MAP: 97.97/100
IMDb / Wikipedia / r/50ovieorbust
An instant family holiday classic - I was worried (back in the day) after the second film proved confusing and somewhat disappointing, that we’d seen the last of the Griswolds - but the third film redeemed the series. It was one of the first films we upgraded to Blu Ray - I wanted to be sure to grab it as it came in a green plastic case.
Clark Griswold, food preservation genius / world traveler, has decided to invite the entire family home for Christmas and instantly regrets it. The families bicker, his in-laws are terrible, his exterior illumination plans fail, the sewer gas explodes spectacularly. He presses on despite every reason to call it quits.
Anyone who’s tried to call the clan home for the holidays will recognize the troubles Clark suffers through. The people I came from? Strictly “the shitters full” variety (now you know why we moved nearly 1,900 miles away.) Mrs. Lady Zedd agrees with my MAP and calls it a “huge favorite”.
Side note - there are a few brothers in this particular Griswold vacation adventure.
First, Brian Doyle-Murray, Bill Murray’s brother (who’s a star in his own right) plays Frank Shirley - Clark’s miserly boss - a real nipcheese - who also plays the rent-a-tent attendant in the fist film.
Second, Nicholas Guest, Christopher Guest’s brother, plays next door neighbor and yuppie supreme Todd Chester along side Seinfeld alum Julia Louis-Dreyfus! :]
Visiting my parents for the holidays, had some friends over for Nog and the recipe was inspired by the film, so I figured why not. Full disclosure, this is the first of the Lampoons any of us had seen.
Ended up really enjoying myself with the film! The sense of humor is very old school, soooo much slapstick, but undeniably funny. I was familiar with Chevy Chase from Community, so it was fun watching him in his younger years and it actually kinda feeling like the same character presented in a different light? It was definitely a product of its time, but even the sleezier moments fit the actor the way we had come to know him. For as crummy as a person as he is, Chevy did play a very convincing rootable protagonist (adultery jokes aside).
The one part of the movie that didn’t hit with literally anyone was Cousin Eddie. I’m not entirely sure what it was, but the style of humor that he was written with just… didn’t get a single laugh from the five of us who were watching, meanwhile the film was laugh-out-loud funny until his arrival. It recovered after a while when other characters took the reigns back (the great aunt pledge of allegiance caught everyone so off guard it was hilarious). I think the one part of Eddie that actually got some interest was his kidnapping of the boss at the end, because of how freaking crazy it was.
Everyone was in solid agreement that we loved the neighbors too. The fact that they dressed like full blown villains, but really were just trying to live their lives while their neighbors keep dunking on them… so much sympathy for that poor couple haha
Vacation (1983) European Vacation (1985) Christmas Vacation (1989) Vegas Vacation (1997)
I absolutely love these movies. Currently watching Christmas Vacation at the moment. To me that is an all-time great holiday movie. I do not count Christmas Vacation 2 and the new vacation with Ed Helms from a few years ago to be in this grouping.
As a 4 movie group, I think it is the best comedy movie series IMO. In general it might be one of the best!
So after watching Christmas Vacation with my family on Christmas Eve, I decided to try my hand at a sciencey type of video analyzing what would really happen to Clark during the sled scene. I'm pretty sure I got some things wrong, so feel free to correct any mistakes in my math. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSwbBaK4mCI
The evil CEO saw the error of his ways and the police didn't shoot anyone
Light up your holidays with Chevy Chase live on stage plus an audience Q & A following a screening of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. After the showing of the holiday classic on the big screen,the celebration will continue with actor Chevy Chase (Clark Griswold).
https://nippertown.com/2021/10/25/chevy-chase-is-coming-to-the-palace-for-national-lampoons-christmas-vacation-screening/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OzvAA9YO5ht4GpcfurUZG04qpnPm9hqQ/view?usp=sharing
Schedule
Community S2E11 00:00 - 00:25
It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia S6E13 00:25 - 01:25
Home Improvement S2E12 01:25 - 01:50
The Boondocks S1E7 01:50 - 02:15
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 02:15 - 04:15
ABC's TGIF
Family Matters S5E11 04:15 - 04:41
Full House S2E9 04:41- 05:06
Perfect Strangers S2E11 05:06 - 05:36
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