What a year it has been, for so many different reasons. To state the obvious, the COVID-19 pandemic has taken more than one million lives worldwide, devastated the lives of millions more with loss and heartache, and forever changed what we know to be “normal” in our daily lives. On top of that, the more typical turmoil that comes with political instability, racial injustice, and countless other stress-inducing events have made the need to “escape” more necessary to keep sane than perhaps any other year in modern memory since 2001.
Needless to say, various entertainment mediums have satiated that need for many people who spend their evenings temporarily forgetting the stress of their jobs, relationships, or just having the weight of the world on their shoulders. For me, movies have provided that and more. And despite of the seemingly endless delays and cancellations, I have watched over twenty new films this year. So, without further ado, I want to share a sliver of my cinematic journey this year by talking about some of my favorite films from 2020. Bad Boys for Life The first new movie that I watched this year (and one of the few that I watched in theaters), Bad Boys for Life was a surprisingly enjoyable ride that kicked off the year right for movies. To preface with my brief thoughts on the first two films in the franchise, I found the 1995 film Bad Boys to be overall quite boring with some enjoyable chemistry between its two leads: Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. The 2002 sequel Bad Boys II, on the other hand, was far more entertaining for me because it embraced the utter absurdity inherent to the franchise’s concept that its overindulgent two-and-a-half-hour runtime did not distract me in the slightest. The movie had so many “memorable” scenes (notably the opening involving the KKK and the infiltration scene involving ecstasy in a mortuary). Needless to say, I was interested to see what direction the relatively unknown directing duo Adil El Arbi and Bilail Faliah would take the franchise that put Michael Bay on the map. Perhaps what surprised me the most was how emotionally engaging Bad Boys for Life was. Unlike its immediate predecessor, the storyline involving Lawrence’s Detective Marcus Burnett wanting to retire from the line of duty and Smith’s Detective Mike Lowrey dealing with that (on top of his own arc) made the movie far more interesting to watch. And despite assuming that any attempt to ground the franchise would backfire and make it unsuccessful, Adil & Bilail ended up telling a story in Bad Boys for Life that was intriguing but they never let up on the comedic tones and incessant hyper-involved action sequences that define the misadventures of Mike and Marcus. If you are looking for some well-shot action and charming camaraderie from 90s action stars, you cannot go wrong with Bad Boys for Life. The Invisible Man When the credits started rolling upon my initial viewing, I knew without a shadow of a doubt that The Invisible Man, directed by Leigh Whannell (Upgrade) and starring Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men, The Handmaid’s Tale), would be competing for my favorite film of this year. Some of you may already be familiar with my general distaste for horror movies. But, for those who are not, I tend to steer away from most modern horror movies due to their overreliance on jump scares, excessive and unnecessary gore, and convoluted storytelling devices and plot conveniences. However, I am always pleasantly surprised when I discover a horror flick from the previous couple of decades that I genuinely enjoy, admire, and respect. Needless to say, The Invisible Man fits that description very nicely. As I want people to watch this movie knowing as little about it as possible, I will keep my praise as vague as I can. First and foremost, Moss’s performance as Cecilia, a strong woman who is the victim of an abusive relationship at the hands of wealthy business magnate Adrian Griffin (Oliver Jackson-Cohen), is simply awe-inspiring. Everything about it makes the audience completely invested in whatever comes next in her story. Furthermore, the supporting cast does a great job enhancing the story of Cecilia’s struggle with her own trauma. Specifically, I really liked Aldis Hodge as James, a police officer who offers Cecilia his home as a safe haven from Adrian’s potential backlash. Together with James’s little sister Sydney (Storm Reid), the relationship between those three characters serves as a powerful beating heart for the film’s emotional core. Overall, Whannell’s direction is equally impressive as the main cast. His use of tension in several pivotal scenes to underscore the extended metaphor about processing and overcoming emotional trauma from an abusive relationship is expertly done. His film stands tall and proud among some of the best psycho-thrillers about twisted relationships out there, from Fatal Attraction to Gone Girl. I cannot recommend The Invisible Man enough for fans of both modern horror films, well-made remakes of horror classics, and emotionally fulfilling thrillers. I hope you appreciate it as much as I did. Onward Like many men and women of my generation, I grew up absorbed by the crowned jewels of storytelling that came from Pixar Animation Studios. (Keep an eye out in the very near future for a blog about this topic) So, when the studio announced that their next several films after Toy Story 4 would be original stories I was quite excited for what this new era of Pixar would offer up. And although I did not have the chance to see Onward in theaters before the COVID-19 pandemic affected my area, I was fortunate enough as a Disney+ subscriber to be able to see it in April. To preface my thoughts about Onward, I want to be clear that I LOVE a solid majority of the films that Pixar makes. I certainly have my favorites that I grew up with, but I have stayed relatively invested in the studio’s stories as I have aged because (most of) their films retain an expert quality to them that most animated features lack for viewers over the age of ten. All that being said, I did not love Onward. But, I really enjoyed it. Similar to some of the other lesser-appreciated Pixar standalone films (lookin’ at you, Ratatouille!), Onward presents a perfectly serviceable story with just enough action, humor, and heart to engage a 24-year-old cynic such as myself. As a diehard fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I particularly appreciated the chemistry between Tom Holland and Chris Pratt as the Lightfoot brothers. Easily, the best scenes of the film are the heart-to-heart conversations between them. While the plot was by no means unpredictable or revolutionary, it served the themes of the film well enough to justify the film as quality entertainment over an absorbing, intellectual exploration of brotherhood. Overall, I highly recommend Onward for any parent, Pixar fan, or fellow cinephile like me who just enjoys escapist entertainment from one of the best animation studios in the world. The Way Back As a recent convert to the directorial work of Gavin O’Connor (Miracle, Warrior) who enjoys my fair share of (but does not gravitate to) sports movies, I was cautiously optimistic about O’Connor’s newest feature The Way Back starring Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting, Gone Girl). It is the story of a former basketball-star-turned alcoholic, blue-collar worker who reluctantly takes the job of head coach for his old high school’s team. This is certainly familiar ground for O’Connor, and on the surface is so for anyone who regularly indulges in feel-good sports dramas (lookin’ at you, Hoosiers!). However, what I think distinguishes The Way Back from some of its genre contemporaries is two things. First, the film has a deeply personal air to it due to Affleck’s own struggles with alcoholism in the past few years. Much of that unquestionably comes off through his portrayal of the ups and downs of Jack Cunningham as he finds a new sense of purpose in life inspiring young men through his unorthodox approach to coaching and mentoring. Second, while I will not argue that the film has a sad ending, I do not think that it has a shallowly happy one, either. Without spoiling the film, The Way Back offers a chance at redemption for Affleck’s Jack but does not assume that he earns it or deserves it, for that matter. That kind of complexity and ambiguity (however subtle or superfluous) is much appreciated from someone like me who needs more than just the sport itself to like a sports movie. I think many types of cinephiles will enjoy The Way Back, from fans of sports dramas to redemption stories. It is certainly worth the watch if you’re looking for that sort of thing. Yes, God, Yes Perhaps the least well-known film on this list, Yes, God, Yes (the directorial debut of screenwriter Karen Maine) is based on a short film of the same name. It stars Natalia Dyer (Stranger Things) as a sexually blossoming teenage girl who attends a Midwestern Catholic high school. Her journey depicted over the course of 77 minutes is defined by confronting her own assumptions about sex and sexuality, the role of her doctrinal education in the formation of such opinions, and her own emotional growth as a young woman trying to figure out what she wants out of life. Seems like just the type of movie for a twenty-four-year-old man, right? Maybe not, but I thoroughly enjoyed this Indie flick (which originally premiered at the SXSW Film Festival last year). Maine offers up a story about sheltered but curious young people whose confinement to a narrow, exclusionary worldview causes their curious natures to be sometimes more harmful to themselves and others than it should be. The film’s sense of humor about itself and its central characters is more than refreshing compared to some other movies in this genre. Dyer’s leading performance is warm and relatable, but there are also some great (albeit minor) performances from other young adult actors like Alisha Boe (13 Reasons Why) as the seemingly brainwashed counselor at the youth retreat which serves as the film’s primary setting. But perhaps what I like most about Yes, God, Yes is its core lesson that everyone hides their insecurities and what is important is for people to treat others respectfully because, in the paraphrased words of Dyer’s Alice, “everyone is dealing with their own shit.” I highly recommend this film for the lovers of the young adult genre; I promise that it will use its brief runtime wisely. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom How fitting it is to wrap up today’s blog by discussing the film that includes the final performance of the late, great Chadwick Boseman?! Not only was he the subject of one of my earliest blogs, but for millions of people around the world his death back in late August represents the pain and heartache summed up by the year 2020. So, I am grateful that Mr. Boseman helped wrap up my year in film viewing, because his final performance is just one of the great things about George C. Wolfe’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is based on a play by Pittsburgh native August Wilson and is produced by Denzel Washington, who starred in the 2016 film adaptation of Wilson’s play Fences (the subject of another one of my blogs). It tells the story of a hot day in a recording studio in 1920s Chicago as the tensions between members of a blues band and their star, Gertrude “Ma” Rainey (Viola Davis), boil over. All of them, from the hot-headed trumpet player Levee (Boseman) to the mediating trombone player Cutler (Colman Domingo), live cloaked in personal troubles and the pressures of being black recording artists in a white world that wants nothing more than to strip them of their soul for profit. What can I say about this movie except that everyone should watch it?!? ALL of the performances range from very good to fantastic. Notably, Davis as “Ma” Rainey, Boseman as Levee, and Domingo as Cutler bring incredibly nuanced, complex personalities to life before stirring them up together into ninety minutes of infectious and emotional human drama. The interplay between all of the actors (but specifically, Davis, Boseman, and Domingo) births a believable environment seething with pride and catharsis that engrosses you so effortlessly. For those who know my thoughts on Boseman, they are only encouraged after watching his performance in this film. No matter if he has two lines in a scene or offers up a five-minute raw monologue, you always know he is there and just waiting eagerly to see what he says or does. If I have one and only critique of the film, it is that ninety minutes was not nearly enough time for me to spend with these characters. I wanted the runtime doubled, and only wish that the director had the foresight to put Boseman in front of the camera for another hour or so. I cannot recommend Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom enough to y’all. Trust me, you WILL NOT regret it. So, those are some of my favorite films of 2020! There are certainly others; for one, I have already discussed The New Mutants in my very first blog back in August. And I am sure I will be talking about some more of the best 2020 flicks in the future. 😊 What are some of your favorite films from this year? What movies are you most excited for next year? What opinions of mine do you find absolutely ridiculous? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, this has been… Yours Truly, Amateur Analyst
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Given my age (a young, ripe 24), most people may assume that Home Alone, Elf, and The Nightmare Before Christmas compete for my personal favorite Christmas film of all time. But you would be wrong. As of right now, that honor is occupied by a film I only watched in the last year or so: the 1946 classic from director Frank Capra, It’s a Wonderful Life.
Why does a 24-year-old love this old-school, cheesy, black-and-white flick? Let me explain why. The History Frank Capra, considered by many film critics to be one of the great directors of Hollywood’s “Golden Age” (alongside William Wyler, Howard Hawks, and others), was directed to Philip Van Doren’s short story, entitled The Greatest Gift, by the studio chief of RKO Pictures Charles Koerner. After spending the wartime years making documentaries and propaganda films for the U.S. government, Capra looked to this short story to be the basis for his return to Hollywood filmmaking. Much of what is known about the behind-the-scenes for this film points to extensive tensions between Capra and the many writers that he brought on rewrite the screenplay. For example, husband-and-wife duo Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett were given the impression that Capra, once giving them the power over drafting the film, wanted nothing more than for them to finish it so that he could write it himself. Similar to Capra’s seeming desire to control the writing process, he also had definitive choices in mind for his actors. Specifically, Capra wanted no one else but James Stewart to play the lead role of George Bailey. He also went through several actresses to play George’s sweetheart and wife Mary, from his first choice Jean Arthur (Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Only Angels Have Wings) to Olivia de Havilland (Gone with the Wind), before Donna Reed (From Here to Eternity) landed the role. Filming in Los Angeles took exactly ninety days, and brought about a new innovation in filmmaking. Russell Shearman, the head of special effects for RKO Pictures, developed a new formula for making “chemical snow,” replacing the then-common method to make movie snow which involved untoasted cornflakes (an impractical method because the crunching sound emitted from the actors stepping on them often resulted in the re-dubbing of dialogue). This innovation from Shearman won It’s a Wonderful Life its only Academy Award (despite being nominated for five of them): a Technical Achievement Award. The film premiered in late December of 1946, moving up from its original release in early January in order to be competitive in that year’s Academy Awards. Despite making 3.3 million dollars (slightly exceeding its 3.18-million-dollar budget), It’s a Wonderful Life lost RKO Pictures more than half a million dollars. Furthermore, its lukewarm reception in comparison to other post-World War II movies of that year (notably William Wyler’s The Best Years of Our Lives) made it somewhat fade into the crevices of film history for over a decade. Many critics at the time deemed the story and Capra’s direction oversentimental, but praised the lead performances of Stewart and Reed. The film was even officially investigated by the FBI for supposedly deriding the wealthy (specifically the banking class), a no-no in the years leading up to the Second Red Scare and the McCarthy era. While It’s a Wonderful Life was deemed the beginning of the end of Capra’s career upon release, the film (and Capra’s postwar career) was re-evaluated starting in the 1960s. In 1990, the film was preserved by the Library of Congress and has since been acknowledged on several film polls and lists among some of the best movies of cinema history. The Pros Having just re-watched the film last night, I am confident that It’s a Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas movie. To begin with the performances. The two standouts in my mind, without a doubt, are the film’s leads. James Stewart offers up an incredibly flawed George Bailey with an admirable moral character whose search for purpose in life leads him down a dark, destructive path without realizing just how great life is until it’s almost too late. Perhaps more so than any other leading role in his career, Stewart embraces the best of Capra’s signature “everyman” protagonists with his notorious drawl, manner of speech, and matter-of-fact demeanor to make even the most cynical and skeptical of viewers (including myself) sympathize with and root for him. Also, Donna Reed portrays George’s sweetheart Mary Bailey (née Hatch) as both an empowered and charming woman whose love for her husband surprisingly does the impossible: she both conforms to and transcends the stereotypes of the time in which the film was made. While her story is largely defined by the young woman coming home to find the man of her dreams, her resilience in the face of adversity in relation to Bailey’s family bank shows a different kind of love beyond the excessive romance of other films of that era. Now, to address the biggest contemporary critique of It’s a Wonderful Life: is it truly oversentimental? Well, yes, but what Christmas movie isn’t? I think it goes without saying that this film gets something of a pass for its age, thus transcending a criticism as time-bound as being “too sentimental” in lieu of reaching the cinematic pinnacle of being “timeless.” But, perhaps it’s more complicated than that. Certainly, there are plenty of movies made prior to 1980 that has problems significant enough to override any defense of it as “good for its time.” However, I think that It’s a Wonderful Life does succeed at both embracing the best of its time and transcending it with a message that applies to anyone having a rough go at life regardless of when and where you were born. Ultimately, the message from It’s a Wonderful Life that I most resonate with is the idea that someone’s life is worth more to those who they affect greatly than to even themselves. As a proud cynic myself, I deeply empathize with George Bailey’s burning desire to escape what he sees as a burdensome town and also relish the journey he goes on with his guardian angel realizing how much his life means to others and the town itself. More importantly, however, is the lesson that George Bailey learns about himself. For not only has his existence brought joy and love to others, but what happiness surrounds his own life comes from others. As George’s guardian angel Clarence Odbody (Henry Travers) reminds him at the end of the film: “No man is a failure who has friends.” The Cons Aside from what some viewers interpret as the lack of “timeless quality” that I outlined above, I think that the biggest enemy to It’s a Wonderful Life is its runtime. As with most films over two hours long, editing can (and should) be the director’s best friend. I can certainly justify its runtime as being necessary to making George Bailey’s relationships with the various townsfolk of Bedford Falls meaningful. However, I can also understand some viewers struggling after the first ninety minutes with caring much about George’s fate. But, my re-watch on Christmas Eve this year reassured me that the runtime is ultimately necessary because each scene adds something to the overarching narrative. So, I guess the questions is should this kind of flick be made for a modern audience? Probably not, but that’s why we call it a “classic”! I could say much more about this film, but I think I’ll leave it at that. Simply put, these are just some of the reasons why It’s a Wonderful Life is my favorite Christmas movie of all time. If you and your family plan to spend some time indoors this Christmas, check it out! I guarantee you will enjoy the time spent together bonding over a classic piece of holiday viewing. What is your favorite Christmas film? Do you think It’s a Wonderful Life deserves the praise that it receives? What opinions of mine do you find absolutely ridiculous? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, this has been… Yours Truly, Amateur Analyst When I think back to the Christmas movies that defined my childhood, nothing is more powerful than my memories of watching the (mostly) old-school, stop-animation television specials made by now-defunct production company Rankin/Bass Animated Entertainment. I fondly think back to my early childhood, and the nights in December when I would sit with my parents and sister on our couch in the living room, turn the channel to ABC, and indulge in one of the many classics “25 Days of Christmas” specials.
So, what better topic for a Christmas Eve blog post than revisiting the holiday specials I loved in my youth (at the risk of confronting the fact that they may not live up to my nostalgia-fueled expectations)? Without further ado…LET’S DO IT!! Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) This is one of the three of these specials that I would certainly consider a classic due to the earworm nature of its namesake song (can you guess what the other two are without scrolling to the end?). In 1964, Rankin/Bass kicked off its “Golden Age” of TV holiday specials with the timeless stop-motion animated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. For those somehow unfamiliar with the plot of this movie, the story follows a young fawn named Rudolph, the son of famous reindeer Donner, whose peculiar, lightbulb-esque red nose distinguishes himself among the other fawns (and fellow reindeer Comet, for some reason) who cast him out. Despite wanting to stick around in the hopes of winning over young fawn Clarice, Rudolph runs away from home for three years. As he grows his antlers, he befriends the elf Hermey, who wants nothing to do with building toys but wants everything to do with cleaning peoples’ teeth, and the lone mountaineer Yukon Cornelius obsessed with finding gold and silver. During his time in the wilderness, Rudolph and company discover an Island of Misfit Toys (the inhabitants of which are what they sound like) and is able to offer help to King Moonracer by convincing Santa Claus to find new homes for these outcast toys. When he returns home, however, Rudolph learns that his parents and Clarice have gone out looking for him. He returns to the wild to find them under captive by the Abominable Snowman. However, with the help of Hermey and Yukon, Rudolph helps save his fellow reindeer and bring them back to the North Pole. The final conflict involves a massive snowstorm that convinces Santa Claus that he will be unable to deliver the billions of presents to the children of the world by Christmas Day. But, he realizes that Rudolph can help: his bright, shiny red nose can be a guide through the stormy night. Finally, Rudolph gets his wish of becoming one of the reindeer pulling Santa’s sleigh and saves Christmas for everyone. Simply put, re-watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer after so many years was an absolute delight. The music is catchy, the stop-motion animation (while certainly imperfect) retains an appealing charm to it, and the story of an outcast redeeming himself remains timeless. All that being said, however, there are questions I have. First off, why is Comet such an immature adult reindeer? As the “coach” of the fawns during their flying lessons, he does not criticize the other fawns for picking on Rudolph for his nose. Instead, he joins them and straight up announces that Rudolph will no longer be able to participate in any reindeer games. What a terrible role model for these young reindeer! Also, how is it that Hermey is the ONLY elf that wants to do something other than make toys? Does the North Pole not have doctors, teachers, construction workers, or any other essential job necessary to maintaining a stable, safe, and secure environment in the Arctic Circle? I feel for Hermey, though, because if some fat guy with a beard and red suit forced me to build toys all day I might just form a union and demand some more control over my career as an elf. Furthermore, how does Yukon with seemingly no experience taming wild animals manage to train the Abominable Snowman to not just stop trying to eat reindeer but also work for Santa Claus? I suppose he applied the training he’s used for his sled dog team, but what are the chances that such an approach would work on a wild snow monster? But, all the nitpicks aside, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a fun trip into the nostalgia-soaked holiday season of my childhood and I cannot wait to see what these other TV specials have in store. The Little Drummer Boy (1968) Unlike all the other holiday specials I write about here, The Little Drummer Boy lacks for me the same amount of nostalgia that Rudolph and these others do. While I vaguely remember it, I never found myself invested in this one like the others. Honestly, watching it with fresh eyes made me appreciate it even less. In other words, I went from never thinking about The Little Drummer Boy to somewhat disliking it. There is not much to the plot of this one. Aaron, a young orphan boy who has lost trust in humans because of his parents being murdered and burned alive in their home (sounds quite children-unfriendly, huh?), spends his days roaming the desert with his three animal friends: Samson the Donkey, Baba the Lamb, and Joshua the Camel. He also enjoys playing the drum that his parents gave him to make his animal friends dance (sounds quite abusive, doesn’t it?). Anyways, Aaron is (for lack of a better term) kidnapped and enslaved by Ben Haramed, the manager of a traveling caravan of less-than-talented performers. But Aaron does not like his new station in life and tries to abandon the caravan. After being found again by Haramed (who sells his camel to the Magi), Aaron heads to Bethlehem to retrieve his camel. But his faith in humanity is restored upon meeting (and playing his drum for) the newborn Jesus in the manger. What I think makes The Little Drummer Boy one of (if not the) “black sheep” of the Rankin/Bass TV holiday specials is a plethora of things. From the undeveloped characters and inadequate cinematography to the story which lacks substance (if not heart), this film more than any of the others remains unimpressive for me and thus will retreat to the recesses of my memory before quickly fading into the void of nothingness. Unfortunately, not even nostalgia can preserve The Little Drummer Boy in spite of what it does well. Instead, those aforementioned negatives weigh it down too much for me. Frosty the Snowman (1969) Another expansion of a classic Christmas song, Frosty the Snowman is a classically animated tale of a handful of schoolchildren creating a snowman that magically comes to life on Christmas Eve. But an evil magician, the original owner of the hat that brought Frosty to life, wants his hat back. Furthermore, Karen (one of the children) helps Frosty travel to the North Pole to keep him from melting due to high temperatures. But he makes the asinine decision to go into a greenhouse (knowing the magician is chasing him and Karen) and, shockingly, the magician traps them inside the greenhouse. Frosty melts and the movie scars all of the young children watching it for life, but then our spirits are uplifted when Santa Claus (otherwise known as the ultimate TV holiday special McGuffin) revives Frosty who then lives out his days at the North Pole helping bring Christmas joy to the children of the world. The plot of this movie is quite simply, isn’t it? Yeah, it is. I still love it, but there is something about Frosty the Snowman that, similar to Rudolph, is timeless. It remains a charming holiday tale, and (for me) the catchiest song from all of these specials. Yet the lack of sophistication that Rudolph has makes Frosty the Snowman less rewatchable in my opinion. Still, I love it. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town (1970) In one of the rare instances of a prequel/origin story making sense as a captivating story, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town tells the tale of the early years of Kris Kringle as he comes to embody the mythos that is “Santa Claus.” From his time learning to make toys with the Kringles to his various misadventures circumventing the oppressive, anti-toy laws of Burgermeister Meisterburger, this TV special is simply a joy to watch. While much of the voice acting in the previous three specials has ranged from adequate to good, the talents of Fred Astaire as the narrator and Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle shine through here. To bring life to stop-motion figurines is no easy task, but Astaire and Rooney, along with the many other voice actors in this movie (notably Keenan Wynn as Winter Warlock, Robie Lester as Miss Jessica, and Paul Frees as Burgermeister), inject an essential combination of childlike wonder and sophisticated narrative that makes the movie a memorably one, indeed. But what I appreciate about it the most is its message and the nature of Santa Claus’s origins. Not only does Kringle’s struggles to bring joy say something about the true spirit of the holiday season, but the centrality of adversity that makes Santa Claus’s origin one defined by being outcast from the mainstream comes off as both an innovative approach to telling the story for a children’s TV special and rather forward-thinking for being fifty years old as of this year. Needless to say, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town remains a classic worth watching despite its age. It may initially seem outdated, but actually embodies what I think is the essence of Christmas. The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) Now that we know Santa’s origin story, how can Rankin and Bass one-up themselves? How about a story about Santa Claus deciding to skip Christmas in favor of a holiday? Sounds strange, doesn’t it? Well, that is exactly the story of the 1974 special The Year Without a Santa Claus. Due to a sudden cold and being convinced that the children of the world no longer care about Christmas, Santa Claus (played once again by Mickey Rooney) decides to take the year off completely. But such a thing cannot happen if Mrs. Claus (Shirley Booth) has anything to say about it. So, she sends two elves Jingle and Jangle to Southtown, U.S.A to show her dour husband that the Christmas spirit is alive and well. Meanwhile, Mrs. Claus must deal with the sibling rivalry of the universe between the Miser Brothers in order to make it snow in Southtown to prove the existence of Santa Claus to Mayor Thistlewhite and get Santa Claus the holiday he very much desires. Seems like this movie juggles a lot, doesn’t it? The question, however, is does it work? It ABSOLUTELY does! This is by far the most well-constructed narrative of all of these specials. The audience is invested in multiple stories: that of Mrs. Claus working behind the scenes to help her husband, that of the elves to help her, that of young boy Iggy whose journey with the elves and Mrs. Claus diminishes his Christmastime skepticism, and that of Santa whose pseudo-incognito visit to Southtown shows him that the spirit of Christmas remains alive and well (even though it may need a little kicker to get going again). Furthermore, the voice acting is on point in this one. Booth’s rendition of Mrs. Claus is warm and welcoming, Rooney continues his impressive streak as Santa Claus, and Rhoda Mann’s brief appearance as the stern yet friendly Mother Nature certainly makes an impact. However, for me the standouts are Dick Shawn and George S. Irving as Snow Miser and Heat Miser, respectively. Not only are their introductory songs some of the most iconic musical numbers from the Rankin/Bass catalogue, but their role in the story was everlasting enough to inspire a 2008 spin-off telling their own story. Ultimately, what makes The Year Without a Santa Claus the best of the Rankin/Bass TV holiday specials is the heartfelt nature of its central message. Simply put, that Christmastime is just as much about giving as it is about getting. The movie’s climax in which the children of the world give gifts to Santa Claus, thus inspiring him to get out of bed and hold Christmas after all, exemplifies a lesson for children that is both mature and fitting for the holiday season this year perhaps more than any other. Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July (1979) Similar to The Little Drummer Boy, the 1979 holiday special Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July lacks the drip of nostalgia that I have for the other specials that I have written about today. And while that did not necessarily weaken this last one for me, it certainly made it more difficult a lasting impression on me. After watching Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July, I think that its biggest strength is the crispness of the stop-motion animation. It certainly looks better than it ever has before in any of its predecessors. On top of that, the figurines themselves look slightly more human in their expressions and mannerisms than in prior specials. On the one hand, this makes it feel less cartoonish and more grounded. But that may not necessarily be a good thing. Part of the charm of the Rankin/Bass holiday specials, from Rudolph to Frosty and more, is the feeling that these stories are taking place in another world entirely. Nay, another plane of existence. In that sense, the plastic but emotion-ridden faces of characters like Rudolph and Frosty balanced their innate charm and the slightly off-putting nature of them. But in Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July, such blurred lines completely fade away in favor of cleaner, yet ultimately less aesthetically pleasing, stop-motion animation. But what really drags this one down for me is a combination of two things: the lengthy runtime and the convoluted narrative. Rather than working together to engage the audience, these two factors do nothing more than make Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July drag in comparison to those that came before. There is simply too much going on for me to be invested in anything: the circus, the Milton/Lainie love story, Rudolph’s struggles with his red nose, Frosty’s investigation into the truth of Rudolph’s guilt or innocence, Scratcher’s thirst for revenge against Rudolph, the success of the circus. It’s simply too much to care about, and I end up not caring much at all. To be clear, this one certainly gets points for putting Rudolph and Frosty―two of the most iconic embodiments of Christmas in the American zeitgeist―front and center. And while their interactions are somewhat interesting, Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July remains the blandest of all of these TV holiday specials. So, why do I love the various holiday specials from ABC’s “25 Days of Christmas” lineup? Simply put, they are my “Star Wars” for Christmastime. They are one of the few pieces of entertainment that allow me to be a child again. They cause all my youthful innocence that I associate with times like Christmas to rise to the surface and boil over in the best way imaginable. Seeing Rudolph fly at the head of Santa’s sleigh in the night or look on as Frosty wishes the circle of children “Happy Birthday!” never fails to make me feel like a kid again. With all that said, here is my definitive ranking of these classic Christmas specials:
What are some of your favorite TV holiday specials? Do you remember these classics as fondly as I do? What opinions of mine do you find absolutely ridiculous? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, this has been… Yours Truly, Amateur Analyst Image by S. Hermann & F. Richter from Pixabay To kick off the month of December, I revisit the book “1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” by Steven Jay Schneider. Specifically, I will examine a 2015 Indie film that makes for a surprisingly-poignant story and fits swimmingly (if unconventionally) into the film canon of the holiday season. That film is none other than director Sean Baker’s dramedy Tangerine.
[NOTE: This blog will contain spoilers for the films “Starlet,” “Tangerine,” and “The Florida Project.” You have been warned.] The History Mark Duplass, co-founder of Duplass Brothers Productions with sibling and fellow filmmaker Jay Duplass, approached Sean Baker (Starlet, The Florida Project) at the New Zealand Film Festival about a new project. After securing some other producers, Baker went to work on the script with Chris Bergoch. According to Baker, much of the “mainstream” aspects of the story (i.e. setting the film on Christmas Eve, naming the protagonist Sin-Dee Rella) came from him. However, much of the realism of the story (again, according to Baker) came from the two transgender leads: Mya Taylor and Kitana Kiki Rodriguez. In listening to stories of people they know who have been engaged in sex work in Los Angeles, Baker was inspired to write about the journey between two friends centered on one whose boyfriend/pimp has cheated on her with the other. In addition to relying on their stars for story beats, Baker and Bergoch also spent time at a resources center for the LGBT community in Los Angeles. Filming took place over the course of less than one month on location in Hollywood. Baker and co-cinematographer Radium Cheung used three iPhone 5S smartphones to shoot the film. Using an app designed to control focus, aperture and color temperature, anamorphic adapters from Moondog Labs to capture widescreen shots, and Steadicam to capture smooth moving shots, Baker and Cheung created a rather unique aesthetic for Tangerine that combines the “found footage” style with the high-resolution look of a “high-budget” Indie flick (even though the film cost only $100,000). On January 23, 2015, the film premiered at Sundance Film Festival and was immediately purchased by Magnolia Pictures who distributed the film internationally. It has received universal acclaim since its release, and garnered several nominations and wins from local film societies both in the United States and abroad. The Pros All I knew about Tangerine before pressing “Play” was that it was a movie about transgender sex workers in Los Angeles. Immediately, I was apprehensive. To be clear, I am open-minded to any story about anyone as long as it is interesting; but I was unsure if I would find this particular story all that relatable or interesting to me, no matter how well it was made or performed. That being said, I had already seen Baker’s most recent feature The Florida Project and was thoroughly impressed. So, I remained optimistic (if reserved). Fortunately, my initial concerns were quickly swept away by the expertly crafted storytelling and the ability of each and every person on screen to bring this touching story about friendship and family to the screen. Simply put, Tangerine blends insane comedic antics with intense human drama to impressive effect. The “day-in-the-life” approach to showing the individual journeys of both Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor) as they separate and intertwine seamlessly is utterly engrossing. Furthermore, the supporting characters―from Sin-Dee’s pimp and boyfriend Chester (James Ransone) and Sin-Dee’s kidnapping victim Dinah (Mickey O’Hagan) to the Armenian taxi driver Razmik (Karren Karagulian) who regularly solicits Alexandra’s services―all excel when on screen but never detract from the focus of the film. They only enhance the storytelling as it unfolds. For those who are uninitiated to Sean Baker, I find the types of people he tells stories about to be rather enticing. For example, his 2012 feature Starlet is about young adults in their early-to-mid 20s who are struggling to get by as workers in Southern California’s porn industry. His most recent film, The Florida Project, shines a light on the lives and obstacles of impoverished people living in motels in Kissimmee, Florida neighboring the glamorous and lavish Walt Disney World. Both of these films sound quite depressing, do they not? Well, they are. But they are also incredibly entertaining. The main journey of the protagonist of Starlet, Jane/Tess (Dree Hemingway), is one of discovering friendship in the unlikeliest of places: an elderly widow, Sadie (Besedka Johnson), whom she initially befriends over guilt for buying a rummage sale vase from her that contains ten thousand dollars in it. In The Florida Project, Baker unveils the trials and tribulations of these motel-dwellers through the imaginative minds and wonder-obsessed eyes of children, namely the six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her friends. In other words, Baker’s films show what may seem on the surface to be miserable life experiences due to overwhelming social, cultural, and financial circumstances. Yet the characters in his films (including Tangerine) confront the unique challenges of their lives head on with wit, sarcasm, and an “all-or-nothing” that can feel both admirable and tragic at the same time. Needless to say, the acting, characterization, themes, and precision of storytelling in Tangerine is unrivaled by much of the indie world, in my humble opinion. While I am by no means an expert on the technical aspects of filmmaking, I definitely vibed with Baker and Cheung’s unique aesthetic for Tangerine. All the tools and techniques employed to capture the streets of Los Angeles do so, highlight both the gritty reality and hidden beauty this red-light district that Sin-Dee and Alexandra call home. Of course, I cannot discuss Tangerine without addressing the most important question for this holiday season blog post: is it a Christmas movie, and a good one at that? The short answer is yes. Baker and Bergoch wrote a tale about the true bond of friendship and familial love in the face of overcoming personal differences and difficult extenuating circumstances of regular life. Furthermore, the ending scene between Sin-Dee and Alexandra in the laundromat competes, in my mind, for best embodying the spirit of the holiday season. After being harassed and assaulted by strangers on the street for her gender identity, Sin-Dee is seemingly left alone on Christmas Eve night to pick up the pieces of her life. But no, Alexandra swoops in and offers her help. After taking her to a laundromat to wash Sin-Dee’s urine-stained clothes and wig, they sit together alone without saying a word to each. Then, at the very end, Alexandra takes off her wig and loans it to Sin-Dee until hers is clean. How much more “Christmas spirit” can a film get? The Cons There really is not much I can say is objectively bad with this film. If anything, the 90-minute runtime is a bit long for me just because some of the sequences feel too drawn out (namely Sin-Dee’s prolongated kidnapping and physical/verbal abuse of Dinah). So, perhaps Baker could have shaved ten or so minutes off to really tighten up the story. Otherwise, all I can say is this is perhaps the most unorthodox Christmas movie ever made. At least, on the surface. So, do not approach this film on your first viewing as a wacky story about transgender sex workers (even though, in many ways, it aptly fits that description). Instead, watch Tangerine as a movie about friends overcoming past mistakes and personal grievances to be there for each other when they need someone there for them the most. So, what are my final impressions of Tangerine? It is a damn entertaining watch with some (mostly) unknown, but talented, performers and some fantastic direction from Sean Baker. Furthermore, it offers up a surprisingly wholesome message about friendship and belonging that fits perfectly with the norms of other viewings for the holiday season. (Although, I would not necessarily call this a “family film.” Parents, you have been warned). But the ultimate question: is it a better Christmas movie than Die Hard? … Yes. Yes, it is. 😊 What are some unorthodox Christmas films that you really like? Do you think Tangerine succeeds as a holiday movie? What opinions of mine do you find absolutely ridiculous? Let me know in the comments below. Until next time, this has been… Yours Truly, Amateur Analyst |
Austin McManusI have no academic or professional background in film production or criticism; I simply love watching and talking about movies. Archives
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