Rating: Empty

 

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Robert Conrad and Jim Belushi

 

Director: Brian Levant

 

Writer: Randy Kornfield

 

Producers: Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe and Michael Barnathan

 

Music by: David Newman

 

Rated: PG for action violence, mild language and some thematic elements

 

Release Date: 11/22/96

 

Favorite Character: Myron Larabee

 

Tagline: Two Dads, One Toy, No Prisoners.

 

Quote: “IT’S TURBO TIME!”- Turbo Man

 

Fun Facts: In March 2001, a U.S. District Court jury in Birmingham, Michigan, ruled that 20th Century Fox stole the script idea, “Jingle All the Way”, from Detroit High School biology teacher, Brian Webster. The studio was ordered to pay $19 million, later reduced to $1.5 million. Webster submitted the script, then named “Could This Be Christmas?”, to the studio in 1994 and never received payment or credit despite the film making $183 million. Fox appealed and the verdict was reversed, since Webster’s script was submitted after the studio had already purchased a treatment (summary/outline) of what would become the film’s script.

 

You can actually buy Turbo Man action figures on eBay (at a high price).

 

When Howard and Myron burst into the radio station, the D.J. is taking a call for the Eight Reindeer name contest. The incorrect names the contestant gives are: “Randy, Tito, and Jermaine”. These are the names of three of Michael Jackson‘s brothers.

 

The film’s release coincided with the Tickle Me Elmo craze, in which high demand for the doll during the 1996 Christmas season lead to store mobbing similar to that depicted for Turbo-Man.

 

Summary: A workaholic father vows to get his son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas, but they have been sold out in stores and he’s competing with a crazy mailman for one.

 

The Review: This is what Christmas is about? Too commercializing. The special effects aren’t that great. Not to mention the demon team is a Power Rangers rip off. But hey it’s a comedy, not an action film.

 

 

 

 

Rating: Full

 

Cast: Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, Eddie Deezen and Michael Jeter

 

Director: Robert Zemeckis

 

Writers: Robert Zemeckis and William Broyles, Jr.

 

Based on: the book by Chris Van Allsburg

 

Producers: Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Gary Goetzman and William Teitler

 

Music by: Alan Silvestri

 

Oscar Nominations: 3 (Best Sound Mixing (Randy Thom, Tom Johnson, Dennis Sands and William B. Kaplin), Best Sound Editing (Randy Thom and Dennis Leanord) and Best Original Song (Believe by Josh Groban))

 

Rated: G

 

Release Date: 04/10/04

 

Favorite Character: Hero Boy

 

Tagline: This Holiday Season… Believe.

 

Quote: “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”- The Conductor

 

Fun Facts: Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records 2006 as the “first all-digital capture” film, where all acted parts were done in digital capture.

 

Three different actors play the role of Hero Boy. Tom Banks does the motion capturing and adult voice, Daryl Sabara does the voice acting, and Josh Hutcherson does additional motion capturing.

 

The address spoken by the conductor early in the film “11344 Edbrooke” is the real address of Robert Zemeckis‘ childhood house. The house is in a south side Chicago neighborhood called Roseland.

 

Steven Tyler appears in this film as the Elf Lieutenant / Elf Singer. His daughter, Liv Tyler, appears in Peter Jackson‘s Lord of the Rings trilogy as the elf Arwen.

 

Summary: A boy who has doubt about Santa Claus, takes a magical adventure on a train to the North Pole.

 

The Review: Climb aboard on this magical train on this magical adventure. It totally has realistic graphics (despites unrealistic physical elements). It has such a sweet melody to the score. It will still ring its bells for you.

 

 

 

Rating: Empty

 

Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Robert Conrad and Jim Belushi

 

Director: Brian Levant

 

Writer: Randy Kornfield

 

Producers: Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe and Michael Barnathan

 

Music by: David Newman

 

Rated: PG for action violence, mild language and some thematic elements

 

Release Date: 11/22/96

 

Favorite Character: Myron Larabee

 

Tagline: Two Dads, One Toy, No Prisoners.

 

Quote: “IT’S TURBO TIME!”- Turbo Man

 

Fun Facts: In March 2001, a U.S. District Court jury in Birmingham, Michigan, ruled that 20th Century Fox stole the script idea, “Jingle All the Way”, from Detroit High School biology teacher, Brian Webster. The studio was ordered to pay $19 million, later reduced to $1.5 million. Webster submitted the script, then named “Could This Be Christmas?”, to the studio in 1994 and never received payment or credit despite the film making $183 million. Fox appealed and the verdict was reversed, since Webster’s script was submitted after the studio had already purchased a treatment (summary/outline) of what would become the film’s script.

 

You can actually buy Turbo Man action figures on eBay (at a high price).

 

When Howard and Myron burst into the radio station, the D.J. is taking a call for the Eight Reindeer name contest. The incorrect names the contestant gives are: “Randy, Tito, and Jermaine”. These are the names of three of Michael Jackson‘s brothers.

 

The film’s release coincided with the Tickle Me Elmo craze, in which high demand for the doll during the 1996 Christmas season lead to store mobbing similar to that depicted for Turbo-Man.

 

Summary: A workaholic father vows to get his son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas, but they have been sold out in stores and he’s competing with a crazy mailman for one.

 

The Review: This is what Christmas is about? Too commercializing. The special effects aren’t that great. Not to mention the demon team is a Power Rangers rip off. But hey it’s a comedy, not an action film.

 

Rating: Full

 

Cast: Tom Hanks, Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, Eddie Deezen and Michael Jeter

 

Director: Robert Zemeckis

 

Writers: Robert Zemeckis and William Broyles, Jr.

 

Based on: the book by Chris Van Allsburg

 

Producers: Steve Starkey, Robert Zemeckis, Gary Goetzman and William Teitler

 

Music by: Alan Silvestri

 

Oscar Nominations: 3 (Best Sound Mixing (Randy Thom, Tom Johnson, Dennis Sands and William B. Kaplin), Best Sound Editing (Randy Thom and Dennis Leanord) and Best Original Song (Believe by Josh Groban))

 

Rated: G

 

Release Date: 04/10/04

 

Favorite Character: Hero Boy

 

Tagline: This Holiday Season… Believe.

 

Quote: “Seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”- The Conductor

 

Fun Facts: Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records 2006 as the “first all-digital capture” film, where all acted parts were done in digital capture.

 

Three different actors play the role of Hero Boy. Tom Banks does the motion capturing and adult voice, Daryl Sabara does the voice acting, and Josh Hutcherson does additional motion capturing.

 

The address spoken by the conductor early in the film “11344 Edbrooke” is the real address of Robert Zemeckis‘ childhood house. The house is in a south side Chicago neighborhood called Roseland.

 

Steven Tyler appears in this film as the Elf Lieutenant / Elf Singer. His daughter, Liv Tyler, appears in Peter Jackson‘s Lord of the Rings trilogy as the elf Arwen.

 

Summary: A boy who has doubt about Santa Claus, takes a magical adventure on a train to the North Pole.

 

The Review: Climb aboard on this magical train on this magical adventure. It totally has realistic graphics (despites unrealistic physical elements). It has such a sweet melody to the score. It will still ring its bells for you.

 

 

Rating: Full

 

Cast: Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, and Randy Quaid

 

Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik

 

Writer: John Hughes

 

Producers: John Hughes and Tom Jacobson

 

Music by: Angelo Badalamenti

 

Oscar Nominations: 0

 

Rated: PG-13

 

Release Date: 12/01/89

 

Favorite Character:

 

Quote: “We’re gonna press on, and we’re gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny (bleep) Kaye.”- Clark Griswold

 

Fun Facts: The film is based on the short story John Hughes wrote in the National Lampoon magazine titled, “Christmas 59” which is also a film reel Clark watched while being locked in the attic.

 

Final film of Mae Questel, whose film career began in 1930, as the voice of Betty Boop.

 

After failing to get the Christmas lights to work one last time, Clark Griswold takes his frustration out on the plastic decorations in the front yard. Chevy Chase actually broke his pinky finger while punching Santa Claus. He resorts to kicking and clubbing the decorations after that. The film kept rolling, and the take was used.

 

Just before Clark gets locked up in the attic, he pulls out an old present from a hidden slot, and it contains a card that reads “Happy Mother’s Day 1983, Love Clark”. The first movie, National Lampoon’s Vacation was released that same year.

 

Summary: The Griswold family tries to make it the best Christmas ever but it becomes a disaster.

 

The Review: Ho Ho Ho, that’s what you’ll be saying while watching this film. Clark Griswold really does it again. This script is certainally terrific. It may be tragic for them but funny to us.

 

 

 

 

 

Rating: Half-Full

 

Cast: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd, Erik Per Sullivan, Cheech Marin, Jake Busey and M. Emmet Walsh

 

Director: Joe Roth

 

Writer: Chris Columbus

 

Based on: Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

 

Producers: Michael Barnathan, Chris Columbus and Mark Radcliffe

 

Music by: John Debney

 

Oscar Nominations: 0

 

Rated: PG for brief language and suggestive content

 

Release Date: 11/24/04

 

Favorite Character: Vic Frohmeyer

 

Quote: “You’re skipping Christmas! Isn’t that against the law?”- Spike Frohmeyer

 

Fun Facts: When Nora drops the ham in the shopping center parking lot and the truck runs over it and she screams, you can hear the theme song from “Halloween” which Jamie Lee Curtis also starred in.

 

Julie Gonzalo, who plays Blair Krank, and Jamie Lee Curtis also star together in Freaky Friday (2003) in which Gonzalo plays the nemesis of Curtis’s daughter.

 

After the party had already started, the burglar who lies about having kids tries to escape from the upper floor and walks out onto the roof. Tim Allen’s character “Luther” yells “Hey, get down from there” which was similar to him yelling at Santa Claus on the roof in one scene from “The Santa Clause” starring Tim Allen.

 

The swimsuits the models are wearing in the advertisement for the cruise the Kranks are taking are the same ones Luther and Nora wear when they go tanning in the mall.

 

Summary: When their daughter left for the holidays, a couple decides to skip Christmas and take a cruise but things take an unexpected turn when their daughter announces that she’s coming home for Christmas.

 

The Review: I don’t see how it’s too funny but it is quite a holiday story. Perhaps a moral film for those who want to skip Christmas.