The One Hundred

We haven’t had a QotD in awhile so here goes:

Better Christmas Special: Charlie Brown Christmas or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer?

Discuss!

Dude.

Do you even have to ask?

I love LOVE the Rankin/Bass Rudolph (Yukon Cornelius FTW!). We’re talking family tradition here.

BUT

The Charlie Brown Christmas special is TIMELESS. It’s sweet and true and just makes you hope for the goodness in people which doesn’t require flying reindeer or elves that look like Jake* that want to go into dentistry.

It just takes a little boy looking for what Christmas means and finding it in the last place he would think to look. The part where Linus recites the Gospel of Luke makes me tear up.

That being said, I still love the Rudolph as it reminds of me of Christmases past and the happy times that come with those memories – Back when the idea of a bearded, burly man wearing fur entering your house in the dead of night with nothing but a sack intended for children was ok and didn’t freak you out.

…

Wow. Ok, so new answer.

The kid in me likes Rudolph more.

The adult (or older kid if you prefer) appreciates Charlie Brown on a whole other level.

Here’s one for you:

Better Christmas movie: A Christmas Story or Christmas Vacation?

You may fire when ready.

I am not sure if I should even dignify this with a response…

C’mon. I know what the answer is but, have you seen Christmas Vacation since that time in the theaters? It’s actually not that bad and kind of funny. I guess it got better with time.

…

Ok, I know there’s pretty much nothing that can hold a candle to ACS. But is there anything that comes close?

For some reason I can’t bring myself to watch Christmas Vacation when it comes on TV – I will even watch Vegas Vacation before I will watch it…not sure why, it just does not strike me as funny

I like Charlie Brown and Rudolph for the same reasons you mentioned and for two more that you didn’t:

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On a side note, have you ever seen Rudolph’s Shiny New Year? The TV was just on in the background the other day and this show was on – I don’t think I had ever seen it before. It basically revolved around Rudolph, a caveman, a knight with a long beard, and someone who looks like Ben Franklin trying to rescue Baby New Year from a giant buzzard. It was totally surreal…at one point Mia turned to me pointed to the TV, and made a little gesture like someone smoking a big fat doobie. I said “True dat, Mia.”

Y’know, I remembered the baby new year thing and the thing with his ears and everything but yeah after reading this I’m fairly certain there were some mind altering substances that helped in its creation.

“Ok, dig it – Ben Franklin, A Caveman, and A Knight that sounds just like the Riddler.”

“Ohhhh mannnn! We soooo have to make that!”

Thus a T.V. special was born.

I’m thinking it’s the rednosed stepchild in the Rankin/Bass family.

Did you ever hear the Smodcast where they discuss Rankin/Bass, Year without a Christmas, in particular? Funny stuff…

I remember something about that… I might need to find it again.

So is there a movie that comes close to A Christmas Story? And don’t say “It’s a Wonderful Life”. (cop out)

Although, a submission of “Die Hard” might be accepted ~ depending on my mood.

Elf, perhaps?
Nightmare Before Christmas?

There really aren’t a lot of good Christmas movies…

Yeah, Elf has become a favorite around here. But I see what you mean about Christmas movies. I want to like Fred Claus but something inside of me just makes me nervous about that movie. Been burned so many time, y’know? But I’m going to get you on the Christmas Vacation train.

Trust me, I wasn’t a believer either but Jake talked about it and pretty much demanded that I watch it again (as he owned it on DVD, he also owns Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (yes, THAT one) on DVD as well, so take from that what you will) and I did and it wasn’t bad and actually enjoyable and funny. Give it a shot, lest I sic Jake on you.