Merry Milestones: Christmas Movies Celebrating Anniversaries

by Michael Lyons

There sure are Christmas movies to choose from...a lot of them! Since cameras started rolling in Hollywood, it seems almost as if filmmakers have created films about Christmas, films set at Christmas, and movies with Christmas scenes in them.

Most of them have become traditional favorites for many this time of year, and Christmas movies have become such a genre unto themselves that a number of these cinematic yuletide treasures are celebrating some significant anniversaries. 

What follows is a list of some of these Christmas movies that are reaching Merry milestones:

 

Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009) - 15th Anniversary

Director Robert Zemeckis uses motion capture to effectively re-tell Charles Dickens most famous story of the season. Brimming with stunning computer animation, the film provides dizzying Victorian backdrops and ghastly creative takes on the three Ghosts of Christmas. This version of A Christmas Carol is not only faithful (albeit with some theme-park attraction-like trickery) but is centered by a fantastic performance by Jim Carrey as Scrooge and all three ghosts!

 

Christmas with the Kranks (2004) - 20th Anniversary

Author John Grisham's somber book, Skipping Christmas, which featured subtle cynicism about the season, was given the Home Alone-stapstick treatment in this film adaptation about the title couple (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis), who decide to forego the holiday season. To the dismay of their Christmas-loving neighborhood, they decide to take a trip to the Caribbean.

 Christmas with the Kranks is about as subtle as falling off the roof while decorating or chasing a canned ham through a parking lot, but its multiple airings on cable over the past two decades have secured the film an audience.

 

The Polar Express (2004) - 20th Anniversary 

Robert Zemeckis’ first foray into motion capture technology translated author Chris Van Allsburg's beloved children's book into a 3D IMAX holiday event. With Tom Hanks in multiple roles, including the title character (Hero Boy), the Conductor, and a shadowy "Hobo," the film tells a dream-like tale of a magic train ride that transports children to the North Pole on Christmas Eve.

As the technology wasn't "fully formed" at the time with The Polar Express, many criticized the "stiffness" of movements and "lifeless" eyes as "creepy," and the film has become divisive. But, the sweetness within the story and its messages around the power of faith (and of doubt) have, in turn, catapulted this film to a Christmas-time tradition and, for many, a modern-day classic.

 

The Santa Clause (1994) - 30th Anniversary

At the height of his Home Improvement popularity, Tim Allen headlined this comedy about Scott Calvin, who dons Santa's coat after the big guy falls off his roof and, by doing so, takes on the title of Santa himself.

A surprise hit at the time, the popularity of The Santa Clause has only gained momentum in the three decades since its debut, spawning two theatrical sequels and two seasons of a Disney + streaming series. This proves multiple generations still love effective comedy wrapped up in 90s nostalgia.

Prancer (1989) - 35th Anniversary

"Oh yeah! Prancer! I kind of remember that one," is what most people say when this film comes up in conversation.

A young girl (Rebecca Harrell) comes across an injured reindeer and nurses it back to health, as she believes it is Prancer, one of Santa's reindeer, and must eventually convince her family and friends in her small town.

With a solid supporting cast, including Sam Elliot, Cloris Leachman, Abe Vigoda and Michael Constantine, and direction by John Hancock, Prancer sets its fantastical story against a realistic backdrop. It all comes together in an entertaining film that deserves to be remembered this season during its anniversary.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) - 35th Anniversary

When it debuted thirty-five years ago, it was dismissed by critics (Roger Ebert wrote: "You have the odd sensation, watching the movie, that it's straining to get off the ground but simply doesn't have the juice.") and now it is one of the most-watched, most-quoted Christmas movies ever made.

Chevy Chase's Clark Griswold, the long-suffering husband and father looking to make everything perfect, becomes relatable to all of us as he struggles with lights that won't light, a tree on fire, and a Jelly of the Month Club as a bonus.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation has become a comedic yet comforting extended family time capsule of the late 80s-early 90s. It allows us to laugh at how seriously we take the holidays while missing the chance to enjoy them.

White Christmas (1954) - 70th Anniversary

From one of the most popular Christmas songs and, well, just plain ol' popular songs of all time (written for the 1942 film Holiday Inn) came this big ol' Hollywood spectacle of a movie. The first to be filmed in Paramount's widescreen format, VistaVision, it tells the story of two song-and-dance men (Bing Crosby, who else, and Danny Kaye) who are trying to save a failing inn owned by their former Army commander.

It also stars Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Allen and is filled with Irving Berlin songs, including the title song, "Sisters," and "Counting Your Blessings." White Christmas was the biggest film of 1954 and has been at the top of holiday movie lists ever since.

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) - 80th Anniversary

It's a year in the life of a family in. turn-of-the-century St. Louis, featuring some of the film's most iconic songs, including the title number and "The Trolley Song." Still, it's most closely connected with this season, thanks to Judy Garland's rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to her heartbroken sister, played by Margaret O'Brien.

The song, written for this film, has become a poignant standard for all of our Christmases ever since.

 

And, so it seems the perfect way to end this selection of Christmas movie anniversaries by simply saying: "Have yourself a Merry little Christmas, let your heart be light."

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Dialogue & Drumsticks: Movie Quotes About Thanksgiving

 by Michael Lyons

Placed next to the number of movies that are about or take place at Christmas, the number of movies about Thanksgiving is so small they wouldn't even serve as a side dish for dinner.

But there are a number of them out there, and as we head into Thanksgiving week, grateful for all we have and ready to bust our belts from the turkey to the pumpkin pie, here are just some quotes from movies about or taking place at Thanksgiving.

 

"What he wanted was to spend Thanksgiving with his family. What he got was three days with the turkey." - movie poster tag line for Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987).

"Eat us! Hey, its Thanksgiving Day! Eat us, we make a nice buffet! We lost the race with Farmer Ed, eat us 'cause we're good and dead. White man or red man from east, north or south, chop off our legs, and put 'em in your mouth!

Eat me!

Sautéed or barbecued!

Eat me!

We once were pets but now we're food! We won't stay fresh for very long! So eat us before we finish this song! Eat us before we finish this song!" - Pugsley (Jimmy Workman) and the camp kids singing in Addams Family Values (1993)

“It's not yet Thanksgiving and we're enjoying our lovely fall weather.” - the meteorologist reporting on a snow storm in Grumpy Old Men (1993).

"Every weapon he's using is straight off a Thanksgiving table." - Deputy Labelle (Jeff Teravainen) in the horror movie, Thanksgiving (2023).

"We go on Snoopy." - Josh (Ben Stiller), let his team know which Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will serve as their signal in Tower Heist (2011).

"You cut the turkey without me?!?" - Gabriel (Lou Jacobi), Avalon (1990)

"I'm giving thanks that we don't have to go through this for another year." - Adelle (Anne Bancroft), Home for the Holidays (1995).

"Black Friday's coming, so my dance card's gonna be pretty full." - Paul Bart (Kevin James), Paul Bart: Mall Cop (2009).

"You're going to be in Chicago in less than three hours, around there, if we don't hit traffic, and I don't think we should...it's Thanksgiving." - Del Griffith (John Candy), Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987).

There they are - most may not make for an inspirational quote as your family says grace before dinner, but all these movies would be a perfectly balanced diet of binge-watching for a Happy Thanksgiving!

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Would You Like Some Fievel with Your Fries?: Family Films & Holiday Fast Food Promotions of the 80s and 90s

 by Michael Lyons

November. The month that brings us the kick-off to the Holiday Season, or for the many who have already put up and decorated their Christmas tree, it is the Holiday Season.

A Hollywood tradition that began forty or so years ago, was the release of a big studio family film, usually animated, just before Thanksgiving weekend. In the 80s and 90s, these films came with a tremendous amount of marketing behind them so that no one (especially kids) would forget that they were "coming soon to a theater near you!"

A big part of this hype machine was a partnership with some of the biggest names in the fast food industry.

These once publicity props that were a "bonus" to a meal are now so fondly remembered by generations who search for these once discarded pieces of their childhood on e-Bay, garage sales, and collector shows to rekindle the flame of warm nostalgia. 

Here are just a few of these fast-food memories:

Many of these family films coinciding with the Christmas season allowed for some appropriately themed holiday offerings-

In 1985, McDonald's helped promote the super-hero-like origin story, Santa Claus: The Movie with Happy Meals that offered storybooks and reindeer ornaments that were free with the purchase of McDonald's gift certificates. The film itself also included an extended sequence that took place in a McDonald's during a not-so-subtle moment of product placement. 

One year later, Steven Spielberg and Don Bluth's hit animated film An American Tail also partnered with McDonald's for stocking featuring the film's main character, Fievel, the mouse, as a giveaway with the purchase of McDonald's gift certificates.

McDonald's gift certificates continued from 1987 through 1990, with a partnership with Disney that saw ornaments as a gift with the purchase of the certificates.  There was...

...Jaq and Gus, when Cinderella was re-issued in 1987...

...Oliver and Dodger from 1988's Oliver & Company...

...Flounder and Sebastian from 1989's The Little Mermaid...

...and Bernard and Bianca from 1990's The Rescuers Down Under.

The timing was perfect for the now holiday classic The Nightmare Before Christmas, from Disney and Tim Burton, and these watches which were offered at Burger King in 1993. 

There were also plenty of others not connected with the holiday seasons, providing creative promotions unlike any others

In 1992, Burger King offered Aladdin cups that would change the image when a cold beverage was poured into them.

Back at McDonald's in 1996, Disney offered no less than 101 Happy Meal toys to promote the live-action re-make of 101 Dalmatians...

...and "connectible" Space Jam toys in '96, as well!

There were also plenty of creative toys with meals during the 90s, thanks to Disney, such as these Burger King Beauty and the Beast Kids Meal toys from 1991.

Disney's fast-food promotional model was also followed by a number of other studios who released animated films to compete during the renaissance of the 1990's, such as...

All Dogs Go to Heaven toys at Wendy's in 1989...

...The Pagemaster at Pizza Hut in 1994...

...also in 1994, The Swan Princess at Sizzler...

...and Balto, at Hardee's in 1995 (yes, that image of the Hardee's sign like the Northern Lights on the Horizon is from the TV commercial).

And so, there is a quick "drive-thru" down fast food holiday promotion memory lane. All from a time when movies, and eating habits, were much different, but there are no calories in memories...so enjoy!

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Put on a Happy Face: Looking Back at Retro TV & Movie Halloween Costumes

 

by Michael Lyons

When it once came to Halloween costumes, they were known as "The Big Three." Ben Cooper, Collegeville, and Halco were three companies that, in the 60s,70s, and 80s, mass produced most of the Halloween masks and costumes worn by the majority of kids who were out trick-or-treating.

Many of these were inspired by hit TV shows, movies, and cartoon characters of the time, fueling the pop-culture zeitgeist.

Anyone of a certain generation remembers them - on store shelves in decorated boxes with a see-through "window" on top that provided a glimpse of the mask, leading the child pondering the costume to wonder what the rest of the mysteriously hidden outfit looked like.

And what it would look like beyond the mask wasn't the rest of the character's body, but instead (and oddly), it usually featured a scene from the movie or TV show, along with the logo, across the chest. The "body" was also a hospital gown-like garment with ties on the back. As comedian Jerry Seinfeld pointedly observed in his stand-up act, when he went dressed as Superman one Halloween that he felt like he was wearing Superman's pajamas.

He also joked that the mask was held on by two staples and a flimsy rubber-band that would break by the time one got to the first house.

Oh yes, all of that was true of the costumes from "The Big Three," but...weren't they wonderful? Looking back, in our age of sophisticated costumes available at our neighborhood Party City store, it's so quaint and comforting to think about the Halloween memories these simply designed costumes provided so many.

And, because they were so popular, almost every TV show and movie inspired a costumes, which made for some interesting choices for kids on Halloween night...very interesting.

What follows is a gallery of photos of just some of the many of these pop culture icons of yesteryear who inspired these Halloween costumes (and thank you to the many eBay sellers who provided some of the pictures!)

Bullwinkle, a prime-time animated star of the 60s

had his own costume from Ben Cooper. But he seems a

little blue here, particularly in his face, which was brown on the show.

Another prime-time animated star of the 60s, Fred 

Flintstone, also had a Ben Cooper costume, allowing kids to have five o'clock

shadow before they even got out of grammar school.

What kid wouldn't want to dress as Granny

From The Beverly Hillbillies?!...

...or Captain Merrill Stubing

from The Love Boat?!...

...or Laverne & Shirley?!...

...or Farrah Fawcett?!...

..or Morgan Freeman from

The Electric Company?!

Maybe you'd like to go as the giant, killer shark from Jaws?...

...or the giant killer ape from 1976's King Kong?

Fell in love with Star Wars during the summer of '77?

You could go as Darth Vader, just don't look for a replica of

his cape and costume - you get a picture

of Darth splashed across your chest!

You didn't just get a whip and fedora to dress like

Indiana Jones, you got his entire face, too!

Check out this ad from 1955

for Disney costumes ($1.98!!!).

And, yes, that's Lady and the Tramp!

Or this ad from 1989 (yes, that's Robocop!).

Thanks to Dinosaur Dracula for posting this,

and they are discussing this ad on their latest 

"Purple Stuff" podcast episode. Listen here: Purple Stuff

Just of the few of the many, random memories of when pop culture collided with Halloween. Reflections of a time when Halloween seemed (and was maybe) just a tad more innocent - when kids welcomed pennies and popcorn balls alongside their bite-size chocolate bars.

A time when dressing up as a favorite TV or movie character for Halloween came right out of a box. Thank you, "Big Three," for the memories.

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

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Freaks and Geeks: The 60th Anniversary of "The Munsters" & "The Addams Family"

 

by Michael Lyons

Two families arrived on the scene into the reserved television line-ups of the early sixties, where Leave it to Beaver and The Donna Reed Show reigned supreme. They both brought ghoulish delight, dark comedy, and year-round Halloween vibes and emerged as iconic television sitcoms.

Hard as it is to believe, but in a creepy, competing move, The Munsters and The Addams Family both debuted sixty years ago this fall.

The Addams Family was inspired by a popular cartoon by artist Charles Addams, while The Munsters was developed by the team that had given us Rocky & Bullwinkle. Both were seen as an antidote for the more sweet-natured, family-friendly fare that was such a part of television at the time.

The Munsters aired on CBS, and The Addams Family on ABC. While it may seem more of a coincidence that both similar series debuted the same year, there's no clear evidence as to which was developed first, and both seem to have been initiated at their respective networks around the same time.

The Munsters told the tale of the titular family who lived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane - father and husband, Herman (Fred Gwynn), wife and mom, Lily (Yvonne DeCarlo), Grandpa (Al Lewis), their son, Eddie (Butch Patrick) and "normal" niece Marilyn (Beverly Owen, in the first season, and then Pat Priest, in the later seasons).

The Addams Family was Gomez (John Adams), Morticia (Carolyn Jones), Uncle Fester (Jackie Coogan), Lurch, the groaning butler (Ted Cassidy), Grandmama (Blossom Rock), daughter Wednesday (Lisa Loring), son Pugsley (Ken Weatherwax) and Thing, their "handy" helper.

The two shows were part of a "fantasy sitcoms" trend that aired throughout the 60s. These included Bewitched, Gilligan's Island, and My Favorite Martian. Like The Munsters and The Addams Family, these series provided a respite from turbulent times happening in the world.

Both shows also contained ghoulishly funny and iconic moments, such as Addams Family's Cousin It, who was nothing but hair, and The Munsters' pet spot, the fire-breathing dragon who lived under their stairs.

Of course, there were those iconic, earworm theme songs - The Munsters groovy, Beach Boys-Like take on classic horror movie music and The Addams Family "da-da-da-dum, snap! snap!"

In their own comedic ways, both shows also made statements about acceptance of others who may be different. This was summed up by a heartfelt speech Herman provided to Eddie in one episode:

"The lesson I want you to learn is it doesn't matter what you look like. If you're tall or short; or fat or thin; or ugly or handsome - like your father - or you can be black, or yellow, or white. It doesn't matter. What does matter is the size of your heart and the strength of your character."

After each series went off the air, they returned and continued in different ways. The Munsters had a 1966 full-length feature, Munster, Go Home, and would later return, with a new cast, in The Munsters Today, a 1988 series revival. There was also Mockingbird Lane, a 2012 short-lived revival of the series, and director Rob Zombie's 2022 big-screen version of the film.

The Addams Family, on the other hand, has seemingly had an endless run of re-boots and remakes: there was Hanna-Barbera's 1973 Saturday morning animated series, a 1977 Halloween reunion movie, 1991 and 1993's popular films, animated features in 2019 and 2022, and, most recently, 2022's popular Netflix series, Wednesday.

However, it's both original competing series that hold a "creepy and kooky" place in the hearts of many. And, with The Munsters and The Addams Family both celebrating 60 years, why choose? Binge them both this spooky season.

Top: the author and his wife, Michelle, with Butch Patrick

who played Eddie on The Munsters. Bottom: The author and

his wife, Michelle, with Christina Ricci, who played

Wednesday in The Addams Family movies.

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Saturdays, Cereal and Sleestaks: The 50th Anniversary of "Land of the Lost"

by Michael Lyons

In his book Pufnstuf & Other Stuff, author David Martindale wrote:

“Long before American pop culture transformed the mighty dinosaurs from majestic, mysterious beasts of another age into kings of kitch - before Dinos became trendy and fashionable, cute and cuddly - Sid Krofft was a die-hard dinosaur buff.”

An entire generation is thankful that he was because he brought us Land of the Lost. In a time when the computer-generated images of the Jurassic Park films were nary a glint in anyone's eyes, Sid & Marty Krofft, the ingenious, original minds behind such shows as H.R. Pufnstuf and Sigmund and the Sea Monsters brought a one-of-a-kind prehistoric world to Saturday morning television.

Debuting on NBC on September 7, 1974, Land of the Lost, celebrating its 50th anniversary this month, is well-remembered by many who, as kids, sat cross-legged on their parents' shag carpeting eating an overly-sugared bowl of some sort of crunchy cereal, in amazement at this unique series sandwiched between the familiar cartoon fare.

In a story detailed in the show's catchy theme song, father Rick Marshall (Spencer Milligan) and his children, Will (Wesley Eure) and Holly (Kathy Coleman), are on a "routine expedition," rafting, and are plunged over a waterfall.

They arrive in what looks like a prehistoric world, filled with dinosaurs and primate-like people called Pakuni. They learn that there is more to this "Land" than just Dinos, and there are some mysterious things at work, such as power crystals and lizard-people-like creatures called Sleestaks.

Land of the Lost employed tremendous creativity in its stories, thanks to several Star Trek veterans who penned many of the show's scripts (including actor Walter Koenig, who played Chekov).

Sid and Marty Krofft, known for their creative use of costumes and puppetry, employed those techniques here, which was combined with stop-motion animation on Land of the Lost to bring the dinosaurs to life (including a T-Rex nicknamed "Grumpy" and a baby Dino nicknamed "Dopey").

For kids who grew up watching the show, this was a marvel. When watching the episodes now, the effects seem quaint, maybe even threadbare, when one senses that the rock caves have a styrofoam look to them, and the green screen is evident. However, this "handmade" feel only adds to the show's charm now and was part of what made it magic in its day.

Land of the Lost was also immensely successful, running for two years on NBC, including a change to the plot when Milligan departed the show. Krofft re-booted the series in 1991 and there was the big-budget 2009 feature film starring Will Ferrell.

The original series was squarely in the pop-culture sights when it aired, appearing on numerous pieces of merchandise, including lunchboxes, coloring books, and action figures.

Now, fifty years later, Land of the Lost, the show, is like a portal in time itself. The series serves a trip back to another era, not to one of dinosaurs and Sleestak that the Marshalls discovered, but to when Saturday morning TV was a time of imagination and escapism for kids.

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The Rainbow Connection: Looking Back at Initial, Critical Reaction to "The Wizard of Oz," in Celebration of the Film's 85th Anniversary

 

by Michael Lyons

 

It's difficult to believe that The Wizard of Oz, such an iconic part of our film history, pop culture, and zeitgeist for eight and a half decades, was once simply a new movie opening at a theater near you.

On August 25, 1939, MGM's big-screen adaptation of author L. Frank Baum's novel made its debut, telling the tale of Kansas girl Dorothy (Judy Garland), making her way down the yellow brick road with the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the Tin Man (Jack Haley), and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) to meet the Wizard (Frank Morgan), all while trying to stay away from the Wicked Witch (Margaret Hamilton).

The film blew into everyone's lives like a twister, leaving us with indelible images ("Surrender Dorothy"), lines of dialogue ("There's no Place Like Home," and songs by Harold Arlen and Edgar "Yip" Harburg, that have been memorized by generations and ranks as one of the best musical scores in movie history.

The legacy of The Wizard of Oz is unparalleled. It is one of those rare, beloved parts of growing up passed on through generations. But what did movie critics initially think of the film?

In celebration of the 85th (wow!) anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, here are some snippets of reviews from when the film first debuted:  

John C. Flint, Sr., Variety 

"Nothing comparable has come out of Hollywood in the past few years to approximate the lavish scale of this film musical extravaganza, in the making of which the ingenuity and inventiveness of technical forces were employed without stint of effort or cost. Except for opening and closing stretches of prolog and epilog, which are visioned in a rich sepia, the greater portion of the film is in Technicolor. Some of the scenic passages are so beautiful in design and composition as to stir audiences by their sheer unfoldment."

Russell Maloney, The New Yorker

"Fantasy is still Walt Disney’s undisputed domain. Nobody else can tell a fairy tale with his clarity of imagination, his simple good taste, or his technical ingenuity. This was forcibly borne in on me as I sat cringing before M-G-M’s Technicolor production of “The Wizard of Oz,” which displays no trace of imagination, good taste, or ingenuity."

The Hollywood Reporter

The Wizard of Oz will beyond question, be accorded recognition as a milestone in motion picture history. It scintillates with artistry, yet it possesses such an abundance of qualities which predict broad audience success that there can be no question of its being headed for spectacular playing time and grosses."

Newsweek

"Produced by Mervyn LeRoy and directed by Victor Fleming, The Wizard of Oz was two busy years in the making. Magnificent sets and costumes, vivid Technicolor, and every resource of trick photography – including a realistically contrived cyclone – bolster the competent cast that strikes a happy medium between humor and make-believe. The more fanatic Ozophiles may dispute M-G-M's remodeling of the story, but the average movie-goer – adult or adolescent – will find it novel and richly satisfying to the eye."

Otis Ferguson, The New Republic 

“It has dwarfs, music, technicolor, freak characters and Judy Garland. It can’t be expected to have a sense of humor as well — and as for the light touch of fantasy, it weighs like a pound of fruitcake soaking wet.”

Frank S. Nugent, The New York Times

"Not since Disney's "Snow White" has anything quite so fantastic succeeded half so well. A fairy book tale has been told in the fairy book style, with witches, goblins, pixies, and other wondrous things drawn in the brightest colors and set cavorting to a merry little score. It is all so well-intentioned, so genial, and so gay that any reviewer who would look down his nose at the fun-making should be spanked and sent off, supperless, to bed."

 

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