A Christmas Story

Rating:
Summary: The word, the big one the F (dash dash dash) word.
Review: A Christmas Story is one of the best movies about Christmas of all time. It easily rivials It's a wonderful life, and Frosty the Snow man. Simply put it is Hilarious. With tons of potty jokes for the kids and adult jokes for the adults, this movie is a must buy. If you haven't seen it: Don't bother to waste you time renting it, just buy it, because gaurenteed, once you see it you will want to own it.

Rating:
Summary: A Christmas Legend
Review: One would think that this classic Christmas fare released on DVD would be put on widescreen format...but nooooooo!! (TCM - Turner Classic Movies shows the widescreen format!) Otherwise, this is an unforgettable Christmas film with unforgettable characters and comic moments. Ralphie (Peter Billingsly) dreams of getting a Red Rider, Air Rifle B.B. gun for Christmas and his schemes of trying to pursuade everyone from his mother, to his teacher, to even Santa Clause to get one backfires. Finally he receives it from the one person he doesn't even ask...his own father. He is played with great affection and comic timing by Darren McGavin (Nightstalker, Billy Madison, and The Natural). All the minor subplots are very memorable from the father winning a "lighted leg lamp" from a crossword puzzle contest, the "Scott Farcus Affair", the toungue stuck on the frozen pole, the Chinese waiters trying to sing Christmas Carols, and the list goes on and on. A pure joy especially when TNT shows 24 hours of the movie on Christmas Day!! In the ALL MOVIE GUIDE, two actors are credited to playing Flash Gordon and Ming the Merciless in the film. Apparently, a dream sequence was dropped in the final print of the movie where little Ralphie/Billingsly enlists the aid of Flash Gordon with the trusty air rifle. Hopefully when they have a Special Edition -A CHRISTMAS STORY, the dream sequence will be restored. A great period piece detailing the 1940's American mid-west lifestyle. Also, good performances from Melinda Dillon, and Ian Petrella as Randy, as the little brother who refuses to eat.

Rating:
Summary: What, no special effects?
Review: Despite this shortcoming, if one can call a lack of special effects a shortcoming, this classic (adult) story from Jean Shepherd rings bells long gone rusted in the nostalgic heart. If you have a heart for the old days of the forties and fifties, this film will entrance you from the moment you hear Shepherd's voice-over narration. It's a timeless tale of simple lives at Christmas time and a family that could live on any block on Main Street, USA, only funnier.

Don't be fooled by the "kiddie" appearance of the cover. This is definitely a story for grown ups. Today's children would not be able to relate to it, which is a shame.

Bringing you back to the innocence of BB-guns and practical jokes and schoolyard bullies, this warm tale of Christmas past will make you long for the days when everyone wasn't so politically-sensitive and folks took responsibility for their own actions. The bully gets beaten up, he doesn't get "grief counselling".

Rating:
Summary: Charming
Review: This is an entertaining and charmingly funny, nostalgic Christmas story that everyone should enjoy. It reminds me of the classic Christmas comedies of the 40's and 50's (which is when it takes place, through the kid's point of view). What I really apppreciate about this film is that it stays away from syrupy moments. It never drags. The kids are real and not rolly-eyed puppets mugging for the camera. Buy it & you will laugh a lot.

Rating:
Summary: The 2nd Greatest Christmas Movie of All Time!
Review: Now before I even begin to review this movie, I would just like to clarify my title. I call "A Christmas Story" the 2nd greatest Christmas movie of all time because in my opinion "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" is the greatest Christmas movie of all time.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's start the review! This is a movie that unlike others, actually captures the true spirit of Christmas in every way possible. Peter Billingsley stars as Ralphie, a young boy that cannot get his mind off of an official Red Ryder bb gun. Right from the beginning of the film Ralphie is trying to hint to his parents what he wants for Christmas. What makes this film really stand out is how it is told through the eyes and mind of a child. You'll notice right off the bat, that the film does have a narrator, an older Ralphie. But unlike other films, the narrator fits perfectly into the Christmas formula.

Darren McGavin stars as Raplhie's strict and serious father. This strictness however passes off as some of the best humor in the film. You even feel like you're watching "Married with Children" at times because like Al Bundy, you just want great things to happen to McGavin. But I will not give away plot details (even though everyone reading this has probably seen this movie over 20 times).

As the story progresses the film continues and Ralphie is realizing how hard it is to try to convince his parents, teacher, and even Santa Clause, what a perfect gift the Red Ryder bb gun would make. Each of these figures continues to haunt Ralphie with the classic saying, "You'll shoot you're eye out kid!".

I honestly can't review this movie to make it sound even half as great as it truly is, so go watch this movie or even buy it because it can be wacthed hundreds of times without getting the least bit dull. But don't watch it during summer becuase it will depress you and make you think of Christmas. So grab some egg nog, sit by the tree and watch "A Christmas Story"!!!!!

Rating:
Summary: Yet another DVD rip-off.
Review: Like so many people have so rightly pointed out and angry at,too, is that this classic receieved such poor treatment for the DVD format (I give the DVD two stars, not the movie itself). Bad picture quality, very few extras, and, of course, the biggest rip-off of all, it's in full-screen instead of wide-screen. Wasn't widescreen one of the main selling points for the DVD format? Of course it was! This particular DVD was only put out to cash in on the popularity of the movie without taking the time, care, and money to take full advantage of the format. Why buy this on DVD when you can get the same type of picture aspect-ratio and picture quality on tape? It'd definitely be cheaper!!

Rating:
Summary: This modern Christmas classic deserves better treatment
Review: As many other reviewers have queried: Why isn't this movie in widescreen format? And couldn't the producers come up with any extra features? The DVD itself gets 3 stars, but the movie deserves 5.

These gripes notwithstanding, this movie is a modern-day Christmas classic. It captures the joy and fear and exhilaration and disillusionment of what it was like growing up in an America of a by-gone era. The late Jean Shepherd is from my parents' generation, but I can still relate completely to Ralphie, Randy and all their friends -- bullies at school -- Not getting what you really want for Christmas -- having your mouth washed out with soap and fantasizing about the day when they'd all be sorry... It's all there!

Darren McGavin is great as the blustery but sentimental dad and Melinda Dillon as the mom who is wiser than her kids give her credit for. The movie is touching and hilarious at the same time. It's so hard being a kid sometimes!

This is one of the few movies I can watch over and over again and still laugh.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie, why isn't the DVD widescreen?
Review: My personal favorite Christmas movie, I'll still watch it this year even though I'm very disappointed that it's not in widescreen format. I bought a DVD player mainly so I wouldn't have to watch movies that someone had chopped the sides off, this is the only movie DVD in my collection that isn't widescreen. Maybe it's all just a plot ot get me to buy two copies, the full screen edition last year and the special edition as soon as it's released.

Rating:
Summary: THE Christmas movie!
Review: Until you've seen this, you ain't had Christmas. You'll shoot your eye out! Enought said

Rating:
Summary: Ugh, what a depressing movie.
Review: My wife and her family *love* this movie, which is why I give it more than one star. And, to be fair, the acting, writing, and directing are all perfectly fine, earning it another star.

What bothers me is how depressing the story is. That kid and everyone around him: his parents, his teachers, the kids at his school, all interact together in a dysfunctional circus that would make a great Jerry Springer show if it were more exciting. There are a few highlights, both in humor and in drama, but they're not enough to overcome the general tone of whiny obsessiveness on the part of the characters.