Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July...part of the Classic Christmas Favorites sets. This is a longer one and a bit too long in my opinion. It's an older style animation (more like the original Rudolph). Not a favorite but enjoyable. Not going to be an annual watching, but every once in a while isn't too bad. I'd give it a 3/5.

Mr. St. Nick
In Mistletoe Manor, King Nicholas XX, commonly known as Santa Claus (Oscar and Emmy nominee Charles Durning, Hard Time), and his wife Carlotta (Emmy nominee and Golden Globe winner Katherine Helmond, Who's The Boss?), aren't feeling particularly jolly. With Christmas only weeks away, the aging king is ready to pass his throne to the Crown Prince, Nick St. Nicholas (Golden Globe and Emmy winner Kelsey Grammer, Animal Farm). But the sexy Santa-to-be is a no-show heir with other priorities-his lavish seaside estate, leggy newswoman Heidi Gardelle (Elaine Hendrix, The Parent Trap), and public relations expert Hector Villarba (Luis Garcia, American Family). Heidi and Victor may not know Nick's true identity, but they do know he is the prince of benefits. Their plan? Use his knockout connections to create an on-line holiday charity. Nick's all for it. Unfortunately, the problems are just beginning. A charge of fraud has turned Nick's charity into a nationwide scandal. What's it going to take to prevent Christmas from becoming a dim memory? Nothing short of a miracle.

My Thoughts:
Another movie I recorded off cable. To be honest I wasn't expecting too much from this one. I don't know... Kelsey Grammer as the son of Santa... just didn't seem like the ideal fit to me. But to be honest... I actually enjoyed this more then I thought I would. Sure some of it was right silly.... but over-all it works. I will have to try to remember to add the DVD to my collection before next Christmas.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Once Upon a Christmas
Christmas is coming and Santa's house is buzzing with activity, but somehow the old boy's heart isn't in it this year. Disillusioned with all the selfishness and greed in the world, Santa is ready to throw in the towel but his daughter Kristin (Kathy Ireland) persuades him to give the mortals one last chance. If she can prove that even one family can change and become giving and caring again, Santa will put off his vacation in Hawaii and get back on the sleigh. Trouble is she's saddled with the Morgans, a family with a workaholic Dad (John Dye) and a couple of kids whose idea of good clean fun is putting peanut butter in the au pair's underwear and permaglue on the school coach's whistle. And with a sister who makes Cruella De Vil look like the cutest pup in the shop ready to wreck her plans, can Kristin teach them that what you give is what you get, and stop the spirit of Christmas from disappearing - forever?


My Thoughts:
This movie stars Kathy Ireland as Santa's daughter. I think she does a great job. This movie hit a special place for me... what with tragedy striking during the Holiday season. So I definitely enjoyed this one. Though I don't care to much for the ending. I mean the ending works... but it felt a little rushed. Next up I will be watching some more Kathy Ireland when I watch this movie's sequel... Twice Upon a Christmas.

My Rating: 4/5

Title:  Tokyo Godfathers
Year: 2003
Rating:  PG-13 (for Thematic Elements, Violent Images, Language and Some Sexual Material)
Director: Satoshi Kon
Stars:  Toru Emori, Aya Okamato, Yoshiaki Umegaki

Overview:  In Tokyo, three homeless people's lives are changed forever when they discover a baby girl at a garbage dump on Christmas Eve. As the New Year fast approaches, these three forgotten members of society band together to solve the mystery of the abandoned child and the fate of her parents. Along the way, encounters with seemingly unrelated events and people force them to confront their own haunted pasts, as they learn to face their future together.

My Thoughts:  This is a great anime film from Satoshi Kon (who has made lots of great films).  It's funny, touching, heartwarming, and a great watch for the family, if you don't mind subtitles (there is no dub track) and some foul language.  It has great values and a great message, and a happy ending to cap it all off.  We watched this last night at my friend Katrina's, and it was her pick - which made me very happy, since this is s a film I like to watch every year and my copy is in a bin in my closet somewhere.  it's inspired by the old John Wayne movie 3 Godfathers but diverges from it's source totally to create a fresh piece.  Highly recommended!

My Rating:  4.5/5 (practically perfect)

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Count:
Movies: 3
Short Films: 10
TV specials: 3
Music & Ballet: 1
TV episodes: 0

Santa Baby
Jenny McCarthy and George Wendt star in this heartwarming comedy about Santa Claus' daughter. When Santa Claus (George Wendt) gets too sick to run the toy shop, his workaholic daughter Mary (Jenny McCarthy) leaves behind her high-powered job in the city and heads north. Will Mary's new ideas and her relentless drive for efficiency save Christmas, or will Christmas need to save her first?


My Thoughts:
Ok... what did I think of this one? Jenny McCarthy... in some scenes I liked her... but yet in others it felt like she could have done better. I was surprised that I liked George Wendt as Santa. Don't get me wrong... I always liked George Wendt... he is always fun to watch... but for some reason he doesn't pop to my mind when I think of Santa. The movie was enough to keep my interest... but not very impressive over all.

My Rating: 3/5

Title:  Holiday Affair
Year: 1949
Rating:  NR
Director:  Don Hartman
Stars:  Robert Mitchum, Janet Leigh, Wendell Corey

Overview:  Even though he recently lost his job as a department-store clerk, Steve Mason buys an electric train set for a child he scarcely knows. It must be Christmastime.

Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh are warmly matched in Holiday Affair, a seasonal favorite scripted by Isobel Lenhart (later to adapt Mitchum's The Sundowners) and directed by Hope/Crosby "road movies" veteran Don Hartman. Mitchum plays Mason, helping a child who'd otherwise find disappointment under the Christmas tree. The boy's war-widow mom (Leigh) notes the gesture, and she's drawn to the handsome stranger. But will she abandon the security of the prosperous attorney (Wendell Corey) dating her for the charm of this unemployed man who puts his money where his heart is?

My Thoughts:  A cute little holiday rom-com.  I enjoyed this film.  It's nothing special or spectacular, but I still liked it.  It's nice compared to modern movies like this, because both of the men were totally great guys.    Mitchum's Steve is a romantic eccentric, while Corey's Carl is the sensible, down-to-earth guy - and sure, you know Connie will pick Steve, because that's the guy movies like this prefer.  Since she doesn't want Carl, though, I'll totally take him.  A modern movie would have made his character a total heel, and it was nice to see that he wasn't done that way.  Recommended if you like old movies or rom-coms in general.

My Rating:  3/5 (entertaining)

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Count:
Movies: 4
Short Films: 10
TV specials: 3
Music & Ballet: 1
TV episodes: 0

Title:  The Polar Express
Year: 2004
Rating:  G
Director:  Robert Zemeckis
Stars:  Tom Hanks, Leslie Zemeckis, Nona Gaye, Peter Scolari

Overview:  Get up, get on, and get ready for the ride of your life! It's Christmas Eve, and you're about to roller-coaster up and down mountains, slip-slide over ice fields, teeter across mile-high bridges and be served hot chocolate by singing waiters more astonishing than any you can imagine. You're on The Polar Express!

My Thoughts:  I really enjoy this film.  This is the fourth year we've watched it for the season, and I don't see a reason I won't watch it again next year.  I enjoy the story, the spectacle of the train ride.  My only complaint is that the motion-capture technology was so very new when this was made that the characters seem jerky and unreal at various points, especially when compared to the smoothness of traditional cel animation.  Still like the movie though. 

My Rating:  3.5/5 (fun & entertaining)

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Count:
Movies: 5
Short Films: 10
TV specials: 3
Music & Ballet: 1
TV episodes: 0

Happy Days: Richie Branches Out
Richie (Ron Howard) goes to extremes to receive his Christmas wish: to meet the Wisconsin Cola poster girl.

My Thoughts:
I watched this episode from a Best of DVD called Christmas Treats... it has a Christmas episode of 9 different series.

This is a fun episode. I definitely enjoyed it. But as for the Christmas aspect to it... Christmas was really no more then a background for the episode. But I must admit I got a kick out of Arnold in the elf costume to take a picture for Fonzie's Christmas cards.

My Rating: 4/5