How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)....

[Gov Kodos]

The Grinch is awesome, also I love The Year Without Santa Clause, gotta love the Cold Miser.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mw-1ehsuJM&feature=related

 

[paudemge]

I actually love the Jim Carrey film...

I'm sorry, but the Carrey version completely SHITS on the entire point of the cartoon and the book.

The whole point of the original was how the Grinch hated Christimas because his heart was too small and how he needed to learn from the Whos the meaning of Christmas.

The Grinch THOUGHT (in the original) that the meaning of Christmas was gifts and parties. He believed that was all the Whos cared about. Then, after he steals their toys and decorations he learns that's not true. The spirit in their heart--the LOVE--is what they believe in. And he learns to love in return.

That's a great message about the holiday.

Conversely, in the Howard/Carrey version the Grinch hates Christmas because he's been a victim of discrimination by the Whos, a group of shallow people who, in fact, DO care more about the toys and parties. It's only after he steals their stuff do they repent. And, then, the Grinch gets to join their parties (in other words, exactly the opposite of what Dr Suess intended).

Basically, its as if Howard and Carrey decided to rewrite Dickens to make everyone an asshole until Ebeneezer and some ghosts lay down divine justice.

I agree, I like the Carrey version just to see them make it live action, but really is overdone.

 

[propita]

Max was voted favorite dog in a tv show or movie some years back. I love Max.

 

[JiNX-01]

I agree. The cartoon version captures beautifully the charm and whimsy of Dr. Seuss's original story. That and Rudolph are my favorite "animated" Christmas tales.

My favorite live action films are "It's a Wonderful Life" and the original "Miracle on 34th Street."

 

[Warped9]

I just finished watching A Christmas Story (the kid who wants a Red Rider BB Gun). Not awesome, but it does have a smaltzy charm to it. When he gets his long awaited present it does remind me of the two most memorable gifts I got as a kid.

When I was seven I got a Corgi Batmobile (the big sized one) that I was crazy for. But when I was eleven I went nuts when I opened my first AMT model of the TOS Enterprise along with also getting the Klingon Battle Cruiser.

 

[Warped9]

Now a holiday special I haven't seen since the '70s--for some reason I just kept missing it. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town. I love this one, and as much as I enjoy Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer I like this one better. I find it a little more polished fleshed out. I remember being quite taken with it while I was young and I'm glad to see it still holds up well. I also have to say that I was grinning and chuckling so that I even felt tears in my eyes.

 

[RobertVA]

I was in a department store yesterday and was pleased to hear "He's a Mean One..." playing on the PA system,


...until some &*% cut it short and didn't even make an announcement!

 

[Warped9]

I recently heard a Michael Buble version of the song and it just had no soul to it. Boris Karloff owns that song.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Actually, Boris Karloff never sang the song, rather it was Thurl Ravenscroft.

 

[Warped9]

Actually, Boris Karloff never sang the song, rather it was Thurl Ravenscroft.

Oops. Anyway he did it best.

 

[the G-man]

I recently heard a Michael Buble version of the song and it just had no soul to it. Boris Karloff owns that song.

The Mojo Nixon version is pretty good, especially the nods to the Addams Family theme.

That being said, how incredibly awesome and cool would it be if Tom Waits did a version?

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Oh, man a Tom Waits rendition would be wicked.

 

[Worf2DS9]

I haven't seen the original Grinch this year (never bothered with the Carrey version), but it's definitely one of those classics I make a point of watching every Christmastime, along with Charlie Brown, Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Carol and Bad(der) Santa.

 

[Kelthaz]

Yeah, I have to admit I don't really like the Grinch. Most of those cartoon Christmas specials such as Charlie Brown, Frosty, and Rudolph tend to be rather poor. I think they get a lot of bonus points for nostalgia.

I'm more of a Christmas Carol (Alastair Sim) and A Christmas Story type of guy. And of course Die Hard.

 

[RandyS]

I LOVE the original. I watch it every year.

Same here. It's a Christmas eve tradition in my house. I had it on VHS for many years, then put it on a DVD-R--exactly one week before the official DVD was released, which annoyed me, but for some reason, I just can't part with the DVD-R of my old tape. I must be a sentimentalist.

Or just nuts.