Friday Five: Yuletide Favorites

1. It's a Wonderful Life--Is it? Do you remember seeing it for the first time?
I love this movie. I don't remember when I saw it the first time, but there was a memorable time: We were flying home from California for Christmas one year when the flight attendant announced, with apologies, that the in-flight movie had malfunctioned, so there would be no movie. No big deal. But in a minute she returned to announce that a passenger with a tape of "It's a Wonderful Life" had offered it for viewing--and that's what we watched. That whole planeful of people was in a festive mood by the time we landed.

2. Miracle on 34th Street--old version or new? Definitely old, and Ted Turner had better keep his colorizing hands off of it.

3. Do you have a favorite incarnation of Mr. Scrooge? My immediate thought was Mr. Magoo! But, to go in a completely different direction, some years ago we had the great pleasure of seeing Patrick Stewart's one-man show of A Christmas Carol. How could there be any other Scrooge after that?

4. Why should it be a problem for an elf to be a dentist? I've been watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for years now, and I still don't get it. Well, um, for some unknown reason I've NEVER watched Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, so I have no idea what this is about. After extensive research (meaning, I've looked at three or four people's responses), I'm inclined to go with Chicago Rev's theory.

5.Who's the scariest character in Christmas specials/movies? For me it was the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol". If you are too young to remember that, imagine the one from the Muppet version as a cartoon. Now imagine seeing it as a hypersensitive six-year-old! Nightmares for weeks!

You don't think ANY Christmas characters are particularly scary? Think you're tough? Check out Will Smama's site, if you dare.