You know, F/X’s Rescue Me gets a lot of attention as this great show.  It’s even part of AFI’s “Programs of the Year.”  Me, I just don’t like it.  I can’t really name a reason, but I could never get into the show.  Part of it has to do with Dennis Leary, who always comes off loud, obnoxious, and rude (and not in a funny way).  I know Leary has some experience with the struggles of Firemen — as I recall some members of his family, who were firefighters, died on duty — but his characters are rarely sympathetic.  Oh, well, to each his own.

The AFI made some interesting choices.  I was glad to see Battlestar Galactica included on the list; the show doesn’t get near enough credit for being the best drama on television.  Maybe the Emmys will give it some love this year.  Edward James Olmos and  Mary McDonnell are both worthy of awards.

It’s a shame the USO is having so much trouble getting mainstream celebrities to visit the troops in Iraq.  I can understand the issue of safety, but how often does the USO send entertainers into very unsafe places?  I also think it’s silly they won’t go because it might imply support for the president and the war.  That has to be separated for the sake of the men and women who are far from home and putting their lives on the line because their country called them to duty.

I’m sure Conservatives who think the Patriot Act was sent by God to keep us safe will be doing back flips over this story.  Be that as it may, I hope this kid gets the book thrown at him. 

Just finished watching a fun little
Christmas movie on BBC-America:  Christmas
Lights.  It’s a sweet little holiday film that pokes fun
at how crazy and competitive people can be throughout the year and
especially during the holidays.  When it comes to holiday films
I’m a real softie, so in the spirit of the season I thought I’d share
some of my favorites:

• A Charlie Brown Christmas:
  arguably the finest holiday offering Charles Schultz gave us.
  I’m nearly 40-years-old and I still love to watch this cartoon.
  Every time Linus does his monologue from Luke, Chapter 2 I’m just
  riveted to the screen.  It has a wonderful message that rings
  true even more so today than it did when the cartoon first aired in
  1965:  remember why we celebrate Christmas, don’t get caught up
  in the commercialism.  Every child should watch this cartoon.

• A Christmas Carol:  I
  know this story has been filmed more times than any story should,
  but the finest adaptation of this story was the 1951 version
  featuring Alastair Sim as Ebenezer Scrooge.  Once again, where
  given a wonderful message about what’s important in life, what can
  truly bring us happiness.  Hint:  it’s not money and
  power.

• A Christmas Story:
  truly a classic film you can watch over and over and over again
  because it never stops being hilarious and touching at the same
  time.  The film is a wonderful look at an "all-American"
  1940s Christmas, told with humor, from a child’s point of view.
  I especially like Darren McGavin’s performance.  One of his
  finest.

• How the Grinch Stole
  Christmas:  and here I am referring to the 1966 cartoon,
  not the Jim Carrey live-action comedy-fest (although that’s not a
  bad film in it’s own right).  I can remember watching this
  cartoon with my brother and the both of us just laughing out loud
  when the Grinch’s little dog loses his battle with the sleigh full
  of Whoville toys.  Like anything from Dr. Suess, this story
  comes with a message:  love and compassion can cure even the
  Grinch’s two sizes too small heart.

• White Christmas:  a
  classic holiday film featuring a classic holiday song!  This is
  an oldie, but goldie and features one of the best casts:  Bing
  Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen.  There’s
  not any great holiday message in this film; it’s just a fun,
  romantic film with great singing and dancing by a classic quartet
  from Hollywood’s golden age.  Of course, we can’t forget the
  great Irving Berlin music!  The song, "White Christmas,"
  has been recorded many times by different singers of varying
  quality; some good, some bad, but none as good as Bing Crosby.
  The only person I think ever came close to Crosby is Rosemary
  Clooney, who would often sing the song in concert and on her various
  albums.

• National Lampoon’s Christmas
  Vacation:  if you don’t laugh
  when watching this film then you have a problem.  This film takes
  every family holiday dinner we’ve experienced and turns them into a
  hilarious slice of life.  Chevy Chase has rarely been as funny as he
  was in this film, and we can’t forget Randy Quaid!

• Home Alone:  I don’t
  like this film nearly as much as I used.  Over time, Macauly
  Culkin’s cute little boy schtick just got old for me.
  Certainly it has a nice message and is a fun movie for kids.

• Miracle on 34th Street: another classic holiday film,
  and I mean the 1947 original not the poorly made re-make with
  Elizabeth Perkins and Dylan McDermott.  No one can beat the subtle
  and beautiful performance of Maureen O’Hara.  Like so many of the
  films described above, Miracle on 34^th Street
  tackles the issue of commercialism and the real meaning of
  Christmas. Granted, it does this with a bit too much of the
  sugary-sweat niceness of films from this time period, but that
  doesn’t deter from a very enjoyable film. A court battle to prove
  the existence of Santa Claus has an interesting prescience when you
  consider today’s politicization of Christmas.

Well, those are a few of my favorites.