I was seven when “Home Alone” first arrived in theaters, and oddly enough I don’t remember the first time watching it. I did go to the movies to see it, as we always did, but I do fondly remember one night when my brother and I dragged my dad to see it for a third time. Beside “Who Framed Roger Rabbit!” we’d seen “Home Alone” at least three times in theaters, and we loved it. My dad had worked late, and he picked my brother and me up during one snowy night and we debated on what to see in the theaters. He was anxious to watch “King Ralph,” but we begged him to let us watch “Home Alone” once again. He obliged and allowed us to watch it yet again, despite entering the theater mid-way through the movie for the final half.
Tag Archives: Christmas
Five Reasons “Saving Christmas” is the Best Movie in the History of the World
Believe the hype. “Saving Christmas” is one of the most bafflingly awful movies ever made. And while I can kind of see the distorted logic behind making this kind of movie, nothing about it makes any kind of sense. Every time you think the movie almost understands where it’s heading, it just completely flies off the rails and injects some truly remarkable moments of lunacy. Star and producer Kirk Cameron is so sure that his movie will finally convince people that Christmas is Christian and only Christian that he begins the movie with a monologue about his agenda for the movie. There are only about five characters in the movie, including one really creepy Santa, and they’re all portrayed by a truly horrific cast of performers.
“Saving Christmas” is much too certain about itself to be considered satire, and often much too campy to be taken seriously. Kirk looks dead certain he knows more than anyone about religion and Christmas, and doesn’t mind flaunting it throughout the film, but then he literally ends the movie on our cast break dancing during a Christmas party. In a slow motion montage. Again, I’m almost certain it’s meant to be taken with a tongue in cheek, but I’d wager Cameron intended the climax to be taken seriously, much like the message behind “Saving Christmas.” The movie is much too baffling and surreal to trash it completely, so I just couldn’t help but itemize five observations about this oddity.
A Christmas Horror Story [Fantasia Film Festival] (2015)
FANTASIA FILM FESTIVAL
In the town of Bailey Downs, strange things are afoot on this Christmas Eve. Surely, it must be the Holiday Spirit, that good feeling most people get around the end of the year making them want to be nice, to be generous, to be… Or maybe it’s something much darker as this eve is bloody and filled with mayhem of all kinds, something akin to what one would expect on Krampusnacht.
Token Hearts (2014)
Dan and Derek Morrow seem to be on the right track with their stop motion animated shorts. With a larger budget, their ambitious and touching narratives could become wonderful films for all ages. “Comet” was adorable, and “Token Hearts” really has potential to be widened in to a great Christmas oriented fantasy film.
Top 5 Baffling Aspects Of “TMNT: We Wish You a Turtle Christmas”
There are no weapons, there’s no fighting, no Shredder, no April, no Casey, and no foot clan. And those aren’t the worst crimes this monstrosity commits. This is the definition of a quick cash grab. I am quick to believe someone raided a storage closet from a party entertainers’ warehouse, and decided to release their own Christmas themed Ninja Turtles video. Even at eleven years old, I would have shut it off after the first few minutes. “We Wish You a Turtle Christmas” doesn’t even last longer than twenty five minutes in length, and still feels long as hell.
The plot to this anomaly is that the turtles are trying to find a present for Master Splinter. So they prepare for Christmas, and go looking for a perfect present. Cue the mind numbingly terrible cash grab that is “We Wish You a Turtle Christmas.” Here are five of the more head scratching aspects of the twenty minute “special.
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Northpole (2014) (DVD)
Part one in an apparent movie series from Hallmark Entertainment, “Northpole” is a cute film about Christmas, and trying to preserve the happiness. Literally. It’s a simple and down to Earth movie that celebrates the more entertaining aspects of the holiday, while also building on a new hero in the form of elf Clementine. Bailee Madison is the definition of adorable as the rambunctious cherubic elf, desperately trying to keep the North Pole from dying what with the happiness of Christmas fading away in a sea of unfortunate cynicism. “North Pole” depends on Madison’s enthusiastic performance, and as always, she steals the movie. “North Pole” has its fair share of silliness, but it’s a fine Christmas movie with amusing quirks that I sat through with ease.
P2 (2007)
Franck Khalfoun’s “P2” is such a fun over the top woman in peril horror movie that even the worst aspects of it compliment the experience. West Bentley as the villain chews every bit of scenery to the point where he even seems to be competing with the dog he co-stars with, and eventually the gorgeous Rachel Nichols is put in to a slinky white dress and remains in it for the duration of the movie. But you can’t help but enjoy “P2,” either way since it amounts to a fun albeit formula slasher thriller.







