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Thursday, July 21, 2016

Christmas in July : Father Christmas

Christmas in July   


          So it's July and might as well look at Christmas stuff... but what to look at?   We are going to the other side of the pond to the United Kingdom for this Christmas Special called Father Christmas , named after what the British call Santa.    The special came out in 1991 on Channel 4 , it is based on  British Author, Raymond Briggs' two short stories "Father Christmas" (1973)  and "Father Christmas :  Goes on Holiday" (1975).   This special pretty much wonders what does Santa do on the other 364(or 365 if it's a leap year) days of the year.
   For note : We are using the British version , which is unedited ,what I mean is that there was an American version that edited things out I will get to that in the article.


     The special begins with Father Christmas , who lives in England apparently, returning home from his Christmas travel.  He breaks the fourth wall (and scared me) to tell  us the audience at our wonderment of why is he moaning and groaning. (I wasn't thinking that)  He tells the audience that the other 364 days aren't peachy either and starts with a story of last year and flashback time.  Father Christmas  is thinking about going on Holiday. He builds his own camper sleigh  with wheels thing and packs up for his trip and puts his pets in kennel and heads off on his reindeer pulled sleigh. 

     France is his first stop  where he notices the French people are snickering at him  so he gets some "local clothes" and he heads to a restaurant and eats a lot of food and drinks alot of wine. (that's not what Slosh means ,Santa) Of course Santa is drunk , but also he gets food poisoning and has to use the bathroom alot.   The next day, people see his reindeer and figure , hey it might be Father Christmas. He decides he has to go to new spot.. Scotland!  

  In Scotland ,not sure where in Scotland, he goes to a pub and gets drunk again, and while drunk he decides to buy a kilt. 
well at least he's not naked/copyright Channel 4

       A girl see him and tells her mother she thinks he's Santa Claus.  The next day, he wakes up hungover and see that it has stopped raining and decides to go for a swim but the water is cold and shark infested. (Well that's not good) Father Christmas is tired of this so he picks his next spot to be Las Vegas.  ( Viva los Father Christmas) He also chooses to stay in a hotel at Nero's Palace. (not sure what he did with his reindeer)  He eats some more and swims. 
What? This is how I eat all my deserts /copyright channel 4 
      Father Christmas is in Vegas so , of course he goes to the casino ... and loses a lot.( No Lady luck for him)  There's a montage of him having fun in Vegas , he even won some slots and danced with some showgirls. (Gasp Santa!) He spends about a month there and a kid asks his mom is he Santa Claus? Father Christmas makes his leave back to England.  He gets his pets , and comes home and finds out the heavy mail load has started. He  mentions all the names he is called.  (he's hiding from every government so alias are must)  He does his daily actives while piles of mail keep coming in, He goes to pick up his suit from the dry cleaners  and sleeps while dreaming of laying in the pool with the ladies in Vegas. (Steady Santa)  It's the big day and he gets all ready and packed for his trip to deliver his goods. 
Santa really has downsized the operation/copyright Channel 4
       We get a montage with a song to match of Father Christmas doing his Christmas Eve thing. (Christmas Eveing?)  While he makes  stop in the North Pole  (don't ask) he runs into a snow person party... a crossover with Briggs' "The Snowman" the kid from the other special is there too. Father Christmas finds out he forgot to deliver a couple presents. (gasp)  He  makes a hurried trip to deliver them to the Royal Family. (Don't  worry Father Christmas , they can't cut your head off it's not that century anymore) .  Now we jump back to  the current time post and Father Christmas  tells us know we know and maybe now we won't complain as much. (But Santa , that dress really isn't for me , my name isn't Abby) Father Christmas prepares Christmas meal , takes a bath , gives his pets some presents and he opens his presents from family members , he really is happy about the alcohol gift. Then he says "Happy Bloomin' Christmas to you" 

  That's the special... guess you want to hear my thoughts (no, but go on).  Hold on, first  yes the American edit :  well that version does edit out Santa's drinking , over eating, hangovers, dancing with the show girls , and the scenes where you see his rear.  (uhhhh)   

Now our review : 
    It's  fun take on Santa , it's different to see him a little cranky ,and also it's nice  take on maybe what does Santa do on those off season. For a Christmas special (ish) it doesn't have a lot of songs , it has one and the song in the credits. Santa's character is funny if not a little to drink happy, but hey he deserved it.  
   Yes you and your kids (if you are a kid, then yes you) should watch this special. 

   That's our lookback  tune in next time when we find out why Santa reduced his reindeer to 2.  



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