With the holidays approaching, many of us like to watch seasonal movies. The 25th anniversary edition of A Christmas Story was released today (11-4-08). It is packaged in a cookie tin, and includes many special items. The original Holiday Affair, starring Robert Mitchum and Janet Leigh, is to be released next Tuesday (11-11-08). Since both of these movies feature trains in them, I figured I’d let people know that they being released.
Thanks for the tip, Jim. I don’t mind when my wife goes over the top and buys every Disney movie ever made because we use them weekly when the granddaughter comes for her weekly visit. Nor the classic holiday movies we can play throughout the season. What bothers me is when she buys all this other stuff we never even break the seal on. [banghead]
In another thread I noted that I finally conducted an inventory of all of the VHS and DVD stuff we have. Some of the stuff we have in triplicate or quadruplicate! And her observation goes something like this: “We need to buy a Blue Ray HD unit.” Which would entail buying the same stuff in an HD format. Or “We don’t have this one digitally remastered with the special features.” I may wind up with 5 or 6 of some of these by the time she gets through. [banghead]
I wouldn’t mind if we’d watch these once in a while. But there is always some drivel on TV she would rather watch. If it’s entitled “Haunted” or “Ghost” anything, count her in. And what’s wrong with “On Demand?” [banghead] She complains when I want to watch some classic John Wayne or Rocky rerun “We’ve seen that a million times.” But if it’s one of her selections, her memory is very short. [banghead]
She loves “Fatal Attraction” where Glen Close goes after adulterer Michael Douglas and his wife, and she then sits there teasing me that that is what happens to unfaithful husbands…my response, “He wasn’t clever enough.” Drives her wild.
There is an advantage to having the train room in the basement. [}:)] There. I feel better now. [soapbox]
Jack
Jack,
I am guilty of having duplicates too. Back in 1999, I bought A Christmas Story on VHS. When I got a DVD player in 2001, I bought the DVD version. In 2003, I bought the 20th anniversary edition. This morning, I bought the 25th anniversary edition. You can bet that when it comes on TBS at 8PM on Christmas Eve, I’ll be glued to the television!
Just FYI - Deepdiscount.com usually has a pre-thanksgiving 20 percent off sale with free shipping and handling. This year, it is reported that it will be 25 percent off due to the economy, a Christmas present from the company. They usually have good to great prices on their dvds, so this is a steal. They have a Spring/Summer sale every year too, usually in June.
Jim…I’m all for buying the Christmas and holiday movies because we watch them either as a couple or when family comes over, at least once a season. Or old classics. Or train stuff. Hard for some to understand, but some of the old black and whites I prefer to the colorized versions. And when something comes on TV I have on VHS ro DVD, I pop in the DVD to skip the commercials and watch at my pace.
And we are all the victim of technology changes (improvements). Sony Beta Max, a quantum leap in “at home” entertainment but got blown out of the water by VHS, kind of like who won the HD wars recently. In that exchange I chose unwisely (Sony) and had to buy again (VHS). In the 1970s I was taking the broadcast audio signal and played the TV sound through my “stereo,” much to the delight and amazement of my friends. “Home theater” before its time, complete with 4 floor standing speakers and before “quadraphonics.”
I got into CDs in 1986 despite a huge investment in vinyl, reel-to-reel audio tapes for the home, and cassettes for the cars because the improvements were that stunning…no such thing as CDs for the car yet. Anyone get into DAT (digital audio tape)? Or unwisely choose digital laser discs over DVDs? Was slow to get into DVDs, but my wife felt compelled to jump start that 9 years ago for my birthday. And the permanence and perfection of CDs and DVDs if cared for properly were prime incentives for me. About 5 years ago I got a combo VHS/DVD recording unit. But I have not yet jumped into DVRs. Same with HD, got into that when there wasn’t a lot to watch in that format!
I’ve got stacks of perfectly functioning audio and video equipment stored with my trains!
It kills me to see this stuff sitting around unused when the $ could have been spent on TRAINS that I would be enjoying the rest of my life, no obsolescenc
It’s funny in retrospect… we dumped all our records when we retired our turntable; then did the same with cassette tapes when we got a CD player, and with the VHS tapes when we got a DVD player. In some instances, I’ve got a beloved show - like Oklahoma 
in 4 or 5 formats over the years.
I do have to find something to convert the VHS tapes of the kids into DVDs someday - and I would love something to dupe my years of old-time radio cassettes I taped ‘off the air’
Speaking of Christmas - and my 2nd favorite holiday movie - It’s a Wonderful Life - have you seen this themed train? http://www.landsend.com/pp/WonderfulLifeTrain~189124_-1.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::XXX&CM_MERCH=IDX_00008_0000000247&origin=index
Missed that one, and at Lands End, a clothing retailer no less! When was this train released? Lands End exclusive?
Wonder what holiday movies have decent train footage in them, inside or outside the cars and engine, etc? Polar Express for sure. There were trains in either Holiday Inn or White Christmas…get those two mixed up, but Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye were heading to Vermont to help out a retired WWII General they served under whose Inn was failing due to no snow or advertising. Got to go check that out.
Jack
Isn’t Holiday Inn the real name of the picture? but everyone calls it White Christmas because of the song - something like that. I think I remember them boarding the Santa Fe in NY to head north… [;)]
Almost forgot, it must be a LE exclusive. I’ve never seen it anywhere else. Stumbled across it. See it also now listed on other forum.
Re the Christmas movies…
Just looked it up. The movie I’m thinking about is White Christmas (1954 release) with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, and in it Bing Crosby sings the song White Christmas.
Crosby originally sang the song in the 1943 movie Holiday Inn with Fred Astaire.
The coaches, dining cars, and sleeping cars in the movie’s train give some of the younger folks on the Forum an idea of longer distance train travel 6 decades ago when interstates were fledgling at best and automobiles more of a luxury than a fact of life. In fact, in 1943 both gasoline and tires were rationed during WWII, and I believe there was no domestic production of automobiles during the war either, all production diverted to war needs with many women taking over the factory jobs while the men in uniform were off fighting. A simpler time and yet an eye opening one as well.
Jack
Doug,
$99 sounds cheap to me! It doesn’t look to have a smoke unit. I wonder if they’ll make a “A Christmas Story” train someday too?
Brad,
I think that an A Christmas Story set would be great, especially with Protosound 2. They could use the part where Ralphie is helping his dad change the flat tire for the train wreck sound sequence. That would sell the set by itself.
Put me down for one of those!!! [(-D]
Have you visited the Christmas Story House website? Lot’s of movie items to purchase and you can tour the house if you live in the Cleveland area.
Maybe someday we’ll see the PS2 train on their website for sale!
Brad, I visit that website frequently. I am considering going to the annual convention on the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Doug,
What’s your thoughts on the transformer/remote control for the “It’s a Wonderful Life” lionel set?
I was just wondering how durable it would be in the hands of a 7 year old.
BTW - a movie my family enjoys watching around the holidays is “Anastasia”. It’s a great family movie for all ages and takes place during the winter months in Russia and France. The train ride from St. Petersburg to Paris is very nicely animated. The train moves and sways … like a real one. It’s one of my favorite train segments in an animated movie. The voice of Anastasia is played by Meg Ryan and Dimitri is played by John Cusack. Kelsey Grammer is also one of the characters. Check it out!
Thanks!