Ernest Saves Christmas

This movie is fairly new to my annual festive film watching marathon, it is in it's third year now and I have finally bought it on DVD rather than watching it as a poor quality youtube video. I did watch the Ernest films as a child and I remember enjoying them but I could not recall anything that happened in them, just Jim Varney's expressive face and a lot of things falling over. Ernest Saves Christmas is a lot of fun and quite crazy, Ernest is one of those characters who you either laugh at or cringe over, if he were real you would want him as far away from your Christmas or car as possible but it is safe to watch him from afar! His heart is in the right place but he is a disaster zone. Everything he touches is destroyed, and despite him trying so hard to make everyone happy he is so oblivious to the destruction that he causes and only worsens things by seeming rather unapologetic.

The story is centered on the soon-to-be retired Santa Claus travelling to Florida to appoint his successor, a kindhearted (but somewhat impatient) man called Joe. Santa ends up in Ernest's taxi cab with his magic sack and the adventure starts with a bang as Ernest drives wildly to Santa's destination and leaving a trail of havoc. They pick up a teenage runaway who calls herself Harmony on the way, she is full of cynicism and opinions, rolls her eyes a lot and eats mini cheeseburgers after claiming to be a vegetarian, but seems to integrate into the group quickly. Ernest and Harmony join forces to help Santa recruit Joe, which is not an easy task as his agent has Santa arrested. Ernest is a true believer in Christmas and Santa but Harmony takes a little more persuading. They must hand the reins over to the new Santa before it is too late, or Christmas will cease to exist - the fate of Christmas lies in Ernest's disastrous hands! I really must say that Ernest is quite possibly a secret genius; his disguises and identities he adopts to walk into places unsuspected are rather impressive. Perhaps he is just pretending to be an annoying calamity all along?

This film has a festive vibe, and follows the usual trope of being all about the magic of Christmas, or rather the people who have lost their Christmas spirit or have lost their way in life. Through Ernest's infectious holiday cheer and readiness to believe no matter how bizarre the notion, you may find yourself chuckling at this one and getting caught up in the plot. 

       

Christmas cards

I have finally written my Christmas cards and they are ready for posting, within good time too. I do tend to favour the more ornate or cute cards that are on the market but I felt drawn to these funky little cards as they reminded me of the Home Alone movies. I think it was the colours and those retro Christmas patterned garments that made me think of Macauly Culkin in his 1990s knitwear and mittens. But anyway, back to the cards! So I lit a candle, sat down at the kitchen table with my card list and listened to some Beegie Adair; relaxing Christmas jazz melodies that fill the atmosphere with a sense of calm and magic. A mug of rich hot chocolate was my tonic to keep me warm whilst I sat with my pen poised for some greetings and best wishes for the season.

I do love giving and receiving Christmas cards, it is another Christmas tradition that I enjoy every year and like to uphold. The first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned by Sir Henry Cole in 1843, he had festively illustrated cards printed and sent them out to his family and business associates, selling any leftover cards, and starting a trend. Christmas cards were, and still are, a warm and joyful greeting to give to a loved one, friend or colleague. My family still receive some Christmas letters from family and old friends, despite the existence of social media networks and emails that have made it possible for people to communicate their significant life events daily, if need be. For me, receiving a handwritten card still feels special and I like to keep my favourite ones stored in a box that I unearth every year to gaze at the pretty designs. I inherited my paternal grandmother's greetings card collection some years back and I enjoy looking at those cards too, especially one in particular, which is a Christmas card from 1923.

           

       

Let's enjoy all of December!

The prelude to Christmas, for me, is just as magical as Christmas Day itself, perhaps more so. The anticipation of Christmas Day used to send me into a frenzy as I longed for it all throughout December. The magic, the togetherness, giving and receiving gifts, the indulgent foods, excitement and the sense of contentment - all of these things and more made me feel like bursting full of joy and gingerbread! Now I savour every day before Christmas. The first rule in The Code of Elves (according to the movie Elf) is 'Treat every day like Christmas', and I do strive to do that, even after the festive season is over! But right now we are lucky, as it is still early December, and we have a lot of merriment to enjoy with magical times ahead.

This week I will be seeing my niece's school nativity play, writing all of my Christmas cards, watching some seasonal movies with my family and friends and going for my first Christmas meal of the year with my roller derby teammates. I will also be listening exclusively to my Christmas CDs and singing Jingle Bells in the shower whenever I can!

Hello Kitty Elf!

Treat Every Day Like Christmas!

Frozen Fayre

One of my favourite things to do at Christmas time is to walk around the shops, gazing at the beautiful festive window displays whilst drooling over the elaborate decorations. Last weekend I went to Fortnum & Mason's department store in London for my fix and I was not disappointed with the decor and the attention to detail. Although the prices are rather high it was still good to saunter around the store, having a yuletide treat and inhaling the spices and fragrances of the season.

The window displays at Fortnum's are always spectacular, the planning usually begins as soon as the previous display is taken down! This year's concept is 'Frozen Fayre', which is in celebration of the times when the Thames froze over and London was blanketed with glittering frost and ice. Crowds of people gather outside the store to marvel at the decadent displays of frosty grottos, parks and gold leaf tinted Christmas puddings that sparkle gloriously against the light. The spectators are inevitably drawn inside to browse and wander the many floors, who could resist? If you find yourself in Piccadilly this year why not go and take a peek? :)                                                                    

Welcome, Merry Makers!

The festive season is upon us! After many years of promising myself that I would have a Christmas blog I have finally done it, with the encouragement of my fellow Christmas addicts ;)

I have decided to christen my first post with a film review. One of my favourite festive films, Mixed Nuts (1994), directed by Nora Ephron and based on the 1982 French film Le Père Noël est une ordure. This is a rather unconventional Christmas film, a comedy that explores some darker themes in a light hearted fashion, but I have a great fondness for it and I think it deserves to be celebrated.

This film is my Christmas Eve movie, to be watched last thing in the evening with a stack of Wiltshire Ham flavoured crisps, after the final touches to present wrapping and food preparation have been implemented. I have indulged in this little tradition of mine for fourteen years now and it still feels special.

But I shall cease with the food talk, and concentrate on the film. The film is set in California on Christmas Eve. A far echo from the openings of traditional Christmas films, this title replaces the pure white snow with the glistening white sands of Venice Beach. As the opening credits roll, someone in a full snowman costume skates down the boardwalk in rollerblades. You just don’t see that very often! The film focuses on three employees at a non-profit crisis hotline called Lifesavers; Philip (Steve Martin), Catherine (Rita Wilson) and Mrs Munchnik (Madeline Kahn). It is against the rules for them to divulge information about their own lives over the phone but they find it helps as their depressed callers often pity them! Christmas Eve begins like any normal working day, but when Philip discovers they are being evicted from the building and tries to conceal it from the others a series of unexpected, horrible and wonderful things happen that draw in other people around them and make this a Christmas to remember! The usual Christmas themes are explored like charity, wishes, appreciation for what you have, honesty, changing your ways and acceptance.   

This movie contains everything – comedy, romance, drama, action and a real festive feeling despite the warm climate. The soundtrack is fun and like the film itself it steers away from the more recognisable versions of seasonal songs and embraces quirkier tracks. Perhaps offbeat is the word I am looking for. The mood of this film is so perky and light that it turns what should be inappropriate into a jolly good time. The writing, directing and acting all culminate to make a perfect watch. It should be considered a holiday classic, I implore everyone who loves festive films to see it this Christmas (or before). I will not spoil this movie for you, as it is not a mainstream film where we all know the ending before it has finished.  

I envy you all now, as you can buy this movie and watch it as soon as the mince pies hit the shelves (Actually, I think that happened in August) but I will have to wait until Christmas Eve to experience the joy with a hefty supply of Ham flavoured crisps.