Christmas 2021: December 6th

Bundle of Joy (1956)

Carrie Fisher was beloved for many reasons. Princess Leia made her a pop culture icon, nerd royalty, and a groundbreaking sci-fi heroine. Fisher's post-Leia career had her becoming a beloved writer, who was frank and catty about her own life. Of course, before any of that, Fisher was already part of a Hollywood dynasty. Her mom was beloved actress, singer, and dancer Debbie Reynolds. Her father was Eddie Fisher, one of the biggest pop stars of the fifties. While Reynolds' acting career was long-lasted and included many classics, Fisher mostly stuck to singing... But there are some exceptions. Reynolds and Fisher made one movie together, a 1956 musical called “Bundle of Joy.” It's also set around Christmas, which is why I'm reviewing it today.

J.B. Merlin and Son's is a fancy department store on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The "And Son" is Dan Merlin, who is doing his best to impress his dad and drive up sales. Meanwhile, Polly is an overeager clerk who has been fired for selling too many hats. (Which necessitates too many returns.) As she returns to her apartment, she finds a baby on her front stoop. She tries to give the child to an orphanage but they are convinced the baby must be her's. They contact Dan, who hires back the "young mother" and returns the baby to her. Shenanigans ensue as Dan and Polly form a relationship and take care of the child. 

"Bundle of Joy" is a remake of a 1939 feature called "Bachelor Mother." I've never seen that one, so I have no idea how closely this remake follows it. Yet it's hard to imagine any version of this story having enough meat on its bones for a feature film. The idea of a young woman trying to convince everybody that a baby isn't hers, as she inevitably grows fond of the tyke, has potential. Instead of focusing on that relationship, "Bundle of Joy" has the adorable red headed moppet being traded back and forth between various parties. The film attempts to occupy its runtime with subplots about dance competitions or tension between Dan and his dad, especially once the old man becomes convinced the child is his grandson. None of these story threads come together in a satisfying way and the film's narrative, ultimately, feels shapeless and directionless. 

In fact, the titular bundle of joy is never anything more than a plot device. It's hard to get attached to the kid when he never does much beyond the occasional, cutesy reaction shot. The film works best when the infant fades into the background and the focus turns towards Dan and Polly's relationship. Fisher and Reynolds, unsurprisingly, have wonderful chemistry. The sparks that fly between them are strong enough that it makes a scene where he repeatedly fires and rehires her, as bosses dating employees is against the rules, cute instead of creepy. A largely dialogue-free scene, where Polly tries on expensive outfits Dan has bought her, is probably the film's best sequence. It depends solely on the clear physical attraction the two have. Another highlight is when Polly attends a party while pretending to be a Norwegian princess with a limited grasp on English. Debbie Reynolds looking glamourous and speaking gibberish Swedish Chef talk is amusing. 

As a musical, "Bundle of Joy" is largely forgettable. The opening number, which Fisher belts out while moving through the busy shopping center, has a decent energy to it but nothing in the way of memorable melodies or lyrics. "All About Love" has Fisher serenading some employees around a piano, which features half decent choreography. "I Never Felt This Way Before" is probably the musical highlight of the film, as it features Reynolds softly singing to the baby while Fisher does pratfalls in the background. I have no recollection of the other songs at all and I just watched the movie a half-hour ago. "Bundle of Joy's" music just doesn't stick in the mind at all. 

The behind-the-scenes trivia is probably more interesting than the movie itself. Reynolds was pregnant with Carrie during filming, which had to be cleverly shot around. Director Norman Taurog was developing Alzheimer's, which led to him frequently repeating direction or forgetting scenes. Fisher would later admit the film was bad and did little acting afterwards. Reynolds got a Golden Globe nomination for the film, so I guess it wasn't a complete loss. By the way, the holiday content is fairly marginal. Santa Claus and Christmas decorations appear prominently in the first scene but rarely anywhere else. There's a sequence set around a New Years party but that's short-loved. I guess there was really no reason for me to watch this one at all! [5/10]

Gremlins: Recall (2017)

I don't normally watch fan films. This is not meant to besmirch the people who make them, who are often passionate and talented people. It's just there are so many movies out there to see, that it's hard to give time to unofficial productions. Yet occasionally one comes along that grabs my attention. Since "Gremlins" is one of the few holiday classics I make an effort to watch every year, and there will probably never be a "Gremlins 3," the news of a professional looking "Gremlins" fan film piqued my interest. "Gremlins: Recall" was directed by Ryan Patrick and released online in 2017.

The ten-minute short begins with an intriguing idea: It seems Mr. Wing's grandson has gone corporate and found a way to take the Gremlin out of the Mogwai. People can now buy Mogwai that aren't sensitive to sunlight, won't reproduced when wet, and won't turn into gremlins if fed after midnight. That's the idea anyway. But things are starting to go wrong, forcing the Wing company to send men out to collect — and exterminate — the defective Mogwai. Our principal setting is an all-night dinner during the holidays. Claire is a young waitress who meets a Wing truck driver and bounds with Trink, a little white Mogwai in his truck. When she gives the Mogwai in the back a milkshake, she unknowingly unleashes some Gremlins into the dinner. 

"Gremlins: Recall" is, first off, a very professional looking film. The cinematography is solid, the use of color is fittingly atmospheric, and the acting is decent. A generic synthwave soundtrack stands in for the expected Jerry Goldsmith themes but I still appreciate the effort. (And there are some holiday standards on the soundtrack too.) The creature effects are less seamless. The Mogwai don't move much and the Gremlins are stiffer, rubberier, and overall less expressive than in the actual "Gremlins" films. But, for a fan prediction obviously working with limited resources, it still looks pretty good. The scene where Claire melts a Gremlin with a heat lamp is definitely a highlight. 

And I think "Recall" has a strong premise for a "Gremlins" sequel. Claire is sympathetic to animals and forms a bond with the abused Trink. The idea of a corporation treating living things like objects is a strong thematic foundation and even continues some of the concepts from the second movie. Katherine Rodriguez is also a likable lead. "Gremlins: Recall" plays like the beginning of a longer story, ending where a feature would only just get going. I suspect Patrick made the short partially as a pitch to Warner Bros., should they ever decide to make an actual "Gremlins 3." I don't know if he's the perfect filmmaker for the job, considering there's none of the manic humor here that is essential to “Gremlins.” But if WB refuses to give Joe Dante the necessary freedom to do another one his way, they could do a lot worse than hiring someone who is clearly passionate about the series and committed to using practical effects. [7/10]