<–Question of the Week: 12/18/16 Question of the Week: 12/31/16–>
The Question of the Week is posted every Sunday and will consist of a question followed by my answer and explanation to the same. Some questions will only require a simple answer that could potentially be followed by an explanation. Many questions will be writer oriented, but not all. Everyone is encouraged to answer in the comments and discussions/follow up questions are more than welcome!
What’s your favorite Christmas movie or TV special?
Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas is probably my favorite Christmas special, yet I always cry a bit at the end of A Charlie Brown Christmas when they decorate Charlie Brown’s sad, tired Christmas tree, it perks up, and they sing “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” I don’t know why. I’m not religious, but I am sentimental, and (admission time) I cry over something at least once a day. A beautiful passage of music will move me or I’ll see/read something poignant. It’s really not hard for the Shameful Narcissist to bring the waterworks.
The Grinch gets me because I love the Heel Face Turn (shock…) and redemption stories (double shock). Side note: If you go to the TV Tropes link, you’ll see the Grinch is the poster child FOR the Heel Face Turn.
It always amused me how his eyes went from red irises surrounded by yellow to the “more wholesome” blue, because of course that’s what happens when you turn from evil to good in children’s stories. Either way, the message of the Grinch is one we still sorely need. It’s ubiquitous and eternal since, despite the fact it centers around Christmas, it’s not really religious.
What’s your favorite Christmas movie or TV special? Is it something you’ve loved for a long time or is it new to your heart?
I suppose I should say my obligatory Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Holidays since it is the big day for the first and continues for the second. While Christmas morning was always the most exciting time of my youth, I find in my old age, I enjoy Christmas night much more. I can relax, play with my toys, and recuperate from the day’s festivities. I also still have a ton of dough left to make so I’ll probably bake that and eat a ton of cookies.
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday!
<–Question of the Week: 12/18/16 Question of the Week: 12/31/16–>
The Shameful Narcissist Speaks 
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I have quite a few but my top five are: It’s A Wonderful Life, The Santa Clause, The Grinch, Meet Me In St. Louis ( I know it’s technically not a Christmas movie, but it has that iconic scene of Judy Garland singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas “, and Miracle on 34th St. Oh! And Gremlins is also up there!💁🏻
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I have to make some admissions. I’ve never seen It’s a Wonderful Life or Meet me in St. Louis. I know Wonderful Life is the quintessential Christmas film, and I certainly know what it’s about, but I’ve never actually seen it. I…actually don’t think I’ve sat through the entirety of Miracle on 34th St. either, but since it’s as iconic is Wonderful Life, I know it as well.
I love The Santa Clause movies and Gremlins is fun, too!
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If you ever have the chance Adrienne, you’ve got to watch those. I mean Jimmy Stewart and Judy Garland! How can you go wrong?!
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I second It’s a Wonderful Life as a film to watch, heartwarming. Make sure you have someone around to hug afterwards though, or watch it with someone you can sob with; that’s important.
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We have a selection of Christmas movies we watch every year, starting with Nightmare Before Christmas. The black and white Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Santa Clause, and maybe The Santa Clause 2 (but not 3), Home Alone, A Christmas Carol with George C. Scott (best Ebenezer Scrooge ever), White Christmas, and finish on Christmas Eve with Scrooge, the musical with Albert Finney. All kinds of schlockey. 🙂 I hope your Christmas was joyful and serene, and I hope you never felt you’d eaten too much.
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That’s such a good idea. I should really implement a system where I watch them on the weekends, because I love a good Christmas movie! I’ve never actually seen Wonderful Life, and I’ll have to check out that version of Christmas Carol. I’ve seen the one where Patrick Stewart plays him and the most recent animated version.
I ate so much!
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Definitely see It’s a Wonderful Life sometime. It’s a classic for a reason, though I know someone who doesn’t care for it. I’ve heard Patrick Stewart read Dickens’ book, but I haven’t seen him play the part.
All the over-eating this time of year is such a horrible pleasure. Especially all the cookies, fudge, and peppermint!
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That’s a very good pick. My absolute favorite is The Nightmare Before Christmas. People always try to argue that it’s a Halloween movie, but it isn’t! Not at the heart of it! Gah!
Also, I thoroughly enjoy Home Alone 1 and 2. Probably just the nostalgia factor.
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I always considered it was both! It’s been YEARS since I’ve seen that movie. I need to remedy that. I enjoy the Home Alones, too. No shame!
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Yessss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas is such a good one! Great choice! Love the animation and the music. 🙂
I have a major nostalgia factor for Will Vinton’s Claymation Christmas Celebration. It’s one not a lot of people even remember, but I used to watch it every year with my mom.
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I think I know what you’re talking about! Is it the one with the California Raisins? I remember there’s this one sequence (if this is the show you’re referring to) where they play Joy to the World and they keep moving inward towards a Christmas tree’s decorations. In each decoration is another house with a Christmas tree, which they move in on to show another house with a Christmas tree, and it’s this lovely infinite loop. Ah what a great memory!
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YES! You are indeed correct! 🙂 The Christmas ornament one is for the song “Oh, Christmas Tree” but they did have a pretty “Joy to the World” segment involving stained glass. I’m so excited that you remember it. No one usually does! lol
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Diehard and Gremlins.
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The Grinch is a classic! His theme song always gets stuck in my head when I see a picture of him. I had no idea you liked redemption stories… 🙂
I think Mickey’s Christmas Carol is my favourite. Little kid me love the Disney take on this classic tale. Though I do remember the graveyard part with Pete as the Ghost of Christmas Future scared me, lol.
By the way, I’m eating a cookie right now, and yes, it is your fault for mentioning delicious cookies so much, but I forgive you. 🙂
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I love how grumpy he is initially hehe. In some ways I like the “evil” Grinch more than the redeemed one. That evil smile though.
I have had the opening song to that stuck in my head for like two weeks! That was another of my favorite specials, and actually my first exposure to A Christmas Carol. Disney has a way of doing that. The Ghost of Christmas Future always terrified and intrigued me. If I were making the ghosts into Final Fantasy characters, Sephiroth would 100% be the Ghost of Christmas Future.
I regret nothing!
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A Final Fantasy Christmas Carol movie, complete with CGI?! Make it happen Squeenix! 🙂
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My favorite Christmas movie is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. It’s a classic comedy from the 80’s and one of my mom’s favorite movies. It’s one of those films that just wouldn’t fly today, where it’s a holiday movie but has references to sex and curse words. I grew up watching it even when it wasn’t Christmas, but we watch it together every Christmas Eve as tradition!
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I’ve seen that movie! It’s been a while, but I remember it. Back when Chevy Chase was a big comedy name! I don’t know. There are some pretty risque holiday movies now like Bad Santa, but those are kind of on the fringe so I get what you mean.
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Such a cute movie… I used to love watching it growing up!! I also really liked A Charlie Brown Christmas. We used to have a bunch of movies we’d cycle through at Christmastime (“Yay! It’s Christmas so it’s time for…”), and in addition to the two cartoons, we also watched Santa Claus: The Movie (not to be confused with the Tim Allen movie), and various iterations of A Christmas Carol (one with George C. Scott and one with the Muppets).
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I love the Grinch, and I don’t even hate the movie that seems to get a lot of flak. I really like the animated Christmas Carol with Jim Carey voicing Scrooge. I don’t think I’ve seen this Santa Claus movie!
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It’s great! It’s a 1985 movie with Dudley Moore as the main character, Patch the elf, supported by John Lithgow as a toy manufacturer and David Huddleston as Santa, among others. When Patch leaves the North Pole to work for a toy company… well… it’s just a great movie 🙂
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Great choice! I love the Grinch too! I have fond memories of one of the Simpsons Christmas specials. In particular, it’s the one that has to do with Bart shoplifting a video game. I like the gaming references and appreciated that it was an episode about video games and Christmas, which is a great combination for me. I always look forward to that episode during Christmas time.
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