Saturday, December 19, 2009

You'd better watch out, the first part.

I believe there should always be a bit of Scary in the Merry.

Of course, I am not the only one who thinks so. Dickens, Clarke, Burton, King, Bradbury... happily, the Yuletide is often the Ghoultide.

I thought I'd post a few examples.

Now, some don't consider Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) a Christmas movie, but don't tell me that. Premiering in St. Louis the day before Thanksgiving 1944 and nationally released the following week, it features Judy Garland's introduction of the now-classic Christmas song Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, it runs on cable all the time during December, and was packaged with Bing Crosby's White Christmas on DVD just this year... it's a Christmas movie.

But when Tootie (Margaret O'Brien) decides to 'kill' Mr. Brockoff by flinging flour in his face on Hallowe'en night in 1903, it briefly becomes one hell of a Hallowe'en film.

"I AM the most horrible! I AM!"


This scene makes me yearn for Hallowe'en something terrible.

Now, I know I declared the Skull & Pumpkin a Post-Hallowe'en Blues Free Zone. It's still true; besides, I think 'Post-Hallowe'en' probably ends before Thanksgiving. At this point, it's more like Pre-Hallowe'en Blues (a less egregious, more correct use of 'pre', Mandy and Jules!)... and as such, it's not blues, but something different.

Longing. That's it.

And I never declared this pub a PRE-Hallowe'en Longing Free Zone. If anything, the whole place is one big Hallowe'en Longing Zone.

Long away, long away, long away all!

2 comments:

  1. I like the idea of a Halloween Longing zone. Halloween is where you find it, and Meet Me In St Louis shows a definate Halloween angle. I always liked the ghostly aspects of A Christmas Carol. BTW, That little gem was first published December 19, 1843. I can't imagine a Christmas without a visit from Alastair Sim.

    Oh, and that rendition of the Isle of Misfit Toys is quite wonderful. Reminicent of the style of Max Geldray and Ray Ellington back in the 1950s.

    DDSP!

    Dave

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  2. I had a post about A Christmas Carol already lined up, Dave! You know me or what?

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