Not that you care, but boy, has work been busy. What with the holiday season, early deadlines and the genesis of two new initatives, I’ve been a busy guy. Not TOO busy to watch Netflix mind you, just too busy
Not that you care, but boy, has work been busy. What with the holiday season, early deadlines and the genesis of two new initatives, I’ve been a busy guy. Not TOO busy to watch Netflix mind you, just too busy to write about it, as you may have gathered, if you were looking for me.
This week is no exception.
So in light of the time crunch of print deadlines, I’m going to do something slightly different with this week’s column.
As we head into the Christmas season, we have lots of things to help set the mood: the neighborhood lights, the crowded shopping centers, pine tree scent, the snow … But if you’re not there yet, here is a list of Christmas-themed movies you could watch on streaming Netflix. The search brought up a ton of choices and I stuck with ones I’ve seen or probably would watch, and the descriptions are the ones provided by Netflix.
“A Christmas Story”
Cast: Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillon,
This show is: Sentimental, Feel-good, Witty
Rated: PG
Common Sense rating: OK for kids 8+
This humorous, nostalgic look at Christmas in 1940s Indiana is a holiday classic concerning 9-year-old Ralphie’s desperate wish for a “Red Ryder carbine-action, 200-shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and a thing which tells time.” As Ralphie wages an all-out campaign to convince his parents the toy is safe. 4 of 5 Netflix stars.
“A Christmas Carol”
Cast: Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth
This show is: Emotional, Inspiring, Heartfelt
Rated: PG
Common Sense rating: OK for kids 9+
Jim Carrey morphs his voice into that of miserable miser Ebenezer Scrooge in this computer-animated adaption of Charles Dickens’s iconic holiday tale about the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come. When confronted with Tiny Tim’s suffering — as well as his own mortality — Scrooge learns the power of opening his heart. 3.5 of 5 Netflix stars.
“White Christmas ”
Cast: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney
This show is: Sentimental, Feel-good
Rated: NR
Common Sense rating: OK for kids 8+
Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye play war buddies turned entertainers who fall for a pair of sisters. The boys follow the girls to a resort, which is owned by their former commanding officer, and he’s in danger of losing the place. What better reason to stage a show than to keep the resort out of hock? 4 of 5 Netflix stars.
“Miracle on
34th Street”
Cast: Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood,
This show is: Inspiring, Feel-good
Rated: NR
Common Sense rating: OK for kids 6+
When Santa falls down drunk in the Thanksgiving Day Parade, reluctant Macy’s supervisor Doris Walker offers the job to a bearded Kris Kringle purporting to be the real Santa! During the Christmas season, he shares a flat with Doris’s neighbor, who has eyes for Doris. Kris hopes to unite the two while winning over Doris’s skeptical 6-year-old daughter. 4 of 5 Netflix stars.
Five more for the kids:
1. Christmas Classics: Vol. 1
2. Prince of Peace
3. The Nightmare Before Christmas
4. A Charlie Brown Christmas
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
• Richard Stein, IT/Website Manager, can be reached at 245-3681, ext. 254, or rstein@thegardenisland.com.
