A Christmas Story. Is shit.

[chocolate teapot]

I watched this and it was so bad my eyes fell out and Christmas died.

It showcases the worst of American excess and smugness and shit Republican humour. A kid wants a gun and gets it. The fact that it so highly rated across the internet and this board is baffling. Fucking hell.

[Replies From View]

The fact that it so highly rated across the internet and this board is baffling. Fucking hell.

Don't worry; I haven't even seen it.

[Phil_A]

I've seen it, and he's full of shit.

So many great things about this film:

The leg lamp.

Darren McGaven's performance in general.

The fact that the bully's name is Scut Farkus.

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"

I'm going to watch it again this weekend, thanks CT!

[Dex Sawash]

It's just a starter gun for a child, what's the big deal?

[Puce Moment]

It's a film that does much better if you saw it growing up, as most Americans did. For many Americans, it was an anti-dote to the syrupy Xmas stories they were spoon-fed for most of their childhood, and it's surreal qualities was unlike most mainstream, family films.

I saw it as an adult and watched it through the lens of that information. I also saw it with my wife who is American and grew up watching it every year, so for me it was very enjoyable. I also watched It's a Wonderful Life for the first time about 5-years ago and was utterly underwhelmed.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Has it ever been shown outside America? Along with that Chuck Jones Grinch cartoon, it seems to be a really big deal over there, but have almost no profile here in Blighty.

We have Raymond Briggs instead, I suppose. When the Wind Blows. Classic Christmas fare.

[great_badir]

Its continuing high praise baffles me, because it is awful, even for a twee American christmas film.

About the only good thing that can be said about it is that some of it fed into Christmas Vacation (or, rather, it was likely used as an example of how not to do similar).

[Mini]

Just stick with Bob Clark's other festive film, the brilliant Black Christmas.

[SavageHedgehog]

Has it ever been shown outside America? Along with that Chuck Jones Grinch cartoon, it seems to be a really big deal over there, but have almost no profile here in Blighty.

It was shown on TV sometime over 1995, not sure what channel but it was terrestrial. It made quite an impression on me. Watched it about five years ago and wasn't that bothered, but wouldn't mind giving it another go now.

I saw the Grinch cartoon a couple of times too, but on Cartoon Network

[checkoutgirl]

I watched this and it was so bad my eyes fell out and Christmas died.

It showcases the worst of American excess and smugness and shit Republican humour. A kid wants a gun and gets it. The fact that it so highly rated across the internet and this board is baffling. Fucking hell.

Sorry but you're an idiot mate.

[Skip Bittman]

Jean Shepherd was a really interesting broadcaster, his hypnotic voice is really well suited to being curled up in bed listening late at night. Tons of his off airs are online and are well worth exploring tho you UK types might find a lot of the references baffling. But if I can get through the majority of Vic & Bob's work, you fuckers can take a bit of Shep.

It's definitely a window to an America that's long gone and probably never even existed since he was clearly a huge liar, but he certainly had a gift for telling tremendous lies. I've got a soft spot for all his slams against my ancestral homeland of New Jersey, anyway.

There was a follow-up movie with different actors, Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss. I wouldn't recommend it. A lot of PBS adaptations as well, one with I think Matt Dillon as a young Jean. Incidentally, Shepherd was making FUN of American excess. SATIRE was tattooed across his forehead.

Here's a two part special Harry Shearer put together on Shepherd: http://hearingvoices.com/2010/07/hv067-jean-shepherd-1/

There's some of a Shepherd interview Shearer conducted with Terry Gilliam in there. I'd like to hear more of that tape!

[Smeraldina Rima]

Its continuing high praise baffles me, because it is awful, even for a twee American christmas film.

About the only good thing that can be said about it is that some of it fed into Christmas Vacation (or, rather, it was likely used as an example of how not to do similar).

And the leg lamp scene maybe feeds into Home Alone window party and the frozen tongue Dumb and Dumber? I've only seen the first thirty minutes and now the leg lamp clip which is a million times better (so maybe I should watch the whole thing) but the heroic voice over annoyed me too much to keep watching. It seemed like the main thing was elaborate descriptions of the child's life and I just wanted the memory man to shut up and let me watch the movie. Pretty much agree with g_b and ct.

[Famous Mortimer]

It's a great film, which I only watched for the first time relatively recently. I sort of remember hearing about it, but it must not have been on during my youth.

[Glebe]

Just stick with Bob Clark's other festive film, the brilliant Black Christmas.

Often cited as the first proper 'slasher' movie. Clark went on to direct legendary sex comedy Porky's... tragically he was killed with his son in a car crash some years ago.

Oh, and he also apparently directed cult horror Children Shouldn't Play with Dead Things - thanks, Wiki!

[chocolate teapot]

Black Christmas is a masterpiece.

I read all your posts, it's good to read the other side. I will never like A Christmas Story, it's just something I will forever think is terrible. My boyfriend's going to give it another go though.

[Jerzy Bondov]

I like it. The American Christmas favourite that baffles me is the Frosty the Snowman cartoon. Cheap, shrill, ugly, tedious rubbish. Poor fuckers having to watch that instead of The Snowman.

[Attila]

I showed A Christmas Story to Mr Attila last year, and he enjoyed it.

My mission this year is to subject him not only to the Grinch cartoon (which I grew up with) but the terrifying Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer epic, also a staple of my youth.