Posted on 12/18/2006 7:42:45 AM PST by qam1
Ive heard all the talk about the War on Christmas and the battle of Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas.
All the while, the real war on Christmas was going undetected. Im talking about the war on classic Christmas specials.
This years victim: The Year Without a Santa Claus.
MODERN SCHLOCK
On Monday, NBC aired a live action version of the 1974 stop-motion animated classic. The story line was basically the same: Santa gives up on Christmas, thinking kids dont care about him anymore, while his elves, Jingle and Jangle, set off to find kids full of Christmas spirit. The elves are nearly thwarted by warring brothers, Heat Miser and Snow Miser. In the end, a boy named Iggy rediscovers the magic of Christmas, and Santa finds out people love him after all.
Thats about where the similarities end.
The show was billed as a holiday family event and rated G, yet one scene depicts a video game battle where a man gets his arm and his head ripped off, complete with spewing blood. The dog warden offers Iggy a beer. Jingle eyeballs a female gym teacher and is told by Jangle that its no time for a booty call. Heat Miser and Snow Misers back-up dancers are no longer smaller versions of themselves, but women in tight metallic tank tops and miniskirts.
Throw in that the movie was two hours long and started at 9 p.m., and you cant tell me this was made for children and especially not for us kids-at-heart who grew up with the holiday staple.
LET IT BE
Sure, holiday classics have been redone for years. But changing a black and white film to color or adding a few modern touches to the story line doesnt ransack the fundamental feel of those beloved films, as it did this time. The original Year delivered more heart and soul in an hour with its low-tech animation than this yawner could muster in two hours with an all-star cast.
With this remake, the network basically stole the proverbial candy from the babies of my generation. Much like the now-available chocolate-coated Pop Rocks, a true classic has undergone a painfully unnecessary makeover that renders its fans baffled and disgusted.
Dont believe me? Go to any Generation Xer and say Heat Miser and see if they dont start singing Im Mr. Green Christmas, Im Mr. Sun. Then tell them those favorite Miser characters who make this a classic in the first place were reduced to bit players in bad stage makeup and see what happens.
The bottom line: Dont mess with the animated classics. Theres a reason theyve stayed favorites for decades, and it has nothing to do with being modern.
First we had Jim Carrey in creepy makeup for Ron Howards version of Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Now, this.
Someone needs to tell Santas favorite reindeer hed better run, run, Rudolph or he could face a worse foe than the Bumble.
Right you are...thanks for the correction. ;-)
"Oh, I don't know. I liked all five of the "Thin Man" movies. :)"
Myrna Loy...perfect!
"Rerun" - that sounds right! Referring to the fact that he looks just like his older brother.
Class. Ah the movies and women of old.
Watched "Ice Age: The Meltdown" last night. It was amazing how much sophomoric humor the inserted.
Let's teach little kids to say "ass" and "damn." Besides the references to animal breeding and, of course, global warming.
Along with my medical problems and age, it makes me consider not trying to have kids.
I'm so afraid of what they'll "learn" just by seeing the commercials!
No kids for me, either. I can't imagine trying to raise them these days.
You have way too much time on your hands.
LOL...ok then...don't count it.
It wasn't one book of 3 though...
From Wiki:
"It was originally published in three volumes in 1954 and 1955 (much to Tolkien's annoyance, since he had intended it to be a single volume) . . ."
From the Tolkien Society:
"The Lord of the Rings is not a trilogy: by the time it was being prepared for publication in 1950, Tolkien was thinking of it as a duology: a book of two parts, the other being The Silmarillion - a work concieved of as being of equal size to The Lord of the Rings (Letter 126 to Milton Waldon, 10/3/1950)."
"Watched "Ice Age: The Meltdown" last night. It was amazing how much sophomoric humor the inserted.
Let's teach little kids to say "ass" and "damn." Besides the references to animal breeding and, of course, global warming."
Uh-oh, my in-laws just gave this to my husband's nephew for Christmas this weekend. The boy, only three years old, really lit into me for saying "gosh" at dinner. That's right, even "gosh" is too strong a word for my BIL's family, so I betcha he and his folks aren't going to be happy with this gift! My in-laws are gonna be in the dog house for sure... ;)
If somebody urinated in your breakfast and you objected, and they told you that you have too much time on your hands, how would you recieve that?
That's what Ron Howard did with the Grinch remake. He targeted that movie right at my kids, then put a bunch of irrelevant adult stuff in it. That's kids, K-I-D-S.
The other reason I remember this favorite of mine so well was I spilled the beans to my mother about what dad was giving her for Christmas.
Dad's 70 now and never forgets to remind me this time of year.
Hee hee, did your mom's present consist of "silver and gold...silver and gold"? LOL
It sounds like you didn't do your homework and now you smell urine in your cereal.
If you are talking about the 1978 animated version - it was God-awful.
They kept singing 2 incredibly annoying songs over and over again - 'The Wearer of the Ring" and "Frodo of the Nine Fingers". Just writing this has put both of those tunes back into my head.
I think I need to go to the nearest Emergency Room and get sedated.
;-D not back then, that came later when they had enough money to start buy more extravagant presents, like jewelery for Mom.
I remember we had this little black and white TV that Dad was always banging on with his fist to get it to stop barrel rolling. (That horizontal hold never did seem to work)
My mother (In conversation with my Grandmother) wondered aloud
"I wonder what Donald is getting me for Christmas"
Well I may have only been five years old but even I could answer that question.
A mirror!
It was one of those funny convex jobs with fancy carvings in the surrounding wood.
Dad's take on all of this was:
I knew that kid could never keep a secret.
Oh, man, am I ever gonna get you.
My life was GOOD until you did that.
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