Elf

I've just completed my annual Elf viewing.

This scene always makes me laugh like a drain. I love Buddy. I feel suitably Christmassy now. Apologies for the lack of posts this year, I've been very busy with work and decorating our new house. I hope to have more time in 2015 for blogging.

Happy Christmas to you all. I'll be back with my RIP list before we reach 2015.

Trading Places

I am having something of an Eddie Murphy moment. Last week TeenBoy and I settled down to watch Trading Places since it was on Tivo and we felt like some comedy. I have a confession to make, I have never watched this film all the way through. I've seen snippets of course but somehow this passed me by. I don't know how since it has Jamie Lee Curtis in it and she is one of my favourite actresses.

Better late than never and it's a total hoot. Once you get over how young they all look that is, especially Dan Ackroyd. What a cast! Denholm Elliot is wonderful. James Belushi turns up in the train scene, this scene was stupid, sorry but it was. But I love James Belushi. Also, it has the principal from The Breakfast Club in it! Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy are both stellar, playing with lives for the fun of it. All in all, it was a perfect couple of hours and it made me want to go and do some exercise as Jamie Lee Curtis's body is unbelievable. I say want to, I didn't of course...

Christmas films - Elf

I came late to Elf, I only watched it last Christmas but I blame everyone I know for not telling me how fabulous it is. If you've not seen this, then please do. Assuming you like Will Ferrell because if you don't then you're in trouble since he is in almost every scene if I recall.

I love Will Ferrell, just looking at his face makes me laugh. I do have a fairly infantile sense of humour and this story of an overgrown elf who ends up in Manhattan tickles my funny bone. My favourite line in the whole film is when he hears that Santa is coming to town.

I just laughed out loud watching it again. 

Before you scoff and claim to be too intellectual for such nonsense, let me tell you that the script is very witty, it has James Caan in it and Bob Newhart. Legend. If you are a Zooey fan, she's in it too and she isn't annoying.

So watch out for Elf this Christmas, it will be on at some point and you can thank me later.

Die Hard

Some films need no introduction, Die Hard is one of them. The film that transformed Bruce Willis into an action hero, made us love Alan Rickman as the baddie and simply rocked harder than any other action film ever made.

I love Die Hard. I mean, really, truly love it. I judge people on whether or not they like Die Hard. I find people who don't, or worse are lukewarm about it, just baffling. What can you find in this film not to love? It's beautifully set up, there isn't a spare scene in it, Brucie is fantastic and it closes to one of the best Christmas songs ever. It is my definitive Christmas movie and this year I watched it on Christmas Day and it didn't disappoint. Let's face it, it never disappoints. I spent a very enjoyable half an hour discussing the wonder of Die Hard with some friends over dinner. Don't you just love having friends who consider this a useful way to spend time?

It has some fabulous lines, most of them are Bruce's of course:

"Nine million terrorists in the world and I gotta kill one with feet smaller than my sister's."
"Let's see you take this under advisement, jerkweed!"
"Welcome to the party, pal"
"All things being equal, I'd rather be in Philadelphia"
"Who's driving this car? Stevie Wonder?"
"Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho" (this is my favourite - written on the dead body)
"Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs"

Just typing them out is making me giggle. This was an action movie with a sense of humour. Low cost on costume design I would imagine since Bruce wears the iconic vest and pants throughout the whole movie although I guess all the designer suits the others are in might have pushed up the budget.

It was made in 1988 and I think it's as fresh now as it was then. It could be released today and, except for Holly's hair, you'd think it was made a month ago. That and the fact that nobody has a mobile phone to call the police.

My only weak spot in the film is Karl coming back from being well and truly hanged. I know it gives our lovable cop the chance to blow him away and prove he is a real man and so on but it is ridiculous.

Final thing I love about it; it has Paul Gleason in it, the teacher from The Breakfast Club. Icing. On. The. Cake.

Here is the trailer which you'd be pretty annoyed seeing if you hadn't seen the film since it gives pretty much everything away. But I know all my readers have immaculate taste and have seen this gem. Enjoy!