Fifth Day of Holiday Movies

On the fifth day of Christmas, the holiday movie recommendation I present to you…

Is… George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker (1993).  This film is a bit different than all of the others on the list.  This is a film presentation of the classic Christmas ballet.  The ballet begins with an amazing Christmas Eve party with family and friends.  Among the guests is Herr Drosselmeier, an unusual man with a very special gift of a Nutcracker doll for the young heroine of our ballet, Marie (or Clara depending on the version).  After all the guests have left and the house is dark and quiet, odd things begin to happen.  Marie finds herself in the middle of a battle between The Nutcracker and The Mouse King.  I won’t tell you how the battle ends but after the conclusion, Marie is transported on an adventure through the Land of Snow to the Land of Sweets where the Sugar Plum Fairy and her court entertain her.  As often is the case, adventures do come to an end and Marie returns home but is filled with the memories of her enchanted trip.

The ballet proceeds as typically seen on stage but an unseen narrator provides background and helps to move the story along.  It is precisely for this reason that I think it is a perfect way to introduce the ballet to new or younger viewers.  The ballet is part of my being.  It is the ballet that made me want to take dance class and I can remember being a young ballet student and auditioning for different roles.  I appeared in it only one year as one of the soldiers.   It was magically then and remains magical now.  I have seen more productions than should be legal.  Since I live close to NYC, I have been lucky enough to see George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker live on stage at Lincoln Center several times.  The film version comes close to capturing that magic for me.  The ability to watch closely as the dancers move and their facial expressions is beautiful and something you don’t get in a large theater.

And yes, that is THAT Macauley Culkin appearing as Dosselmeier’s nephew, the Nutcracker and the prince.

For a number of years, Ovation TV showed a number of different choreographers takes on the Nutcracker storyline, with different settings and stories but all with that unforgettable score.  They called it the “Battle of the Nutcrackers” and viewers could vote on their favorite to be reshown at Christmas.  Personally, I found many of the versions to be a bit too much of a departure from the original for my taste but it was amazing to see how it continues to inspire others to reimagine the story.  I am sorry that the tradition is no longer continued.  However, I did check and they have two versions playing at 7am on December 13th and 14th so set your DVR if you need more of a Nutcracker fix.

The perfect double-feature for me would be to follow this version with an earlier version from 1986.  The “Nutcracker” (1986) is a production by the Pacific Northwest Ballet with production design and costumes designed by Maurice Sendak (yep, that Maurice Sendak).  As you can imagine, the Sendak version is a bit darker but beautiful and still kid-friendly. 

Fourth Day of Holiday Movies

On the fourth day of Christmas, the holiday movie recommendation I present to you…

Is… Prep & Landing (2009) which is the newest addition to my movie list.  This Disney animated TV special is destined for classic status.  This short is about Wayne, a long-service elf with the Prep & Landing department in Santa’s North Pole operations and his new rookie partner, Lanny.  The Prep & Landing crew is responsible for ensuring that children are sleeping and homes are ready for Santa’s visit.   This year’s assignment is turning out to be a serious handful but Santa is counting on these two elves to bring Christmas to this house.

Santa goes tech in this story and I love the gadgets that the elves use to perform their tasks.  Also who doesn’t love Magee as the Command Center Coordinator and her addiction to eggnog, cocoa and coffee.  If you’ve thought that this TV special is just for kids you are sorely mistaken.  As with all Disney films, there are elements that are directed right at the adults in the audience and make the viewing a treat for all ages. 

The special was so well received that Disney released sequels in 2010 and 2011.  In 2010, they released an animated short entitled Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa.  In 2011, they released another full length TV special entitled Prep & Landing: Operation: Naughty vs. Nice.  I am pleased to say that the sequels are very enjoyable and can stand on their own. 

Disney released the collection of specials and shorts on DVD and Blu-ray in 2012.  As far as movie marathons go, this is probably the shortest one I will ever recommend.  I recommend watching all of the series and it’s perfect to enjoy with the young or the young-at-heart.  I recommend watching with a mug of eggnog or hot chocolate and maybe a candy cane.   If you own the DVD, you should also watch the special features since they are quite funny.

My husband and I realized after watching this that one of our advent activities should have been to come up with our own Christmas call signs.  So in celebration of this film, we are sharing the call signs that we have come up with this year – he selected his to be “Snowball” and I selected mine to be “Cinnamon Stick”.  This was a great activity to go along with the movie.

Third Day of Holiday Movies

On the third day of Christmas, the holiday movie recommendation I present to you…

Is… the musical White Christmas (1954) starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.  Since I alluded to it last week, I figured that I would include it here.  The movie begins on Christmas Eve 1944 with Bob Wallace (Bing Crosby) and Phil Davis (Danny Kaye) in the Army stationed in Europe during WWII.  Through use of a montage of scenes you are brought up to current day where they are successful producers.  At the request of an old pal from the Army (yep that’s a picture of Carl Switzer who was Alfalfa from Our Gang) they check out a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) at a nearby club. Sparks fly between the pairs during the introduction and after avoiding being arrested they find themselves on a train headed north – destination, Pine Tree, Vermont.  After receiving proof that it really is a small world, Bob and Phil decide to bring their show to the Vermont inn.  The idiom that with friends like that, who needs enemies applies here and misunderstandings and comedy ensue as a result.

 

There are some great song and dance numbers throughout the film and the costumes are spectacularly stunning.  This is another film that I’ve been watching for as long as I can remember.  I have many favorite song/numbers from this film.   I can remember being in college and singing “Snow” along with my roommates.  I still think that the “Count Your Blessings” song is pretty good advice and always makes me pause and reflect.  There are some great comedic numbers that I don’t want to spoil if you haven’t seen them.  The performers seem to enjoy them as much as we the audience do.

I would recommend doing a double feature of Holiday Inn and White Christmas.  Double the Bing and his iconic song!

Second Day of Holiday Movies

On the second day of Christmas, the holiday movie recommendation I present to you…

Is… Holiday Inn (1942) starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.  This is a musical about a retired nightclub singer, Jim (Bing Crosby), who decides farming isn’t for him and he decides to open a supper club on his farm.  The catch is it’ll only be open for holidays.  Jim hires the up and coming Linda Mason to star in his shows and love develops between them until Jim’s former nightclub partner, Ted (Fred Astaire), arrives back in the picture. Comedic misdirection and hilarity ensue.  When they say it’s always about a dame, they were referring to the plot of this classic. 

I grew up watching this film and loved the singing, dancing and comedy.  Fred Astaire’s dancing is always amazing to watch but the New Year’s Eve dancing number takes the cake for me.  In the last 15-20 years, most networks have stopped showing the film due to the use of black face, lyrics of the Abraham Lincoln number and the treatment of the African-American characters.  I want to make it clear that I agree with the criticism of the film for these issues.  When the film has been shown on networks like TCM, I have very much appreciated the introductions that address this controversy instead of ignoring it.  Knowledge is power and enlightenment.   I hope that you the viewer can look past the controversy and enjoy the film.  I think that you can still catch this on TCM each holiday season or find it online.

 

Irving Berlin’s song “White Christmas” makes an appearance in this film a full 12 years before being used as the title song in another movie. 

Life lessons from this film – always be weary of short-cuts, when in doubt you can always try saying your name with emphasis and confidence and stealing your best friend’s girl doesn’t usually work out.

First Day of Holiday Movies

On the first day of Christmas, the holiday movie recommendation I present to you…

Is… The Shop Around the Corner (1940) which is the oldest movie on my list.  It is a classic film that stars Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan.  The main characters are colleagues at a shop in Budapest who dislike each other all the while also being secret unnamed pen pals that have fallen in love.  The plot may seem formulaic but that is because it created the formula.   They say “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”, well here is your proof.  You may be familiar with the adaptations (remakes) of this film - including In The Good Old Summertime (1949) which is a musical take on the story starring Judy Garland, the Broadway musical She Loves Me (1963) or probably the most recognizable would be the hit You’ve Got Mail (1998) starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. 

The idea that you share your true self with strangers in a way that you can’t be in real life is timeless.  The thought that you could fall in love with someone you’ve never even met has been around long before the internet seemed to popularize the idea.  While the movie may be considered “old”, the plot and characters are allowed to develop so that at the conclusion you feel like you know everyone working at Matuschek and Company. The movie is simple but there are a number of little gems where you can’t help but smile and chuckle a bit. I whole-heartedly recommend this amazing film.  You even get a special treat with Frank Morgan, best known for his role as Oz in The Wizard of Oz, as the shop owner.

I am a fan of creating movie marathons with a though line.  On a snowy day, a great holiday tribute based on the plot of this movie would be to follow this up with two adaptations – You’ve Got Mail (1998) and Christmas in Boston (2005).  I assume you are familiar with You’ve Got Mail already.  Christmas in Boston is a riff on the theme and was an ABC Family TV movie that focuses on pen pals who may have told a little white lie along the way and are now meeting for the first time in Boston at Christmas, mistaken identities and hijinks ensue. You can see the similarities.

If you watch this gem for the first time or are a repeat offender, like me, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Have any recommendations for another holiday movie marathon that includes The Shop Around The Corner?  I’d love to hear it.

Another Seasonal Count Down

Hope that you enjoyed your Thanksgiving feast!  Now that the count down to Christmas can really begin, I wanted to ask - What kind of movie watcher are you?

I love movies and watch them constantly.  I am more likely to watch a movie then a TV show most of the time.  That being said, I hardly go to the theater but rather watch them in the comfort of my house with a bowl of popcorn.  I joined Netflix in July 2002 and haven’t looked back.  However, I think that the best description of me is that when I connect with a movie, I am the kind of movie watcher who watches and re-watches the movie over and over and over again.  I will even admit that I will put a movie on and turn off the TV because I don’t need to actually watch the movie to enjoy it.  Think of it like a favorite music playlist that you put on in the background at work or the song that always makes you smile.  I have a pretty large movie collection but it is limited to movies that either my husband or I connect with.  Did I mention that thankfully my husband has a similar viewing style or at least has embraced it for me? Another reason he’s a keeper in my book. 

I should also confess at this time, I really enjoy holiday movies.  I typically partake in the light-hearted cheesy fare that seems to reign supreme on channels like Hallmark but my taste spans many generations of films. 

So in honor of my love of the season and my interest in re-watchable films, I am going share a holiday movie recommendation list of my own – The Twelve Movies of the Season.  The list will be in no particular order as I feel that all are worthy of a viewing.  Not all movies will speak to everyone but I hope that I can introduce something new to you or remind you of a forgotten favorite.  In an effort to get into the habit of posting on my blog, I plan to share 3 movies each week for the next 4 weeks leading up to Christmas.  The first movie will be shared on Monday, November 28^th and new ones will be provided on every Monday, Wednesday and Friday thereafter until December 23^rd. 

I also want to describe my favorite way to create a movie marathon.  It’s a matter of creating a connection between the movies, sometimes the connection runs through all of the movies and sometimes it’s more like a game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.  I usually keep it to around three movies and the connection doesn’t have to be limited to actors/actresses to connect any of the films.  Connections can be actors, directors, writers, style, genre, plot, location or any other connection I can come up with.  Since this may come up in future posts I figured I would share it now.

Are you ready?  I hope that you join me for this holiday movie adventure.

Bring on the Holidays!

Over the last year I’ve realized that I want to make a go at this blogging thing.  However, that realization doesn’t miraculously make it happen.  Sometimes the first step is the hardest step to take.  I have been brainstorming and writing down ideas for months.  I have always been a planner but I think that this exercise has been more about procrastinating out of fear. 

The holiday season is my favorite time of the year so there are so many things that I want to share.  As we approach the holiday season, I plan to embrace the spirit of giving. 

As a crafter, the season leading up to the holidays is often filled with making – crafts, food and memories.  A few years ago, I made an advent calendar garland of mittens to hang on my stairs.  The mittens are large enough for a small candy cane or some chocolates.  I have always wanted to include a paper slip with a holiday inspired task or activity for each day counting down to Christmas.  I have held back, not for lack of ideas, but because I want to be surprised each day.  So I had a brilliant solution the other day.  My husband and I came up with the 25 ideas together, wrote them on slips of paper, mixed them up and included a random slip in each mitten.  Since we know the full list in advance, we can make sure to have everything necessary on hand.

Bring on December 1^st because here’s the full list for our advent calendar:

      1.   Wear something red

      2.   Enjoy a hot beverage

      3.   Enjoy a glass of eggnog with or without the “holiday cheer”

      4.   Get your peppermint fix with a candy cane

      5.   Take a tip from Santa and enjoy a plate of cookies and a glass of milk

      6.    Listen to a holiday playlist over dinner

      7.    Sing “The 12 Days of Christmas” and if needed sing through the last verse of 

            “The 12 Pains of  Christmas” if the mood suits

      8.   Have a holiday dance party in the living room – “Rockin’ Around the Christmas

             Tree” is a must

      9.   Get caught under the mistletoe

    10.   Watch the yule log (it’s available on Amazon Prime video)

    11.   Watch a Christmas movie – whatever suits

    12.   Watch Prep & Landing

    13.   Play Letters to Santa (a card game based on Love Letter)

    14.   Wear white and red

    15.   Wear green

    16.   Share something we are each thankful for

    17.   Take a picture of something Christmasy – bonus points if we are in the picture

    18.   Share our Christmas wish this year

    19.   Read aloud the poem “T’was the Night Before Christmas”

    20.   Make a Christmas ornament

    21.   Enjoy a candlelight evening by the Christmas tree – PJs a must

    22.   Have dinner on our Holiday dishes

    23.   Make a Christmas inspired drink – without or without the “cheer”

    24.   Go for an evening walk to see the area lights

    25.   Make Christmas cookies

Runner-up that didn’t make our final list: Do you want to build a snowman?  If the snow has come down then opt for the real deal or if lacking in the precipitation, opt for watching Frozen