sowny.net | The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum


You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?

December 23, 2022 10:13 am  #1


It’s Not Christmas Until I See This…

It’s not the most wonderful time of the year as far as original television programming goes, but there are traditions that always seem to crop up at this time of the season. One of them is the endless round of annual TV movies and specials that get regularly pulled out over and over and over again. For some, they’re a warm Christmas blanket you can wrap around your memory. For others, it’s “is that on AGAIN?”
 
So is there one show or movie you just can’t go without seeing during the holidays? Maybe it’s the ancient 1964 stop motion about Rudolph or Santa Claus from Rankin Bass that you watched as a kid and now see with your own grandchildren. Or “It’s A Wonderful Life” or one of the endless versions of “A Christmas Carol” (or even Bill Murray’s “Scrooged.”) Maybe it’s “Elf” or “Die Hard.” Not to mention "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (now only available on Apple TV+. Scrooge would be proud!)
 
What’s your holiday show that can’t be missed? When my mother was alive, I think hers was “The Sound Of Music,” which just aired on ABC. I’m not a big holiday guy, but if I had to pick one or two, it might be the rarely seen Honeymooners episode from 1955 about Christmas at the Kramdens, where Jackie Gleason breaks character at the end for the only time in the series history to address the audience from the set of the show. Either that, or the Odd Couple’s take on A Christmas Carol – if anyone shows it.
 
Do you have a favourite Must See Xmas TV show or movie?

 

December 23, 2022 10:21 am  #2


Re: It’s Not Christmas Until I See This…

My favourites are:

A Christmas Carol (Alistair Sim)
It’s A Wonderful Life (Donna Reed / Jimmy Stewart)
A Christmas Story with ‘Ralphie’ - I heard there was going to be a remake but I’m not sure if that is true
A Charlie Brown Christmas
and so many more!

 

December 23, 2022 10:50 am  #3


Re: It’s Not Christmas Until I See This…

Hard to beat Alastair Sim as old Ebenezer ..but give this one a try.
Scrooge is a 1935 British Christmas fantasy film directed by Henry Edwards and starring Seymour Hicks, Donald Calthrop and Robert Cochran. Hicks appears as Ebenezer Scrooge, the miser who hates Christmas.
An excellent cast ..and if it suits you.. you can even find the colourized version for free using Roku or Firestick. 
Enjoy..and a Merry Christmas to All !!

 

 

December 23, 2022 1:36 pm  #4


Re: It’s Not Christmas Until I See This…

Trading Places
Die Hard
Die Hard 2 everybody forgets about this one but it's a Christmas movie too
Gremlins
The Family Stone
Love Actually for the cast, Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson and that scene where Emma's character realized her husband was having an affair
The Family Man, one of Nicolas Cage's best roles and the delightful Tea Leoni
the terrific movies already mentioned above, Alistair Sim's my favorite Scrooge
want to see the new riff on A Christmas Carol, the one starring Ryan Reynolds but it's on Apple tv so currently stymied

Oh yea, saved the best for last, and A Black Adder (Messy) Christmas

 

December 24, 2022 9:12 am  #5


Re: It’s Not Christmas Until I See This…

Often overlooked . . . Edward Scissorhands

 

December 24, 2022 1:45 pm  #6


Re: It’s Not Christmas Until I See This…

Like Listener, A Christmas Story is my favourite. I recorded it the other night and will watch it tonight with my wife, then her choice, The Waltons Homecoming, both on our PVR. There is a new version ,with just about all the original actors  of course now as adults. It is on Crave currently. I watched it the other day. I enjoyed it. On a side note, the original car from the first movie is now owned by a fellow in Wasaga Beach. It has been updated with a newer engine etc ,he just had it in the Wasaga Beach Santa parade a few weeks ago. 

 

December 24, 2022 3:16 pm  #7


Re: It’s Not Christmas Until I See This…

I always enjoy It's A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim.  Prefer seeing these in B&W rather than colourized.  Trains, Planes and Automobiles while not a Christmas movie also is shown this time of year. These three movies have different but timeless messages. 

 

December 24, 2022 3:28 pm  #8


Re: It’s Not Christmas Until I See This…

For me it's the 1960s production of the Grinch complete with the singing of Thurl Ravenscroft.  One thing that bugs me about it is that while the audio has been cleaned up, Boris Karloff still sounds like he recorded his lines on a cheap portable cassette recorder.

Along with that is an annual viewing of the movie "White Christmas".  Despite all the continuity and logic errors in the film, it's still a fun 2 hours.  Does anyone know what the deal with the cake and blowing out the candles is all about?
 

Last edited by Peter the K (December 24, 2022 3:30 pm)

 

December 24, 2022 6:34 pm  #9


Re: It’s Not Christmas Until I See This…

It's a bit hard to find but if you can on the Internet the Patrick Stewart version of "A Christmas Carol" is fantastic!  It's also I think the most realistic version with more background and context given to Scrooge than other more trite versions.
As for "It's A Wonderful Life," it is forever spoiled for me.
I have always loved Jimmy Stewart as an actor, not just for IAWL but all his films.
Unfortunately in the past year I ran across a bio about Stewart on the Internet that describes his rabid racism.
This is not jus rumour, there's factual info to back it up.
He especially hated blacks and jews.
Apparently if you did a movie with Stewart you would quickly discover this because he made no effort to hide his race hatred on the set.
What a shame.
 

 

December 24, 2022 6:49 pm  #10


Re: It’s Not Christmas Until I See This…

mic'em wrote:

Like Listener, A Christmas Story is my favourite. I recorded it the other night and will watch it tonight with my wife,

We don't get the channels here - U.S. cable only - but A Christmas Story wasn't that big a hit when it first came out. And then Ted Turner's TNT network began showing it on a 24-hour loop Christmas Eve and all day on Dec. 25th, and it became something of a tradition. It now airs on both TBS (starting at 8 PM and running until 7:30 PM the next evening) and an hour later on TNT, so it's on both channels at once for 24 hours straight.

No excuse down south to miss it if you love the film, because it's literally always on. Although if you do watch it too often, you could shoot your eye out...

     Thread Starter
 

December 25, 2022 11:36 am  #11


Re: It’s Not Christmas Until I See This…

Peter the K wrote:

Along with that is an annual viewing of the movie "White Christmas".  Despite all the continuity and logic errors in the film, it's still a fun 2 hours.  Does anyone know what the deal with the cake and blowing out the candles is all about?
 

 
I was watching it yesterday and thought exactly the same thing. Just how the heck did the general blow out all those candles in (just about) one go. Weird.

I also like to watch The Homecoming every Christmas Eve. I was never a big Waltons fan, but I always love this one, especially the supporting performances by David Huddleston, Woodrow Parfrey, William Windom and particularly Cleavon Little. And you just have to love the Baldwin Sisters.

Merry Christmas all
🎄🎁🎅