/ entertainment /Beyond RudolphHoliday entertainment classics? You be the judgeBY ERIC GRIFFITH |
|
Holiday time is a time of joy, giving and fun, of carols by the fire, Rudolph and the Peanuts gang on television, "It's a Wonderful Life" in the VCR. But lo and behold, there are classics of a different sort that can add a wacky dimension to holiday entertainment. We refer, of course, to those films, specials and tunes that have either been hidden from view or overdone to such excess that playing them again might drive your kindly old grandpa out of the house, along with all of your presents. Of course, the Web can help you seek out and find these pieces of digital media coal. Let us all give thanks to MovieFlix.com for providing a great mix of holiday flicks. Search with the word "Christmas" and you'll find the original "Howdy Doody and His Christmas" (1957) special—which isn't really that bad—and the simply titled "Santa Claus" (1959), where the jolly old man teams up with, uh, Merlin the Magician. Don't ask. Best of all is the presence of "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" (1964). Schlock-movie queen Pia Zadora is here in her first role, so you know you're in for 79 minutes of pure holiday pain that makes dry turkey sound downright tasty. MovieFlix.com is free, but requires you to register; you need RealPlayer to view the movies. A holiday special unavailable anywhere is the horrific "Star Wars Holiday Special." It's an example of variety television at its worst, with a singing Princess Leia, comedic Wookies and excruciating scenes that even true fans abhor. It aired only once, in November 1978. You can view clips at x-entertainment.com. Less bandwidth intensive are punk rock carols. Live365.com has an Internet radio channel called Punk Rock Christmas with Jolly Reindeers that features nothing but covers of tunes like "Holly Jolly Christmas." If you still want to see "It's a Wonderful Life" and all the copies are gone from your video store, you can play it anytime you want online using CinemaPop. It's $1.95 for three days of round-the-clock access.
/ click here /MovieFlix.com Star Wars Holiday Special clips Live365.com CinemaPop |