Cinema Hype

I’ve sort of wanted to be BFFs with comedian/actor/woman-about-town Charlyne Yi for awhile now. You might remember her one-episode stint as Grace Park, Kenneth’s Jerry Maguire-misquoting love, on an old episode of 30 Rock (I tried to find an embeddable video of this, as it’s one of my favorite 30R moments ever, but was foiled by the weak-but-apparently-not-that-weak copyright law on the internets); she also pals around with Judd Apatow’s pack (”Apatown,” apparently) and turns up in the odd movie. Now her own movie, Paper Heart, has won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance, and is due out in August. It’s almost too coyly cute to be believed:

Doesn’t it look adorable, and yet also infuriatingly cute? The question here may be phrased in terms of another hipster touchstone movie: will Paper Hearts be like the first ten minutes of Juno (i.e. unwatchably twee) or like the last hour and a half (honest and funny and kind of a heartbreaker)? Alternatively, which will wear out first: Michael Cera’s charm or his penchant for playing awkwardly lovable young men? (You’d think we’d be getting towards the end of that particular rope, but the facts indicate otherwise.) I bet it also has a killer soundtrack.

Paper Heart is a “hybrid documentary”—not a mockumentary, but a mix of fiction and documentary. One assumes that the road-trip footage, and maybe the parts with her friends/crew, are the unscripted part, and that the Yi/Cera storyline (they play themselves) came with at least some forethought, though it’s hard to tell where that particular line sits—which is probably the point. Either way, I’m excited to see more of Yi’s work out there. And, hey, I still want to hang out. Even if you don’t like hair-braiding and boy-story-telling, I’m always up for a good script-polishing session! Call me!

Charlyne Yi, Paper Heart, Michael Cera, Sundance, Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, hipster movies, Juno

I said, awhile back, that I’d be watching and writing about Alfred Hitchcock’s suspense movies: not the gory ones, not the birds-plucking-your-eyes-out ones or the chocolate-syrup-down-the-shower-drain ones, but the ones cat-burglar ones, the chase ones, and the action-packed ones. I said I didn’t want to watch anything scary. I didn’t want to be afraid to go to bed with the lights off.

Technically, in this world of Saw and The Ring and The Grudge, North by Northwest qualifies as a non-scary movie. Nobody’s being haunted (in the literal sense), and there’s nothing going bump in the night—Cary Grant is far too suave for that, anyway. But in another sense, the oh no this could happen to me sense, it’s—what’s the word?—terrifying. It’s the story of an innocent man getting the wrong end of the mistaken-identity stick, of being hunted and of having nobody to trust. It’s probably not the first film of its kind, but it’s the best-known, and hundreds of movies (anybody seen Eagle Eye?) have since paid tribute to it. It’s a groundbreaker in the area of unknowing fear.

On the other hand, you’d think an action-suspense film of this variety would move a little faster. Pacing is North by Northwest’s downfall, if it has one: Hitchcock crams a lot of scenes in, but doesn’t cut anything down to compensate. Many of the important scenes are ridiculously long, and not because they’re building in suspense; the Grant/Eva Marie Saint seduction scene, for example, goes on for so long that the tension actually begins to loosen up. The famous airplane-crossroads scene also runs longer than is strictly necessary, and while the ending of that scene is fantastic, you get the feeling that Hitchcock was feeling just slightly self-indulgent in the editing room. And maybe he’s right, in a way; they’re good scenes, and maybe he’s right to show off a bit. But he might have done better to pare things down to their essences. It’s a flabby movie, is what it is, and just a pinch here and a pin there might have done the trick.

Coming up: More pre-Halloween Hitchcock!

I just got my voter information packet in the mail. I know everybody’s tired of the election and/or wringing hands about its outcome, and I’m stuck on both of those boats, too. But I’ve got to confess: I love voting. Every time I stand in line with all my neighbors, every time I crowd into the little booth, every time the voting guy hands me my sweet little “I Voted!” sticker, I feel this wave of enthusiasm for my country and for the democratic process (which is also probably why my voting record is so terrible—voting with my heart is not the same as voting with a winning party or candidate, which is depressing).

So today at the mailbox, I had a tiny moment of patriotism, and thought I’d share it with you. Here are some movies to tide you over until election day (or give you an excuse to turn off the news).

The Patriot: Why a bunch of Australians star in this Revolutionary War family drama isn’t clear, but it has “patriot” in the title, so there you go.

Cimarron: This excellent family saga, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1931, isn’t about the founding fathers or any other official moment in American history, but it’s a love letter to the land, to the wild west, and to the American people. Eighty years after its release, the opening scene—thousands of people rushing into Oklahoma at the sound of a starting gun—is still downright impressive.

To Kill a Mockingbird: Another non-governmental, non-military classic, with fairness, decency, intelligence, and courage as its heroes.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: If I meet Frank Capra in the afterlife, and if I tell him about my warm-fuzzy ballot-box experiences, I bet he’d totally get me. Capra was a warm-fuzzy kind of guy, as far as I can tell. Anybody who extends his kind of goodwill to the American political process must be persistent in hope.

Black Hawk Down: Hear me out on this one. I firmly believe that a few public showings of this movie would do our nation good—not everybody’s into war movies, and not everybody’s into movies where the Americans aren’t the traditional heroes, but telling the truth is most definitely patriotic.

Forty-two days, everyone. I’m ready.

Gentle readers, over the years I haven’t shared much with you about CHHQ, the dark lair of all thing Cinema Hyped. Well, that’s not going to change today (what, did you think I was going to point myself out on Google Maps?), but I’ll tell you this: the stream of movie chatter you’ve come to expect comes from California.

People will tell you that California doesn’t have seasons. That’s just not true. We trace the rhythm of the year by rain and sun, just like everybody else; we’re just a little, how you say…off? It’s September now, which means our nation is headed for sweaters and crunching leaves. Here, we’re just entering into the warm and golden days known as Indian Summer, which is probably as good a reason as any to become a West Coaster. Still, according to the calendar, it’s fall. And so we at CH would like to present a list of a few films to get you in that cider-sipping, squash-eating mood:

You’ve Got Mail: “Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” Isn’t that just lovely? It’s not just a fall movie, of course—Riverside Park in the spring, you know—but somehow Meg Ryan and her woolen jumpers and tights and newly sharpened pencils just make it for me.

Dan in Real Life: Unless you’re Sarah, it’s possible you haven’t seen this. You should. Really. It’s a big, sweet, unexpectedly smart family movie—probably everything The Family Stone wanted you to think it was, what with family aerobics on the lawn, love stories big and small, and a good old-fashioned week at the lake. With trees. In the fall. Check it out.

Home for the Holidays: Thanksgiving movies are a) relatively few and far between, and b) bordering on holiday fare, but here in California, Turkey Day is still firmly ensconced in autumn. So there. If you think your family’s Thanksgiving drama can’t be topped, rest easy knowing that Holly Hunter and Robert Downey Jr. have got you covered, crazy-wise.

Friday Night Lights: Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Texas has plenty of fall color. It’s a big state. But whether or not changing trees are the norm, there’s one thing this state has plenty of in the fall: football. Follow the true story of the Permian High School Panthers and the town (Odessa, Texas) that can’t get enough of them. What says “fall” more than a Friday evening in the stands or on the field? (Pssst…the TV show is excellent as well! Pass it on!)

All the Real Girls: This indie classic (or possibly “classic”) isn’t about fall, but the copper and yellow trees and brown grass of West Virginia make almost as indelible an impression as anything in the script. Lovely.

October Sky: Maybe it’s not so much about leaf-peeping (hee, “leaf-peeping”) and hot cocoa as it is about the space race, but there’s nothing wrong with a young Jake Gyllenhaal and the story of Sputnik, which was launched by the Russians on October 4, 1957. So grab yourself some cider and a blanket and settle in for a little educational-memoir action.

What am I missing, readers? I’m struck by the lack of classic films here. What movies say autumn to you?

Okay, everybody. I can’t keep this up, this parade of Hollywood manliness. You know I love Christian Bale as much as anyone, but can’t we at least talk about his chiseled jaw and sensitive eyes for a bit? We can go back to the testosterone-soaked summer lineup tomorrow; today, it’s Ladies’ Night at CHHQ. Bring on the plucky heroines and dashing young gentlemen. Give me true love preceded by silly antics and misunderstandings. I want to meet the wacky best friends and even the guy who always gets dumped, and don’t forget the pop song at the end.

Speaking of pop songs (did you like that smooooth segue?), tonight’s Fantasy Film Festival is pop-centric. All the oohing and aahing over a certain winged and pointy-eared hero has, for some, drowned out the synthesizers and enthusiastic harmonies from the weekend’s other major release, Mamma Mia!. And if you think disco-dancing Swedes don’t lend themselves to triple-header movies, you’d better stand corrected, because I’ve got not one, but three ABBA films for your viewing pleasure.

There must be a bad ABBA pun I can make here. “S.O.S.”? “Take a Chance On Me”? You get the idea. Fill it in as you see fit, but don’t forget to watch:

Mamma Mia!: You’ll have to wait a few months until it comes out on DVD, but if you’re into disco and dancing and lots of giggly wedding antics, this may be all you really need.

Muriel’s Wedding: Remember when Toni Collette was obscure? And Australian? And was hopelessly single and obsessed with ABBA, until she got married and was still kind of obsessed with ABBA? Man. Those were good days.

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Who knew Australia was such an ABBA-happy place? Consider this: Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving (yes, that would be King of the Elves), and Guy Pearce, of Memento fame, as two drag queens and a transsexual on a road trip. With ABBA songs. WIN, obviously.

Fantasy film festival, film festival, disco, ABBA, abba, Mamma Mia!, Mamma Mia, Mama Mia, Muriel’s Wedding, Toni Collette, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Hugo Weaving, Terence Stamp, Guy Pearce

Tonight, CH HQ stands silent and empty. Silenter and emptier, anyway. College roommate, partner in crime, and all-around freakishly close friend Al has been living (appropriately) in my living room for the last nine days, and now she’s gone. Al and I met on our freshman camping trip, just like the college brochure said we would, and bonded over a mutual love of The X-Files and…well, that’s about it. But the Mulder Connection can’t have been too bad; that fateful day hike to Dungeness Spit was nearly ten years ago, and she’s still my favorite dumb-conversation partner and road-trip buddy.

So wouldn’t you all like our filmic highlights? Of course you would.

When Harry Met Sally: I say this not because it’s our shared favorite movie or because we’ve seen it eleventy thousand times (though it is and we have), but because of Sally’s best friend Marie (Carrie Fisher), who probably taught us both to say, “You’re right. You’re right. I know you’re right.”

Bring It On: Public service announcement: When you and your roommate find yourselves at the video store, and you want to rent an overrated “dance” movie about a boy who hates boxing, and your roommate wants to get a cheerleading movie with the finest opening sequence in all of filmdom, and many excellent moments throughout, GO WITH THE CHEERLEADERS. (Addendum: Still working her magic, Al bought me Bring It On: All or Nothing for Christmas. Let me say that it is no competition for the original, but it is fabulous nonetheless, both ironically and kind of genuinely. How many “critically acclaimed” “theatrical releases” can say that?)

I Love Lucy: Okay, not a movie. But if we’re going with screen friends, nobody’s got our vibe more than Lucy and Ethel—the famous chocolate-factory scene? We could totally do that, and more. Just ask us about the time we locked her car in a parking garage overnight. Constant fun, we two.

Charlie’s Angels: Why are there so few girl-buddy movies these days? Don’t friendships come in pairs anymore, or has the bathroom-pack instinct spread? Anyway, Al and I saw this movie at least twice in the theater, and I completely believe that she could execute a Lucy Liu roundhouse kick on any troublemakers. Either that, or she’d poke them in the boob. True story.

Keeping the Faith: I had it wrong before. We’re not Lucy and Ethel, we’re Brian Finn and Jake Schram! Except that we’re girls. And neither Catholic nor Jewish. But, you know. We’re FRIENDS. We WORK TOGETHER. Do you see where I’m going, here? Stop being so detail-y, you.

See you soon, Al. The air mattress awaits, always.

friendship, friendship movies, friends, movies, When Harry Met Sally, Bring It On, Bring It On: All or Nothing, I Love Lucy, Lucy and Ethel, Charlie’s Angels, Lucy Liu, Keeping the Faith

I have decided, after spending part of my afternoon in the city, that there isn’t much that beats a walk through San Francisco on a spring day (…when you’re supposed to be at work). I started at AT&T Park and walked along the water, with the wind in my hair and the sun on my face, and the cherry blossoms blooming, and the big, stocky palm trees stretching out ahead of me. At the end of my walk, I popped into the Ferry Building market hall—a place so food-obsessed that there’s a special store just for mushrooms—and bought a one-ounce bar of Scharffen Berger milk chocolate. And there you have it: spring and a bit of a stroll and the scalded-milk aftertaste of 41% milk chocolate. Not a bad Wednesday, if I do say so myself.

While I ate my Scharffen Berger bar, broken into pieces for longer enjoyment, I got to thinking about movies and chocolate. There are definitely people out there who don’t like chocolate, but aren’t those people kind of…odd in the eyes of the rest of us? Which is why chocolate makes such a great subject for the movies: it’s magical, it’s innocent, it’s sexy, it’s something we can mostly agree on. It also makes a great theme movie night. Invite a few friends, plan to break your diet for an evening, and enjoy other people enjoying chocolate. Like so:

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971): The original, with a screenplay by Roald Dahl, a whole cast of Oompa Loompas (as opposed to one Oompa Loompa multiplied for the remake), and an awful lot of nostalgia.

Chocolat (2000): Juliette Binoche has the cure for what ails an entire French town, as well as a bunch of river pirates. Miracle food, indeed.

Like Water for Chocolate (1992): Chocolate is passion! Love saves the day! Watch out for the naked chick on the horse, though.

The Chocolate War (1988): Something about the social hierarchy at a Catholic school, kicked off by bake-sale-induced civil disobedience. Whatever. Bud Cort and Adam Baldwin, together? I’m so there.

chocolate, chocolate movies, movies about chocolate, willy wonka and the chocolate factory, chocolat, like water for chocolate, the chocolate war, adam baldwin, juliette binoche, bud cort, film festivals

I’m about to say something that will probably get me a virtual snowball in the face: IS IT SUMMER YET? I’m done with winter. And yes, I do live in California, and yes, it was 56 degrees and sunny-ish today, and no, I expect no sympathy from the “I live in Chicago and it’s 436 below” camp. But that doesn’t mean my toes haven’t been cold since November, and it doesn’t mean all my strappy sundresses aren’t shooting me rueful looks from the back of the closet. Are cotton sheets, bare shoulders, and long evenings too much to ask?

And so I say: CHers, let’s go on vacation. Let’s blow this popsicle stand. Who needs a popsicle in February, anyway? I need some paradise movies, and I need ‘em fast. For starters:

One Night in the Tropics: Because all you need at the are Abbott and Costello to bicker you into oblivion. Sure.

Blue Crush: For those who might occasionally look up from their beach reading. Surfing, or something.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Pirates, yadda yadda, but hey! Look at all that crystal-clear water and imperialist architecture. Start with the first one and go from there.

50 First Dates: Because we all like to go on vacation and forget everything we ever knew. Or is that just me?

You know, after reviewing all the choices, it seems like paradise movies are a bit of a trap: movies about the tropics are all about things going wrong. Paradise lost, and all. Pirates, dinosaurs, ape hunting, guys kicking sand in your picnic. Maybe we just can’t handle that much sunny goodness. Maybe we need winter to show us how good we have it. In that case, I think I’d rather know a little less.

movies, vacation movies, hawaii, the caribbean, travel movies

Bless my ears, what is that sound? Is that the glorious tolling of the dial tone? Is that the sun emerging from the clouds, or the benevolent light of Al Gore shining down on us?

It IS! The internet has come back!

It’s true: Internet at CHHQ was knocked out for nearly a week by the unfortunate combination of hurricane-force winds and pansy non-native eucalyptus trees (thanks, Australia). We had plenty of time–between washing our hair, organizing our shoelaces in reverse-rainbow order, and waiting for the Netflix-bearing mailman–to think about what we’d done and come up with a good list of movies we could have been writing about, had all things been connected.

And so we at CH would like to share the Hunker Down for the Storm Fantasy Film Festival. Enjoy!

Twister: It’s hard to know what’s better about this movie: the confluence of every character actor in Hollywood or the hilarious attempts to create romantic tension between Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt (because there’s a couple that belongs together, right?). Bad ’90s weather movie, blah blah blah. It’s great, and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

Hard Rain: Wow, robberies suck. Especially when it’s…raining really hard? I don’t know.

When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts: Spike Lee on Hurricane Katrina. Heartbreaking, and might make weather-related complaining irrelevant.

The Perfect Storm: Bad weather can ruin your day, especially when you’re on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Another one to make all land-bound storms feel a little anticlimactic.

The Ice Storm: May or may not include an actual ice storm. But check out that indie-friendly cast! Drama can’t be far behind. And, uh, icicles. Emotional icicles. Yes! That’s it.

Glad to be back, everyone! Stay warm and dry, and safeguard your DSL. Trust me.

film festivals, fantasy film festivals, Twister, The Ice Storm, The Perfect Storm, When the Levees Broke, Hurrican Katrina, Hard Rain

I spent this weekend at my old summer camp. It was great–a memory down every trail and a story around every corner. The truth is, I love camp. I love swimming and boating and the knowledge that all you really have to do that day is have fun. I love quiet moments in the forest and rowdy meals with friends and s’mores after dark. I think more adults should go to camp. Wouldn’t that kind of good, clean fun be good for us all?

The film industry is no stranger to summer camp. So, in honor of a fine weekend spent in the mountains, CH staff presents Fantasy Film Festival: Where’s My Bug Spray? Edition.

Meatballs (1979): Classic.

The Parent Trap (1961) and The Parent Trap (1998): The original is great (or it was when I was eight), and this is a rare instance in which the re-make is just as good–probably because parts of the summer camp scenes are copied verbatim from the original.

Ernest Goes to Camp (1987): You know what I mean, Vern?

Addams Family Values (1993): aka Wednesday Addams Goes to Camp. Come on…I can tell you’re intrigued. Don’t lie.

Wet Hot American Summer (2001): For the grown-ups, just what we never knew we needed: a summer-camp movie spoof. With, admittedly, an awesome cast.

Now, don’t blame me if you find your bed short-sheeted tonight. I had nothing to do with it.

What are you doing for the Fourth of July? Are you spending your glorious Wednesday off in the backyard with scads of family and friends, flipping burgers and playing innocent water-balloon games that inevitably get horribly out of hand? Are you heading down to an open field or a body of water for a fireworks show? Or is it just too hot out there, and you’re sheltering in air-conditioned place until the nuclear summer passes? (CH staff will be attending a friend’s Revolutionary War reenactment, complete with marshmallow muskets, but that’s immaterial.)

If you’re one of those screw-the-heat-let’s-close-the-curtains people, have we got a plan for you! How about this: a day of patriotic movies. Oh say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, the Kevin Costner movies? We thought so! And so:

1776 (1972): Everybody’s favorite founding-fathers musical. Fine edu-tainment, I tell you, with a Richard Henry Lee song and everything.
The Patriot (2000): It’s a hard life fighting for your (almost-)country and having Heath Ledger as your hot son.
Born on the Fourth of July (1989): It has the Fourth of July in the title. How could we leave it out?
Jefferson in Paris (1995): Yes, everyone’s favorite constitution-framer had some issues, and yes, it takes place in France. And yes, it has Nick Nolte. Still: relevant.
Dave (1993): Anyone can be President! But it helps if you look like the guy who’s already got the job.

Watch out for those fireworks, kids! Have a happy Fourth.

Fourth of July, Independence Day, patriotic movies, patriotism, America

Yesterday we at CH covered movies to make your blood turn to syrup, but there’s just no way to keep that up. Today it’s time for the other side of the coin: movies to prove, once and for all, how great it is to be single:

War of the Roses: Your marriage is falling apart; may as well throw a custody battle for the house into the mix, right? The granddaddy of all unromantic movies, apparently.

Closer: A painstaking, unflinching look at infidelity among two couples. Depressing, but good.

Eraserhead: David Lynch circa 1977; love as horror film. Bonus points to anyone who can get through it without nightmares (alien baby alert!).

Fatal Attraction: Note to self: keep pets away from Glenn Close. Ew.

American Beauty: Failing marriages, an unhealthy fixation on Mena Suvari, videos of plastic bags; just the thing to make sole control of the remote look suddenly attractive.

Unfaithful: Things here just…don’t end well. Trust me.

Heathers: Pine- and sap-free, guaranteed. “What’s your damage, Heather?”

Don’t we all feel a little bit better? Or is that a little bit bitter? Happy Valentine’s week from CHHQ. Or not. Whatever you prefer.

Valentine’s Day, unromantic movies

Speaking as a single woman, it seems that there are really two ways to approach Valentine’s Day. Either it’s the Scourge of Winter and must be avoided at all costs, or it’s something to be embraced to the point of forgetting there’s supposed to be a guy around in the first place. Bring on the chocolate! Pass the wine! Are those some dangly heart earrings I see? Excellent.

In the somewhat ambivalent spirit of the upcoming holiday, we at CH would like to present a two-post series on the films of Valentine’s Day and the films of those who would rather give February 14 over to someone else, say…Haters International. Whatever. Today we’ll be exploring a week’s worth of the sappiest, tear-jerkiest, eye-rollingest movies out there–we’re talking the romances that would make any Harlequin writer say, “Girl? Please.”

Without further ado:

An Affair to Remember: Cliched, but there it is. Any movie that other movies hold up as the Gold Standard of Sap must clearly be on the list. Plus, “her shriveled little legs!”

Return to Me: Super-sweet, but also kind of great. Bonus: directed by Bonnie Hunt, who knows a funny joke when she sees it.

Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken: Mostly loved by horsey little girls and post-Jake Ryan Michael Schoeffling fans in the 80s. ‘Nuff said.

Garden State: Supposedly hip and charming, but the ending gives me hives. It’s like bathing in maple syrup.

Ghost: Before Meredith on The Office defiled it, this one was the romance movie of the 80s. Love from beyond the grave! Clearly sweet and…not…creepy? Ho-kay.

The Notebook: The CH staff must admit that someone around HQ hasn’t seen this one, but Googling “sappiest movie” yielded so many Notebook hits that it made the list, fair and square.

Somewhere in Time: How can a Jane Seymour/Christopher Reeve time-travel movie not instantly raise the old insulin level?

Tune in next time for anti-Valentiners and the movies they love!

movies, Valentine’s Day, romantic movies

Happy New Year (slightly belated) from Cinema Hype! The CH staff took a much-needed hiatus for the holiday, wherein not a single film was analyzed or quoted or even watched (okay, that’s….a lie). But things are looking up for 2007, and we’re ready to take on the world of celluloid! Bring it on! (It’s already been broughten.)

Along with the glorious in-ringing of the new year, we here at Cinema Hype would like to announce a new CH undertaking: the 501 Project. Starting this month, CH will be watching and reviewing all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners in a row, starting with the 1927-28 winner (Wings) and proceeding all the way up to the present. This isn’t a race; there’s no time limit or weekly quota. But upcoming Oscar films will be announced here for the benefit of anybody who wants to watch along. We’d love to hear from the CH community about the supposed best films of the last 80 years–comments and e-mail are our bread and butter around here.

The name 501 Project comes from the serial numbers stamped on the heels of all Oscar statuettes beginning in 1949–rather than begin with number one, the ID numbers began with 501. That, and it’s a nice name.

Here’s to a good year and lots of good film.

Academy Awards, 501 Project, film history

I hope all of you CH readers had lovely Christmases, if you’re of the Christmasing persuasion; things at CH Parental Headquarters were generally delightful, what with all of the Scrabble and the hanging around in pajamas and the opening of gifts.

In other news, I finally finished It’s a Wonderful Life, just in time. I now believe that I had never seen the whole thing–somehow I always seemed to arrive just as George crashed the car, and then wondered why nothing made sense. Now I know: Donna Reed and “Buffalo Girl;” planning to see the world and then staying in Bedford Falls; lending people money when they don’t deserve it; disappointment and disillusionment. Now that I’ve seen the whole thing, I see why people cry at the ending: it’s such a sad story and such a desperately happy ending, and it’s hard to be very snarky about it at all.

Thus endeth the Most Wonderful Time Film Festival; I might sit down with either The Family Stone or the original Miracle on 34th Street–both are still sitting next to the DVD player–but any further Christmas-movie viewing will be strictly for extra credit.

Merry and Happy to all! Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

Christmas movies, It’s a Wonderful Life