The Night They Saved Christmas

They don't make TV movies like this anymore, yet the message of environmentalism is as fresh as Al Gore's green necktie. Follow your typical nuclear family circa 1983 of fed up, pilot license possessing mom (Jaclyn Smith) and stereotypical children (the bully, the brain and the girl) as they are pitted against geologist Dad who is totally going to blow up the North Pole if he continues with his oil drilling! Santa sends his head elf Ed (played by tiny freaking genius PAUL WILLIAMS) to win mom and kids over with a harrowing trip to the North Pole. Of course nobody believes them, and the theory of them being dosed with mind altering drugs is postulated several times by dad's
grumpy boss. This will rise like froth on eggnog to the top of your
Christmas movie viewing.

Aimee Mann - One More Drifter in the Snow

I love mellow, kind of "stoney" Christmas music. Willie Nelson's LP, My Morning Jacket's EP, Vince Guaraldi's Charlie Brown Soundtrack... All of these are what I would like to hear if I was stuck inside a snow globe for a few hours. Now I can add Aimee Mann's 2006 offering to my list. This is a lovely, mellow group of holiday favorites along with a great original and the slightly puzzling remake of that song she sang with Michael Penn, sans Michael Penn. The new version will likely grow on me, though. The standout is her deadpan delivery of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" (on which she is aided by Grant Lee Phillips). This is the perfect antidote for the commercial ick found on the WLIT.