Why Nothing Beats Elf at Christmas

First an admission: I grew up on Home Alone. I was nine when it was released and it must be the first film that I remember having to see more than once at the cinema. It should be my definitive Christmas movie. I wanted nothing more than to be Macaulay Culkin and run around a mansion screaming and fighting off burglars in barbaric ways. But then, in 2003, when I was still just a little boy of 22 years old, I saw Elf.

As a wise elf/man once said, ‘Smiling’s my favourite!’ and there’s nothing that can put a bigger smile on my face at Christmas than Will Ferrell’s Buddy the Elf. The enthusiasm that the green-suited man-child brings to Christmas preparations is sure to thaw even the iciest humbug’s heart. 

When Buddy, the man raised by elves in the North Pole, arrives in New York after travelling ‘through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, and then… through the Lincoln Tunnel’, he is searching for his naughty-list-dwelling father, played with grouchy perfection by James Caan. It's up to Buddy to bring some cheer into this miserable New Yorker's life and maybe, just maybe, rescue him from the naughty list.

Despite Santa’s warnings about the city, Buddy’s Christmas spirit can never be tainted. Even though he encounters an ‘angry elf’ in the form of Peter Dinklage’s no-nonsense children’s author and a fake Santa who sits on a ‘throne of lies’ and smells like ‘beef and cheese’, Buddy can still manage to spread infinite Christmas cheer. Who can possibly resist Buddy’s proud and loud exclamation at the arrival of Santa? ‘SANTA! OH MY GOD! SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM! I KNOW HIM!’

Buddy’s so cool, so full of joy, and so much loved in my house that I even my named my dog after him! And because you need a picture of him, here he is.

It's a Wonderful Film

Just watched It's a Wonderful Life for the first time and would like to report to anyone who has not yet had the fortune to see it, that it truly is a wonderful classic. James Stewart is an absolute delight from start to finish and if you're not yet feeling the Christmas spirit, then I highly recommend you give this a watch. I can see why this is so many people's favourite Christmas movie now. Bedford Falls is a better place with George Bailey and Christmas is a better time with this film.

 You can watch the whole film online below. So if you've put it off evey year or you just haven't got round to watching it for the umpteenth time again this year, then now is the time to put your feet up, gather your family round and enjoy the film!

SANTA! OH MY GOD! SANTA'S COMING! I KNOW HIM!

It's nearly December which means it's nearly time to get the tree up, drink some mulled wine and watch some overgrown man-child in a silly green suit prance around New York with a great big smile on his face.  Yes this weekend I'll be watching Will Ferrell in John Favreau's Elf.  It's the film Ferrell will be remembered for.  Long after the Ron Burgundy quoters have moved on to the next comedy creation, Buddy the Elf will still be being watched by kids, families and Ferrell fans at Christmas time.  It's got charm, heart and a role that fits the innocence and immaturity inherent in Ferrell's persona.  So the romance with Zooey Deschanel is slightly icky and James Caan could have phoned this performance in from a yacht in the Caribbean and then turned up in the last reel cackling with a sack of money but it still never fails to get me in the mood for Christmas.

This December, I'm also going to make sure I get to watch Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale, the Finnish film about an evil Santa being caught by a father and son and then wreaking havoc in the remote mountain community.  It sounds like a very fun, pretty silly mix of creepy fable and dark humour with just a dash of kids adventure story thrown in.  I've heard it compared to The Goonies which is a good enough reason for me to hunt this down.  It's meant to an Anti-Christmas horror but hopefully just not in any way as nasty as Billy Bob Thornton's wretched Bad Santa.

And it's really time I finally watched It's a Wonderful Life this year once and for all.  It's got the wonderful James Stewart and I feel like I know the film already from what I've heard, seen and read about it over the years.  If I'm not all Christmassed out by then, I might have to re-watch Scrooged as that's one I haven't seen for a very long time and quite frankly I miss Bill Murray. 

What will you be watching this Christmas?  Any recommendations?