Ho Ho Holy Holidays

I'm not sure if I'll have an opportunity over the next several weeks to update the blog as I normally would. As you can imagine the holiday season is a busy time of year and this year in particular is going to be hectic for me and the rest my family.

I'd just like to wish all of my family, friends and blog readers all the best for a Merry Christmas and a healthy and Happy New Year.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog and all the best in 2008!

All-Time Christmas Movies

The presents are nice, decorating the tree is fun and all of the lights on the houses help to put me in the mood for the holiday season but when it comes right down to it, there's nothing I enjoy more than parking my butt in my comfy chair and watching my favourite holiday movies to get me into the mood.

Everyone has their favourite movie with a Christmas theme that they have to watch prior to the big day. For me there are several movies that make the holidays that much more enjoyable if I get a chance to view them in December. I won't count the annual television specials like Rudolph or Frosty. They're fun but I'm sticking with movies only for now.

Here now is a list of my Top 10 Christmas Movies.

10. Home Alone (1990)
I doubt anyone thought this would be a classic movie when it was released but almost 20 years later that's exactly what it is. Young Kevin is left behind by his family when they go on vacation and he has to run the house and defend it against thieves who are attempting to rob his family. This is a cute story with some very funny and heartfelt moments. Plus the fact it also stars John Candy it helps to put it in my Top 10.
Quote: "Kevin McCallister - Bless this highly nutritious microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner and the people who sold it on sale. Amen.

9. Trading Places (1983)
Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) is a successful Philadelphia commodity broker while Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) is a hustling beggar. Winthorpe's employers, the elderly Duke brothers, make a bet that by switching the lifestyle of the two, Billy Ray will make good and their man will take to a life of crime. Suddenly Louis finds himself uncomprehendingly with no job, no home and only a new acquaintance, glamorous hooker Ophelia, prepared to help him.
OK, maybe it's not your typical Christmas movie but it is set around the holiday's and Aykroyd does get stinking drunk in a Santa suit. A hilarious movie.
Quote: "Billy Ray - When I was growing up, if we wanted a Jacuzzi, we had to fart in the tub.

8. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Christmas just wouldn't be the same if we didn't get to see all of those postal employees dumping the letters to Santa in front of the judge in this holiday flick. A man claims to be Kris Kringle and nobody believes him so it's up to a lawyer, a little girl and the courts to decide. Edmund Gwenn plays the part of Kringle perfectly and has to defend himself or face being labeled as insane. This is a black and white gem and another not to be missed during the season.
Quote: Kris Kringle - No, but don't you see, dear? Some children wish for things they couldn't possibly use like real locomotives or B-29s.

7. White Christmas (1954)
Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye team up to become a top song-and-dance act. Davis plays matchmaker and introduces Wallace to a pair of beautiful sisters (Betty and Judy) who also have a song-and-dance act. When Betty and Judy travel to a Vermont lodge to perform a Christmas show, Wallace and Davis follow, only to find their former commander, General Waverly, is the lodge owner. A series of romantic mix-ups ensue as the performers try to help the General. It's an entertaining musical with plenty of music and dancing but of course the highlight is at the end when they finally sing the title song.
Quote: Bob Wallace -Oh, Phil, when are you going to learn that girls like that are a dime a dozen?
Phil Davis - Please, don't quote me the price when I haven't got the time.

6. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
I think this movie will make almost everyone's Christmas movie list...even though it's not really about Christmas. It's the story about a man going through some hard times, and makes the wish that he had never been born. Feeling that the world would be better off without him, he wants to remove the pain of everyone around him, by removing himself. For a short time, and angel grants him his wish, and the chance to see what life would be like if he really had never been born. Sometimes one life can have a big impact on others without even realizing it. Jimmy Stewart turns in one of his best performance ever.
Quote: George Bailey - Well, you look about the kind of angel I'd get. Sort of a fallen angel, aren't you? What happened to your wings?

5. Die Hard (1988)
New York cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) flies to Los Angeles on Christmas eve to spend the holidays with his family. He arrives at the Nakatomi building for his wife's office party. International terrorists take over the building and hold every one as hostage to steel $600 million of bonds from the vaults of the building. Now its up to McClane to face the terrorists and save his wife and the other hostages. OK...it's not your typical heart-warming holiday tale but it's set at Christmas time, the soundtrack has Christmas music and in the end the good guys win.
Quote: John McClane: I got invited to the Christmas party by mistake. Who knew?

4. A Christmas Story (1983)
Set in the 1940's, this film relates the tale of Ralphie Parker who wants an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and 'this thing' which tells time" and will go to any lengths to get it. Ralphie is on a mission and does everything within his power to make sure Santa delivers on Christmas morning. Ultimately, Ralphie's "Old Man" gives in. This is a funny movie that has almost gained cult status as one of the most loved movies of the season. Last Christmas one television station played the movie non-stop for 24 hours beginning on Christmas Eve.
Quote: Ralphie - Ooooh Fuuudge! [narrating] Only I didn't say "Fudge." I said THE word, the big one, the queen-mother of dirty words, the "F-dash-dash-dash" word!

3. Elf (2003)
The newest movie on my list is destined to be a holiday classic as well. Buddy (Will Ferrell) was a baby in an orphanage who stowed away in Santa's sack and ended up at the North Pole. Later, as an adult human who happened to be raised by elves, Santa allows him to go to New York City to find his birth father, Walter Hobbs (James Caan). Hobbs, on Santa's naughty list for being a heartless jerk, had no idea that Buddy was even born. Buddy, meanwhile, experiences the delights of New York City (and human culture) as only an elf can. If you've never seen this movie, do yourself a favour and watch it this Christmas. You'll be happy you did.
Quote: Buddy - We elves try to stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corns and syrup.

2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
There's nothing like the holiday's with the Griswald's. Chevy Chase returns as Clark Griswald the family patriarch who wants nothing more then to spend a good 'ol family Christmas at home...and to get those damn lights on the house to work...and to get that nice bonus from his boss. This is easily my favourite of the Vacation movies and is a humourous holiday classic.
Quote: "Clark - Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f**king Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse."

1. A Christmas Carol (1951)
This black and white classic produced in the UK is beyond a doubt my most favourite Christmas movie of all time. The worst thing they ever did was colourize a version of it as the original B&W is the only way it should be shown. It stars Alastair Simm as Ebeneezer Scrooge and the story is well known but the acting and atmosphere of this movie is head and shoulders above any other attempt at telling this story in film. It always seems to be on every Christmas Eve and it's a tradition to watch it before I go to bed. No doubt about this being my #1 Christmas Flick.
Quote: "Ebenezer - Bob, I haven't taken leave of my senses. I've come to them."

Here's a clip from the movie when Scrooge meets Jacob Marley.

So there you have it. If you have a favourite that I didn't mention or perhaps I've forgotten one then please feel free to leave a comment and let me know about it.

Merry Christmas!!

Clip of the Week - December 10/07

As the year quickly draws to an end I thought it would only be appropriate to post the YouTube clip that was voted Clip of the Year in 2006.

I have to admit that I really like this clip. The idea behind it is simple yet powerful.

This three and a half minute clip has been viewed over 21-million times on YouTube and is quite moving.

Here's the story behind the video...

Sometimes, a hug is all that we need. Free hugs is a real life controversial story of Juan Mann, A man whose sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives.

In this age of social dis-connectivity and lack of human contact, the effects of the Free Hugs campaign became phenomenal.

As this symbol of human hope spread across the city, police and officials ordered the Free Hugs campaign BANNED. What we then witness is the true spirit of humanity come together in what can only be described as awe inspiring.


Enjoy!

Clip of the Week - December 3/07

As you may have heard, one of my boyhood heroes passed away this past weekend. Evel Knievel died on Friday in Florida at the age of 69 after a lengthy illness. He suffered from diabetes and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, an incurable lung condition. He also had a liver transplant in 1999 after he almost died from hepatitis C, a disease that he likely got through a blood transfusion.

Growing up in the 70's there was nobody more exciting than the legendary Evel Knievel. What boy didn't pretend to be him at one time or another as we set up ramps on the street and rode our bikes off them while jumping our buddies lying on their backs. How we didn't kill anyone I'll never know. Evel was a hero to many young boys with his throw caution to the wind attitude.

I also recall playing for hours with my Evel Knievel Stunt Cycle that you'd attach to this mechanism which you then cranked up and upon releasing; the motorcycle with an Evel action figure along for the ride would race across the floor. I never owned an Evel Knievel lunchbox but I know some guys who did and boy was I jealous.

Knievel made a name for himself by cheating death over and over again. He used his motorcycle to jump cars, double-decker buses, the fountain at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas and of course his failed attempt at crossing the Snake River Canyon in is jet powered "Skycycle" made his a household name.

Below is video taken of his failed attempt to jump the Caesar's Palace fountain. Actually, he cleared the fountain but botched the landing as he lost speed during the takeoff. As a result of the crash, Knievel received a crushed pelvis and femur, fractures to his hip, wrist and both ankles and a concussion that kept him in a coma for 29 days.