Six Geese A-laying

broderic on December 30, 2011

Most every anime featuring high school romance is going to have it’s Christmas episode. Hatsukoi Limited is no different. It’s title is “Before it Snows” (雪が降り出すその前に) I just wanted to copy and paste that. You see I needed an anime to tell us all about Christmas in Japan from the schoolboy’s perspective. I would’ve chosen my favorite anime, but settled on Hatsukoi Limited because it sorta has a theme we could attach to it for today.

The set up for the anime is that these girls and these boys have crushes on each other and they either need to acknowledge the crush or be crushed by rejection. It’s a short, simple, complicated manga turned by Kawashita-sensei that you should read about its plot at wikipedia. Anyhow, the Christmas episode has the gang planning a Christmas party. Three girls and three boys each crushing on someone are to attend and they’ll exchange gifts. The day arrives and two girls and two boys have bailed out for various reasons leaving the more antagonist couple alone. They don’t know if they like each other; they just know that the other is really, super annoying. They argue then get into a snowball fight which clears their heads enough to acknowledge that each has a good point to them; they’re steadily falling in love. They exchange presents and each finds that they got what they had wanted.

The Christmas theme for today is koi. Love not familial or brotherly, but passion. We should feel it all year long, but it is more acute around this time because of the sharing and

The second Christmas theme for today is “tsudere goodness.” Assertive, combative, confrontational at first given way to gentle, warm-hearted, loving that’s a Christmas present I can’t wait for.

The third Christmas theme is grade S zettai ryouiki. That’s the star on the treetop and the ribbon on the gift. Waiting for it is worthwhile.

Five Golden Rings

broderic on December 29, 2011

If I didn’t have the time to watch last post’s film, I’m even more crunched for time for today’s,Christmas In July. So, to save time, what we’ll have here is the transcript as I live blog the film. I’ll just have to figure out the Christmas theme on the fly as well.

Ready? Here we go…

Christmas in July is one of Preston Sturges‘ lesser films not as great as the Lady Eve or Sullivan’s Travels, but one of the few he directed himself. No idea who Dick Powell and Ellen drew are, but still it’s filled with his repertory cast such as William Demerest.

William Demerest locks the jury on the Maxford House Coffee slogan contest. Maxford House!

They don’t announce the winner? Oops.

Dick Powell doubles down after every loss! Always bet on black!

“If you don’t sleep at night, it’s not the coffee it’s the bunk.”

It’s a Viennese doctor’s theory that coffee doesn’t make you sleep.

Maybe the Christmas theme for today and this movie is Christmas should be 365-24-7, year round. Always be sharing all the time outside of Christmas. Maybe?

What would Sturges do with more accomplished actors? Wait until his next movie to find out.

He works for the competitor! There’s a bell to start work? Like school! It is school! Rows and rows of desks where the workers ply there trade. And a secretarial pool as well.

Going to principal’s office. Damn he’s getting grilled.

“Cheese it!”

Co-workers have sent a fake telegram for winning the Maxford House slogan contest. He won the big prize. $25000! He’s going on a spending spree, but he’s been fired. No, he’s gotten a promotion.

“It’s bred in the bean.”

I don’t think this movie has anything to do with Christmas…

The contest winner is here? They hadn’t even announced it.

“I just give money away.” “I can’t wait to give you my money.”

They just waltz up and took the money.

Now they’re buying some crazy contraption automatic pull out sofa bed. The future is now!

Here we go… they’re buying everyone in the neighborhood presents. Truly it is Christmas in July.

They’re walking out of the department store without paying again.

That’s probably it for the Christmas mention. I wonder how they’ll get out of this one.

They’re still arguing about the slogan winner and the guy has already spent the money on gifts. Here’s Sturges and his witty dialogue.

He’s a loser… And the jokes on him.

His name has already been painted on the door so he keeps his job! And he did win. I think we saw that coming!

Wow what a short movie. Must’ve been a single reel.

Welp. It would’ve been better but I didn’t know a movie with a title including Christmas wasn’t about Christmas. I’ll try and do better tomorrow.

Four Calling Birds

broderic on December 28, 2011

Okay, now here we go. I”m gonna have to do the next installment cold. I don’t have time to watch this one. I’ve slipped up. I do know that I should’ve already written a post or two on Tokyo Godfathers. If not, then tonight I’ll make up for it.

The story takes place during Christmas and centers around three homeless people living on the streets of Tokyo. One is a runaway school girl who fled her home after an argument with her father over a cat. Another is a drag queen. The final hobo is an ex-keirin racer and bicycle shop owner acting as a bum because of a gambling problem. They find an abandoned baby who they vow to reunite with its mother. Adventures ensue. Hmm. I guess you have to watch it to understand.

Anyhow, you wouldn’t expect a Japanese anime to have anything to do with Christmas, but they make an anime about everything and anything. You’ll see later on as I hit up some anime in later posts.

Today’s Christmas theme is how universal the tidings of joy and goodwill to all men are. Christmas shows up in a film in a most non-Christian of nations, and the film celebrates redemption through the birth of a child. Each of the three Tokyo godfathers experiences redemption in some form. Christmas brings some of that to us with the birth of our savior. It doesn’t matter if you’re some Japanese homeless person. Joy and peace are universal truths and it takes a Japanese anime to remind us.

I do miss Satoshi Kon. I wonder what more he would’ve brought to us. I hope you search out his films and realize he was a master storyteller. And I hope you add Tokyo Godfathers to your holiday movie list.

Three French Hens

broderic on December 27, 2011

The Northern Exposure episode Seoul Mates is what made me embark on this foolish blog journey in the first place. If I didn’t read about it on the AV Club, I wouldn’t have tried this out.

This episode of one of my favorite television shows occurs in its third season, the peak of its story telling prowess. The main story involves Maurice finding out about his son born of the hostess he had a fling with during the Korean war. The second story is about Joel, the Jewish doctor, embracing his inner Christian. The third story has Maggie all clumsy because of her imminent homecoming with her parents. The fourth is about Holling freaking out about Shelley missing out on her Catholic Mass. All this in the middle of Christmas as the Raven comes along.

Ravens are what decorates the trees in the town of Cicely for Christmas. They are the Native American spirit of the holiday times. The Raven brought the light to the darkness. “A long time ago the Raven looked down from the sky and saw that the people of the world were living in darkness.”

The Christmas theme is community. Northern Exposure was always about community a place where you belong and where your quirks don’t bother anyone. You’ll always find community in Christmastime. Everyone sharing the same good cheer and good will towards all. It’s what brings us together.

I still haven’t taken up the task to watch the whole Northern Exposure run. I can’t wait to do that one.

Two Turtle Doves

broderic on December 26, 2011

If it wasn’t for Fox Movie Channel, I would be writing this entry cold. As it were, FMC is trying to compete with TBS in a “movie marathon on Christmas Day.” Whereas TBS showcases the beloved, A Christmas Story, FMC comes at you with a more recent entry into the Holiday movie canon, Home Alone.

Yup. That’s today’s treat. Home Alone. The movie that gave us Macaulay Culkin. The movie that reminded us that John Hughes was still alive. The movie that gave us Chris Columbus.

Okay. Since it was a while that I had seen Home Alone, let’s recap. Kevin McCallister gets into a spat with his family on the eve of their holiday trip to France. His mother sends him to his bed, but not before he wishes that he had no family. In the morning in a rush, the rest of the family runs to the airport for their trip leaving Kevin behind. He wakes up finds himself home alone, rejoices, and proceeds to do the things he always wanted to do. Eventually, the Water Bandits come a calling, and Kevin must defend his home from these thieves. Meanwhile, his mom realizing the error is trying to make her way back. Hitching a ride with Gus Polinksi she makes it home in time to find that Kevin has reformed his ways and misses his family.

Today’s Christmas them: home. The place you live. The place where your family is. A place where you gather together and celebrate Christmas. But it doesn’t have to be the old family home. Home could be the place where your friends or with your buddies. Home is where you find yourself surrounded with love. It’s here. It’s there. It’s down the street. It’s physical. It’s metal. It’s the atmosphere of the place. Home is where you are.

I like that FMC has decided that Home Alone is the holiday movie that it wants to make a holiday classic. I doubt that they could make it as such, but they’ll keep trying. I will keep up with it because damn if it ain’t stupid when Jennifer Connelly miscounts children, or when Catherine O’Hara tries to haggle for an airplane seat, or when John Candy (!) shows up as the Polka King of the Midwest. It’s a stupid movie, but there are just as many stupid other holiday films.

A Partridge In A Pear Tree

broderic on December 25, 2011

So I had this brilliantly stupid idea which I cribbed from the AV Club. I will blog about some movie or television show that can relate to Yule time, and I will post an entry once each day for the Twelve Days of Christmas. I was hoping you would join me, if not writing a post, reading my posts and celebrating Christmas time with me.

I shall start with It’s A Wonderful Life, the beloved Frank Capra classic. It’s corny, but I love it. It’s one of my all time favorite movies not just at Christmas time. So bear with me as I lavish once more praises on this most clichéd of films.

The story if you’ve never seen it: George Bailey is on the verge of suicide on Christmas Eve, because he’s worth more dead than alive. His family and the town of Bedford Falls prays for him that night, and their prayers are answered in the form of Clarence, ASC. He shows George that life was worth living because he was beloved and cherished by all the people who came to know him. “Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends.”

That’s the Christmas theme: camaraderie and friendship. No matter how sad you believe your life to be, the fact that you have friends makes all the difference in the world. It becomes apparent at Christmastime. As you visit with friends and family, you see as much. What a joy it is to be with everyone! You realize life is good because of all the people you know. Christmastime brings us together.

Anywhoo, this is my start of the twelve days of Christmas Blogathon. It’ an inauspicious start hopefully it gets better. Your turn.

Grievances

broderic on December 24, 2011

Hoy! I missed the airing of grievances last night. On my couch at 10; fast asleep by five after… zzz… zzz…

Hunh?

Festivus is over!?

Not yet!

Apple, Microsoft, Google, Samsung, et al. … for the crap that is the patent wars in the mobile devices arena

Android… for being so lame

Android handset phone makers… for not doing software updates

Windows… for being Windows

Flash… for not dead yet

Senior leadership… for their ignorance

Program leadership… for their smoke up the ass blowing

Self… for sticking around for this shit