Movies

Christmas: Favorite Holiday Movies – More Recent, In Color

December 5, 2011

As I started working on this list, I realized that all three of my very favorite recent holiday movies were Jim Henson movies, although The Muppet Christmas Carol was under the helm of Brian Henson, his son. I realize that family memories are wrapped up with family favorites, but I am trying to be objective here – and obviously I am failing miserably! These are movies that I enjoy revisiting during the holidays simply because they bring such joy.

Now that we have worked on the Favorite Holiday Classic Movies: Old, Black & White, and A Few In Color list, let’s move on with the more recent Holiday Movies.

Here are some of my favorite, more recent holiday movies:

The Muppet Christmas Carol—–1992

A Muppet Family Christmas—–1987

Jim Henson’s The Christmas Toy—–1986

I am not sure if this one should be in the Christmas or Halloween movies:

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas—–1993

Here are the favorite more recent holiday movies from your suggestions:

An American Christmas Carol—–1979–Henry Winkler

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever—–1983–Loretta Swit

The Christmas Box—–1997–Maureen O’Hara & Richard Thomas

The Christmas Card—–1996–Ed Asner

A Christmas Carol—–1984 –George C. Scott

A Christmas Carol—–1999–Patrick Stewart

The Christmas Choir—–2008–Rhea Perlman

Christmas Hope—–2009–Madeleine Stowe & James Remar

The Christmas List—–1997–Mimi Rogers

A Christmas Memory—–1997–Patty Duke

A Christmas Story—–1983–Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin

A Christmas Visitor—–2002–Meredith Baxter & William Devane

Christmas with the Kranks—–2004–Tim Allen & Jamie Lee Curtis

Debbie Macomber’s Mrs. Miracle—–2009–Doris Roberts

Debbie Macomber’s Call Me Mrs. Miracle—–2010–Doris Roberts

A Diva’s Christmas Carol—–2000–Vanessa Williams

Elf—–2003–Will Farrell

Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas——-2014

The Family Stone—–2005–Sarah Jessica Parker & Dermot Mulroney

The Gathering—–1977–Ed Asner & Maureen Stapleton

The Holiday—–2006–Kate Winslet & Cameron Diaz

Love Actually—–2003–Hugh Grant & Emma Thompson

Mickey’s Christmas Carol—–1983–Scrooge McDuck & Mickey Mouse

Mrs. Santa Claus—–1996–Angela Lansbury

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation—–1989–Chevy Chase & Beverly D’Angelo

Noel—–2004–Penélope Cruz

November Christmas—–2010–Sam Elliott & John Corbett

One Christmas—–1994–Katherine Hepburn, Swoosie Kurtz, & Henry Winkler

One Magic Christmas—–1985–Mary Steenburgen & Harry Dean Stanton

The Polar Express—–2004

Santa Claus: The Movie—–1985

The Santa Clause trilogy—–1994, 2002, 2006–Tim Allen

The Santa Suit—–2010–Kevin Sorbo

Scrooge—–1970–Albert Finney

Scrooged—–1998–Bill Murray

Trading Places—–1983–Dan Aykroyd & Eddie Murphy

The Twelve Days of Christmas Eve—2004–Steven Webber & Molly Shannon

Undercover Christmas—–2003–Tyne Daley & Jaime Gertz

Here is the list of the Christmas: Favorite Classic Holiday Movies : Old, Black & White.

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Christmas: Favorite Classic Holiday Movies : Old, Black & White

December 3, 2011

A few days ago, Marja submitted the following comment asking for different holiday movies suggestions. Here is her comment:

“I think a great idea for the coming month would be a post on wonderful Christmas/Holiday movies and TV shows …

Like you, I really enjoy the old black and white movies, and even the ones that only have a Christmas Reunion within part of the plot [not the whole plot] are wonderful at this time of year. I’ll bet a lot of us could make recommendations that others would enjoy!”

Let’s focus on the old, black and white holiday movies for this entry. We can do another entry with more recent, color holiday movies another time. I’ll add your suggested black and white holiday movies to the list.

Here are some of my favorite black and white holiday movies:

Christmas in Connecticut—–1945–Barbara Stanwyck & Dennis Morgan

The Man Who Came To Dinner—–1942–Betty Davis, Ann Sheridan, & Monty Wooley

Remember the Night—–1940–Barbara Stanwyck & Fred MacMurray

The Shop Around the Corner—–1940–Jimmy Stewart & Margaret Sullavan

Here are the favorite black and white holiday movies (and a few classics that are in color) from your suggestions:

A Christmas Wish—–1950 –Jimmy Durante, Terry Moore, & Tom Drake (has been colorized)

Bachelor Mother—–1939–Ginger Rogers & David Niven

The Bells of Saint Mary’s—–1945–Bing Crosby & Ingrid Bergman

Beyond Tomorrow (aka Beyond Christmas)—–1940–Harry Carey, C. Aubrey Smith, & Charles Winninger

The Bishop’s Wife—–1947–Cary Grant, Loretta Young, & David Niven

Bright Eyes—–1934—–Shirley Temple

A Charlie Brown Christmas—–1965 Charles Schulz animated classic

The Cheaters—–194–Joseph Schildkraut, Billie Burke, & Eugene Pallette

A Christmas Carol—–1951–Alastair Sim

A Christmas Carol—–1954–Fredric March & Basil Rathbone

Christmas Eve—–1947–George Raft, George Brent, & Randolph Scott

Christmas in Connecticut—–1945–Barbara Stanwyck & Dennis Morgan

The Desk Set—–1957–Katherine Hepburn & Spencer Tracy

Going My Way—–1944–Bing Crosby & Barry Fitzgerald

Holiday Affair—–1949–Robert Mitchum & Janet Leigh

Holiday Inn—–1942–Bing Crosby & Fred Astaire

The Holly and the Ivy—–1954–Ralph Richardson & Celia Johnson

How the Grinch Stole Christmas—–1966 Dr. Seuss animated classic with Boris Karloff

I’ll Be Seeing You—–1944–Ginger Rogers, Joseph Cotton, & Shirley Temple

It Happened on 5th Avenue—–1947–Don DeFore & Ann Harding

It’s a Wonderful Life—–1946–Jimmy Stewart & Donna Reed

The Lemon Drop Kid—–1951–Bob Hope & Marilyn Maxwell

Love Finds Andy Hardy—–1938–Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, & Lewis Stone

The Man Who Came To Dinner—–1942–Betty Davis, Ann Sheridan, & Monty Wooley

Meet Me in St. Louis—–1944–Judy Garland & Marbareg O’Brien

Meet John Doe—–1941–Barbara Stanwyck & Gary Cooper

Miracle of the Bells—–1948–Fred MacMurray & Frank Sinatra

Miracle on 34th Street—–1947–Maureen O’Hara & Natalie Wood

Remember the Night—–1940–Barbara Stanwyck & Fred MacMurray

The Shop Around the Corner—–1940–Jimmy Stewart & Margaret Sullavan

Susan Slept Here—–1954–Debbie Reynolds & Dick Powell,

White Christmas—–1954–Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, & Vera Ellen

Here is the list of Christmas: Christmas: Favorite Holiday Movies – More Recent, In Color.

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The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency Television series (HBO)

November 11, 2011

I should preface this entry by saying that I absolutely love Alexander McCall Smith‘s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency mystery books. While I have them listed as Cozy Mystery books, I have to say that in my opinion, they are more beautiful, character-driven pieces of fiction>>> in which the “mystery part” of the novel is secondary. (I emphasize that this is only my opinion! I consider Alexander McCall Smith one of today’s best storytellers.)

This HBO series was a collaboration with the BBC, and it shows! The episodes are quite true to Alexander McCall Smith’s mystery books, except for the addition of a secondary character (hair dresser) who, to me, is a nice addition. HBO has not added (again my opinion!) their almost-perfunctory nudity and sex scenes… which totally delights me.

The African (Botswana) setting is phenomenal. I am struck by the realistic “look” of the episodes… no slick Hollywood gloss-overs here! The cattle you see are not corn-fed, “beefed-up Hollywood” animals. The roads are dusty, the houses are modest, and the cars look like the type which would keep Mr. J. L.B. Matekoni (Lucian Msamati) busy at his auto repair shop.

Mma Ramotswe (Precious) is superbly played by Jill Scott, but to me, the stand-out performance is Anika Noni Rose as Mma Makutsi (Grace).

I strongly recommend the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency television series. In the past, I have often had problems watching a screen production of a favorite book/series of mine. There have been a few exceptions to this, the Princess Bride is one that comes to mind. This production of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency is yet another exception!

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Murdoch Mysteries Television Show

October 28, 2011

There are actually two Murdoch Mysteries series – both are Canadian productions and both are based on author Maureen Jennings’ Murdoch Mystery Series. Both series are set in the late 1890s and feature a police detective (William Murdoch) – who is an avid reader of scientific findings and inventions. This entry will be about the Murdoch Mysteries television series, not the Canadian made-for-TV movies.

Murdoch’s interest in modern (for the times) theories enables him to make gadgets that help him solve cases. He is years before his time… in some cases, over one hundred years before his time. Murdoch makes gadgets that are quite similar to today’s – a “circumscope” (periscope) using opera glasses, a lie detector using who knows what types of tubes with blue liquid, etc. There are many sly references to today, as well. Sergeant George introduces Murdoch to a very new beverage -coffee. Murdoch states he doesn’t see coffee as something that will catch on, when they already have tea.

Not only is Murdoch ahead of his times. Apparently the entire police force is made up of very modern thinking men. They totally accept the beautiful female forensic pathologist. And, the female doctor is also way ahead of her time: She speaks easily about finding sperm in a corpse, and uses a substance very close to today’s Luminal.

The first Murdoch Mysteries series was a movie series… sort of like the old movies-of-the-week. The second Murdoch Mysteries is a Canadian CityTV television series. This television series stars Yannick Bisson as Inspector Murdoch, Hélène Joy as Dr. Julia Ogden, Jonny Harris as Constable George Crabtree, and Thomas Craig as Murdoch’s boss. (Thomas Craig is a stand-out for me.)

I first started watching this Murdoch Mysteries series after I watched the original series. The first “movie” series was grittier and less obsessed with what I will call “the forensic gross-out” details. Since the first series was from 2004 and this one is more current (four years later) I will blame this on shows like CSI Miami, CSI Anchorage, CSI Topeka, in short, CSI!

I guess you might call these Murdoch episodes sci-fi mysteries. You have to “go with it” >>> These are not for everyone. And, of course, what Victorian, sci-fi mystery would be complete without real historical characters? Enter Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Prince Alfred, Buffalo Bill Cody, Nicola Tesla, etc..

I have to admit that I found the previous Murdoch Mysteries series of movies more believable. This series stars Peter Outerbridge as Murdoch, Colm Meaney as his boss, and Keeley Hawes as the doctor. However, as I stated above, they are grittier.

PS>>> I have not read any of Maureen Jennings’ Murdoch Mysteries. This television series does show certain biases, which for me, is not a problem. I am able to just “go with it” and totally disregard the “politically correct” views the series clearly endorses. I do not know if Jennings’ mystery novels do the same. Also, the show is named The Artful Detective in some areas, rather than the Murdoch Mysteries.

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