Writer's Block: B.Y.O.B. Holidays

[Error: unknown template qotd]

In terms of "must see" holiday movies that capture the spirit of the holiday and really fire a person up to celebrate Christmas, I have a short list of very familiar titles: The version of A Christmas Carol that stars Alistair Sim, the original A Miracle on 34th Street, It's A Wonderful Life.

However, if you mean "must see" as in "Hey check out this thing over here that's really different and interesting and whether you love it or hate it you'll never forget it" then I recommend watching The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. It was made by Rankin/Bass, the same people responsible for the old Rudolph holiday specials and it's done in the same stop-motion style. It was made during the 80's when Rankin/Bass were doing things like Thundercats, The Last Unicorn and The Return of the King and that influence really shows. The plot setup is that Santa Claus is nearing the end of his mortal lifespan and a council of immortal beings have convened to decide whether or not he deserves to be granted the gift of immortality. For all intents and purposes it's a high fantasy story masquerading as a Christmas tale and is actually quite dark at times. Not convinced? There's this: Santa Claus fights orcs. I am not kidding.

It is very much a product of the 80's when fantasy movies and shows weren't afraid to just go completely nuts. If you're tired of the same-old same-old in terms of Christmas programs then I would definitely consider it a must-see.

30 Day Female Character Challenge Days 23 - 25

( The prompts )

Day Twenty-Three: Favorite female platonic relationship - The reason this entry has taken so long is because I have actually been trying to come up with an answer for this one for several days and I can't. So I give up on it. Because I don't really know what is meant by "platonic relationship." Is it only friendships where there has never been an attraction? Do exes count? What if the attraction is there but they've had "the talk" and have decided to just remain friends. Honestly, I think people are misled by the term "platonic" into thinking it means sexual attraction is not and has never been an issue. It's there, you just choose not to act on it. This makes it problematic for me in storytelling because I like stories where the decision to act on that tension is part of their character arc. Friendships where attraction never matters tend to not be memorable to me. So whatever, I pass on this one.

Day Twenty-Four: Favorite female romantic relationship - I'm going to assume this means favorite romantic relationship as seen from the female's point of view rather than favorite romantic relationship between two female, if only because the latter leaves a very narrow list of options.

My vote goes to Lily's (Mia Sara) relationship with Jack (Tom Cruise) in the fantasy film Legend. You know, that movie where Satan (Tim Curry) is trying to kill unicorns. They didn't make Lily a damsel in distress but they didn't make her an action heroine either. She uses her wits and actually manages to beguile the Prince of Darkness. That's pretty badass. And she does it all in the name of love and atoning for a mistake that she's made. All the while Jack is trying to get to her and never stops believing in her, even at a crucial moment where she seems to have gone over to the dark side for real. I don't care how much you hate Tom Cruise. Listen to his younger self as he pleads "I trust you, Lily!" and I dare you not to shiver.

Day Twenty-Five: Favorite mother/daughter and/or sister relationship - I already listed Ellen Ripley from the Alien films as my favorite all-time heroine. Then I realized that because she is my favorite heroine that means I can technically list her as many times as I want. I mean, she's my all-around favorite, right? That means she's good at lots of things.

Ripley and Newt aren't biologically related but that's why watching the mother/daughter relationship that forms between them (and which is not even directly addressed in words save for one exclamation by Newt at the end,) is so fascinating. Aliens probably has more explosions per minute than any film about a mother and her daughter ever made and that relationship never stops being what is at the film's heart no matter how many times Bill Paxton reminds us that we're fucked and that it's game over.