6B - The chigan Daily - Weekenietc. Magazine - ThursdayOcember 7, 2000 #*""0 0 The Michigan Daily -w eekend, etc. Magz Top ten seasonal films spread jolly christmas cheer. By Andy Taylor-Fabe Daily Arts Writer As the holiday season approaches, students have begun to think about their impending doom in the form of painful final exams, parents have been getting into knife fights and trading their first born children on ebay to get hold of Playstation 2's, and young children have been crank- ing out the latest volumes of their Christmas lists. But what is Christmas really about? The birth of Christ? Yeah, right. Presents'? Guess again. The real spirit of Christmas comes in the form of holiday movies and TV spe- cials. For as long as we've all known that beloved third parent known as TV, it has taught us the true meaning of Christmas: Jesus who? To get you in that holiday spirit, here is a list of some of the best holiday films out there. 10. The Ref (1994) - Okay, this isn't your typical holiday movie, and by no stretch of the imagination is it a classic, but for a holiday film about family dysfunction, burglary and kidnapping, it's damn funny. After a botched Christmas Eve heist, cat burglar Denis Leary tries to hide by taking Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis hostage in their home, but he is shocked to find that their nightmare of a family is coming over for Christmas dinner. The rest is pretty predictable. Leary to Spacey's mother: "Jesus lady, I know loansharks that are more forgiving than you." 9. Tim Burton's The Night m are\Before Christmas (1993) - This stop animation film is a commendable effort by Tim Burton. Jack Skellington, Pumpkin King and leader of Halloweentown, has grown restless and bored with his holiday, and when he stumbles upon Christmastown, he decides to try his hand at playing Santa Claus. With a devilish grin on his face/skull, he says to the deposed Santa, "Consider this a vacation." The movie is com- pleted by a classic Danny Elfman score on the level of the music from "Beet lej u ice," "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure" and "Army of Darkness." TOP TEN Continued from Page 6B classic action flick has become the basis for comparison for all other movies of the genre, (e.g. Speed = Die Hard on a bus). To anyone who would contest the selection of "Die Hard" as a holiday film: remember when the elevator opens and there's a dead German wearing a Santa hat with "Now I have a machine gun, Ho ho ho" painted on his chest? I rest my case. 5. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - This staple of Christmas TV viewing centers around Charlie Brown's search for the true meaning of Christmas. Disillusioned with the comrnmercializa- tion of the holiday season, he attempts to rediscover the spirit of Christmas through a variety of activities, includ- ing directing the school pageant and trying to use a lonely and frail fir tree as his Christmas tree. When his efforts 'fail, Linus steps in to help him out, which is when he gives his classic and earnest speech about the birth of Christ (which to this day is where I draw my knowledge of Christmas from). Although the other Charlie Brown hol- iday specials are excellent, (e.g., The Great Pumpkin in the Halloween episode and Snoopy's and Woodstock's popcorn and toast Thanksgiving din- ner), the Christmas special stands out above them as a true classic. 4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)- If you're going to protest and say that this movie is stupid, save your breath. Between Chevy Chase (pre-late night talk show debacle) as Clark Griswold and Randy Quaid as everyone's favorite trashy, leisure suit wearing cousin, the movie packs in enough laughs to make up for the fact that it is, well, really dumb. There's nothing like other peoples' problems to make you feel good about your own life. A classic Chevy Chase scene: Clark's numerous Freudian slips at a depart- ment store while ogling the clerk, e.g. "It's a tit bit nipply out." 3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) - As much as I love Jim Carrey and Ron Howard, the new Grinch movie can't stand up to the original animated TV special. This fantasy tale about the bitter and lonely Grinch and his plot to steal Christmas from the peaceful Whos of Whoville should be required viewing for everyone, regardless of whether they celebrate Christmas. Boris Karloff gives a bril- liant performance as both the voice of the Grinch and the narrator, and it has one of the greatest songs in his- tory, "You're a Mean One, Mr.. Grinch," sung by Thurl Ravenscroft. Everything about this show is simul- taneously eerie and surreal and strangely comforting, and it wil always be a staple of Christmas viewing. 2. Scrooged (1988) -- This modern adaptation of Dicken Christmas Carol is one of Bi Murray's funniest movie Murray plays a bitter TV execi tive who has an intense apath for the holiday season. Durir the Christmas Eve broadcast o his network's new and trash version of Dickens' class Christmas tale (which include showgirls with partially expose nipples), he is visited by thre ghosts who make him see ho he messed up his life. The mov has a stellar supporting ca including Carol Kane as th ghost of Christmas present ar Bobcat Goldthwait as a disgrui tied employee (extremely loose ly based on Bob Cratchit). 1. A Christmas S (1983) - This is a truly Christmas movie. It follows the day adventures of Ralphie, a p blond kid in the late 1940's wh has one thing on his Christmas Red Ryder BB gun. Discourag cries of "You'll shoot your eye from parents, teachers, and e mall Santa, he plots and scher «.... .. An all-American boy is overwhelmed by unacceptable sexu- al impulses. To compound the problem, he's starting his first day at the University of Michigan! But-those damned perverse urges! What's he to do? Unspeakable an illustrated novel by Moises lido A comic, literary novel about a U-M student struggling with his sexual identity, set on the Ann Arbor campus,r written by U-M graduate Moises Pulido Order from major bookstores inc. Borders, Bames&Noble, or online at www.bn.com U of M consciously intended to destroy the student community in Ann Arbor. But it feeds off the result and needs student anomie to be successful. www.universitysecrets.com 8 . M r.J , M a goo ' s C h r is t m a s Mr. Magoo experie Carol (1962) - Yet another ver- sion of Charles Dickens' story of redemption. Mr. Magoo, near-sighted as ever, stars in this cartoon that stays remarkably faithful to the original text in setting and dialogue. Part of what makes this version so great, beside Mr. Magoo himself, is the music. This special has great musical numbers that are still funny. 7. It's A Wonderful Life (1946) -- Considered to be the quintessential Christmas movie, this Frank Capra classic is still a must see for the holiday season. Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey, a modest and generous busi- nessman in the small town of New Bedford. WX'hen a series of unfortu- nate ecents on Christmas Eve make Gcorge contemplate suicide and wish that he was never born, he is shown w\hat the world would be like w\ ithout courtesy ofUPAr nces the joy of x-mas him. Leave all your cynicism at the door, because the movie can be sappy at times, but it's worth it. C'mon, every- one say it with me: "Daddy, teacher says every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings." 6. Die Hard (1988) -- Bruce Willis's first and greatest action film is still one that I watch every year right along with that weird oI stop- animation "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer"TV special (with the land of misfit toys and the Abominable Snowman). NYPD officer John McClane is vis- iting his estranged wife in L.A. at her office building when a group of German terrorists take everyone in the building hostage, forcing McClane to fight them alone, unarmed and bare- foot (ain't Christmas great?) This See TOP TEN, Page 11B I 4m ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS... 'y "Forty years after the Beatles, Radiohead have reinvented the idea of the rock group" N.Y. TIMES 7> 5, .7"'> ,"/ N; 'N'! N >~" I'. 4 "'4 522-5< ~< 2< ~"<". 7 <'N> 5<' 7" 5, "N. < '.7 >', 2.5>7 ~ Ni's Coortesyof ,nE Bos. National Lampoon's merry mayhem JacsonRd Waner 7:34-R27-28.37 n5.0i WtiWnee'tis pm $5.75 Lae ShowsFri &YS - No passes Unlimited Free Drink Refils & .25c Corn Refills "A post rock masterpiece, Kid A is not only Radiohead's bravest album, but it's best one as well" -sei "'N .2 N': 7,f y I)f Nj>.,:-> '>2, '<""N p7'> 2) N >7 'N> N r; w {: ', ',f &KL , > '7> , ../ , THE PLACE To BE FOR THE FLORIDA CITRUS BOWL For Wolverines, a $109* rate! 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