Clan Piper will be settling in to watch videos tonight. PiperCub is all of 4, so the Grinch will definitely be on the play list, as will Charlie Brown. A Christmas Carol are two others - the Alister Simm version, and also the Muppet version.
So, what are your Go-To Christmas videos?
Our Christmas Eve film this year will be A Child’s Christmas in Wales, an excellent and delightful adaptation of the story by Dylan Thomas, and starring Denholm Elliott as Grandpa.
Last night was A Midnight Clear, which is always a rewarding film. It has an outstanding cast, including Peter Berg, Kevin Dillon, Ethan Hawke, Arye Gross and Gary Sinise, as a squad of soldiers sent out to scope out a possible offensive by the German army in December 1944. It also has John C. McGinley doing what he does best.
Also last night was The Nutcracker Ballet, with Baryshnikov and Gelsey Kirkland. While they take liberties with the story, these two provide some athletic dancing. I don’t like ballet, but this is a good video.
Earlier in the season we watched A Christmas Carol, with George C. Scott, which never disappoints; A Christmas Memory, written and narrated by Truman Capote, and starring Geraldine Page. The master for this sweet Christmas story was lost, so it’s nearly impossible to find a good copy. The negative reviews are due to the poor quality. There was a remake with Patty Duke that I won’t even dignify by watching; and then there are A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation along with some other minor things. I’ve yet to talk my wife into watching Bad Santa, unfortunately.
For me, it’s not Christmas without the Grinch, Charlie Brown, and Rudolph. I watch plenty of others during the season, but those are the three must-haves.
Log.
(No chimney in my place, so vid has to do.)
Last night I watched Christmas Eve on Sesame Street with my 3-year-old niece (Amazon Instant) and then A Muppet Family Christmas which we haven’t seen in forever. It was hilarious!
We used to watch Mickey’s Christmas Carol every year because we had it on VHS but it didn’t survive interest past childhood like the others did.
Today watched It’s A Wonderful Life and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation with the folks, which we watch every year. Tomorrow will watch A Christmas Story.
Wonderful choices, ChefGuy. A Midnight Clear is one of the best of the tender antiwar films.
I didn’t know that A Child’s Christmas in Wales had been made into a film and will be looking for it.
The dotty grandma and her Pledge of Allegiance grace in National Lampoon reminds us of one of the last Christmases with our own grandma at the table. And what else can you do but laugh?
Another that has a few good chuckles is Mixed Nuts with Madalyn Kahn and Steve Martin, about a suicide hotline manager who ends up with his clientele for the celebration.
Alistair Sim’s* A Christmas Carol*. It’s a must for me. Sometimes it’s not on TV but 2 years ago my family got me the DVD for Christmas! I also watched part of the G. C. Scott one and the Patrick Stuart one.
I guess this qualifies as a Christmas video. Crosby and Bowie, Marvelous, really fine!
Raymond Briggs’s The Snowman
The Royal Ballet performing the Nutcrackeris available online for free for the next few days.
Polar Express
Charlie Brown
White Christmas
Nightmare Before Christmas
Just don’t try Amazon. For some reason, there are few sources for it there and the prices are ridiculous. You can probably find it at a post-Christmas sale for a few bucks.