Answers please

[Head Elf]

I have never seen the movie "The Christmas Story". I know shame on me..... Anyway, it just doesn't appeal to me and my family, but I need an answer about the duck..... What is so special about this duck?

[dominick]

It's A Christmas Story. :wink:

The duck was served with it's head in tact.

[Jeff Westover]

Special? He was smiling!

[dominick]

fa-ra-ra-ra-ra

[Head Elf]

A duck that smiles? I must be missing something here. Is it a good movie or just one of those annoying movies?

[Head Elf]

My friends say it's a great movie, just wondering.

[dominick]

Terrific movie. A real Christmas movie staple. "He's smiling!" is a quote from the movie.

[dvdguy]

it says fraj EE lay, it must be french

[dominick]

I have a cool ornament that says that when you open the box. In the box is the lamp and a bunch of hay like packing material. It's pretty big, though, so I usually just display it out somewhere.

[Head Elf]

I'll take your word that it's a good movie, maybe one of these days.

[Jeff Westover]

A Christmas Story is a great movie and a staple of every holiday season in the same vein as "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street". It is a story of Christmas as told from the perspective of a kid growing up in the 1940s who really, really wants something bad for Christmas. It's good innocent fun with rich character development and iconic moments. My father was a child of the 40s and it is truly one of the only movies where I have ever witnessed him really laugh.

[Head Elf]

Do they ever show it on satellite?

[dominick]

Do you get TBS? TBS shows it for 24hr straight starting on Christmas Eve.

[Head Elf]

I'll make it a priority this year to watch it. Thanks for all the help on this. It was quite puzzling.

[Sunshine73]

Okay, I'm late jumping in here but I love "A Christmas Story"! There are very few movies that I actually "enjoy" (unlike my Dh who can literally watch anything, no matter how stupid) and this one definitely makes my list.

The duck scene is definitely one of my favorites! It's the end of the movie and the family ends up having Christmas dinner at a local Chinese place (after the neighbors dogs destroy their turkey dinner). They are served a whole roasted duck, complete with the head still attached. The family can't bring themselves to eat the duck while it's still "smiling" at them.

I know that doesn't sound very funny but trust me, it's worth a look. A definite Christmas classic in my book.

[haagarr]

It is a classic must see.

[Holiday]

It's a great movie! Will make you chuckle for sure! It is my Moms favorite Christmas movie - she doesn't have a collection of movies, but she made sure to record this movie off of tv years ago! :)

[JollySteve]

Do you get TBS? TBS shows it for 24hr straight starting on Christmas Eve.

I believe its TNT my friend.

[dominick]

You know what? I think you're right. I get the two confused being that they're both similar three letter acronyms for a Turner owned network. To add the confusion, it was on one of the networks the first year they did it and then they switched it to the other.

[dominick]

Oh, by the way, I saw it once or twice on Bravo last year as well. Even once without commercials.

[Jeff Westover]

ABC Family has been known to have it too.

[joyful]

It is a wonderful movie that people can identify with because of the time period and life's little quirks.
The narration is wonderful and I love the visit to Santa Claus in the department store.

[kidzrme]

you must see this movie....I watch it every year, and several times on Christmas Eve when they run the marathon of it all night long! Don't forget to drink your ovaltine!

[JanaBanana]

I havent ever watched "Its a wonderful" from beginning to end, so Im in the same boat as you :) Those 2 arent on my top list of movies. I know, I cant believe I just typed that but its true. There are a few others that are though :) Im sure you will enjoy it if you see it.

[EstherSmith]

A Christmas Story is a wonderful, funny film! A holiday must-see.

If you've not seen it, of course it will be shown again on tv this year. But, do yourself a favor and rent or buy the dvd in widescreen. Better picture and no commercials!

Of course, I'm a bit biased since much of the film was filmed in Cleveland...the female elf in the department store scene (the one that snarls, "Get goin', kid!") was a customer at the video store where I worked years ago. The house in Ohio City where the exteriors were filmed has been restored and is now a small museum.

One of my favorite parts of the movie is when younger brother Randy is so bundled up in his snowsuit that he can't get up after falling in the snow! :D

[Billy Battles]

My Favorite part is when the little brother is under the sink crying and says "daddies going to kill Ralphie". I laugh every time I don't know why.

[Misfit Toy]

I saw it for the first time last year when TBS had 24h of a Christmas Story. I liked it, but didnt love it to where I'd buy the DVD, but would probably watch it on tv again if it was on.

[sugarplum fairy]

I didn't like that movie. I don't know why, but I don't like it. Most people love it, but I just don't enjoy it.

[EstherSmith]

My Favorite part is when the little brother is under the sink crying and says "daddies going to kill Ralphie". I laugh every time I don't know why.

LOL! cheesy

I used to sit under the sink, too. Can't believe now that I was ever small enough to fit under there.

[Jeff Westover]

Believe it or not, what makes A Christmas Story a masterpiece isn't so much the story -- the story itself is simplistic. But the writing is superb and the storytelling is masterful. It never fails to make me laugh when I hear the line where the narrator is talking about how his father would swear: "My father weaved a tapestry of profanity that is still hanging out there somewhere over Lake Michigan". Marvelous writing.

Remember the part where he is helping his old man change the tire? "I said fudge, but I didn't say fudge. I said the f-dash dash dash word, the Queen Mother of all swear words".

Wish I could write like that!

[Chillywilly]

My Favorite part is when the little brother is under the sink crying and says "daddies going to kill Ralphie". I laugh every time I don't know why.

My favorite part is when his tongue got stuck on the frozen pole. It makes me laugh just to think about it.

[RadioJonD]

Believe it or not, what makes A Christmas Story a masterpiece isn't so much the story -- the story itself is simplistic. But the writing is superb and the storytelling is masterful. It never fails to make me laugh when I hear the line where the narrator is talking about how his father would swear: "My father weaved a tapestry of profanity that is still hanging out there somewhere over Lake Michigan". Marvelous writing.

Remember the part where he is helping his old man change the tire? "I said fudge, but I didn't say fudge. I said the f-dash dash dash word, the Queen Mother of all swear words".

Wish I could write like that!


Head Elf, Jeff is right on the money with this one! "The Christmas Story" was taken from a couple of short stories brilliantly crafted by Jean Shepherd. Now we can listen to the author read his work on his WOR radio show a full nine years before the movie!

Try to forget the movie scenes and supply your own as you listen. Good as the movie version is, Shepherd's past annual reading really brings to life the intent of his work. You really owe it to yourself to listen to these! I've burned them to a CD to listen in the car during the Christmas season as I drive to work.

http://www.maskmusic.com/other_music.html Scroll down to bullets 14 & 15 (third and fourth from bottom) to see:

December 24, 1971 - Earliest Christmas WOR Jean Shepherd (mp3) - (10.65 MB)

December 24, 1974 - edit - Red Ryder WOR Jean Shepherd (mp3) - (9.34 MB)

Perhaps we can obtain the rights to play these on Merry Christmas Radio, eh Jeff?; perhaps make it a Christmas Eve tradition like the original reading.

[RadioJonD]

From the "Where Have I Seen Or Heard This Before?" Department: http://www.mymerrychristmas.com/forum/showpost.php?p=33967&postcount=8

[Montana's Santa]

:cry:In the movie, a family's Christmas dinner is ruined and they end up going to a Chinese restaurant for Christmas dinner -- apparently the only place open. They end up being served a roast duck, with its head on and being serenaded by a Chinese staff which sings, "Deck the harrs with boughs of horry, fa ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra..." Although I am not pleased with the depiction of me, it is a riot of a movie... and you won't put your eye out watching it. Definitely destined to be a Christmas classic.

[AuntieMistletoeDear]

:hello: Montana's Santa - I'm glad you mentioned the "mean Santa". I didn't like the movie the first time I saw it because I thought they were making Santa out to be "mean and grumpy" and I didn't like that.

I saw it a couple of years later, loved it. Laughed at several lines and scenes. I manage to catch it during the marathon runs each year.

cheesy It's really funny.

I wouldn't go to a re-make of it though.

The only Chrismtas movie re-makes I enjoyed were based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

[dvdguy]

:hello: Montana's Santa - I'm glad you mentioned the "mean Santa". I didn't like the movie the first time I saw it because I thought they were making Santa out to be "mean and grumpy" and I didn't like that.

I saw it a couple of years later, loved it. Laughed at several lines and scenes. I manage to catch it during the marathon runs each year.

cheesy It's really funny.

I wouldn't go to a re-make of it though.

The only Chrismtas movie re-makes I enjoyed were based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

i think thats the great thing about christmas carol, you can have so many different versions & theyre all pretty good.

[TwinkleLights25]

This is a GREAT movie! I have it on DVD. The two-disc special edition. You must see it!!!!!!!! Here's something from the back of the holder boxish thingy the DVD case is in:


'The Christmas spirit isn't served up with more observant hilarity than in this beloved adaption of Jean Shepher's holiday story. In 1940s Indiana, nine-year-old Ralphie (Peter Billingsley) dreams of his ideal Christmas gift: a genuine Red Ryder 200-shot Carbine Action Air Rifle. But when gruff dad (Darren McGavin) and doting mom (Melinda Dillon) regularly respond with "You'll shoot your eye out!" Ralphie mounts a full-scale Santa-begging campaign. He encounters a slew of calamities from snowsuit paralysis to the dreaded tongue-on-a-frozen-flagpole gambit. We triple-dog-dare you to unwrap a more welcome Yuletide classic!'

[Amanda Elf]

Is this the one with the leg lamp..I've started to watch it twice and have never got past the lamp part...never really got into it. I always heard it was a good movie..maybe this year I'll make a point of sitting thru the whole thing.

[Holiday]

Is this the one with the leg lamp..I've started to watch it twice and have never got past the lamp part...never really got into it. I always heard it was a good movie..maybe this year I'll make a point of sitting thru the whole thing.

Yep, this is the one!! :) You really should watch the whole thing - cute movie!!!

[dominick]

You guys who haven't seen it or don't like it are sick.

[Iron Eagle]

I have a copy too. I thought everyone had one. Doesn't it come with the Christmas tree?? Or maybe with the lights ??? All I know is it ended up in my Christmas collection.

[Billy Battles]

I actually don't own a copy. It's one of those movies when I see I say I'm going to buy it next time, then the next time I see it I say I'm going to buy it next time.......ect.

[dominick]

Our Target has it out already and for only 13 or 14 bucks.