Tag: Christmas

Christmas, Holiday Countdown

In Their Own League Advent Calendar: 24. The Muppets Christmas Carol

By Joan Amenn There are few stories so inextricably linked to the holidays than Charles Dickens’ tale of one man’s redemption of his many faults just in time to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. That it was a ghost story and genuinely creepy in some chapters didn’t disturb the Victorians a bit. Dickens developed a one man show of reading his “Carol” aloud to … Continue reading In Their Own League Advent Calendar: 24. The Muppets Christmas Carol

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Christmas, Holiday Countdown

In Their Own League Advent Calendar: 23. Miracle on 34th Street

By Joan Amenn There is something about New York City at Christmas. Skating at Rockefeller Center under the huge Christmas tree, hot pretzels sold on the street corners to keep your hands warm and of course, the stores decorated for the holidays. Not too long ago there were a lot more department stores, each vying for the most exquisite window designs with the most complicated … Continue reading In Their Own League Advent Calendar: 23. Miracle on 34th Street

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Christmas, Holiday Countdown

In Their Own League Advent Calendar: 22. Meet Me in St. Louis

By Morgan Roberts “Meet Me in St. Louis” (1944) is not strictly a Christmas film, but it does leave an everlasting imprint on the holiday. “Meet Me in St. Louis” has always been a Christmas Eve staple in my household.  We very much live our own version of “The Family Stone.”  The film holds so much nostalgia.  It does not hurt that the absolutely divine … Continue reading In Their Own League Advent Calendar: 22. Meet Me in St. Louis

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In Their Own League Advent Calendar: 21. “A Very GLOW Christmas”

By Morgan Roberts Wrestling and “A Christmas Carol.” Is there a more perfe​​ct combination?  That is what “GLOW” chose to do for what ended up being their series finale. In “A Very GLOW Christmas” directed by the wonderful Lynn Shelton, we saw some of our beloved characters tackling (and sleeper holding and turnbuckle face smashing) Dickens’ classic tale.  Over three seasons, the cast of characters … Continue reading In Their Own League Advent Calendar: 21. “A Very GLOW Christmas”

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Christmas, Film Reviews, Holiday Countdown

In Their Own League Advent Calendar: 14. 8-Bit Christmas

Year: 2021 Runtime: 97 minutes Director: Michael Dowse Writers: Kevin Jakubowski (screenplay by/based on the novel by) Actors: Neil Patrick Harris, Winslow Fegley, Steve Zahn, June Diane Raphael, Che Tafari, Max Malas, Bellaluna Resnick By Tom Moore As a huge fan of “A Christmas Story” and an avid gamer, HBO Max appeared to be delivering the kind of Christmas movie I didn’t even know I … Continue reading In Their Own League Advent Calendar: 14. 8-Bit Christmas

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Christmas, Holiday Countdown, Spotlight

In Their Own League Advent Countdown: 1. The Thin Man (1934)

By Joan Amenn Mr. and Mrs. Charles (William Powell, Myrna Loy) have just arrived in New York City for the holiday season and they are ready to party! However, there seems to have been a murder committed and Nick Charles is called out of retirement to solve it, mostly to amuse his wife. Noir, comedy and season’s greetings all mix uniquely in “The Thin Man” … Continue reading In Their Own League Advent Countdown: 1. The Thin Man (1934)

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Animated, Film Reviews, Netflix, Reviews

Review: Klaus

Chances are you’ve got a few Christmas classics that you like to watch every year. Maybe you enjoy crime-capers like “Lethal Weapon”, “Die Hard”, or “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”. You might prefer holiday horrors with “Gremlins”, “Anna And The Apocalypse” or “Love Actually”. Or perhaps you go with family-fare such as “The Muppet Christmas Carol”, “Elf” or “Home Alone”. With Spanish animation “Klaus”, Netflix has released an instant festive classic for all the family, albeit with a lot of dark humour… Continue reading Review: Klaus

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Film Reviews, Retrospect Reviews, Reviews

Retrospective Review: Gremlins

We all know the rules, and instructions can be important: No water, no bright lights, and no eating after midnight (though, when does that one- end?). If you break these very important details, you’ll take an adorable fuzzy creature and trade it with a hellion set to ensue chaos and eat everything in sight.

Of course, I’m talking about “Gremlins.” (1984) Continue reading Retrospective Review: Gremlins

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Christmas, Personal Essays, Women in Film

The women in “Elf” are just props – but I still love it

Let me make it clear up front that I really like “Elf” (2003) and no Christmas is complete without it. It’s consistently ranked among the top Christmas films of all time and is screened at cinemas every year.

With that in mind, I want to talk about the way the film treats women. Continue reading The women in “Elf” are just props – but I still love it

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Christmas, Female Filmmaker, Female Writer, Film Reviews, Reviews

Review: Black Christmas (2019)

To say that “Black Christmas” is the movie society needs to take note of is a massive understatement. Directed by Sopia Takal and written by herself and April Wolfe, “Black Christmas” is a modern updating of the 1974 classic. Whereas most remakes and reboots take the safe and give us what we as an audience expect, this 2019 update is at once a loving tribute to the original but also pushes it into scary and very real directions.

Lead by a standout performance by Imogen Poots as Riley Stone, “Black Christmas” has themes that are sure to resonate with young women. Riley, herself a victim of a sexual assault, is forced throughout to constantly face her abuser and the ramifications of her speaking out against him. Continue reading Review: Black Christmas (2019)

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