Welcome to the 835th Edition of my series. I hope everyone is having a good holiday season so far however celebrated. I continue my full holiday focus for the month which is the first time I have ever done this. I still try to give something for everyone. In football this year, my fantasy team is out of the running but my real team of the 49ers just keep going. I will shut up now and get on with my selections.
Filth (2013): Jon S. Baird directed this film based on the novel by Irvine Welsh. James McAvoy stars as police officer Bruce Robertson who looks to scheme his way into a promotion which includes hurting his own colleagues. He also has other issues like a drug problem and bipolar disorder which makes his start to question his reality. Jamie Bell, Eddie Marsan, Imogen Poots, Brian McCardie, Emun Elliott, Gary Lewis, John Sessions, Shauna MacDonald, Jim Broadbent, Joanne Froggatt, Katie Dickie, Martin Compston, Iain De Caestecker, Shirley Henderson, Joy McAvoy, Jordan Young, and many others co-star in this film. This takes the holiday movie concept to a new level. Most of it was just in the time it took place so some may not see it as a holiday film. McAvoy is as unlikable as it gets in this film. This is a rather underrated British film with a good and dark story as well as good performances. This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Ebenezer (1998): Ken Jubenvill directed this tv movie that puts a whole new twist on the classic novel by Charles Dickens by putting it in the Wild West. Jack Palance stars as Ebenezer Scrooge who is a land baron, gunslinger, and poker cheat and cheats a local man named Samuel Benson, played by Ricky Schroder, out of his land in a card game. This leads Benson to challenge Scrooge to a duel for the next day. As the usual story goes, Ebenezer is visited by ghosts of the past, present, and future in hopes he will change his ways. Amy Locane, Albert Schultz, Daryl Shuttleworth, Michelle Thrush, Richard Halliday, Susan Coyne, Jocelyne Loewen, Aaron Pearl, Linden Banks, and many others co-star in this western adaptation of the holiday classic. I used to watch this a lot when it was on the TNT network. I have always enjoyed this version and was glad to revisit it. Palance was one of the meaner Scrooges, along with Guy Pearce in the FX version, as his attitude went beyond the greed. I was able to find a good copy on Youtube.
Fatman (2020): After an unusual take to the iconic novel of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, I bring a rather unusual take on the iconic holiday character of Santa Claus which was co-directed and co-written by Eshom and Ian Nelms. Mel Gibson stars as Chris Kringle who along with his wife Ruth, played by Marianne Jean-Baptiste, are trying to save their dying business. A very bratty child named Billy, played by Chance Hurstfield is very dismayed to have received coal from Santa and hires a hitman, played by Walton Goggins, to kill Santa. Robert Bockstael, Michael Dyson, Deborah Grover, Ellison Grier Butler, Eric Woolfe, Lynne Adams, Ekaterina Baker, and many others co-star in this action movie. Santa is portrayed in a more realistic way where legend is very exaggerated. Gibson puts a good spin on the character and loved the interracial relationship with Jean-Baptiste. As mentioned, this is a much different take on the legend with a good blend of action and comedy. The more cynical holiday crowd should really enjoy this one.
The Small One (1978): This is my short film for the week which was directed by Don Bluth when he was still with Disney and before he would go onto carve out his own career in animation. I finally take the nativity approach this this selection that takes place in Jerusalem. A young Hebrew boy is ordered by his father to sell his aging donkey that he named Small One. The young boy goes to the Jerusalem market hoping to find his donkey and best friend a good home. He is unable to find a buyer except a man that just wanted its hide. Finally, a kind man named Joseph offers a good deal to the boy. Sean Marshall, William Woodson, Olan Soule, Hal Smith, Joe Higgins, Gordon Jump, and many others provide their voice in this holiday special. This is a pretty touch short that is only about a half hour long. This is Bluth's last work with Disney and this is available to watch on Disney Plus.
Bright Eyes (1934): David Butler directed this comedy that takes place around the holidays. Shirley Temple stars as Shirley Blake who deals with a lot of hardship becoming an orphan but never loses her spirit. She is the center of a custody battle between her aviator godfather Loop, played by James Dunn, and the crotchety Uncle Ned, played by Charles Sellon, who lives with his upper class but very snobby niece and nephew, played by Dorothy Christy and Theodore Von Eltz. This couple has their own daughter Joy, played by Jane Withers, who may very well be the worst child in film history. Lois Wilson, Walter Johnson, Brandon Hurst, George Irving, and many others co-star in this film. The dog in this film is played by Terry who would go onto be most known as Toto in THE WIZARD OF OZ. This is a bit of a tearjerker at times but still very fun and a pretty moving film. I still wish Quentin Tarantino could have worked out a comeback role for Shirley Temple in her later years.
White Christmas (1954): Michael Curtiz directed this holiday musical with the soundtrack written by Irving Berlin including the title track. Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as Bob Wallace and Phil Davis who after leaving WWII form their own song and dance team. They meet sisters Betty and Judy Haynes, played by Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen, who are their own sang and dance team. They all form their own team with romantic twists ensuing. They end up in a small Vermont town where they try to save a struggling lodge ran by Bob and Phil's former commander General Waverly, played by Dan Jagger. Mary Wickes, John Brascia, Anne Whitfield, and many others co-star in this holiday musical. This seems to be the most popular among my Facebook friends as I see this get posted a lot. Personally, I prefer HOLIDAY INN, also starring Bing Crosby and an Irving Berlin soundtrack, which has a focus on all the holidays including Christmas. This is still a lot of fun and could be a good double feature to the other one mentioned. This is available to watch on Netflix.
Better Watch Out (2016): Chris Peckover directed this holiday horror film dealing with a home invasion. Olivia DeJonge stars as Ashley who decides to take a babysitting job for a 12 year old boy named Luke, played by Levi Miller. She thinks it will be a fairly easy job but finds there is a home invasion and learns it is no ordinary invasion. Ed Oxenbould, Aleks Mikic, Dacre Montgomery, Patrick Warburton, Virginia Madsen, and many others co-star in this film. This is a pretty clever movie and I talk more about it I would give some things away. It is best to just watch it all unfold. There is quite a bit of gore so for those that like that type of thing, this is a perfect holiday watch. This is available to watch on Amazon Prime.
Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972): I bring some more holiday horror which was directed by Theodore Gershuny. Patrick O'Neal plays attorney John Carter who has been charged with selling a mansion with a dark past. The town is reluctant, especially when a serial killer is on the loose and taking refuge there. James Patterson, Mary Woronov, Astrid Heeren, John Carradine, Walter Abel, Philip Bruns, Candy Darling, and many others co-star in this independent horror film. Carradine has one of his later appearances and does not speak, maybe because of his condition. I'm still always open to seeing Carradine. This is more psychological horror film and is more on the plot than the gore even though there is some. This is available to watch on Tubi and was worth a look.
It Happened on 5th Avenue (1947): Roy Del Ruth directed this holiday comedy. Don Defore stars as army veteran Jim Bullock who is evicted from his apartment building leaving him homeless for the time. He meets another homeless man named Aloysius T. McKeever, played by Victor Moore, who is living in a mansion while the owners are wintering in the south which happens to be owned by the man that bought Jim's apartment building in Michael J. O'Connor, played by Charles Ruggles. Aloysius welcomes Jim to join him and are later joined O'Connor's runaway daughter Trudy, played by Gale Storm, who does not lead on who she is at the time but having no issues how are father's home is used. Ann Harding, Grant Mitchell, Edward Brophy, Alan Hale Jr., Dorothea Kent, and many others co-star in this holiday classic. I believe this is a rather underrated holiday film from this era. It is also very good for the holiday spirit with helping one another when in need. This is available to watch on HBO Max.
A Christmas Tale (2008): Like last week, I end the week with a French film though this one not nearly as violent. Arnaud Desplechin directed this film on the very dysfunctional and broken Vuillard family that has dealt with a lot of illness, grief and banishment. Catherine Deneuve stars as family matriarch Junon of the estranged family and learns she needs a bone marrow transplant which brings the family together. Jean-Paul Roussillon, Mathieu Amalric, Anne Consigny, Melvil Poupaud, Hippolyte Girardot, Emmanuelle Devos, Chiara Mastroianni, Laurent Capelluto, and many others co-star in this film. This is a rather dark holiday family film which has some comedy within all the dysfunction. Deneuve shines as the matriarch of the family and Amalric is great as the black sheep son. Good for those not wanting something really upbeat. This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.
Well, that is it for this week. Tell me what you like and dislike and stay tuned for next week which will be the last of the holiday oriented selections and the last for the year..
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