Uncategorized
http://nerdist.com/what-makes-a-christmas-story-a-classic/
The best part of Christmas is watching the same beloved holiday movies again, and this year we’re paying tribute to our favorites. In this Classic Christmas Movie Breakdown we’re looking at the story of a young boy who keeps getting told he can’t have the gift of his dreams, A Christmas Story.
Most famous Christmas movies rail against the commercialization of the season, but that’s what makes A Christmas Story so different, it’s entirely about young Ralphie’s desire to get his dream present, a Red Rifle BB gun. But that’s exactly why the movie has endured, because it’s about the innocence and wonder of experiencing Christmas as a child. While we like to think Christmas is meaningful for all the reasons that have nothing to do with getting stuff, the day never means more than when you’re a kid on Christmas morning, opening a present.
So let’s take aim at what makes this movie worthy of its annual Christmas Day marathon.
Does Santa appear? Is he real?
He’s not real, but we do see him in arguably the most famous movie visit to Santa ever. Everything about this scene is horrifying. What store manager thought it was a good idea to put an impatient Santa–aided by the world’s surliest elves in garish costumes–at the top of a giant mountain where they send scared kids away down a huge slide into an unseen abyss? You can appreciate some low-paid workers being frustrated at the end of a long day after dealing with hundreds of screaming kids, but this guy, with his bellowing, unpleasant “ho ho ho,” literally crushes Ralphie’s dream of getting his Red Rifle BB gun, and then pushes him down the slide with a boot to the head.
Do any magical creatures talk?
No. The closest we get is the leg lamp.
Are there any religious components?
No again. The film has to be one of the most secular Christmas movies ever made, unless of course you worship tacky lamps like the Old Man.
How lovable is the main character?
It’s hard not to notice Ralphie is kind of a terrible friend. He abandons Flick when his tongue gets stuck to the pole because “the bell rang;” he lies and says he heard the word “fudge” from Schwartz (which leads to Schwartz’s mom almost murdering him); and he doesn’t stand up to Farkus when he’s picking on others. But for the most part Ralphie is great. He’s really funny (make sure to focus on him when the Old Man sets up the leg lamp), he’s very creative and smart, but mostly he’s just a harmless little kid who desperately hopes to get the one thing he wants. We can all relate to that.
How evil is the villain?
The movie has a few minor ones, like the neighborhood Bully and coonskin cap enthusiast Farkus, along with hi toadie Dill. Ralph’s teacher doesn’t cover herself in glory either when she gives him a C+ on his paper without any corrections or feedback, just the note “P.S. You’ll shoot your eye out.” Is that why he got a mediocre grade? Cause she didn’t like his choice of gift? If so that’s indefensible.
But the real villain here is far less tangible, as the movie presents a classic case of the man keeping you down. Ralphie faces off against his mother, teacher, department store Santa, and everyone else who doesn’t want him to get his Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. The struggle is real!
How sincere or cynical is the movie about Christmas?
Overall the movie is not overly sentimental, as it shows lots of crappy things about being a kid, like being bullied, getting in trouble with your parents, and learning how disappointing life can be (“Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.”). And while that horrible Santa and everyone telling Ralphie about the dangers of the BB gun are a bummer, ultimately the movie proves to be a sucker for Christmas, especially about how amazing the whole season can be for kids.
Does anyone sing? Is there a big group sing along?
Not really. The opening scene includes a choir on a sidewalk, and Ralphie, his brother Randy, and their mom butcher “Jingle Bells” on the car ride home from buying their tree. The most notable singing comes at the end, when the family goes to the Chinese restaurant after the neighbor’s dogs eat their turkey, and the restaurant’s serving staff gamely does their best to sing some carols. It’s really earnest and kind of sweet, but this definitely would not have been included in the movie if it were made in 2017.
What are the biggest Christmas themes?
Technically “desire/want” is one, but since that’s not presented in a negative light like in most Christmas movies it probably shouldn’t count. But the theme of family certainly does. It’s not overt, and it doesn’t say anything all that new or different, but at the core of the movie is the Parker family and their love for one another. It ties into the main plot, since Ralphie’s mom covers for him after his expletive-laden beatdown of Farkus, and if she hadn’t, the Old Man probably wouldn’t have purchased the BB gun for him. Without that payoff this would be a very depressing movie about why being a kid is the worst.
Most memorable quote?
“You’ll shoot your eye out” is one of the most memorable Christmas movie quotes ever, and perfectly encapsulates the frustration of being a kid. Although in fairness, everyone was absolutely correct, since Ralphie almost does that on his very first shot. Imagine if he didn’t wear glasses? This movie would not get a Christmas Day marathon if he had 20/20 vision.
Best scene?
We’re going to be lame and call it a tie between Flick getting his tongue stuck on the pole (seriously, Schwartz broke dare protocols, not cool) and Ralph’s visit to Santa. Every kid who lives in a cold-weather place has tested the validity of the frozen tongue myth (not a myth!), and even beyond knowing how unsettling a visit with Santa can be, we all know what it’s like to get flustered after carefully planning what we were going to say forever. The part where Santa kicks him in the head is less relatable.
Most emotional moment?
For anyone who ever desperately wanted one specific gift on Christmas morning, it’s impossible not to get a little verklempt when after all the presents have been opened the Old Man tells Ralphie he sees one more hidden over in the corner.
There’s no feeling like the one you experience as a kid when you get exactly what you want, and that’s why we relive it over and over again every December 25 with A Christmas Story.
What do you think? What did we get right and wrong? Unwrap your thoughts in the comments below.
Images: Turner Broadcasting
GET INTO THE NERDY HOLIDAY SPIRIT!
- Every single holiday movie coming to streaming in December!
- What makes A Charlie Brown Christmas a classic?
- What makes Home Alone a Christmas classic?
- What makes ELF a Christmas classic?
The best part of Christmas is watching the same beloved holiday movies again, and this year we’re paying tribute to our favorites. In this Classic Christmas Movie Breakdown we’re looking at the story of a young boy who keeps getting told he can’t have the gift of his dreams, A Christmas Story.
Most famous Christmas movies rail against the commercialization of the season, but that’s what makes A Christmas Story so different, it’s entirely about young Ralphie’s desire to get his dream present, a Red Rifle BB gun. But that’s exactly why the movie has endured, because it’s about the innocence and wonder of experiencing Christmas as a child. While we like to think Christmas is meaningful for all the reasons that have nothing to do with getting stuff, the day never means more than when you’re a kid on Christmas morning, opening a present.
So let’s take aim at what makes this movie worthy of its annual Christmas Day marathon.
Does Santa appear? Is he real?
He’s not real, but we do see him in arguably the most famous movie visit to Santa ever. Everything about this scene is horrifying. What store manager thought it was a good idea to put an impatient Santa–aided by the world’s surliest elves in garish costumes–at the top of a giant mountain where they send scared kids away down a huge slide into an unseen abyss? You can appreciate some low-paid workers being frustrated at the end of a long day after dealing with hundreds of screaming kids, but this guy, with his bellowing, unpleasant “ho ho ho,” literally crushes Ralphie’s dream of getting his Red Rifle BB gun, and then pushes him down the slide with a boot to the head.
Do any magical creatures talk?
No. The closest we get is the leg lamp.
Are there any religious components?
No again. The film has to be one of the most secular Christmas movies ever made, unless of course you worship tacky lamps like the Old Man.
How lovable is the main character?
It’s hard not to notice Ralphie is kind of a terrible friend. He abandons Flick when his tongue gets stuck to the pole because “the bell rang;” he lies and says he heard the word “fudge” from Schwartz (which leads to Schwartz’s mom almost murdering him); and he doesn’t stand up to Farkus when he’s picking on others. But for the most part Ralphie is great. He’s really funny (make sure to focus on him when the Old Man sets up the leg lamp), he’s very creative and smart, but mostly he’s just a harmless little kid who desperately hopes to get the one thing he wants. We can all relate to that.
How evil is the villain?
The movie has a few minor ones, like the neighborhood Bully and coonskin cap enthusiast Farkus, along with hi toadie Dill. Ralph’s teacher doesn’t cover herself in glory either when she gives him a C+ on his paper without any corrections or feedback, just the note “P.S. You’ll shoot your eye out.” Is that why he got a mediocre grade? Cause she didn’t like his choice of gift? If so that’s indefensible.
But the real villain here is far less tangible, as the movie presents a classic case of the man keeping you down. Ralphie faces off against his mother, teacher, department store Santa, and everyone else who doesn’t want him to get his Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. The struggle is real!
How sincere or cynical is the movie about Christmas?
Overall the movie is not overly sentimental, as it shows lots of crappy things about being a kid, like being bullied, getting in trouble with your parents, and learning how disappointing life can be (“Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.”). And while that horrible Santa and everyone telling Ralphie about the dangers of the BB gun are a bummer, ultimately the movie proves to be a sucker for Christmas, especially about how amazing the whole season can be for kids.
Does anyone sing? Is there a big group sing along?
Not really. The opening scene includes a choir on a sidewalk, and Ralphie, his brother Randy, and their mom butcher “Jingle Bells” on the car ride home from buying their tree. The most notable singing comes at the end, when the family goes to the Chinese restaurant after the neighbor’s dogs eat their turkey, and the restaurant’s serving staff gamely does their best to sing some carols. It’s really earnest and kind of sweet, but this definitely would not have been included in the movie if it were made in 2017.
What are the biggest Christmas themes?
Technically “desire/want” is one, but since that’s not presented in a negative light like in most Christmas movies it probably shouldn’t count. But the theme of family certainly does. It’s not overt, and it doesn’t say anything all that new or different, but at the core of the movie is the Parker family and their love for one another. It ties into the main plot, since Ralphie’s mom covers for him after his expletive-laden beatdown of Farkus, and if she hadn’t, the Old Man probably wouldn’t have purchased the BB gun for him. Without that payoff this would be a very depressing movie about why being a kid is the worst.
Most memorable quote?
“You’ll shoot your eye out” is one of the most memorable Christmas movie quotes ever, and perfectly encapsulates the frustration of being a kid. Although in fairness, everyone was absolutely correct, since Ralphie almost does that on his very first shot. Imagine if he didn’t wear glasses? This movie would not get a Christmas Day marathon if he had 20/20 vision.
Best scene?
We’re going to be lame and call it a tie between Flick getting his tongue stuck on the pole (seriously, Schwartz broke dare protocols, not cool) and Ralph’s visit to Santa. Every kid who lives in a cold-weather place has tested the validity of the frozen tongue myth (not a myth!), and even beyond knowing how unsettling a visit with Santa can be, we all know what it’s like to get flustered after carefully planning what we were going to say forever. The part where Santa kicks him in the head is less relatable.
Most emotional moment?
For anyone who ever desperately wanted one specific gift on Christmas morning, it’s impossible not to get a little verklempt when after all the presents have been opened the Old Man tells Ralphie he sees one more hidden over in the corner.
There’s no feeling like the one you experience as a kid when you get exactly what you want, and that’s why we relive it over and over again every December 25 with A Christmas Story.
What do you think? What did we get right and wrong? Unwrap your thoughts in the comments below.
Images: Turner Broadcasting
GET INTO THE NERDY HOLIDAY SPIRIT!
- Every single holiday movie coming to streaming in December!
- What makes A Charlie Brown Christmas a classic?
- What makes Home Alone a Christmas classic?
- What makes ELF a Christmas classic?
We have some Free comic book day 2018 news for you via Gold Sponsor Comic books. See a list of titles and descriptions below. More information to follow soon! Let us know what you think in the comments! I want to know if the new doctor will be on that cover!
Free Comic Book Day 2018 Gold Sponsor Comic Books Announced
This year’s Gold Sponsor lineup features a free comic for every fan imaginable
(Hunt Valley, MD) — (December 14, 2017) — The Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) Committee has selected the twelve Gold Sponsor comic book titles for the comic book industry’s most anticipated annual event, Free Comic Book Day. FCBD happens each year on the first Saturday in May at participating comic book shops worldwide, with next year’s event taking place on May 5th, 2018.
The titles were curated by over twenty comic shop retailers who make up the FCBD Selection Committee and the comics feature something for everyone: from superheroes, to popular films and television shows, to beloved video game franchises, and all-ages favorites. The Gold Sponsor titles come from the industry’s top publishers, including DC Entertainment, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, IDW Publishing, Image Comics, Archie Comics, BOOM! Studios, :01 Second Books, Joe Books, Oni Press, Titan Comics, and VIZ Media.
“With 91 titles submitted from over 70 publishers, the FCBD Retailer Committee had to make some tough choices for this year’s Free Comic Book Day,” said FCBD spokesperson Dan Manser, “but we think retailers and fans alike will be thrilled with the sponsor titles chosen for 2018. Free Comic Book Day is the comics industry’s most important event—a day to celebrate comic books and comic shops, and to introduce family and friends to the comics medium we all know and love. It’s important that the titles reflect the varied interests of people coming into stores these days—and we believe there’s a comic book for everyone this Free Comic Book Day!”
The full line-up of this year’s comic books will be announced next week, when thirty-eight additional FCBD Silver titles will be announced on Tuesday, December 19th. A complete listing of all fifty FCBD titles, as well as two education titles about the industry, will also be found in the January issue of Diamond Comic Distributors’ PREVIEWS catalog, on sale at all comic book shops December 27th, 2017.
For more FCBD news and updates, visit www.freecomicbookday.com and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/freecomicbook, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/freecomicbook, or Instagram at freecomicbookday.
FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2018: GOLD COMICS
Archie Comics | RIVERDALE
BOOM! Studios | MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS SPECIAL
Dark Horse Comics | OVERWATCH & BLACK HAMMER
DC Comics | DC COMICS TOP SECRET GOLD BOOK
:01 Second Books| COMICS FRIENDS FOREVER
IDW Publishing | TRANSFORMERS: UNICRON: THE DARKEST HOUR #0
Image Comics | BARRIER #1
Joe Books | DISNEY PRINCESS: ARIEL SPOTLIGHT
Marvel Comics | AVENGERS & CAPTAIN AMERICA
Oni Press | INVADER ZIM: FLOOPSY BLOOPS SHMOOPSY
Titan Comics | DOCTOR WHO 2018 #0
VIZ Media | POKEMON SUN & MOON & POKEMON HORIZON
ARCHIE COMICS
RIVERDALE #6
(W) Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa & Various (A) Joe Eisma (CA) Photo
Set in the same universe as the hit CW series, this reprint issue of Riverdale #6, gives us a peek into all the secrets Pop Tate overhears in his day-to-day business, told through four vignettes in four different booths! Reprint.
Rating: TEEN
32pgs, FC FREE!
BOOM! STUDIOS
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS SPECIAL
(W) Kyle Higgins, Ryan Parrott (A) Diego Galindo (CA) Jamal Campbell
Featuring an all-new, original Power Rangers story exclusive to this Free Comic Book Day issue that ties into the “Power Rangers: Shattered Grid” storyline in the pages of BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers comic series! Zordon turns to the Morphin Masters for help in the Power Rangers’ darkest hour as they battle Lord Drakkon — an evil version of Tommy, the Green Ranger, from an alternate reality — as he threatens every Ranger in all of existence.
Rating: TEEN
32pgs, FC FREE!
DARK HORSE COMICS
OVERWATCH/BLACK HAMMER
(W) Andrew Robinson & Various (A) Kate Niemczyk, Wilfredo Torres (CA) Kate Niemczyk
Two different worlds, two compelling tales! In Overwatch, agent Zarya is sent to eliminate an elusive hacker, and she is at her wit’s end. She reluctantly teams up — and butts heads — with an omnic hacker. As they hone in on their target, Zarya realizes that she will have to reassess her worldview about omnics. Then, in the world of Black Hammer, but a thousand years in the future, a collection of teenage superheroes, inspired by the legendary heroes of Black Hammer Farm, are determined to solve the riddle of what happened to those last great heroes of the twentieth century.
Rating: TEEN
32pgs, FC FREE!
DC ENTERTAINMENT
TOP SECRET GOLD BOOK
A special, top secret project too big to announce! Check back in with the February issue of PREVIEWS and at freecomicbookday.com for future updates!
Rating: TEEN
32pgs, FC FREE!
:01 FIRST SECOND
COMICS FRIENDS FOREVER
(A) Vera Brosgol & Various (CA) Vera Brosgol
Comics friends forever! First Second presents an amazing Free Comic Book Day anthology that celebrates kids comics, girl power, and the amazing work of creators Vera Brosgol, Hope Larson, Charise Mericle Harper, Ben Hatke, and Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham. Don’t miss out on this comic filled with the power of friendship that’s great for every kid reader in your store.
Rating: ALL-AGES
40pgs, FC FREE!
IDW PUBLISHING
TRANSFORMERS: UNICRON: THE DARKEST HOUR #0
(W) John Barber (A) Alex Milne (CA) Sara Pitre-Durocher
Not a whimper, nor a bang-the end comes with a squall of entropy shrieking from the ravenous maw of death itself. The message is clear: Unicron has arrived. The Transformers lock into a desperate bid to save Rom’s homeworld from the world-killer — but why has Unicron chosen this world on his path to Cybertron… and Earth? The biggest story in the history of Transformers starts now: for Unicron’s arrival can mean nothing less than the end of a universe.
Rating: TEEN
32pgs, FC FREE!
IMAGE COMICS
BARRIER #1
(W) Brian K. Vaughan (A/CA) Marcos Martin
From the Eisner Award-winning team behind The Private Eye, Barrier is an acclaimed five-part miniseries that finally comes to print exclusively from Image Comics. This massive, 53-page first issue is available for free on Free Comic Book Day, with the next four issues being released weekly throughout the rest of May! Printed in its original “landscape” format (side-stapled for convenient shelving!), there are no plans for these print issues to ever be collected, so the only way to own your own copies of this groundbreaking story is by supporting your friendly neighborhood comic shop!
Rating: MATURE
32pgs, FC FREE!
JOE BOOKS
DISNEY PRINCESS: ARIEL SPOTLIGHT
(W) Paul Benjamin & Various
(A) Amy Mebberson & Various (CA) Amy Mebberson
The FCBD edition of Joe Books’s best-selling Disney Princess comic puts the spotlight on Ariel for the very first time! Collecting both new and fan-favorite strips, this exclusive comic book will contain giggles aplenty as everyone’s favorite mermaid seeks out sunken treasure, tries to figure out human gadgets and gizmos, and embarks on new adventures with Flounder and Sebastian. Featuring FCBD exclusive cover artwork drawn by Disney Princess artist Amy Mebberson.
Rating: ALL-AGES
32pgs, FC FREE!
MARVEL COMICS
AVENGERS & CAPTAIN AMERICA
Don’t miss this year’s Free Comic Book Day titles from Marvel, each featuring two 10-page stories that set the stage for upcoming game-changers in the Marvel Universe. Get ready as Heroes Assemble in the Marvel Universe! Please check back in the February issue of PREVIEWS, and at freecomicbookday.com for future updates!
Rating: TEEN
32pgs, FC FREE!
ONI PRESS
INVADER ZIM: FLOOPSY BLOOPS SHMOOPSY
(W) Jhonen Vasquez (A) Warren Wucinich, Fred Stresing
(CA) Aaron Alexovich
Remember that funny green alien you used to watch on TV? No, not that one. No, no, the other green alien. Okay, it’s ZIM, alright? Invader ZIM! Well, ZIM sometimes watches TV too! And sometimes it’s bad TV. Very, very bad TV. So now, you can watch ZIM watching a very bad show called Floopsy Bloops Shmoopsy! All 385 seasons! 24/7! Never stopping! Story from Invader Zim #20. Reprint.
Rating: ALL-AGES
32pgs, FC FREE!
TITAN COMICS
DOCTOR WHO #0
(W/A) Top Secret (CA) Photo
The all-new Doctor Who starts here! Don’t miss out on Titan’s colossal plans for 2018. Everything begins in this amazing #0 issue! Featuring the first chapter in the new Tenth and Eleventh Doctor sagas, by new creative teams too electrifying to spoil here, plus tantalizing glimpses from across the Doctor Who comics universe, including your first look at the Thirteenth Doctor in comics! Perfect for new readers and long-term fans alike, this is the ultimate jumping on point!
Rating: ALL-AGES
32pgs, FC FREE!
VIZ MEDIA
POKÉMON: SUN AND MOON / POKÉMON: HORIZON
(W) Tenya Yabuno, Hidenori Kusaka (A/CA) Satoshi Yamamoto
Pokémon Horizon: Akira’s summer vacation in the Alola region heats up when he befriends a Rockruff with a mysterious gemstone. Together, Akira hopes they can achieve his dream of becoming a Pokémon Trainer and learning the amazing Z-move. But first, Akira needs to pass a test to earn a Trainer Passport. This becomes even more difficult when Rockruff gets kidnapped! Pokémon Sun & Moon: Sun dreams of money. Moon dreams of scientific discoveries. When their paths cross with Team Skull, both their plans go awry!
Rating: ALL-AGES
32pgs, B&W FREE!
The post Free Comic Book Day 2018 Announcement Gold Sponsor Comics appeared first on The Nerd Element.
Why? Because women like mystique? You know what women actually like? Good communicators. Excellent planners. Reliable individuals. And those types of men respond to a text within a couple of hours.
Is she leaving to "pursue other opportunities" or was she fired? Depends on who you ask.