A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)

I think we just have to accept by now that A Christmas Story will never be the seasonal staple here in the UK that it is over in America. I have been a fan ever since I eventually made time for it, and I was aware that it was far from the only film to be based on source material written by Jean Shepherd. I became aware of this film a couple of years ago, but was hesitant to make time for it. After all, what could possibly feel like a worthwhile continuation of the original story? Especially after we already had A Christmas Story 2.

Not only does Peter Billingsley return to play Ralphie Parker, now a grown man with a family of his own, he also worked with Nick Schenk on writing the screenplay. I cannot tell you if there was more to source from Shepherd's work, but I can say that this feels nicely in line with the first film.

It's the first Christmas since the passing of his father, and all Ralphie wants to do is make it a wonderful time for his family (wife, Sandy, played by Erinn Hayes, and kids, Mark and Julie, played respectively by River Drosche and Julianna Layne). He is passed along a number of responsibilities by his mother (Julie Hagerty), also spends time trying to become a published writer, and reconnects with some old friends (including Flick, once again played by Scott Schwartz).

Director Clay Kaytis knows what he's doing with this material. Having previously worked on a more modern take on Christmas lore, The Christmas Chronicles, which had the major benefit of being a star vehicle for Kurt Russell, he easily settles into the cosiness of the '70s setting here. It's a chance to make use of some nostalgia (both for the time period and the original movie) and show that, despite the many changes in tech and shopping methods, the pressures of Christmas remain the same for those wanting their families to have the best time. Nothing here is very high stakes, yet we all know that it's a huge deal for Ralphie, which makes it a huge deal for those accompanying him on his journey.

Billingsley does a fantastic job in the lead role, avoiding immaturity while also being helped by memories and callbacks to keep reminding us of the very famous boy he once was. Hayes, Drosche, and Layne are a very enjoyable family unit, Hagerty is a delightful mum (as she always has that certain Hagerty softness as an inextricable part of her personality), and it's great to see Schwartz, RD Robb, and even Zack Ward returning to portray the adult incarnations of their characters they last portrayed back in 1983.

It's different enough from the original movie to avoid feeling stale, particularly when we're now getting the viewpoint of the adult who can still vividly remember his childhood Christmas experiences, but full of references and little details that keep it strongly connected to that holiday classic in all the right ways. It also helps itself by not maintaining a tone that is in line with the first one; funny, gentle, and sweet, even dipping into schmaltz occasionally (which is easier to forgive here when it feels earned). 

7/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews
Or Amazon is nice at this time of year - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/Y1ZUCB13HLJD?ref_=wl_share 

Raiders Of The Living Dead (1986)

I know I have seen Raiders Of The Living Dead before. I would swear to it on my life. There are some unscary zombies and a teenager with a laser device. I suspect I saw it in some cheap DVD bundle that also featured a number of other low-budget horrors. I remember it being far from great. Having just rewatched it now, for the first time in well over a decade, I can now confidently tell people that it is actually godawful, but in a way that is mildly amusing if you’re in the right frame of mind.

There’s a doctor experimenting on bodies and bringing the dead back to life. A reporter, Morgan Randall (Robert Deveau) is on the case, being helped in his investigation by Shelly Godwin (Donna Asali), a woman who almost runs him over and then, as happens in movieland, starts a tentative relationship with him. Then there’s old Dr. Carstairs (Bob Allen), a man who has given up on trying to fix his laserdisc player. What has that got to do with anything? Well, his grandson (Jonathan, played by Scott Schwartz) is a bit of a tech whizz, and manages to make himself a laser device from the player. Impressing Michelle (Corri Burt) with his inventiveness, little does Jonathan realise that his weapon might end up helping to destroy a number of shambling corpses.

I doubt that I knew much about the background to this movie when I first saw it, but some very cursory research shows that this was yet another cheap cash-in, making use of footage already filmed by Brett Piper and then padding out the runtime with extra scenes that allow Samuel M. Sherman to take credit for the whole thing. This kind of approach can lead to some great results (Spookies remains a firm favourite of mine), but it more often than not leads to a complete mess. Raiders Of The Living Dead is a complete mess.

It feels unfair to spend too much time criticising the level of acting on display, especially when people are working with material that I doubt even the finest thespians in the world could have managed to overcome. Allen isn’t terrible in the grandpa role, and both Schwartz and Burt try to at least stay lively and enthusiastic for the duration of their screentime. Deveau and Asali are, well, they’re arguably asked to portray the most familiar, and therefore least interesting, horror movie characters.

There are no scares, and the lean plot only really kicks in after a completely extraneous opening sequence that fails to draw viewers in, there’s no decent gore, and the overall tone veers between painfully dull and strangely childish. The whole idea of the laser gadget is something that could have been part of some lighthearted teen adventure, but instead it’s in this muddled zombie tale that tries to play itself off as a Scooby-Doo mystery while viewers are already pretty well aware of what is really going on.

Not recommended to anyone, aside from bad movie connoisseurs, this is a slog to get through, visually turgid, and lacking enough minor distractions to make up for the overwhelming number of scenes that make you wish you were watching paint dry. And I hope this review will serve as a reminder to me that I never have to sit through it again.

2/10

If you have enjoyed this, or any other, review on the blog then do consider the following ways to show your appreciation. A subscription/follow costs nothing.
It also costs nothing to like/subscribe to the YouTube channel attached to the podcast I am part of - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCErkxBO0xds5qd_rhjFgDmA
Or you may have a couple of quid to throw at me, in Ko-fi form - https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews