Holiday Entertainment
Books, Music & Movies Of The Season

By Matt Hampton

There’s no time like the holidays to dust off old favorites, be they music, books, or movies, to help ring in the season with the same joyful cheer that you remember from countless holidays past.

As a reporter, I spend so much time asking what everyone else thinks, that I rarely get the opportunity to editorialize. What follows is a list of my personal favorite Holiday anthems, books and movies. With any luck, this list will help you think of the ways you like to celebrate the season.

Books

How the Grinch Stole Christmas – Every year, regardless of where I’m celebrating, I go back to this Dr. Seuss classic over and over again. Dr. Seuss was a genuine poet, and his illustrations in this remarkable book are equally beautiful. As wonderful as the cartoon is (and by extension the memorable song, sung by Thurl Ravenscroft), it will always be a book to me.

In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash – This book of Jean Shephard short stories, while not specifically a seasonal book, includes the tales that were eventually turned into A Christmas Story, a classic Christmas film, as well as one of the funniest movies ever made. Despite the backdrop of the Great Depression, it’s light, easy and fun, and a great way to relieve stress throughout the season.

A Visit from St. Nicholas – This classic holiday book, which was supposedly written by Clement Moore on a trip from Elmhurst to Greenwich Village, found its way into my family when I was very young. It made an impression on my mother, who was always a fan of artistic prose, who read it to my siblings and me. There are few books that so artfully demonstrate the spirit of the season.

Movies

Elf – While a relatively recent addition to the holiday cannon, Elf, which was directed by Queensite Jon Favreau and stars Saturday Night Live alumnus Will Ferrell, is a good-natured, fun seasonal film. It manages to lampoon traditional holiday movies while still being very faithful to the spirit of other classics like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and Jack Frost. It’s also safe for the whole family to enjoy.

The Nightmare Before Christmas – Another more recent holiday classic, The Nightmare Before Christmas is a movie that some consider the masterpiece of visionary producer/director Tim Burton, who wrote the poem on which it was based, and produced the film. The story, artistry and music of the film combine to create a macabre world where the very person who has become infatuated with the idea of Christmas may accidentally destroy it. It may not be for everyone, but this new Holiday classic always makes my list.

It’s A Wonderful Life – While this may be an unsurprising, traditional choice, the Frank Capra classic has survived 60 years for a reason. It represents the hopefulness and joy of a nation and world emerging from the recesses of World War Two, and understanding, like its lead character George Bailey, that life is indeed worth living. If you haven’t bothered to watch it in recent years, take another look, the message of the film rings true (if a little saccharine) even today.

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians – Shot in an airplane hangar on Long Island, this “holiday” film has gained notoriety in recent years for being a staple of the Internet Movie Database’s ever changing list of the 100 worst films of all time. The only reason to watch this film is for a good, campy laugh in the doldrums of the shopping season. No matter how stressed you get, you can always say, “at least this wasn’t my idea.”

Music

Merry Christmas, Baby – Chuck Berry and Bruce Springsteen have both firmly entrenched themselves in the lore of this modern Christmas carol, which is a personal favorite of mine.

Carol of the Bells – Originally called “Shcedryck,” this now familiar holiday classic began as a Ukrainian folk song that premiered stateside at Carnegie Hall in the twenties. In the decades since, it has become a staple of the season, and hands down my favorite seasonal song.

A Charlie Brown Christmas – While the television special itself is spectacular, the one thing everyone remembers about A Charlie Brown Christmas is the wonderful jazz soundtrack by the Vince Guaraldi Trio. The soundtrack is now sold everywhere from Best Buy to Starbucks, and I highly recommend picking it up for a truly complete holiday season.

This list, of course, represents one person’s jumping off point. Part of the beauty of Queens comes from the truly diverse people and cultures that shape the borough. Whatever your traditions may be, this is the season of giving, so be sure to share your favorite seasonal traditions with family and friends.