There are lots of movies out there to choose from which one can enjoy over the holidays whether you chose to watch one for the holiday spirits of it or otherwise. Over the years, some of my favorites have been: It's A Wonderful Life (although I have not seen it in years if only because it played about 20 times within a week one year a few years back), Bell, Book and Candle with James Stewart and Kim Novak (I have not seen this one in years either but would gladly watch it if it plays), The Miracle On 34th Street (the old version), The Bishop's Wife (yes the one with Cary Grant and David Niven); and there is my all time favorite Christmas Season movie: The March of the Wooden Soldiers with Laurel and Hardy. Those were movies I grew up with around the holidays, and most were old already when I was young.
There are more modern ones that are pretty good too. A Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart was pretty good, and The Santa Clause was very amusing, then there also was the now classic Home Alone - one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. All of these, and many more, can be great to watch over the holidays. Yet this year I think I will have nothing to do with any of them, unless that is I get to see Bell, Book and Candle. Other than that one movie, I have a plan to watch something different this holiday season.
I am pretty sick of the current crop of the holiday film offerings old and new - but especially the newer ones. Many of the newer ones are remakes of classics, that just don't have what the originals had going for them - classic original plots and good acting. For example the remake of The Bishop's Wife, called The Preachers Wife - was absolutely terrible with its piss poor acting (yes I know Denzel can act, but not in this one); and it trashed the memory of the original as far as I am concerned. Some remakes can be better than the originals, or at least as good, but not many reach that milestone. As for others that are good movies, heck some of them get played over and over and over and over again, until I cannot stand watching them anymore.
So, I have decided to do something a bit different for movie entertainment this year. For starters, I think I am going to sit back, probably Saturday night, and watch 'The Thing From Another World' (more commonly referred to as The Thing). Yes, I am talking about the original, not the crappy remake. This is one of the all time classic science fiction movies of my youth; and a pretty good movie at that. No it does not have the greatest actors in it, but the ones in it do a darned good job anyhow. Nor does it have all the glitz, or fantastic special effects of a movie of today, but the acting those actors did back then makes up for not having all the modern explosive special effects. I think that is one reason actors do not, for the most part, act as well today as they did years ago - the actors today have all those special effects to make up for their poor acting skills; or maybe if decent actors, then not to make up for a lack of skills, but rather that interfere with their acting skills. I appreciate movies with good plots, and with good acting; if they have glitz or special effects thrown in - okay; but please don't make me watch a movie where the special effects are better than the plot or the acting.
Well, that is the number one movie on my list this Christmas weekend. After I watch that, I think I may change gears a bit and watch The Paleface with Bob Hope. It is one of the funniest movies ever, and a western at that. I have a few more on my list of possibles, such as: Casablanca or Key Largo both with Humphrey Bogart, Topper with Cary Grant, Zulu with Michael Caine, and one of my other all time favorite comedies Arsenic and Old Lace with Cary Grant. There is just something about all of these movies that moves me, and it is great acting and great plots. If I get an urge for something more modern, maybe I'll throw a copy of The Usual Suspects with Kevin Spacey, or The Fifth Element with Bruce Willis, into the DVD player.
Whatever I watch, it will not likely be a Christmas movie, that is unless one of the stations runs: Bell, Book and Candle, or maybe with some great luck for me they will show: The March of the Wooden Soldiers. If so, I hope I realize they are on, and that I get to see ether or both all the way through.
What are you going to watch, why not leave your choices in the comments section. Thanks
All the best,
Glenn B
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