I’m late again because Ive been busy with Christmas shopping etc... some of you already have everything done...š⛄️. Ok, just having fun with ya....I promise I won’t stick my tongue out at you and am glad you are all ready for Christmas. Wandering Through The Shelves' themes for this year are almost done and am looking forward to the new year of themes, but we still have 2 more to go and this is a fun one. I, alas, have yet to see any Sonja Henie films...she was huge back in the day and a gold medal winner in figure skating. One day, I will see her films even though they will be corny but, I know, I will enjoy them. Now...on with the show...
1. ITS A WONDERFUL LIFE-1946
You know I had to find a way to get this film into one of these themes and I did! Yes, it might be a stretch but, it’s a key plot point that carries resonance throughout the film. We see a young George Bailey sledding with his pals and his kid brother Harry, on shovels, when Harry breaks through the ice. George jumps in to save Harry but George catches a bad cold and loses the hearing in his one ear. The film continues from there and, if you have not seen it or don't know the plot, you have been hiding under a rock...shame on you! This is my favourite film which I watch every year. Just thinking that sledding can be as simple as what is shown in this film to what we see in the Olympics. Yes, i still have to see that film about the Jamaican sled racing team starring John Candy.
2. MYSTERY, ALASKA-1999
I saw this film when it first came out so I am a bit foggy with the details, but it stars Russell Crowe in a sweet dramedy ( I know! Russell in a sweet film??) about a team of guys that play hockey on an open rink. Hank Azaria, now a writer (or something like that) who comes back to his home town, only to find a chilly reception (pardon the pun). He writes up a story that a professional Hockey team will compete with the amateurs. before you can say, Holy Freeze, Batman, The Hockey team goes up to the town and play hockey. No one is happy about this event but, somehow, people find more than they bargain for. I find this movie a hidden gem and one that i enjoyed watching and would love to see again.
3. MEN WITH BROOMS-2002
This film was (co)written, directed and stars Paul Gross (He was the Mountie in the hit Canadian TV show "Due South") as a man who comes home and ends up compiling his old teammates in the winter sport of, you guessed it, curling. To say they are rusty is putting it mildly so Paul decides to enlist his estranged dad's help in getting the team into tip top shape. The dad is played by the legendary Leslie Nielsen who often co-starred with Paul Gross on his TV Show, "Due South." One of the opposing teams is played by the legendary Canadian rock groups, The Tragically Hip, to great comedic effect. I have to admit that, when I was a kid, I would watch curling. I never played it but I enjoyed watching it....I was one strange kid. This is a very fun and sweet movie that I can watch over and over again but part of that is due to my crush on Paul Gross....and Leslie Nielsen.
Which films can you think of that includes winter sports?
Now, we are to be hit with a huge winter storm, just like a storm that hit Christmastown all those years ago with Santa almost cancelling Christmas. If it wasn't for Rudolph's shiny nose, we would not have had any presents....:) I am certain many of you will be in a similar shape since this is one huge ass of a storm. I wish all of you a safe and wonderful Christmas. Please know I read every comment you leave even though I fell flat on my brains in replying to your great comments.
Merry Christmas!!
Hi, Birgit!
ReplyDeleteYessum, dear friend. You seem to be running yourself ragged with holiday hustle and bustle. I'm sure you remember "Mr. Budweiser," Johnny Carson's sidekick and Star Search host Ed McMahon, proudly stating that he waited until Christmas eve every year to begin his holiday shopping. You should do the same! :)
I too look forward to the new set of Wandering Through The Shelves themes for the coming year. I like how you made It's A Wonderful Life relevant to this week's winter sports theme. I had a serious sledding accident when I was around 13. My sled overturned on a steep public hillside and one of the blades struck me on the bridge of my nose. Bleeding profusely, I needed to be taken to the ER for stitches. A stranger, a middle-aged man, drove me there in his car. I'll never forget his comforting words on the way to the hospital, "Hell, you ain't near dead yet." Wonderful Life stars two of my favorites, Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, making it a pleasure to watch every few years.
Mystery, Alaska is a new one to me, and it looks like the kind of film I'd thoroughly enjoy. "43 seconds... and then the rest of your lives you own that time." Wow, I played on basketball teams, and empowering words like that coming from a charismatic coach like Judge Burns (Burt Reynolds).would have fired me up big time.
I too watched Olympic curling, and I'm sure I would also like Men With Brooms. Ever since I first saw him in Verboten Planet (1956), I'll watch anything with Leslie Nielsen, and I also like Canadian actress Kari Matchett, having enjoyed her recurring role on ER as a sexually liberated doctor.
I made a run to the airport the other day to place a family member on a plane to Atlanta, and the airport had holiday songs playing in the background. Gene Autry's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." a chart-topping hit at Christmas, 1949, when I was only weeks old, was one of the songs I heard that day.
I hope the snow storm won't create too many hardships for you up there. (I ran to Wal-Mart last night in my swim trunks and short-sleeve shirt and bought a snow shovel and windshield ice scraper, just in case :)
Thanks for the morning entertainment. I can't think of a single movie to add to your list. Stay safe and come back and attend my Jackie E concert at Shady's when you get a chance. Enjoy the rest of your week, dear friend BB, and happy holidays to you, your hubby and my skunk-hunting buddy Harley!
Today...everything has caught up to me and I have slept, off and on for the whole day. It was pretty viscous last Friday with strong winds but we didn’t get hit as hard as Fort Erie and even Welland which is only 15 min away. Actually, I wish I still lived in Wainfleet because I love a good snowstorm. I can’t imagine celebrating Christmas in 80 degree weather. I hope you had a nice Christmas and hopefully, can watch these 2 movies one day.
Delete:)
DeleteHappy Christmas Birgit hope you have a lovely time…I have spent most of the month Sofa bound and have been watching Christmas movies most days…Mrs Miracle my favourite…xxx
ReplyDeleteI hope you are doing well and still enjoying Christmas movies.
DeleteHi Birgit - hope all goes well and the storm isn't as bad as it just appears to be ... take care and happy festivetime ...
ReplyDeleteWe didn’t get hit nearly as bad as 20 min. away. I wish we did have more snow. I hope you had a lovely Christmas Eve and day.
DeleteLove Wonderful Life, don't know the others. Have a lovely Christmas and a Healthy, and Happy New Year, Kate x
ReplyDeleteI’m glad you love that film.
DeleteI didn't think of It's A Wonderful Live, although it's my favorite movie. I like the way you made it work with the theme. The first movie I thought of was Cool Runnings (1993), the cute story of the Jamaican bobsled team that my children and I enjoyed. My second choice is The Bishop's Wife (1947), another great Christmas movie, because the angel Dudley (Cary Grant) and the bishop's wife, Julia (Loretta Young), go ice skating. My third choice also involves skating, but in this case, it's competitive figure skating. I, Tonya (2017) stars Margot Robbie in a Best Actress Oscar-nominated role as Tonya Harding. Allison Janney won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for playing Tonya's crazy, abusive mother. Merry Christmas, Birgit! I love coming here to visit with you.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
I. Glad you like what I did here and love your choice of The Bishop’s Wife. I need to see Cool Runnings again and I, Tonya is a film I really liked, surprisingly. I can’t stand Tonya Harding.
DeleteWell, I have seen Sonja Henie films. I didn't think they were corny, but then I was just a kid when I watched them.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen any of your pics. I tried to watch IAWL last year and just could not get through it.
Waiting here to see how bad this storm will be. I might have Christmas dinner on any day but Sunday.
Stay safe and have a happy holiday.
I've seen your first two picks, but haven't heard of the 3rd. I actually do enjoy curling so I'll have to see if I can find that.
ReplyDeleteI know you’ve seen IAWL and liked it. The 3rd film is dumb but fun.
DeleteI've seen Its a Wonderful Life many times, although not recently but I have visited the village of Seneca Falls in the Finger Lakes of New York State, which claims to be the village Bedford Falls was based on. They hold a Wonderful Life festival every December and the actress who played ZuZu has attended for many years. I've never heard of Men with Brooms, but after reading up on it (love Leslie Nielson movies I've seen) I am going to look into it more.
ReplyDeleteI want to go to Seneca Falls for sure and hope to in the next 2 years. Brooms is very funny, dumb, but funny.
DeleteI have a couple: "Slap Shot" with Paul Newman, about a hockey team, and "Grumpy Old Men," with ice fishing...
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
I would have used Slapshot here but I already used it a few weeks ago. I love your other choice which is perfect...so....what? Lol
DeleteHi Birgit,
ReplyDeleteAn interesting mix of choices!
Inventive way to squeeze Wonderful Life in but you're right that scene is pivotal. It's not a top holiday film for me (my top five would be White Christmas, Christmas in Connecticut, the George C. Scott version of A Christmas Carol, A Christmas Story and Miracle on 34th Street.) but deserving of it's beloved reputation.
Mystery, Alaska was much more of a pleasure than I thought it would be. It has a nice sort of shaggy charm with Russell Crowe more subdued and less intense than was his usual way.
Frankly the appeal of curling is completely lost on me, I think it's the dumbest, most boring "sport" I've ever seen but I'm a fan of Paul Gross (not from Due South-though I didn't mind that show-but from the original Tales of the City-he'll always be Brian Hawkins to me!) so I gave Men with Brooms a try. It was okay that one time, mostly because of Paul, but I'll never watch it again.
Many choices for this week but these are the three I settled on.
Eddie the Eagle (2015)-I didn't expect much from this but was completely charmed the story of Eddie's quest to become a champion ski-jumper and both Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman.
Downhill Racer (1969)-Early Robert Redford/Gene Hackman film with Redford's competitiveness and resistance to being a team player causing him major problems when he competes in the Olympics.
Sun Valley Serenade (1941)-Can’t believe you’ve never seen a Sonja Henie film!! I’ve seen almost all of them and honestly, they are all very similar. Not that that makes them any less enjoyable. This one set at a winter resort that finishes with an elaborate skating extravaganza is one of the better of her pictures. It has great music and the bonuses of Glenn Miller and his orchestra plus the Nichols Brothers accompanied by Dorothy Dandridge performing the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.
Glad you mentioned that you still read the comments, I was starting to wonder. But time does slip away and the next thing you know it's weeks later! Hope your Christmas is terrific!!
Oh, Joel, I do read every comment and love reading yours. I just don’t know where time goes. After working, my brain is fish food.i just have to find a way. I have to see a Henie film and wonder if one is on YouTube for free. I have not seen the other 2 films but want to see Eddie. I hope your Christmas was nice. I have been sleeping most of the day today. Everything’s caught up to me.
DeleteThe Cutting Edge is one of my favorite winter sports movies.
ReplyDeleteYOU have a great one.
You know, I don’t know this movie! I have to look it up. I hope you had a really nice Christmas Eve and day.
DeleteI have seen a couple of Sonja Henie's films. I think there was one with the Three Stooges? They weren't terrible. She had a very pronounced accent, but that's understandable. And she was understandable, so it wasn't bad. Worth the time if you get around to it.
ReplyDeleteI do want to see them but, for whatever reason, I never found them on tv or I wasn’t home. I hope to see one or 2 soon.
DeleteMerry Christmas, Birgit! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you too
DeleteHey, Hello, & Howdy, BIRGIT!
ReplyDeleteI like the sly way you sneaked 'It's A Wonderful Life' in there. It's also a huge favorite of mine, as you know (Top 10 all-time!)
I haven't seen the other two movies you mentioned. I've never been a Winter Sports kind of guy (unless drinking lots of Hot Buttered Rum counts as a "Winter Sport").
But one movie that popped into my mind last night is 'BETTER OFF DEAD', due to the skiing scenes. I think that movie is so funny that I even own the DVD. I have a weakness for black comedies and some ridiculously silly comedies, and 'Better Off Dead' is a combination of both, in my view:
[Link> BETTER OFF DEAD (trailer)
Birgit, I'm wishing you a Happy Christmas and a Merry (+ healthy) New Year!!
Bless And Be Blessed, My Friend.
~ STMcC
Doggtor of Alcohology &
King of Inebriation Nation
You will like Men with Brooms since it’s dumb but also, funny. I have to look up Better Off Dead.
DeleteI’m so very tired, all day but I meant to wish you a very nice Christmas with some hot buttered rum in the mix.
DeleteI just now left the following response to someone at YouTube, in the comment section, regarding the trailer which I posted a link to above:
DeleteYou're right, it's a terrible trailer for a hilarious comedy!
.
The trick with trailers is that you don't want to give away too many great moments up front, but at least include enough terrific moments to compel people to go see the movie. This trailer was a disaster!
~ D-FensDogG
It's a Wonderful Life - I know of the film but know nothing about the actual plot. It is an oldie and I'm sure popular in the Americas but it is not popular in my part of the world. One is more likely to see movies like Home Alone and Love Actually aired during the Christmas holidays on free to air or premium channels than this movie.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of any of these films except Wonderful Life. No sports come to mind, eith8er, but my favorite Christmas film is Die Hard, of course.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year wishes to you and your loved ones, including Harley.