CHICAGO – It’s the Eve of Christmas Eve, and what better time to figure out what the holiday film what-to-watch list will be. Enter “Pat & Ken At the Holidays,” featuring Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com and his faithful companion Ken Candela, whose off-kilter commentary has blessed him with the nickname, The Movie Wag.
Since 2009 on their YouTube channel, the holiday duo has been assessing the myriad numbers of Christmas-themed films … old, new and weird. Embedded below is an example from 2019, “The Hollywood Palace.’ In the tumultuous and divisive year of 1968, ABC-TV turned to its old pal Bing “Der Bingle” Crosby and his second family to get the nation through its year of riots, assassinations and war, with a Christmas TV special for the ages. Ho ho ho …
For the rest of the 2019 line up, click the appropriate link …
“A Christmas Carol” (1984) With George C. Scott as Scrooge, click here. [18]
“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” (1964) The cult classic with Pia Zadora as a Martian child and lotsa government stock footage, click here. [19]
“Christmas in Connecticut” (1945) One of the best studio era Christmas movies ever made and featuring Barbara Stanwyck, click here. [20]
For some of the best of Pat & Ken, click after “The Star Wars Holiday Special” (perhaps better than the current release, click here [21]), “Santa & The Ice Cream Bunny” (click here [22]), “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” (click here [23]), “Prancer” (click here [24]), “Santa Claus” (the intensely surreal Mexican film from 1959, click here [25]) and a little ring-a-ding-ding from Dean and Frank (Sinatra) in the “Dean Martin Holiday Special” (click here [26]).
 [28] | By PATRICK McDONALD [29] |
Links:
[1] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/users/hankq
[2] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/a-christmas-carol
[3] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/bing-crosby
[4] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/christmas-in-connecticut
[5] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/dean-martin-holiday-special
[6] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/film-news
[7] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/hollywoodchicagodotcom-content
[8] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/ken-candela
[9] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/movie-wag
[10] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/pat-ken-at-the-holidays
[11] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/patrick-mcdonald
[12] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/prancer
[13] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/santa-claus
[14] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/santa-claus-conquers-the-martians
[15] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/stars-wars-holiday-special
[16] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/the-hollywood-palace
[17] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/news/ber-critic-0
[18] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-uk8GB6lm8&t=28s
[19] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZPCEiumjmU
[20] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AETixF-ICZk&t=450s
[21] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r71F7Ra9DqU&t=182s
[22] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koKH73grZ74
[23] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0ds3R9taQI
[24] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDpYZeaBTxw&t=11s
[25] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5t9_3BoIKDM
[26] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RGr0f_Xr9U&t=237s
[27] https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzFNkT5O5NuO41-MYWBmr_g
[28] mailto:pat@hollywoodchicago.com
[29] http://www.hollywoodchicago.com/about#PAT