Christmas 2015: December 23

A Christmas Carol (1984)

There have been so many adaptations of “A Christmas Carol” over the years. Ones that are in black and white, in color, musicals and cartoons, ones for TV and ones for theaters. For a while there, we were getting new “Christmas Carols” on an almost yearly basis. There have been so many takes that most of the new ones add comedic, meta, or modern angles. Heck, I’ve already reviewed one version this December. Out of all the versions of Scrooge’s story that have graced the screen, one has emerged as definitive. The 1984 version starring George C. Scott still gets singled out as the best adaptation of Charles Dickens’ beloved novel.

Like I said, “A Christmas Carol” is so frequently adapted that most versions have to add some sort of gimmick. If the ’84 version can be said to have a gimmick, it’s incredible fidelity to the source material. The film hews so closely to Dickens’ book that the dialogue is frequently taken directly from the page. Every aspect of Ebenezer Scrooge’s nightly journey with the three ghosts is included. Many elements frequently left out of other adaptations are presented here. The spooky carriage that precedes Marley is left intact. The Ghost of Christmas Past carries a metal cap over her head, which Scrooge eventually smites her with. Scrooge’s boyhood love of reading is included. The Ghost of Christmas Present presents the children of ignorance and want to the old man. Scrooge’s frequently excised sister Fan appears. As does a moment which shows the married life of the old man’s love, Belle. The movie is so faithful to the text that it almost becomes a flaw. As in Dickens’ book, Scrooge’s fate as the hated dead man is too heavily foreshadowed. Still, Dickens fans hoping to see the author’s words retained on-screen will likely do best by this version.

Because such effort was made to follow the original book, 1984’s “A Christmas Carol” is far spookier and darker then most adaptations. This is one of the few Dickensian movies that truly seem to earn the title of “ghost story.” Marley’s appearance is truly creepy, his jaw dangling open in a grotesque way. He shouts and screams like a banshee. The Ghost of Christmas Past has an eeriness rarely seen in other versions. All the ghosts are more stern then usual, giving Scrooge a lot more grief for his bullshit. The usually jovial Ghost of Christmas Present comes off as downright mean at times, not sparing the old man’s feelings. When the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come appears, he is shown only in silhouette. An off-putting noise, a shriek like rusted metal, accompanies the spirit. The movie also focuses far more on the filthy, foggy conditions of London in the 1880s. The plight of the poor is given extra attention. “Dickensian” is a term associated with filthy ragamuffins for a reason, you know. This “Christmas Carol” doesn’t forget that.

1984’s “Carol” is respected for sticking so closely to the novel and its serious presentation. The reason people love this movie is George C. Scott. The notoriously gruff character actor was perfect for Ebenezer Scrooge. His husky voice works especially well when barking Dickens’ dialogue. Scott often adds a sardonic edge to the character, his cynicism hardened to a point. When the Ghosts presents his past or present to him, his exterior never cracks. He watches with a stern, stony face. The emotion he shows most often is anger. Scott’s unerring curtness makes Scrooge’s inevitable redemption all the more satisfying. (Also amusing: Scott never even attempts a British accent. He was a good enough actor know how ridiculous that would sound.) The rest of the cast is solid as well, including relatively big names David Warner and Susannah York as the Cartchits and Edward Woodward as the Ghost of Christmas Present. But Scott outshines all of them, dominating the screen and impressing the audience.

It’s a frequently overlooked fact but this “Christmas Carol” was actually made for television. It originally aired on CBS. You’d be mistaken for missing this, as the film is incredibly cinematic. The production design is impressive, the film deeply rooted in London fog. Director Clive Donner has a stylish visual sense. He’s fond of reflecting images through the Ghosts’ trademark item. Scenes are shown in the Ghost of Christmas Past’s cap or through the Ghost of Christmas Presents’ torch. Really, the only sign that the movie was originally made for TV is a single shot, the introduction of the Ghost of Christmas Past, that comes off as slightly cheesy and dated. This “Christmas Carol” was so well made that it was released theatrically overseas without a pause.

I’ve already established what my favorite version of “A Christmas Carol” is. This particular take ranks a close second though. It beautifully captures the spirit and tone of Dickens’ original work. It’s a fantastically well made and directed movie. Mostly, I love George C. Scott as Scrooge, one of my favorite actors putting his own stamp on an overplayed part. When a version of a story adapted this often makes this strong of an impression, that shows you just how well done it is. [8/10]

Futurama: The Futurama Holiday Spectacular

When a revival of “Futurama” was announced, it seemed like a great idea. The show was still hilarious when it was canceled and never seemed to get a fair chance in its day. Quickly though, fans learned once again that sometimes dead is better. The direct-to-video “Futurama” movies were disappointing and the new season got off to a really rough start. While the quality would eventually turn around, none of the new episodes proved as memorable as the classic ones. Take the new season’s Christmas episode, for example. “The Futurama Holiday Spectacular” provides three segments, each based around a holiday. Christmas, Bender’s made-up “Robanukah,” and Kwanzaa are all high-lighted, each story ending in catastrophe and death.

In the Christmas segment, Fry has the X-mas blues, once again feeling isolated in the future holiday. This retreads ground covered in season one’s “X-Mas Story.” With some help from Robot Santa, Fry realizes he needs a traditional Christmas tree. A quest to recover the extinct pine tree results in a super-strain of the species that takes over the world. The best gags in this story involve barking snakes and the guard of the seed vault’s nonchalant, vaguely Canadian attitude. Bender’s apocalypse-triggering cigar is a nice touch, especially his realization that he hasn’t contributed to this plot yet. The song – each segment features a song – is pretty lame though. It’s funny but not very novel.

The funniest segment in the episode is devoted to Robanukah. A holiday seemingly made up by Bender to get an extra day off work, Robanukah involves copious alcohol consumption and robotic prostitutes wrestling in petroleum oil. Petroleum oil is increasingly rate, leading to a dangerous quest deep into the Earth. The weird specific qualities of Robanukah are amusing, even though it’s out of character for Bender to care that much about anything. This segment features solid, absurd gags. Such as an albino humping worm, discovered deep in the Earth. Or the ending, which twists the Hanukkah legend in a goofy, perverse direction. Special guest star Al Gore also gets a funny gag about solar energy. The song here is the catchiest, with some amusingly strangled rhymes.

The last segment is devoted to Kwanzaa, as celebrated by Hermes and his family. The search for traditional bee’s wax candles, hindered by colony collapse disorder, send the Planet Express team towards the giant space bee hive, seen all the way back in “The Sting.” This story builds on a gag first mentioned in “A Tale of Two Santas.” Kwanzaa-Bot reappears and sings a rap explaining the holiday’s traditional. Amusingly, even the robot is slightly clueless about the tradition’s meanings. A similar joke declares Kwanzaa to be “a thousand” years old, a comparatively short amount of time considering the future setting. The story also brings back some minor characters, leading to decent gags. The antics of the giant space bee is funny, including a random reference to “Raging Bull.” Of all the downbeat endings in this episode, the Kwanzaa story’s conclusion comes off as the most mean-spirited.

Truthfully, all of the stories are a little too mean, each killing the cast members in brutal ways. The episode’s theme of limited resources and ecological tampering are appreciated and won the show an award. The best joke in “The Futurama Holiday Spectacular” is in the framing devices, which makes repeated references to “Gunderson’s Shelled Nuts!,” the show’s corporate sponsor. There are several good gags and funny moments in “The Futurama Holiday Spectacular” but it really doesn’t hold up against the show’s other holiday-themed episodes. [7/10]

WHY DO I OWN THIS?: Sonic Christmas Blast (1996)

Over here at Film Thoughts, my on-going devotion to Sonic the Hedgehog doesn’t come up much. Back in the nineties, there was a brief period when the Sega Genesis and its blue dude with ‘tude actually outpaced Nintendo and Mario in popularity. That period in time was short-lived. Though Sonic’s made some in-roads here of late, thanks to a sort-of well liked cartoon and shake-ups with the comic book, fans of the blue hedgehog are still looked down upon in most corners of the interwebs. But maybe I’m getting ahead of myself. Back in 1996, Sonic was still somewhat popular. Looking to cash in on that popularity, and playing off both of the cartoons that where still relatively fresh in the kids’ minds, a Christmas special was created. Yes, “Sonic Christmas Blast” exists and it’s bad. So why do I own it?

The folks on Sonic’s home world are shaken, especially the kids, when Santa Claus announces to the masses that he’s retiring. As his replacement, he’s nominated Dr. Robotnik. The obese mad scientist wildly abuses his new power as Robotnik Claus. He forces children to give him gifts and punish those who do not. Naturally, this is all a scheme by the villain. The real Santa is imprisoned. When Sonic the Hedgehog gets a whiff of his arch-enemy’s latest ploy, he races into action to set things right. Oh, also there’s a magic ring and not the usual kind of magic rings either.

There were two Sonic the Hedgehog cartoons in the nineties, both of which aired simultaneously. The Saturday morning cartoon, simply known as “Sonic the Hedgehog” but referred to by fans as “SatAM,” remains well regarded for its serious writing, grim setting, and ensemble cast. The daily “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog,” meanwhile, was goofy as shit. “Sonic Christmas Blast” is, naturally, set in the latter’s world. (Sort of. More on that in a minute.) Therefore, the Christmas special is chockablock of low brow, utterly inane slapstick humor. While dressed as Santa Claus, Robotnik’s gut shows. His henchmen, Scratch and Grounder, attempt to crush Sonic. All they do is reveal their boss’ plot because they’re idiots. Afterwards, Sonic dresses up as another character to dispose of them. This is just the tip of the moronic iceberg that is “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog.” Befitting that series’ style, the animation is incredibly loose, lacking in detail and structure.

Weirdly, despite featuring lots of misbegotten humor, “Sonic Christmas Blast” actually isn’t as focused on dumb jokes as you’d expect. The Christmas special, even with only a thirty minute run time, attempts to squeeze in a real plot. Sonic rescues Santa Claus from Robotnik’s Arctic prison. For reasons I can’t remember now, Santa has Sonic perform a series of tests in order to determine his worthiness. All of this is blatantly setting up the special’s last act. Santa is safe but there’s still not enough time to save Christmas. “Gee,” the special makes its viewer wonder, “I wish there was a character with super speed near-by!” Yes, using a plot device handed to him by his love interest earlier in the special, Sonic zips around the world, delivering presents and humiliating Robontik. Christmas is saved, you guys. Hoo-ray for Sonic Claus.

About the only reason “Sonic Christmas Blast” is of interest to obsessive-compulsive Sonic nerds like me is because it weirdly blends elements from the different cartoons. Like I said, the special is seemingly set in the world of “Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog,” due to its setting, character designs, and generally ridiculous tone. Yet there’s weird remnants from the Saturday morning series. Sonic and Tails refer to a battalion of Robotnik’s robots as “SWATBots,” a concept exclusive to that series. Most importantly, Princess Sally appears in the special. Hilariously, she has no spoken dialogue. When she has an opportunity to talk, Sonic instead buries her in a pile of gifts. She does not factor into the finale. What, Kath Soucie wasn’t available? I’m sure this is reading like Chinese to most of you. To people familiar with Sonic the Hedgehog and its bizarre tangle of continuities, you’ll appreciate how weird and dumb this all is.

Why Do I Own This?: Okay, so “Sonic Christmas Blast” isn’t good. Obviously. I didn’t even have to watch it to tell you that. An animated special whose premise boils down to “Sonic saves Christmas!” was never going to be good. Despite that, there’s a very simple reason why I own this. It’s Sonic, you guys. Truthfully, a Sonic Christmas special is such a bizarre, dumb concept that there was no way I wouldn’t own it. Occasionally, I inflict it on friends at parties which, you know, has made me very popular. Oddities like this, regardless of quality, are one of the reasons I adore this character and his stupid universe. [4/10]

(Oh yeah, I’m going to start updating Hedgehogs Can’t Swim again soon, starting in January. I regret nothing. Merry Christmas.)

Recent Watches: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

When Disney bought the rights to “Star Wars” for a billion-with-a-b dollars, the announcement was followed by a plan to crank out a new “Star Wars” movie every year until the heat death of the universe. Not only would we be getting a new trilogy, the legendary episodes seven through nine, but various stand-alone movie, exploring side stories and characters. Furthermore, George Lucas would have nothing to do with the new movies. In the months leading up to “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens,” J.J. Abrams promised a return to the original trilogy’s style. Basically, Disney and all involved where determined to give people more of what they want. They would continue the story, respect the originals, and wash the bad taste of the prequels out of everyone’s mouth. Surprising absolutely no one, “Episode VII” has been a massive success, already on the way to becoming 2015’s highest grossing release after only a few days. Perhaps more surprisingly, considering how fickle fans can be, most everyone has loved “Episode VII.”

Out of the ashes of the Galactic Empire, the New Order has arisen. A more dangerous and fanatical faction, they have attempted to enforce the reign of Sith lord Snoke over the galaxy. With their new weapon, the Starkiller, rule is in their grasp. The heroes of the First Star Wars have solidified into the Resistance. Out of obscurity, two heroes will rise. A Stormtrooper with a conscience and a scavenger from a desert planet will encounter the old heroes, helping the battle against the First Order.

“The Force Awakens” is nothing but reverent towards the original “Star Wars” trilogy. Its new cast of characters fit roughly the same archetypes as those in the original. The original cast is treated with the same respect that the fans give them. This is fitting, since “The Force Awakens” was made by fans. “Episode VII” holds “A New Hope” in such high esteem that it practically remakes it. The First Order serves the same function as the Empire. Despite winning the previous war, the Rebels are still a grounded, make-shift team fighting a bigger enemy. Both films feature a black clad, Sith villain. Both feature a giant, planet-busting war machine with an easily exploited weak point. In both movies, we visit a bar full of crazy alien creatures. Episodes four and seven both have a mentor dying. Perhaps it shouldn’t be shocking that “The Force Awakens” has been so well received. It blatantly emulates a movie people already loved.

This is what J. J. Abrams does. “Super-8” was a mash-up of Steven Spielberg’s most beloved eighties classics. Abrams’ “Star Trek” films filled themselves up with call-backs to the series’ history, when it wasn’t outright ripping it off. Abrams’ total devotion to “A New Hope” is as much a weakness as a strength. The decision to create another planet-destroying super weapon made me roll my eyes. The Starkiller is just like the Death Star but four times as big and able to spew multiple death rays. Mysterious master villain Snoke fills the same role as the Emperor, a powerful evil with long-reaching plans. “The Force Awakens” also continues the tradition of “Star Wars” villains that look cool but do noting. Captain Phasma has been heavily featured in advertising and merchandising. A female villain should be a big deal in the still male-centric “Star Wars” universe. Yet Phasma has a handful of scenes, contributing very little to the overall story.

Further evidence of “Episode VII’s” complete loyalty to the original trilogy can be found in its two protagonists. Finn is the Stormtrooper who switches side. He’s clumsy but brave, inexperienced but enthusiastic. Rey, meanwhile, grew up on a desert planet and longs for both spiritual advancement and adventure. Both are natural pilots. Mash these two characters together and you’ve got Luke Skywalker in “A New Hope.” This doesn’t stop either character from being likable. John Boyega, who already has a following from “Attack the Block,” personifies youthful exuberance. He displays a lot of humor and an innate likability as Finn. Daisy Ridley, meanwhile, has a captivating screen presence as Rey. The character’s inclination towards machinery is a nice touch. Both are great additions to the “Star Wars” legacy and I fully expect each actor to become big stars.

Despite being a brand new addition to the “Star Wars” series, some characters from “The Force Awakens” have already emerged as fan favorites. And one of them isn’t even human. BB-8 adapts R2D2’s domed droid design to an all-terrain sphere. The design is clever but, more importantly, BB-8 is a full fledged character. By tilting his head and softly beeping, he conveys an amazing array of emotions. His best moment has him flashing an improvised thumbs-up. BB-8 is adorable and awesome, improving every scene he’s in. Poe Dameron, meanwhile, is the movie’s Han Solo figure. (Beside Han Solo, that is.) He’s a hot-shot pilot and wears a cool jacket. He’s also a loyal soldier and friend. Oscar Isaac, also primed to break onto the A-list, gives an entertaining performance.

The advertisement for “Episode VII” that didn’t focus on BB-8 focused on Kylo Ren. The new villain is patterned after Darth Vader with his black suit, concealing mask, and reverberating voice. As widely mocked as the tri-bladed light saber has been, it’s an image that certainly caught people’s attention. While Kylo Ren has his mask on, he’s an intimidating figure. He can stop blaster rays in their path, tosses people around with the Force, and tears shit up with that light saber. When the mask comes off, Ren is… Adam Driver. I’ll admit Driver is a performer I just don’t get. He’s sweaty, nasally, and petulant. Ren’s backstory plays into Driver’s most irritating aspects as an actor. Even during the big action finale, Driver is irritating and whiny. Maybe Kylo Ren should keep his mask on for “Episode VIII.”

As much attention as the new characters have gotten, “The Force Awakens” also reunites us with the major players of the original trilogy. Han Solo and Chewbacca have the biggest role. The script puts Solo into a similar role as the first film, a rogue ready for a redemptive cause. Ford seems to be having a lot of fun, smiling and joking around. Chewie, meanwhile, gets extra attention, his animalistic groans packed with even more emotion. Leia, now promoted to general, mostly has a supporting role. Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford still have solid chemistry though. C-3PO’s reappearance is a funny moment. Neither Luke Skywalker nor R2D2 have big roles, though both are treated with a certain grandeur. Heck, the movie even brings back Admiral Ackbar!

Naturally, this “Star Wars” film has to include a war among the stars. As far as action sequences go, the climatic shoot-out in space doesn’t make much of impression. The Millennium Falcon running through a down Star Destroyer is cool but brief. Though Poe Dameron’s climatic attack on the Starkiller sticks in my mind, the space combat is fairly forgettable. Instead, it’s the more personal action bits that stick out to me. Poe and Finn’s dramatic escape from the enemy base, which has a Tie-Fighter firing its weapons inside a tight location. Finn and Rey running across the desert, buildings exploding around them, generates some decent suspense. Chewbacca gets a fantastic action beat all to himself. The wookie unleashes his fury with his trademark blaster and some well-placed bombs. The best action scene is the final light saber duel. It escalates nicely, trading off between three different characters. We see what the purpose of Kylo Ren’s extra blades are. This moment is the true climax, a culmination of the events the entire movie had been building towards. It’s also nicely shot, taking place in a snowy forest, the trees and ice being well utilized.

Another thing I liked about “The Force Awakens” is how funny it is. Unlike the prequels, all the laughs here are of the intentional variety. John Boyega shows off a considerable skill for physical comedy not seen in his previous roles. The actor is good enough that the audience can laugh at Finn’s pratfalls but it doesn’t make the character grating or annoying. An extended funny moment involves Han and the new cast evading some nasty fellows inside a ship. The solution to this problem, involving giant monsters rampaging through the tight corridors, provides some solid laughter. (One thing that’s disappointing about this moment is it’s the sole appearance of Iko Uwais, bad ass star of “The Raid.”) There are other, small moments of laughter. Such as a pair of Stormtrooper’s responding to Kylo Ren’s anger or an encounter between the heroes and Captain Phasma. Compared to the stately, suffocatingly strict prequels, it’s great to see a “Star Wars” movie that can loosen up a little.

In the months leading up to the film’s release, J.J. Abrams’ promised the new film would rely on practical effects, a blow-back to the excessive CGI of the prequel trilogy. There’s still a lot of CGI in “The Force Awakens,” of course. Most of the space fights are digital and two major characters are brought to life through motion capture. On the other hand, most of the background creatures and machines are purely practical. Many of the aliens seen hanging around Jakku or Moz’ bar are created through puppetry and make-up. There’s no CGI Akbar here. Though this is as much pandering to fans as anything else, it also does a good job of rooting the film in reality. Unlike some of the outrageous locations and creations of the prequels, “The Force Awakens” seems more real.

I’ve been tip-toeing around spoilers in this review. If you’re avoiding them too, you should probably stop reading now. There are some major shake-ups in “The Force Awakens.” An iconic character dies, in a scene that is built with importance. It’s a well done moment but one, I suspect, that has more to do with the actor wanting out then with the story’s needs. Another returning character has a very small role, which is slightly disappointing. (Though presumably, he’ll have more to do in future installments.) The reveal of another character’s true parentage genuinely caught me off-guard. Many of the supposed “leaks” pointed in another direction. Another character’s parentage is left ambiguous but easy to assume, unless there’s a big misdirection happening.

Ultimately, “Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens” is an extended act of fan service. J. J. Abrams essentially made a movie that would please as many fans as possible. This is as much a flaw and a strength. Yet, sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with giving people what they want. “The Force Awakens” is a lot of fun. Who knows where this new trilogy will take us. Right now though, this galaxy is off to a good start. [7/10]

Christmas 2015: December 20

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)

“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” has long been considered the worst Christmas movie ever made, if not one of the worst films ever made period. Even before seeing the movie, I personally found this hard to believe. There have been so many crappy Christmas movies pumped out over the years. (I mean, the Hallmark Channel has to show something throughout the entirety of November and December.) I think people like to attack “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” simply because of its outrageous title. After watching it on its own, I can rightfully declare “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” not the worst Christmas movie ever made. Heck, it’s not even the worst Christmas movie shown on “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s rather bad. But there’s something to be said for its stodgy weirdness.

On Earth, children eagerly anticipate their yearly visit from Santa Claus. In his workshop, Santa works hard on fulfilling the wishes of the world’s kids. Meanwhile, the alien children of Mars have no happiness. They have no conception of toys, Christmas, or Santa Claus. Distraught by their children’s depression, the Martian adults consult the great Martian elder. He recommends that the people of Mars kidnap Santa Claus, so he can bring joy and happiness to their kids. They comply, kidnapping two Earth children in the process. Though Santa would prefer to stay on Earth, he’s happy to help the Martians. Meanwhile, forces on Mars want to send Santa packing.

People like to crap on low budget movies, frequently aligning a film’s quality with the amount of money spent on it. Truthfully, a movie’s budget has nothing to do with how enjoyable it is. If my years of watching independent films have taught me anything, it’s that meagerly budgeted films can be far more exciting or clever then the biggest blockbusters. “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” was obviously made for very little money. The whole film takes place over about four or five sets. About two people work in Santa Claus’ shop. The score is incredibly repetitive, mostly repeating variations on the surprisingly catchy theme song. The movie’s robot, Torg, is obviously played by a man in a cardboard costume. The film employs a similar tactic for its polar bear, played by an entirely unconvincing man in a suit. The Martians are played by actors in cheap costumes with sickly green grease paint slathered on their faces.

Don’t confuse my statements as a defense of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” The movie is quite bad in many ways. The pacing moves in halts and shudders. The long sequence of the two abducted children wandering around the North Pole is one example of this. Voldar, the villainous Martian who wishes to eject Santa from Mars, never has a very consistent plan. He attempts multiple insurrections, trying the same maneuvers repeatedly. The fist fights between Voldar and the heroic Kimar are hilariously choreographed. The film’s comic relief, a buffoonish Martian named Dropo, is very annoying. Santa is a rather passive protagonist. Instead of motivating the plot, he’s tugged in different directions by the whims of other characters. The young actors playing the main kids are just awful, starring ahead blankly as they monotonously recite their lines.

But you don’t need me to tell you that “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is a bad movie. You probably guessed that just from reading the title. Despite its many obvious, apparent flaws, there’s something weirdly captivating about “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” The movie’s low-key, languid pacing lulls you into a pleasant state of relaxation. The film was both written and produced by Paul L. Jacobson, suggesting this was a personal effort. (Director Nicholas Webster mostly worked in television and would later direct a Bigfoot documentary called “Manbeast! Myth or Monster?”) The movie’s super low-budget production values are actually fairly charming. The Martian lair, which includes triangles that the children sit under when they sleep, is interesting to look at. Amusingly, even on Mars, the wife is totally subservient to the husband. The kiddy-movie conclusion where the kids defeat the villains with toys, is… Well, it’s something. Imagine watching “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” on late night TV, drifting in and out of sleep. Or having it play in the background on a static-y TV while putting up the Christmas tree. In these scenarios, the goofy, low budget, badly made film takes on a whole new appeal.

There’s no doubt a thick flavor of cheese infects every reel of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” It’s a weirdly hypnotizing mixture of low-balling kiddy flick and weirdo sci-fi movie. It’s not really good and never quite crosses over into hilariously bad. Nevertheless, it remains strangely fascinating. I’m just glad I exist in a world where a movie as weird as “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” exists. Should I dare attempt to watch “Santa Claus and the Ice Cream Bunny” next December? [5/10]

Community: Regional Holiday Music

Season three is my favorite season of “Community.” The Troy and Abed friendship, the true heart of the show, was fully established by that point. The show finally figured out what to do with Britta, utilizing Gillian Jacobs’ incredible skills as a physical comedian by turning her into a clumsy goofball. The series’ rich supporting cast was built in, leaving a solid foundation for quick jokes and one-off gags. The show was also at its most ambitious by this point, doing a number of fantastic themed episodes. One such themed episode is “Regional Holiday Music,” which functions as both the third season’s Christmas episode and the series’ musical episode.

With Christmas arriving, the Study Group’s arch-enemies – the Glee Club – are out singing and dancing in obnoxious ways. Jeff, however, utilizes his skills as a lawyer and knowledge of copyrights to get the Glee Club shut down. This causes the club members to have nervous breakdowns. Meanwhile, Abed worries that the year has gotten too dark and that his friends won’t have a happy Christmas. He seeks out Mr. Rad, the Glee Club organizer. Unknowingly, Abed sets a musical virus spreading through all his friends.

“Regional Holiday Music” is obviously built around making fun of “Glee,” a rival show that was wildly popular at the time but has already receded from the popular consciousness. The overwhelming happiness of song-and-dance numbers is mocked. Breaking out into song is shown as a virus, sapping the infectee of their personality and making them obsessed with “regionals.” The visual language of the show, with its spinning cameras and pianos that keep playing when nobody sits at them, is also mocked. Early in the episode, Jeff says that trying to make things happier at the holidays will just reveal more darkness. This is revealed to be true, when the psychotically happy Mr. Rad – played by a hilariously deranged Taran Killian – is shown to be genuinely psychotic, confessing to murdering the previous Glee Club. The show isn’t just lobbing jabs at “Glee.” It’s also mocking a pop culture that insists happiness is the only acceptable mood around December, ignoring how complex and melancholy the holiday can be.

Despite making fun of the musical format, “Regional Holiday Music” actually features some catchy songs. The first number, “Glee!,” is insanely catchy. One of “Community’s” strengths was its total grasp on the characters. Troy raps about being a Jehovah’s Witness, going “undercover” as a Christmas celebrator. The production of this sequence features plenty of clever, easily missed gags. “Baby Boomer Santa” caters to Pierce’s ego and hunger for nostalgia as a baby boomer. It also amusingly incorporates a number of pop styles over a few minutes. Shirley is won over with a choir of children singing about how they don’t know who Jesus is. (Yvette Nicole Brown’s panicked mumbles of “That's what they do!” gets me every time.) Annie is converted off-screen, performing an overly sexualized song-and-dance in order to infect Jeff. In this scene, the show mocks the weird trend of both infantilizing and sexualizing young women, obviously making fun of “Santa Baby” and similar songs. It also has Allison Brie gyrating in very revealing lingerie, so everyone wins. And if you prefer Britta, she wears a skin-tight body stocking before the show is over too.

There’s plenty of gags that are just silly too. Like Jim Rash’s Dean talking about his dreams, Gillian Jacobs’ inspired silly Christmas dance, or the credits bumper that features a unique rendition of “Carol of the Bells.” Just the sight of Donald Glover eating a sandwich got a laugh out of me. This is probably the only Christmas episode to reference “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” and “The Star Wars Holiday Special.” In short, another classic. [9/10]

Christmas 2015: December 19

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

A hit as enormous as “Home Alone” demanded a sequel. As the surprise hit of 1990, the film made Macaulay Culkin a breakout star and remained hugely popular on VHS. A sequel was quickly rushed into production, hitting theaters two years later. Despite its quickie status, the sequel lured back original director Chris Columbus, writer John Hughes, and all the first film’s major stars.

The next December, the McCallister family plans to spend their holiday vacation in Florida. Just like last time, the family oversleeps. Luckily, Kevin isn’t left alone at home. Instead, during the rush through the airport, the boy winds up with his dad’s bag on a separate plane. While his family heads to Florida, Kevin winds up in New York. Happy to be away from his asshole family, he shacks up in a fancy hotel, having adventures with a kindly toy shop owner and an eccentric homeless woman. Unlucky for Kevin, the Wet Bandits have escaped from prison and are in the same city. It’s only a matter of time before the boy and the bandits confront each other again.

John Hughes and Chris Columbus rightly figured that Kevin being left in his house by himself again would push believably. As the title indicates, “Home Alone 2” has the boy lost in New York City. This was the only difference the creative team implemented. Otherwise, “Lost in New York” is more than happy to pillage elements from the first movie. Once again, Kevin has an argument with his extended family, making him resent them leading up to the holidays. After being separated from them, he happily notes their absence. In both films, Kevin uses an improvised marionette and his puppetry skills to fool a grown-up. For a second time, he utilizes audio from a gangster movie to fool and terrify somebody. History repeats itself when Kevin meets a frightening stranger that ends up helping him. Both times, this person saves the kid from the crooks. The film leaps through some improbable plot points to get Kevin and the Wet Bandits back together. They just happen to escape a year later, just happen to end up in NYC, and just happen to run into a small boy in a city of 7.3 million people. John Hughes probably received a nice paycheck for copy-and-pasting the first movie’s screenplay.

At least shifting the setting around is a smart idea. New York is, after all, the most Christmas-y of all American cities. The various landmarks – such as Central Park, the World Trade Center, and Donald Trump back when he was just a harmless pop culture joke instead of a legitimately evil presidential candidate – are well utilized. For most of the second act, Kevin stays inside the Plaza Hotel. Though the scenes of the boy fucking with the hotel staff aren’t fresh laughs, they’re still amusing. This is mostly thanks to Tim Curry’s gloriously ridiculous performance as the villainous Concierge. Dana Ivey and, yes, even Rob Schneider aren’t bad as his cohorts. Watching Curry’s disbelief when the gangster movie makes references to him kissing the doorman is amusing. As is the reoccurring gag about Schneider being tipped with gum. The movie also introduced the Talkboy, a toy so cool that it crossed over into reality.

This being a “Home Alone” movie, it has to end with the most brutal violence permitted by a PG rating. “Lost in New York” ramps the already improbable punishment Harry and Marv suffered to truly cartoonish levels. Despite having all of New York to play in, “Home Alone 2” confines its last act to an abandoned apartment building. Marv is beaned with a brick four times. This alone should have killed him but the movie is just getting started. He is shot with a staple gun in the butt, balls, and face. He falls fifteen feet onto a hard wood floor. He’s buried under a shelf of paint cans. Most ridiculously, Marv is electrocuted by jumper cables. Singling the film’s complete crossover into cartoon reality, his skeleton flashes through his skin! This is, perhaps, a side effect of the already buffoonish Marv being turned into a totally childish man-child.

The abuse Harry suffers is no less extreme. He’s set on fire, blown up, falls off a fire escape onto concrete, stumbles off a ladder, and is plummeted with wrenches. Both men are slammed in the face with a iron dumbbell, fall another fifteen feet, climb a blazing rope, and fall even further, through an awning, and into the basement. “Home Alone 2’s” attempt to top the first movie’s mayhem pushes the sequel into exaggerated, sadistic direction. The action is so overdone that it quickly shifts from amusing to tiresome.

Despite being boldly derivative of the first movie, the sequel nearly matched the original’s massive 400 million gross. Part two topped out at 358 million. I guess audiences in the early nineties couldn’t get enough of Macaulay Culkin brutalizing a pair of adults. Apparently you can’t go wrong giving people more of what they liked the first time. Despite the box office receipts, Kevin McCallister did not return a third time to torment Harry and Marv. The series continued but without Culkin. Three was an awful kids’ movie. The fourth and fifth “Home Alone” movies – I didn’t know they existed until just now either – ended up going direct to television. The original is a suitably entertaining popcorn flick but “Home Alone 2” is too willing to copy the first’s blueprint. [6/10]

A Wish for Wings That Work (1991)

Back in 2013, I mentioned a VHS tape I had as a child. It was full of Christmas specials, recorded off television. Among “The Snowman,” “Garfield’s Christmas Special,” and “Ziggy’s Gift” was “A Wish for Wings That Work.” Even as late as 1991, popular comic strips could get half-hour Christmas specials in prime time. The popularity of Berkeley Breathed’s “Bloom County” was incredibly short-lived though. Compared to the decades-long run of other strips, “Bloom County” was only published for ten years. I don’t personally recall ever seeing the strip in my local newspapers. Unlike the similarly short-lived “Calvin & Hobbs,” “Bloom County” has not lingered in the pop culture consciousness. It’s time-specific pop culture and political commentary has not aged well. Though “A Wish for Wings That Work” is no less obscure, at least it’s on DVD.

Opus is a penguin, living with his friend Bill the Cat somewhere in the frozen north. Being a penguin, Opus can not fly. Yet he desperately desires the experience of flying. He tries using his own wings or tying balloons to his body. When neither of these attempts succeed, Opus falls back on the strategy favored by children the world over: He asks Santa Claus for the ability to fly as a Christmas gift. It just so happens that, during his Christmas Eve flight around the world, Santa’s sleigh breaks down above Opus’ town. This allows the penguin an up-close encounter with the legendary figure.

“Bloom County’ was not your typical comic strip. Accordingly, “A Wish for Wings That Work” is not your typical holiday special. Opus’ town is full of some very odd residents. There’s a pig that thinks he’s a rhino, who spends his days rampaging through town. While seeking therapy for his flight-related neurosis, Opus ends up in a bird support group. Also in this group is a manic chicken and a kiwi who is incredibly bitter about his wife leaving him for an albatross. His anxiety about his wing size is obviously a metaphor for penis size anxieties, another grown-up joke sneaked into the special. Outside the support group, Opus meets a cross-dressing cockroach, a joke that definitely would not fly today. (The kiwi is voiced by Robin Williams and the cockroach by Dustin Hoffman, both uncredited.) Bill the Cat is no less gross in animated form then when drawn. He coughs up a furball and spends most of the special rooting around in garbage.

Truthfully, “A Wish for Wings That Work” is a little too weird and mean-spirited for its own good at times. When a flock of seagulls mock Opus for his aspiration, the special doesn’t seem to immediately disagree with them. The half-hour does have its highlights though. The dialogue can be nicely biting at times. Opus blaming his lack of flight on “Congress” is a nice joke. A dream sequence, that utilizes footage from 1937’s “Lost Horizon,” is a fun and off-beat moment. Opus’ butt falling off, like a loose hubcap, is an image that has always stuck with me. When Santa appears, his sleigh has dropped in the icy water. Being a penguin, Opus’ natural swimming abilities comes in handy. The special is meant to have a moral about accepting one’s own abilities and being happy with who you are. “A Wish for Wings That Work” is a little too sarcastic to sell an earnest message like that.

Obviously, the special is flawed. Berkeley Breathed himself didn’t care for it. I don’t know how often it aired on TV but I can’t imagine it was more than once or twice. However, the animation is quite nice and its sense-of-humor is quirky enough to be memorable. It never quite works for me every time I watch it but I, nevertheless, have a nostalgic connection to “A Wish for Wings That Work.” [7/10]

Christmas 2015: December 18

P2 (2007)

“P2” came and went in 2007 without much notice. It did abysmally at the box office, holding the record for the fourth worst opening weekend for a wide release until recently. I can’t recall seeing a single trailer, commercial, or poster for the movie, which might explain why it did so poorly. Even horror fans didn’t give it much attention. It was only after the movie came and went from theaters that I realized Alexandre Aja was a co-writer. “P2” was also the directorial debut of Franck Khalfoun, who would go on to make the very impressive remake of “Maniac.” When I read the film was set around Christmas that gave me extra incentive to finally check out “P2.”

Angela is working late at the office on Christmas Eve. After she wraps up there, she plans on going over to her sister's for a family holiday dinner. Upon leaving, her car fails to start. She calls a cab but finds herself locked inside the building. Angela goes down into the parking garage, where she meets Thomas, a security guard. He drugs her and she awakens wearing a white dress and chained to a table. Angela discovers that Thomas is obsessed, psychotic, and wants to spend Christmas with her.

“P2” is a fun-enough cross breed of a stalker thriller with some slasher trappings that trades freely in “women in peril” imagery. Rachel Nichols spends nearly the entire film in a very low cut dress. She’s a beautiful, buxom woman and the film delights in submerging her in water or splattering her with blood. The first half of “P2” is devoted to Angela’s various attempts to escape Thomas. She stabs him with a fork, yanks at the chain, and winds up in a flooded elevator. She attempts to call the cops on a cellphone but, naturally, has no bars. The film does not pile on the gore with the exception of one sequence. Thomas has captured Angela’s grabby co-worker, taping him to a chair in the parking garage. After smacking him around with his Maglight, he then crushes the man between a car and the wall. Eventually the man bursts, his blood splattering against the car’s windshield. It’s the kind of creative butchery Khalfoun would truly perfect with “Maniac.”

Though there are a few other characters in the film, “P2” is mostly a two-person show. Rachel Nichols’ career never truly took off which is a shame, as I’ve always liked her. She’s not only gorgeous in “P2” but also proves to be a resilient scream queen. An especially impressive scene has her struggling with a dog, showing Nichols isn’t afraid to get down and dirty. Her will to survive truly rubs off on the audience. As much as I like Nichols, Wes Bently steals the show. Bently has admitted he was high as fuck while filming “P2.” This is probably why his performance is so unhinged. He greets Angela in a Santa suit, calmly preparing a Christmas dinner for her. One mostly unrelated scene has him gyrating and lip-synching to Elvis. He sweats, heaves, and stares with a magnificent set of crazy eyes. The more desperate Thomas’ situation becomes, the further off-the-rocker Bently goes. It’s a performance of truly Nic Cage-ian proportions and part of what makes the film entertaining.

In the second half of “P2,” Angela has had enough of Thomas’ bullshit and goes on the offensive. This is nicely illustrated in a scene where she starts smashing security cameras with a fire axe. This duel of wills is intermittently intense. The girl barely avoiding detection from the killer, inside the garage’s car dealership, stands out to me. An especially tense moment involves a car chase through the tight corners of the garage, the vehicles careening around tight corners. That moment concludes with a game of chicken, two cars racing towards each other. Disappointingly, “P2” peaks early, during this moment. Despite only running a little longer then ninety minutes, the film still feels too long. It’s as if the writers were really stretching to think up multiple situations set inside a parking garage. “P2” starts to spin its wheel before it’s over.

Any time a horror film takes place inside such a limited locale, critics are quick to point out how easily the scenario could’ve been resolved. I’m sure Angela had many opportunities to escape the garage. “P2” also, perhaps, could’ve utilized its seasonal setting a little better. There’s some Christmas lights, a few songs, and snow at the end. In the end, the film qualifies as a Christmas movie mostly on a technicality. Still, a handful of intense or gory moments and two entertaining performances result in a decent horror flick. [7/10]

Futurama: A Tale of Two Santas

“Futurama’s” first Christmas episode, “Xmas Story,” is a classic and one of the episodes responsible for me loving the show. There was no way the show was going to introduce a concept like a murderous robotic Santa and not return to it. He returns every Christmas, after all! In “A Tale of Two Santas,” the Planet Express delivery team gets the crappy job of delivering children’s letters to Santa Claus. The homicidal Robo-Claus lives on Neptune, where he has enslaved the local aliens. The Planet Express team, while escaping the planet, wind up freezing the robotic Santa in the ice. With Christmas Eve only hours away, Bender assumes the role of Santa Claus, delivering gifts to Earth’s children. Bender being who he is though, he soon gets in trouble.

While “Xmas Story” was more then happy to introduce the concept of a killer Santa-bot, it actually featured very little yuletide slaughter. “A Tale of Two Santas,” meanwhile, follows up on the premise, leading to some dark chuckles. Consider the letters children write Santa. One little girl writes that when Santa shot her with a bicycle cannon, he broke her arm. A young boy writes about how Santa lodges a chestnut in her grandfather’s throat and now his corpse is starting to stink. On Neptune, Santa’s annual rampage has forced the local toy factory closed. Soon, a crack house will replace it. After Robo-Claus is defeated, the Planet Express crew motivates the Neptunians with a lively song. As the elves work harder and faster to meet the deadline, the lyrics become far meaner. The episode concludes with Bender and the real Santa going on a rampage, leaving the city in flames. If “Futurama” wasn’t so consistently funny, this episode might actually be too dark.

There are some other seasonal gags that work. While out on his Christmas trip, Bender encounters Kwanzaa Bot. His whole purpose is to distribute a book that instructs children on what Kwanzaa is. Zoidburg bathes in eggnog and, later, dresses as Jesus. Ultimately, the episode meanders a little off topic. While distributing gifts, Bender is shot, beaten, and mangled by a fearful populace. He winds up on trial for the crimes of the real Santa. Here, the episode segues into a funny if odd sequence featuring a Southern lawyer who is also a chicken. Bender is convicted, passes a message to the Robot Devil, and put up for execution via giant magnet. All of this stuff is funny, providing twisted and absurd laughs. However, I ultimately feel “A Tale of Two Santas” wanders too far from its Christmas concept.

Despite its twisted concept, “Xmas Story” managed to have some heart as well. “A Tale of Two Santas” attempts this combination of genuine sweetness and dark comedy. The episode ends with Fry and his friends huddling close together in their home, hiding from the carnage outside. Fry comments that this is what Christmas is supposed to do, bring people closer together. Ha ha. While not as good as the first season’s Christmas episode, “A Tale of Two Santas” is still consistently funny. [7/10]

Christmas 2015: December 17

Home Alone (1990)

To the oft-mentioned nineties kids, “Home Alone” is regarded as a Christmas classic. Released with few expectations, the film would become a monstrous hit. Outliving its holiday release date, the film stayed atop the box office for twelve weeks and ultimately grossed over 400 million. Frequent TV showings have kept it in the pop culture consciousness. In Poland, of all places, it’s considered an essential Christmas tradition. I was part of the “Home Alone” cult as a kid. I frequently watched the VHS tape. I vividly remember a poster, showing a map of the McCallister house with all of Kevin’s traps illustrated, that hung in our movie room for years. Upon revisiting the film a few years ago, I was underwhelmed, my childhood memories betraying me. Re-watching it again this year, my impression was much better. Funny how that works…

For those of you who somehow missed “Home Alone” back in 1990, let me elaborate. Kevin McCallister’s entire goddamn family is gathered in his upscale home, in the days leading up to Christmas. The family is preparing for a trip to Paris. Kevin’s older brother and uncle treat him like crap, his mom and dad belittle him, and the rest of his family ignores him. That night, Kevin solemnly wishes his family would disappear. A freak power outage leaves the family rushing to the airport. In the confusion, Kevin is left home alone. It’s great at first until the Wet Bandits, a pair of thieves responsible for the home break-ins in the neighborhood, target the McCallister house. Kevin has to fend for himself while his mom desperately tries to make it back.

Back in my teenage years, I once chose to stay home during a holiday vacation. When you’re used to living with family, having an entire house to yourself for a while can be kind of awesome. Kevin experiences this in “Home Alone.” His absolute euphoria upon realizing his asshole family has vanished is infectious. Since large portion of the film obviously have Kevin as the only character on-screen, he frequently voices his thoughts. While watching a gangster movie and eating a huge bowl of ice cream, he shouts about how he’s watching trash and eating junk. Using the same tape, he plays a pretty funny prank on the pizza boy. He joyously rides his sled down the home’s main staircase. He plays target practice with a B.B. gun and his older brother’s sport figurines. When he goes grocery shopping by himself, it allows the boy a fun chance to pretend to be an adult. The first act plays up how obnoxious Kevin’s family is. The audience is obviously meant to share the boy’s joy at their sudden disappearance.

Of course, Kevin quickly realizes that he’s eight years old in a big house, all by himself. The notorious moment when he slaps his face and screams is a comical sign that the kid may be in over his head. A moment that I could definitely relate to as a kid has Kevin being frightened of the furnace in the basement, imagining its grate opening like a mouth. (We had a spooky basement too.) One poignant moment has the boy in his parents’ bed, wishing his family was near him. Later, during a funny scene, he asks a department store Santa for his family back. Supporting this theme is the subplot of the creepy old guy next door. Played by Roberts Blossom, whose creepiness was well-earned in “Deranged,” Kevin starts out afraid of the old man. After meeting him in a church on Christmas Eve, they have a heart to heart. He reveals his own family problems, an estranged son he hopes to patch things up with. It could’ve been a sappy moment but proves surprisingly touching, mostly thanks to how Blossom levels with Culkin.

Of course, none of this stuff is what people really remembering about “Home Alone.” What truly sticks in people’s brains is the cartoonish obstacle course Kevin builds for the thieves in the last act. After a few brief encounters with the Wet Bandits, which includes a decently tense boy-vs.-van chase, they attempt to invade his home. “Home Alone” quickly escalates into a live-action “Tom and Jerry” cartoon from there. Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci both take likely fatal spills down icy steps. Pesci burns his hands on a red hot door knob before having his head severely burned with a blow torch. Stern gets a B.B. to the face, an iron to the face, a spider to the face, tar on the feet, a big ass nail in the feet, and shattered Christmas ornaments to the feet. None of that manages to kill them, leaving both to be smashed in the face with swinging paint cans. Of course, both guys would be way dead before Kevin does his climatic trip across a home-made zip line. As a “kid vs. grown-ups” revenge fantasy, “Home Alone” is surprisingly brutal. No wonder fans like to compare Kevin to the Jigsaw Killer.

“Home Alone” would make Macaulay Culkin the biggest child star of the decade. It would both make and end his career. A hit as massive as “Home Alone” insured that Culkin’s screaming face would become iconic. Yet it also made it difficult for the public to identify him in any other role. Yet let’s remember why Kevin McCallister is so beloved. Culkin gives a genuinely good performance, showing a charisma and likability few mature stars have. I also think Catherine O’Hara is rather sweet as the mom, making it clear that she really does love Kevin, even if he annoys her. Joe Pesci somehow resists screaming profanity in every scene, though he comes close. He’s actually quietly cunning, contrasting with the lovably buffoonish Stern.

Look, I’m not going to call “Home Alone” a classic. It’s fun, surprisingly sweet at times, with a good cast and a great John Williams’ score. It’s also pretty silly and Chris Columbus’ direction is definitely overdone at all. Still, if you can look at it through the eyes of a kid that has always resented his extended family, odds are good “Home Alone” will speak to you. [7/10]

Community: Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas

Season two was when “Community” really cut loose, producing crazy themed episodes. For Halloween, they produced a brilliant half-hour riff on zombie movies. For Christmas, the series took a shot at a stop-motion holiday musical. In “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas,” Abed is imaging his college and friends as claymation armatures. Concerned about his break from reality, the group gathers in the study room and humors his delusion, in the hopes that he’ll reveal what upset him. Instead, Abed takes them on a holiday special-themed journey through his Christmasized subconscious.

“Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” is done entirely in stop-motion animation. The episode does a decent job of replicating the Rankin-Bass specials. Mostly, the switch in format allows the show to explore all sorts of wacky images. Abed envisions all of his friends as Christmas-appropriate objects. Jeff becomes a jack-in-the-box, Britta becomes a robot, Annie becomes a wind-up ballerina, and so on. The Christmas-themed alternate universe features a train chase and – my favorite – the self-destructing Christmas pterodactyl. Abed compares the journey to “Willy Wonka” and his friends are accordingly picked off during the journey, via flesh-devouring Hum Bugs and a collapsing ice cavern. The episode also features a few songs. Disappointingly, none are that memorable. Save the closing number, “That’s What Christmas is For,” which is catchy and nicely encapsulates the episode’s theme.

As always, “Community’s” greatest strength is its cast of characters. Watching them bounce off each other in this exaggerated setting produces some great laughs. Jeff’s perpetual sarcasm getting him attacked is great. Annie’s realization over why Abed imagines her as a ballerina is funny. Troy’s disappointment at getting a drum, or Pierce’s reason for sticking around, are good reoccurring gags. Later, the titular character drives off Professor Duncan by making him have his own Christmas breakdown. Ultimately, “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” is a sad story, once the real reason behind Abed’s break from reality is revealed. The episode tries to spin this ending into a festive message about making friends into a family. It doesn’t entirely work.

So the sadness overwhelms “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas.” Yet it’s still a really fun episode. It’s probably the most Christmas-centric of “Community’s” Christmas episodes. It finds plenty of novel things to do with the set-up. Moreover, the cast is always worth watching. This is another half-hour of television I don’t mind spending a bit of December with. [7/10]