Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Gremlins (1984) (Movie Review)

     

   It’s the holiday season, no other time of year is more joyful or magical then this. So, what better way to close out Christmas then with a classic Horror movie from the 1980’s. Now the notion of a horror themed Christmas film has been done sense the early 1970’s, but the 1984 movie “Gremlins” is a special case in which it’s actually regarded as a Yuletide classic that’s celebrated year after year. Heck, putting aside Christmas, there are some who would still make the argument that “Gremlins” as a classic movie in general. While I personally can’t call this one of my favorite movies the same way many others easily could, I do still have a lot of fondness reserved for this film, and there is something special about it that’s tricky to describe. It’s such a unique film that’s very adult with most of its context, but it’s aimed toward kids. It’s branded as a horror film, but it’s watched around the Christmas season. It’s a crazy, hyper-active, monster run-amuck movie, but celebrated like any Hollywood masterpiece. Even when I was a little kid, I had no idea how to feel while watching this film, as it terrified me just as much as it made me laugh, and it was consistently entertaining to watch. There’s simply no other film like it, so it’s time to dust it off my movie shelf, give it another watch, and see what makes it so special after all these years.

   Our story begins with an inventor who’s looking for a special Christmas gift for his son Billy. He stumbles upon a beaten-up old antic shop where he discovers a most unusual, yet unavoidably lovable little furry creature named Gizmo, who’s instantly picked to be the special gift. Billy takes an immediate liking to his new pet, and a close friendship ensues between them. However, they’re three particular rules Billy needs to adhere to, and naturally he blunders every single one of them. Rule #1 … bright lights will hurt it, and the sun light is lethal. Rule #2 … don’t let him get wet or he’ll multiply into a bunch of nasty critters. Rule #3 … never feed them after midnight or those furry little critters will transform into savage monsters called Gremlins. After failing to follow three simple guide lines, Billy along with his little friend Gizmo do all in their power to stop the Gremlins from terrorizing their small town, and hopefully in the process … save Christmas from going to the monsters.

   It’s a very standard monster movie plot, but it’s lased with so many cornels of originality that it stands apart from other typical B horror movies. Most of this film’s success comes from all the right talents coming together to work on this project. Steven Spielberg at the height of his carrier produced this film, and while he didn’t direct, his finger prints are all over the film. There’s countless references to his movies ranging from “Indiana Jones” to “E.T.”, and he even has a walk by cameo. The screenplay was written by then new-comer Chris Columbus, who would later bring to life another Christmas classic “Home Alone”, and most famously direct the first two “Harry Potter” movies.
The director of the movie is Joe Dante, who was heavily influenced by “The Loony Toons” to give this movie the feel, and tone of a live action cartoon. Needless to say, it really helps give the film its own distinct identity. Other films in his carrier include “The ‘burbs” and “Innerspace”, yet “Gremlins” remains his magnum opus. Of course, Joe Dante would also direct other crazy kid films in the same vein as “Gremlins”, like “Small Soldiers”, and he even got his own shot at the Loony Toons with the 2004 movie “Loony Toons: Back in Action”. There’s even a scene in “Gremlins” where famous Loony Toon animator Chuk Jones makes an appearance commenting Billy on his sketch drawing, and all while a Loony Toon short plays on a TV in the background. Another very important talent to address is my personal favorite movie music composer … the late Jerry Goldsmith, who composed the music in “Gremlins”. His score for “Gremlins” is spot on, gives the film a lot of energy and again helps give the movie an identity. It’s such a bouncy and catchy score that you’ll be humming it to yourself for days after watching this.    

    Of course, the best thing about this movie by far are the Gremlins themselves, who are easily some of my all time favorite movie monsters. Unlike other films that involve creatures attacking people, the Gremlins have no clear evil motives, nor do they eat anyone, these guys just want to have a party and let loose, while all at the cost of the humans who all get trampled under their amusement. You could say the Gremlins represent an immoral side of ourselves that just wants to bust loose and have fun, regardless of how dangerous the fun might be to others. They almost behave like adolescent children, because at one moment they could be doing something terrible, but then they also watch “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, and they sing along with the songs and just enjoy themselves to the fullest. It doesn’t excuse their actions, but we still like them on some level, and it’s such a treat to see monsters convey so much personality. I also like how there’s that one Gremlin with a furry Mohawk that can be singled out as the leader, and lovingly nicknamed Stripe. He is the wickedest of the Gremlins and blessed with the vocal talents of the great Frank Welker, who’s one of the best animal/creature voice actors to ever live. He’s also famous for voicing various cartoon bad guys from shows like “Inspector Gadget” and “Transformers”.       

   Let’s talk about the effects, because these are easily some of the greatest monster effects and a true testament to the art of practical animatronics. There’s no CGI at all, everything is puppets and robotics performing in front of the camera, and even though I’m aware of that, they always felt real to me. The expressions and mannerism from both the Gremlins and Gizmo are so genuine that I never even think about that figurative “man behind the curtain”, or in this case men behind the puppets. Now I’ve talked a lot about the Gremlins, but our hero creature Gizmo shouldn’t be ignored, as he’s at the heart of the film. Back when I was a kid, I always wanted to reach into the TV screen, and take him for a pet myself. Actually, now that I think about it … I still want Gizmo as a pet. His relationship with the hero boy Billy also works well because they keep it subtle. It’s an admittedly cliched “boy and his pet scenario”, but the movie lets the relation play out in a humble way without forcing any overly toughing scenes on the audience. Zach Galligan is also very committed to the role, and kudos to him for keeping a straight face while talking all cutesy to a puppet like Gizmo.              

   Aside from all the memorable creatures that steal the show, this movie actually has a strong ensemble of human characters. There’s a goofy neighbor played by Dick Miller, and he’s always a welcome presence. Actually, he’s a regular actor in many of Joe Dante’s films including “The Twilight Zone: The Movie” and “Small Soldiers”. 
My favorite of the human characters is actually Billie’s father, an inspired inventor whose machines always go wrong. His contraptions bring a lot of comedy to the film, but the character himself is actually very charming, and an all-around lovable father. It could have been so easy to make him a one-note joke with failing inventions, but he really adds a warm presence to the film. Another memorable human character is this wicked old crone named Mrs. Deagle, who has a grudge against Billy, and his little dog too. She makes for a terrific villain character who’s just there to get a satisfying payoff when she encounters the monsters … and boy howdy is it satisfying. It’s one of the most brutal, yet hilarious payoffs a villain of this sort could possibly receive, and it’s a rare case in which we really cheer for the monsters. The only human character I never liked and felt could have been removed completely from the film was the girl friend played by Phoebe Cates, who could give Charlie Brown a run for his money about feel depressed around the holiday season. Of course, she has a very dark back story that explains everything, including why she “doesn’t believe in Santa”, but it never added anything to the film for me, nor did it get me invested in her character. Her back story by the way is so offbeat that it actually bothered me more than anything the creepy monsters did in the film.

   This brings me to my next subject of the film, which is its horror movie elements. While “Gremlins” is mostly a family comedy, it’s equally a horror film, and has some stand out creepy highlights that shocked my senses when I was a little kid. The best scene of all is the buildup to when the Gremlins take their new monster forms. There kept off screen for several minutes, yet there’s an eerie atmosphere, and sustained tension just building to when we finally see them. I love the details like the shadows casted on the walls, and the jump scares involving things popping out from either the foreground or the background. 
Each jump scare slowly reveals more of what the monsters look like, which in of itself is terrific filmmaking, and a great way of taking an old horror cliché and making it work. The scene in which the high-school doctor looks around his classroom for an escaped Germline is honestly more subtle and disturbing then most slasher movies, and the payoff is very effective. When Billy enters the classroom, he finds the doctors dead body on the floor with a lethal injection pumped into him, which is disturbing enough, but it also raises another alarming question … “just what the heck was this high school doctor doing with a lethal injection is his classroom?” Another scary highlight is the kitchen attack, in which Billy’s mother has to fight off multiple Gremlins at once, and it’s every bit as disturbing as it is awesome. She chops one up in a blender, stabs one with a kitchen knife, and blows up another in a microwave ... in short, it’s the greatest horror movie moment in which a generic mother can fight-off her attackers. It should be noted that this film along with “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” are what lead to the creation of the PG-13 rating system. 

    Now for all the monster violence and scary scenes, the film consistently maintains the look and feel of a Christmas movie. It’s such a unique contrast, but the film really is shot and colored like any classic holiday film, and it just adds a different flavor to the experience. The opening title sequence alone captures the magic of any Christmas film, and boasts a catchy theme song that sounds just like something you’d hear on the radio this time of year. Gizmo is literally introduced to us as a Christmas gift that gets unwrapped. There’s moments with people just walking down the side walk while Christmas carolers are singing in front of homes, and there’s countless other little details and even memorable Christmas visuals. 
There’s the moment with Gizmo wearing a Santa hat, we have the Gremlins dressed like Christmas carolers, also the dog wrapped in colorful Christmas lights, there’s the one evil Gremlin popping out of the Christmas tree, and there’s even an effectively creepy usage of classic holiday tunes. My sister for example was never able to listing to the song “Do you Hear What I Hear” after watching this film. One of my favorite moments takes place after the Gremlins attacked the town, and features our surviving hero’s walking around the destruction, all while an eerie instrumental rendition of “Silent Night” plays in the background, and it really adds to the atmosphere. Perhaps the most shocking holiday image of all is seeing Santa Clause himself attacked by the Gremlins, while the cops are too dumbfounded to help. I really can’t think of any other horror movie that sparkles in that warm Christmas glow, while still being a creepy and violent monster flick.  

    Another charm this movie has going for it are all the movie references, trivia and homages on display. Seriously, if you’re a movie buff of any kind, you’ll love all the gags and details referencing other works. For example, the birth of the evil Gremlins is intercut with the characters watching “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”, in which the film’s most famous line “There here already, your next!” reflects what’s about to transpire in the film. There’s a scene with the father at a Sci-Fi convention, and we can see the vehicle from “The Time Machine” in the background, which hilariously disappears between shots … as if it actually went to the future. Robby the Robot from “Forbidden Planet” also makes a cameo, which is great, I love it when that robot makes appearances in other works. There’s a theater that’s apparently playing two movies titled “A Boys Life” and “Watch the Skies” which were actually the working titles for Spielberg’s “E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. We even have the towns radio DJ marketing himself like “Indiana Jones”. Of course, it wouldn't be complete without references to other Christmas movies like "It's a Wonderful Life". Aside from the movie references, there’s other little jokes cleverly weaved throughout the film, including an “AMC Gremlin” that’s parked outside a gas station.

    The movie builds to an exciting finale, in which all the monsters are blown up in a theater, and Billy is lured into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the lead Gremlin Stripe in a shopping mall. This is where the film gets scary again, as the action gets really intense, and Stripes death is downright horrific as it features his body melting away into a nasty corps … its great stuff! One thing that always annoyed me is that after all Billy experienced, he still has to give Gizmo back to its original owner, ending the film on a bitter sweet note. One little detail that always stood out to me is that the music heard during this good-bye scene sounds just like the theme music from “Free Willy”. Now obviously “Free Willy” wouldn’t come out until years after “Gremlins”, but seriously, listen to the music in this scene again and tell me it’s doesn’t sound like that same “Free Willy” theme music.

   Before I wrap things up with my final verdict of the film, lets quickly look at the one and only sequel in 1990 titled “Gremlins 2: The New Batch”. This is one of those cases in which I can’t make any persuasive argument that this sequel is better than the first, but I certainly enjoy it more. I actually find this to be a very underappreciated sequel that might just be better than audiences give it credit for. You’d think that after the large fan base of the first “Gremlins”, the sequel would at least get some recognition. Well, then again, it’s not as subtle as the original, and is extremely over the top. It might just be the wildest sequel I’ve ever seen, full of forth wall jokes, movie references, and self-parodies ... kind of like the first film, but on steroids. Personally, that’s what I like about this film, as it’s just non-stop entertainment, and even builds on the original. Instead of watching Gremlins invade a city, this sequel confines them in a giant corporate building of sorts, which is a great way to change things up. We also get a variety of different Gremlins and designs on display which again keeps things feeling fresh and new. If you can get passed its mind-numbing overtones, you might just be able to have a really fun time with this film.  

   In the end, both “Gremlins” and its sequel were two of my favorite movies as a kid, and while they haven’t aged with like other childhood favorites have, they are still a tone of fun to watch, and still very unique. I’ll say this, if you’re in the mood for an offbeat horror movie to watch for Christmas, things don’t get any better than “Gremlins”. It’s still the definitive scary holiday film for kids and families to watch around the holiday season. I can’t make a persuasive argument that everyone will get into the films over the top behavior and strange tone, but it is still a small classic. I loved it as a kid, and it’s an important reminder of how to take a clichéd concept like monsters invading a small town, then given new life through a smart screen play, and suddenly it feels wildly original.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1984 Horror Christmas classic “Gremlins” ... and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!     

               

Glee: All the Christmas Episodes

Oh boy, I remember back in its prime, “Glee” was that show everyone I knew made fun of … yet secretly loved watching … and I was the same. 

The cast was lovable, the music was great, and the premise revolving around both the comedy and drama of a High-School music quire was downright delightful in its own simple way. The annual Christmas themed episodes were the ones I personally looked forward to the most, as it was the shows signature charm, mixed with new variations of both classic and contemporary Christmas songs that always added something special to the season. So, I thought it was finally time to look back at all the Christmas themed episodes from “Glee”, and highlight favorite moments, favorite songs ... and admittedly some lesser episodes as things went on. Still, get ready to assemble a playlist of terrific Christmas songs … here’s my little look back at all the Christmas themed episodes of “Glee”.     

A Very Glee Christmas” (Season 2 – Ep. 10)

Out of all the Christmas themed episodes, this one did the best continuing the individual stories of the main characters, all while surrounded by decorations, and holiday cheer. For instance, the relation between Finn and Rachel is getting rocky, and for this episode, it culminates into a musical duet of them singing “Last Christmas”, which is a big highlight of the episode. 

The more Christmas centered story comes in the form of the faculty holding a Secret Santa gift exchange … which the greedy Coach Sue sabotages. Her story directly parallels “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, right down to dressing the part, along with musical renditions of both “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas”. Being a fan of the Dr. Sues holiday classic … I couldn’t help but love and enjoy this segment. We also have Brittany, who still believes in Santa, and wants so bad for her wheelchair-Bound friend Artie to walk again, which is one of the episodes sweeter story threads. Of course, this episode also features a fan favorite duet to the song “Baby it’s Cold Outside”. Other musical highlights include “Merry Christmas Darling”, “We Need a Little Christmas”, and “The Most Wonderful Day of the Year”. All around, this episode plays to the characters strengths, and remains one of their better holiday outings.        

"Extraordinary Merry Christmas" (Season 3 – Ep. 9)

It’s the second of “Glee’s” Christmas episodes … and my personal favorite of the bunch by far. Right off the bat, this one stands out as the only Holiday episode with an original song number in the form of "Extraordinary Merry Christmas" ... and easily my favorite of all their Christmas songs. For this holiday season, the Glee team are given an opportunity to produce a Christmas TV special of their own design, which naturally gets everyone excited. However, things get a little heated as the head of the production wants the special to be as relentlessly cheerful, fun and pleasant as they get. 

This causes a rift between members, as some view human drama as an important element of a good special. While most of the students are so focused on the joy of the holiday, they forget … it’s the sad things that help us remember what’s really important. Case in point, they initially turn down the chance to perform at a homeless shelter, just to get their silly special aired. Naturally, it takes a friend to recreate the famous bible reading scene from “A Charlee Brown Christmas” to show everyone the errors of their ways, and in the end, all the students learn a valuable lesson, and do the right thing by giving more than they receive. It all builds to an emotionally cheerful performance of "Do They Know It's Christmas?". This is one of those cheesy, yet humble Christmas episodes that can just leave me smiling from ear to ear. The message of course is wonderful, and everything on display from the decorations to the costumes perfectly gets me in the holiday mood. 

It’s probably the only Christmas special that will ever pay homage to the long lost “Star Wars Holiday Special”, and I love that their production goes Black and White to simulate to look and feel of an old sit-com. Above all else, I think this episode has the best collection of musical numbers from any other “Glee” Christmas special. Rachels solo rendition of “River” is one of those special emotional numbers that sticks with me. Also, while I’ve never understood how “The Sound of Music’s” song “My Favorite Things” became associated with the holiday, but at least their cover of it is nice. Other noteworthy songs include "All I Want for Christmas Is You", "Blue Christmas", "Let It Snow", "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town", and "Christmas Wrapping". Each musical number is a delight to watch, great to listen to, and they’re the final ingredient to make this one of my absolute favorite TV Christmas episodes.

Glee, Actually” (Season 4 - Ep.10)

After two solid Christmas offerings, the season four holiday event is a half-way decent episode … meaning half of it is quite good, while the other half is mostly disposable. As addressed in both the title, and even the opening narration, this Christmas episode is modeled after the 2003 movie “Love Actually”, and is an anthology of short stories revolving around our principle characters. One segment is a loving homage to “It’s a Wonderful Life”, in which Artie has a flash of what life would be like if his accident never happened. 

While very cliché, I can’t help enjoying the formula. I also like how it’s visually presented, and Artie’s solo version of “Feliz Navidad” is an upbeat highlight. The most touching segment, at least for me, is Coach Sue acting as a secret Santa to someone else who’s at the end of their ropes, and needs a healthy dose of cheer. I couldn’t help but get all buttered-up at a moment with a daughter singing “The First Noel” as a gift to her mother. The other half of the segments unfortunately didn’t leave any kind of impression on me, and were mostly forgettable. Brittany and Sam get married, as they fear the world will end in 2012, and Jake and Puck travel around LA singing about Hanukkah. I will admit that the song “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah” is relentlessly catchy and upbeat, to the point where it’s become a personal favorite. 

One downside to this episode is that we see less of the characters interacting with each-other as a group, and Rachel is barely in it. Also, there’s not as many songs in this episode, but the ones we got are still good on their own, with other noteworthy numbers including “White Christmas” and “Jingle Bell Rock”. The final scene with the club performing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” to the grouchy Sue, and slowly melting her cold heart is one of the best moments of all the "Glee" Christmas episodes. While a step-down from the previous two holiday outings, this one had just enough touching moments and memorable songs to keep it on the level of “good” ... which is more then can be said about the final Christmas episode.

Previously Unaired Christmas” (Season 5 – Ep. 8)

We come to it at last … the one “Glee” Christmas episode that you can skip entirely … because … it’s … BAD … which was apparently the intention. Clearly, the goal for this special was to push hot-buttons, and endlessly annoy the audience with both controversial and … just plain stupid hummer. Well, congratulations … you set-out to be unapologetically irritating … and I hated every second of it. Club Glee is asked to put on a Nativity Performance, but things get hostile between the ladies dueling over who should play Mary … naturally, it’s not very subtle, as the majority don’t know how to properly represent Mary. 

On the other-side of things, Rachel and friends get a job as attractive shopping mall Elves at a Santa thrown … it goes south very fast for them. With drunken escapades, and a painful number set to “The Chipmunk Song” … it’s honestly hard to sit through. The most memorable song number “Here Comes Santa Claus” is nothing special to listing to, but the presentation is so over-the-top, with goofy sets and slutty Elves, which makes it imposable to forget. Most of the songs ranging from “Love Child”, to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”, and “Mary’s Little Boy Child” do at least sound good on a playlist … but are otherwise cringe sequences to watch. The one saving grace to this special is the final scene with our team singing “Away in the Manger” during their Nativity production, as it’s a genuinely sweet ending … to an otherwise terrible episode.

In all fairness, even at their weakest, the "Glee" holiday episodes always present something special that make me happy to watch them around the Christmas season. If I were to rank my personal Top 10 Favorite “Glee” Christmas songs, it would go like this …        

#10 “Welcome Christmas

#9 “The First Noel

#8 “Away in the Manger

#7 “River

#6 “Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah

#5 “Last Christmas

#4 "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

#3 "Christmas Wrapping"

#2 “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

#1 "Extraordinary Merry Christmas"  

#0 "Oh Holly Night" (This wasn't from one of the Christmas episodes, but a great cover song worth mentioning) 

   Well, that was nostalgic, and a fun look back at some of the best offerings from this decade defining TV musical series. That’s it, thanks for reading my look-back at “Glee’s” Christmas themed episodes … hope it brought back memories … have fun putting together your own holiday themed playlist … and as always …

Let's continue to make every day in December feel magical!

 

Merry Christmas Mr. Bean (1992) (TV Special Review)


   Mr. Bean” is a British sitcom series created by Rowan Atkinson and Richard Curtis, the former of whom actually inhabits the role of the goofy lead. Despite the show only running for a single season, with only fifteen episodes … the character somehow took on a life of his own, and has sense become a staple of 90’s British comedy. He’s had theatrical movies, animated spin-off shows, music videos, commercial tie-ins, guest appearances … you name it. Naturally, it was during his early years of success that he stared in his own Christmas Special in 1992 titled “Merry Christmas Mr. Bean”. This was only the seventh episode of the show, and has sense become something of a TV holiday classic in its own right. In fact, I frequently see this ranked among the greatest holiday themed episodes of any TV sit-com. So, let’s see if all the praise is warranted, and if it still holds up all these years later.

    The main appeal of Mr. Bean was that his show revolved around visual comedy, with minimal dialogue, and a lot of physical action. The titular Mr. Bean was like a child trapped in a grown man’s body, and the running joke was that he was a clumsy goof, but also an innocent with a big heart … you can imagine what kind of mischief such a character would get himself into on Christmas. Throughout the special, we see that he’s bursting with all the joy and excitement of the holiday, but he’s not mature enough to open-up to the heart of the season, and it leads to a number of quirky highlights. This holiday outing is broken into three distinct acts … the first showing the clumsy antics he gets into while doing his Christmas shopping … the second being a bitter-sweet Christmas Eve alone in his apartment … and finally everything closes on a rather goofy Christmas Day with his girlfriend.

    I will admit that the comedy on display is something of an acquired taste, but for me, I love when things are conveyed through visuals, and comedy just clicks when it’s a visual presentation. The jokes are basic at face value, but there suddenly funny with such a likable novice at the center. I must admit, I found his antics less laugh-out-loud funny, and more relatable to my childhood. When Mr. Bean plays with a nativity scene like a play set, I wasn’t exactly laughing, but it instantly brought back memories of when I did that as a little kid. Also, during the Christmas Eve chapter, there’s a moment when he slams the door on a group of carolers, not necessarily because he’s mean, he’s just acting on his emotions … and he just didn’t care for carolers. Again, I can relate to that, because when I was a kid, I’d always get excited for Christmas, but I sadly didn’t think much of the people around me or their feelings … at least until I grew-up. One of the more depressing gags is when he stays up all night righting Christmas cards … only to mail them to himself … poor guy, he needs friends.

   Of course, we can’t have a Christmas comedy without the mandatory decoration lights going out, or trees falling over … but those are the more disposable jokes. For me, the best comedy in this special are the more subtle moments of Mr. Bean trying to have a concrete relation with his girl-friend. These two share some genuinely funny moments, and theirs a hilarious running joke that involves getting her an engagement ring for a gift … the payoff to this joke is brilliant. Of course, the most famous scene is when Mr. Bean accidentally gets the turkey dinner stuck on his head, along with the girl friend asking … “Do you have the Turkey on”. For me, the funniest thing about this gag wasn’t necessarily the turkey on his head, it was the build-up to the girl friend finally noticing he was wearing it. Despite being one of the most popular visuals from this special, this moment was actually removed when the special aired in a number of countries. This scene was also edited down when it premiered on both Disney Channel and Nickelodeon. There’s also a deleted scene showing how Mr. Bean won the Turkey, although it has been re-inserted in some copies.          

   In the end, I can’t say this is a Christmas special for everyone, but if your open to some clever visual gags, and lovable goofballs, then “Merry Christmas Mr. Bean” might just be worth checking out. While I can’t say I’ve ever been a fan of Mr. Bean, I do at least think he’s a great character to take center stage in a Christmas special. I’m also glad they kept this contained to a TV special, because if they tried to give him a theatrical Christmas movie in the vain of 2007’s “Mr. Bean’s Holiday”, it just wouldn’t have worked at all. Still, having said that, this episode certainly isn’t going to stick with me as any personal favorite Christmas special, nor something I’ll be making a tradition of watching every season, but I can appreciate why it left an impression on viewers of the show. I’ll even go so far as to say, it is on par with some of the better Christmas themed sit-com episodes I've seen ... so at least I'll remember it for that. 

Thanks for reading my review of the 1992 Christmas special “Merry Christmas Mr. Bean” … and continue to enjoy the Christmas and holidays specials you Love!