National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Well there's no denying it folks, Christmas is once again almost upon us. I've recently been out looking at the local Christmas lights displays around town (one street in particular provides a massively enjoyable experience in that regard) and I've been Christmas shopping, struggling with my brothers to figure out exactly what it is my mother likes. But it never dawns on me just how close Christmas is until National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation makes its annual appearance on NBN (or Channel 9). It is also the time of year for my annual viewing of NBN because as far as standards go, NBN would be to scum what scum is to us (did you follow that? Feel free to read back over it). So anyway it's Christmas time and Christmas Vacation was on last night and gosh darn it I'm gonna review it in what will be the closest thing to a Christmas Special that Infinite Possiblogities will ever produce.

So anyway speaking of Christmas Specials I thought I'd share with you a little secret, they're bullshit in a stocking. They're so sentimental, sappy and full to the brim of little lessons and holiday well wishing. Any TV show or franchise that produces a Christmas Special is ultimately producing the low point for themselves. I particularly loathe appropriations of Charlse Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol.' But as always there's an exception to the rule and for me that exception is Christmas Vacation. As the third and best movie in the 'Vacation' series, Christmas Vacation attempts to systematically destroy and mock all the Christmas values and traditions that other Christmas Specials try to force down our every orifice. Granted, it is goofy and predictable and has one or two abhorrent actors in it but as far as light-hearted Christmas shennanigens go, this ticks a lot of boxes. If you're wondering what to expect the picture from above is quite telling. It's hit and miss the whole way through, for every fantastic 'driving under a semi' scene there is a ham handed, unnescessary and cheap gag like an old lady saying something random. But really, what the fuck do you want? It's Christmas time and there's fuck all else on. Eventually the movie builds into a rather spectacular climax as Clark Griswald (the father and focal point of the story) acts out what I consider to be the best "flipping out" scene of all time. It has an excellent comic rhythm to it that is unparalleled in my movie going experience. I've lost count of how many times I've seen this movie and it is the one part I still find myself chuckling at.

So really what are you, the reader, to make of this rather baffling review? That's a good question really. Clearly this movie is no masterpiece and yet I find it to be something of a holiday tradition. I guess it confirms my fears that having a distinct christmas theme seems to make people lower their standards. Being overtly critical of a Christmas Special is something of a moot point really. Saying a Christmas Special is bad is like complaining that the manure you ordered is a bit smelly because quite frankly what the fuck were you expecting? So as far as completely dumb movies go this one is one of the better ones and is made more forgivable by it's festive associations.

P.S. If you have any information regarding what my mum is into feel free to let me know. At the moment my brothers and I are working off the theory that she doesn't really like anything per se, but more has a long list of things she has no patience for and then just everything else.