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Invelos Forums->General: General Discussion |
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25 Days of Christmas Marathon |
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| Registered: March 13, 2007 | Reputation:  |  Posts: 17,334 |
| | Posted: | | | |  Miracle on 34th StreetMiracle on 34th Street is an irresistible fable that has, for many, become synonymous with celebrating Christmas.The holiday season is in full swing when a cultured gentleman with twinkling eyes, an ample belly, and a snowy beard (Edmund Gwenn) is hired as Macy's department store Santa. He claims his name is Kris Kringle, and soon fills everyone with Christmas spirit - except for his boss, Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara), who's raising her daughter Susan (Natalie Wood) to not believe in Santa. But when Kris is declared insane and put on trial, everyone's faith is put to the test as old and young alike face the age old question: Do you believe in Santa Claus?An Academy Award® winner (1947) for Best Supporting Actor (Edmund Gwenn), Best Original Story and Best Screenplay, this timeless tale of faith, love and imagination remains one of the most popular and best-loved holiday films of all time. My Thoughts:A few years ago a good friend of mine (Thanks again Roger!) gave me this movie. At the time I never seen this movie before. Now this is my 4th year of watching this movie... and I am enjoying it more with every viewing. This is a true holiday classic! This is one of the very few movies that I don't see a way that it could be any better. If you never seen this classic '40s Christmas movie... You should be sure to watch it as soon as possible... I don't believe you will be sorry. I highly recommend it! My Rating: 5/5 Totals:Christmas Movies: 4 Christmas Episodes: 13 Christmas Specials: 1 | | | | Pete |
| | Registered: May 26, 2007 | Reputation:  | | Posts: 2,879 |
| | Posted: | | | |  The Year Without a Santa ClausWhen Santa decides to cancel Christmas, will Mrs. Claus and a couple of elves be able to convince him that the Christmas spirit is still out there?My Thoughts: A silly, relatively sappy, claymation special, with surprisingly catchy little tunes. Not nearly as good as other Rankin-Bass specials, being pretty silly overall, but I still enjoyed it. My Rating: 2/5 Totals:Christmas Movies: 3 Christmas Specials: 4 Christmas Episodes: 2 | | | If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield |
| | Registered: May 26, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 2,879 |
| | Posted: | | | |  The Little Drummer BoyBased on the well-known song, this is the story of the poor boy with no gift for baby Jesus but to play his drum.My Thoughts: Included as a bonus film on the DVD for Santa Claus is Comin' this is not a bad little tale, tighter in story and less sappy than Year Without. Not being Christian, it seems a bit odd to be watching a Christian fable, but what can I say, I love me some Rankin-Bass. They know how to appropriately tug at those heart-strings, and both Moira and I found a little tear in the corner of our eyes. My Rating: 2.5/5 Totals:Christmas Movies: 3 Christmas Specials: 5 Christmas Episodes: 2 | | | If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield |
| | Registered: May 26, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 2,879 |
| | Posted: | | | |  Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas DonkeyNestor was born with long-ears and was thought to be useless. But perhaps his destiny is simply waiting for the right person to need help from a long-eared donkey like him.My Thoughts: Another little story to tug on your heart-strings, I liked this one considerably better than Little Drummer Boy, even though they're actually about equal in quality and the ending of Nestor is a bit rushed. Again, seems odd to be watching a story based on Christian mythology, but as I said, love me some Rankin-Bass. Really appreciated the 'don't laugh at someone who is different' moral of the story and wish kids had (and would) take that to heart. My Rating: 2.5/5 Totals:Christmas Movies: 3 Christmas Specials: 6 Christmas Episodes: 2 | | | If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield | | | | Last edited: by Danae Cassandra |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 17,334 |
| | Posted: | | | |  The Brady Bunch: Season 1 - The Voice of ChristmasCarol is all set to sing in church on Christmas when disaster strikes: she loses her voice! At the local shopping mall, a hopeful Cindy approaches Santa Claus and asks him for one gift that may be impossible to deliver - that her mother's voice be returned in time for the event.My Thoughts:In the entire 5 years that The Brady Bunch was on the air we only got one Christmas episode. Which really surprises me what with it being such a family oriented show. Of course many years later we also got a Christmas reunion movie. Which I prefer much more over this episode. Of course I never really care to much for this series I mean it is fun to watch now and then for pure nostalgia. And that is the mood I found myself in today. My Rating: 2.5/5 Totals:Christmas Movies: 4 Christmas Episodes: 14 Christmas Specials: 1 | | | | Pete |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 17,334 |
| | Posted: | | | |  Major Dad: Season 2 - Gift of the MajorMac tries to encourage Casey's belief in Santa, but his efforts may fail when she accidentally donates her present to Toys for Tots.My Thoughts:I just got done watching this episode on Hulu.com. I am glad I thought of checking out that site for some Christmas shows. I forgot how much I enjoyed this series. It is one I would love to be able to get on DVD. I got a few good laughs from this episode. And I liked how Mac talked to Casey about Santa. My Rating: 4/5 Totals:Christmas Movies: 4 Christmas Episodes: 15 Christmas Specials: 1 | | | | Pete |
| | Registered: May 26, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 2,879 |
| | Posted: | | | |  Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Ghost of Christmas EveA young runaway breaks into an abandoned movie palace for shelter from a Christmas storm. There the ghostly caretaker fills her night with dreams that help her turn her life around.My Thoughts: That's the framework story. The reason to watch this is the music! Trans-Siberian has put out some of the best Christmas music in recent decades, and the dreams the girl experiences are the musical performances and shows that they put on. The music is absolutely worth it, even at the short running time (only 46 minutes - and that's the only thing that would make this better, is if it were longer). I suppose we'll call this a Christmas special, even though it's a direct-to-video music DVD.  My Rating: 3.5/5 Totals:Christmas Movies: 3 Christmas Specials: 7 Christmas Episodes: 2 | | | If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield | | | | Last edited: by Danae Cassandra |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 17,334 |
| | Posted: | | | |  The Big Bang Theory: Season 3 - The Maternal CongruenceLeonard fears the worst for his relationship with Penny when his mother visits, while Sheldon is nothing but thrilled with Beverly's presence.My Thoughts:While I still enjoy this series very much... this Christmas episode just wasn't up to the challenge. Especially compared to the excellent season 2 Christmas episode. I mean sure... a good episode... it had a laugh or two in it for me... I have just grown to expect so much more then an average episode from this series. My Rating: 3/5 Totals:Christmas Movies: 4 Christmas Episodes: 16 Christmas Specials: 1 | | | | Pete |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 17,334 |
| | Posted: | | | |  Accidentally on Purpose: Season 1 - Happened One ChristmasWorried that she'll ruin Christmas - as she has in previous years - Billie tries to hide from her parents the fact that Zack is living with her. Meanwhile, Abby's husband, Nick, tries to impress their father.My Thoughts:This is a new series I just recently started to watch. I always hate starting a series after the pilot episode already aired. I always prefer to watch it from the beginning. But I wanted to check it out since Jenna Elfman is in it. I enjoyed her on Dharma and Greg. After only a couple episodes the show is growing on me. It is funny... but not the best comedy I ever seen. This Christmas episode was pretty good. I am unsure if I like the way it ended or not at this point. We will have to see where it goes from here. My Rating: 3/5 Totals:Christmas Movies: 4 Christmas Episodes: 17 Christmas Specials: 1 | | | | Pete |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 17,334 |
| | Posted: | | | |  The Santa ClauseSuperstar comedian and Golden Globe winner* Tim Allen shines bright in Disney's magical, larger-than-life hit comedy that People Magazine dubbed "the most playfully amusing, inventive cinematic...fable in several decades Rooftop clatter leads to merry adventure after Santa falls down on the job, and Scott Calvin's son Charlie convinces dad to try on the red suit. Eight reindeer pilot the pair to the North Pole, where they soon discover that by donning the famous suit, dad must now accept all of Santa's duties! Over the next year, a surprised, not-so-jolly Scott grows a Santa-sized tummy and beard, causing friends, family and business associates to wonder if he's lost his marbles. All except Charlie, who thinks his dad is perfectly suited for his new job! Each well-kept secret of the North Pole is revealed in Disney's hilarious and heartwarming tale that's "destined to become a holiday classic" (New York Post). Now you can unwrap all the magic of the holidays any day of the year! *Best Actor ("Home Improvement") My Thoughts:I have to admit... This year I have had a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit... so much so that I was wondering if I would at all. So I had to pull out "The Santa Clause"... this is the movie that never fails when I feel this way for some reason. I have just always found this movie to be so much fun and for some reason always brings out the Christmas Spirit in me. I think Tim Allen makes the perfect Santa in this movie. My Rating: 4.5/5 Totals:Christmas Movies: 5 Christmas Episodes: 17 Christmas Specials: 1 | | | | Pete |
| | Registered: March 13, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 17,334 |
| | Posted: | | | |  NCIS: Season 7 - FaithThe body of the son of a retired Colonel-turned-preacher is found and the team have their suspicions that he may be the victim of a hate crime. Meanwhile, Gibbs gets a holiday visit from his father.My Thoughts:I finally got around to watching this past Tuesday's episode of NCIS. This year's Christmas episode. I enjoyed it quite a bit. I especially enjoyed how Abbey celebrates Christmas... this time dressing up a skeleton as Santa. I also enjoyed Tony and Ziva going to the redneck bar. And I liked how they added in that favor McGee did for Abbey's friend. My Rating: 4/5 Totals:Christmas Movies: 5 Christmas Episodes: 18 Christmas Specials: 1 | | | | Pete |
| | Registered: May 26, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 2,879 |
| | Posted: | | | |  Cricket on the HearthBased on a tale by Dickens, a poor toymaker and his daughter are befriended by a lucky cricket, who helps them out when tragedy strikes.My Thoughts: This was a charming little Rankin-Bass cartoon from '67 that I hadn't seen before, but picked up cheap at Big Lots. Heavy on the songs (and a bit of almost psychedelic imagery!) and a bit shy on action or plot, it was still a charming little story, and the character design on the cricket is absolutely adorable. My Rating: 2.5/5 (an entertaining waste of time) Totals:Christmas Movies: 3 Christmas Specials: 8 Christmas Episodes: 2 | | | If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield |
| | Registered: May 26, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 2,879 |
| | Posted: | | | |  The NutcrackerTchaikovsky's famous ballet, as performed by The American Ballet Theatre with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland as The Prince and Clara. My Thoughts: Yule isn't Yule without The Nutcracker, and this is a fine performance of the ballet. Kirkland even looks the part for Clara, despite being in her mid-twenties at the time, and Baryshnikov is brilliant as always. An annual tradition. My Rating: 4/5 (excellent) Totals:Christmas Movies: 3 Christmas Specials: 9 Christmas Episodes: 2 | | | If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield |
| | Registered: May 26, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 2,879 |
| | Posted: | | | |  Frosty the SnowmanThere must have been some magic in that old silk hat they found...My Thoughts: Another Christmas tradition since I was a child. This doesn't hold up as well as Rudolph has over the years, being a much more simple story, but it's still a charming cartoon with fond memories attached. My Rating: 2.5/5 (an entertaining waste of time) Totals:Christmas Movies: 3 Christmas Specials: 10 Christmas Episodes: 2 | | | If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield |
| | Registered: May 26, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 2,879 |
| | Posted: | | | |  Frosty's Winter WonderlandFrosty is lonely when the kids aren't around to play, so they build him a snow-wife to keep him company.My Thoughts: I hadn't seen this one before, but it was sitting on the shelf at work so I brought it home to watch as a double-feature with Frosty. It's not as good, but it is a simple, innocent little cartoon with a kind of naive charm. Doesn't hold up well on its own, but it's a decent enough companion to Frosty that I'll be keeping the DVD. My Rating: 2/5 (an entertaining waste of time) Totals:Christmas Movies: 3 Christmas Specials: 11 Christmas Episodes: 2 | | | If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield |
| | Registered: May 26, 2007 | | Reputation: | | Posts: 2,879 |
| | Posted: | | | |  Twas the Night Before ChristmasA skeptical little mouse calls Santa a "fraudulent myth" and nearly gets Santa to skip delivering presents to the entire town of Junctionville. A clockmaker builds a a beautiful clock to welcome Santa on Christmas Eve, but will it function in time?My Thoughts: A bonus feature on Frosty's Winter Wonderland, I've apparently seen this at some time before, since the song the clock plays was one I recognized. It's another cute little Rankin-Bass cartoon, though I don't much like the character design for Santa. It's actually a better cartoon than the main feature, and I can easily see watching it again. My Rating: 2.5/5 (an entertaining waste of time) Totals:Christmas Movies: 3 Christmas Specials: 12 Christmas Episodes: 2 | | | If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.
-- Thorin Oakenshield |
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Invelos Forums->General: General Discussion |
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