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Last Christmas (2019)
Last Christmas (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Romance
I guess I’m not exactly the target audience for a Christmas rom-com, but I don’t usually mind them. Providing the leads have believable chemistry, there’s a good story behind it all, a few laughs and something that gives you that Christmas feel good feeling, I’m happy to watch them. Sadly though, for the most part, Last Christmas struggles to tick most of those boxes.

Emilia Clarke stars as Kate (short for Katerina, her original Yugoslav name), a 26 year old who’s struggling at life right now. Her nights are filled with one-night stands and sleeping over at friends houses, dragging her suitcase behind her the next morning as she either heads to work in a Covent Garden Christmas shop or off to an audition for a West end show. She’s also currently ignoring calls from her mum (Emma Thomson), disappointing her boss (Michelle Yeoh) and coming across as selfish and not really very likeable. It’s safe to say, she’s lost her way - “Why is my life so shit?!” she exclaims after yet another disaster happens.

And then one day, Kate notices a man gazing up at a bird outside the Christmas shop and goes outside to see what he’s doing. His name is Tom (Henry Golding) and he’s handsome and charming (but a bit wooden) and despite them turning out to have zero chemistry together, they strike up a relationship - because, y’know, this is a rom-com after all. Tom takes Kate on spontaneous walks down alleyways and into nearby pocket parks, making her look up regularly so that she can appreciate the world around her. He rides a bike everywhere, doesn’t have a mobile phone and disappears for days on end. Yet his presence and friendship appear to have a positive effect on Kate, who begins to start turning her life around.

The first half of the movie is just terrible. Badly written dialogue and characters in an attempt to try and recapture some kind of Love Actually spirit, but just failing. It even tries to cram in some Brexit references and a little bit of racism to highlight the plight of immigrants. Written by Emma Thomson and directed by Paul Feig, Last Christmas is said to be inspired by the music of George Michael although, aside from its namesake, not very much of it actually ends up featuring much in the movie.

If you’ve seen the trailer, then you may well have figured out the twist that comes towards the end of the movie. If not, then you’ll probably work it out pretty early on anyway. However, I’d be lying if I said that Last Christmas didn’t manage to hit me emotionally when the time came. It also managed to invoke some warm Christmas feels and spirit too, so not quite the complete disaster it started out as.
  
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TacoDave (3721 KP) rated Anna and the Apocalypse (2018) in Movies

Dec 10, 2018 (Updated Dec 10, 2018)  
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
Anna and the Apocalypse (2018)
2018 | Comedy, Horror, Musical
Acting (3 more)
Music
Pacing
Humor
One Song (0 more)
"Anna and the Apocalypse" is Fantasticly Strange
I didn't expect a lot when I saw "Anna and the Apocalypse" yesterday. I knew a little about it. I knew it was a Zombie/Christmas musical that was supposed to be "Shaun of the Dead Meets La La Land," and I knew it was popular at film festivals last year, but I didn't have any other real feel for what I was in for.

Luckily, I *loved* this movie. The first 30 minutes or so just follow several high schoolers as their school prepares for a Christmas performance. The way they randomly break into song, then look at each other weirdly when the song ends and continue with their day was amusing. The songwriting was great - the singing too! - and, except for one song, I wanted to own the soundtrack.

The rest of the movie follows a group of parents and students trapped in a school with zombies outside and, concurrently, a small group of high schoolers who are trying to make their way to the school to see if their loved ones are still alive. Heads explode. Bodies are mangled. People get bitten. And there is quite a bit of gore.

Yet, at the same time, the movie is light and hilarious. It walks a fine balance between horror/comedy/Christmas/musical, and succeeds almost completely.

If you like horror movies mixed with comedy and you are a fan of musicals, this one is a no-brainer. Pun intended.
  
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
1993 | Animation, Family, Sci-Fi
Classic
Everything about this movie i love. The amimated, the visuals, the story, the songs, the charcters and so much more. It is both a halloween and christmas movie. It is not just one, but its both. Thats what i love. So lets talk about it...

The Plot: The film follows the misadventures of Jack Skellington, Halloweentown's beloved pumpkin king, who has become bored with the same annual routine of frightening people in the "real world." When Jack accidentally stumbles on Christmastown, all bright colors and warm spirits, he gets a new lease on life -- he plots to bring Christmas under his control by kidnapping Santa Claus and taking over the role. But Jack soon discovers even the best-laid plans of mice and skeleton men can go seriously awry.

Danny Elfman wrote the songs and score, and provided the singing voice of Jack.

The charcters are so memorable, you remember what their look like, what lines their say, who their are.

Even though Henry selick directed this film, it is Tim Burton's film. Everything about this movie is a Tim Burton film- the charcters, the setting, the story, the darkness and so much more. Makes this film a tim burton film. Its also called Tim Burtons: The Nightmare Before Christmas.

It is a classic animated fantasy stop motion horror film, that is loved by all. A must see film.

Lastly shout out to @LeftSideCut for getting the hints/clues for this review right.
  
The Thin Man
The Thin Man
Dashiell Hammett | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
After seeing all the movies, I finally read the book. Nick and Nora Charles are trying to enjoy a Christmas in New York City, but a case involving one of Nick's former clients keeps interrupting the holiday. I found this book lacked some of the spark of the movie version, but it was still enjoyable.

Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-thin-man-by-dashiell-hammett.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
  
Emmet Otter&#039;s Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
1977 | Comedy, Family
Heartwarming and fun
I have watched this so many times. It one of my favorite Christmas stories directed by Jim Henson.

When a poor otter family sees the opportunity of a town talent show to make some much needed cash, they seize on the opportunity.

The songs and morals in this short TV movie make this great fun for the whole family.

The songs from Paul Williams will keep you humming.

  
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JB Smoove recommended A Christmas Story (1983) in Movies (curated)

 
A Christmas Story (1983)
A Christmas Story (1983)
1983 | Comedy, Drama, Family

"Oh, you know what I love? I’m going to give you one of my holiday movies that I love, that I can’t stop watching. It goes on marathon every year. That’s A Christmas Story. That’s like on marathon all damn day. And I’ve watched that movie ten times. My favorite scene is when the dogs run in there and eat that damn turkey, man. I tell you, I’m in hysterics, man. That is one of my favorite movies."

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Don&#039;t Look Now (1973)
Don't Look Now (1973)
1973 | Drama, Horror, Thriller

"One of the scariest, most pessimistic modern horror movies, dressed as a romance. Roeg never had the elements come together the way they do here. Pino Donaggio’s score is unforgettably lush, and a reminder of how vital a collaborator movie music is. Christie and Sutherland are chic in deserted Venice. One of the most shocking climaxes ever—dread-filled and bloody. One of Paramount’s big Christmas films of 1973—today you can only marvel at that."

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The Christmas Swap
The Christmas Swap
Melody Carlson | 2020 | Fiction & Poetry, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Looking for a sweet Christmas themed book that deals with a romance. This book has it and a sweet way of how it goes. This deals with a house swap at Christmas time. This book reminds me of the Hallmark Movie called “The Christmas Swap.” I do not know if this was a make on that or if it was maybe inspired by it. I do not know.

The book is about two families but mostly about a songwriter that somehow ends up taking care of this own house. The way it comes about seems kind of cute. We also have Emma who is struggling to be a musician. How will Emma and West's relationship go?

Will Gillian or maybe Harris mess up the sweet romance that is blooming? Does this seem to take a turn when someone figures out who West is? Is the caretaker who he is? Emma seems to be belated with the house they are staying in and the area in Colorado. Will the family and guest learn to ski and enjoy Christmas before going home?

The author writes this book well. This book is Christmas themed and charming. I enjoyed it. The only thing I kinda wish it was a bit more to it. Though I guess, I read too many romances to see how it ends. It is not all that bad. The story is caring and a bit different in the way that the owner is the one in more of a predicament than the heroine.
  
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Damien Echols recommended Halloween (1978) in Movies (curated)

 
Halloween (1978)
Halloween (1978)
1978 | Horror

"Now I just said I don’t like slasher movies, but this is the exception to that rule — because it’s the exception to horror movies. The Rob Zombie remake of Halloween — that thing is f**king genius. It’s like he violates every rule of horror movie making and makes it work. Most horror movies are atmospheric, they’re really dark or they’re at night and they’re creepy; his is taking place in bright noon sunshine daylight, out in the yard. And the way he goes into the story of the Michael Myers character, you know, the reason why he’s making all these masks. That is a great movie. I guess I also like it because of the outside scenes. You know, when they show people walking down the sidewalk or something — it feels like Autumn. You see leaves skitter across the sidewalk as the wind blows ’em, and you feel Halloween when you’re watching ’em. I remember the first time I saw that was when we were in prison. They’ll show movies on holidays just to take the tension out of the air a little bit — and that was the movie we got to see on Christmas. On Christmas they showed us Halloween. And when it was over — it was Christmas night, about 9 o’clock — as soon as it went off I went into such a deep state of mourning, because it was like my favorite time of year was gone. From the Equinox to Christmas morning, that is like the richest, most velvety, delicious time of year. People always ask me, you know, they would say, “How would you describe heaven — in this perfect atmosphere where everything is exactly how you wanted it, how would it be?” And I say, “It would always be December.” So I realized that time of year was over, it was gone, and I was going to have to wait all the way around the will of the year to get back to Autumn and Halloween again. And seeing it in that movie, I just sat down and started crying when it was over, because I realized I was gonna have to make it through another long, hot, brutal summer, you know — prison guards torturing you, there’s nothing to look forward to. It was a horrible feeling. It feels like there’s a hole in you or something. But I can watch that movie now, and automatically feel that time of year again."

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