For Kids Or Not For Kids? That Is The Question.
Now this one is a toss up. Some say Christmas movie. Some say Halloween Movie. I say who cares this movie kicks ass. Tim Burton and his twisted little mind has done it again in The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's such a brilliant idea! Jack Skellington, Father Halloween if you will, is bored of always doing the same thing every year. Even though he's the best at it, he yearns for something different. He wanders off to think, where he comes upon a grove of trees where each has a different holiday door. He opens the Christmas door and falls in love with the lights and snow and wonder of it all. Then decides to rape and pillage Christmas! It's got amazing music thanks to Danny Elfman and Marilyn Manson. And the voices are top notch thanks to Pee Wee Herman, Uncle Lewis From Christmas Vacation and Prince Humperdink. But it is TERRIFYING! Really, the ghosts and ghouls are awesome and its gross and creepy. Even though it is Disney I would think twice before showing it to some kids, especially sensitive ones with a tendency to wake up in the middle of the night screaming! Jack has become such an iconic figure and the music will get stuck in your brain for holidays to come! A fabulous twist on all this sickening Christmas Joy!
Corn Meal, Gun Powder, Ham Hocks and Guitar Strings! What more do you need?! Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer is the longest running Christmas Special on record, and for good reason! Those little claymation misfits warm everyones hearts, and the gentle sounds of Gene Autry bring us all right back to our childhood! But can we put all that mush aside and talk about how F'ed up this movie is?! Poor Rudolph is almost suicidal after being rejected by everybody! His Parents are ashamed, the kids make fun of him, his coach tears him down. He should be the poster child for the "It Will Get Better" Campaign. It's heart breaking that he can't catch a break! And our little Hermey who is "different." He doesn't want to make toys like all the other elves, he wants to be a dentist? Is that what we're calling it these days?! They head off on their adventure and run into the ax licking Yukon (So creepy) who helps them get to the island of misfit toys, which essentially is an insane asylum for toys with anxiety and emotional problems. I'm pretty sure the doll cuts herself. Then eventually Rudolph returns to Santa to help save The misfits and all of Christmas! Oh wait. lets not forget Bumbles who they knock out and rip out his teeth?? Again I say, Children's Movie? Well you can bet your bottom dollar that my kids will be begging to play with a charlie in the box and yelling Laaaaaaaand Hooooooo! And yours should too!
Good Grief! Peter and I brought Hurley over to Our good friend's Laura & Eric's House the other night for dinner. While we drank wine and had dippers and swipers Hurley made friends with their dogs! When I told them about my little escapade of Christmas Madness, Eric jumped and said "Have you watched Charlie Brown's Christmas yet?!" And before I could answer we were all cuddled up with our goblets of wine and dogs to watch The Peanuts. Everyone loves this gang, so much so that we never stop to think how messed up poor Charlie is. I know sometimes I get down in the dumps at Christmas but Charlie is legit depressed, and he's a kid's cartoon. What child is that upset over the commercialization of Christmas. What child knows what commercialization is? He's so upset that he visits a psychiatric booth, granted it's his friend Lucy, but most kids play ninjas or with baby dolls, not psychiatrist. Lucy's advice is to direct their pageant. But when he gets there he just can't control everyone and their dancing. Their AWESOME dancing! He thinks if he can get a real tree for the play then the mood will be just right. But when he gets to the Christmas tree lot there is only one small, pitiful "real" tree. Everyone laughs at Charlie Brown when he comes back with a "wooden tree." It's then in utter despair that Linus walks up to Charlie Brown and serves him a giant spoonful of truth in the form of the Gospel of Luke from the King James Version of the Bible. Bible Verses? In a children's show? God Bless them! Couldn't get away with that today. Poor Charlie Brown, but in the end his friends band together and help decorate his tree and they all sing and everything is right again, at least for today. I'll say it again, Good Grief. Shows like Charlie Brown's Christmas not only keep the Christmas spirit alive but also our child-like spirit. It makes us realize the joy in simple things like catching "ripe" snow flakes on our tongues. And it makes us ask important questions like "Do innkeeper's wives have naturally curly hair?" Well Do They?
Now this one is a toss up. Some say Christmas movie. Some say Halloween Movie. I say who cares this movie kicks ass. Tim Burton and his twisted little mind has done it again in The Nightmare Before Christmas. It's such a brilliant idea! Jack Skellington, Father Halloween if you will, is bored of always doing the same thing every year. Even though he's the best at it, he yearns for something different. He wanders off to think, where he comes upon a grove of trees where each has a different holiday door. He opens the Christmas door and falls in love with the lights and snow and wonder of it all. Then decides to rape and pillage Christmas! It's got amazing music thanks to Danny Elfman and Marilyn Manson. And the voices are top notch thanks to Pee Wee Herman, Uncle Lewis From Christmas Vacation and Prince Humperdink. But it is TERRIFYING! Really, the ghosts and ghouls are awesome and its gross and creepy. Even though it is Disney I would think twice before showing it to some kids, especially sensitive ones with a tendency to wake up in the middle of the night screaming! Jack has become such an iconic figure and the music will get stuck in your brain for holidays to come! A fabulous twist on all this sickening Christmas Joy!
Corn Meal, Gun Powder, Ham Hocks and Guitar Strings! What more do you need?! Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer is the longest running Christmas Special on record, and for good reason! Those little claymation misfits warm everyones hearts, and the gentle sounds of Gene Autry bring us all right back to our childhood! But can we put all that mush aside and talk about how F'ed up this movie is?! Poor Rudolph is almost suicidal after being rejected by everybody! His Parents are ashamed, the kids make fun of him, his coach tears him down. He should be the poster child for the "It Will Get Better" Campaign. It's heart breaking that he can't catch a break! And our little Hermey who is "different." He doesn't want to make toys like all the other elves, he wants to be a dentist? Is that what we're calling it these days?! They head off on their adventure and run into the ax licking Yukon (So creepy) who helps them get to the island of misfit toys, which essentially is an insane asylum for toys with anxiety and emotional problems. I'm pretty sure the doll cuts herself. Then eventually Rudolph returns to Santa to help save The misfits and all of Christmas! Oh wait. lets not forget Bumbles who they knock out and rip out his teeth?? Again I say, Children's Movie? Well you can bet your bottom dollar that my kids will be begging to play with a charlie in the box and yelling Laaaaaaaand Hooooooo! And yours should too!
Good Grief! Peter and I brought Hurley over to Our good friend's Laura & Eric's House the other night for dinner. While we drank wine and had dippers and swipers Hurley made friends with their dogs! When I told them about my little escapade of Christmas Madness, Eric jumped and said "Have you watched Charlie Brown's Christmas yet?!" And before I could answer we were all cuddled up with our goblets of wine and dogs to watch The Peanuts. Everyone loves this gang, so much so that we never stop to think how messed up poor Charlie is. I know sometimes I get down in the dumps at Christmas but Charlie is legit depressed, and he's a kid's cartoon. What child is that upset over the commercialization of Christmas. What child knows what commercialization is? He's so upset that he visits a psychiatric booth, granted it's his friend Lucy, but most kids play ninjas or with baby dolls, not psychiatrist. Lucy's advice is to direct their pageant. But when he gets there he just can't control everyone and their dancing. Their AWESOME dancing! He thinks if he can get a real tree for the play then the mood will be just right. But when he gets to the Christmas tree lot there is only one small, pitiful "real" tree. Everyone laughs at Charlie Brown when he comes back with a "wooden tree." It's then in utter despair that Linus walks up to Charlie Brown and serves him a giant spoonful of truth in the form of the Gospel of Luke from the King James Version of the Bible. Bible Verses? In a children's show? God Bless them! Couldn't get away with that today. Poor Charlie Brown, but in the end his friends band together and help decorate his tree and they all sing and everything is right again, at least for today. I'll say it again, Good Grief. Shows like Charlie Brown's Christmas not only keep the Christmas spirit alive but also our child-like spirit. It makes us realize the joy in simple things like catching "ripe" snow flakes on our tongues. And it makes us ask important questions like "Do innkeeper's wives have naturally curly hair?" Well Do They?
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