John Hughes Movie: Christmas Vacation (1989)

Never before has the phrase 'holiday fun for the whole family' been more suitable. Well ok, there are certainly some mature themes here but this is one of the funniest Christmas movies around.

After European Vacation in 1985, the National Lampoon film series returned with Christmas Vacation. Clark Griswald (Chevy Chase) has convinced his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) to let him have his dream, a big family christmas at home, with all the relatives around. But from the very start, things do not go as planned. By ten minutes in, the Griswald family have already been involved in highway road rage, been stuck under a truck, been airborn in their car and got a ludicriously inappropriate christmas tree. But that's just the begining.

Much like the first vacation, the Griswald family seem to be surrounded by absolutely hilarious accidents. From redneck Cousin Eddie's (Randy Quaid) appearence to exploding sewer mains, nothing seems to go as planned. The gags are generally derived from either the sort of jokes that bring out your inner 12 year old or pure slapstick, but don't feel guilty for laughing, because the unstoppable surge of antics rarely ever hits a sour note.

All of this humour is balanced out by heartwarming, albeit cheesy family moments, which is exactly what you'd expect from a comedy family movie, and seems to suit the christmas theme quite well. As well as Chase and D'Angelo, who reprise their roles perfectly well, the rest of the cast seem to gel fantastically with their characters, because they are entertaining from start to finish.

This is also one of those films where you recognise one of the actors from something (not just the child actors here) but you're not sure what they've been in. Then there's the great moment when you realise who they are and it's amazing to see how they've aged since. So I won't ruin that for you all by telling you who all the great actors are in this film.

This is a lighthearted, hilarious comedy movie that is perfect to run in the background whilst relaxing on Christmas day. As our final John Hughes movie for the month, this one is definitely a classic.

John Hughes Month: Vacation (1983)

After Animal House was released in 1978 (and I promise to review that one of these days because it is hands down the funniest movie ever), there were a bunch of raunchy comedies that came out in the early-1980s. These comedies were influenced a lot by the (just new) sketch show Saturday Night Live. These films included Caddyshack (1980), Stripes (1981) and Porky's (1982) and starred actors like Bill Murray, John Candy and Chevy Chase.

Vacation (or to use it's full title National Lampoon's Vacation) is written by Hughes and based on a story he wrote about his own family's ill-fated road trip to Disneyland. Chevy Chase plays his most memorable role ever; family man Clark Griswold (changed to Griswald in the sequels) who just wants to please his family. This time around he has planned to take them all to Walley World in California.

Hilarious gags and mishaps dog them all the way, including tying a dog to the bumper on the highway, the death of Aunt Edna (Imogene Coca) and getting stuck in downtown St Louis, as well as many, many more, like that creepy incest joke.

In addition to Chevy Chase's wide eyed Clark, Beverly D'Angelo plays his long suffering wife Ellen and his two kids Rusty and Audrey are played by Anthony Michael Hall and Dana Barron. The two other hilarious performances come from Randy Quaid's idiot character Cousin Eddie, who is the biggest redneck ever, and John Candy's ultra-officious Walley World security guard. There are also two great cameos from model Christie Brinkley and future funny man Eugene Levy.

Verdict: Not a traditional John Hughes movie as such, but the more adult oriented vision is fantastic, especially with Harold Ramis' superb direction.

Classic Movie Review: American History X (1998)

When I first saw American History X a few years ago, it had quite an impact on me. Since then I have re-watched it several times and have come to the conclusion that it is one of the most powerful movies ever made. What has really stuck with me over the years is its message. It’s a film that will keep you thinking long after viewing and will draw you back to it. This is definitely a film you have to see more than once to fully appreciate.

The film is a dark tale about Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton), a prominent Neo-Nazi figure in his neighbourhood, who after imprisonment returns a different man and struggles to prevent his younger brother Danny (Edward Furlong) from being caught up in the same situation. It deals with American race relations, the brutal nature of imprisonment, and the way in which family members can foster bigoted views in one another. The late Roger Ebert criticised the film for a disjointed structure, “The movie needs sweep where it only has plot”, but I don’t see this as the case. The scenes do jump around a bit, but I believe this adds to the story and is never done in a disorientating fashion. Considering the problems during production it’s an incredibly well formed film.

Tony Kaye (Director & Cinematographer) uses both black & white and colour film stock to contrast the flashbacks, with the period after Derek’s release. There are some beautiful slow motion shots in the colour segments but it’s the black and white scenes that have the most impact, magnificently filmed whilst quite distressing to watch. Though in many ways it’s the films editing which brings it together and much of the credit here should go to Jerry Greenberg (The French Connection, Apocalypse Now) and Edward Norton, who were brought in to restructure a third edit after Kaye’s first two did not fulfill New Line’s expectations. It was this third edit that would become the theatrical release, yet Kaye completely disowned it, even attempting to remove his name from the film. If you’re interested in what Kaye’s workprint cut would have looked like then this is a good compilation.

The heart-breaking ending is a fitting conclusion for a film of this nature, reminding us that all of humanity is capable of these actions, no matter what race or culture. This is a movie that is constantly playing with your emotions, through its many disturbing yet beautiful scenes. It is not afraid to rip your heart out and kicked it around like a hacky sack every once in a while. But the most enduring message is in the close. With the final shots of the beach at sunset as Danny quotes Lincoln, we are given a faint glimmer of hope for humanity amongst the darkness, and it is that hope that will stick with me forever.

Edward

On first viewing, American History X could be construed as a very controversial film. Indeed the subject matter is that of neo-nazism in America. But once you push past the surface layer, you find a film with some very diverse themes.

The major thread that runs throughout the film is that of redemption and rehabilitation. During his incarceration, Derek comes to see that the neo-Nazi rhetoric that was hammered into him may not be as solid as he thought. This comes as a result of his experiences with the other white power inmates, who don't quite believe in the cause as he does. He eventually changes his tune when he befriends a black inmate.

The other related theme is that of brotherhood. This is shown throughout the film with Derek's influence over Danny. It is probably true that Danny too would have been able to be rehabilitated if he didn't meet an untimely end. 

The performances are really what makes this film. Edward Norton gives a stellar performance. His is both heinously evil and, as a reformed man, kind, good hearted and tolerant of those who still belong to the life he left behind. Stacy Keach is fantastic as the leader of the neo-nazis.

The two other amazing performances come from Avery Brooks and Elliott Gould, whose characters come under attack from Derek's racist rhetoric. They play different sides of the same coin, Brooks' Dr. Sweeney has the ability to shrug off the remarks, whereas Gould's Murray internalises the mocking and shows how affected by it he really is.

This also is an example of a film that really benefits from a cinematographer directing. Kaye is a master at crafting evocative and meaningful shots. There are many uses of slow motion that give heavy meaning to the character's emotions and actions. The decision to have half the movie in black and white is a bold one, but ultimately pays off.

Jack