Regular viewings of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story this time of year are as reliable as a visit from the man in the red suit. You can always count on cable television to ensure that you get to see both of these classics every year, probably more than once. They're kind of like two relatives that you look forward to seeing every Christmas - they're familiar, they're funny, and they may tell the same jokes every year but you don't really care.
A Christmas Story is based on a series of short stories author Jean Shephard (who also narrates the film) wrote for Playboy magazine in the 1960's. In it, a boy named Ralphie's single-minded quest for a Red Ryder BB gun is fraught with evil Santas, violent gingers, and the Bumpus hounds. Ralphie was played by actor Peter Billingsley, who (contrary to popular belief) never became a porn star but went on to produce films like The Break-Up and Iron Man. And of course Ralphie's father, "The Old Man", was played by Darren McGavin - an actor that you'll probably also recognize as Billy Madison's dad. Here's a clip of Ralphie telling Santa what he really wants for Christmas.
Christmas Vacation is a film for a slightly more "adult" crowd, which chronicles Clark Griswold's equally passionate quest to provide the perfect Christmas for his family. Randy Quaid (as Cousin Eddie) really steals the show ("Shitter was full!"), but I'll always have a soft spot for Uncle Lewis (famous old man William Hickey) and Aunt Bethany (Mae Questel, the original voice of Betty Boop and Olive Oyl). "Grace? She passed away thirty years ago!" Here's a clip of Clark's famous freakout when he realizes he's gotten a jelly club membership instead of his expected Christmas bonus. Clark Griswold IS the 99%.
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