There was no post last night, as I had no corresponding post for yesterday's date last year. Tonight, one of my favorite reviews. You can tell because it's possibly the most detailed review.
...
As I promised yesterday, I'm back tonight with another Christmas review. Tonight, I'll be looking at an episode of the 1960s iteration of Dragnet, titled "The Christmas Story", which originally aired December 21, 1967.
On Christmas Eve, Sergeant Joe Friday (working in Burglary/Auto Theft division in this episode) is sitting at his desk, making out the last of his Christmas cards. Bill Gannon, his partner, comes in with a little fir tree cutting for a table-top Christmas tree. Gannon gives Friday a little grief for buying his girlfriend a monogrammed stationary set for Christmas, until Gannon lets slip that he bought his wife a sewing machine.
They get called out to the San Fernando Mission Church, where the parish priest, Father Rojas, reports that the baby Jesus statue has been stolen from the Nativity scene. Father Rojas emphasizes how meaningful the Nativity scene is to the largely poor parishioners. Friday and Gannon begin searching for the statue but face little chance of getting it back in time for Christmas the next day. They try a store that sells religious figures but don't learn anything useful.
Friday and Gannon are visited by one of the altar boys, who tells them he saw a man leaving the church with a bundle about the size of the statue. They determine that the man is named Claude Stroup (actor/musician/composer Bobby Troup) and that he has a record. Friday and Gannon find Stroup at the mens' hotel where he lives. When they take him downtown for questioning, it quickly becomes clear that Stroup has nothing to do with the missing statue and they release him.
Friday and Gannon return to the church to tell Father Rojas of their failure to the find the baby Jesus statue. As they are about to speak to the Father, a little boy comes into the church, pulling a wagon with the baby Jesus statue inside it. The boy, Paquito, tells the men that he prayed for a new wagon and promised to give the baby Jesus a ride if he got one. Paquito admits to taking the statue, but all is forgiven. Friday and Gannon depart to celebrate Christmas.
…
"The Christmas Story" is in fact the third time that Dragnet creator/star Jack Webb adapted this story. It was first adapted for the radio version of Dragnet under the name "The Big Little Jesus" on December 22, 1953. It was then produced for the first TV version of Dragnet and aired just two days after the radio version, on Christmas Eve, 1953. As with every episode of Dragnet, " The Christmas Story" is based upon an actual event. Unlike every other episode, this story is taken from the files of the San Francisco Police Department rather than the Los Angeles Police Department.
Series creator Jack Webb strove for a level of technical accuracy that had not been seen before in a police series. Appropriate terminology and techniques were applied to the scripts. This could vary in anything from investigative technique to evidence gathering to depicting the duties of officers throughout the department.
As far back as the 1950s, Webb sought to make clear, though his character Joe Friday, that police work takes long hours and effort to doggedly pursue evidence to catch criminals. Webb presciently noted that brilliant deductions based on scant evidence don't really happen in actual police work, as seems so prevalent on police shows these days. Dragnet sought to depict policemen as hard-working people making sacrifices for the greater good, and worked to improve both public perceptions of the police and how police could and should work within the community.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
Christmas Review night six
Tonight, night six of my Christmas reviews. My brother and I watched what is routinely considered one of the worst movies ever made, 1964's Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.
Normally, I would write a fairly detailed summary of the plot, but that's not really necessary for this "classic". The plot is as follows:
Martian children are depressed, and the King of Mars, Kimar, is told that Mars needs a Santa Claus. Despite the objections of a renegade Martian, Kimar abducts Santa to Mars along with two kids, Betty and Billy Foster. The renegade Martian, Voldar, tries to undermine Kimar and Santa's efforts to bring Christmas to the children of Mars. However, Santa stops him with the help of the kids and of Dropo, a goofy but kindhearted Martian who Santa makes the official Santa Claus of Mars.
…
I don't want to give this movie any more attention than it deserves, because this movie was the worst thing I've had to watch for these Christmas reviews. Instead of writing a fully detailed review, I'm just going to write bullet points listing some of my observations.
-This movie doesn't seem to have been made for a lot of money. There are a couple of action sequences where it seems the only direction was "Whatever you do, don't break anything! We don't have the money to replace it if it breaks!" One scene features the worst polar bear costume I've ever seen; it wants so badly to be intimidating, which is difficult to do when you resemble a stuffed bear with all the stuffing removed.
-Santa Claus is about the most unlikable character in this movie. He tries to say funny things but none of what he says is funny; he's so bad even the kids in the movie don't laugh at him and typically, child characters would be written to find everything Santa says wildly hysterical. If anything, it gave my brother and I the impression that the child actors were the only ones who realized what a stinker they were making. Also, he has kind of a creepy vibe about him. It might be due to the fact that the actor playing Santa opted to affect a rather sinister laugh rather than just doing the typical "Ho, Ho, Ho!"
-I have a hard time imagining anyone actually enjoying this film as a "good movie". It's so boring that adults would get antsy trying to sit through this with their kids. As for kids, I can't really see this movie holding a child's attention for very long. A lot happens, but none of it adds up to much. If given a choice, I can't picture a kid sticking with this movie for the long haul.
-The movie is also plagued by pacing problems, one of the hallmarks of a truly great bad film. The movie takes nearly a half-hour to get going plot wise, which is far too long for an eighty-minute movie. I think the filmmakers realized they had been wasting a lot of time, because the movie rushes to a lame, unsatisfying climax; we get a "fight" in Santa's Martian toy room where the previous "DON'T BREAK ANYTHING!" direction seems to have been used.
-The movie is also plagued by pacing problems, one of the hallmarks of a truly great bad film. The movie takes nearly a half-hour to get going plot wise, which is far too long for an eighty-minute movie. I think the filmmakers realized they had been wasting a lot of time, because the movie rushes to a lame, unsatisfying climax; we get a "fight" in Santa's Martian toy room where the previous "DON'T BREAK ANYTHING!" direction seems to have been used.
Can't recommend this film, unless you're an aficionado of bad cinema.
…
Update-December 21, 2015: When I reviewed this movie on my old blog last year, I actually had a copy of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians for the previous couple of years, but had trouble getting myself to sit down and watch it. I knew it was bad by reputation, but some movies are just so awful that they can exceed your expectations of awfulness. This movie has nothing going for it at all.
Sunday, December 20, 2015
Christmas Review Night five
Day five of my Christmas reviews. Tonight, The Simpsons Christmas Special, otherwise known by the name "Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire", which first aired on December 17, 1989.
Homer and Marge show up late to the Springfield Elementary Christmas pageant, featuring Bart in the fourth grade choir singing "Jingle Bells" ("Batman smells/Robin laid an egg…) and Lisa as the torch-juggling Tawanga, the Santa Claus of the South Seas.
Back at home, the kids begin making out their Christmas lists: a pony for Lisa and a tattoo for Bart. Homer, meanwhile, finds out he won't be getting his Christmas bonus. Marge takes the kids Christmas shopping with her jar full of Christmas money, but is forced to use it to get laser removal for the tattoo Bart tries to get behind her back. This leaves the family without funds for Christmas, though Homer has kept the truth about his bonus from Marge.
Depressed, Homer nurses a beer at Moe's Tavern when Barney comes in wearing a Santa suit. He gets Homer a secret part-time job as a mall Santa, but Bart discovers the truth when he jumps in Homer's lap and yanks his false beard. Left with only thirteen dollars after deductions for his efforts, Homer is talked into trying his luck at the dog track with Barney. He dismisses Barney's hot tip after hearing about a dog named Santa's Little Helper, taking it as a sign. Barney's dog wins while Santa's Little Helper takes a distant last place.
Homer and Bart try searching the parking lot for a discarded winning ticket, but get nowhere. As they start for home, they come across Santa's Little Helper, tossed out by his owner for losing too many races. Homer and Bart take him home, seeing a kindred spirit in a born loser. Homer comes in and starts to confess to the family about his bonus, but Bart brings in Santa's Little Helper to the surprise and delight of the family. In the end, Homer saves Christmas for the family after all.
…
This is one of my favorite Christmas specials ever; it might be the one I like the most.
Having turned thirty this year, I'm old enough to remember those earliest days of The Simpsons, when parents believed that Bart Simpson was a bad influence. Maybe he was at the time, but looking back on those oldest episodes, Bart's antics can sometimes seem almost quaint in comparison to what happens on television now. Times change, I guess.
By the time of this special, the Simpsons characters had already been on television for two years, as brief shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show, which debuted on Fox in the spring of 1987. This episode depicts a time so early in the actors' performances that Homer still had traces of his original voice, which slowly evolved over time. At this point, actor Dan Castellaneta was still doing, as he put it, a bad Walter Matthau impression. At this point, Homer hasn't quite taken on that higher-sounding slow-headed pitch his voice would have.
Homer and Marge show up late to the Springfield Elementary Christmas pageant, featuring Bart in the fourth grade choir singing "Jingle Bells" ("Batman smells/Robin laid an egg…) and Lisa as the torch-juggling Tawanga, the Santa Claus of the South Seas.
Back at home, the kids begin making out their Christmas lists: a pony for Lisa and a tattoo for Bart. Homer, meanwhile, finds out he won't be getting his Christmas bonus. Marge takes the kids Christmas shopping with her jar full of Christmas money, but is forced to use it to get laser removal for the tattoo Bart tries to get behind her back. This leaves the family without funds for Christmas, though Homer has kept the truth about his bonus from Marge.
Depressed, Homer nurses a beer at Moe's Tavern when Barney comes in wearing a Santa suit. He gets Homer a secret part-time job as a mall Santa, but Bart discovers the truth when he jumps in Homer's lap and yanks his false beard. Left with only thirteen dollars after deductions for his efforts, Homer is talked into trying his luck at the dog track with Barney. He dismisses Barney's hot tip after hearing about a dog named Santa's Little Helper, taking it as a sign. Barney's dog wins while Santa's Little Helper takes a distant last place.
Homer and Bart try searching the parking lot for a discarded winning ticket, but get nowhere. As they start for home, they come across Santa's Little Helper, tossed out by his owner for losing too many races. Homer and Bart take him home, seeing a kindred spirit in a born loser. Homer comes in and starts to confess to the family about his bonus, but Bart brings in Santa's Little Helper to the surprise and delight of the family. In the end, Homer saves Christmas for the family after all.
…
This is one of my favorite Christmas specials ever; it might be the one I like the most.
Having turned thirty this year, I'm old enough to remember those earliest days of The Simpsons, when parents believed that Bart Simpson was a bad influence. Maybe he was at the time, but looking back on those oldest episodes, Bart's antics can sometimes seem almost quaint in comparison to what happens on television now. Times change, I guess.
By the time of this special, the Simpsons characters had already been on television for two years, as brief shorts on The Tracy Ullman Show, which debuted on Fox in the spring of 1987. This episode depicts a time so early in the actors' performances that Homer still had traces of his original voice, which slowly evolved over time. At this point, actor Dan Castellaneta was still doing, as he put it, a bad Walter Matthau impression. At this point, Homer hasn't quite taken on that higher-sounding slow-headed pitch his voice would have.
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Christmas Review night four
Tonight, we'll be looking at the Christmas episode of the 1960s series The Avengers, entitled "Too Many Christmas Trees". The series has nothing to do with any of the Marvel Comics books or characters, or any of the recent movies, other than that the 2012 Avengers movie had to be renamed Avengers Assemble in Great Britain because of the rights to the name.
In the story, British agent John Steed has been having bizarre dreams that seem to predict future events and feature a sinister-looking Santa Claus. He dreams about seeing the death of a colleague who's fallen under suspicion, and wakes to find the colleague's death is front page news, the result of severe neurological trauma.
It becomes clear that a group of genuine psychics are behind both the deaths and Steed's dreams. The group is also responsible for the leaked information that first cast suspicion on Steed's dead colleague. Meanwhile, Mrs. Emma Peel invites Steed to spend Christmas with her at the country home of Brandon Storey, a publisher with an obsession with Dickens. When they arrive, we find the psychics among the other guests and house staff.
Steed's dreams continue, now depicting him as Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities, a mysterious woman leading him to the guillotine. His dream again comes true when the woman, Janice Crane, shows up as a guest for Christmas and is herself one of the psychic conspirators. At the party that evening, Janice tries a "parlor trick" on Steed where she reads my mind, preparing for the final psychic attack. Mrs. Peel drops a glass to break Janice's concentration, but it seems the work has been done.
Steed begins acting strangely, singing old nursery rhymes to himself. Mrs. Peel discovers that Steed was to be drugged to help him sleep (and be vulnerable to psychic attack), but Steed himself thwarts this. The singing is a form of mental defense, confusing his attackers with literal nonsense. Steed has already deciphered what's happening, and his singing was prescribed by Doctor Teasel, a seemingly sinister guest who actually works for the same government ministry as Steed.
Steed's dream imagery lead him and Mrs. Peel to the conspirators. A physical confrontation thwarts the conspirators' plans and reveals that the true ringleader (and the man behind the sinister Santa Claus) is their host, Brandon Storey.
…
This is one of my favorite episodes of The Avengers, full of atmosphere as it evokes an old-fashioned Dickensian Christmas. Storey's obsession with Dickens extends to Dickens busts throughout his large house, character costumes at the Christmas party (Oliver Twist, Jacob Marley, and the Artful Dodger among them) and the Hall of Great Expectations, recreating Miss Havisham's neglected wedding feast.
This episode's Dickensian connection runs deeper than its plot-line. Series star Patrick Macnee (John Steed) had a small role as young Jacob Marley in the 1951 adaptation of A Christmas Carol, simply titled Scrooge, in which guest star Mervyn Johns (Brandon Storey) played Bob Cratchit. I cannot prove it, but I tend to doubt his involvement was any sort of coincidence, considering that Scrooge was quite popular at the time, and is generally regarded as one of the more faithful Dickens adaptations.
…
Update: December 19, 2016- I posted this on my previous blog exactly one year ago. At that time, I began the review with a brief paragraph about how I'd been sick that week. Just a minor note that these reviews are subjected to some minor edits and/or revisions as needed. Also, I would like to write more reviews of movies and TV shows like the ones I've been posting thee past few days. I've already considering a review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. That will probably wait until after the Christmas seasons, and the end of these review reposts from last year.
In the story, British agent John Steed has been having bizarre dreams that seem to predict future events and feature a sinister-looking Santa Claus. He dreams about seeing the death of a colleague who's fallen under suspicion, and wakes to find the colleague's death is front page news, the result of severe neurological trauma.
It becomes clear that a group of genuine psychics are behind both the deaths and Steed's dreams. The group is also responsible for the leaked information that first cast suspicion on Steed's dead colleague. Meanwhile, Mrs. Emma Peel invites Steed to spend Christmas with her at the country home of Brandon Storey, a publisher with an obsession with Dickens. When they arrive, we find the psychics among the other guests and house staff.
Steed's dreams continue, now depicting him as Sydney Carton in A Tale of Two Cities, a mysterious woman leading him to the guillotine. His dream again comes true when the woman, Janice Crane, shows up as a guest for Christmas and is herself one of the psychic conspirators. At the party that evening, Janice tries a "parlor trick" on Steed where she reads my mind, preparing for the final psychic attack. Mrs. Peel drops a glass to break Janice's concentration, but it seems the work has been done.
Steed begins acting strangely, singing old nursery rhymes to himself. Mrs. Peel discovers that Steed was to be drugged to help him sleep (and be vulnerable to psychic attack), but Steed himself thwarts this. The singing is a form of mental defense, confusing his attackers with literal nonsense. Steed has already deciphered what's happening, and his singing was prescribed by Doctor Teasel, a seemingly sinister guest who actually works for the same government ministry as Steed.
Steed's dream imagery lead him and Mrs. Peel to the conspirators. A physical confrontation thwarts the conspirators' plans and reveals that the true ringleader (and the man behind the sinister Santa Claus) is their host, Brandon Storey.
…
This is one of my favorite episodes of The Avengers, full of atmosphere as it evokes an old-fashioned Dickensian Christmas. Storey's obsession with Dickens extends to Dickens busts throughout his large house, character costumes at the Christmas party (Oliver Twist, Jacob Marley, and the Artful Dodger among them) and the Hall of Great Expectations, recreating Miss Havisham's neglected wedding feast.
This episode's Dickensian connection runs deeper than its plot-line. Series star Patrick Macnee (John Steed) had a small role as young Jacob Marley in the 1951 adaptation of A Christmas Carol, simply titled Scrooge, in which guest star Mervyn Johns (Brandon Storey) played Bob Cratchit. I cannot prove it, but I tend to doubt his involvement was any sort of coincidence, considering that Scrooge was quite popular at the time, and is generally regarded as one of the more faithful Dickens adaptations.
…
Update: December 19, 2016- I posted this on my previous blog exactly one year ago. At that time, I began the review with a brief paragraph about how I'd been sick that week. Just a minor note that these reviews are subjected to some minor edits and/or revisions as needed. Also, I would like to write more reviews of movies and TV shows like the ones I've been posting thee past few days. I've already considering a review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. That will probably wait until after the Christmas seasons, and the end of these review reposts from last year.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Christmas Review night three
Tonight, night three of my Christmas reviews, featuring A Garfield Christmas Special.
Like the Three's Company episode last night, the special had trouble keeping my attention, even though I've enjoyed it in the past.
Jon Arbuckle decides to take Garfield and Odie to his family's farm for Christmas. Waiting for them are Jon's mom and dad, his grandma, and his younger brother, Doc Boy ("In case you've forgotten, I'm also your only brother."). Big family dinners, lots of songs of varying cheesiness, and Odie's plan to make a backscratcher for Garfield fill out the twenty-two minute running time.
At one point, Jon's dad reads the family the same story he reads every year, Binky, the Clown Who Saved Christmas ( "I don't know about you, Jon, but for a couple of minutes there, I was getting pretty worried", says Doc Boy). Jon and Doc Boy try to coax their parents out of bed at 1:30 am to open presents, and we learn that Doc Boy wears onesie pajamas with feet and a fluffy bunny tail. Doc Boy, it should be noted, is a grown man.
Garfield finds a bundle of love letters for Grandma that Grandpa had written her when they were courting, calling them the greatest gift she could've received. Odie gives Garfield the backscratcher, made from a wood plank, a plunger handle, and a hand rake. A good time is had by all in the space of twenty-two minutes.
…
A Garfield Christmas Special is a fun little special if nothing too extraordinary. If you grew up enjoying the show Garfield and Friends, you'll enjoy this special, but chances are you've probably already seen it. I grew up with the show and enjoyed it far more than I ever enjoyed the comic strip. Everything about the show was better: the characters were funnier and did far more interesting things than the stale, repetitive jokes of the comic.
This may be damning with faint praise, but you could do much worse than A Garfield Christmas Special. I wouldn't call it a classic, but check it out if you want something light for the kids that you won't hate yourself for having to sit through.
Like the Three's Company episode last night, the special had trouble keeping my attention, even though I've enjoyed it in the past.
Jon Arbuckle decides to take Garfield and Odie to his family's farm for Christmas. Waiting for them are Jon's mom and dad, his grandma, and his younger brother, Doc Boy ("In case you've forgotten, I'm also your only brother."). Big family dinners, lots of songs of varying cheesiness, and Odie's plan to make a backscratcher for Garfield fill out the twenty-two minute running time.
At one point, Jon's dad reads the family the same story he reads every year, Binky, the Clown Who Saved Christmas ( "I don't know about you, Jon, but for a couple of minutes there, I was getting pretty worried", says Doc Boy). Jon and Doc Boy try to coax their parents out of bed at 1:30 am to open presents, and we learn that Doc Boy wears onesie pajamas with feet and a fluffy bunny tail. Doc Boy, it should be noted, is a grown man.
Garfield finds a bundle of love letters for Grandma that Grandpa had written her when they were courting, calling them the greatest gift she could've received. Odie gives Garfield the backscratcher, made from a wood plank, a plunger handle, and a hand rake. A good time is had by all in the space of twenty-two minutes.
…
A Garfield Christmas Special is a fun little special if nothing too extraordinary. If you grew up enjoying the show Garfield and Friends, you'll enjoy this special, but chances are you've probably already seen it. I grew up with the show and enjoyed it far more than I ever enjoyed the comic strip. Everything about the show was better: the characters were funnier and did far more interesting things than the stale, repetitive jokes of the comic.
This may be damning with faint praise, but you could do much worse than A Garfield Christmas Special. I wouldn't call it a classic, but check it out if you want something light for the kids that you won't hate yourself for having to sit through.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
Christmas Review number two
Day two of my Christmas TV/movie reviews. Tonight, I'm watching the Three's Company Christmas episode, simply titled "Three's Christmas".
Jack, Janet, and Chrissy exchange gifts on Christmas morning, leading to Jack wearing one pale blue sock and one argyle sock (each one half of a pair each given to him by Janet and Chrissy). As gifts are exchanged, we learn that Chrissy is a nickname for Christmas, making her full name Christmas Snow. The trio decide to throw a Christmas party, only to discover all their friends are already invited to a different party, but they're not.
Meanwhile, the trio's landlords, Helen and Stanley Roper, come home prematurely from a Christmas weekend at her brother's house, as he and Stanley don't get along. As Mrs. Roper notes, "they keep hitting each other." Not wanting to settle into a non-celebratory Christmas, Mrs Roper invites Jack, Janet and Chrissy to a get-together at their place, which the group reluctantly accepts. As soon as Mrs. Roper leaves, Jack gets a phone call; they're invited to the big Christmas party after all! Chrissy makes the group attend the Ropers' party as promised, Jack and Janet figuring to bow out early for the other party.
The group arrives to find themselves the only guests at the Ropers' party, a pink plastic table-top Christmas tree awaiting them ("It doubles as an air freshener," says Mrs. Roper). Lame card tricks, single fingers of scotch, and tons of bad singing by Mr. Roper abound as the evening progresses. When Mr. Roper tries to get everyone to dance as he (poorly) plays reveille on a trumpet, Jack, Janet, and Chrissy finally find their excuse to leave for the other party.
Mrs. Roper is furious that Stanley has ruined another celebration for her, but it's revealed he had ulterior motives. A phone call earlier in the evening wasn't Helen's brother as he claimed; it turns out they were also invited to the big Christmas party as well, and Stanley had been trying to get rid of the trio so they could attend.
In the end, a fun time is had by all, with the group having to carry Mr. Roper home for Helen ("Just leave him under the tree, I'll unwrap him in the morning.")
…
Tonight is the first time in quite a while that I've watched this episode. As best as I can remember, it was before Christmas 2013 when I last watched this episode. This time around, the show was having trouble keeping my attention. When I was younger, I was a big fan of Three's Company, when the show ran in syndication. I didn't watch it again for years until a few years ago, when the show was released on DVD. It's joined Gilligan's Island as a show I loved when I was a kid, but don't quite hold up before my adult eyes. That's not to say these shows are bad, but that they don't bring quite the same pleasure as when I was a kid. Back them, the pleasure I derived from the show was from John Ritter's great physical comedy in the role of Jack Tripper.
That said, the episode does have some funny moments: Jack thinking about whale-gutting in the Arctic and what he'd rather do than go to the Ropers' party; Chrissy's phone call to her boyfriend, a commercial actor ("the star of Armpit Theater"); Mr. Roper and his horn ("Everybody dance!").
If you're a Three's Company fan, I'd recommend it, but you've probably seen it already. If not, you can skip this one and not miss much.
Jack, Janet, and Chrissy exchange gifts on Christmas morning, leading to Jack wearing one pale blue sock and one argyle sock (each one half of a pair each given to him by Janet and Chrissy). As gifts are exchanged, we learn that Chrissy is a nickname for Christmas, making her full name Christmas Snow. The trio decide to throw a Christmas party, only to discover all their friends are already invited to a different party, but they're not.
Meanwhile, the trio's landlords, Helen and Stanley Roper, come home prematurely from a Christmas weekend at her brother's house, as he and Stanley don't get along. As Mrs. Roper notes, "they keep hitting each other." Not wanting to settle into a non-celebratory Christmas, Mrs Roper invites Jack, Janet and Chrissy to a get-together at their place, which the group reluctantly accepts. As soon as Mrs. Roper leaves, Jack gets a phone call; they're invited to the big Christmas party after all! Chrissy makes the group attend the Ropers' party as promised, Jack and Janet figuring to bow out early for the other party.
The group arrives to find themselves the only guests at the Ropers' party, a pink plastic table-top Christmas tree awaiting them ("It doubles as an air freshener," says Mrs. Roper). Lame card tricks, single fingers of scotch, and tons of bad singing by Mr. Roper abound as the evening progresses. When Mr. Roper tries to get everyone to dance as he (poorly) plays reveille on a trumpet, Jack, Janet, and Chrissy finally find their excuse to leave for the other party.
Mrs. Roper is furious that Stanley has ruined another celebration for her, but it's revealed he had ulterior motives. A phone call earlier in the evening wasn't Helen's brother as he claimed; it turns out they were also invited to the big Christmas party as well, and Stanley had been trying to get rid of the trio so they could attend.
In the end, a fun time is had by all, with the group having to carry Mr. Roper home for Helen ("Just leave him under the tree, I'll unwrap him in the morning.")
…
Tonight is the first time in quite a while that I've watched this episode. As best as I can remember, it was before Christmas 2013 when I last watched this episode. This time around, the show was having trouble keeping my attention. When I was younger, I was a big fan of Three's Company, when the show ran in syndication. I didn't watch it again for years until a few years ago, when the show was released on DVD. It's joined Gilligan's Island as a show I loved when I was a kid, but don't quite hold up before my adult eyes. That's not to say these shows are bad, but that they don't bring quite the same pleasure as when I was a kid. Back them, the pleasure I derived from the show was from John Ritter's great physical comedy in the role of Jack Tripper.
That said, the episode does have some funny moments: Jack thinking about whale-gutting in the Arctic and what he'd rather do than go to the Ropers' party; Chrissy's phone call to her boyfriend, a commercial actor ("the star of Armpit Theater"); Mr. Roper and his horn ("Everybody dance!").
If you're a Three's Company fan, I'd recommend it, but you've probably seen it already. If not, you can skip this one and not miss much.
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Christmas Review number one
This is the first of the Christmas movie and TV reviews I did last year for my previous blog. I will be reposting one every night for the next week or so. Enjoy.
...
Tonight is the first night of my Christmas TV and movie reviews. We'll be looking at the "Christmas Story" episode of The Andy Griffith Show, which first aired December 19, 1960.
In this episode, Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife are getting ready to celebrate Christmas with friends and family, when shopkeeper Ben Weaver runs in local man Sam Muggins for moonshining. Old, cantankerous Weaver is not in the Christmas spirit, and doesn't care if locking up Sam separates him from his family for the holidays.
Andy, ever resourceful, makes the best of the situation, "arresting" Sam's wife and children as "accessories" to his moonshining so they can be together for Christmas. Andy even moves their whole Christmas party into the jail (with Barney dressed as Santa) so everyone can celebrate together.
Weaver, meanwhile, finds himself caught up in the Christmas spirit but can't bring himself to join in the celebrations without cause, resorting to getting himself arrested just so he'll have an excuse to be at the party. A good time is had by all, with Weaver drinking up the only evidence of moonshining he had against Sam Muggins.
…
I very much enjoy The Andy Griffith Show. I think what I like best is its' attitude about trying to see and find the best in people. In a modern sitcom environment where humor is derived from hateful behavior between characters and a generally inaccurate understanding of irony, TAGS' humor is radical in its willingness to just let its' characters say and do funny things. The humor is derived from the situation and how the characters respond rather than simply letting them make inane smart-aleck remarks that almost gleam with lack of creativity or inventiveness.
Also, TAGS also depicts something you'd never see on a modern sitcom: people singing hymns. This episode featuring the characters singing "Away In A Manger", whereas a modern Christmas show would probably feature "Jingle Bells" or some other secular Christmas song. I'm always a little surprised when I hear an actual hymn on a TV show.
…
Come on back tomorrow; I think I'll tackle the Christmas episode of Three's Company.
...
Tonight is the first night of my Christmas TV and movie reviews. We'll be looking at the "Christmas Story" episode of The Andy Griffith Show, which first aired December 19, 1960.
In this episode, Sheriff Andy Taylor and Deputy Barney Fife are getting ready to celebrate Christmas with friends and family, when shopkeeper Ben Weaver runs in local man Sam Muggins for moonshining. Old, cantankerous Weaver is not in the Christmas spirit, and doesn't care if locking up Sam separates him from his family for the holidays.
Andy, ever resourceful, makes the best of the situation, "arresting" Sam's wife and children as "accessories" to his moonshining so they can be together for Christmas. Andy even moves their whole Christmas party into the jail (with Barney dressed as Santa) so everyone can celebrate together.
Weaver, meanwhile, finds himself caught up in the Christmas spirit but can't bring himself to join in the celebrations without cause, resorting to getting himself arrested just so he'll have an excuse to be at the party. A good time is had by all, with Weaver drinking up the only evidence of moonshining he had against Sam Muggins.
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I very much enjoy The Andy Griffith Show. I think what I like best is its' attitude about trying to see and find the best in people. In a modern sitcom environment where humor is derived from hateful behavior between characters and a generally inaccurate understanding of irony, TAGS' humor is radical in its willingness to just let its' characters say and do funny things. The humor is derived from the situation and how the characters respond rather than simply letting them make inane smart-aleck remarks that almost gleam with lack of creativity or inventiveness.
Also, TAGS also depicts something you'd never see on a modern sitcom: people singing hymns. This episode featuring the characters singing "Away In A Manger", whereas a modern Christmas show would probably feature "Jingle Bells" or some other secular Christmas song. I'm always a little surprised when I hear an actual hymn on a TV show.
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Come on back tomorrow; I think I'll tackle the Christmas episode of Three's Company.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Good for last year, so good for this year?
I have decided to do something for the blog this Christmas. On my previous blog, I spent this time last year reviewing various Christmas movies or episodes of TV series. I did quite a few of them last year, so I'm going to repost them this year.
Starting tomorrow, there will be a post every day for about the next week or so. See you then.
Starting tomorrow, there will be a post every day for about the next week or so. See you then.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Back at it and down again
It's not that I haven't thought about posting anything, or even a lack of opportunity. I realize that I last posted the day before Halloween, which is now nearly six weeks ago. It's just that in those moments when I thought I should write something, I couldn't work up the motivation. Being unmotivated is bad for writing (as though that weren't obvious).
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The last time I wrote, I was stuck at home with an active case of shingles. This time, it's a pinched sciatic nerve in my left leg. The doctor said no strenuous activity, and since I'm on my feet all day at work, that's out for the rest of the week. Even if I'm good for Monday, I'm going to be off riding my bike to work for a while. I was actually working forward to going back to work, something I admit I don't typically experience.
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Christmas shopping starts tomorrow, hopefully. The way we do it, each member of the family draws the name of another member, and you are beholden to buy a gift just for that person. You are free to buy gifts for others as well, but it eases the burden for everyone when they know they only have to shop for one.
Also, no one ever asks for anything really extravagant. I'm not having to keep anyone in ermine and pearls.
That's such an old expression. Nobody wears fur anymore.
I think I better stop before I fall down a rabbit hole of old expressions and outdated fashion trends.
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