A Christmas Story (1983)

It was so, so hard trying to choose my favorite holiday film...in the end it came down to either A Christmas Story or Gremlins. Now I know how cliche this is, picking one of the biggest holiday classics as my favorite Christmas film, but I love it too much not to pick it. This movie always puts me in a good mood, and I love watching it with my family.

Bob Clark's film centers on nine-year-old Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) and his desire for a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. Throughout the film his wish is shot down repeatedly (pun intended) by multiple adults (including Santa himself) telling him, "You'll shoot your eye out." Ralphie endures neighborhood bullies, mean teachers, and not-so-tasty bars of soap in the days before Christmas. I can't tell you if Ralphie gets his gun or not, but I can tell you that you won't quit laughing from the movie's start to its finish.

I actually watched this movie all the way through for the first time just a few years ago, but I instantly knew I would make a tradition of watching it every year. It always puts me in a great mood and it has led to so many inside jokes between my parents and me (including a recreation of Ralphie's pink bunny pajamas).

I love how the movie is shown from the perspective of a nine-year-old. Having been nine years old once myself, I can definitely confirm the credibility of Ralphie's daydreams and Christmas wishes. The perspective puts such an innocent spin on the film, which is something I think we all need to see every once in a while. The viewer easily falls in love with Ralphie and feels like a member of the Parker family (however I would be a bit more sympathetic toward Ralphie's cause than his parents). We laugh with Ralphie, we cry with Ralphie, we sit through...interesting...renditions of "Jingle Bells" and "Deck the Halls" with Ralphie.

The writers did an excellent job with Ralphie's character. Sometimes child characters can get annoying after a while, but Ralphie never does. Again, I think his innocence and determination play into that. Ralphie doesn't have time to become annoying because he is always focused on his goals: getting a good grade on his paper, getting the BB gun, getting rid of his bunny pajamas, etc. Ralphie is so motivated that he seems older than he really is at times; then, just as soon as it's gone, his nine-year-old side returns (which is not a bad thing by any means). Also, Ralphie is simply too adorable to be annoying. (What? His two-sizes-too-big glasses are precious!)

I also love the time period that the movie is set in: the 40s. Thanks to Bing Crosby, I always think of the 40s at Christmas time--this movie just fuels the fire. A Christmas Story does a wonderful job of sticking to the time period; the costumes and props work perfectly, and I love the little nod to the (still new at that time) Wizard of Oz movie.

I'm very happy to say that A Christmas Story will remain at the top of my Christmas movie list for many, many years into the foreseeable future. It's one of those Christmas movies that makes me ask myself if it's socially acceptable to watch in June, because it's just that great.

Score: 9.5/10
Recommend? Absolutely

Disturbia (2007)

"Every killer lives next door to someone" is the chilling (and albeit cheesy) tagline for D.J. Caruso's thriller Disturbia. I've seen this movie countless times, and every time I watch it I'm reminded of how much I love it.

The film is about a teenage boy, Kale (Shia LaBeouf), whose father is killed in a car crash. A year later, Kale is sentenced to house arrest all summer break after punching his teacher for bringing up his dad. Since Kale's (only?) friend, Ronnie (Aaron Yoo), is on vacation for a short time, he begins to spy on his neighbors, including quiet Robert Turner (David Morse) and his pretty new neighbor, Ashley (Sarah Roemer). One night Kale hears about recent murders in his area on the news; he puts two and two together and begins to suspect Robert Turner. Together, Kale, Ronnie, and Ashley start spying on Turner, which leads them down a dangerous path.

This is one of the few thriller movies that actually scares me...I think it's the multitude of dead bodies at the film's climax (and to think I wanted to go into forensics...). Disturbia actually reminds me a lot of Scream, just with a lot (I mean a lot) less blood and a better love story. It's intended to scare, but often times the comedy overshadows the horror. A prime example (in Disturbia, not Scream) is when Kale attempts to ruin Ashley's party. I can watch that scene over and over and still laugh the entire way through. The great thing about the film is, though, that it can reel itself back in and scare the you-know-what out of its audience ten minutes later.

One scene in particular that I'd like to talk about occurs about halfway through the film, when Ashley is leaving the hardware store in an attempt to follow Robert while Ronnie and Kale are sneaking into his car. Robert has disappeared and Ashley is in her car on the phone with Kale when she suddenly slams on her breaks--Robert is standing right in front of her car. He walks over to her (open) passenger window, reaches through, turns off her car and unlocks the passenger door, and climbs in the car, locking the door behind him. The scene is so tense it's hard for me to breathe, and I'm just watching it on a TV screen. Morse and Roemer do a fantastic job in this scene and I just get chills every time I see it.

Even if you're not big on scary movies, I'd definitely recommend Disturbia--I was a complete scaredy cat the first time I saw it, and now it's one of my favorite movies. Although it is scary, there are so many other elements in the movie that I'm sure there's something for everyone to enjoy. And remember: every killer lives next door to someone.

Score: 9.5/10
Recommend: Yes!

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Everyone loves classic cartoons. But what if your favorite cartoon character was suddenly thrown into a murder mystery film? In Who Framed Roger Rabbit, this is exactly what happens.

Jaded private eye Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) is called in to follow film star Roger Rabbit's wife, Jessica (Kathleen Turner), to find out if she's cheating on him. One catch: Roger (Charles Fleischer) and Jessica are cartoons ("toons"). In a world where cartoons and humans live and work together, nothing is as it seems. Soon Eddie's investigation of Jessica turns into a full-blown murder investigation when Marvin Acme, head of Acme Corporation, is killed after pictures of Jessica and him are shown to Roger. Roger is the prime suspect, and Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) will see to it that nothing stands in the way of catching him. Doom sends out his cronies--cartoon weasels--to capture and "dip" Roger (Dip is Doom's creation and is the one thing that can kill a toon). Roger shows up at Eddie's apartment and begs for help, claiming that he's innocent. Eddie reluctantly agrees to help the rabbit, which leads to many shenanigans and surprises.

I quite enjoyed Who Framed Roger Rabbit; I like that Disney took some risks with it--it wasn't a kids' movie, but it had elements to keep the young ones entertained (Roger's silly antics, for instance) while still creating an interesting plot line for the older crowd. I think the film also sent out some great messages. Two that stand out in my mind are Roger's lines about laughter ("A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have.") and Jessica's quip about her appearance ("I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way."). Both of these lines represent ideas that people need to remember more often: enjoy life, and don't judge a book by its cover.

It was also refreshing to see some classic cartoon characters in the film. Growing up, I always knew who Betty Boop was because she was my grandmother's favorite character (her name was also Betty, so we all called her Betty Boop); when I saw her in the film I couldn't help but smile. I also enjoyed seeing some of Disney's "forgotten" characters of the 40s, characters whose films aren't as well-known anymore.

Yes, the film is goofy. Yes, some parts are very (very) far-fetched. But what else would you expect from a film where humans and cartoons coexist? If you can handle cheesy, I highly recommend this film for its cinematic elements (my favorite shot is Eddie's shadow as he's unlocking his office door...very noir) and lovable characters (oh come on, Roger's adorable).

Score: 9/10
Would recommend? Yes

Winnie the Pooh (2011)

Growing up, I always loved that silly old bear. When I heard that Disney would be releasing a new theatrical Winnie the Pooh movie, I was very happy to know that my childhood would be restored. Unfortunately, I was unable to see the film in theaters and wasn't able to watch it until very recently.

I didn't have to pay to watch the film (thank you, Disney Channel!), although after seeing it I can safely say that I would have gladly paid for it. The film begins with the narrator reading from a classic Winnie the Pooh book, the way most of the Pooh movies do. As Pooh's story comes to life, we find Pooh in a bind: he's out of honey. As he goes in search of his sweet treat, we meet his many friends in the Hundred Acre Woods, including Eeyore, who has lost his tail once again. Owl devises a plan to help Eeyore find a new, better tail. The winner of said contest will win--surprise, surprise--a pot of honey. Pooh, after losing the contest, continues his hunt. He decides to ask Christopher Robin for some honey; instead he finds a note from C.R. Unable to read it, Pooh takes the note to Owl who concludes that poor C.R. has been kidnapped by the horrible Backson (when, in reality, the note reads "back soon"). The animals decide to save Christopher Robin from the awful creature and find themselves in a mess of trouble instead.

This movie wasn't just a trip down memory lane for me; I truly enjoyed the story and animation. I think Winnie the Pooh is one of those cartoons that can make anyone smile, young or old. In true Disney fashion, it teaches us the values of friendship and being selfless, while still managing to entertain. This brings me to my next point: the animation. The animation was wonderfully entertaining; I never thought I would see a movie that brings both books and chalkboards to life. The movie shows just how far we've come in animation, all while still having the classic "hand-drawn" feel of the old cartoons. The only bad thing I really have to say about the movie is that the songs were just a tad on the cheesy side, but what else would you expect from our friends in the Hundred Acre Woods?

Score: 10/10
Would recommend? Yes