Hi, everyone!
There are so many holidays still happening, and so many sales in the stores, so why cut things short? We’re done with the preparation: let’s celebrate with a sleigh full of…
Hi, everyone!
Last week, we got into the spirit of the holiday season here on Jammin’ with Jamie!
But I understand: the holidays aren’t all constant strings of twinkling holiday lights, warm gatherings of loving families and friends, and 24/7 holiday cheer. There are things that annoy us, things that stress out and overwhelm us, and, of course, there are those grumps who will groan, growl, grunt, and grumble their way all the way through January 2.
So let’s get all those frustrations out! Once we vent, we can keep these songs in our back pockets for when things get strained this season. We’re diving deep into a den of…
Hi, everyone!
It… is… time. For Christmas/Chanukah/Kwanzaa/St. Nicholas Day/winter/many other holidays!
But I understand: while the snow gives some people a magical feeling, it leaves others cold. And while the holiday season is a joyous time for many, it can also be overwhelming, stressful, and even isolating.
But not to worry! Jammin’ with Jamie is here for you, and we’ve brought a sack full of…
Hi, everyone!
For many, this upcoming week is the height of the holiday season! So let’s dive right down the chimney with a sack full of…
UPDATE: This jam session will air Saturday, December 29!
Hi, everyone!
Does the holiday season make you want to yell, “Humbug!”? Are you dreading the stress, or already drowning in it? Are you feeling lonely, missing your loved ones… or missing your time away from your loved ones?
Well, put on your black Santa hats and your best Scrooge-style snarl, because this week, we’ve got a sack full of…
Hi, everyone!
We need a little Christmas, right this very minute! And Chanukah! And St. Nicholas Day! And so many other holidays!
So let’s get rolling down the snow bank with a sleigh full of…
Hi, everyone!
Whew, what a year I’ve been having! But more on that in a post I’ll put up just before the new year…
Anyway, without further ado, last Sunday, December 17, I saw a film that inspired me to pen another installment in my series on holiday/Christmas/winter movies and specials.
What film was so special that it woke me out of my writing reverie (in terms of this blog, anyway)?
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)!
I do not own any of the following images or videos!
Here’s the trailer:
No, Mr. Dickens, I wasn’t trying to read over your shoulder! Don’t mind me!
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
Plot: Charles Dickens, after a rush of inspiration, tussles with writer’s block, deadlines, and personal struggles as he strives to crack his latest work… A Christmas Carol.
There have been nigh countless adaptations of A Christmas Carol, from film, to TV, to stage––– from verbatim, to musical, to modernized, to gender-flipped––– from live action, to animation, to The Muppets! If you like A Christmas Carol at all, you have your favorite version or versions. You have your favorite ghost, your favorite scenes, your favorite lines… this story touches the hearts and souls of so many. Some may say such nearly-universal appeal cheapens it: I say, it enriches it. How special to be able to take a singular story about one person’s extremely personal journey and make it accessible and even relatable to so many.
Full disclosure: I’ve loved A Christmas Carol and so many of its adaptations for as long as I can remember. In fact, my very first acting role was as The Ghost of Christmas Present (my favorite ghost in the story)! Even though I was twelve at the time, I still remember so many of my lines, and would love to be involved in another adaptation of the tale someday.
Since The Man Who Invented Christmas is still in theaters as of this writing, and I do highly recommend it, I’ll do my best to avoid any spoilers of surprise moments. However, everyone has different definitions of what counts as a “spoiler,” so I shall still include my traditional warning…
Spoilers lurk beyond this point!
Hi, everyone!
There are still more holiday/Christmas/winter tunes under the tree!
Since this Jammin’ with Jamie jam session will jam the morning of Christmas Eve and the first night of Chanukah, many of you will be starting your holiday celebrations, and we’re going to help with some sensational…
Hi, everyone!
We’re still unwrapping refrains for the holiday/Christmas/winter season!
This week, we’ll be welcoming some seasonal friends to jam with us!
Hi, everyone!
I had a pretty hectic Halloween season this year, so I wasn’t able to continue my series about Halloween movies. However, I know that my subsequent series on holiday/Christmas/winter movies (and specials) only had half the amount of entries… that is, only two. Yikes.
So, I’m going to rectify that this year, starting…
… now!
For those of you who are new (or just don’t remember), this is how this series works…
This month, I’m going to watch (and, in some cases, re-watch) some movies that are perfect for the holiday/Christmas/winter season. These are not reviews, because I’ll only be writing about films I love and recommend. There’s no plan, method, or scientific algorithm to what movies I’m going to watch or how I’m going to structure these entries. I’m just going to have fun with it, and I hope you will, too!
First up, a TV movie that I believe is ridiculously underrated…
It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)!
I do not own any of the following images or videos!
Here’s the trailer:
It’s ALWAYS a merry Christmas with The Muppets!
It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)
Plot: The Muppets are putting on a big Christmas show to save their theater, but when everything goes wrong and Kermit the Frog’s spirit seems broken, an angel comes to show him what the world––– and his friends––– would be like if he’d never been born.
I also have a very personal connection to this movie, which you’ll have to read on to find out about!
Spoilers lurk beyond this point!