Movie Time: Christmas Movies

***^Santa Claus I  I have always liked this movie, and the play on words from different Christmas poems and how they fit in.  I also liked the elves and the magic.  The Elf security team is a bit overboard, but a fun show.
**^Santa Claus II  The second movie goes a bit too far, with the toy
Santa who takes over the workshop.  The battle between the toys and the elves is mostly just stupid.  However the battle between the two Santas is classic, and the romancing of a Mrs. Claus is fun.
***Santa Claus III  I had never watched this movie before, and was pleasantly surprised.  I enjoyed it more than number two.  Mr. Frost is so evil, until he is warmed by Julie's magical hug.  This was a fun show
***Elf  I have always thought this was just a stupid setting to give Will Ferrell a platform to do stupid stuff.  I must admit, it has that element which kept me from really watching it.  I finally did this year, and the story is really cute.  My favorite character is the fellow elf at the department store.  She adds a touch of beauty and class to the show. 
***The Christmas Story  This is a classic tail available through DVD delivery fro Netflix.  The scene of the cold flagpole and the tongue is a classic.  I still makes me laugh.  I came close to doing the same thing as a child on a dare.  However, when my tongue pulled started to seal to the pole, and pulled back and only lost a few cells of tongue skin, and did not become firmly attached.  You would think the firefighters would have unsealed his tongue with some warm water rather than giving the kid such a jerk.  This is still a fun story.  "You'll shoot your eyes out kid.
 **^DreamWorks: Holiday Classics  This presentation is available through Instant Netflix.  It has four different shorts; two presenting the Madagascar characters, then a Donkey Shrek-tacular, and finally a film with "Dragons" and the characters of "How to Train Your Dragon."  Of these films, that one that captured the holiday spirit is one of the penguins in Central Park Zoo "Madagascar Penguins and a Holiday Caper."  The private of the penguins, notices that the polar bear is all alone, and so he determines to get him a Christmas present.  He has to leave the lair secretly, and gets into trouble himself as he is sold as a chew toy to an old woman.  The other penguins come to his rescue and they perform a holiday service for the bear.  The only redeeming song from Donkey is Puss N' Boots singing Fleas Navidad.
****A Christmas Memory:  This is a made for t.v. movie featuring Patty Duke and Eric Lloyd (Charlie in Santa Clause.)  This is an enjoyable tale of Truman as a boy being raised by four older aunts and uncle.  He has a special relationship with one of the aunts, and they make fruitcake for everyone (30 cakes which they deliver or mail.)  It is also a story of moving on as one of the aunts arranges for him to go to military school.  his is a very good holiday movie
***^Christmas Story:  This is a Finnish film, and it is a very good story explaining where their Santa Claus came from.  He is an orphan, who is finally adopted by a carpenter.  The carpenter not only teaches him the trade, but also leaves him a chest of money.  He then starts as a toymaker who wants to leave toys for everyone, and finishes with a bit of magic.
**The Family Stone:  This movie was not only predictable, it belittled those who didn't agree with the moral standards of the movie calling them assholes.  The story is pleasant, but I don' think I will ever watch it again.
*****It's a Wonderful Life:   A movie for annual consumption.  My favorite part is when they say George is the richest man in the world.  That line chokes me up for some reason.