Since Thursday, John and I have been watching our collection of Christmas shows. Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, The Year Without a Santa Claus, Charlie Brown, the Grinch, It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, etc. I like them all for the magical content and for the way they make me feel. Of course, there are a lot of things that stand out in these as either really dated or things that just don’t mesh with me.
Take Rudolph – I remember as a kid being terrified by the abominable snowman, and I can still remember that feeling when I watch it today and get chills – LOL. On the other hand, I’m also more aware of what a mean, self-centered, preoccupied grouch Santa was. And my favorite dated line from that show: “… they knew the best thing they could do right now was to get the women back to Christmastown.” *grin*
Take It’s a Wonderful Life – ostensibly it’s about a man who was disgruntled because he ‘had to’ stay at home and work the family business but finds out his life really isn’t so bad. Now, I can watch it knowing what the filmmakers were attempting, and can enjoy it. On another level however, I see a man who didn’t really follow his heart and his desires to explore out of a misguided sense that things at home would just fall apart without him, something pretty much supported by what happened when he ‘was never born’. It’s not what I agree with, but I enjoy the magic of the film and it’s really fun watching Jimmy Stewart act.
Miracle on 34th Street (the original, not that horrible remake from the 80’s), I’d have to say, that although it’s a bit dated, most of it fares really well and ends up being mostly just a magical movie. 🙂
I can see why networks also wouldn’t show Santa Claus is coming to town and The Year Without a Santa Claus on tv anymore (although I certainly wouldn’t AGREE with their choices, mind you.) Santa Claus is coming to town is the one with BurgerMeister MeisterBurger and has the town being bullied by people who seem suspiciously German-esque, and Santa Claus goes around flouting all the laws and then he and Jessica get married outside instead of in a church – not very “christian” – LOL. And the Year Without a Santa Claus (the one with the Snow Miser and the Heat Miser) is just a pagan fest with elementals and mother nature and flying reindeer and elves and not a drop of religiosity in the mix – heh heh. And damn if I can’t stop singing songs like “put one foot in front of the other, and soon you’ll be walking out the door” and “I’m Mr. Heat Miser, I’m Mr. Sun…”
Oh, and of course, there’s the Bloom County, “A Wish for Wings that Work” starring Opus and Bill the Cat, featuring ducks that look like the three stooges, a pig that insists it’s a rhinocerous, a cross-dressing cockroach, and Opus’ butt that falls off like a manhole cover – nothing screams Christmas more than that! Can’t find the ‘Tick’ animated Christmas episode that we have around here somewhere, but that’s hysterical too.
How about you – got any favorites I haven’t mentioned or thoughts about the ones I have?