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| National
Lampoon's Christmas Vacation |
| Made in 1989, this is the third installment of the adventures
of the Griswold family. This one finds the hapless clan preparing for a family
Christmas at home. As is par for the course for Clark Griswold, anything that
can go wrong does go wrong. Very reminiscent of most holidays. Chevy Chase and
Beverly D'Angelo star as Clark and Ellen Griswold. Absolutely hilarious for the
whole family! |
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National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation From Amazon.com |
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| The
Night They Saved Christmas |
| Most critics couldn't get behind Bill Murray's modern
retelling of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, finding it too unfocused at times and
not nearly wicked enough. Still, if you're a Murray fan, you have to enjoy his deliciously
nasty portrayal of the world's meanest TV executive, who has his cathartic moment one cold
Christmas night in New York City. The various ghosts lead him on a ghost-town tour of
Manhattan, with stops at holidays past, present, and future and a Kumbaya moment when Al
Green and Annie Lennox sing "Put a Little Love in Your Heart." The effects are
otherworldly, but one wishes the writing were as sharp as Murray's edgy portrayal.
Ostensibly a hip, funny rereading of Dickens' A Christmas Carol, with Murray as a venal TV
executive. The laughs are mild and widely scattered, and toward the end the film seems to
want us to take its brotherhood message seriously. Or does it? A variety of ``guest
stars'' appear in cameo roles. |
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Buy
The Night They Saved Christmas From Amazon.com |
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| One
Magic Christmas |
| This 1985 sleeper is reminiscent of both "It's a
Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Carol. " An enjoyable family story.
Grab an econo-pack of tissues, gather your loved ones around a cozy television, and bring
on the hot cocoa--it's time for a dose of Christmas spirit. The tender and charming Mary
Steenburgen (Parenthood) dons a sour disposition in her role as Ginny Grainger, a woman
who finds little joy in life lately--let alone in the impending holiday season. Money is
tight, her husband (beautifully downplayed by nice-guy Gary Basaraba) lost his job, and
the family must move out of their house. Ginny cannot even bring herself to say,
"Merry Christmas," despite her family's enthusiasm about the big day. With help
from Ginny's brave and loving daughter (sweetly performed by Elisabeth Harnois) and a
Christmas angel named Gideon (Harry Dean Stanton), Ginny undergoes a life-altering
experience à la It's a Wonderful Life. The result? Happy endings, hugs and kisses, pass
the tissues. |
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Buy
One Magic Christmas From Amazon.com |
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| Out of the Box - Happy Holidays (2000) |
The precious, intangible gifts of laughter, friendship, and love take center stage in this charming
holiday episode from the popular Disney Channel TV series Out of the Box. Upbeat, friendly
cohosts Tony and Vivian open their clubhouse doors to viewers and to a small group of cheerful
kids, all eager to share their favorite holiday traditions. Popcorn necklaces, origami cranes, and
family photos provide the impetus for breaking out the craft box to make a simple photo album.
Here smart direction and scripting shine through as the cast provide both short lessons on sorting
pictures and helpful hints for completing the project. An open box of kids' musical instruments
means it's song time. Themes of sharing and caring prompt the opening of yet another box--this one
full of costumes--for a wonderful spin on the classic O. Henry Christmas story, The Gift of the
Magi. Very refreshing to see talented kids and costume-free adults genuinely enjoying their
interaction and never upstaging. Following the 25-minute episode, Vivian and Tony show viewers
how to make a colorful holiday mobile and how to honor the various winter holidays people
celebrate. Sure to inspire 4- to 7-year-olds who love preparing for the season as well as regular
fans of the TV show. |
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Buy
Out of the Box - Happy Holidays (2000) From Amazon.com |
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| Pinocchio's
Christmas (1980) |
| As ing, A and Geppetto prepare for Christmas, Pinocchio joins
a puppet show to earn money for a present. There he meets and elopes with the beautiful
girl puppet Julietta, leaving Geppetto alone and worried. Featuring the voices of Alan
King and George S. Irving. Great story and great music. This is a very,
very warm movie. It is truly the best pinocchio ever. |
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Buy
Pinocchio's Christmas From Amazon.com |
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| Prancer
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| A 1989 film probably intended for kids, but with a charm and
sweetness of spirit that is endearing and enchanting. It's the story of a young
motherless girl who finds a wounded reindeer in the woods and, believing him to be
Prancer, one of "the" reindeer, lovingly nurses him back to health in hopes of
returning him to his place ahead of Santa's sleigh by Christmas eve. Sam Elliott is
the taciturn father who comes to believe in his daughter's improbable mission. An
original Christmas fantasy with a memorable and moving ending. It will warm your
heart and lift your spirits. |
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Buy
Prancer From Amazon.com |
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| The
Preacher's Wife |
| This 1996 fantasy is a Whitney Houston songfest with
Denzel Washington. A handsome |
| angel saves NY Baptist and wife from ruin in this remake of
The Bishop's Wife. |
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Buy
The Preacher's Wife From Amazon.com |
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| Renfroe's
White Christmas |
| A great Christmas story for the entire family. |
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Buy
Renfroe's White Christmas From Amazon.com |
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| Rolie
Polie Olie - A Rolie Polie Christmas (1998) |
| A fixture on Playhouse Disney (a host of morning TV programs
aimed at preschoolers), Rolie Polie Olie is a hip, computer-animated show combining a '50s
sitcom family with nifty robotic stuff kids will dig. With antennas, round faces, and a
household of living appliances, the Olies are part of an Emmy-winning show containing some
of the best elements of The Jetsons and Peewee's Playhouse. Three Yuletide tales make up
this 24-minute video featuring the 6-year-old Rolie, his younger sis Zowie, and their
parents. Grandpa's old ornament is accidentally broken in "Starry Starry Night."
Rolie thinks if he and Zowie can stay up for Clanky Claus, he might be able to fix it.
In "Snowie," the Olie's fake snowman comes to life for a fun adventure in
the snow, and "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" gets more than a few unusual
changes when Pa reads it in "Jingle Jangle Day's Eve." |
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Buy
Rolie Polie Olie - A Rolie Polie Christmas (1998) From Amazon.com |
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| Rudolph
The Red Nosed Reindeer |
| This classic 1964 television special featuring Rudolph and his
misfit buddies set the standard for stop-motion animation for an entire generation before
Tim Burton darkly reinvented it in the early 1990s. Burl Ives narrates as Sam the Snowman,
telling and singing the story of a rejected reindeer who overcomes prejudice and saves
Christmas one particularly blustery year. Along the way, he meets an abundance of
unforgettable characters: his dentally obsessed elf pal Herbie; the affable miner Yukon
Cornelius and his motley crew of puppies; the scary/adorable Abominable Snow Monster; a
legion of abandoned, but still chatty, toys; and a rather grouchy Santa. In addition to
the title song that inspired it, this 53-minute tape is crammed with catchy tunes such as
"Silver and Gold" and "Holly Jolly Christmas." Those who grew up
looking forward to watching Rudolph every Christmas season will undoubtedly be able to
recite the quotable quotes ("I'm cuuuute. She said I'm cuuuute." "Herbie
doesn't like to make toys.") as well as any Casablanca cult audience. |
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Buy
Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer From Amazon.com |
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