This time of year typically you'll see 25 Days of Christmas on so many different channels. I decided to try my hand at a personal 25 movies of the season. Basically, I'm going to try to watch the equivalent of one movie or series of movies (like the 3 Santa Clause in one day) each day. Since they are so common, Christmas movies and episodes will likely make up the majority of what I watch for these 25 days. If you have suggestions that are for a different holiday set in December, let me know and I will try to watch it. Just a warning - SPOILERS AHEAD!
So, the first movie I watched was Disney's 1961 Babes in Toyland. The first thing I thought of when watching this was that I definitely want to watch the other one a bit more. That doesn't mean it wasn't any good. I've seen this movie before - when I was a kid. There are things that even today, I still enjoy about it. But at the same time, there are things that are an obvious sign of the time the movie was made in, like Mary's song regarding her situation. Some of the special effects are pretty awesome, but the message of that song and the song she and Tom sing after the children go to bed in the toyshop are very much indicative of the societal perception of women. Another thing highlighted in this particular movie is the thought of Industrialism as both good and bad. It's amazing until it breaks down because people don't think either in its usage after creation or about why they are creating said invention in the first place. It also kind of leaves a mystery open - where are the sheep?
Next, I chose to watch the first David Tennant Doctor Who Christmas special. You'll note that I only watched the first one. This isn't because the others aren't any good, but rather because watching any Doctor Who Christmas special is a unique thing for anyone who is going to watch. This particular special introduces David Tennant as the tenth Doctor and really teaches new Whovians that while the reincarnation of the Doctor is hard on those who have to meet him after he's changed, it's hard on him as well. It also reminds us that humans are idiots, especially humans in power.
So what was the third movie? 12 Christmas Wishes for My Dog. The title is misleading. While there a dog and a dog shelter are in the movie, they aren't huge focal points of the movie, but rather causes things to move along in the story. For a Christmas story, it hits on the season's expectations for it quite well.
Fourth ended up being Ernest Saves Christmas - a movie I haven't seen since I was a child. Just the opening scenes make me laugh as a businessman talks to Santa who has decided to pass the job on to a new Santa. And all the children in the airport note who he truly is and stare in wonder. And then there's cab driver Ernest...definitely a movie to watch for laughs.
Finally on day 5, I watched The Night Before Christmas. This turns out to start as the poem, but a mouse ends up correcting the narrator. This leads to a bit of a different story than what we're used to for the poem. Still, a nice heartwarming story to watch despite some of the sadness that it involves.
So what's next? I know I want to watch the Drew Barrymore Babes in Toyland and the Santa Claus trilogy. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman are classics. I also want to see the Disney movie Noelle. I know I watched it previously, but now I want to see it for the season! I'm sure there are more, after all, there are more than 25 Christmas movies that have been created. There are classics and modern movies, movies for children and for adults, and movies from all sorts of genres, even if romance tends to dominate them.
