Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Happy Christmas, everyone.
This is a new experience for me. The first time ever I have woken up on Christmas morning (ridiculously early, might I add) with nobody else in the house. I thought that I would feel depressed, but things are fine. How strange is that? True, I still have to go around to Sister 3's for lunch with the whole family, so after a couple of bottles of San Miguel, which Sister 3 has kindly got in for me, I might feel slightly differently.
There was one film I saw just prior to Christmas that I forgot to write about and that film was "It's A Wonderful Life". How appropriate that I write about it today, with it being Christmas and all that?
Is there anything actually left to write about "It's A Wonderful Life" that hasn't already been written? Forget all about it being the greatest Christmas film of all time ("The Wizard Of Oz" is also a great film, but it is not really a Christmas film), "It's A Wonderful Life" is actually one of the greatest films of all time, full stop.
Simply put, the film revolves around the life of a kind and caring, but frustrated man, who one night during the worst crisis of his life, is shown what the world would have been like if had he never been born. Funnily enough, the whole 'alternative reality' section of the movie takes up less than a quarter of the running time towards the end of the film, although it is always the thing that is mentioned when discussing the film. Prior to that plot turn we are treated to a master class in film acting from the genius that was James Stewart, running from goofy comedy, shyness, happiness, disappointment, frustration, despair and then the blackest dark night of the soul. It is one of the greatest performances in cinema history and I will fight anybody who disagrees with me.
In the packed cinema on Saturday I sat near a young woman who had obviously never seen "It's A Wonderful Life" before. Every now and again I picked up on her reactions to what was going on in the movie. Laughter, gasps and then, of course, tears. She was still wiping her eyes when the lights came up. Actually, so was I.
"It's A Wonderful Life" is a great, big, fat masterpiece and everybody should see it.
********
I have a Christmas CD to put together. Then I am going to watch some TV and then I am going to call a taxi.
Have a good day, friends.
This is a new experience for me. The first time ever I have woken up on Christmas morning (ridiculously early, might I add) with nobody else in the house. I thought that I would feel depressed, but things are fine. How strange is that? True, I still have to go around to Sister 3's for lunch with the whole family, so after a couple of bottles of San Miguel, which Sister 3 has kindly got in for me, I might feel slightly differently.
There was one film I saw just prior to Christmas that I forgot to write about and that film was "It's A Wonderful Life". How appropriate that I write about it today, with it being Christmas and all that?
Is there anything actually left to write about "It's A Wonderful Life" that hasn't already been written? Forget all about it being the greatest Christmas film of all time ("The Wizard Of Oz" is also a great film, but it is not really a Christmas film), "It's A Wonderful Life" is actually one of the greatest films of all time, full stop.
Simply put, the film revolves around the life of a kind and caring, but frustrated man, who one night during the worst crisis of his life, is shown what the world would have been like if had he never been born. Funnily enough, the whole 'alternative reality' section of the movie takes up less than a quarter of the running time towards the end of the film, although it is always the thing that is mentioned when discussing the film. Prior to that plot turn we are treated to a master class in film acting from the genius that was James Stewart, running from goofy comedy, shyness, happiness, disappointment, frustration, despair and then the blackest dark night of the soul. It is one of the greatest performances in cinema history and I will fight anybody who disagrees with me.
In the packed cinema on Saturday I sat near a young woman who had obviously never seen "It's A Wonderful Life" before. Every now and again I picked up on her reactions to what was going on in the movie. Laughter, gasps and then, of course, tears. She was still wiping her eyes when the lights came up. Actually, so was I.
"It's A Wonderful Life" is a great, big, fat masterpiece and everybody should see it.
********
I have a Christmas CD to put together. Then I am going to watch some TV and then I am going to call a taxi.
Have a good day, friends.
# posted by Pynchon @ 8:02 am 
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Wow, amazing. You know what I did last night? Sat in front of the TV and watched "It's A Wonderful Life" because I, also, had never really seen it from start to finish. I think my whole impression of it is based on what I've heard about it, rather than my own personal experience with it. How funny to come to your blog and see that you saw it last night - and in a theater no less!
Sadly, because I am an insomniac freak, I dozed off just when that fateful last section began. Happily, I had already set the DVR to record just in case such a nodding-off happened, so I can now watch the end.
Happy Christmas to you, too!
Sadly, because I am an insomniac freak, I dozed off just when that fateful last section began. Happily, I had already set the DVR to record just in case such a nodding-off happened, so I can now watch the end.
Happy Christmas to you, too!
While I love Its A Wonderful Life, my absolute favorite Christmas movie is Christmas Vacation. The hubster and I know the whole movie line for line by heart and repeat many of the lines quite often. I watch it all year long.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas! I hope you got everything you wanted (including, but not limited to, a hippopotamus).
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