Andy's Top Ten Holiday Specials of All Time
by Andy Moseley - reprinted with permission from the December 1999 Mariners' Log
The day after Thanksgiving is known as the biggest shopping day of the year. It's also known as the day that all the networks begin airing their holiday specials. Here's 10 that you should be on the lookout for this holiday season. These are 10 (in no particular order) that I usually watch every single year. Remember . . . you are never too old to enjoy kids’ movies. Never. By the way, you'll notice the list includes four cartoons and two clayish versions that might as well be counted as cartoons.
A Christmas Story - Let's face it, it might just be the greatest Christmas movie of all time. Any day after Thanksgiving, you can probably find it on TV, probably three or four times, probably all on the same channel. There's a little bit of language on the dirty side, but big kids like me can handle it.
A Charlie Brown Christmas - Well, still no appearances by The Great Pumpkin (I wonder if it ever came?), but this is still one of the best specials. Watch as Charlie and the Peanuts gang go on a hunt for a Christmas tree and come back with a little scrawny thing. But that's not the moral of the story. What's the moral, you ask? What good would it do for me to tell you when you can wait and watch the special on CBS in December?
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - I watch this every single time it comes on every year. I even bought the CD of it last year, which has the entire story on it plus the songs. I can't wait for Cindy Lou Who and the rest of Whoville to be on my TV again! Up until the Grinch comes on, my heart is always three sizes too mall. Then when this comes on, I'm officially in the Christmas spirit.
Frosty the Snowman - I've watched Frosty since I was a little Andy, and it's still as good as it was the first time. The story has been told time and time again: kids build snowman, kids put hat on snowman, snowman comes to life, someone steals hat, kids get it back, snowman melts. But don't worry, kids, because Frosty will be back when it snows again - which may never happen here in Georgia but which should occur on the TV about three or four times a week for the next month.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - This is simply a classic. I can't help but feel for those poor guys on the Island of Misfit Toys, and every year I crack up when I see the skinny version of Santa. Every year we all know that Santa is going to let Rudolph and his nose lead the sleigh, but we watch it anyway, don't we?
Mickey's Christmas Carol - This is also a classic. The TV version always includes three of the greatest cartoons in the world. First, there's Pluto helping Mickey decorate the Christmas tree when Chip and Dale come along and screw him up. There's Donald facing off with Huey, Dewie, and Louie in the snow. And of course the actual Christmas Carol, with Ebenezer Scrooge eventually helping out poor Timmy and family, thanks to the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Future. Don't miss this one!
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - If you've seen National Lampoon's Vacation and Vegas Vacation but not this one, what's wrong with you? It's your usual hilarious Chevy Chase movie. It's hard to put it into a little explanation, so you'll just have to wait for it to be on TV.
Claymation Christmas Celebration - This is my all-time favorite. The California Raisins and the gang put the cheer back into the holiday season. There are camels doing the Temptations, Quasimoto directing the bell choir, and, of course, the Raisins singing their Christmas best. Personally, my favorite part is going waffling (you'll have to see the movie to understand). Unfortunately this hasn't been aired in the last few years, but maybe with the addition of Fox Family, it will return this year.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever - If you've been in grade school within the last few years, you probably read the book and then watched the movie. It's a fantastic story of a bunch of mean kids who are just misunderstood and end up putting on a classic pageant.
Ernest Saves Christmas - There's not a movie list complete without Ernest P. Wurl. You know what I mean, Vern?
There you have it, the top 10 holiday specials. If you have any you think I left out or should not have listed, e-mail me at andy1278@hotmail.com and let me know!
