Across the Universe Podcast: Episode 16

Episode 16: Jingle Bell Rock

Holiday cheer is in the air and the chicks with accents, that is Mette, Sofia and yours truly, bring you our Christmas episode. In it, we talk about three of our favourite Christmas movies and also discuss our Interesting Movies of the Fortnight. So listen in and join the fun!

Contents:

0:14- Chick-chatter

2:34- Trailer

3:08- Interesting Movie of the Fortnight

25:21- The chicks discuss Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)

39:18- The chicks discuss The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

50:49- The chicks discuss The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

1:05:12- Plugs and Goodbyes

Songs:

Kanye West "Bound 2"

Mean Girls "Jingle Bell Rock"

Fiona Apple "Across The Universe"

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"You know what your problem is, it's that you haven't seen enough movies- all of life's riddles are answered in movies." ~A LIFE IN MOVIES BLOGATHON

There is a new blogathon going on, spurred on by Fandango Groovers Movie Blog in which we choose our favourite film from every year since the year we were born. I found it quite interesting and decided to do it, but it was rather difficult to choose because of two things- my favourite and what I think of as the best in a particular year differed on a few occasions, and also that I have never been able to choose a favourite film for anything. The latter was was especially terrible because I felt so guilty for leaving out the other shortlisted films in every year, and choose the one I chose. But for the fun of it and what I think now, here are my favourite films since 1992 (missed Silence of the Lambs by that much)

1992- Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

This one was difficult, but as much as I love Aaron Sorkin, I just love John Hughes more. Add to that possibly the cutest child actor ever, with one heck of a character and two mental villains...this film was just brilliant.

1993- Sleepless in Seattle

I must say that I love this film more that the original itself. It has this kind of magic, and belief in possibilities that only films can provide us with. Sweet, funny and oh so romantic. And ofcourse I love the leads.

1994- The Shawshank Redemption

This was one of the bad years- from Forrest Gump to Pulp Fiction to Four Weddings to Natural Born Killers, but I had to choose Shawshank. This film is at the top of the IMDb 250 list, and with good reason. The way this film makes me feel, so hopeful and right and happy, very few others can.

1995- To Die For

Another great year, especially with Kevin Spacey (Se7en, The Usual Suspects), but something about Gus Van Sant's To Die For makes me choose it instead. I can never say no to a black comedy, and Nicole Kidman's Suzanne Stone was irresistible. People went nuts for her- her clean-cut housewife image with a blind ambition and something deadly inside...wonderful- no wonder it was selected as one of Premiere Magazine's greatest performances of all time. 

1996- Trainspotting

My personal favourite Danny Boyle movie! It's crazy, it's funny, it's trippy as hell. Also one of the best beginnings EVER.

1997- Titanic

I don't care what this makes me. I will forever love this film and love both of them (especially Jack). The only film which can still make me cry like a baby despite having seen it like a hundred times.

1998- Rushmore

I love this film...I really do. My favourite Wes Anderson film by a mile, and Jason Schwartzman is just so adorable and relate-able as Max Fischer. Also having Bill Murray is a huge bonus.

1999- Fight Club

There was a lot this year- American Beauty, Being John Malkovich, The Virgin Suicides, but this film...what can I say about David Fincher's Fight Club? About Tyler Durden and the gang?? Changed my life forever... that's all.

2000- Almost Famous

This film just makes me soo happy. Another great music-related film came out this very year- The John Cusack-starrer High Fidelity (And American Psycho too - Hip to be Square!)...but I think the feel of Almost Famous, the time, the ideas is much more close to the heart. 

2001- Moulin Rouge!

The year of the franchises- from Harry Potter to Lord of the Rings to Ocean's Eleven. But as a favourite film, Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge! has always been the one closest to my heart. The Bohemian ideals, the songs and pop-culture references, the look, the feel and obviously the two leads- Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman enchanted me in this film so very thoroughly that I fell in love with them forever.

2002- Igby Goes Down

My go-to film for when I think my life cannot get any worse. Then I see Igby Slocumb's life, his uber-dysfunctional family and I feel happy. Feel good anyone?!

2003- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

The film that launched a legend. Capt. Jack Sparrow is and will always be one of the greatest film characters ever, and being fueled by Johnny Depp only makes him so much more brilliant. The best film of the series by far, my god even Will and Elizabeth were tolerable in it.

2004- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

My second favorite film in the series, but still pretty awesome. This was the year of things like Mean Girls and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but I think with Alfonso Cuaron's darker direction and the addition of cast members like Gary Oldman and Emma Thompson (and the best Harry Potter hairstyle ever), HP3 was better than the rest. This was also the first Harry Potter film I saw in the theatre.

2005- Memoirs of a Geisha

The summative beauty of early 20th century-Japan, the kimonos, the make-up, the dancing, and ofcourse some of the most stunning Asian women ever makes this film one of the most enthralling to watch.

2006- Pan's Labyrinth

One of the most mesmerising films I have seen, this film with it's characters and visuals and music settles inside a part of your heart forever. The poignant beauty of it all, one which makes us happy and sad both at the same time is incredible. Also one of the best World War- related films according to me.

2007- Ghost Rider...no I'm kidding- Ratatouille

My favourite animated film (well one of them anyways). The concept just blows my mind...a rat who wants to cook. I mean they really do have the most creative minds working in Pixar, don't they? This film has everything- the city of love, good food, comedy, the underdog-story, romance and most importantly a lot of heart. Transplendent I tell you...just transplendent!

2008- The Dark Knight

My favourite Christopher Nolan film. This is an action thriller at its very best and along with that, it has some of the most remarkable characters ever to grace the silver screen. The most notable ofcourse is the late Heath Ledger's electrifying portrayal of The Joker.

2009- (500) Days of Summer

This film brought romcoms back...with a bang and a twist. The closest thing to Annie Hall in years, it has it's own brand of innocence and cuteness and heartbreak. And Joseph Gordon-Levitt just melts my heart.

2010- The Social Network

Did anyone possibly think I could choose anything else?! I love this film to bits...more that sanity allows.

Year 19...here I come.

She's making a list, and checking it twice- FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS FILMS!!

      Ho Ho Ho...it's that time of the year again!! While due to the many insignificant complications of my life, I haven't had a Christmas tree or anything Christmas-related this year, my favourite Christmas films do not fail me. I love Christmas films and it is absolutely essential for me to watch them on Christmas Eve/Christmas.
Now unlike the other lists I put up, these are ranked in order of my preference. Also I must add that if anyone has noticed, there is a "Recently Watched/Rewatched Films" list to the right of the page and those have been given ratings. These ratings directly refer to my love of the films and there is a great chance that they might not be "critically acclaimed" or "commercially successful" or both (a rare occurrence indeed), but I do love them if given a high rating or vice versa.


      Anyways, here are my most favourite Christmas films, in reverse order:

8) Elf- This is an adorable film about how a human baby crawls into Santa's bag of presents and grows up in the North Pole as an elf only to find out his "true nature" when he grows up. He then embarks upon a journey to New York to find his father, only to see that he has been in the "naughty list". Will Ferrel plays Buddy, the  human-elf who has to experience the greedy and often unkind world, that he changes with his true love for Christmas. The films also stars James Caan as Buddy's "naughty" father and Zooey Descahnel as his musical love-interest. 

7) Love Actually- This film shows us that during Christmas "love actually is all around". Of all the romcoms made on Christmas, Love Actually stands distinct. I love this film and it's enormous and fantastic cast. Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Martin Freeman, Rodrgo Santoro, Rowan Atkinson etc. The list goes on and on. I love Richard Curtis films because they end up leaving one feeling all warm inside, and that's exactly the feeling a Christmas film should leave behind. There are a whole bunch of intertwined stories in this film and all are set during Christmas time and all have some connection with love, whether it's young love, trans-lingual love, trans-Atlantic love, sort of nudist love, love between friends, love between the British Prime Minister and his worker, unrequited love, love between an old couple facing problems etc. (By the way, this paragraph contains 14 "loves" just in case you are wondering).


6) The Santa Clause- What happens if Santa falls of your roof and dies/disappears? Why, you take his place of course. This is exactly what happens to Scott. Obviously he isn't very keen on it, especially since he is facing problems with son Charlie and custody rights. Add to that, he starts growing this enormous white beard and gets a Christmas goodies-fetish. This film is sort of similar to Elf in showing how people do not care much about Christmas, but they need to be reminded of its magic. I love Tim Allen as Santa and the elves and his son are plain adorable.

5) Jingle All the Way- I love funny Arnold Schwarzenegger films!! While the best is Kindergarten Cop, Jingle All the Way is quite precious too. He plays a workaholic father, Howard Langston, who has to get the perfect action figure present, Turbo-Man, for his son on Christmas. Except, he forgets and goes to all extremes to buy it last minute. This is a hilarious films and one of my original favourites. Also, I like how it deviates from the whole "Christmas is not about presents" ideal. Damn right it is, and you know it!





4) The Nightmare Before Christmas- From this point on, all the films are technically on the same level but for rankings' sake... Tim Burton's and Henry Selick's animated Christmas feature has become on of the biggest and greatest cult classics ever. The story of Halloween Town and Christmas Town and Jack Skellington and Sally and all the weird Burton-esque characters is just brilliant. The idea that Christmas can be taken over by the most horrific festival- Halloween and what the outcome of it would be, how Santa Clause becomes Sandy Claws, and a blossoming love in all of this just shows the true friggin genius of Tim Burton! Oogie Boogie people!!!

3)  How The Grinch Stole Christmas- This can also be called How Jim Carrey and Dr. Seuss Go Together. They really do. I love the story of a green and hairy Scrooge-ish Grinch who hates Christams and the Christmas-loving Whoville. He has shunned Christmas like how the people of Whoville have shunned him. It suits both of them fine until a young Who called Cindy Lou decides to vote him as the recipient of Whobilation, a great tradition and honour in the little town. At first Grinch is hesitant, but he does come to join in the celebrations, only to be then insulted by the Mayor Augustus May Who. After creating much havoc, he decides to ruin Christmas by stealing all the presents, disguising himself as Santa and his dog Max as a reindeer. Even though his masterplan at first seems successful, he then realises that Christmas is about more than material gifts. A change comes over him, his heart grows three times its original choice and he decides to make Amends. This is the highest grossing Christmas film of all-time (in your face Avatar!), and it comes from the highly acclaimed and very cool producer-director pair of Brian Grazer and Ron Howard. This is one of Jim Carrey's best roles, second only to probably Count Olaf in Lemony Snickets: A Series of Unfortunate Events. His Grinch is funny and tragic at the same time and we love him for that.

2) Home Alone 1 & 2- Kevin McCallister's epic survival tales take place during the lovely snowy time of Christmas. These are amongst the most loved children and holiday films of all time. This is because of the fantastic story of how a young boy left home alone, and alone in New York survives and protects himself from two of the funniest baddies ever- Harry and Marv. Macaulay Culkin's legendary role made him amongst the most famous child stars ever. Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern and Catherine O'Hara are also part of the great cast. Chris Columbus has a gift of making evergreen and lovely children films (see Harry Potter) and these are amongst his best.

1) The Polar Express- Only animation can truly achieve feats that live-action cinema can only dream of. And I think Robert Zemeckis's The Polar Express is a testament to that. I absolutely love this film. True, not may paragraphs ago I said that Christmas is about presents. But it is also about believing in the good and the naughty and the magic in the world. The film is about a boy who is starting to think that Santa Clause and North Pole and everything is made up, and then he is visited by a magical train that takes him to North Pole on Christmas Eve. It is fantastically made film, slightly dark but heart-warming nonetheless. It is number one because while it does apply many of the Chistmas movie rules to it, the total effect of it, with the story, the images, the music, the characters, the mystery, the aura, the Christmas spirit make it absolutely unique and unforgettable. I love Tom Hanks with all my heart. The review is here. 


       A special mention to It's a Wonderful Life, which was quite lovely too, but not that Christmas-y for me. Also Robert Zemeckis's Jim Carrey-starrer A Christmas Carol. I haven't seen the other adaptations of Charles Dickens' classic, neither have I seen Scrooged or Miracle on 34th Street. I don't want to watch Santa Clause 3 or Four Christmases. I really do not want to see Bad Santa as it might scar me forever.


        So as the carol goes, "Tis the season to be jolly," have a great time on Christmas watching these films, if you would like.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!