When My Heart Finds Christmas

Harry’s When My Heart Find Christmas is Swanky, but a Bit of a Mixed Bag

By Kristin Battestella

My mom had Harry Connick, Jr.’s 1993 holiday hit When My Heart Finds Christmas on CD several years ago, but it seems to have disappeared in the abyss of her car and I never got to hear it.  Fortunately, I picked up a used edition cheap. Though a few of Harry’s holiday tunes are still in the swinging spirit of the season, the generic compositions can either be too bland for reverent audiences or just right for those who have Christmas without Christmas.

A typically Harry swanky and jazzy Sleigh Ride opens the set in fun fashion.  While the big notes are lively and upbeat, Harry slows down the arrangement just a touch, allowing room for his ad-lib crooner style.  It’s all still dang catchy- office party easy instead of the traditional downhill skiing fast paced Pops. When My Heart Finds Christmas, however, is slow and choirful.  The titular original is a little is a lightweight and broad on the sentiment, not quite achieving the yule power ballad status, unfortunately. But it’s nice to hear something new and poetic, if a bit romantic, and Harry has room to hold a few notes here. By contrast, It Must Have Been Ol’ Santa Claus rocks a ragtime air.  It is fast, Harry tells a fun story, and the chorus is kind of catchy.  However, this original also falls short in becoming the next big festive hit.

That Blessed Dawn of Christmas Day does better in the somber and stillness than When My Heart Finds Christmas, perhaps because it actually contains religious lyrics rather than memories of winters past.  When a holiday ballad is so slow and brooding with Harry’s lofty notes, perhaps we expect something reverent and angelic. This one is a little too slow, but pretty nonetheless.  While Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! is nothing new, of course, Harry Connick, Jr. adds his unique touch of modern big band panache.  It’s brassy, toe-tapping, reminiscent of yules of yore and contemporary Christmas all at the same time.

I didn’t realize When My Heart Finds Christmas contained The Little Drummer Boy when I picked it up- strange, as I’m usually always on the look out for this lesser heard carol.  It’s my husband’s favorite, you see, and not an easy tune to pull off. Ladies or too kiddie fun don’t work for what should be a somber and touching ode.  Thankfully, Harry does this one justice.  It’s not overly epic sweeping, but not cutesy either.  Harry keeps it smooth, low, and spiritually innocent for the season, as it should be.  Ave Maria is also enchanting as a partially instrumental and all solemn piano arrangement kept unusually simple and sweet. We don’t need lofty choirs and big notes if Harry is keeping the carol individual and personal, just him and his piano. 

The fun returns for Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, because every contemporary big band album needs a place to dance, rock out, and all the better to have some holiday fun for the kids, too!  Otherwise, it’s merely ‘eh’. The set arrangement of When my Heart Finds Christmas also seems uneven, intermixing fast swing with slowed spirituals.  I’d rather the slow reverence of What Child is This be grouped with all the carols together. At first, the rendition here also seems too unusual, but smartly placed strings cap it off just fine.  Though it allows for more tracks on the album, the selections are too short, averaging around 4 minutes or less, with mostly two minute flashes. Christmas Dreaming is fairly short and generic, too- but at least it is a forties winter traditional, the likes of Dean Martin for more easy dinner music good.  I Pray on Christmas brings Jesus into the best selling Christmas album of 1993 and gets old school down and gospel, thus doing far better than the other original compositions here.  It’s contemporary, church worthy, lifting up, and groovy all at the same time.

 Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer provides more fun for the kiddies as Harry sings along with the gang and yet also gets dang down and jazzy. Again, I wish When My Heart Finds Christmas went all one way or the other- total jazz or all carol crooner capability, but O Holy Night is the longest track here at over 6 minutes.  The length is surprising I must say, considering the somewhat superficially spiritual feel of the album. Harry offers fine orchestra music, sweet delivery, and lofty choirs- even if his arrangement doesn’t go for the tough big notes. However, What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve? concludes When My Heart Finds Christmas with a pleasing and unexpected nod to the end of the year.  Again in the spirit of Sinatra, Harry taps into the previously locked market of Auld Lang Syne with this lovely, mellow, parting track.  This is how the set should have sounded!

Despite being aware of Connick’s other more recent Yuletide albums, Harry for the Holidays and What A Night! A Christmas Album, I was surprised to realize just how old this set actually is.  It isn’t the year that is the trouble, but rather the presentation.  This CD is so old; it has a booklet with liner notes and lyrics!  Wow, nineties navidad nostalgia!  Today if you buy a CD at all, it is usually a very streamlined minimum design, often in the eco friendly foldouts which sometimes amount to nothing more than a disc in cardboard.  To see the lyrics of traditional carols included just adds an extra nostalgia to When My Heart Finds Christmas, a treat that ironically isn’t all there in the music, go figure. 

There isn’t really a stand out tune on When My Heart Finds Christmas, which I find strange considering its best selling status. Hearing this mix of newer and not quite there originals with mostly easy, fun, or safe spirituals would seem to create a subpar album with little yield and shelf life almost twenty years later. Those looking for a traditional, full on nativity centric record will indeed dismiss When My Heart Finds Christmas as nothing special.  I would much rather have had a live companion album to the Harry Connick, Jr. Christmas Special TV program that aired at the time.  Harry crooning over the likes of I’ll Be Home for Christmas or The Christmas Song with guest stars sounds so sweet in comparison.  His neo-jazzy, swanky style is still unique today and should have been used to its 110% potential on Connick’s debut holiday album. In some ways, I could see this album even angering some folks for its encapsulation of all that is wrong with the December holiday season- push the commercial viability regardless of what each holiday means and whitewash what you really believe. Harry should have gone with his gut and put his sounds full force to either the pop winter standards or the mellow carols- not a ho hum blend of both.

Having said all that, the would-be casual, safe and easy December generic of When My Heart Finds Christmas works for many.  Office audiences or casual celebrants looking for a relaxed, quasi-neutral album can have the party sounds with only a hint of religious Christmas, and listeners looking for a lowdown and somber season can enjoy When My Heart Finds Christmas over a candlelit dinner, too. Are there better Christmas albums available? Yes, and you can part and parcel your preferred tracks from When My Heart Finds Christmas with available MP3 downloads. No doubt Harry Connick, Jr. fans can’t wait for December in expectation of playing his Christmas albums, and When My Heart Finds Christmas is worth at least one listen for you to pick and choose for your holiday playlist.

Centurion (2010)

Centurion Packs a Fun Action Punch

By Kristin Battestella

After my disappointment with The Last Legion, I was keen to see 2010’s other Ninth Legion spectacle, Centurion. Now that I’ve been obsessed with the film’s star Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class, Shame) for over a year, this Roman road rage movie from director Neil Marshall is a doubly good yarn.

Centurion Quintus Dias (Fassbender) is captured by Pict leader Gorlacon (Ulrich Thomsen, The World is Not Enough) but escapes to rejoin General Flavius Virilus (Dominic West) and the Ninth Legion.  Unfortunately, the Ninth Legion is subsequently decimated in a Pict attack thanks to the trickery of their scout Etain (Olga Kurylenko) - a deadly tracker who had her tongue cut out by the Romans.  Dias and fellow soldiers Brick (Liam Cunningham), Bothos (David Morrissey), Thax (J.J. Feild, Captain America), Marcus (Noel Clarke, Doctor Who), and cook Tarak (musician Riz Ahmed) survive the raid and learn Virilus has been captured by Gorlacon.  They attempt a rescue in the wilds of Caledonia, but Etain’s pursuit drives the Romans deeper into the frosty and deadly highlands.

 

I like writer and director Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldiers very much, and the same mix of character fun, action, and surprises again carries Centurion.  While Fassbender’s narration is fine, with just the right intriguing old world voice adding thought and realism to the opening violence, our tale is a little disjointed to start. The voiceover comes and goes throughout the film, and a little too much time is taken to set up each scene and establish location after location. Thankfully, once Marshall’s real hunter/huntee story gets going, things move along just fine.  Ironically, everything in Centurion’s trailer is taken from that first troublesome 10 minutes of the movie, and yet, this isn’t a bad thing. Not only is it nice to not be spoiled by a preview, but the trailer gives us the action that starts off Centurion and thus leaves the serious segments, a little romance, and a touch of humor as unexpected pleasures.  The culturally well-rounded cast is also very pleasing to see- even if some may somehow find the blend unrealistic. Is the language anachronistic? Yes.  While there’s no doubt soldiers were foul mouthed back then, the modern slang isn’t over abundantly used ala A Knight’s Tale and the f-bombs don’t detract from the film. What is a little more irritating is that the unfortunate dialogue seems too undeveloped first draft or even borrowed ideology.  Soldiers ‘do the dying’ is too Starship Troopers, while the rumors of an enemy not eating, sleeping, and never stopping in their unhuman quest sounds straight out of The Searchers. This broad scripting and iffy footing hinder what could have seriously strengthened Centurion into Gladiator glory or hidden gem status like Black Death.

Fortunately, there are several fine underlying themes of loneliness and outsidership layering Centurion. Brigantes orphan Etain is not truly of the Picts, and Quintus grew up with gladiators, not soldiers.  Numidian Marcos and legionnaire Leonidas (hehe) are via Greece, Tarak is a Hindu Kush cook, and Imogen Poots (Jane Eyre) is not exactly happy as the cast out Pict witch Arianne. Everyone is on the wrong side or in the wrong place or isn’t where they really want to be- adding some dimension to what should be a straightforward chase flick.   Wow, a little inside journey amid all the fast-paced blood, decapitations, and marathons in this big, violent spectacle!  Okay, so parts of Centurion play like an overlong knock-off of The Three Hunters scenes in The Two Towers. Sometimes it’s tough to know who the heck is who amid the full Roman dressings and bloody battle gear.  A few folks even seem kind of unnecessary, I grant you.  Nevertheless, the action package with drama bonuses here is better than similar cross-culture clashes like Pathfinder or that completely confused Arthurian/Ninth combo The Last Legion or the 2004 King Arthur.  Centurion explores villainy and sympathy on both sides of Hadrian’s Wall.  The Romans- who did wrong by Etain and those injustices are certainly mentioned - are the good guys being chased, right?  Etain should be the bad girl, and the Picts aren’t saints, but we definitely understand their problem with the Roman occupation and can enjoy their revenge.  Quintus’ growing Pict mentality mirrors Etain’s pursuit skills- which is a nice, if expected, parallel. There’s great camaraderie among our rag tag Roman fugitives, too. The soldiers have to introduce themselves to each other, which is a sneaky way to slip the exposition in over a fireside meal. Time is taken to know the characters and expand Centurion- though I do wish there was more full-on character development and realization of ideas only hinted at or touched upon. 

We shouldn’t be surprised that someone from 300 (technically two some ones with Dominic West appearing) is playing a badass centurion, and yet it’s very easy to accept the Irish-German Michael Fassbender as the titular Roman.  Before Fully Realizing The Fass, I kept going, ‘Where do I know that guy from? Haven’t I seen that guy before?’ His concluding declaration in the trailer, “I am a soldier of Rome! I will not yield!” was actually what solidified Centurion as a must see film for me, even BF (Before Fass). Some actors can make such a defiance kind of laughable.  Really, Tom Cruise in a Roman legion- bull and a load of it!  When Fassbender roars such, however, we believe him.  While Centurion is obviously not as quality as the likes of Hunger and Fish Tank finery, Fassbender as Quintus nonetheless bundles up with dirty travel, rage, and rough sword fighting. He commands the audience’s uncompromising attention throughout, and the aforementioned narration makes Quintus personal, soulful, would-be heroic.  I was surprised to hear in an interview recently that Fassbender himself didn’t like Centurion or was displeased with his acting here.  Even if the material given to them is somewhat unrealized, the performances here are top form and keep Centurion from being just a total chopfest. 

I’ve no doubt Fassbender gave his usual chameleon fervor while making this picture. Otherwise, how in the hell could this decidedly non-Roman Irish dude look and sound so Ben-Hur? Fassy also looks spiffy on horseback; it needs to be said- even if that goofy helmet hampers his first lead stateside just a little bit!  Fortunately, Fassbender’s great use of languages is delightful, and I confess, sometimes I just like to listen to him. Visually lovely as Centurion is, I may have listened to it in the background while I type more times than I’ve actually seen it!   Quintus is a great soldier, yet flawed in his leadership.  He doubts himself internally but unflinchingly does what he has to do- this is not a super pretty Fassy movie for the ladies thanks to the dirt and violence.  And yet, there’s a touch of romantic softness here that breaks the action with serious reflection and takes time to sit down with our fine cast amid all the crazy pursuits. Imogen Poots’ initially unexpected but somewhat obvious and broadly written Arianne doesn’t make Centurion super sappy by any means. Her tragic and exiled supposed necromancer is well done in one on one scenes with the sensitive Fassy. Strange that it needs to be said do to the violent nature of the film, but Centurion is not a chick flick-although I think some new Fass ladies may indeed find it as such. I must also share that it is a little weird to not be writing about Fassbender from my own initial unknowing or his own then-obscurity.  Does one look at Centurion and see an Oscar winner the way Shame is getting hardware acclaim? No. But do you see someone who has all the ingredients to become a star? Abs-o-tute-ly!

Though billed quite highly for what is a somewhat smaller role in Centurion, Dominic West (also in The Devil’s Whore with a pre-famous Fassbender, too) doesn’t have much to chew on as beloved Roman General Flavius Virilus.  He’s fun and fits the part of, well, a beloved Roman General. He arm wrestles with the men, they’d die for him, he’s ruthless but loyal, and kicks ass to the end. Fin. Some viewers might also have a major problem with a Bond Girl in Ancient Britain, but I like Olga Kurylenko (Quantum of Solace) as the non-speaking and looking deadly Etain. For a babe, she does fine with what’s given to her, and be honest; it’s tough anytime a performer can’t talk. Kurylenko’s freaky eyes and svelte intensity have no time for exposition and carry a sexy and predatory menace.  Etain isn’t dressed skimpy like its One Million Years B.C. either, which helps her to be taken seriously in this kick ass role reversal. After all, she’s not really a villain- the Romans made her do it!  As physical and full of presence as Fassbender is, it’s great to see Quintus and Etain go head to head, and Kurlenko keeps up! Liam Cunningham (Hunger, Dog Soldiers) and David Morrissey (State of Play, Red Riding) are also great sardonic bastards, old soldiers who can call some of Centurion’s internal crap out when they see it. Though loveably cranky together, I do worry they are a little too much of the same cloth. As to the other guys’ likeability? Eh, not so much. We simply dislike whom we’re supposed to dislike or never get to know the rest. It seems seven men on the run was a bit too much for Centurion.

Would Centurion have been better as a complete, serious historical drama? Probably.  Was Marshall going for drama above action? No, and the visual presentation here is very cool.  The photography, colors, and choreography look good. We don’t have modern herky-jerky camerawork; we can see every sword swipe and axe chop in what smartly seems more like natural, saturated, grainy wartime video. The aerial footage and snowy mountain locations are lovely, along with sharp camera angles and nontraditional battle filmmaking. Some of the nighttime action is tough to see, but the interior candlelight is perfection. The décor and costuming all around looks and feels authentic. Even if we don’t want to live there thanks to the ruthless fighting and harsh climate, we want to stay awhile thanks to cute, warm riverside huts and tents filled with Roman finery. The stylized violence is meant to be priority in Centurion, and those battle scenes are indeed sweet.   The clashing of Roman organization mixed with Pict guerilla butchery is well done. Technically, Centurion can really go either way with an audience.  Historical lovers reading into the subtext and statements will not like the gore galore, but action viewers can just mute Centurion and see all the pleasing battle glory.  The rousing music- both high marches and bittersweet to accentuate somber slow motion- caps it all off, too.  But of course, the battle violence is always louder than the conversations, the onscreen translations are tough to see, and some names or plot elements are confusing without subtitles.  Normally, I don’t like long opening credits, either, as nowadays films just get right to it, but the graphics here are quite cool.  Those words sweeping over the Scottish Highlands are a must see in high definition!

 The cast for Centurion is there, the ideas and interest, layers and subtext are ready to go.  While it delivers on the action and visuals, there is a lingering ‘what could have been’ on the full drama.  It would seem this is bad, but I do really, really like this film. It’s quite entertaining thanks to the cast, and do to my continued confoundedness as to how Channing Tatum succeeds in Hollywood, I’m also not really looking forward to yet another Ninth film speculation, The Eagle.  I do, however, have a few nitpicks from Centurion.  While the accuracy of the Gaelic languages might be a peeve to some, I am too clueless in that area and it sounds of the atmosphere enough for me.  Liam Cunningham, however, is left-handed, a Roman no-no sinistra, and Etain the purported part wolf can sniff men downwind but can’t smell their bloody wounds in a confined hut? There are some inconsistencies, yes, but overall Centurion is a fun action yarn.  Accept it for what it is instead of what it could or should be, and Centurion becomes a bloody Britannia guilty pleasure.  

Kate Smith Christmas Vinyl Delights

A Pseudo Double Dose of Heavenly Kate Smith Christmas Vinyl

By Kristin Battestella

This time of year, I am of course, trigger needle happy over good old fashioned and flat sounding Christmas records.  In seeking angelic sounds of the season-either spiritual, swinging, or secular- one is hard pressed to find a better vocalist than the iconic, full of notes and range Kate Smith.  Her Christmas with Kate Smith LP is packed with holiday treats so good they did it twice, with a Picwick Records release Kate Smith O Come All Ye Faithful following in merry suit.

Deck the Halls opens Christmas with Kate Smith with a happy, fast, zestful, and fun rendition.  It’s big, boastful, and great to sing along to- but this particular tune lets introductory fun trump Kate’s voice, which is capable of much, much more. Her White Christmas, however, is damn near better than Bing’s original! And I know that is seriously saying something! Oh, the way those big notes are somberly lingered upon- yet Irving Berlin’s essential still moves in a melodic and swinging, effortless style.  Kate perfectly delivers with a catchy, deliciously snowy forties sound with just a hint of December brooding.  Christmas with Kate Smith is worth the record hunt for this track alone!

Instead of separating the carols and secular tunes between the A and B sides as was often the vinyl custom, the sounds of the season are mixed here with slightly more religious than pop. Hark the Herald Angels Sing keeps the old school reverence just by simply being sung in the proper way like a carol should be sung.  I know that is a bit of a cryptic description, but you know a carol done right when you hear it.  There is a bit too much choir instead of full on Kate, but The First Noel is lovely as well. Even with the alternating choir vocals, Kate Smith belts this one like nobody’s business. You’ve no doubt she is completely in the spirit of the season as the big notes linger, and thus, you can’t help but be moved, too. When you hear songs like this, it really makes you wonder why our contemporary focus is on such silly things like Santa, reindeer, and snowmen before the crèche.

The religious revelry continues with O Come All Ye Faithful, the titular track of the Pickwick reissue, remember. Kate Smith slows the carol down for extra holiday humility, allowing time for the hefty breaths and true meaning to have the spotlight.  There’s a great subtle use of underlying church bells, too, that sets the whole thing off.  Fortunately, the casual fun returns for Santa Claus is Coming to Town.  Although this a familiar song, Kate rises and falls in unexpected locations, making this take on such an oft done secular staple catchy and anew sixty years later!  This arriving Claus is almost danceable and jive worthy for the adults instead of just a warning sing along for the kids.  The only trouble is that it’s too short. The whole Christmas with Kate Smith album feels too dang short!

Side B continues the levity with a spirited Joy to the World rendition.  Yes, it is holiday hip and festive finery. However, we aren’t rushed here, as is often the case with this carol: too fast or so fast, you feel like you can’t enjoy it.  Kate Smith sings more verses and takes all the notes to their proper heights.  Oh Little Town of Bethlehem, by contrast, returns to that lovely mellow meaning of Christmas again.  I say mellow, which we tend to use in negative terms today, but I mean mellow as in just heavy with great holiday heart and moodiness.  We feel like we are at the midnight candlelight service as Kate keeps the notes low and reverent.

God Rest Ye Gentleman continues the medieval tones with more slow and catchy spiritualness.  I confess, it does seem strange to here a woman sing this generally male handled carol. We expect it to be too low perhaps for a lady’s range.  Kate, however, is able to get sweet and slow whilst also trumpeting the great Gregorian-esque choir.  Likewise, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear carries the proper church sounding arrangement, but it is too dang short! Hardly anybody delivers this carol anymore, much less delivers it right, but it feels like the verses are cut quick here and it’s such a pity.  Silent Night, thankfully, is perfectly timed, totally reverent, and thus still exceptional. Kate takes all the notes as only she can, and the choir is again carrying that evening spirituality as if we were there 2,000 odd years ago.  I don’t know that I’ve heard a better rendition of Silent Night. Ever.  

I’m not really sure why the utmost perfection of Silent Night doesn’t conclude Christmas with Kate Smith, but Jingle Bells returns to the happy fun magic for the finale. With such swinging high notes, you might not even know this is a holiday song. This feels like just a zestful snowy date the way Kate handles all the fun and takes the album out on a high note- literally.  You might not know it by glancing at the opening and closing tracks, but Christmas with Kate Smith is indeed more religious in between.  When listening to the LP, however, it doesn’t feel like this is the album’s fifties fault or Christian crutch. Rather, it stirs up the mistake on us for getting away from spiritual meanings in December and instead replacing them with the need to shop, shop, shop. If you’re looking for a divinely forties sounding Christmas, you can easily fall in love with this little album in whatever format you can find.

Of course, sometime after 1959 when the first release of Christmas with Kate Smith came about, a Pickwick reissue billed Kate Smith O Come All Ye Faithful was released.  It’s so tough to play catch up now and try to find the details of who re-released what and when or who copied and remastered what and where.  Not only is a lot of the information simply unavailable, but it is such a tragedy that a lot of Kate Smith material has only briefly seen the light of digital day- if at all. Even then in the days of vinyl yore, O Come All Ye Faithful offers all of the same tunes from Christmas with Kate Smith and adds only three new if charming tracks.   

He’s Got the Whole World In His Hands and a wonderfully not What Child is This Greensleeves are tacked on to O Come All Ye Faithful after Santa Claus is Coming to Town to conclude Side A.  Though not necessarily a Christmas staple, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands is a fun sing along for the kids in keeping with the religious themes of the set, even if it is a little too kiddie and kind of fast rock out amid an otherwise somber album.  It is also a bit strange then, that Greensleeves is the original medieval lyrics.  Though I would indeed love to hear Kate do What Child is This, this often unheard traditional is great. The moody lovelorn tale seems just meant for Kate’s long-winded and quivering delivery.  Again, not really sure if a 16^th century ode with naughty lady innuendo is more appropriate than a Victorian birth tune, but hey, we’re lucky to have Kate’s Greensleeves at all! For Side 2, Moonlight in Vermont has somehow been stuck in between God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen and It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.  I can’t recall having ever heard it before this album, but it is a lovely swinging ballad seemingly perfectly designed for Kate.  Again, whether its idyllic country and nature vibes are totally Christmas is subjective to say the least, but it sounds enchanting!

 

Though these additions are lovely, and either album fits the bill of a sweet, sweet Kate Christmas if you can find them, a lot of sweetness is still missing from what is essentially two of the same album.  Where is Kate’s glorious rendition of O Holy Night?  Often found in other classic seasonal compilations, Smith is one of a fortunate few who can hit those high notes- and yet it appears unfindable on a Kate Smith album.  Likewise, where is the enchanting Christmas Eve in My Home Town?  Again, I have this glorious wartime holiday tune on another combo Christmas vinyl set- and only two of the tracks I’ve discussed here have survived on The Kate Smith Christmas Album CD and download currently available.  Where does all this heavenly music go?  

We all know and love Kate Smith thanks to God Bless America, but it is such a pity to lose such a wonderful Christmas voice.  Serious restoration for the likes of Christmas with Kate Smith  or Kate Smith O Come All Ye Faithful is a must!  Family audiences, Non-secular song collectors, and classic Christmas music listeners shouldn’t have to hunt and pick over the individual MP3 downloads to find such delightful holiday sounds.  So dust off the vinyl this season, hang onto those Christmas cassettes, and cling to any Christmas with Kate Smith or Kate Smith O Come All Ye Faithful ye yuletide self can find. 

A Second Helping of Christmas Vinyl

Another Helping of Christmas Vinyl!

By Kristin Battestella

Get ready for more snap, crackle, and pop from yesteryear!  Here are this holiday season’s tips on which records to treasure or thrift hunt for in your pursuit of yuletide nostalgia and revelry.

George Beverly Shea Hark the Herald Angels Sing – The titular carol opens this 1964 Christian set with bold, robust nostalgia and then some.  Largely filled with lovely, somber, and lesser known or not often seen carols or birth hymns such as Joyously Sang the Choirs, That Beautiful Name, Have You Ever Seen the Star, Dear Little Stranger, Shadows So Softly Enfold Thee, and He Became Poor among others; the holiday tunes here are obviously not for those exclusively celebrating a secular season. The overall album is also quite short, with only the standard verses of one or two famous carols and one full Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee rendition. Along with Christmas Hymns George Beverly Shea, the tracks here have survived as George Beverly Shea Christmas Joy and A George Beverly Shea Christmas, both available on CD or MP3 download.  Regardless of format, for those looking for traditional church bound holiday, Bev is tough to beat.  

John Lanchbery Conducts Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker – This 1982 two record set is one in a series by Lanchbery and The Philharmonia Orchestra along with Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.  The LPs also include a booklet on the music, the man, and the ballets all in a pretty and shiny red box, making this album look just as much a part of the season as the tunes from this December dance definitive.  Though this is a complete production spread over four sides, the music seems short somehow or goes by too quickly- perhaps because we so often associate The Nutcracker with big Baryshnikov ballets, varying family film adaptations, or  lengthy theater performances.  Even so, the instantly recognizable Overture and March, the Waltz of the Snowflakes, Kingdom of Sweets and the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, and the Waltz of the Flowers are all here for plenty of ingrained but pleasing sounds of the season.  This edition, or really any Nutcracker tunes you can accumulate, is the perfect backdrop for either casual dinners, formal parties, or a relaxing night fireside.

Joyous Christmas Volume 4 – I remember having several copies of this LP from the Beneficial and Columbia Records series, which is a very pleasant background album to play over and over again- which we did, repeatedly. The eponymously rousing Joy to the World leads off a seasonably round set of traditional arrangements such as Silent Night, Adeste Fideles, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and The Nutcracker mixed with more instrumentals festivities like Jingle Bells and Toyland.  We can also boast some special guest vocalists, from Doris Day’s White Christmas to The First Noel by Nelson Eddy and Johnny Cash’s Little Drummer Boy amid a solid God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen selection and samples from Messiah. Though it’s easy to find these tunes individually nowadays, the vinyl seems fairly common and easy to find second hand.  Of course, you could end up with something scratchy and flat, but that what I call ‘fireside’ sound is what appeals to me.

Luciano Pavarotti O Holy Night – You don’t have to be an opera fan to appreciate this long-winded 1976 collection of bellowing spiritual sweeps like Ave Maria, Panis Angelicus, and the titular high note- but it certainly helps!  Some of the selections are fairly long at over 8 minutes, and the heavy styles might be too headache inducing for a family dinner, but lyrics and liner notes are included too help budding fans follow along- even if we can’t quite sing along! With Pieta Signore, Gesu Bambino, and Adeste Fideles, Pavarotti creates a culturally classy album of global renditions as only he can. And hey, if you want to pick and choose your windpipes or go for even more tenor magic, the set is available for download or in a Special Deluxe CD edition with bonus tracks.

A Very Merry Christmas Volume 5 –   Perry Como’s Home for the Holidays starts off this 1971 LP in quintessential form, and the holiday hits continue with the equally ever-December-present Boston Pops Sleigh Ride, Harry Belafonte’s Christmas is Coming, and more.  Traditional inspirations like Mario Lanza’s rendition of O Holy Night, John Gary’s touching Sweet Little Jesus Boy, and the Robert Shaw Chorale O Little Town of Bethlehem/The First Noel medley balance the reverence as Henry Mancini does Rudolph and Frosty for the kids.  The Ballad of the Christmas Donkey by Ed Ames, Santa Claus is Coming to Town via Eddy Arnold, and a big Perry We Wish You a Merry Christmas finale keep up the seasonal pace, too. Naturally, these versions are oft available elsewhere on disc or as individual downloads, and this Very Merry Christmas record series from RCA for Grants Stores is a little more junk shop elusive than other sets like Goodyear’s Great Songs of Christmas. Nevertheless, if you could only have one record with all the classics for every aspect of the season all in one place, this would be it.

Again, the records here might be tough to find, and digital options or exact contemporary correlations aren’t always available.  Despite the vinyl vintage ebbs and flows or record resurges in popularity where collectors both reissue and overprice or shatter, Frisbee or otherwise trash; we need to remember to treasure the music of Christmas past.  Nay, it is our duty to preserve the flat hisses, bent tone, moldy art, and warped plastic of the musical yule’s of yore for future generations!

A Record Collecting Review

A Few Notes on Vinyl Shopping and Record Collecting

By Kristin Battestella

In my quest for information on cataloging my record collections and reviewing Christmas sets, I’ve seen several sites online that offer records on CD sales or digital classic Christmas albums.  While some are certainly wonderful sellers and totally legitimate, others might be quite the scam, so beware.  Here are a few tips on what to look for when shopping online for LPs on CD, going thrift store record hunting, or digitally preserving one’s own vinyl pride and joy... 

A Newer version of this article is featured in the Winter 2016 Issue of Search Magazine! 

Follow Search Magazine on Facebook for the latest!

Black Christmas (1974)

Black Christmas Still a Frightfesting Good Time

By Kristin Battestella

We watched this original 1974 holiday horror classic this past Halloween as part of our yearly October horror fests. Regardless of the calendar, however, this wintry slasher heavyweight still offers plenty of fright to any festivity.

College roommates Jess (Olivia Hussey), Barb (Margot Kidder), and Phyllis (Andrea Martin) are remaining at their sorority house with Mrs. MacHenry (Marian Waldman) as Christmas is fast approaching.  Amid the drinking, carolers and parties for the kids, the girls receive repeated prank phone calls from someone named Billy. When sorority sister Clare (Lynne Griffin, Wind at My Back) is reported missing by her father (James Edmond), Lieutenant Fuller (John Saxon) and Sergeant Nash (Doug McGrath) investigate the disappearance in connection to the increasingly obscene phone calls. Unfortunately, the police’s suspicions are automatically directed at the girls’ boyfriends Peter (Keir Dullea) and Chris (Art Hindle) as the body count rises.

Well here’s a melancholy holiday viewing for you! Director Bob Clark (A Christmas Story, Porky’s) very smartly uses perspective camera work, shadowed and claustrophobic scenes, sharp angles, and foreboding tracking shots to build scares and sustain the suspense and peril through the well paced picture.  Some contemporary movie makers do use these tricks, but anymore the smoke and mirror effects are more about the sake of using them or for the shock of the effects themselves- and as a result, the scary just isn’t there.  Writer Roy Moore (She Cried Murder) creates drama and character development for another often-underutilized horror layer, too.  Yes, we’re in a sorority house, but its not naked silicone pillow fights or heavy sex scenes as we define sorority naughty today.  Unexpected real life issues and then taboo topics such as abortion, marriage, unplanned pregnancy, and alcoholism are weaved in nicely.  Most of the gore in Black Christmas actually happens off camera or is all talk in nasty phone calls, leaving a lot of the juice, kinky, and disturbed speculations up to the audience. Of course, some of the mystery elements and police investigations will have you screaming at the television, but I like the notion that folks in seventies horror films were unaware of the budding rules of the genre and at worst, act damn stupidly.  Even with these hiccups, this is a finely told, steady thriller that will keep you guessing until the end and then some.

While it doesn’t seem as though she is that prolific an actress, we all seem to know who Olivia Hussey is thanks to Romeo and Juliet- or if you’re really a horrorphile, Psycho IV.  Of course, she is lovely as always here. Even if Jess is a little snotty to start, she’s a likeable and easy to get behind heroine thanks to her honest portrayal of relationship issues- not to mention these crazy holidays and killings happening all at once!  Today, there will be some who might think the boozing Barb is merely Margot Kidder (Superman, The Amityville Horror) just playing herself, but no no no. Kidder looks damn good, sexy, and effortless, and Barb adds both seriousness to Black Christmas with her drinking and levity thanks to her fun and wisecracks.  Likewise, Marian Waldman (Deranged) is a riot as the liquor stashing, cranky old lady who’s supposed to be in charge of this crazy house. Of the boy toys, I have to say Keir Dullea (2001: A Space Odyssey) and Art Hindle (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) are nothing that special. Like the wasted Andrea Martin (SCTV), they serve more as assisting foil or red herrings as needed, and one very hokey hockey scene doesn’t even make the cut for me.   It’s not that they weren’t developed or done poorly; just the male plots are dropped aside for the scream queen action.

Thankfully, John Saxon, now of A Nightmare on Elm Street fame, is excellent as the caring cop hoping to provide support and safety for the ladies.  On the job, he technically isn’t helped too much by Doug McGrath’s (Pale Rider) idiot sergeant. However, McGrath provides several critical scenes of incredible wit and total detective foolhardy. It’s not all out Dewey from Scream or full on Scary Movie Doofy spoof, but again, the holiday humor and real world stupidity add more grim entertainment to Black Christmas.  We shouldn’t laugh at the seasonal ignorance, sexual implications, or failed law enforcement, but it is real and freshly handled here in a demented and humorous way. He doesn’t seem to have done much else, but James Edmond as Mr. Harrison is also delightfully well played.  He’s a bit of a prude, a stuffy relic compared to the sorority girls, but we don’t often see the fear and tragedy consequences in horror films.  It’s a nice touch of sympathy that the audience can completely understand, a solid to hold on to as the slasher hysteria rises.

But my gosh does that wallpaper look so bad!  While the seventies long, straight hair and breezy, peasantry costumes look almost medieval revival lovely, the men in huge fur coats and white folks trying on Afros are, however, just…no.   Fortunately, the Christmas décor, I have to say, is near awesome. The big, great old wreaths, that tacky white seventies tree, those big old colored bulbs- an underlying sprinkling of holiday music and carols are also present in unexpected, even disturbing ways. This nostalgia of the sights and sounds of an older Christmas celebration adds heaps of atmosphere.  Not only are there no cell phones, computers, gadgets or crafty but useless holiday themed deaths, but there is also no shop shop shop and bland Xmas obsession. Black Christmas is old fashioned and traditional, even homely to us like grandma’s apple pie. So when the murder and mayhem elements do kick in, it furthers the twistedness of it all. Many folks find the holiday season as the most depressing time of year- all the visual and oratory cheer should have us thinking happy thoughts, right? No, this is a horror movie, without a doubt.  Black Christmas can be watched anytime of year, for sure. It just happens that there are extra scares and spices because this horror movie takes place at Christmas.

You would think more horror films would take place during the holidays. Not perils with winter and snowscapes- we get plenty of those, especially recently it seems- but with the idleness of the season breeding scares or the violation of December sanctities causing terror.  Only one other example immediate comes to mind, and that is the also exceptional “….And All Through the House” segment of the 1972 anthology film Tales from the Crypt.  Perhaps only adults or wiser youths can appreciate the mix of retro holidays and scares, but there’s actually little to deter Black Christmas from any audience.  There are a few vulgarities and drinking innuendos, but today’s tweens and up are probably already aware of all that. Again, the audience suggestion and what you take from the film is paramount here.  The blu-ray is also quite delightful, with features and restored magic.  However, there are no subtitles, which could go a long way in helping hear the exact naughty in Billy’s phone calls. But alas, that might also be the point in not having captions, too.

Even with some plot confusions or character inconsistencies, and doubtless Black Christmas’ conclusion will also anger some viewers, this vintage slasher is unlike any subsequent slice and dice drivelry thanks to its telephone twists and Christmas charisma.  Ring in the season with Black Christmas or get nostalgic any time of year.

(You’ll also notice I didn’t mention the 2006 remake.  Pfft!)

A Cat People Trio!

Cat People (1942), Cat People (1944), Cat People (1982)!!!

By Kristin Battestella and Leigh Wood

Cough up your hairballs, sit back, and lick your paws for not just one, but three chances at feline mayhem: the 1942 classic Cat People, its 1944 sequel The Curse of the Cat People, and the update of the original Cat People (1982).  Meow!

Lonely and new to America, Serbian fashion designer Irena (Simone Simon) meets Oliver Reed (Kent Smith) at the zoo.  Though they are quickly in love, Irena fears the legend of her people- ancient stories of witches and evil folk who escaped the wrath of Serbian King John by turning into panther like cats.  Despite her hesitancy, Irena and Oliver marry, even though his co-worker Alice (Jane Rudolph) is also in love with Oliver.  Seeing psychiatrist Dr. Judd (Tom Conway) doesn’t help Irena overcome her cat obsessions, and she becomes increasingly jealous of Alice.  Will her anger and passion unleash the evil she fears lies dormant within her?

The direction from Jacques Tourneur (I Walked with a Zombie, The Comedy of Terrors) is as near perfect as your going to find in forties horror- that’s forties horror produced by Val Lewton (Bedlam, The Body Snatcher), mind you. Complete with a great psychological debate on fear and belief versus real world facts, the audience still doesn’t believe we’re going to see a woman who becomes a cat despite Irena’s rising suspicions regarding her feline tendencies. Everyone tells her it’s all in her mind, there there Irena needs help.  Why not believe her?  When we do see all the creepy implications thanks to excellent use of shadow, lighting, great locations, and action photography, the suspense builds superbly in what we see, but don’t see, believe, but can’t believe.  This is film noir, right- not horror. But why can’t screenwriter DeWitt Bodeen’s (The Seventh Victim) tale be both? Of course, we know the effects in making things scary will be limited to the film making of the time, but the panther smoke and mirrors and actual cat uses are solid fun. All the suggestion and subterfuge needed is here, creating a highly stylized noir scare feature indeed. Even now, fifty years on when we know what is to happen, we are still surprised by the well-paced femme blend and sympathetic slinky.

Of course, Cat People also owes a lot of its heart to Simone Simon (Ladies in Love) and her wonderful performance. Irena is a lovely, adorable little gal, and we like her a lot. We feel for Irena when she’s afraid of an unseen badness inside her, and we still feel sorry for her when that feline itch rises to the surface.  Likewise, we’ve every reason to also love Jane Randolph (Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein) as the would be other woman we should hate.  It’s really almost a case of mistaken identity, the nice, good girl who’s bad inside going femme for femme against the bad girl who’s actually pretty good. Alice has also been a long suffering woman with a chance at happiness, and the sympathetic tug of war between the ladies makes for a great layer of friction amid the simply gorgeous costumes they get to wear! What lovely hats, pre war style, and class! The effortless way they handle cigarettes, strut suave with fur coats on their shoulders- the fashion and grace of the ladies adds another level of femininity and feline sexuality without being oversexed, obviously kinky or all out nudity in the way these things are meant to distract from the plotless horror of today.  The onscreen ladies are allowed to keep the sexy and be smart in examining power, feminine wiles, their loves, hidden lust- and it gives the audience choice, interaction, and juice.

Tom Conway (The Falcon’s Brother and George Sanders brother!) is a lot of fun as Dr. Judd, a man of his time who doesn’t believe the ladies’ preposterous evil notions but is drawn to the cat allure nonetheless. He’s the shrink, so we don’t doubt his intelligence or ability to help, but Conway looks very suave, almost too suave to be a doctor with his heart in the right place.  The stylized old school class, proper gloves, top hats, and a convenient cane with a sword go a long way in upping the peril, too. Kent Smith (The Spiral Staircase), however, is a little weak compared to the other players. Sure, he’s just a nice Average Joe and likeable guy, but almost too blandly so.  Oli’s meant to be a man’s man type, but it’s a little tough to believe he’d hold out while married to hot stuff Irena much less carry on an affair but not really an affair affair with Alice.  The focus on the ladies and the cat subterfuge emasculate our man in the middle and create a man of inaction.  It’s not that this is a bad thing; in fact, it’s a role reversal that was probably quite unexpected at the time.

Fortunately, Kent Smith, Jane Rudolph, and Simone Simon all return for Round Two in 1944 with The Curse of the Cat People.  Now that they are married, Oliver and Alice Reed fear for the strange behavior of their six-year-old daughter Amy (Ann Carter).  Amy doesn’t fit in with the other school children and spends her time on animals and imaginary fancies. After receiving a ring from a seemingly spooky old neighbor Mrs. Farren (Julia Dean), she wishes for a friend and encounters the ghostly Irena.

Little Ann Carter (I Married a Witch, The Two Mrs. Carrolls) is a dang cute addition and looks strangely enough like Simon to handle the cat connections. She’s also innocent, somewhat sad, and thus endearing despite this inexplicable turn from feline dangers to imaginary friends. Smith and Rudolph do loose more luster as well now that they are supposed to be Leave It to Beaver parents who end up arguing over the shadow of Irena. Simone Simon is of course again magical, even if she’s turned away from the feline wanton into some sort of medieval snow queen angel ghost.  Her wispy ghost is indeed heavenly!  Singer Sir Lancelot (The Ghost Ship) as the Reeds’ Jamaican servant Edward does a lovely job as well, but unfortunately, it’s a stereotypically of the time and thankless part.  Creepy Julia Dean (Nightmare Alley) is mystery worthy fun, too, but the would be dang decent cast can’t do very much with this bizarre new family friendly less femme cat direction.

The Curse of the Cat People isn’t a bad film, really it isn’t.  If you accept it as a nice family fancy snowy pseudo Christmas ghost story, it isn’t bad at all!   It just is emphatically not a horror movie or even remotely dark and spicy like its predecessor- which is probably what the returning audience from Cat People is expecting.  Though writer DeWitt Bodeen returns, two directors- newcomer Gunther von Fritsch (Snow Bear) and Oscar winner Robert Wise (The Sound of Music, wow) seem to have botched a few things up, namely the smooth, sexy, femme noir style of the original film.  The focus on the next generation necessitates things be tame, family not scary, and Curse plays more like a ghostly mystery with taunts, teasing, and the usual child troubles. Some of the mean school kids are a bit irritating, even if we’re supposed to care for onscreen children in peril, and the dated child acting may hinder some viewers more so than the complete sequel turnaround.  The snow scenery is also fake, and the house and garden set up is too television cardboard design, but the neighborhood haunted house looks good and creepy at least. Yes, Curse of the Cat People created an uphill battle for itself by deviating from the formula.  However, it’s also awesome to see a pre-war forties Christmas blended with all those faux winter bundle ups and long lady frocks that flow in almost medieval sweetness. Sigh.

But Thankfully, for once we have a very decent remake with 1982’s Cat People, this time starring Natassja Kinski as Irena Gallier, an orphaned young woman reuniting with her brother Paul, played by Malcolm McDowell.  Separated as children after the suicides of their circus performer parents, Paul mysteriously leaves Irena alone in New Orleans shortly after her arrival. Irena explores the city and takes a job at the local zoo with curator Oliver (John Heard) and his fellow zoologist Alice (Annette O’Toole).  Unfortunately, the zookeepers and their assistant Joe (Ed Begley, Jr.) have captured a very unruly black leopard.  Irena’s growing attraction to Oliver, the proximity of the big cats, and Paul’s strange desires, however, bring about certain changes in Irena’s clean cut behavior and cause her to question her family’s true, feline nature.

Director Paul Schrader (American Gigolo, Affliction) accentuates the great cat photography and animal camerawork with reds, warm colorings, and pops of cat eyes and eerie greens, creating a sensuous, sexy mood lit for ambiance- like a romantic dinner with neo noir mystery. This focus on the sexy is not the dark and sinister tone of a horror picture as we might expect. Cat People is naughty and freaky, with chills that turn on instead of going for all out scary. There is blood, yes, but its use is unexpected, again not in the repetitive ways of slasher sequels today.  The not often seen, but long suggested cat effects and animal transformations do the trick beautifully, allowing all the true feline frenzy to build for the final act.  All this latent leopard juice is of course heightened by the sweet, sweet theme music by David Bowie (newer audience will recognize its use in Inglourious Basterds), too. The intriguing back story of who all came to be cats or what it all exactly involves might be confusing in some spots, but enough of the tale is in place for the kinky debates. So, sex releases the animal in us? Killing while in cat form lets all the rage out and returns us to human form? It’s bizarre, and yet, there is a certain logic to the animal urges and innuendo. Why do we equate the feline ruthlessness with a misuse of femininity? How can we praise the beauty of powerful women yet fear and demonize the temptation it brings?

While some of the opening effects are a bit dated or low budget looking today and Cat People’s kinky start is a little slow and abstract, the naughty and natural feline dangers get going just fine and remain strong throughout the picture. In fact, we even feel some sympathy for these big cats being trapped in cages and misunderstood as to their conflicted needs. This lifestyle is, after all, perfectly natural to them.  Why do we resist it? Pieces and plot elements of Bodeen’s original 1942 script survive in Alan Ormsby’s (The Substitute) updated screenplay.  The feline pursuit with a Lewton bus trick and the subsequent pool sequence are a complete ode to the original Cat People- just there are a few more boobs tossed in here! Even with the delightfully smart use of skin, that same what you don’t see shadows and cat sounds suspense is allowed room to shine.  The various big cats used for Cat People, mostly black leopards but a few lions and tigers, are simply lovely indeed. Feline fans will both enjoy their spotlight and yet dislike all the cages, rage, and violent portrayals.  These pesky incestuous implications are also not for prudes, nor the bondage. You heard me.

Wow, Nastassja Kinski (Tess, To The Devil a Daughter, Terminal Velocity) is eighties virginal hot for Cat People, going braless and strutting through a delicious looking New Orleans.  Yes, Irena isn’t totally styled in the near slutty femme we see today, but we like her in all her forms- good girl, naked, cat- nonetheless.  Irena is innocent and almost too good to be true- it’s saucy and endearing at the same time. Even if we know the juicy cat tendencies are coming, the audience is still surprised when the wonderfully creepy Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Star Trek Generations) brings the familial twists to a head. His Paul is suspicious from the start, clearly jonesing for his sister, and this back and forth of predator and prey invests us in Irena’s cat journey all the more. It almost seems as if this Cat People should be the big and saucy sequel to the original instead of The Curse of the Cat People.  So, this is what those dastardly cat kin have been up to in the last forty years!

Poor good guy with a case of cat corruption John Heard! His new Oliver can’t help but find Irena alluring despite the intelligence and better judgment we know a zoo curator must have. Heard (Home Alone, Awakenings) would seem on the prowl to start, scaring Irena upon their first meeting- but he is soon the one helplessly caught up in the unsavory.  The sex scenes between Oliver and Irena are steamy indeed, even if we don’t actually see much. Whom is it going to be more painful for anyway? Annette O’Toole’s (Superman III) Alice is the would be Mary Ann to Irena’s latent Ginger.  They begin as quick and intimate friends but obvious female tensions soon arise.  It’s a catfight, literally. Though it was probably not the intention at the time, it seems everyone in Cat People is a familiar face. John Larroquette (Night Court) appears briefly as a jerky suit pressuring the zoo, and Ed Begley Jr. (She-Devil) pulls out all the fun bad animal puns before being taken down a notch.  The glorious Ruby Dee (A Raisin in the Sun) isn’t fully utilized enough as Paul’s “Like Tamale” housekeeper, Female, nor is good cop Frankie Faison (The Wire).  Although Lynn Lowry (Shivers) and Tessa Richarde (Bronco Billy) do provide fun eye candy, as if there was any other kind!   

Cat People is a classic early horror treat that fans of straight classic films, noir mysteries, and students of Hollywood horror beginnings should know and love.  The Curse of the Cat People comes on a double bill DVD and in collector sets with its precursor, which does keep it easy to find even if it has practically nothing to do with the first film.  Just don’t compare Curse to Cat People when you watch, as it should indeed be seen at least once, perhaps at Christmas.  Where our 1944 entry is definitely kid friendly, and there’s nothing majorly overt in the original outing, the updated Cat People edition, however, is not for kids. In 1942, the original had to be chaste, but forty years on, the remake was free to unleash the titular folks in all their glory, and indeed, it does.  Purrrrrr!