Audiobooks:
I once called into Jean Shepherd’s WOR radio show, or at least I tried to. I was pretty young, sometime in the ’70s and Jean had asked something specific to my hometown, a suburb of NYC, and I had the answer! I can no longer remember the question or my answer, but I’ll never forget my mother appearing out of my nowhere, asking who on earth I was calling at that time of night. I had my portable radio with me, but it was silent since, even then, I knew that you were supposed to turn your radio down when you called into a radio show. (In retrospect I didn’t need to as I don’t think I would have gotten through to Jean on the air - just his producer, but hey, I was a kid.)
Like a tyke with my hand caught in the cookie jar, I quickly hung up the already ringing phone and said “nobody”. And quickly scooted back to my room, bed and Jean Shepherd on the radio. She asked again a day or so later and I told her the truth. To my surprise, she told me I didn’t have to hang up and that my answer, whatever it was, was correct.
I never did call in again but I listened whenever I could, probably only fully understanding half of what I heard. I continued listening to Shep on the regular through worn-out cassette recordings of Max Schmid’s WBAI rebroadcasts, loads more tapes picked up at conventions and now mp3 files.
This week I’ve been switching between one of Shep’s own readings of Duel in the Snow and some of the other stories that went into Christmas Story and the Dick Cavett narrated A Christmas Story The Book That Inspired the Hilarious Classic Film audiobook and both have their charms. Cavett does an okay job but only Shep can really tell the tale.
Movies and TV
Beauty and the Beast - The Enchanted Christmas (1997)
Around our house, this is a classic. My daughter grew up with it and loved it and even with her long grown and moved away we’ll still pop it on every couple of years.
My only real complaint is the length, an hour would have been perfect.
Pluto’s Christmas Tree (1952)
Obviously a classic.
How I wish Disney had done more Christmas stuff during their peak mid-century period. In 1982 they couldn’t even fill a 46-minute special (A Disney Christmas Gift) with Christmas content, relying on clips from films to pad the run time. The earlier From All of Us to All of You was even worse. I suppose you could argue that these “gifts” included the classic clips, but that’s only because they didn’t have enough holiday content. Oh well.
All She Wants For Christmas (2006)
Yeah, not into it.Pretty bad. Couldn’t finish.
Happy Christmas (2014)
So, there are worse things than a Hallmark Christmas clone.
Mumblecore, more like mumblesnore, amirite? Unwatchable twaddle.
No thanks.
After Henry - A Quiet Christmas (1988)
Prunella Scales (Mrs. Fawlty in Fawlty Towers) stars as a widow living with her mother and twentysomething daughter. A fairly good Britcom that has produced a fairly good Christmas special.
If you’re not familiar with the series you’ll still be just fine jumping in at the Christmas one.
Detectorists - Christmas Special (2015)
A show that started out really great but, for me at least, has settled into just good. This Christmas special, which channels, to some extent, the traditional Christmas ghost story, is somewhere in-between.
Not super Christmassy but a solid episode.
If your new to the series just start at the beginning, no point rushing to this special.
My Christmas Inn (2018)
Seen it all before, and done better. Didn’t finish.
Borrowed Hearts (1997)
Proof that the current crop of Christmas clones are cynical template produced cash grabs that disrespect thier audiance. Made way back in 1997, when Eric McCormack was still likable, this is one of those “pretend family hired to fool family/boss/client/ex threatens to become a real family" romantic comedies. And it’s good, not amazing, but good. An actual entertaining film. so there’s no excuse for the stuff they’ve been foisting on us these many years.
So, yeah, recommended.
