Gummibar: The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa (2012)

APPARENTLY I’M NOT HIP to what’s, uh, hip in the world of online videos.

Turns out there’s this dancing fella from Germany called Gummibar, who’s racked up tens of millions of hits on YouTube with his infectious series of techno, Autotuned dance songs like this:

After dozens of videos with song topics ranging from soccer to love to bubble baths, Gummibar’s next step was obvious: his own Christmas movie.

In Gummibar: The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa, after Santa is kidnapped by Allen the alien, Gummy and his friends – Harry the chameleon, Vampiro the bat, and Calla the cat – jump into action to rescue him to keep Christmas on schedule. (They take the group’s jet plane, because of course they have one.)

 

Look, anyone who willingly watches this movie isn’t looking for high art. Taking that into consideration, Gummibar: The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa is a harmless, entertaining way to pass an hour with your kids if you’re snowed in or they’re warming up from playing outside. It has good-enough animation (Harry the chameleon’s independent eye movements are a nice touch) and eye-rolling punchlines your kids will eat up. It also has a sense of self-awareness (someone calls Gummy a “famous dancing green confectionary from the Internet”) and passing references to Die Hard 2, The Wizard of Oz, Jerry Maguire, Chinatown, Titanic, and Top Gun.

Gummibar: TYGSS also features several musical numbers (yes, Gummy does his signature tune), including songs as part of a dance-off between Gummy and Allen for possession of Santa – though someone should have told directors Jurgen Korduletsch and Bernie Denk that when it comes to Gummy’s song “Nuki Nuki” (German for “pacifier”), the term “nookie” means something entirely different in America. Lyrics like “How I love my nuki” and “My nuki never leaves my mouth” take on a whole new unintended meaning…

At times it may feel like a glorified TV special, but Gummibar: The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa is passable fun for your family Christmas viewing – though it may take a team of specialists to remove the green guy’s songs from your head.

Rating:

What did FilmBoy and Jack-Jack think?

FilmBoy liked Gummibar: The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa, but it was Jack-Jack who loved it. He laughed out loud at many jokes, and could barely stay in his seat during much of the action.

Is it suitable for your kids?

Gummibar: The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa is unrated, but features some mild rude humor: Santa lets out a quick fart squeezing into a chimney, says “my butt hurts” after landing on his rear, then shows a little “plumber’s crack” while bending over to pick up presents. In other areas: Alan the alien does kidnap Santa, but it’s never shown as malevolent; Calla gives Vampiro a quick kiss under a mistletoe.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

Depending on her mindset going in, she’ll most likely feel that Gummibar: The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa is either very disposable or somewhat annoying. She could probably find better ways to spend her time…and worse ones, to be fair.

Hey family, Santa here.
Y'know, there's this service called a chimney sweep?!

Gummibar: The Yummy Gummy Search for Santa
* Directors: Jurgen Korduletsch, Bernie Denk
* Screenwriters: Jurgen Korduletsch, Bernie Denk
* Stars: Sonja Ball, Rick Jones, Bruce Dinsmore, Mike Paterson
* MPAA Rating: N/A


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Elf-Man (2012)

PICTURE THIS: an independent, family-friendly holiday movie from the creators of horror films such as House, Scarecrows, and Children of the Corn V – and featuring one of the stars of MTV’s Jackass?

Elf-Man tells the story of the Harper family – scientist dad Eric (The Facts of Life’s Mackenzie Astin), son Ryan (Blake Kaiser), daughter Kasey (Carly Robell), and visiting Gramma (Marty Terry) – who are about to celebrate their first Christmas without their mom, who recently died. After dad invents a powerful energy-conserving device on Christmas Eve, he steps out to run an errand and is abducted by a trio of bumbling kidnappers, led by Jeffrey Combs (of the ‘80s horror classic Re-Animator), who want Dad’s new invention for themselves.

Meanwhile, as Gramma puts the kids to bed, Santa and his sleigh arrive on the rooftop, accompanied by a pair of elves. To make Kasey’s Christmas wish for a happy family come true, he leaves behind one of his elves (Jason “Wee Man” Acuña) to help find Dad. Will the elf lose faith in himself, or will he find his true powers to become a real superhero?

Despite backgrounds in horror, Elf-Man director Ethan Wiley and co-writer Richard Jeffries do a commendable job of creating a balance in tone for kids and adults. They also successfully capture the idyllic setting of Christmas in a small town (Jeffries’ hometown of Frederick, MD), enhanced by the heartwarming score by Joseph Bauer.

That’s not to say Elf-Man is all warm and fuzzies. There’s plenty of action and hijinks to keep the film moving, including the antics of the kids, the elf, and the trio of goofy kidnappers – resulting in laugh-out-loud moments such as a funny homage to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly and a running joke of people mistaking the elf for a troll, a hobbit, a leprechaun, and an Oompa-Loompa.

After the elf lets the kids down by not bringing their dad home, he get a firm talking-to by Dad’s female companion Amy (Mirrely Taylor) as she hands him a superhero suit made by the kids. He then transforms into Elf-Man (play along), pushing his elfin magic to the limit to stop the bad guys, bring back Dad’s invention, and create the happy family Christmas that Kasey asked for in her wish.

Some leaps in logic and continuity in Elf-Man may frustrate grown-ups, but kids won’t care or notice. And the acting range of Acuña and the kids is a bit limited compared to the experienced cast. But Elf-Man is fun family viewing and a nice detour from (or addition to?) the standard Christmas favorites we watch every year.

Rating:

What did FilmBoy and Jack-Jack think?

They both really enjoyed Elf-Man, laughing often at the stupidity of the kidnappers and rooting against them. Though when Dad and Amy share a mistletoe kiss, FilmBoy deadpanned, “I hate this movie.”

 

Is it suitable for your kids?

Elf-Man is not rated, but was given the “Family Approved” seal by The Dove Foundation.
Mild Rude Humor: Elf-Man handles a “pooper scooper” for Santa’s reindeer; one of the reindeer farts. Elf-Man belches loudly in the film’s finale.
Violence/Scariness: Dad is held captive by the three kidnappers; they tie him up and put duct tape over his mouth. Kasey cries in bed about her deceased mom, which may be upsetting to some younger children.
Language: Mild name-calling, such as “idiot” and pea-brain.”
Adult Situations: Dad and Amy share a romantic kiss.
Drugs/Alcohol: A man at a bar appears a bit inebriated.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

Elf-Man can be fun holiday viewing for the whole family, FilmMother included…though I don’t know how she’ll feel about yet another family film featuring a dead mom (i.e. Finding Nemo, Bambi, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs).

Hold still…I’m just gonna take a little off the top…

Elf-Man
* Director: Ethan Wiley
* Screenwriters: Richard Jefferies, Ethan Wiley
* Stars: Blake Kaiser, Carly Robell, Jason “Wee Man” Acuña, Jeffrey Combs, Mackenzie Astin, Mirelly Taylor
* MPAA Rating: N/A


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Valentine’s Day (2010)

CLICHÉ (n): a hackneyed situation, characterization, or theme.

Example: For Valentine’s Day, FilmFather and his wife went to see the movie Valentine’s Day.

I guess that could also qualify as redundant. Anyway, I had almost convinced her to see Avatar, but ultimately she decided on a romantic comedy, rather than wear 3-D glasses for nearly three hours and watch what some naysayers have called Dancing with Smurfs.

Plot:
Valentine’s Day follows about two dozen Los Angelinos on February 14th, many of whose lives intersect as the day progresses, including a florist (Ashton Kutcher), his girlfriend (Jessica Alba) whom he proposes to that morning, his family-man co-worker and neighbor (George Lopez), his co-worker (Jennifer Garner) who’s unknowingly dating a married man (Patrick Dempsey), a frustrated TV sports anchor (Jamie Foxx), an office worker (Anne Hathaway) who supplements her income as a phone sex operator, her hard-as-nails sports-agent boss (Queen Latifah), the office worker’s bumpkin boyfriend (Topher Grace), an over-the-hill quarterback (Eric Dane), his PR person (Jessica Biel) who hates Valentine’s Day, a businessman (Bradley Cooper) and a returning war veteran (Julia Roberts) sharing a 14-hour flight to LA, an older married couple (Hector Elizondo and Shirley MacLaine), and their lovelorn grandson (Bryce Robinson).

Critique:

Despite my wariness and lack of enthusiasm entering the theater, I actually wound up liking Valentine’s Day. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t be busting it out on DVD months from now with buddies of mine, but it definitely made for a fun night out at the movies with my wife. I actually laughed out loud several times. And I’m not ashamed to admit it.

The cast does a commendable job of keeping up with Katherine Fugate’s script, which is smart, funny, and sensitive in all the right places. Kudos also to Fugate for keeping the many storylines tight and well-intertwined…and for being able to make phone sex sound PG-13-rated.

That being said, Valentine’s Day probably could have been just as entertaining with a few less characters to follow (the two teenage storylines, featuring couples Emma Roberts / Carter Jenkins and Taylor Swift / Taylor Lautner, are successfully played more for laughs than sentiment). And with a running time of two hours, my wife and I eventually started keeping score on whose storylines had to be closed before the movie could finally end.

Valentine’s Day is fun without being ridiculous, sweet without being schmaltzy. If you and your significant other had to push out your Valentine’s Day plans for some reason, or even if you’re just looking for a good date movie, this flick will fit the bill.

Rating:

Is it appropriate for my kids?

Valentine’s Day is rated PG-13 for adult situations and language, including some brief partial male nudity and Hathaway’s skills as the aforementioned phone sex operator (which she performs at least a half dozen times during the film).

Will your FilmMother like it?

Yeah, no doubt. Don’t be surprised if you enjoy it, too. In fact, here’s your chance to proactively suggest a date movie that she may actually want to see. Earn points where you can, my fellow men.

He's got it bad, got it bad, got it baaad...
he's hot for Garner.

Valentine’s Day
* Director: Garry Marshall
* Screenwriter: Katherine Fugate
* Stars: Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Alba, Jennifer Garner, Patrick Dempsey, George Lopez, Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway, Queen Latifah, Topher Grace, Eric Dane, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Julia Roberts, Hector Elizondo, Shirley MacLaine, Bryce Robinson, Emma Roberts, Carter Jenkins, Taylor Swift, Taylor Lautner
* MPAA Rating: PG-13 (adult situations and language, some sexual material and brief partial nudity)

Black Christmas (1974)

FILMMAKER BOB CLARK IS PROBABLY most well-known as the director of the holiday classic A Christmas Story (1983). But a decade earlier, he also directed another yuletide favorite among film buffs: the seminal slasher Black Christmas.

Plot:
As a college sorority house empties for Christmas break, the remaining sisters must suffer the disturbing rants of an obscene caller. Meanwhile, a madman breaks into the attic of the house and starts picking off the sisters one by one. In addition, sorority sister Jess (Romeo & Juliet’s Olivia Hussey) must deal with her pregnancy by boyfriend Peter (2001’s Keir Dullea) and considers an abortion (which Peter opposes).

Critique:
Before dying in a car crash in 2007, Clark arguably created classics in three different genres: holiday (A Christmas Story), teen sex comedy (Porky’s), and with Black Christmas, horror.

Clark relies largely on sound (or lack of it) to ratchet up the film’s tension:

• The obscene calls: a nightmarish medley of giggling, hissing, screaming, and wailing – with mentions of “Billy” and “Agnes” and what sounds like different voices of a man, woman, and child
• Beyond church bells and Christmas carolers, Clark uses virtually no musical score except for a dull, rippling echo at key points in the film
• The silence in many scenes, where lesser filmmakers would shove in an overdramatic score, is completely unnerving

Of course, what’s seen is just as terrifying:

• It’s one of the first slasher films to use generous point-of-view of the killer (four years before Halloween)
• The recurring scene of first victim Claire (Lynne Griffin), suffocated by a dry cleaning bag and propped in a rocking chair in the attic as the killer’s first trophy
• An unsettling killing inside the sorority house, interspersed with child carolers singing right outside the front door
• A glimpse of the killer near the end that I won’t spoil here (though it’s now kind of synonymous with the film)

The sorority house is its own character, with long hallways, ornate wood railings, and stairways and hallways with sharp turns or dimly lit ends – preventing the viewer from seeing what (or who) might be around the corner or hiding in the darkness.

Black Christmas also includes a twist near the end that’s become a clichéd horror punchline, but one that originated here and still gives a shiver when revealed. And the final tracking shot, silent except for the ticking of a grandfather clock, is as scary as anything that came earlier in the film.
 

If you’re a horror fan, you owe it to yourself to see Black Christmas. It’s a great slasher film that’s largely forgotten or underappreciated outside of fans of the genre. It also has one of the greatest taglines ever: “If this picture doesn’t make your skin crawl…it’s on too tight!” Well, it did make my skin crawl – then it crawled under my crawling skin and has stayed there ever since.

Tidbits:

• Hussey’s sorority sisters include Margot Kidder (Superman II) as the resident boozehound, plus SCTV’s Andrea Martin.
• Hussey would revisit horror several years later, playing Norman Bates’ mother in Psycho IV (1990).
• Regarding the jarring “echo” sound mentioned earlier: Composer Carl Zittrer created the score by tying forks, combs, and knives to the strings of his piano so the sound would warp as he struck the keys. He distorted the sound further by putting pressure on the reels of his audio tape machine to make it turn slower. (Source: IMDb)

 

Rating:

Will your kids want to watch it?

Very little blood is actually spilled in Black Christmas, but there so many other elements to scare (and scar) young viewers: The creepy and highly obscene phone calls, the long shots of empty and foreboding hallways, the images of the victims…it’s a formula that’s highly likely to ruin what is probably your kids’ most beloved holiday. In short, keep it away from children, but teens (and maybe tweens, your call) should find it to be enjoyably terrifying.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

If you can convince her to watch it, Black Christmas may be an opportunity for her to snuggle closer to you during the holiday season. Did I say “snuggle?” I meant, “cling tightly in fear.”

"Y'know, I wouldn't have to scream like a maniac

if you'd put the phone to your ear..."

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Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!: Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure (2009)

DASH LOVED Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! when it debuted on Nick Jr. in 2006, but lately he hasn’t watched it or requested it.

So when I was given the opportunity to preview the new DVD Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!: Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure, I wasn’t sure if Dash would still be drawn to Wubbzy and his pals the way he was in his younger years.

Plot:

Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure features six winter- or holiday-themed episodes from the show:

• “Snow Day” – Wubbzy (Grey DeLisle) and Widget (Lara Jill Miller) try to fix Walden's (Carlos Alazraqui) polar bear sculpture, after they wreck it several times in his absence
• “O Figgity Fig Tree” – Wubbzy, Widget and Walden struggle to decorate the town’s Christmas figgity-fig tree
• “The Snow Shoo Shoo” – Wubbzy, Widget and Walden try to track down the shy Snow Shoo Shoo (think the Abominable Snowman’s pink, lesser-known cousin)
• “Dash for Dolly” – Widget wishes for a special birthday gift, the Hammering Holly Dolly doll, but Wubbzy can’t afford it – so he makes his own Hammering Holly Dolly for her
• “Great and Grumpy Holiday” – Wubbzy and the gang try to help the town grouch, old man Grumpus, appreciate Christmas
• “The Super Special Gift” – Wubbzy seeks out Santa to see if the fat man can help Wubbzy give a rainbow to his friend Daizy (Tara Strong) as a gift

There is also a music video in between each episode, featuring the show’s trademark new-wavey, kid-friendly, and highly addictive tunes.

Critique:

There’s no denying there’s something endearing about innocently mischievous Wubbzy, handywoman Widget, and affable egghead Walden. And the show itself is a visual treat, with its vector animation and colorful, deliberately pixelated characters and set designs.

The episodes compiled here are all good, but there are a few standouts, particularly “Snow Day,” “Great and Grumpy Holiday,” and “The Super Special Gift.” Best of all, every episode ends with strong yet un-preachy messages about the value of friendships, working together, and forgiving friends when they make mistakes.

There are also several funny nods to A Charlie Brown Christmas strewn throughout, plus a couple winks at Rudolph and the Grinch.

Trivia:
• The voice of Wubbzy, Grey DeLisle, also voices Daphne in the new Scooby-Doo animated films.
• Carlos Alazraqui, the voice of Walden, was the voice of the Taco Bell dog and also currently voices Felipe the screwdriver on Playhouse Disney’s Handy Manny.

Rating:

What did Dash think?

Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure got lots of chuckles from Dash, who’s watched the DVD multiple times (a la Gotta Catch Santa Claus) since our first viewing together. Specifically, he can’t get enough of “Great and Grumpy Holiday” and old man Grumpus’ hatred for long underwear.

Will your kids like it?

I would think that any kid 7 or under would find Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure to be fun viewing.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

There’s enough going on to keep her interest – cute characters, funny stories, good morals, and enough grown-up jokes to make it enjoyable rather than just tolerable.

Win Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!:
Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure on DVD!

I’ve got three copies of this DVD to give away! Contest ends November 20th! How many exclamation points can I put in one paragraph?! Scroll up for click here for contest details.


Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!: Wubbzy’s Christmas Adventure
• Director: James Burks, Ron Crown, Steve Daye, Larry Hall
• Screenwriters: Suzanne Collins, Frank Rocco
• Stars: Grey DeLisle, Lara Jill Miller, Carlos Alazraqui, Tara Strong
• MPAA Rating: N/A


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Gotta Catch Santa Claus (2009)

CAN YOU THINK OF one Christmas special from the last 20 years that has gained classic status? Me neither.

Most recent attempts don’t reach a level of greatness worthy of the “classic” moniker; in fact, many come up way short (Olive the Other Reindeer, anyone?). And while I had the highest hopes for Opus and Bill’s A Wish for Wings That Work (1991) to become a beloved holiday favorite, it was not to be.

This year, there’s a new contender for the crown of Christmas classic: the animated movie Gotta Catch Santa Claus.

Plot:
At Anytown Public School (yep), tweens Trevor (Cory Doran) and Veronica (Lisa Lennox) debate the existence of Santa Claus (William Shatner) over a game of speed chess. Trevor believes in the magic of Santa, while Veronica says his whole existence and the “give presents to children everywhere in one night” shtick is logistically impossible. Trevor decides the only way to convince Veronica that Santa’s real is to catch him, with help from twin nerds Errol and Gabriel (both voiced by Nathan Stephenson). But someone may stand in the way of Trevor’s plans: LeFreeze (Cal Dodd), a big baddie made of space ice who’s got a 100-year-old grudge against the jolly fat man.

Critique:

Gotta Catch Santa Claus injects some fresh life into holiday TV and movie viewing. It’s an enjoyable, contemporary take on Santa and the season, with references to the Internet, lattes, soy milk, and gift cards – all without sacrificing the charm or purity of the season or its classics.

The film is kept at a quick yet unrushed pace largely due to the dialogue by Die Hard(!) scribe Steven De Souza, with enough in-jokes to keep adults’ interest as well as kids’.

The animation is fairly well done, and rich in colors. And while the musical numbers may not seem memorable at first, they do grow on you with repeated listenings.

As the voice of Santa, Shatner is just about a perfect pick for the part. It’s astounding that this obvious fit has only happened once before (Shatner voiced Santa for the early ‘90s cartoon Eek! the Cat.) A nice touch: Santa’s head elf is Scottish – a tip of the hat to the Kirk/Scotty relationship of the Star Trek series.

So is Gotta Catch Santa Claus a classic? It’s obviously too soon to tell. Will it get repeated plays on your TV by your kids? To quote a favorite Christmas toy, all signs point to yes.

Rating:

What did Dash think?

He definitely liked it, paying full attention and chuckling here and there. And he’s been popping in the DVD for repeat viewings practically every other day since mid-October.

Will your kids like it?

Gotta Catch Santa Claus is fun for all ages, though preschoolers may not be able to keep up with the dialogue…but they probably won’t care.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

She’ll probably appreciate this update. It may not replace her childhood favorites, but it’s got enough of an adult slant to make it entertaining for grown-ups as well as kids.

What a flake.

Gotta Catch Santa Claus
• Directors: Peter Lepeniotis, Jamie Waese, Jin Choi
• Screenwriter: Steven De Souza
• Cast: Cory Doran, Lisa Lennox, William Shatner, Nathan Stephenson, Cal Dodd
• MPAA Rating: G


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The Curse of February 29th (2006)

BY NOW, you would think horror filmmakers would have covered every holiday or calendar event. (See lists of them here and here.) I mean, short of Boxing Day and the Vernal Equinox, most of them have been done.

Ah, but what about Leap Day?

I know, I should be reviewing The Curse of February 29th on said day. But since the last Leap Day was 20 months ago – and it’ll be more than two years till the next one – I’m reviewing Curse in the next logical place: the Halloween season.

Plot:

In flashback, we learn from institutionalized former toll booth worker Jieyon (Eun-jin Baek) that for several nights in a row in late February four years ago, she experienced the same routine: a power blackout, followed by a woman driving up and handing her a bloody ticket. And each night, there was a report of a murder at a different tollbooth that leads to Jieyon’s.

Jieyon fears, however outrageously, that the woman is a serial killer who supposedly died in a prison bus explosion at her toll booth on February 29th twelve years ago – though her body was never found. Every Leap Day since then, someone has been killed at a local tool booth. And with another February 29th approaching, Jiyeon fears she may be the next victim…

Critique:

The first half of The Curse of February 29th is more creepy than scary, and the film as a whole should be filed under “thriller” rather than “horror.” But no matter how you classify it, Curse is a flawed film. It provides an interesting premise, but at its core, it’s as formulaic as many of its holiday-based horror counterparts in the US:

• Mental hospital angle? Check.
• Killings based on a creepy legend? Check.
• The killer in the legend died, but the body was never found? Check.
• Creepy girl killer, with face obscured by long hair? Check.
• Nobody believes the girl in peril? Check.

It also suffers from a plodding pace; even with a tight 90-minute running time, I was checking the clock all through the finale – which concludes with a rush-to-explain, convoluted ending.

If you’re looking for good Asian horror, there are many better choices than The Curse of February 29th (might I recommend Infection). And if you’re looking for holiday-themed horror, keep your fingers crossed for Eli Roth’s full-length feature based on his Grindhouse spoof trailer Thanksgiving.

(Much like Blood Rain, The Curse of February 29th opened in its native Korea in 2006, but Pathfinder Pictures just released it in the US on DVD in this past August.)

Korean, with subtitles.

Rating:

Will your kids want to watch it?

Unless your kids follow Asian horror, it’s highly unlikely they’ve even heard of The Curse of February 29th. Just as well, because tweens and younger shouldn’t watch it due to multiple bloody stabbings and disturbing nightmare sequences.

Will your FilmMother want to watch it?

Even if she has an interest in horror or Asian cinema, I’d suggest looking for better films than Curse.

Um, excuse me, bloody knife? You’re in my shot.

The Curse of February 29th
• Director: Jong-hun Jung
• Screenwriter: Il-han Yoo
• Stars: Eun-jin Baek, Yoon-jeong Choi, Ho Im
• MPAA Rating: N/A (bloody violence, distrurbing imagery)


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