Topic: Christmas Reviews: 2011

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House M.D.: Season Four: It's a Wonderful Lie (2007/United States) A mother experiences rapid paralysis that has tragic consequences for her daughter, but House begins to wonder if his patient is withholding information that could lead to a cure.

Stars:
Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House
Lisa Edelstein as Dr. Lisa Cuddy
Omar Epps as Dr. Eric Foreman
Robert Sean Leonard as Dr. James Wilson
Jennifer Morrison as Dr. Allison Cameron
Jesse Spencer as Dr. Robert Chase
Anne Dudek as Dr. Amber Volakis

My Thoughts:

This one is my favorite Christmas episode of the series that I have seen so far. Unlike the other episodes... this one has Christmas as part of the actual storyline instead of just a background. I think it is also more entertaining because of the new characters. Not only is it a good holiday episode... but it also has a good medical mystery storyline as well.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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House M.D.: Season Five: Joy to the World (2008/United States) It's not the most wonderful time of year for a bullied teenager who passes out during her school's Christmas program.

Stars:
Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House
Lisa Edelstein as Dr. Lisa Cuddy
Omar Epps as Dr. Eric Foreman
Robert Sean Leonard as Dr. James Wilson
Jennifer Morrison as Dr. Allison Cameron
Jesse Spencer as Dr. Robert Chase
Peter Jacobson as Dr. Chris Taub

My Thoughts:

Another good Christmas episode. But not as good as the previous season. Once again Christmas is really more of the background of the episode then part of the storyline. Though not as bad as it was in some of the past Christmas episodes. They do acknowledge Christmas more then they have in some. I really enjoyed the main medical mystery storyline. Though I do think the side story of the whole "Virgin Pregnancy" thing was pushing it a bit. That is something I couldn't see believing even if a doctor told me.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Last Man Sranding: Season One: Last Christmas Standing (2011/United States) Mike's Christmas spirit gets dampened when Ryan (Nick Jonas), the father of Kristen's baby, unexpectedly comes back to town after a long absence. Kristin's boyfriend, Kyle, also doesn't know what to make of Ryan's return. Meanwhile, Ed hires Mandy as an elf at Outdoor Man, where she tries to unionize the other elves to get better perks.

Stars:
    Tim Allen
    Nancy Travis
    Molly Ephraim
    Alexandra Krosney
    Kaitlyn Dever
    Cristoph Sanders
    Hector Elizondo
 

My Thoughts:

This is one of my favorite new sitcoms. And it didn't disappoint when it came to the Christmas episode. I really enjoyed every minute of it. Especially got a kick out of Tim Allen (Star of the 3 Santa Clause movies) saying "Me... in a Santa costume?... Yeah Right!" They made a big deal out of getting Nick Jonas to play the dead-beat father of Mike's grandson. But of course this meant nothing to me. I didn't even know who he was until the end of the episode and the cast was singing Silent Night... the way he did his part made me figure he is some singer or something. But while he didn't impress me any more then any other actor I am unfamiliar with... I still enjoyed the episode very much.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Bones: Season One: The Man in the Fallout Shelter (2005/United States) The team is quarantined and must remain in the lab over Christmas when the examination of a corpse trips the building's biohazard system.

Stars:
David Boreanaz as FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth
Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance Brennan
Michaela Conlin as Angela Montenegro
Eric Millegan as Zack Addy
T J Thyne as Dr. Jack Hodgins
Jonathan Adams as Dr. Daniel Goodman


Extras:

• Scene Access
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

This is an excellent episode. Bones has a great cast that has wonderful chemistry together. I think this was a very good way to do a Christmas episode for this series. The story was well done... I really liked the hologram Christmas Tree Angela made... as well as all the gifts they made for each other. Not to mention the case they were working on... they even made it good for the season. Definitely one I would recommend.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Bones: Season Three: The Santa in the Slush (2007/United States) It's up to Bones to save Christmas when the body of a shopping mall Santa named Kris Kringle seems to be the real McCoy.

Stars:
David Boreanaz as Agent Seeley Booth
Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan
Michaela Conlin as Angela Montenegro
Eric Millegan as Zack Addy
Tamara Taylor as Dr. Camille Saroyan
T. J. Thyne as Dr. Jack Hodgins

My Thoughts:

Another very good episode of Bones. There was a lock of good jokes on how this guy appears to be the real Santa and Christmas. But I think my favorite part of this one is when Caroline would help Brennen get the trailer for her father's Christmas only if she kissed Booth for at least 5 seconds under the mistletoe. When this scene happens... Brennen said it is like kissing her brother... and Caroline says "You must really like your brother."  

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Bones: The Complete Fifth Season: The Goop on the Girl (2009/United States) The holidays can bring out the worst in people, so it;s no wonder Brennan wants to volunteer in El Salvador for Christmas this year. But first she has a job to do: find out why Santa robbed a bank and then exploded./td]

Stars:
David Boreanaz as FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth
Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance "Bones" Brennan
Michaela Conlin as Angela Montenegro
Tamara Taylor as Dr. Camille Saroyan
T. J. Thyne as Dr. Jack Hodgins
John Francis Daley as Dr. Lance Sweets
Joel David Moore as Colin Fisher

My Thoughts:

As usual... a very good episode of Bones... I really enjoyed it. Bones' distant relative in this episode is played by real life sister Zoe Deschanel. Which I know of at least one person here on the forum is a fan of. I got a kick out of Zoe's character... completely obsessed with Benjamin Franklin... continually quoting him.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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A Very Brady Christmas (1988) Director: Peter Baldwin Writing: Sherwood Schwartz (Writer), Lloyd J. Schwartz (Writer) Length: 100 min. Rating: NR Video: Full Frame 1.33:1

Stars:
Florence Henderson as Carol Brady
Robert Reed as Mike Brady
Ann B. Davis as Alice
Maureen McCormick as Marcia
Eve Plumb as Jan
Jennifer Runyon as Cindy
Barry Williams as Greg
Christopher Knight as Peter
Michael Lookinland as Bobby

Plot:
Mike and Carol Brady decide to spend their savings on bringing their kids and relatives in for the holidays, but the kids are having their own problems: Greg (now a doctor) has to make the trip alone since his wife Nora is spending the holidays with her family; Peter is embarrassed to bring his girlfriend home since she is his boss; Bobby is hiding the fact that he dropped out of business grad school to race cars; Marcia's husband, Wally, has been laid off from his job at Tyler Toys; Jan and stuffy husband Phillip are separating; and Cindy is tired of the fact that mom and dad can't respect her as a grown woman. Just another day in the life of the Bradys.

My Thoughts:

Feeling a bit nostalgic this evening... decided to watch this reunion movie. For some reason I like the Brady Bunch reunion movies more then I do the actual series. This one in particular. For some reason this movie gets me in the mood for Christmas. Something that has been difficult for me the past several years. Seeing a large family celebrating Christmas reminds me of my childhood Holidays where I was the youngest child of a large family. It was fun to see most of the cast back after all the years that past. The only one missing was Susan Olsen as Cindy Brady. In this movie Cindy was played by Jennifer Runyon... who some may remember from the sitcom Charles in Charge. The reunion movies in this complete series set is the main reason I bought the complete series set... instead of the individual seasons. Since that is the only way to get them.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Christmas Do Over (2006/United States) Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Director: Catherine Cyran Writing: Trevor Reed Cristow (Writer), Jacqueline David (Writer) Length: 90 min. Rating: NR Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, Spanish

Stars:
Jay Mohr as Kevin
Daphne Zuniga as Jill
David Millbern as Todd
Adrienne Barbeau as Trudi
Tim Thomerson as Arthur
Logan Grove as Ben

Plot:
Get into the holiday spirit with Jay Mohr (Jerry Maguire) and Daphne Zuniga (TV's "Melrose Place"). When Kevin drives out of town to see his son Ben, he gets a frosty welcome from his ex and her parents. So when a blocked highway forces him to stay, he makes the worst of it! Ben wishes that every day could be Christmas. His wish comes true, forcing Kevin to relive the day over and over. Christmas Do-Over is a halarious and heartwarming comedy that the whole family can enjoy every day.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Bonus Trailers
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

A Christmas version of Groundhog Day. I found it to be a fun movie... definitely worth the time put into it. I liked Jay Mohr in this movie. But I have enjoyed his work since first seeing him on the TV series Ghost Whisperer. Actually I thought everyone in this movie did a fine job with it. Very entertaining. This DVD is one that my brother rented from Netflix. But I hope to add it to my collection of Christmas movies.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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The Polar Express (2004) Warner Bros. Entertainment, Warner Home Video Director: Robert Zemeckis Writing: Robert Zemeckis (Screenwriter), William Broyles, Jr. (Screenwriter), Chris Van Allsburg (Original Material By) Length: 100 min. Rating: G Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, French: Dolby Digital: 5.1, Spanish: Dolby Digital: 5.1 Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Tom Hanks as Hero Boy
Tom Hanks as Father
Leslie Zemeckis as Sister Sarah
Leslie Zemeckis as Mother
Tom Hanks as Conductor
Eddie Deezen as Know-it-All

Plot:
Get up, get on, and get ready for the ride of your life! It's Christmas Eve, and you're about to roller-coaster up and down mountains, slip-slide over ice fields, teeter across mile-high bridges and be served hot chocolate by singing waiters more astonishing than any you can imagine. You're on The Polar Express!

Tom Hanks stars in and Robert Zemeckis directs this instant holiday classic filmed in dazzling performance-capture animation that makes every moment magical. "Seeing is believing," says a mysterious hobo who rides the rails with you. You'll see wonders. And you'll believe. All aboooooard!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Feature Trailers
• Closed Captioned

My Thoughts:

This is a movie I never seen before today... as I got it in a free box of DVDs this past summer... and I wanted to save it for this time of the year.  So Brittany and I decided to watch it together today. We both enjoyed this one quite a bit. I can easily see it becoming a yearly tradition to watch it hopefully together for quite some time to come. I really liked the look of the computer generated animation. And the story kept my interest through-out. I would say it is definitely worth the time put in to watch this one.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Jeff Dunham's Very Special Christmas Special (2008/United States) Image Entertainment Director: Michael Simon Writing: Length: 85 min. Rating: NR Video: Widescreen 1.78:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles:

Stars:
Jeff Dunham as Himself
Brian Haner as Himself (Guitar Guy)

Plot:
Jeff Dunham invites Walter, Peanut, Bubba J, José Jalapeño and Achmed the Dead Terrorist to join him on his first holiday special. Unfortunately, his suitcase posse doesn't quite share the same Christmas spirit—and the result is a one-of-a-kind live event unlike any yuletide celebration you've ever seen!

Dunham whose first two television specials drew record ratings multimillion DVD sales and over 200 million views on websites worldwide, brings together all-new material and for the first time, original songs and stories guaranteed to become instant classics: from Achmed's "Jingle Bombs" to Bubba J's "Roadkill Christmas" to Peanut's version of "The Night Before Christmas."

Destined to become a treasured holiday favorite!

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

This is a DVD I bought a few years ago. And it has been tradition for Britt and I to watch it together every year since! This guy is just freaking hilarious! I really liked all his characters... my favorite is a toss-up between Achmed and Peanut. I wasn't expecting to like a ventriloquist as much as I liked this one. Brittany and I actually had to pause it more then once to catch our breathe from all the laughter and be able to hear what he had to say next. It is just as good on every viewing as it was the first time you watch it. If you never checked this guy out before... I highly recommend it!

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Spectacular Spider Man: Season 2 - Reinforcements
Mysterio and Kraven join the ranks of the Sinister Six (including Sandman, Rhino, Vulture and Electro) in an attempt to capture Spider-Man once and for all.

My Thoughts:
Brittany wanted me to watch this episode with her. It is a fun episode... lots to laugh at. Both Britt and found it so hilarious when Spidey was trying to banter with the Sinister Six but couldn't talk straight because he burnt his tongue on hot chocolate. This is a Christmas episode... but Christmas really is just a backdrop of the episode... the storyline really has nothing to do with Christmas. But that is ok

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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8 Simple Rules: The Complete First Season: All I Want for Christmas (2002/United States) Paul remembers last year's Christmas fiasco, and has his work cut out of him trying to find the perfect gifts for his family this year. Kerry finds a stray dog during the holidays. Cate is overjoyed when she is asked to sing a solo during the church's midnight service, but is scared that seeing her family there might make her nervous.

Stars:
John Ritter as Paul Hennessy
Katey Sagal as Cate Hennessy
Kaley Cuoco as Bridget Hennessy
Amy Davidson as Kerry Hennessy
Martin Spanjers as Rory Hennessy

My Thoughts:

I don't know why it took me so long to start watching this series. I have always been a big fan of John Ritter. And have become a big fan of Kaley Cuoco. Getting season 1 yesterday... I already watched the first disc and well into the second (of a 3 disc set). I will definitely have to continue getting this series.

I enjoyed this Christmas episode quite a bit. I got a few good chuckles out of it... but there wasn't quite as many laughs in this episode as there is in most. But over all I liked this episode... glad I got the chance to watch it.... thanks to a friend sending me the set for Christmas.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Benji's Very Own Christmas Story (1978) Mill Creek Entertainment Director: Joe Camp Writing: Joe Camp (Created By), Joe Camp (Screenwriter), Joe Camp (Story By), Dan Witt (Story By) Length: 25 min. Rating: NR Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles: None

Stars:
Ron Moody as Kris Kringle
Patsy Garrett as Herself
Cindy Smith as Herself
Benji as Himself

Plot:
In this 1978 special, nominated for an Emmy as Outstanding Children's Program, Benji encounters Kris Kringle, played by Best Actor Oscar® nominee Ron Moody (Oliver).

Extras:

• Scene Access

My Thoughts:

It has been so many years since I seen anything with Benji in it! I was still a kid at the time! Unfortunately this wasn't a very good one to start with. There really wasn't all that much here to keep my attention. Thankfully it is only 25min... as I wouldn't have been able to sit through much more then that.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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The Brady Bunch: The Complete First Season: The Voice of Christmas (1969/United States) Carol is all set to sing in church on Christmas when disaster strikes: she loses her voice! At the local shopping mall, a hopeful Cindy approaches Santa Claus and asks him for one gift that may be impossible to deliver - that her mother's voice be returned in time for the event. Original Airdate: December 19, 1969

Stars:
Robert Reed as Mike Brady
Florence Henderson as Carol Brady
Ann B. Davis as Alice
Maureen McCormick as Marcia
Eve Plumb as Jan
Susan Olsen as Cindy
Barry Williams as Greg

My Thoughts:

In the entire 5 years that The Brady Bunch was on the air we only got one Christmas episode. Which really surprises me what with it being such a family oriented show. Of course many years later we also got a Christmas reunion movie. Which I prefer much more over this episode. But I wanted to watch this episode this morning as I found myself in a bit of a nostalgic mood. Unfortunately this is one of my least favorite episodes of the series. I really don't know why... I just prefer most all the other episodes to this one.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5

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Ghost Whisperer: The Third Season: Holiday Spirit (2007/United States) Original Airdate 12/14/2007 A ghost who haunts a family thinks he is Santa Claus, and keeps Melinda from her family and friends during the Christmas holidays.

Stars:
Jennifer Love Hewitt as Melinda Gordon
David Conrad as Jim Clancy
Jay Mohr as Professor Rick Payne
Camryn Manheim as Delia Banks

My Thoughts:

This is a good episode. She has a ghost who thinks he is Santa and a boy that wants his workaholic father and his mother back together to deal with. It is definitely worth the time put in to watch it. So yes... I would recommend this one... I can see myself watching this episode every year around Christmas time.

My Rating:
Out of a Possible 5