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!
Hi, everyone!
Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, a new season of holiday festivities is upon us!
As you break out the decorations and holiday clothes, grab some hot chocolate and turn your radio to Jammin’ with Jamie as we start…
Remember how I said I’d love to write more about Pee-wee Herman?
Well, here I am, doing just that!
Check out Pee-wee Herman’s official website!
Christmas (and the holiday season in general) is, obviously, about giving to others, especially those less fortunate than us. It’s also a time to reunite with friends and family. Mix generosity with friends and family, and you have the perfect recipe for craziness and fun. And who has more crazy fun than Pee-wee Herman?
So “come on in, and pull yourself up a chair,” because it’s time for…
Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special (1988)!
I do not own any of the following images or videos!
Here’s a treat: a promo for the special from 1988! Check it out:
This is the perfect year to watch it, too: to get yourself ready for the premiere of Pee-wee’s Big Holiday in March on Netflix!
If you like Pee-wee Herman, you’ll love Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special! Not one bit of the show’s trademark anarchic insanity or subversive nature was sacrificed to create this double-length episode.
This special has everything you’d expect to see in a traditional Christmas special: guest stars galore, seasonal music, almost every Christmas/holiday/winter symbol you can think of, and even a reminder of why people celebrate Christmas in the first place.
If you need something to make you laugh, something to show to kids, or something to make you stand out when it’s your turn to pick in the Christmas movie marathon, look no further than Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special!
You’re invited to the coolest Christmas party EVER!
As with anything Pee-wee Herman-related, if you’ve never seen Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special before, it’s best to go into it without knowing too much about it. Think of it this way: would opening Christmas presents be as fun if you knew what every single gift was beforehand? The answer is no. The surprise is part of the fun!
Go watch Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special (which is streaming on Netflix), and then come back here to read the rest of this post.
Go. Now. Don’t worry: I’ll wait.
Spoilers lurk beyond this point!
I had so much fun writing about Halloween movies, I decided to extend the series and write about films perfect for Christmas/the holiday season! Most will probably be about Christmas, but I’m leaving myself wiggle room for other holidays and general winter movies.
Remember, these are not reviews: I’m writing about films and TV specials that I love and recommend.
My favorite Christmas movies generally have a nice mix of humor, fun, wackiness, and heart––– and some good music doesn’t hurt, either.
This first film has all of that, and more. Warm up your voices, because it’s time for…
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)!
By the way, if you like the Muppets, make sure you check out The Muppets on ABC!
I do not own any of the following images or videos!
Here’s the trailer:
I’m not sure why there’s music from Beetlejuice in the trailer, but it works.
I’m smiling already!
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Plot: Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy, bitter businessman, despises Christmas and all forms of kindness and charity; but this Christmas, he just might get a chance to redeem himself…
Spoilers lurk beyond this point!
Hi, everyone!
After this week’s jam session, we’re going to go on hiatus for a few weeks, but we will return Saturday, January 10!
But for this week, we’re still jammin’ to those timeless holiday harmonies! Which ones are we jammin’ to this week, you ask?
Great question!
Have you ever wondered what I’m doing behind the mike while we’re jammin’ to fun tunes each week? Well, usually, I’m singing and dancing right along with you!
Yes, it’s true: I love almost all of the songs we jam to and know them by heart! But, as I put together each week’s theme for us to jam to, some of my absolute favorite songs just end up slipping through the cracks.
So this week, we’re going to fix that, as we jam to some of…