Sunday 14 December 2014

12 Days of Christmas - Day 1 National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

Me and Allie are both HUGE Christmas fans, we were the first when we worked together to turn up in festive earrings and jumpers with Christmas countdown timers going and Michael Buble playing out of our computer speakers.  In which case, for our first Christmas with Flick Chicks we thought we needed to do something special and big!! I will never forget that Christmas Eve that we looked after the office and had a huge feast!

I'm really looking forward to watching some Christmas films I've never seen before. I have about 5 favourites that I watch every single year, and this is a brilliant opportunity to watch some forgotten-about films and new ones too!

So, we are preparing to cover 12 days of Christmas with Christmas movie reviews.  Every day between now and Christmas Day we will post a festive movie review.  We have already decided the movies, but we won't be telling you yet, don't want to ruin the surprise....

12 Days, 12 Christmas Movies, 12 Festive reviews....

Let the countdown to Christmas begin with our first review....


I waited until the second week of November before watching my first Christmas film this year. I think that's pretty good actually, but anyone I told seemed to look at me with a face of confusion and despair. That is, until I told them I watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

I was brainwashed from a young age with the original Vacation film, so much that as I grew older and watched it again for the nostalgia, I realised many of the little quips my family and I say all the time are actually from it! No long drive anywhere is complete in my family without a loud rendition of the Marty Moose song. 

Christmas Vacation is exactly what you expect it to be, a hilarious tale of Clark Griswald (Chevy Chase) trying to make Christmas perfect for his family. He's spent his Christmas bonus on the deposit for an outdoor pool before the cheque arrives, he spends all day putting lights up on his house, and is as welcoming as he can when Cousin Eddie and family turn up without a warning. Yes, Christmas Vacation is a truly typical Christmas film. Yet, it will always remain one of my favourites.

Can you believe I hadn't see this film (Allie had that look in her eye I get everytime she tells me she hasn't seen Ghostbusters!!) I've always heard about it at Christmas but have never been a huge fan of Chevy Chase so gave it a swerve.  I will admit that I was wrong as I really did enjoy it (while wrapping my Christmas presents and putting my tree up!).



Despite its over-the-top nature, everyone will relate to at least some of the elements in this film. We've all felt that frustration over the lights when there's a problem with just 1, yet none will work, and we've all gotten fed up of certain family members after spending far too much time with them! Usually about 10 minutes after their arrival...

Christmas Vacation gives us all of this and more, and Chevy Chase makes funny moments laugh out loud ones, which is why I love him so much. It was really strange watching this the other day whilst also marathon-ing Community, he's changed so much over the years!

Very entertaining and like Allie says very over the top BUT relatable in so many ways.  That relative turning up on your doorstop who you desperately don't want to see but announce they will be staying for the whole festive period - we've all been there, no?  I think I may have to give National Lampoons Vacation a go next... Oh my God, yes! Please invite me. I promise not to sing the Marty Moose song too much. Depending on what you define as 'too much'.



This is one of my go-to Christmas films and I'll watch it every year!  This may now be added to my must-watch Christmas films every year!



7 comments:

  1. I remember seeing copies of this back at the video rental place near my old house, but I never really gave it much thought. I guess I always dismissed it as one of those cheesy generic comedies that tries too hard to be funny but never actually has anything in it that actually makes you laugh.

    I guess it's fitting that everybody's getting into Christmas articles. I managed to beat the rush by a few days discussing a timeless family holiday classic (and of course by "family Holiday classic" I mean a weird and disturbing erotic film from the mind of Stanley Kubrick).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Without a doubt, it's a generic Christmas comedy. I think I would have dismissed it too if I hadn't seen it as a child, but it's grown to become one of my favourites.
      Funnily enough, we thought about running a Christmas-themed blogathon but decided against it as we thought others would too, and by the looks of it there aren't any!
      - Allie

      Delete
  2. I love this movie. It's one of my favorite Christmas flicks of all time. Nice pick!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes! I'm so glad to see some love for this film, I love it so much!
      - Allie

      Delete
  3. Excellent idea for a 12 Days of Christmas movie marathon, and great pick for day one. I also love watching this movie every December at some point. Can't say I watch this for Chevy Chase, I find his humor to be a bit over the top sometimes barely funny. Cousin Eddie (Dennis Quaid) seemed to liven the show up when he showed up unannounced.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Mike. We thought it would mean we could watch them all well in advance and have some blogging time off over Christmas - unfortunately it didn't really work out that way and tonight is a Christmas Movie marathon in order to keep up!! ha!

    I think Cousin Eddie was Randy Quaid (the less good looking of the two brothers!!) :-) but you are right he was the life and soul of the festivities.

    - Jenna

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You're right, thanks for the correction, I meant to say Randy not Dennis..

      Delete