Holiday Shit
The Classics
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas, A
Christmas Vacation, A
Elf, A
Four Christmases, B+
SNL Christmas Special, A-
I did not watch this the past two years, instead catching my favorite sketches on YouTube. That was a good decision. They’ve made some updates and a couple of the new adds were quite good. Still say “Consumer Probe” needs to be dropped.
SNL – Christmas in Australia, A+
This is the perfect replacement for “Consumer Probe.” I showed it to my sister-in-law who lived in Australia for a few years. She had never seen it before. I think I made her holiday season!
The Office Christmas episodes, average of A
Seinfeld “The Strike”, A
Was not able to squeeze Die Hard in this season. Although I can really watch it any time, right?
New(ish)
Holiday Baking Championship, season nine
A weird season. It started off kind of slow, and there were several contestants I actively hated. But once that dead weight was cut away, it rounded into a really solid season with a lot of good bakers. The champion, Dru, was very good but his absolutely ridiculous man-bun infuriated me for the show’s entire run. He was not my first choice, but he certainly deserved the win.
B+
A Christmas Story Christmas
While there was an official sequel, it never gained any cultural traction. In this new-for–2022 sequel, adult Ralphie returns home to Homan, IN after The Old Man dies just before Christmas in 1973. Things go wrong, then a little Christmas magic makes everything right. It was fun seeing so many of the original actors reprise their roles from 40 years go. And there were lots of call-backs to the OG. Very sweet, with a hint of sadness. Not a new classic but a perfectly fine way to spend 114 minutes in December.
B+
Regular Shit
The Office/Seinfeld
Good Lord I still watch these a lot. One day I’ll get sick of them. Probably not soon enough for S, although at least most of the Seinfelds are unfamiliar to her.
A
The Nice Guys
I was told this was funny. It was only mildly funny. I read there was a Christmas angle. That was true only for the last three minutes of the film. The story was so dumb/confusing I wondered if I had fallen asleep and missed a few scenes. Worst of all, for a movie that made pains to plant itself firmly in 1977, there were a number of songs from the pretty great soundtrack that were from well after ’77.
C-
Apollo 11
While watching this I was sure I had seen it before. But it’s only three years old and I can’t find a record of watching. I don’t know if I’m just confusing it with other Apollo videos I have watched, or I saw previews of it. Regardless, another excellent entry into the list of documentaries about the space age.
A
Ava
Things that work: Jessica Chastain as a bad-ass assassin. Things that don’t work: pretty much everything else in this movie.
C
Glass Onion
We actually got two of the three girls to watch this with us Christmas night. I really enjoyed it, especially Janelle Monae’s big role. Not quite as good as Knives Out, but still fun.
A-
Band of Brothers
I’ve been putting this off for, checks notes, 21 years; was time to get to it. A spectacular and very moving way to end the year. I really enjoyed how it wasn’t just ten episodes of insane battles. We got to see the full scope of the war experience. The final two episodes were especially impactful, first with the American troops discovering a concentration camp as the war neared its end, and then how they dealt with the period between the Nazi surrender and them getting word on if/when they would be shipped to the Pacific. You spend over a year in the killing zone, you can’t just turn off all those instincts.
A
YouTubes, Shorts, Etc
Nest Zero – Murder Hornets in Washington State
Remember Murder Hornets? Apparently we have stopped them! Or at least that’s what one article I read last month said the data seems to indicate. In that article was a link to this piece from the early days of the Great Murder Hornet Panic.
12 Days of Newness
Oh hell yes! Beau Miles’ Christmas gift to us all!
Cheap, renewable, clean energy. There’s just one problem
There are a lot of things in nature that create massive amounts of energy. Harnessing that energy often isn’t as easy as you would think.
Fantastic Cockpit Views AIRBUS A380 Takeoff | 8 Cameras
We flew on an A350. I don’t get how these big boys get/stay in the air.
This Blue Angels Cockpit Video is Terrifying and Amazing
To quote Jeff Spicoli, “Awesome! Totally awesome!”
Barbie trailer
I recently read a profile of Margot Robbie, mostly focused on her latest role in Babylon. But there were some references to her next big film, Barbie, and how it will not be what people expect. I love her already, but this awesome trailer makes me want to talk the girls into being my excuse to go see this next summer.
Behind the Scenes of Elf. Part 2
How did I never see these before Christmas night, 2022?
How accurate was Band of Brothers Carentan
Easy Company Assaults the Crossroads in Holland, 1944
I had to watch of few of these while/after watching the series.
Sip and Feast
This guy’s Peposo video randomly popped up in my feed. I watched it, made it, ate it, loved it, and began watching more of his videos. The family better be ready for a lot of his recipes in the new year.