 'ya believe it? Henry Winkler (the Fonze) as Scrooge? This version was set in America during the Great Depression and instead of Scrooge they called him Benedict Slade.. but look at the make-up work. He was actually quite the actor and very convincing, IMO.

1979-acc-d-web.jpg

sudo

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

My absolute favorite followed by a close second It's a Wonderful Life. I have always tried to imagine myself in the place of George. Kind of a warm fuzzy Christmas thought...

Then again I just love Scrooge played by anyone...even Donald Duck's uncle Ebenezer McScrooge!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Belle, the only scene where I could find myself when the movie came out on video was the one where the women in the movie theater are throwing gravy boats at the emcee on the stage. When I was at the agency where we signed up to be extras, one of the real actors said, "And if they ask if you can do such and such, say yes, or you'll end up sitting around all day." So when they said, "Can you throw?" I said, "hell yeah!" That's how I ended up getting to be in that scene.

I was in some others--in the crowd walking from the street into the movie theater and in others sitting inside the theater. I was sitting directly behind Mary Steenbergen in one scene as they were filming it, but that scene didn't make the final cut.

No one would be able to spot me in a million years--too far away. I only could because I knew where I was sitting and what I was wearing. Just as well. The 1940s garb I was wearing was none too flattering! If you find the video or a DVD, let me know if you enjoy it.

Back on topic:

I used to love It's a Wonderful Life and watched it over and over. Then one time the scene where Jimmy Stewart is holding his little girl on the stairs and screaming and freaking out really made me sad. From then on I didn't like watching it anymore.

I never saw the version of A Christmas Carol starring the Fonz. I'll have to keep an eye out for it, but I'll always like the old black and white versions best.

Edited by Linda Z
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let's see,

Christmas Story - saw that at the theater when it came out in 1983; as I remember, it had virtually no promotion. We went to see it on a whim while we were visiting my folks in NY. I didn't think I would stop laughing when the mother was trying to get Randy to eat his supper. "And how do the little piggies eat?" :biglaugh:

March of the Wooden Soldiers (aka Babes in Toyland) with Laurel and Hardy. It was a perennial favorite when I was a kid, although I haven't seen it in a while.

A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim, and Scrooged with Bill Murray - two fine examples of Christmas Chrazy.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas,both versions.

Christmas Vacation, oh yeah! (Hallelujah...Holy $--T! Where's the Tylenol?!) :lol:

Miracle on 34th Street and It's a Wonderful Life are also favorites, although I gave myself a break from them last year. I was just feeling oversaturated a bit (although why I don't feel that way with TBS's Christmas Story marathon, I don't know).

And then, just to add perspective and round things out a bit, Monty Python's Meaning of Life. Just because Christmas tends to be somewhat stressful for me, and Monty Python's always good for a laugh.

(btw, hey TWI, yes, I did say Christmas. And I meant it. :P :mooner: )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine too, Belle. First time we saw it was at the inlaw's house during Ho Ho Relo while in the family corps. It was a great movie anyway, but being tv/movie deprived in residence just made seeing it that much better.

Oh geeze, Tonto, I'll bet in that frame of mind your sides were aching from laughing so hard!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...