Day 5: Sorry Darlings, things and preparations for my new Amazon seasonal post got in the way. Now lets get going on.
For Day 5, let's talk about Christmas Specials. Did you know that many of our favorite Christmas specials and movies in recent years had a mixed reception with critics? The greatest dysfunctional Christmas story, A Christmas Story based on the book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Actor, Humorist, and Writer Jean Shepherd who also narrated older Ralphie. However, when the film came out in the 80's, it was a commercial and critical failure. (In fact, I just read a pretty critical review from some nobody critic in the New York Times, claiming the film is not funny or when it tries to be funny, it fails. But we know that ain't true. We all love the film and its the same thing thanks to the revived interest. And now it's a part of Americana.
But there are couple of other films that were either moderate or failed with reception. Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life, the most influential of the Christmas films and it's Christian message, was a commercial failure and failed to bring up revenue. (I learned this from that clip of Adam Ruins Christmas but it is fun to listen to.) But thanks to being in the public domain, it was seen all over.
But there are many good Christmas specials I love too. Like Santa Clause is coming to Town and Mickey's Christmas Carol. Also, many of our favorite Christmas specials are all involved in animation. Peanut's Christmas, Rudolph, Little Drummer Boy, Prep and Landing, The Winnie the Pooh Christmas Special, etc. And yet we all love them. Even the full on films like Scrooged, The Nightmare Before Christmas (It's both Halloween and Christmas), Miracle on 34th Street, and Gremlins. Oh and even though I haven't seen it, Die Hard is a Christmas movie. In my definition of a Christmas movie, any film dealing with Christmas themes or during the Christmas season is a Christmas movie. I just want to get that out of the way.
Oh and to add on to Christmas related films and hopefully a later discussion of Christmas entertainment for the Theatrical Arts, Disney announced an adaptation of the famous Nutcracker story a little more closely related to the tale as written by German Writer E.T.A. Hoffmann. It's currently under the title, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. So far Dame Helen Mirren, Kiera Knightly, Morgan Freeman, Jack Whitehall, Mackenzie Foy, Miranda Hart, and Ballerina Misty Copeland will all star. However, no one has been cast for the Mouse King Role as Morgan Freeman will play the magical Godfather Drosselmeyer and will not be released until next Year. But I still do want to see how Disney will adapt the tale since it is an important fairy tale from suprisingly, a non-fairy tale writer. (I bet you're wondering who E.T.A. Hoffmann is? He's quite interesting. Look up the basic Wikipedia and his collection of short stories simply titled The Tales of Hoffmann. Fun fact: His stories actually inspired an Opera also called The Tales of Hoffmann.)
Day 6, well, lets talk about the Christmas food. So how many of you like fruitcake? Well obviously no, you don't. But still how many people get a fruitcake and why is it that no one can make a good fruit cake. Does fruitcake get made in an alternate dimension where you think, fruit is good, cake is better, but fruitcake taste like crap? What the hell? Even, I think we need better fruitcake somehow. I just haven't found a good enough recipe.
Also, why does everyone hate eggnog? I once had a really good eggnog premade. It was the Costco Kirkland brand Eggnog Liqueur and it was quite tasty and smooth. In fact, Edgar Allan Poe loved a good eggnog. Maybe we just need to mix the eggs better or something. I mean we are drinking raw eggs and I know for some of us, that's like "Aren't we supposed to cook eggs? We're not bodybuilders." And trust me darlings, I have no idea why some bodybuilders eat eggs raw. It's just that well, maybe some of our holiday stuff needs a better mix or something.
Ok. Looks like I might have discovered it. A Hot Cocktail called a Tom and Jerry (Not named for the cartoon Cat and Mouse but a play based on a book about two friends named Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and Corinthian Tom.) It's Eggnog, Brandy, and Rum with some sugar, a cinnamon stick, vanilla and nutmeg. Seems pretty good due to eggnog being whipped into cream.
And then there is gingerbread. Surprisingly tasty despite ginger being quite bitter. That cinnamon kick also adds the extra deliciousness. And the best of Christmas food traditions added on with the Gingerbread house designs. Can you believe we went from houses, to mansions, Hogwarts Castle and more. I mean Gingerbread is versatile in its worth. It's wonderful. And the creations are endless. Or pretty much to that point mostly, homes and men and women and some little pets.
Ok, what's another specific Christmas food? Well the U.K. has Christmas Pudding. Specifically, the outside tastes similar to gingerbread due to using the same ingredients and the inside is the pudding. (Think of this as a chocolate lava cake for Christmas.) On the inside, there is also raisins and dried fruit, Molasses, and suet which is a type of fat from meats like mutton or beef. The suet is made to hold the pudding together and also has an alcoholic variant which must be preserved for a month to give the full flavor.
Ok. That's it. Tomorrow, we'll talk about Christmas panto for day 7 and day 8 we'll talk about The Nutcracker and a little ballet history. Happy Christmas Darlings!
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