Wednesday, December 3, 2008

A Christmas Story and Home Alone are Must Haves This Holiday Season

If you haven't seen them yet you should have your head examined. Both A Christmas Story and Home Alone are great films to enjoy during the holiday season.

I have long been a fan of A Christmas Story. It may very well be one of the best films ever made period. The cast is a great of not so popular character actors, all of whom are fantastic. It is without question a classic that will be shown for years to come. I guarantee you that it will be available to watch countless times during the holidays.

To miss this film would be to miss what the holidays are all about. A Christmas Story reminds you about what is to be a kid and what it is about the holidays that is so great. You will be laughing all the way to the school yard. But remember, stay away from those frozen poles, you could poke your eye out. I double dog dare ya! Come on guys, the thing is a classic. I know you may want to mention A Beautiful Life and Miracle on 33rd Street, but I don't think those films will have the same enduring quality as A Christmas Story. Not to mention, it will definitely have a broader appeal. So if you haven't seen it yet, get ready, you will definitely have plenty of opportunities.

As for Home Alone, it wasn't until this past weekend that I was reminded about how much fun that movie was. It is also another great one for the kids. I assure you that if you have young ones running around the house they will love this flick. It is also a great chance to catch the phenom Macaulay Caulkin before all the strangeness began to happen in his life.

If you catch the DVD version you will have a chance to see tons of great "making of" and backstage footage the has not been available previously. Do yourself and the family a favor and run out and check this film into your home and hearts this holiday season, you won't regret it.

Enjoy both A Christmas Story and Home Alone during the holidays.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Regis and Kelly In The Morning Snoozefest

First there was Regis and Kathie Lee. They were entertaining. They definitely appealed to a given demographic. Stay at home moms and wives I'm sure found them to be a welcome addition to their mornings. I never got that much into the show. It just wasn't my cup of tea.

Now Kathie Lee is gone and we have Kelly Ripa. She has been on the show for a while now. I can only presume people like her. Every once and a while my wife tunes in to watch. Today I decided to watch little and see what the phenomenon was all about.

Without much surprise I found the show to be rather dull and slow moving. I don't really get what most people like about it. I understand that Regis Philbin is adored in the United States. He is, without question, likable and quite entertaining on his own. I suppose what I found most enjoyable was his insistence to talk football despite the fact I am sure 90% of his audience both in the studio and at home could care less.

Then there is Kelly. I couldn't be more honest when I say she could not be less entertaining. Perhaps older women who like their daytime talk simple, light and without anything all that interesting enjoy listening to her. However, I found her particularly painful to watch. There is endless attempts on her part to be funny. She just never really hits the mark. Instead, she spends most of the time laughing at herself, perhaps to get through the awkward silences more seamlessly.

Regis asked Kelly today what she did over the weekend and she explained that she and the family spent it in the Hamptons and then went on about how bad the weather was so that they were forced to do nothing. I'm sure most of their viewing audience could easily relate to a getaway weekend in the Hamptons with nothing to do. Yes, I'm being sarcastic.

Besides sounding condescending, she was so boring it was unbelievable. I truly couldn't believe how much time they spent with aimless boring banter that really went nowhere. What a sad commentary on where entertainment has gone. We possess this incredible invention that we call television and the best garbage anybody can come up with is Kelly Ripa.

There is a bright side. A while back Regis wasn't feeling too well and wife asked me to come watch because Howie Mandel was guest hosting with Kelly. He was hilarious and fun to watch. The best part, Kelly couldn't get a word in at all and if she tried, it was brief and over quickly. Perhaps it was overwhelming for her to be around somebody who is genuinely talented. I say if that is all it takes to get her to just sit there quietly, bring Howie back. There is always hope for the future.
Arts & Entertainment Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory