Month: December 2018

What are the best Christmas movies?

This Turner Classic Movies and movie fan was delighted when Jeremy Arnold, author of “Christmas in the Movies: 30 classics to celebrate the season,” appeared as a guest to introduce a “Christmas movie.”

And what better way is there to enjoy a chilly, holiday evening?

The movie was “Beyond Tomorrow, a 1940 movie, this writer knew nothing about. After watching on TCM, however, we began looking at our collection of holiday movies and found the movie in a three-disc collection.

We also went looking to buy the book, but found it was on back order. So we ordered the ebook version.

It is an interesting book with several movies we didn’t think belonged on the list and others we didn’t know much about.

The movies that clearly belonged on the book include Holiday Inn (1942), Scrooge (1951), A Christmas Story (1983), Christmas in Connecticut (1945), It’s a Wonderful Life (1946), Miracle on 34th Street (1947), The Bishop’s Wife (1947), Love Actually (2003), Home Alone (1990), and The Shop Around the Corner (1940).

On the other hand, Die Hard doesn’t belong in the book even though it takes place during the holidays and has many Christmas elements in it. The movie, however, is far too violent to be a favorite Christmas movie.

Also, how could National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation be one of the 30 and the delightful Santa Clause movies be excluded?

Those weren’t the only movies we think shouldn’t be included. While Elf is a holiday related movie, it isn’t very good. And we’ve also found The Nightmare Before Christmas rather distasteful.

Even though we don’t agree on everything that’s in the book and what’s excluded, books that list what the writers think is best in a particular field almost always are at least entertaining and an inspiration for discussions about what’s in the book. This book is delightfully fun and well worth reading.

You just might find a movie that will make your holidays a fun, festive time.

Here’s the complete list of the 30 movies in no particular order:

  1. Miracle on Main Street
  2. The Holly and the Ivy
  3. White Christmas
  4. We’re No Angels
  5. The Shop Around the Corner
  6. Remember the Night
  7. The Man Who Came to Dinner
  8. Holiday Inn
  9. Christmas in Connecticut
  10. Miracle on 34th Street
  11. It’s a Wonderful Life
  12. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
  13. Home Alone
  14. The Nightmare Before Christmas
  15. Remember the Night
  16. Love Actually
  17. A Christmas Story
  18. Die Hard
  19. Gremlins
  20. The Lion in Winter
  21. Meet Me in St. Louis
  22. Beyond Tomorrow
  23. I’ll Be Seeing You
  24. The Apartment
  25. The Bishop’s Wife
  26. 3 Godfathers
  27. Holiday Affair
  28. Trail of Robin Hood
  29. Elf
  30. Little Women

So get a hot beverage, get the movie you pick ready to watch and settle in your favorite seat.

Happy holidays!

LOC 2018 film registry selections listed

The winter holidays season is a time of many delights, despite what one’s spiritual and/or religious beliefs are.

One of our favorite events, however, is the annual announcement each December by the Library of Congress of 25 films that are being named to the National Film Registry.

Some of these films are well-known award-winning titles, some are highly respected rarely seen titles and others are landmark productions reflecting the times they were made and changes in American culture.

The 25 films just named to the registry include one dealing with alcoholism (Days of Wine and Roses), sexual norms (Brokeback Mountain), the Vietnam War (Hearts and Minds), and the emergence of African-American filmmakers.

There are musicals on the list two including Academy Award-winning best picture My Fair Lady and the Gene Kelly-Frank Sinatra film On the Town.

“Monterey Pop,” 0ne of the best rock music movies ever made, is added to the list. It took place before Woodstock and some of the concert performances filmed are vastly superior to those of the festival that happened later.

For those with a hankering for science fiction and horror films, there are two added this year: Steven Spielberg’s “Jurassic Park” and Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.”

Lots of film making giants are reflected in this list including Spencer Tracy (Bad Day at Black Rock), Walt Disney (Cinderella), Paul Newman (Hud), Orson Welles (The Lady from Shanghai), and Alfred Hitchcock (Rebecca).

This is the sort of list that makes one want to learn more about film, particularly about titles that aren’t widely know.

So, take a look at the list and then, if you so choose, watch some of those you don’t know much about it. We recommend it.

Films Selected for the 2018 National Film Registry 
(alphabetical order)

  1. Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
  2. Broadcast News (1987)
  3. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
  4. Cinderella (1950)
  5. Days of Wine and Roses (1962)
  6. Dixon-Wanamaker Expedition to Crow Agency (1908)
  7. Eve’s Bayou (1997)
  8. The Girl Without a Soul (1917)
  9. Hair Piece: A Film for Nappy-Headed People (1984)
  10. Hearts and Minds (1974)
  11. Hud (1963)
  12. The Informer (1935)
  13. Jurassic Park (1993)
  14. The Lady From Shanghai (1947)
  15. Leave Her to Heaven (1945)
  16. Monterey Pop (1968)
  17. My Fair Lady (1964)
  18. The Navigator (1924)
  19. On the Town (1949)
  20. One-Eyed Jacks (1961)
  21. Pickup on South Street (1953)
  22. Rebecca (1940)
  23. The Shining (1980)
  24. Smoke Signals (1998)
  25. Something Good – Negro Kiss (1898)

A Bedford Winter Holiday opening

BEDFORD, IND.

One thing many small towns do just right is celebrate holidays. Bedford kicked off its winter holiday celebration Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, with a variety of activities including a nighttime Christmas parade.

One of the great Bedford holiday attractions across from the Lawrence County Courthouse is the dazzling, multi-story 12 Months of Christmas store, which beginning next spring will be open year round. All photos by Ronald Hawkins.