Christmas

Old Christmas Movies

/ Ragamuffingospelfan / 2 Comments

 

One of the reasons I love this time of year (and there are many) is that I get to pull out my epic collection of Christmas movies and watch all my favorites again. Especially the old ones (meaning those made before I was born).

Don’t get me wrong. I’m a fan of the more recent holiday flicks, too. I love Home Alone, Scrooged, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and even the 90’s remake of Miracle on 34th Street.

But my heart truly belongs to the classics.

It’s not Christmas without seeing old films like The Bells of St. Mary’s or The Bishop’s Wife. I can’t really get into the festive mood of the season until I’ve seen White Christmas and It’s a Wonderful Life. Not forgetting lesser-known (but equally classic) movies like Christmas in Connecticut, A Holiday Affair, Holiday Inn, Remember the Night, and A Christmas Carol (any of the older ones are good, but I recommend the 1951 Alistair Sims version).

Maybe I like all these old movies because Christmas makes me nostalgic. I start missing my childhood and the people that I loved that are now gone. I miss the unadulterated excitement that Christmas brought that made me unable to sleep on Christmas Eve.

I know that the proper etiquette is to wait until Thanksgiving to start watching Christmas movies, but I say to that, “Balderdash!” I’m not waiting. Besides, that’s probably not even a real rule, just something I made up.

What old Christmas movies do you watch every year? And by old, I mean pre-1970. I discovered a couple of gems last year for the first time in Come to the Stable and It Happened on 5th Avenue, and I’m always looking for a good holiday classic.

So send me your recommendations. Email me at GMendel72@united.net or find me on facebook or send up smoke signals. Whatever works for you. Just let me know, ’cause enquiring minds want to know.

 

Desert Island Christmas Music Part One

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I love it when someone asks, “If you were stranded on a desert island, what kind of music would you have with you?” Which assumes that you’re either 1) stuck on the only desert island in existance to have electricity and outlets and an unlimited supply of batteries or 2) a very cool solar-powered CD player (or MP3 player if you please). And wouldn’t you be too tied up with small details like finding water and food to be concerned about what’s on your playlist?

Still, I think when it comes to the Christmas season, a few albums come to mind that are essential listening to get into the festive spirit. I’m giving you this list early so you have time to rush out to Best Buy or Barnes & Noble (or one of those “hipper than thou” music stores). Or you  could rush over to your laptop with high-speed internet to amazon.com.

Here’s my list.

1) A Charlie Brown Christmas- Vince Guaraldi Trio. It’s not Christmas without Snoopy and Charlie Brown.

2) Elvis Presley- If Every Day Were Like Christmas. This one has all of Elvis’ Christmas recordings on one fantastic CD.

3) Harry Connick Jr- When My Heart Finds Christmas. This one goes well at any Christmas party.

4) Sarah Maclachlan- Wintersomg. Breathtakingly beautiful.

5) A Christmas Gift for You- from Phil Spector. Vintage 60’s holiday fare.

6) The Christmas Album- David Foster. Lushly produced album with my favorite rendition of “O Holy Night” by Michael Crawford.

7) Croon and Swoon: A Classic Christmas (Volume One and Two). Some of the best voices of yesteryear sing holiday standards.

8) The Christmas Song- Nat King Cole. Perfect Christmas Eve music.

9) Merry Christmas- Mariah Carey. One of my favorites of the contemporary Christmas albums that has a real throwback feel.

10) A Merry Christmas with Bing Crosby & The Andrew Sisters. Again, this is required holiday music.

11) To Drive the Cold Winter Away- Loreena McKennitt. Haunting.

12) Behold the Lamb of God- Andrew Peterson. I think “Labor of Love” would move even the Grinch to tears.

13) A Christmas Cornucopia- Annie Lennox. Very reverent and sacred take on Christmas Carols both popular and obscure.

14) My Holiday- Mindy Smith. A good mix of standards and originals.

15) Christmas- The Big 80’s. Christmas done 80’s style.

Part two coming soon. . .

PS I would love to hear some of your favorite Christmas albums that you listen to every year. I’m always looking to add to my ever-growing, awesome collection of Christmas music.

 

Getting Ready for the Big Premiere (My Nerd Blog)

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I’m beyond excited about the December 14 premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. I plan to be there for the midnight showing and yes,  I will probably pay the extra $5 to see the 3D version.

I’ve loved The Hobbit book as long as I can remember and I’ve read it every year for at least 12 or 13 years running. Which is good and bad. It’s good because I know the story so well. It’s bad because I know the story so well and I’ll be able to tell every time the film deviates from the book even just a little. Yeah, I’m kind of a nerd that way.

In anticipation of the first of a trilogy based on the book, I pulled out my DVD of the old animated version done by Rankin-Bass, the same duo who brought you such Christmas classics and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. It’s not the best animation and some of the voices for the characters are over the top. Yes, it’s cheesy circa 1977. But I love it.

It gets pretty close to the book, or at least as close as 78 minutes will allow. I can certainly relate to ol’ Bilbo Baggins, who gets roped into an adventure where he’s in way over his head, but manages to come out all right in the end.

If you do happen to catch this on DVD or on TV one night, you might recognized the voice of the narrator/Gandalf the Grey as none other than legendary director John Huston. That has nothing to do with the new movie or anything else, but I thought it was cool.

If you want to continue the amazingly fun and cheesy adventure, check out the animated versions of The Lord of the Rings and Return of the King. I’m including a link to amazon.com so you can purchase these for your own collection and be as nerdy as me!

http://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-Orson-Bean/dp/B00005MP59/ref=sr_1_2?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1348547516&sr=1-2&keywords=the+hobbit

http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Animated-Remastered-Deluxe/dp/B0033090D2/ref=sr_1_5?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1348547516&sr=1-5&keywords=the+hobbit

http://www.amazon.com/The-Return-King-Orson-Bean/dp/B00005MP5D/ref=pd_cp_mov_1

For All The George Baileys Out There

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I know that George Bailey is normally associated with Christmas, but bear with me on this one. How many of you have felt like George Bailey at times?

Have you ever invested in a friendship only to feel like the other friend wasn’t investing nearly as much?

Have you ever felt like you were always the one giving the encouragement and blessing and never the one to receive it?

Have you ever made someone a high priority in your life and then felt like that you weren’t even a priority in theirs and it seemed like you didn’t matter to them and that they could take or leave you with no difference at all?

Have you ever felt like that if you were suddenly gone, you wouldn’t be missed all that much?

Then you know what it feels like to be a George Bailey.

But let me let you in on a little secret.

You may not think what you do matters or makes a difference or touches anybody’s lives, but it does.

Not everybody you encourage is in a place where they can reciprocate it. They could just be overwhelmed by life and stress. But that doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate and savor all the encouragement you give and your friendship.

True love in any form is never about giving as much as you get back. It’s always about giving and never expecting return, because God showed us that kind of love even when He knew we would never ever in a million years even begin to pay Him back for all He’s done.

I truly believe that the world will be turned upside down (or right-side up again) by small acts of kindness done with great love that never make the front page or get turned into movies or even get any recognition.

Jesus will say “Well done” to those who gave to the least of these who never could repay or at times even say, “Thank you.” For what you did for these, you did for Jesus Himself.

So take heart. Your labor is never in vain if it is done out of a compassionate heart filled with God’s love. It’s never for nothing.

A Christmas letter to my future wife

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I’m still waiting for you. And did I mention the whole “not good at waiting” part? More accurately, how badly I suck at waiting? I’m getting better, but I am still very impatient 95% of the time. But I know that this waiting will not have been in vain when I meet you.

I keep thinking of our firsts– first kiss (obviously), first snow to hold hands and walk together through, first night in front of a roaring fireplace, first time we’re both snuggled under the same blanket. . . . so many firsts that are yet to come. The best part will be that we didn’t give up and settle, but held out and found out that miracles do still come true.

I am leaning to stop looking for you with my eyes, and look for you with my heart. I will look for you not through my own eyes, but more and more through God’s eyes. I want to fall in love with your compassionate heart and your tender spirit. Your beauty will be Jesus inside you shining through for the world to see. Or at least for those who have eyes to see.

Remember no matter what anyone tells you you are, you are a daughter of the King. You are royalty– a princess. Don’t let anyone ever treat you as less. You were worth every drop of Jesus’ blood not because of anything in you, but because Jesus set His heart on you and declared you worthy.

I think I am slowly but surely becoming the man who will capture your heart and be worthy of your love. I have bad days when I strive and fail and I have days full of grace when I am finally weak enough to let Jesus do it all. That’s all I can do.

I am thanking Jesus for you in advance and thanking you in advance for being faithful to Jesus and never giving up on me. I’ll be thinking of you a lot this Christmas.