12 Days of Christmas 2015: The Ref

The Ref (1994)
Starring: Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey, Judy Davis
Directed by: Ted Demme


One of the holiday specials I was really looking forward to watching was The Ref. I love Denis Leary. I love Kevin Spacey. I had heard a lot of friends talk a great deal about watching it every Christmas. It seemed like a pretty easy connection to make. Then my wife and I sat down with some pizza to watch the film and were expecting to laugh throughout. That's not what we had, at first. We open with a first act that was grounded in reality, with a bit of levity thrown in. We really didn't get to the major laughs until the final act, but when it picked up, it REALLY picked up. Watching the film with the wife really helped, as we got a chuckle out of seeing the concept of a burglar abducting a bickering married couple, making HIM feel like a prisoner in their home. The fact that he grows fond of them enough to try and help them was also pretty funny. Then you throw in possibly one of the most awkward dinner scenes ever put to film, and the movie really won me over. Would I watch it every Christmas? I don't think I could call it a tradition yet, but I would definitely have no issues watching it if it's on during the holidays. With that in mind, let's see why The Ref has been considered a modern holiday comedy classic.

Denis Leary stars as Gus, a cranky burglar who chose the absolute worst family in the world to kidnap. This of course makes him very annoyed with his victims, and watching him try to contain his anger absolutely works. That's Denis Leary's attitude in a nutshell. If you make him upset, he's going to go ballistic and there will be cuss words and insults spewing everywhere. His reactions work as a great representation of the audience, as he's helped unlock a gateway to this crazy, dysfunctional family. And he says exactly what we've been thinking the entire film: SHUT UP!

The married couple we want to desperately shut up is Lloyd and Caroline Chasseur, played by Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis. If you've ever had problems during the holidays with a significant other, you'll be thankful that you aren't Lloyd and Caroline. BOTH have a laundry list of problems that they hash out at the other. BOTH are in the wrong. BOTH have some merit to their arguments. It's just a bad situation from the beginning. If you were Denis Leary, YOU'D feel the need to play ref as well.

The last thing I'll bring up about The Ref that really stands out among the Christmas movies is its ties to the Christmas story of Santa Lucia. Santa Lucia is a story and tradition that played a big part in the holidays during my time attending a Christian university. When this story was brought up in the film, I got a really big kick out of it. When I saw how it tied in to possibly the worst and most awkward family dinner scene in a Christmas movie, I got an even bigger laugh. The scene adds fuel to a temper filled and hilarious final act that needs to be seen to be believed. The amount of times my jaw dropped at how many harsh truths were dropped by this dysfunctional family during the holidays is something that can really make you appreciate that (hopefully) your family isn't this bad during Christmastime.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

If your holidays are full of dysfunctional family moments and awkward conversations (you know, like how holidays ACTUALLY are), chances are you'll really enjoy The Ref. The performances from the main three actors work so well and the family dynamic is so bizarre that it's one of the most enjoyable bickering families of the holiday season.

The Ref and movie images are copyrighted by Touchstone Pictures

12 Days of Christmas 2015: Eight Crazy Nights

Eight Crazy Nights (2002)
Starring: Adam Sandler, Jackie Titone, Rob Schneider
Directed by: Seth Kearsley


I'm sure a lot of you were surprised at how I actually gave some praise to a holiday bomb like Christmas with the Kranks. You ain't seen nothing yet. I grew up a big fan of Adam Sandler's comedy, and it was during the hit and miss stages. For every couple of successes, there was a bomb or two that would creep up on Sandler. Then came the disasters. He's had a serious fall from grace and receives a lot of hatred from moviegoers everywhere, but I think a lot of people forget that there was a point in our culture where he was the undisputed face of humor. There was a point in our history where Sandler was so popular that he was able to get a movie made to celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. And, to further cement how much of a classic holiday tale it was believed to be, it was an animated film. Eight Crazy Nights is one of those polarizing Sandler films that his fans consider either a hit or a miss. For me, I actually enjoy watching it every year despite it being crude and offensive. That's Sandler's bread and butter by now, at least this one is surrounded by holiday themes and animation. So let's dive right into Eight Crazy Nights.

Adam Sandler voices the film's three main characters. As Davey Stone, he pretty much just has to play himself, just as a mean drunk. This is very different for Sandler's usual type of character, who can usually be a drunk, but at least has that likable quality to them. They can have fun, crack some funny jokes and everything's alright with them. With Davey, he's just a bully. It's funny for a little bit, but then it goes on way too long. Even worse, they try to justify it with a traumatizing backstory. I think when Sandler tried to tie a moral to it, it doesn't work as well. Either have Sandler play Sandler or have him be mean the entire film. At least it would've stood out among the other Christmas stories we're used to. As Whitey and Eleanor Duvall, Sandler has to conjure up every ounce of energy to play possibly the two strangest and most annoying siblings in animated history. Are they among the great Christmas characters? Not at all, but they are surprisingly very quotable within my home, so I've grown to accept them. Those voices won't leave your head though, so consider yourself warned.

Say what you want about Sandler, but some of his best comedy came out of his songwriting. Heck, the entire reason this movie probably even exists is because he wrote "The Hanukkah Song." The music really stands out in Eight Crazy Nights as well, being overly catchy, while still maintaining the gross, mean-spirited humor that the film offers. At least it's staying consistent with the tone of the film. You'll be singing the songs as much as you'll be quoting the lines.

What isn't consistent is the tone of the film with the animation. I feel sorry for the animators that had to spend countless hours animating the beautiful Christmas settings and tie it together with Sandler's poop jokes. Those animators deserve better. Another thing that the tone affects is the main demographic. It's no secret that Christmas is the dominant holiday for a lot of the media. With Hanukkah being one of many holidays getting the short end of the stick, Eight Crazy Nights is one of the only, if not THE only major film that celebrates Hanukkah. If you're looking for a Hanukkah special that dignifies the culture and honors the holiday properly, my apologies to Jewish people everywhere, as that's NOT what you're gonna get with this one. But if you can have some fun with it, I think you'll get some laughs out of it.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Giving Eight Crazy Nights 3 stars might seem insane to some, but the songs are catchy, the animation is surprisingly beautiful, and this is one of my favorite Sandler films. It's crass, offensive, and entirely mean-spirited, but I find myself quoting it a lot around the holidays, so if you like Adam Sandler, this is a film you shouldn't pass up whether you're celebrating Christmas or Hanukkah.

Eight Crazy Nights and movie images are copyrighted by Columbia Pictures

12 Days of Christmas 2015: Christmas with the Kranks

Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
Starring: Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Dan Aykroyd
Directed by: Joe Roth


And now, I celebrate Christmastime with a truly polarizing holiday film from this millennium. People either really enjoy this film, really hate this film, or have completely forgotten about it. Christmas with the Kranks was written by Chris Columbus (director of the first two Home Alone movies, the first two Harry Potter movies, and Mrs. Doubtfire) and stars Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Dan Aykroyd. I remember seeing this one in the movie theater with my grandmother 11 years ago and really being happy that we saw it. Being a big fan of most things Tim Allen, I also find it refreshing to see him in a Christmas movie where he's NOT playing Santa Claus, so what do I think of the film with a fresh pair of eyes? I in no way think this is a GOOD film. I understand it's clunky and uninspired in many ways, but it also has a handful of really good decisions and ideas thrown into it. So is all really lost in a Christmas movie that is mostly forgotten if it has a number of things that are worth checking out?

Let's start by analyzing the main characters Luther and Nora Krank, played by Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. Tim Allen does a fun job of playing Luther as a greedy and selfish grump, while also bringing enough of his trademark humor to the table to make him a likable character. You get that he's thinking of doing something fun and cost effective for Christmas instead of the usual thing, but gets so lost in it that he's unable to salvage any form of sanity for himself. As for Jamie's performance, I'm convinced they sold this to her as a horror movie. Look at the way she reacts and screams at nearly everything, and you'll be convinced that she thought she was returning to the big screen as the "Scream Queen" moniker she had in the '80s. The chemistry these two share is actually realistic to a real couple and that's what I think makes the film's humor work for the most part. They have great comedic timing with each other, so I don't feel like I'm watching two great actors play roles, but instead see an actual bickering married couple.

Christmas with the Kranks also has a good supporting cast, but they're playing a lot of recycled character types that we've seen a million times. Generic cops, generic neighbors, generic bratty kids. There's nothing that really sticks out. Even Dan Aykroyd seems like he's just phoning it in playing neighborhood leader Vic Frohmeyer. There's great talent in the cast, but I think Chris Columbus could've done better at making these characters more memorable or important. The guy has history working with developing and establishing beloved characters (again, Harry Potter, Home Alone, and Mrs. Doubtfire), but I think it works better with him in the director's chair than the writer's table.

While the general public has probably forgotten about Christmas with the Kranks because of the recycled and lazy humor that is thrown at us, we shouldn't forget about a lot of the underrated good ideas that it offers. There's a lot of characters that are thrown our way and we get to know a few more than others. There's a great older character, played by M. Emmet Walsh, who likes to pick on Luther, and we find out his wife has cancer and it may very well be her last Christmas. That's a pretty heavy idea thrown in for a family comedy. The film also features a strong showing of community forgiveness, as well as generosity. We learn that true value isn't measured in money, but in the amount of friends and family that you can spend your time in. Are these customs new to us with Christmas films? Absolutely not, but that doesn't mean that they aren't little nuggets of positive filmmaking that can be found between the scenes making fun of Botox and spray tanning.


Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

If you like a cheaper brand of humor, as long as it's tied together with heartwarming themes and a happy ending, you may very much enjoy watching Christmas with the Kranks. It's by no means a holiday classic, but it's a fun enough family movie that could remind you at least once in your lifetime why it's a bad idea to try skipping Christmas.

Christmas with the Kranks and movie images are copyrighted by Columbia Pictures

12 Days of Christmas 2015: Bad Santa

Bad Santa (2003)
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Bernie Mac
Directed by: Terry Zwigoff


And now on to something that couldn't be further from a wholesome Christmas movie for the family to enjoy. I remember being really young and my dad really wanted to see Bad Santa when it came out in 2003. Don't worry, this story doesn't end with a traumatized 10-year-old me going to see that movie. In all honesty, I can't remember why we didn't see that movie. Maybe my father had a moment of conscience in the name of the holiday season, I don't know. Point is, I have a nostalgia with ALMOST seeing this movie. Then, this Christmastime, I finally decided to sit down and watch it. Bad Santa is not going to be a film for everybody, with it being a very raunchy, adult comedy. But even fans of raunchy adult comedy may not be the target audience for this film. With a great comedic ensemble and a festive atmosphere, the film plays out like a modern version of The Grinch. It's a film that tells the story of the ultimate curmudgeon around the holidays finding something worth caring about and ultimately embracing a bit of humanity he didn't know existed. This is of course masked with an epic amount of crass humor and cuss words, so let's see what stands out about Bad Santa and whether or not it's worth talking about all these years later.

Billy Bob Thornton is the star of the film, playing a drunken mall Santa named Willie Stokes. His performance is what really makes the film work. The interactions with the other characters and a lot of the humor is fed through how despicable and how pathetic Willie comes off. Yet, there's a likability factor that comes through in Thornton's performance as well. If you're a solid human being with a good string of conscience or morals, you normally wouldn't like a character like this at all. But Thornton does such a great job at selling how miserable, perverted, and mean-spirited Willie is, that we can't help but find him lovable to watch.

The supporting cast here is pretty good, but again, a lot of that comes down to how they interact with Willie. His partner in crime, played by Tony Cox, gets a lot of good one-liners against Willie, but a lot of that humor boils down to him being a little person. Willie has a one-dimensional relationship with a bartender, played by Lauren Graham, who has a fetish for guys dressed as Santa. That's a one-note joke that doesn't really go anywhere. There's also great characters played by comedic legends like Bernie Mac and John Ritter (the movie is dedicated in Ritter's memory, as he passed away shortly before the film was released), who have pretty good comedic moments on their own and with each other, being two of the only characters to get some comedic material outside of having to work with Thornton. But the best relationship Willie has is with the kid, played by Brett Kelly. This is really where the film gets its biggest comedic payoff, as well as a lot of its heart and soul. It's really hilarious to see how much he gets under Willie's skin, but we grow to love the bond they share as the film goes on.

So, who exactly is Bad Santa for? Everyone knows that one person who just can't get into the holiday spirit. They look at all the materialism and goodwill that goes on during the season, and it makes them feel sick. They're a Scrooge, a Grinch, a Hans Gruber. For me, that's my wife. So, when I put on this film for her, she found it absolutely hysterical and relatable. Bad Santa is a film that can make even the biggest of grumps during Christmas crack a smile and laugh, because they can look on it and say "At least my Christmas isn't THAT miserable." And that's a feeling we can all get behind, right?


Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

What will make or break your opinion on Bad Santa is how you feel about Billy Bob Thornton. He is the obvious star of this film, and this is one of the performances he'll be remembered most for. If you like his vulgar humor, then I'd suggest checking it out for that, as the other stuff in the film isn't all that memorable without Thornton. Just don't watch it with the kids around.

Bad Santa and movie images are copyrighted by Dimension Films

12 Days of Christmas 2015: Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992)
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern
Directed by: Chris Columbus


With the first Home Alone film being a success, a sequel was in the works to be released just 2 years later. I know what a lot of people are thinking just by looking at the poster, "They lose Macaulay Culkin AGAIN!?!?" Yes they do, but this time it's different. This time, he's in New York all by himself. I know the premise may seem really weak and forced, but to the film's credit, it had a tough act to follow. The first film is such a well-known classic, but also with a very simple plot to follow. In many ways when it comes to film, simple can be most memorable and effective. So when you try to redo the movie with a bigger scope, you're going to have some things that don't work as well and that's definitely the case with Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The film falls victim to a disease called sequel-itis and tries very hard to replicate what the original did so well. However, there are things that the film does really well, and in some ways are more entertaining than the first film. So let's see what works and what doesn't work with Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

Macualay Culkin is back as Kevin McCallister, set one year after the events of the first Home Alone. When the first film came out, Culkin was the perfect age for Kevin, able to play him as both adorable and mischievous. For this film, puberty hit Culkin, so I don't really buy him only being 9-years-old. That voice change also, sadly, makes it really hard to not find Kevin annoying. It's a thing that follows child actors in film and TV when they've been playing the part for too long. When a once cute kid loses that novelty, producers will usually try to fix this by bringing in a newer, younger character into the mix. That's the case with Culkin here, just without the younger kid being brought in. When he repeats a lot of the stuff he was doing in the last film, that adorable factor has vanished and he's now bordering on going full sociopath.

Harry and Marv are back, once again played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, but this time they are known as the Sticky Bandits. Once again, these two are great. I'll never get tired of watching Pesci and Stern work together as Harry and Marv. In a world where spin-offs are made for great characters, they normally don't fare out well. But I would definitely see one about Harry and Marv. They are just such lovably idiotic buffoons and it's hilarious to see them get beat up by a little kid throughout these two movies.

One thing that is obnoxious is how much of the first film they try to get away with doing again, an action that exists in franchises (particularly in comedies) called sequel-itis. With the exception of the film's setting, this really can come off as lazy. The family is treating Kevin like scum, again. They lose him, again. Kevin has an adventure away from his family, getting into all kinds of mischief, again. Harry and Marv show up to cause some trouble, so Kevin has a house full of booby traps ready to foil their plans, AGAIN. It really becomes noticeable and you'll probably react one of two ways. If you have fun with it, you'll enjoy the little nods it gives to the first film. If you're a bit more of a critic and cynic like I am, you'll probably be stuck noticing how the once great John Hughes turned in a screenplay that feels so lazily written and slapped together as a film simply to capitalize on the previous film's success.

There is a lot of new stuff added to Home Alone 2: Lost in New York that I really do enjoy. For starters, New York. Yeah, it's a pretty simple concept to put these characters in New York, but it works really well. They take every advantage of taking Kevin everywhere. Central Park, the World Trade Center, Rockefeller Center, and the Plaza Hotel. Speaking of which, the stuff he does in the Plaza Hotel is very fun to watch as he tries to scam a lot of the staff members, particularly a concierge played by Tim Curry. Tim Curry is phenomenal even in his crappiest of films, so I get a kick out of seeing him in everything he's in. There's also a bellhop played by a young Rob Schneider and a cameo appearance from Donald Trump. That cameo alone is worth checking out in a modern day context, as it is funny to think how a candidate currently trying to run for President agreed to make an appearance in a film with Macaulay Culkin. But that's all I get into with politics here, if I went any further it would be silly.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

If you love the first Home Alone and don't mind seeing a lot of it repeated in a different setting, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York is a film you'll probably have a lot of fun with. The New York setting, the updated traps, and some of the scenes in the Plaza Hotel are sure to have you and your family laughing. It might not hold up quite as well as the first, but there's no harm in checking it out once.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox

12 Days of Christmas 2015: Home Alone

Home Alone (1990)
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern
Directed by: Chris Columbus


Looking at the Christmas movies that you want to sit down and watch with the entire family, we've come to one of the modern classics. Home Alone is an early '90s family comedy starring Macaulay Culkin and written by John Hughes. That just screams a great combination for a great Christmas film (I'll probably be eating my words with the next review) and it's been one of my traditional favorites to watch every year since I was a little kid. Naturally, as a kid, the nostalgia I have for the film is for the slapstick. Now that I'm an adult, I watch it with a fresh pair of eyes and analyze the family themes, well-written script, and comedic timing that I wouldn't normally pick up on when I'm focusing on burglars getting hit with paint cans. And just to put it out there, I will NOT be reviewing the 3rd, 4th or 5th films. 3 is not centered around the holidays (more close to a winter in Chicago than anything directly), 4 was a made-for-TV movie and 5 went straight to DVD. With that out of the way, let's look at the original Home Alone film.

Of course everyone knows this as the family film that really put Macaulay Culkin on the map, as he plays our adorable, young hero Kevin McCallister. Kevin's the perfect age here to get away with his shenanigans. He's able to bridge the line between both adorable and mischievous, being both innocent and a schemer. He does a really great job of playing Kevin as a genuine kid. Sure, he mouths off and having those kinds of traps in his mind definitely show the early signs of a sociopath, but you still understand that he's just being a kid. Kids can be a lot smarter than adults give them credit for, and that's definitely the case with Kevin in this movie. He's left by himself and goes through all the emotions one would. He celebrates for a little bit, gets away with all the things he wouldn't normally be able to, but then starts to take care of himself and act like an adult in an act of survival. Culkin was the child actor of a generation because he showed a lot of adults what kids are capable of and showed kids what they themselves can accomplish a lot, while still putting on the image of being cute and cuddly.

Kevin has to protect his house from the bumbling Wet Bandits Harry and Marv, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. These guys are the entire reason I come back to this movie every year. They are so funny and work off each other so well that I wish we got to see more of them than Kevin. Like, had they taken this franchise to follow Harry and Marv, I totally would've been on board. They're simple comedic foils that work so well together. Harry is short and Marv is tall. Harry is the brains and Marv is stupid. You see it all the time with pairings, from Pinky and the Brain to Jay and Silent Bob. This great combination makes the Wet Bandits two of the most celebrated Christmas villains that we love to hate.

I'm sure this film could've been set at any other time during the year (such as a summer family trip or something), but Chris Columbus and John Hughes decided it would be worth it to cover the scenery in greens and reds. Surrounding the houses in fluffy, white snow and twinkling, bright lights really helps set a welcoming mood to the whole film. And I even enjoy a lot of the themes that older kids and adults will grow to appreciate. Like, even when they bicker, I love the family dynamic and I fully believe that they could be a real family interacting during the holidays. And I won't lie, the scene at the end always gets me a bit on the emotional side (ah, shut up!). It's a wonderfully written and thoughtful film celebrating the holiday season and everything around it.

But if I'm being honest here, Home Alone has probably stayed constant with viewers for 25 years because of the traps. This is some of the best slapstick you'll ever see and it's great to celebrate the comedic gold every year during December. Paint buckets to the head, blowtorches, and even a tarantula make appearances in this film's iconic final act. You'll laugh, you'll cringe, and you'll have a great time watching either with the family or by yourself. Just please...don't try any of that at home!


Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Everything from John Hughes script, to the performances from the cast, to the iconic traps, to the Christmas atmosphere makes Home Alone one of the classic family movies to bust out every year for the holidays. Add this to your collection this Christmas, as I'm sure you'll be making it a tradition to watch this for years to come.

Home Alone and movie images are copyrighted by 20th Century Fox

12 Days of Christmas 2015: Love Actually

Love Actually (2003)
Starring: Liam Neeson, Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson
Directed by: Richard Curtis


After covering Star Wars for a bit, it's time that I move onto something a little different for the month of December (although, be prepared for one more Star Wars review around the 18th...). With the holiday season in full swing, I wanted to touch base on some of my favorite movies to watch this time of year, as well as some that I'm watching for the first time. I'm going for a 12 days of Christmas theme, a new review every other day leading up to Christmas day. If you're looking for reviews of Christmas classics like A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, and Die Hard (IT COUNTS!), see my December reviews from 2013. If you're a Harry Potter fan who busts these movies out during the holidays, I direct you to my August reviews from earlier this year. For now, let's get the 12 days of Christmas going with a modern fan favorite, Love Actually. A British romantic comedy centered during Christmastime, I had this movie in my collection for a full year before my wife and I popped it in our PS4 to watch. We figured that now would be a better time than any to finally give it a watch and see what all the fuss was about.

The biggest thing this film has going for it is its cast. This thing is LOADED with one of the biggest ensemble casts I've ever seen. Liam Neeson, Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Keira Knightley, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Bill Nighy, Rowan Atkinson, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martin Freeman, Andrew Lincoln and many more. Yes, Rick from The Walking Dead and Bilbo Baggins from the Hobbit movies (hmmm...Hobbit, that might be something to touch base on in the near future) are featured in this movie. Of course, they weren't megastars yet, so they are supporting roles. Still, it's funny to see them just kind of blend in with the rest of this terrifically talented cast.

The joy of having a cast this good is that the viewer can be taken through so many different interwoven stories. Nearly every character is connected to a character involved in another story, thus creating a fun chain for you to figure out as you're watching. One of my favorite stories include Colin Firth's character falling in love with his Portuguese maid, despite their being a language barrier. That story melted my wife's heart and I think it was really the segment that won her over. Other great stories involve Liam Neeson's character supporting his young step-son try and impress a girl at school, Hugh Grant playing the British Prime Minister try and hide the feelings he has for a member of his staff, and Bill Nighy playing an aged-rocker (a la David Bowie) being self-aware of how his character sold out and made a Christmas song. Those are just a sample of the many memorable stories that appear in Love Actually and I know I can't get to all of them, otherwise there would be no point in you checking out the film for yourself.

A fun cast, many entertaining stories on love, humor, romance, drama, all wrapped up in a festive holiday package. I can see why people enjoy watching Love Actually during the holidays. Is it anything groundbreaking? Probably not. It's every romantic comedy plot tied together in one film, with the major difference being that it's set during Christmastime. But it's a cute romantic comedy marketed toward couples and people who enjoy watching stuff on the BBC, so it definitely strikes a chord with the target audience.


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

If you're looking to watch a romantic comedy during the Holidays, Love Actually is the film for you. A lot of the stories are great to watch and the all-star cast really helps something simple become very effective. This one is worth watching with your significant other at least once this Christmas.

Love Actually and movie images are copyrighted by Universal Pictures