A Christmas Story: Special Edition I was sad to hear about a week ago, the passing of actor Darren McGavin, now McGavin had a long and varied career that went back to the 1940s and he had roles in films such as The Man With One Arm and to later work such Raw Deal and Billy Madison as well as the lead role in the series Kolchak: The Night Stalker, but there will always be one role I’ll eternally remember him for playing the father in the 1983 movie A Christmas Story. I think there will be a lot of people affected by his death just because of how much this movie did and still means to them. A Christmas Story, maybe is the ultimate christmas movie, (you can say It’s a Wonderful Life etc), this is the Christmas movie even though you feel like your coming more like Scrooge want to watch every Christmas. Never mind that it's set in the 1940s, the plight is generational for any kid that wants the one thing, in this case Ralphie dreams of owning a Red Rider BB gun (brilliant recurring line- "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out"- but it's really about family and been together. This film as everything in a Christmas movie: a scary santa, a leg lamp, the pink bunny suit, when Ralphie swears and as to have his mouth washed out with soap, it geniuenly when I was younger put me off swearing.

The film did end up inspiring the Wonder Years and it's hard to believe it was based on a book (In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd) that was a series of writings for Playboy. The casting is perfect from the young actors- Zack Ward as the school bully Scut Fuckus maybe the greatest bully ever committed to celluloid- as her the adult actors, which parents aside are usually horrible people who shouldn't be near kids.

Outstanding Christmas movie, that I could watch anytime for warm fuzziness that as aged well, (Geek note: Yes I do own Christmas Story figures) and along with Kolchak, for anybody would be a fitting tribute to the memory of The Old Man- Darren McGavin (thanks for the memories!) (R1 only)

*****