Mainlining Christmas

I'm sure Lindsay's writing something about this, too, but I'm going to say my piece all the same. Prep & Landing is a new addition to the holidays, but it's already claimed a spot.  I know most of you have never seen this - have probably never heard of it - but that has to change.  This is one of the best Christmas specials ever produced.  It can hold its own with just about anything out there. First, let me give you some background.  A few years back, Disney "bought" Pixar.  The word "bought" is in quotes for the simple reason that, as part of the deal, Disney more or less handed the reins of their entire corporation over to Pixar's leaders.  In other words, Disney paid Pixar a large amount of money to take control of Disney. This is, incidentally, why Disney suddenly started producing films that don't suck again.  It also left John Lasseter in the position to green light things like Prep & Landing, a half hour Christmas spec

Mission Impossible elves! I may swoon! I simply adore this, easily the best new holiday special in years. If you didn't see it last year, go now. NOW. It's free, it's online again, GO . Alternate Link . Click already! If you saw it last year, see it again. Did you notice the amazing music by Michael Giacchino (my current favorite composer)? Did you remember all the amazing details, the gear, the lingo, all the small jokes in the background? Prep and Landing has the most fantastic Christmas Elves ever. It's sweet and funny, has both action and heart, and features the best sleigh take-off I've ever seen. I love the characters, I love the humor, I love the story, I just love this special! See this one. Revel in the warm glow brought into being by the Disney/Pixar merger.

As something of a Santa Claus aficionado, this is a movie that fascinates me on an academic level, which is a good thing because it's not a very good movie otherwise.   This movie is very clearly emulating (if not outright copying) Blitzen's Superman.  Apologies - I've just remembered that Donner directed the 1978 Superman movie (Blitzen was at one point in negotiations, but that fell through).  At any rate, there's no denying the parallels: the first third of each movie focus on an otherwise unrelated origin story, both film attempt to transport their respective mythologies into a relatively realistic setting, and in each the villain is Lex Luthor.   The only real difference between the two productions is that Superman was a good movie. However, Lindsay is explaining why Santa Claus was crap , and I see no reason to repeat the same points.  As such, I'd like to discuss why it was almost good.   And that, of course, brings us back ar

Every year something, well, not wonderful.... something okay happens in Manhattan.  The Holiday Gift Markets appear. These are places where you can buy overpriced trinkets while standing with large crowds of people in the cold.  It's surprisingly cheerful at times.  Especially on a weekday morning when relatively few people are there. You have to remember, these pictures represent the lowest possible population density. These pictures are of the Market in Union Square.   (There's another one by Columbus Circle, and an unrelated one in Bryant Park.) Most of what you can buy here falls into just a few categories: Jewelry, Crafts (especially knitted products), Framed Art, Food, and Christmas Ornaments. And most items have an additional modifier, like: Sustainable or Green products, Products made in impoverished regions, or Handmade Locally. Occasionally you find a trifecta, like a booth selling kitchy coin purses that were handmade in Columbia out of recycled candy wra

Wow, this movie has serious pace issues. It is slow slow slow.  It switches plot at least three times, and each new storyline is only tangentially related to the others. This makes the movie feel even longer than it is. The plots themselves don't make a ton of sense, and the tone is wildly inconsistent. The worst part is that every so often there's a sliver of a moment when it is almost a good movie.  You can see where it could have turned away from stupidity (by, say, not changing plots again, or by not making Dudley Moore suddenly the focus) and been something actually good.  Erin pointed out while we were watching it that every time it started to look serious or magical or otherwise interesting, in came the annoying repetitive cartoon music and the slapstick-prone elves. I should mention that these are some mighty unconvincing elves.  The height and behavior isn't consistent at all.  It also didn't help that all the toys the elves make look ridiculous, so whe

I'm not sure whether the titles for these shorts were inspired by the 1950 Bell presentation, "The Spirit of Christmas," but given Parker and Stone's love of puppetry, I can't rule it out. If you're not familiar with these shorts, you are familiar with their legacy: cut out of construction paper, these are the first two South Park shorts. As a show, I have conflicted feelings about South Park.  On one hand, I've seen some episodes I absolutely love.  At its best, the show is clever, cunning, and subversive in a way that's both original and shocking.  The thing is, whenever I've tried getting into the series in any serious depth, I always stumble across an episode containing images or ideas I can't stomach.  The fact they manage to disturb or offend me using what amount to paper cutouts is something the show should be commended for.  Still, it limits my interest. At any rate, while I've never gotten too involved with the series, I love