Total
reimaginings of traditional songs can end up with weird, unnerving,
and downright offensive covers. No one needs to hear a 15-minute
version of “Winter Wonderland” played entirely by sitars
overlapped with the lyrics spoken in Pig Latin, a half-beat off.
(But if anyone actually made that song, I would totally give it the
benefit of the doubt and listen all the way through.)
Her Space
Holiday has done some interesting and satisfying covers in the
past—my favorite being a new take on Wolf Parade's “I'll
Believe In Anything”—and their version of “Let It Snow” is
certainly different, especially how it quickly morphs into a
sing-chant of “All I Want For Christmas.” But I really like it.
It's teeming with the joy of the holiday season and an attitude
that “we can do anything with this song.” Cool beans, man.
b) National Lampoon's Christmas
Vacation
Yes, I'm so glad
that Chevy Chase thought Community was so beneath him, but a couple
of quick Old Navy commercials reuniting some of the Christmas
Vacation cast was a more acceptable brand of comedy.
Maybe I'm just
bitter.
I really have
nothing wrong with the movie itself. Sure, Chevy's kind of an ass
now and Randy Quaid is crazy, but what comes between the title
screen and the ending credits is a funny, enjoyable movie. The
first time I saw this movie was in my ninth grade social studies
class, the day before Christmas break. Since Mr. Russell didn't
feel like teaching us anything about geography or government that
day, we got to watch the movie how any high school shows a movie
with cursing—the volume abruptly turned down at specific times to
avoid tainting our virgin ears to the atrocities of profanity. That
is, until one “shit” or “fuck” accidentally slips and the
teach, feet propped up in the back of the room says, “Eh, you
guys don't mind, do you?” We'll sheepishly confirm, so as to
watch the movie, unedited, for the rest of class.
Oh, right, I
haven't actually said anything about this movie yet. Well, using
the Pledge of Allegiance as Christmas grace, electrocuting a cat,
and lubing the bottom of a sled are exactly the kinds of
gut-busting hilarity that make me wonder what the current National
Lampoon staff thinks their doing.
“Van Wilder
5: College, uh... Something” should be out soon. Stoked!
This movie
brims with quality and relatable Christmas humor and does it
fantastically well. The dad who wants the best display on the
block hits home with so many people. The grandparents who aren't
quite there provide great lines while adding a subtext of cringing
familiarity. And that sled scene might be over-the-top and
cartoonish in ways that movies seem to be afraid of these days,
but dammit if I didn't want to try it myself.
c) Ornaments
So now you've cut
down a tree (or had someone do it for you). You've gotten into your
house and propped up in your living room. It's not enough to just
decorate this tree with strings of tiny colorful lights. No, you
have to hang delicate glass balls and cheap souvenirish knick-knacks
from the branches, too.
I don't
understand the point of ornaments (pornaments, on the other
hand...). Don't get me wrong, I get few greater joys than from
decorating our tree every year, but it's one of those traditions I
take part in without really knowing why (like crossing your fingers
when lying or going to the dentist twice a year). Is there anything
remotely religious about hanging official Harry Potter merchandise
off of the tannenbaum? Would Santa Claus be offended by the evil
depiction of him stuffing a child into his sack? (Both real
ornaments on our tree this year, by the way.)
Who decided
that a pine tree would make a good template for a hanging collage
of family interests and pictures? It's true that you can tell a
lot about a family from what's on their tree:
- Lots of macaroni ornaments = the kids were cute when they brought those home from school.
- Ornaments promoting five different beer brands = daddy has a bit of a problem.
- Tinsel = poor. Seriously, why even bother decorating the tree at all?
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