Christmas in July - Part 2

My review on Twitter: A Christmas Story-Cautionary tale about the perils of getting what you wish for because it just might shoot your eye out. 8 (out of 10) If you don’t know where the “shoot your eye out” reference is from, you’ve missed one of the all time great holiday movies. “A Christmas Story” is humorist Jean Shepard’s nostalgic take on the holiday as seen through the eyes of nine-year-old Ralphie Parker who desperately wants “an official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock.” While he eagerly tries to secure its arrival, he has to endure the neighborhood bully, a pair of bunny pajamas, his cantankerous father’s battle with their cantankerous furnace and the constant warnings from nearly everyone, including Santa himself, that he’ll shoot his eye out with the rifle. So what happens when Christmas morning finally arrives? Just like Ralphie, you’ll have to wait.

"A Christmas Story"

Released: 1983

Rating: PG

Length: 93 minutes

Cast: Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley, Ian Petrella

Director: Bob Clark

Genre(s): Comedy, Holiday, Adventure

I'll Cry Tomorrow: Catch a Fallen Star

I usually pan for Netflix gold by searching the actors, directors or writers I’ve liked in other movies. By that measure I have no idea how “I’ll Cry Tomorrow” ended up in my queue. I knew so little about the movie that at first I thought it was a thinly veiled biopic about Judy Garland. But the synopsis on the DVD envelope (always worth reading) informed me that it’s the true story of Lillian Roth, another talented singer/actress. But the plot is familiar. Lillian's mother pushes her along from audition to audition. She controls every aspect of her life, keeping her from developing any real relationships outside this show business bubble. As Lillian grows up, she begins to realize what her mother has been doing and decides to take control of her own life. One of her first emancipating steps, marrying her childhood sweetheart, goes horribly wrong when he suddenly dies before the wedding. To ease the pain, she turns to alcohol, followed by a couple of bad relationships which leads to more alcohol, until she ends up on the street. The movie can get a little melodramatic in parts, which is probably just its age showing. Regardless, Susan Hayward's portrayal of Roth, which earned an Oscar nomination, is quite good. And that makes “I’ll Cry Tomorrow” worth putting in your queue today. My review from Twitter: An ambitious stage mother pushes Susan Hayward to the top where a bottle of booze waits to pull her back down. 7.5 (out of 10)

"I'll Cry Tomorrow"

Released: 1955

Rating: NR

Length: 117 minutes

Cast: Susan Hayward, Richard Conte, Eddie Albert, Jo Van Fleet

Director: Daniel Mann

Genre(s): Drama, Adaptation, Biopic

Christmas in July - Part 1

Every block has one guy who does it up at Christmas. In “Deck the Halls,” Matthew Broderick is not only that guy, he wears it as a badge of honor. So when Danny DeVito moves in across the street and threatens his standing, it’s war. And they practically go nuclear when Danny articulates his Christmas wish – to have his house be visible from space. “Deck the Halls” isn’t a great movie. But it’s goofy fun, especially if you have kids. And just might cool you off during the dog days of summer. Unless you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case, the winter motif will fit right in. My review from Twitter: Danny DeVito & Matthew Broderick try to outdo each other's Xmas displays & unwittingly save the local electric utility. 6

"Deck the Halls"

Released: 2006

Rating: PG

Length: 93 minutes

Cast: Danny DeVito, Matthew Broderick, Kristin Chenoweth, Kristin Davis

Director: John P. Whitesell

Genre(s): Comedy, Holiday