Topic: 25 Days of Christmas

[addicted2dvd]

I nervously clicked on your link... and it brought up music by someone called Zane Lowe. And no... it is not something I could get into. 

 

Zane Lowe is the DJ! 

Rage Against the Machine are the band and the title of their debut album which is playing. Thanks for clicking though. It's cool that anyone can listen to BBC Radio wherever they are. If you ever fancy a laugh, click that link from abou 4pm GMT for Scott Mills drivetime show.

  And you would expect me to know that?  oh well... that is ok.

[richierich]

1/12

Goodnight Sweetheart - S3 - It ain't necessarily so



When Gary returns from the skiing holiday, he goes to see Phoebe, but makes an error in front of Mrs Bloss. This creates problems for Phoebe, but Mrs Bloss has a secret too. Stella Wheatcroft arranges a New Year's Eve party but doesn't invite Ron. Gary benefits from British Summer Time.

I love this series, great idea for a storyline and solid cast makes it a family treat. This episode was a little lower on laughs than usual, but the wartime new year celebrations and Garys juggling of time still held my attention
 

[richierich]

3/12

Fred Claus



When wayward sibling Fred Claus (Vaughn) is bailed out of jail by his saintly brother Nick (Giamatti), he agrees to work at the North Pole for the pre-Christmas rush. But with efficiency expert Clyde (Spacey) plotting to shut down Santa Claus for good, now is a bad time for Fred�s brand of chaos...

With the hype that this would become a xmas favourite for years to come, my expectations were high. Sadly it was a festive flop.
Despite wonderful sets (North Pole) and potentially talented cast, the script is dreadfully poor and short of laughs. It never felt Christmassy, and surely that has to be the number one focus for this type of movie?
It was all a bit too contrived and the actors going through their paces, I dont want to 'sleigh' the film too much but really would not recommend anyone purchasing this dvd   

[Najemikon]

Every time I click on this page, I am getting a 'RealTime Infection Alert'

Popup text below, can someone investigate please.

The Actns/Swif.T was detected in C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\RICHARD.TAYLOR\LOCAL SETTINGS\TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES\CONTENT.IE5\LB3WGPRF\L[1].SWF.
Machine: COLUKW09, User: UK\richard.taylor.
File Status: Deleted

Just this page? I found this description of the virus:

Actns/Swif.T

I'll disable the YouTube video I posted t'other day so we'll see if that makes a difference.

[richierich]

Every time I click on this page, I am getting a 'RealTime Infection Alert'

Popup text below, can someone investigate please.

The Actns/Swif.T was detected in C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\RICHARD.TAYLOR\LOCAL SETTINGS\TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES\CONTENT.IE5\LB3WGPRF\L[1].SWF.
Machine: COLUKW09, User: UK\richard.taylor.
File Status: Deleted

Just this page? I found this description of the virus:

Actns/Swif.T

I'll disable the YouTube video I posted t'other day so we'll see if that makes a difference.

Thats done the trick now Jon - no popup alert

[Najemikon]

Every time I click on this page, I am getting a 'RealTime Infection Alert'

Popup text below, can someone investigate please.

The Actns/Swif.T was detected in C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\RICHARD.TAYLOR\LOCAL SETTINGS\TEMPORARY INTERNET FILES\CONTENT.IE5\LB3WGPRF\L[1].SWF.
Machine: COLUKW09, User: UK\richard.taylor.
File Status: Deleted

Just this page? I found this description of the virus:

Actns/Swif.T

I'll disable the YouTube video I posted t'other day so we'll see if that makes a difference.

Thats done the trick now Jon - no popup alert

Nasty! We'll have to watch out for that when embedding vids.

[Dragonfire]

This holiday season Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) vows his clan will enjoy "the most fun-filled old-fashioned family Christmas ever." Before you can sing "Fa-la-la-la-lah," he decks the halls with howls of folly in the perennial favorite 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'.

Seeing is believing. There are 25,000 lights on the roof. An exploding turkey on the dining room table. A SWAT team taking siege outside. A festive supporting cast (Including Beverly D'Angelo, Juilia Louis-Dreyfus, Juliette Lewis, William Hickey, and more) and a John Hughes script full of wit, heart and sheer goofiness. Yule love it!

My Thoughts

I saw this movie in the theater back when it came out.  I loved it then and I still love it and it is one of my favorite Christmas movies.  I've watched it every year at least once in December since I got the DVD several years ago.  I know it is silly and goofy, but I like it.  I think it is the best of the Vacation movies and probably the last really great Christmas movie made that wasn't aimed at kids - and several of those have been iffy.  The movie is hilarious with Clark going overboard trying to make Christmas perfect for everyone.  It started out innocent enough by going to get the tree and then everything spiraled out of control from there.  Clark, who I think has been known for having some flip outs, had 2 this one.  The first was a bit more minor when his twinkle lights wouldn't come on and then late in the movie he had the big one that always cracks me up.  It is the best of Clark's various flip outs.  Everything about the movie works, starting with the cute animation for the opening credits.

 

Here are two funny quotes from Clark.

Hey. If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, fore-fleshing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is. Hallelujah. Holy shit. Where's the Tylenol?

Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse.

[Najemikon]

I saw this recently when I got the Vacation boxset of Ebay. The original film was pretty good, the European one pretty awful, but this was top quality. I particularly enjoyed the scene in the attic and him putting the lights up! 

The only thing that annoyed me was a third set of kids and much as I like Juliette Lewis, I think Dana Hill from the second one would have been better. She was about the only good thing in that outing (although I loved it when they got stuck on a British roundabout!).

[addicted2dvd]

Sabrina, The Teenage Witch: Season 1 - A Girl And Her Cat
On Christmas Eve, Sabrina's cat Salem sneaks into her backpack so he can go to the local pizzaria, but then is taken home by a little boy who won't give him up.

My Thoughts:
This is a decent Holiday episode... but not what I would call great. As much as I love this sitcom... I felt this particular episode let me down a little. It really should have been better.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

Sabrina, The Teenage Witch: Season 2 - Sabrina Claus
While trying to work on her selfish attitude, Sabrina accidentally injures the real Santa Claus, and then must do his job for him on Christmas Eve.

My Thoughts:
Now this one I enjoyed quite a bit. It was much more entertaining...  and I liked the fact that they got John Ratzenberger (Cheers) to play Bob (Santa).

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

Sabrina, The Teenage Witch: Season 3 - Christmas Amnesia
After a trendy party in the Other Realm, Sabrina accidentally erases Christmas at the Spellman household and must figure out a way to restore the Holiday.

My Thoughts:
I didn't care for this one quite as much as I did the last... but it was still better then Season 1 Christmas episode. How soon they forget! In this one they have another  person playing Santa (Santa's name is Chris this time instead of Bob)... and now all the sudden he is a distant cousin of the Spellmans.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

[Dragonfire]

I saw this recently when I got the Vacation boxset of Ebay. The original film was pretty good, the European one pretty awful, but this was top quality. I particularly enjoyed the scene in the attic and him putting the lights up! 

The only thing that annoyed me was a third set of kids and much as I like Juliette Lewis, I think Dana Hill from the second one would have been better. She was about the only good thing in that outing (although I loved it when they got stuck on a British roundabout!).

Oh yes...those were good scenes too.  It's a wonder he didn't kill himself putting up those lights.  And when he managed to ruin the neighbor's stereo.   

The kids changing all the time was a bit annoying.  Especially since they were staying around the same age - I think Rusty got younger for this one - while Clark and Ellen got older.

[richierich]

I saw this recently when I got the Vacation boxset of Ebay. The original film was pretty good, the European one pretty awful, but this was top quality. I particularly enjoyed the scene in the attic and him putting the lights up! 

The only thing that annoyed me was a third set of kids and much as I like Juliette Lewis, I think Dana Hill from the second one would have been better. She was about the only good thing in that outing (although I loved it when they got stuck on a British roundabout!).

Oh yes...those were good scenes too.  It's a wonder he didn't kill himself putting up those lights.  And when he managed to ruin the neighbor's stereo.   

The kids changing all the time was a bit annoying.  Especially since they were staying around the same age - I think Rusty got younger for this one - while Clark and Ellen got older.

Another vote for xmas vacation, it has always been the family favourite film when putting the decorations up, and never fails to crack us up every year 

[richierich]

3/12

2point4 children - s2 - misery



Christmas special of Andrew Marshall's quirky domestic sitcom from 1992. The Porters face the prospect of a funereal festive season as they prepare to visit Bill's mum, Bette. Naturally she drives them all mad but fortunately, she is finally shut up by some flashing Christmas tree lights.

Another solid episode in this reliable sitcom, the cast works so well together and the performance of Liz Smith as the overbearing gran is, as always, top-drawer. A good xmas episode with plenty of belly laughs.
 

[richierich]

3/12

2point4 children - s3 - babes in the wood



Domestic sitcom. After last year's experience, the Porter family and Rona plan to spend a relaxing Christmas with Bette and Aunt Pearl in a hotel in the country... but fate has other ideas

The 2nd xmas special for this sitcom, and a carry-on from the previous years. This was slightly darker with fewer laughs than the previous years episode, but did feature Gary Olsen more, who tragically died so young. Again an enjoyable xmas runner in the marathon
 

[richierich]

3/12

Shrek the halls



Just when Shrek thought he could finally sit back, relax and enjoy his happily ever after with his new family, the most joyous of all holidays arrives.  It's Christmas Eve, and everyone is filled with holiday cheer, except for Shrek.  He isn't exactly the picture of yuletide joy, but for the sake of Fiona and the kids, he tries to get into the spirit of things as only an ogre can.  Unfortunately, everyone seems to have their own ideas about what Christmas is all about, so when Donkey, Puss In Boots, Gingy and the whole gang try to join in on the fun, Shrek's plans for a cozy family celebration end up spiraling into one truly unforgettable Christmas.

Disappointingly short TV special (less than half an hour), it was saved by some excellent gags, very funny scenes and of course the inimitable donkey. In addition were some pretty cool extras on the disc, which pulled it up a bit on the review stakes. However because of the length of this feature it would only be worthwhile owning if received as a gift.
 

[richierich]

4/12

Bones - s1 - the man in the fallout shelter



The team is quarantined and must remain in the lab over Christmas when the examination of a corpse trips the building's biohazard system.

An excellent episode and well enough into the first series to see how well the casts chemistry works together. At times quite painful to watch, Bones determination to be lonely and morose at xmas is quite depressing, but the actions of the remainder of the quarantined staff lifts the spirits. The investigation is an aside, the real focus on this episode is an emotional voyeuristic profile of each main cast members feelings and anchors in life.
I can confirm Pete it is the guy from ZZTop.