Zach – Miracle on 34th Street v. A Year Without a Santa Claus

So Miracle on 34th Street is supposed to be the unequivocal best Christmas movie ever. I agree that it’s a good movie, one of the best actually, just not THE best. Enough to beat out A Year Without a Santa Claus? Yes. Enough to win the bracket? Probably not.

At first I was a little confused about the movie. I thought it was a Thanksgiving movie and to be honest, I can’t think of one STELLAR Thanksgiving movie unless it’s from Charles Schulz. So I was skeptical but my mind was quickly changed.

First off, Doris is an asshole. She raised Susan to not believe in Santa. Know who does that? People who aren’t Christian and assholes. When her daughter, Susan, meets Kris Kringle, she sees the magic.

I never knew it, but The Santa Clause kind of followed Miracle’s progression. A disbelief in Santa, convincing behavior that Santa is real, and then “proof” that Santa is real. In reality, this movie hits home to me just as much as The Santa Clause. I haven’t watched it for quite some time. Can I watch it before it’s up next? Can it outperform in my head? Let’s find out.


Well, A Year Without a Santa Claus doesn’t even stand a chance now. No sir, no way. I’ll be 100% honest with you, I thought this movie was something else entirely. The Christmas cartoons are tiresome and all follow the same plot lines, with the same animation, and virtually the same characters.

If the movie was just “Santa quit” and it centered around that, it would be great. Instead, we follow the same progressions as the Grinch.

Miracle on 34th Street vs. Year without a Santa Claus

Two more legendary Christmas movies going head to head.Year without a Santa Claus is one of my favorites and for that I blame my mom. It’s has everything you could want in a Christmas movie. Great songs, memorable characters besides Santa and a good plot and Christmas message. If I’m being completely honest I’ve never seen Miracle on 34th Street and in some places that may actually prevent me from having an opinion on the movie. The good news here is that there’s no such bar and I’m free to have an opinion on whatever I choose no matter how uneducated I may be on the topic.

Miracle on 34th Street from what I hear is a great movie, a true Christmas classic. It has a awesome storyline filled with Christmas spirit and reminds the audience of the true meaning of the holiday. I’m not gonna research it at all cause I don’t wanna ruin my impartiality on the subject and impartiality is one thing we at this blog hold dear to our hearts. So I think it’s about some girl who finds out Santa isn’t real but then a dude named Kris Kringle shows up and he’s real and she believes again. I know it’s old and in black and white so it must be pretty good to stand up to the rest of time. I could be completely wrong, but I’m gonna trust a good family friend who says it’s her favorite and we both love Harry Potter so she clearly has good taste. I could be completely wrong about the plot so don’t judge me if I am.

A Year without a Santa Claus is such a great movie I mean it’s an absolute classic. Possibly the GOAT of all the animated Christmas movies. Santa is too sick and tired to deliver presents and I mean who can blame him. Year after year he gotta prepare and deliver presents for kids who are most likely unappreciative of him. There’s no days off in Santa’s workshop and he’s constantly on the grind. I mean he busts his ass all year long and nobody believes in him! Where do they think the presents come from?? Their parents?? Get real okay it’s old santa working year round. Mrs. Claus and Jingle and Jangle go and tries to convince him that people do believe and in the process gets pinched by the fuzz. Understandable I mean who’s gonnas gonna believe in two elves and their reindeer are the real McCoy. Anyways the only way to get Vixen out of lockup is to get it to snow in South town which is never does. It’s at this point Mrs. claus goes to the best two characters in the entire movie, the Snow and the Heat miser. And whoa buddy these two brothers do not get along

They’re polar opposite and control the different hemispheres. The only way to make it snow in South town is to convince the Heat Miser to let his brother show up to the party. Mr. Heat Miser isn’t exactly onboard with that and who can blame him. We all understand sibling rivalries and nobody wants their asshole siblings to show up in their place telling everybody how well they’re doing for themselves and showing off. They also both have absolute bangers for theme songs which I suggest you all listen too. Eventually their mom, Mother Nature shows up and forced them to work together and let it snow in South town so Vixen can get out of the hole. Fast forward and Santa has visited South town where he has learned people still do believe in him and he’s reenergized and ready to get back to work. Great story and message that’s all you can want or expect out of Christmas movie as well as a great soundtrack.

The Verdict

It may seem foregone but I’m going with Year without a Santa Clause. It’s a new fresh story for a cartoon Christmas movie that still has a good story. Also again I’ve never seen Miracle on 34th Street and I wouldn’t want to unfairly skew the polls based on my lack of research and preparation for this blog and voting.

Friday after Next vs Christmas Vacation

So Friday after next is in here just for warm bodies and we wanted something that’s not your usual Christmas movie. Zach immediately wrote it off and while I’m inclined to agree with him, I wanna dig a little deeper into the matchup.

While I find Christmas Vacation to be a funny movie and a Christmas season must watch, I don’t find it to be hilarious as other people. Clark is kind of an asshole and it suffers from the same problem as a Christmas Story. I’ve seen it a million times and it’s got the same cheap jokes. “It’s a little nipply, uhh I mean nippy out.” Ha-ha so funny. It’s just never done it for me despite being my dads favorite. He’s seen it a million times and is still on the verge of pissing his pants at the same parts every single time. It’s a decent movie and worth watching, the character that really sets it apart is…..Cousin Eddy. The older I get the better he gets, Randy Quaid is just in point as him. One liner after one liner he’s a nonstop parade of comedy. My favorite line is during the sled riding scene. “Don’t go putting none of that stuff on my sled Clark. You know the metal plate in my head? I had to have it replaced cause everytime Catherine would fire up the microwave I’d piss my pants and forget who I was for a half hour. So over at the VA they had to replace it with a plastic one. It ain’t as strong so I don’t know if I should be sailin down the hill with nothing between the ground and my brains, but a piece of government plastic.”

I mean Randy Quaid’s delivery is just on point at every turn.

And to be honest Clark is an asshole, trying to show up everybody at every turn and failing, between the grease on the sled, the Christmas lights and his general attitude towards his family. He’s an asshole with funny facial expressions in the spirit of honesty.

Friday after next is more popular with younger crowds, but isn’t has about as much business being called a Christmas movie as I have business being called a millionaire. It just happens to take place in December. That being said it’s a hilarious movie, not as great as Friday or Next Friday but can still carry its own. Ice Cube is as great an actor as he is a rapper which is saying something and Mike Epps is great returning as his whiny spoiled cousin Day-Day. Maybe it’s not a classic like some of the others on our list, but nevertheless it’s a funny movie and there’s a Santa so it counts as a Christmas movie. Sure Santa is really a burglar and steals shit, but I’m counting it.

Verdict:

It’s obviously Christmas Vacation, which despite its flaws is a good movie and better Christmas movie than Friday after Next. Again Cousin Eddie carries the movie and what makes it ehh to hilarious. He carries the show along with Rusty, who’s an underrated character as well.

Zach – Frosty v. Rudolph

How does one pick between these two classics? You can’t. In an ideal world I would have both advance, or made into one non-shitty adaptation. This is kind of like picking between your mom and dad. You may have a slight bias toward one or the other but overall you love both.

Frosty is a magical snowman. Check the Christmas magical spirit box on that one. A magical hat brings the creature made of crystallized water to life and stuns the children. Of course, the magician who is the owner of this hat, doesn’t believe that snowmen can come to life and refuses to believe the children. Another theme trope where an adult doesn’t believe in something the kids do. The adult not having the Christmas spirit and dismissing Frosty (or insert Santa Claus, flying reindeer, elves, etc.).

Of course a living snowman isn’t enough though. Frosty brings the kids together because he is worried that he will melt when the winter season ends and spring starts to come around. Naturally the solution is to ship Frosty to the North Pole. Remember: kids, magic, Santa, North Pole. It all makes sense in terms of Christmas. It also being children together and shows the importance of friendship during the holiday season.

Frosty also shows that the Christmas spirit never dies. During the ending scenes as Santa intervenes to save Frosty, Santa explains that Frosty can never die. Even though he is a puddle, Frosty can come back to life once the weather is right. Just like Christmas spirit can rise up in any one of us when surrounded by family, friends, and the holiday.

How can you beat Frosty? It holds EVERY Christmas theme that I love.


Rudolph also does the same. This time though, its actually Santa who is the asshole and the deer who show Christmas spirit. Santa doesn’t want Rudolph to pull the sleigh due to his nose. Well Donner, who in this case is Rudolph’s dad just won’t stand for this. He tries everything in his power to show that Rudolph is fit for duty. He even goes as far as to rub mud on his nose. Santa the asshole and Donner the brown-noser aren’t something I would have thought just by listening to the song. Donner trying to help Rudolph along goes to fit into family is most important.

Here is where Rudolph starts to deviate from the Christmas tropes though. At the reindeer games, when Rudolph starts to get bullied for his nose, he decides that he can’t take it anymore and runs off with one of Santa’s elves and Yukon Cornelius. Bullying isn’t very Christmas like. I guess this shows that even when you’re down, there will be friend to bring you up, but I have trouble directly relating that to Christmas. The same thing happens in Harry Potter, E.T., Ladder 49, etc.

Of course, Rudolph’s parents and girlfriend try and find him during the time he is with Cornelius and Hermey the elf. I mean, why wouldn’t they. Despite relentless mocking they still love him. Naturally Santa sees Rudolph’s will power and eventually finds a use for Rudolph’s nose. However, I think this is just Santa seeing what he has in front of him and taking advantage. I don’t believe that Rudolph was ever really praised, rather he was used. He was a means to an end.

I hate bullies and this movie is chalk full of them. Maybe it really isn’t that close, Frosty takes the win here.

Zach – How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Original) v. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Jim Carrey)

If anyone thinks that Jim Carrey’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas is better than the 1966 made for TV version, they are complete morons. It is honestly an insult to Theodor Seuss Geise if you hold the belief that in any way, shape, or form that the Jim Carrey version holds a candle to the one narrated by Anthony Hopkins.

I HATE the Jim Carrey version. The Whoville citizens are portrayed as idiots, like chickens with their heads cut off, who just blindly celebrate Christmas. The people who Whoville aren’t an inept bunch of folks who just ramble and rhyme and give gifts. Maybe its because the 1966 version is only a half hour long, or maybe it’s just not trying to be something it’s not, but we aren’t made to believe that Whoville is basically a mental institution.

Another thing that bothers me about the Jim Carrey version is why is Cindy the only one without a different face? EVERY SINGLE ACTOR has a fake nose and fake mouth. Cindy? Just a skislope nose. I mean, I understand she’s a child and not developed fully, but for the main character in a story to not be consistent with everyone else is just weird. At least the other kids in the scene where Grinch is bullied as a child have the facial make up. Cindy? Just a normal nose and rosy cheeks.

Why is Martha May portrayed as a slutty character? It is a children’s movie. Christine Baranski having her boobs out doesn’t make the movie any better. It just makes it weird.

The whole Jim Carrey movie tries to portray something that the 1966 version is not. It tries to make it into an adult comedy that is passed off to kids. It tries to portray bullying in a negative light but the message becomes tangled in with the other wildness of the movie.

Stick the the traditional movie and the messages behind it. Don’t try and ramp it up and drag it out.

1. The Grinch (1966) vs. The grinch (2000)

We got another couple heavy hitters here, going head to head. The matchup will probably ruffle some feathers being as they’re the same storyline. Since it’s the same story we’re discussing execution of said story line. The original Grinch versus Jim Carrey’s take on it.

The Original Grinch:

One of my favorite classics it is timeless. Now you could argue that it’s technically not a Christmas “movie.” First airing in 1966 on CBS it’s running time is only 26 minutes long, but the good thing about writing this is that I don’t have to care about your thoughts or feelings on the matter. To me it’s an absolute Christmas movie classic and mine is the only opinion that matters. The animation is perfect, creating a mean old Grinch with outstanding facial expressions that have you believing that he does indeed hate Christmas and is quite willing to ruin it for everybody. Another story similar to a Christmas Carol it is a tale of redemption and finding ones “Christmas spirit.” In the end it’s perfectly understanding that he doesn’t hate Christmas, he just hates The Who’s of Whoville and who can blame him. They’re singing Christmas Carols at all hours of the day and night, I mean who wouldn’t get irritated about that over a period of 53 FUCKING YEARS. Ole buddy just wants to be left alone and he gotta hear their caroling all the time. Who can blame him for hating them and what he thinks is their materialistic view of Christmas. I’d wanna ruin it too, but when he hears their caroling even after stealing their presents does he realize that Christmas is about more than just presents. His “heart grows three sizes” and he gains “the strength of ten Grinches plus two” enabling him to stop the sleigh from falling off the mountain and destroying the presents allowing him to save the Christmas he intended to ruin. It’s one of the great Christmas classics and I can’t watch it without my heart feeling full and nostalgic for my childhood.

P.S. “You’re a mean one, Mister Grinch” is an absolute banger and the best Christmas song ever. If you haven’t heard it in a while, go listen to it and enjoy it

Jim Carrey’s The Grinch

Jim Carrey sucks, he’s not funny and this movie did serious damage to the Grinch brand. The only good part is the scene where he freaks out about being invited to Whoville for the ceremony. That part is legitimately funny and useful in memes. Also The Who’s are waaaaaayyyyyy worse in this movie. They’re assclowns who have tormented him since he was a child. He just wants to be left alone with his dog on his mountaintop, but noooooooooo they invite him down for some bullshit ceremony just to treat him like shit again. They’re lucky I’m not the Grinch cause if that was me I’d do far worse than just steal their presents and ruin Christmas. They wanna treat him like a monster, they’d get a monster.

The Verdict

The original Grinch by a landslide. I mostly just wanted an opportunity to shit on Jim Carrey in writing. I’m sure a lot of people will disagree with me and that’s all good and well. Feel free to shit on me and my opinion, but I’ll never be swayed from my opinion on Jim Carrey’s The Grinch.

2. Rudolph vs 3. Frosty

Two of the greatest animated Christmas movies of all time. Two of the very first to ever do it and most likely the toughest matchup in this entire bracket. Frosty and Rudolph inspire strong feelings in everybody. Nostalgia is at an all time high when watching these two. Rudolph is taking some fire from the PC police currently for being about bullying or bigotry or some other such nonsense, but we’re gonna pay no mind to that nonsense.

2. Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer first premiered in 1964 on NBC and the rest is history. The tale of a troubled young reindeer struggling to find his place in a world dominated by black nosed reindeer. Sidenote how exactly did Rudolf get a red nose? Is it a recessive trait or some sort of genetic defect? I think we all deserve answers. Either way he struggles to grow up and fit in with his nose despite the rather dickish move by his dad to cover his nose in mud to make him fit in. I mean what kind of parenting is that? It wasn’t Rudolph’s fault he was born with a blinking red honker. Pretty fucked up imo. Growing up is hard enough without a hardass father busting your balls for something that isn’t your fault. We all know the story and I’m not gonna go into it again for the millionth time. People nowadays complain it’s about about bullying and in a way it is, but it’s not just about bullying. It’s about the overcoming of the bullies and learning to accept yourself for who you are. Sure Rudolph ran away but he came back not just for himself but to help others. We’re all the island of Misfit Toys and we all have a place we belong even if we don’t realize it yet. We just have to find that place and we’ll be happy and at peace with who we are as people. Wow that got real deep there, didn’t know where I was going when I stared but it ended up in a good place I think. Anyways we all know Rudolph is a classic and a heavy hitter even being named the most beloved Christmas movie of all time.

Frosty the Snowman is another classic first premiering in 1969 based on the song you guessed it “Frosty the Snowman.” Tbh with you I don’t remember the movie all that much. I’ve definitely seen it as a kid, but the song is much more memorable than the movie. I mean I just read the plot and I barely remember any of it besides what happens in the song. Welp that was a quick one.

Verdict: Rudolph by a mile and a half, it’s not very close at all. I didn’t even mention Yukon Cornelius who’s the best part of the movie. He stays strapped with that .44 Magnum ready to bust a cap in anything that moves. And he tames the Abominable Snowman! (Which I learned from my 4 year old neighbor is named Bumble? Must have seen the movie a million times and never knew that.) It does lose points for Hermey wanting to be a dentist who are all sociopaths. They’re the worst and they always blame my gums bleeding on me. Maybe stop poking me in the gums and they won’t bleed!

Zach – Christmas Vacation v. Friday After Next

Christmas Vacation. The end. Really, I don’t know why I’m even continuing to write.

Some of the most memorable quotes come from Christmas Vacation. Friday After Next has “you ain’t Paul. You a nigga that steal”.

  • “Shitters Full”
  • “You surprised to see us, Clark?”
  • “If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I’d like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is! Hallelujah! Holy shit!”
  • “Where do you think you’re going? Nobody’s leaving. Nobody’s walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We’re all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We’re gonna press on, and we’re gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he’s gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse.

I could keep on going. I love every single line of this movie. I love every single scene of this movie. I love every single message of this movie. So far this movie is the one that truly captures every aspect of Christmas. I could write an entire college thesis on it and get a doctorate in Christmas Vacation. You have the lights, the tree, the Christmas bonus, the fucked up family, the sled riding, the crazy neighbors. I love it all. Everyone can relate to it. I promise you that if you watch this movie you can pick apart every single scene and relate it to something in your life.

Let’s just look at the Christmas bonus. Its a staple that every working individual in America looks forward to. Sometimes it sucks, sometimes it’s great. I don’t think anyone wants the jelly of the month club but I also don’t think its feasible for everyone to expect a Tesla coming from their boss. Get a shitty bonus? Have a shitty day. Get a great bonus? I’m paying off some debt. Our Christmas party was tonight – on the day I’m writing this – our CEO said we’re getting bonuses; so my Christmas is going to be a little better.

This movie does an UNREAL job at commenting on aspects of every person’s holiday and that is exactly what a Christmas movie should do.


I’l be honest, I’ve never watched Friday After Next. I’ve watched Friday though, so I guess that counts.  This one is all Wikipedia, IMDB, and Youtube so I’m not going to tell you anything you can’t Google. (Maybe if I say enough website names they’ll sponsor us).

None of these sites tell me what the message of the movie is. So I have to assume there is none. It looks like a man dressed as Santa breaks into an apartment and steals some Christmas gifts. The brief synopsis provided on Wikipedia doesn’t do much to tell me that this movie needs to move on, but boy do I have to watch it now. What a hard hitting cast. What a soundtrack. What a plot.

I’ll be watching this movie, it just don’t be moving on to the next round.

2. Home alone vs 3. Muppets Christmas carol

Now this one here is a lot closer. Both are classics and both are great movies. Home Alone is an absolute heater; great acting, great jokes and a great storyline. Home alone brings generations together as well as any other Christmas movie. The Muppet’s Christmas carol while less touted is still classic. Bringing Dickens Victorian novel to modern audiences with a twist using iconic Muppets to teach Victorian lessons of morality and Christmas spirit.

Home Alone

Everybody loves Home Alone I mean everybody and if somebody doesn’t then they probably shouldn’t be reading this or any blog. They should re-evaluate their life decisions and question their own character. To start FUUUUUUUCCCCKKKKK Kevin’s family. They’re all assholes especially Buzz and his Uncle Frank. These two are the biggest douchebags in any Christmas movie if not any movie ever. And Kevin’s dad is a dick too, how you gonna have your shitbag brother in law yell at your kid in your house and not do anything about it? Have some respect for your own manhood and grow some cajones. Also what the hell did he do to afford to take 12 people to Paris for Christmas?? He’s a shady character, shitty father and probably the reason Kevin is a sociopath. Don’t get me wrong I love Kevin I mean this kid took on two burglars and won. Granted they weren’t very good at their jobs but nonetheless he defended his home. That being said some of the things he did just don’t occur to normal human beings. Heating up the door handle, hidden nails not to mention the blowtorch to the head, Kevin was either far to into the VietCong and guerrilla warfare or there was something wrong upstairs. He didn’t want to just defeat the Wet Bandits he wanted to humiliate them. He wanted to crush their spirit and dehumanize them. Thank god he wasn’t strapped or I have no doubt he’d use it. (Which to be fair Id shoot them too) This doesn’t even mention the pizza man. I mean the poor kid is just trying to do his job and Kevin terrifies the guy into thinking he’s about to die. It is my favorite part of and hilarious, but still you’re already stealing the food no need to humiliate the man. In the end it all turns out well as we all know and teaches us how important family is and how we should appreciate them while we have them.

Ps. Except Buzz and Uncle Frank, again fuck them

3. A Muppets Christmas Carol

I’m gonna be honest here, I’m not really sure why we included this on the list. I love it and I love a Christmas Carol. In this modern society literature has been sadly forgotten and not enough people appreciate it. A Christmas Carol is one of the great morality tales illustrating why we should be kind to others and not be greedy assholes like the Scrooge. Although ole Ebenezer wasn’t always an asshole, when he was young he was a nice guy and cared about people. You bust your ass for 40 years and you’ll get worn down, you’ll get tired of people. He dealt with the general public everyday and let me tell you. Shit gets old and I’d probably a Scrooge to if I had people coming to me everyday telling me why they couldn’t repay the loan. I mean he didn’t make them take the loan, he didn’t force it upon them. Don’t borrow money if you can’t repay it and try to spin some bullshit story as to why you can’t. Anyways it’s a great story and the Muppets bring it to the masses. It makes Dickens attractive to a modern audience which isn’t easy. I mean have you actually read him? Shit is dense. A Christmas Carol reminds us to be kind and giving to others even if they can be tiresome and needy at times. Being kind costs nothing and life is much richer when you have friends and loved ones surrounding you.

The Verdict:

Drum roll please……..

It’s Home Alone and again contrary to what I said in the beginning, it’s not very close. Sure basically everybody in Home Alone is an asshole including Kevin’s mom. I mean you left one of your kids at home…. how does that even happen. Not to mention the complete lack of time management on her part. You’re taking your family to a different continent! Maybe a little prior planning. Nevertheless it’s just a better movie and much more memorable. It’s a staple of the Christmas movie lineup as it should be.

Zach – Home Alone v. Muppet’s Christmas Carol

A fun fact about me; if its popular I probably hate it. I have nothing against Home Alone. It’s just a movie that I don’t like. I never got the appeal, I never got into watching it, it was just a movie to me. Aside from the movie poster with Mccaulay Culkin clutching his face like he’s in Dali’s painting or the scene with Donald Trump, nothing really stands out to me. To be honest, both of those things may be from one of the Home Alone spinoffs. I really don’t know. The same can be said about Muppet’s Christmas Carol. Just a kid’s rendition of the famous Scrooge movie.

When it comes down to it, the Muppet’s Christmas Carol is more about Christmas. So I have to pick that to move onto the next round. I think. I might change my mind before I finish writing this.

I just have a hard time relating Home Alone to anything Christmas other than the setting of the movie. To me there is no deeper meaning that I can carve out; just another cute movie that was successful as a franchise. This is one thing, the fight at Christmas Eve dinner. Every family has one. I remember one time my Aunt Laraine got mad at my Uncle Norm during dinner one year and drunkenly yelled “YEAH AND FUCK YOU NORM!” and stormed out. Leaving the rest of the family confused as we continued to stuff our faces while my Aunt Kim, Laraine’s sister, cried.

You have to give it up to Kevin though. An 8 year old outsmarted his family and two robbers. Seriously, how can one kid fuck with two adult robbers so much. He fake shoots them, he really shoots them, he outsmarts them with flicking lights, heats up a door knob, USES A BLOW TORCH AS A WEAPON, tar and feathers them, cuts them with glass, and the list goes on. I mean the fact he did this all is stunning. I would never be able to think of some of these things and I’m a 25 year old dude.

The one REALLY Christmas-y thing that stands out to me is the bonding scene with Kevin and Marley. It goes back to why I think It’s a Wonderful Life is such a great movie. It shows the essence of family bonding. Something that the rest of the movie really makes into a big joke. Marley shows the viewers how debilitating it can be to not be around loved ones on Christmas. Kevin plays the same role as Clarence. He is the voice of reason, the one that encourages Marley to go back to his family.

Fun fact: John Candy improvised all of his lines, so that’s pretty cool.


A Muppet’s Christmas Carol really isn’t much better in terms of how much I can talk about it. If this were the real Christmas Carol we wouldn’t even be having the conversation. I would declare it the winner right now and end this whole blogging saga. Pack it up, mail it in. Have a good weekend in D.C. and never think about it again. However, we’re talking about a bastardized version made for kids that absolutely cheapens in. If you read Dickens or any of the authors from that time period the stories are entrenched in hidden messages, in-depth themes, and just an overall slobberknocker to read. Seriously, I read Great Expectations in my senior year of high school, I had to read the chapters multiple times to gather every thing and it was a fairly easy read and I would consider myself smart.

I don’t think the Muppet’s version captures that, no disrespect to Jim Henson. It is just too hard to follow the intricacy of the story. I almost can’t take it seriously and its hard to follow because I’m too focused on it supposedly being for kids. The ghosts, the Cratchit family, all of the characters just don’t resonate with me. With the plot of A Christmas Carol and with characters that teach preschoolers how to spell, something just seems off. I thought I was going to come in here and really promote this movie, but I can’t. I would rather promote the original.

For that, Home Alone barely edges out the competition.