Do you remember that Christmas special? You know, the one with that guy, who did that stuff? Yeah, he went to that place to meet that person. While these events could conceivably take place in every Christmas special or movie, there are those that stand far above the rest, like that really tall guy who stood in that place talking about that thing with that person. You know the one, and so does your Mountain Times staff. Here are some of our favorite Christmas movies and specials.

Melanie Davis: White Christmas

Melanie’s family Christmas photos bear an eerie resemblance to that pictured above.

It isn’t Christmas in my house until I have watched Bing Crosby’s 1954 film White Christmas. This classic Technicolor film is my favorite Christmas movie of all time. Although, the leg lamp alone in A Christmas Story earns that a close second.

It comes as no surprise that Bing Crosby Christmas albums are frequently played at my house throughout December. I have a soft spot for old records and films, and White Christmas is a hallmark film, being the first Paramount production in wide-screen format with VistaVision technology.

The bonus is hearing Crosby’s smooth voice, along with Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen. Crosby’s solo version of the title song is what drew me to the film in the first place.

The plot entails two separate song and dance teams, Crosby and Kaye together, and Clooney paired with Ellen. Crosby and Kaye star as Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, army buddies from World War II, who meet Betty and Judy (Clooney and Ellen) and follow them to an inn in Vermont for their next show.

Once there they discover the struggling innkeeper is their beloved former commanding general. So, the pair set out to drum up business and bring their very successful show to the inn.

There is romance, comedy, ballerinas in Santa costumes, and good music on an incredibly artificial set. What’s not to love? I will be dreaming of a White Christmas... again, this year.

Caroline Monday: A Christmas Carol

Michael Caine is somewhat relieved the grocer was out of frog legs, pork and fresh Gonzo meat..

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season is watching the approximately five million made-for-TV versions of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

While most of the year you can count on reruns of the series Law and Order to be on some channel at any given time of the day or night, starting at Thanksgiving, you can also count on A Christmas Carol.

If you have cable, an open mind and a love for the Ghost of Christmases-Yet-To-Come, you can enjoy this holiday classic at any time you turn on the television between late November and Dec. 25 – in some form or another.

What I love about this seasonal phenomenon is that, in addition to dozens of conventional versions of A Christmas Carol, there are many very entertaining adaptations of the story. Among my favorites, just to name a few, are A Flintstones Christmas Carol and A Diva’s Christmas Carol.

The absolute best adaptation, in my opinion is done by the Muppets in The Muppet Christmas Carol. There is something about puppets who sing, dance and interact with live human beings that I simply cannot resist.

When the Muppets perform this Christmas classic, Kermit the Frog plays Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy plays his wife, and the Great Gonzo plays Charles Dickens, the narrator – with commentary from Rizzo the Rat. Oh yeah, Michael Caine plays Scrooge, but we all know that the real actors don’t really matter in a Muppet movie, even when they play the lead part. Need a few more things to love about A Muppet Christmas Carol? How about singing vegetables and dancing penguins?

With all the competition out there, the Muppets do A Christmas Carol best. And, something tells me having elaborate singing puppets perform his Christmas masterpiece is what Dickens would have wanted.

Frank Ruggiero: The Star Wars Holiday Special

From left, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford react to the Star Wars Holiday Special.

A long time ago (November 1978) in a galaxy far, far away (the opportunistic mind of George Lucas), viewers bore witness to a once-in-a-lifetime televisual spectacle courtesy of CBS – the last episode of Maude. And for those whose Bea Arthur cravings could not be sated by this finale, CBS and Lucasfilm aired the Star Wars Holiday Special, which, among various original cast members, also starred Arthur as a stern matriarch with a heart of gold. Or maybe that was Maude. Or Golden Girls. Either way, the special includes Arthur in a singing role, working as a bartender and fielding multiple sexual advances from a drunken Harvey Korman, who literally pours drinks into his head.

The story picks up after the original 1977 film (just Star Wars and none of this Episode IV nonsense), where we find Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) in a precarious predicament. Solo must get Chewbacca to his home planet in time for “Life Day,” the Wookiee equivalent of Christmas, but Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones) has other plans. Like some type of leather-clad Grinch, Vader is determined to steal Life Day from our heroes. In the meantime, viewers are introduced to Chewbacca’s family, two members of which are actually called “Lumpy” and “Itchy” – two adjectives that should never go together under any circumstance.

Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) shows up, as does Art Carney (The Honeymooners’Ed Norton) as an intergalactic trader of sorts. Throw in some musical numbers, including a bizarre performance by The Jefferson Starship, and you have the makings for a Molotov Christmas special. But all is well in the end, and to prove it, Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) sings a Life Day carol to the tune of the Star Wars theme.

Even Lucas, who apparently had little input in its production, couldn’t abide the special, and he was reportedly quoted as saying that, if he had the time, he’d like to personally smash every remaining copy with a sledgehammer. Fortunately, he can’t smash YouTube. Not yet, anyway.

Jeff Eason: It’s A Wonderful Nightmare

Mr. Magoo shakes a stick at Leslie Nielsen for his performance in 1997’s dismal, live-action version of Mr. Magoo.

My list of favorite Christmas movies and television specials would have to include It’s A Wonderful Life and The Nightmare Before Christmas. For years I was always able to catch It’s A Wonderful Life on television over the Thanksgiving weekend and now it has become a tradition for me.

In case you haven’t seen it, the movie stars Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed as George and Mary Bailey. George is a hardworking, honest guy who doesn’t realize how great his life is until he is faced with some life-shattering news. When he decides to end it all, he is saved by a lovable angel named Clarence (Henry Travers) who shows him what the world would be like if he never existed. Scary, funny and heartwarming, Frank Capra’s film still feels fresh 60 years after its original release.

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas shows what would happen if Christmas was hijacked by the ghouls and goblins who inhabit Halloween Town. Utilizing stop-motion animation, Burton’s film is filled with whimsical characters, hummable tunes by Danny Elfman, and even a ghost dog!

As for the TV specials, I love the Mr. Magoo version of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and, of course, A Christmas Story, where Ralphie dreams of finding a Red Rider B.B. gun under the tree.