Favorite: CHRISTMAS MOVIE VILLAINS

The Christmas season is a time for us to reflect on the happiness in our lives and spend time with our friends and family. It's supposed to be a time of jolliness and cheer, and the best Christmas movies do well to convey that sense of cheer. However, there's always that one character who's trying to bash that holiday happiness and bring down everyone's cheery livelihood. This post will salute my favorite holiday villains. They're the ones who take away the Christmas spirit from the rest of the characters and try to ruin the holiday itself. However, sometimes these characters can prove to be the most charismatic and most memorable in a film, and for those particular individuals, I've created this list. I've gone through all of the Christmas-related films I've seen (a relatively short list, but a comprehensive one nonetheless), and I've chosen my seven favorite holiday villains. I've supplied videos for each when possible, so I hope you enjoy them. And enjoy this list of my favorite Christmas baddies!

7. Santa
Santa's Slay (2005)
Played by: Bill Goldberg


*****

6. Hans Gruber
Die Hard (1988)
Played by: Alan Rickman


*****

5. Burgermeister Meisterburger
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970)
Voiced by: Paul Frees

*****

4. Abominable Snow Monster
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)


*****

3. Henry F. Potter
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Played by: Lionel Barrymore


*****

2. Oogie Boogie
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Voiced by: Ken Page


*****

1. The Grinch
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
Played by: Jim Carrey

Movie Review: SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN

SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN

1970
Not Rated


"Watch out for that dolly. She's a hardened criminal, I hear."
-- Kris Kringle

Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town is a made-for-television animated film directed by Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass that tells the story of Santa Claus. The film opens with postal carrier (voiced by Fred Astaire) serving as our narrator as he tells us of the origins of Santa Claus. According to him, an infant Claus was left on the doorstep of the evil Burgermeister Meisterburger (voiced by Paul Frees) who immediately had the baby sent away. He ended up with a family of elves known as the Kringles who spent their entire lives making toys the could not deliver to children because the Winter Warlock (voiced by Keenan Wynn) prevented their passage across the mountain. The elves took the child as their own and named him Kris (voiced by Mickey Rooney), who vowed to take the toys across the mountain once he was strong enough to make the trek. He took the toys to the town of Meisterburger, who had outlawed toys of all kinds. As the evil lord continued to prevent Kris's ability to deliver the toys, he began to think of more and more innovative ways to succeed in his plans.

I know that I've seen this movie at some point over the years, but I figured I'd give it another go this holiday season. Considering how much I love 1964's Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer, I thought I might find a way to like this one just as much. It's made in the same way as the Rudolph, but despite the likability of the film, it just didn't quite resonate with me in the same manner that the former film did.

The screenplay offers an interesting tale as to the origins of good old Saint Nick. I don't know whether it's the accepted story behind his origins (although I'm sure there are dozens of stories that some would claim to be the true story), but it's an interesting look nonetheless. The writers were able to place a lot of Christmas song-infused references into the dialogue, so if there's anything to look forward to, it's that bit of wordplay here and there. In the end, the story is satisfying, and the fact that it's told to us by Fred Astaire is definitely a plus.

Strangely enough, my biggest issue with the film was the use of some of the songs. While some of the songs - such as "The First Toymakers to the King" and "Be Prepared to Pay" - seemed to fit the message and the tone of the film, there were a couple - namely, "One Foot in Front of the Other" and "My World Is Beginning Today" - that just seemed terribly out of place. They were so glaringly out there that they took me out of the film's flow. The orchestral score worked well enough, but the musical numbers were just a little too off-kilter to keep me interested and engaged.

Still, Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town is a classic TV special that is sure to warm the hearts of millions this holiday season. While it's not quite at the level of Rudolph, it will still manage to leave a lasting impact on the Christmas season. Just don't go in expecting the greatest television event you'll ever see. That would be quite disastrous.

Movie Review Summary
Grade: C+
1 Thumb Up

Happy Birthday, Ben Affleck!

Birthday time again, folks. Today we're celebrating the 39th birthday of Ben Affleck. Now, I know that in the past, Affleck has dabbled in some rather terrible films (here's looking at you, Gigli), but he's also found a way to create some memorable characters over the years. Now, he's actually a rather accomplished director, having turned in two directorial efforts - 2007's Gone Baby Gone and 2010's The Town - that both achieved fantastic critical success. This post, however, will focus on his acting ability. While he's not the greatest actor ever to grace the silver screen, he's managed to leave his mark on a few films during his career. Here's a list of my five favorite of his performances. Once again, happy birthday Ben Affleck!

5. George Reeves
Hollywoodland (2006)

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4. Chuckie Sullivan
Good Will Hunting (1997)


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3. Bartleby
Dogma (1999)


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2. Holden McNeil
Chasing Amy (1997)


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1. Doug MacRay
The Town (2010)


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Awards
1998: Nominee - Best Couple (with Liv Tyler)