Santa Claus

I watched a movie called Santa Claus, a Mexican produced movie, directed René Cardona, released in 1959. An American version was produced by/ directed by Ken Smith and released in 1960. José Elías Moreno plays Santa Claus, José Luis Aguirre as Pitch, Lupita Quezadas plays Lupita and Ken Smith as the Narrator for the American version. I saw the American version, more specifically a special screening of RiffTrax version that was in theaters recently. The story is about Santa Claus, who has a castle in what appears to be space and does battle with a demon named Pitch who wants to ruin Christmas for everyone. That’s the most basic plot I Can say because this is a strange little movie to be sure. It has been famously used as a movie for the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 and for good reason. It is poorly dubbed and some of the scenes with the children and the sleigh with reindeer moves into uncanny valley territory. The story itself is actually moral in some ways because the overall message is doing good results in good. The devil sends Pitch up to Earth to get the children to do bad and ultimately destroy Santa Claus, the embodiment of good.  Lupita plays a little poor girl that is tempted by Pitch at every turn but resists him at every turn. Pitch tries every which way to get people to ruin Christmas that Santa has to counter. Pitch also enlists the help of three little boys who are bad to do his bidding but Santa Claus knows because he watches through a machine, which also goes into uncanny valley territory because of how it’s made.
I said it is a weird little movie but it is still really good in a lot of ways. It is a classic of Christmas that represents a more innocent time. The moral isn’t banged over your head like in many other more saccharine of Christmas movies. And it is silly enough that it keeps you watching.
The only version I know of that is available is the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version that I spoke of above and I know that one is cut down to fit the format of the show. It doesn’t take away from anything as far I am concerned because the movie has such a simple premise and not all that much action that is cut out. The only things that are cut out are Lupita having a dream about dancing dolls that are pretty frightening looking and the look on Lupita’s face is priceless. Again, not having this in the movie doesn’t take away from the movie because it a nightmare brought on by Pitch, by blowing on her. Yeah.
If you find it, give it a try, as it is definitely something different to watch for the Christmas holiday. Or any time, really. 

Scrooged

I watched a movie Scrooged, directed by Richard Donner, released in 1988. It stars Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Houseman, John Forsythe, Robert Mitchum and Bob Goldthwaith. It is a modernization of the story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Francis Cross, played by Bill Murray, runs a top-rated network, IBC, and is putting on a live version of a Christmas Carol with an all-star cast. The thing is, he’s a bit of a prick. He fires one of his employees right before Christmas and is generally a dick to everyone. He gets the visit from his old boss as a ghost and is soon visited by the three ghosts. Will he change his ways?
I saw this at Mission Drive-In, a local drive-in that has been refurbished recently, in 1989, as a double feature with the 1989 Batman, directed by Tim Burton. I immediately loved Scrooged even though I was about 11 or 12 at the time. Bill Murray is the perfect choice for the role as he can play such a dick but at the same time you can relate to him when he is visited by the ghosts. I think this is one of his best roles, right up there with Carl Spackler from Caddyshack, Venkman from Ghostbusters, Phil Connors from Groundhog Day, or any other work he has done. He brings such a solid performance, you really get into it. Karen Allen plays his girlfriend Claire and she also brings a realist performance and they have such chemistry together, you can see how Frank and Claire are truly meant to be together in many of the scenes they have together. The direction by Richard Donner is superb as always, getting shots that are very meaningful but not going over the top with close-ups and multiple angles. IT is a very understated direction and it works really well. The score by Danny Elfman brings a bit of chill and fantasy to the movie that is unmatched. It sounds a bit like demented Christmas music through almost the entire film which totally works. Something I didn’t know was that it was written by Mitch Glazer and Michael O'Donoghue, which now explains the dark humor and satirical nature of the corporate world being portrayed as a contrast to Christmas spirit, which plays perfectly.
Something else that is really cool about this movie is that all the Murray brothers are in it; John, Brian Doyle-Murray and Joel Murray, which gives it a real family feel, at least to me. It is a subtle movie about Christmas and what is important, believe it or not, and is not so sweet or bitter that you lose interest or find it comically stupid. All the jokes are on point due to Murray’s delivery both as the comedian and straight man  and the story itself, even if it is modernized and done a million times in other version, is one that really should resonate any time of the year.

If you haven’t seen it, it is totally in your interest to, if only for Bill Murray.

A Christmas Story

I watched a movie called A Christmas Story, directed by Bob Clark, released in 1983. It stars Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillion, and Ian Petrella. It is based on short stories and semi fictional stories of author Jean Shepard. It is the story of a boy named Ralphie, played by Peter Billingsley, who wants one thing for Christmas: Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and "this thing which tells time". He is scoffed at and denied by everyone who asks what he wants for Christmas, as they put it, “You’ll shoot your eye out.” There are multiple subplots happening in the movie as well. It is a story told from a child point of view, so much so that the parents of Ralphie, played by Melinda Dillon and Darren McGavin are referred to throughout the movie as “Mom” and “The Old Man”, even in the credits. It also represents a more innocent time circa the 1940’s though there is no pinpoint time expressed in the film.

I grew up watching this movie, like many of my generation. It was one of the first Christmas movies that I actually remember most likely because it was about a child and his rampant want of a certain gift. I don’t remember being that way as a kid but those memories are fuzzy to say the least. This movie has a really easy style that is all of its own because it’s a simple plot and all the action seems real enough to keep you compelled, unlike most movies about kids. Just about every person can relate to the high and lows of being a kid and this movie represents that in a funny and somewhat serious manner, but not too serious.
The movie now has taken a life of its own since its release. In more recent years, there have been marathons for 24 hours on one channel showing it during Christmas, much like another film that features Christmas, the movie It’s a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra, released in 1946. Not many films can boast that many of the set pieces, such as the leg lamp the Old Man won becoming an actual lamp you can purchase or Ralphie’s house that was used for the movie became a museum where people pilgrimage yearly. There has even been a stage adaptation. That is pretty amazing when you think about it. That’s how movies can affect people when they are done right.

If you haven’t seen this movie, you should. It may not appeal to everyone however; give it a chance because I am sure at least one thing will resonate with you.