Stave Sixteen: In Which a Star is Born

DAY SIXTEEN OF HOLLMANN HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA

Today....we put up the tree! Dad, Sarah and I did the lights. Becky, Sarah and I put up ornaments. I put up the angel with help from Mom and Dad. And my niece, who is celebrating her first Christmas this year, put the cloth ornaments in her mouth. If only Virginia were there; then it would have been a real family affair.

There was a moment of pause in the proceedings as we decided whether to go with the Angel or the Star. Sarah demanded the Angel, for our star is...well, it's a little tacky. Gold glitter, with Christmas lights shining like a laser show from inside. It matches nothing. At least the fiber optic angel looks ready to sing "Gloria", with outstretched arms reaching to the heavens. It's a bad-ass angel.

But that star. It doesn't even have a proper stand. It's cardboard with masking tape attaching it to the star. The whole thing is tacky and haphazardly constructed.

And yet, there is a kind of charm to it.

Truth is, I miss the star. We used to have a silver Star of David on a spring stand. I don't remember when we switched, but I remember why. The Star of David was coming apart. There were two halves that fit together, and they finally stopped working as a team. It was just when I had learned the significance of that particular Star, too. After all, if you're going to have a Star lead to the King of Jews, might as well be the right kind, you know what I mean?

That star hurt, though. It had sharp points. It was a very stabbity star, if you know what I mean. Like, ninjas could use it. Perhaps that was part of the mystique for little me. This great big Holy Star that would hurt you if you touched it. After all, were not Aaron's sons smote when they entered the Holy of Holies in the Temple? Does Alan Rickman not speak for God so that our heads won't explode? The idea of a stabbity Star of David just made sense to me.

It also made me feel very cultured and ooh-la-la. "We may celebrate Christmas, but we have an in with the Jews, with their wine and their ashen heads and their lamb's blood!" Mom explained to me that we used a Star of David because it was the Star the Wise Men followed, and it was the symbol of Jesus' family. He was, after all, descended from either Solomon or Nathan, sons of King David, who slew Goliath and fell in love with Bathsheba as she bathed on the rooftop, thereby leading him to send her husband to lead a charge that would kill him in battle. I love the Old Testament.

Ah, the point. The point is, an angel is nice and all, what with messages to Mary and shepherds and all the hymns about their awesomeness. But when I get a Christmas tree, I'm going with a Star. It's what the Wise Men followed, it symbolizes Jesus's lineage, and they make more effective weapons.



Twinkle twinkle little me
I have a lonely life
I’m the star upon your tree
That makes your christmas bright

Twinkle twinkle little me
I left the milky way
Just so I could be with you on Christmas day
Christmas brought me where you are
And heaven gave me life
I’m that friendly little star
You wish upon each night

Twinkle twinkle
Oh, twinkle twinkle little me
I have a present too
If you give unshelfishly
And make a wish come true
I’ll always shine on you

Twinkle little me
Twinkle twinkle little me
Ooh, Christmas brought me where you are
And heaven gave me life
I’m that friendly star
You wish upon each night

Twinkle twinkle little me
I have a present too
If you give unshelfishly
And make a wish come true
I’ll always shine for you

Twinkle little me
I’ll always shine for you
Twinkle little me
I’ll always shine for you

The Golden Globes Nominations

Finally caught up with reviews, and now I will have caught up with the precursors. SAG announces tomorrow, but yesterday morning the Golden Globes brought out their noms:

BEST SCREENPLAY
Neill Blomkamp/Terri Tatchell, District 9
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Nancy Meyers, It's Complicated
Jason Reitman/Sheldon Turner, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
I did not expect District 9 to do so well in this category. Of course, we've still not heard from the WGA or Academy, but it is becoming difficult to ignore. I hope Meyers and Reitman/Turner did a damn good job, though, because the Neustatder/Weber team behind (500) Days of Summer is stellar. Boal wins, I bet. It's The Hurt Locker's year.

BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Once again, the Globes find Clint irresistible. Guilds, Academy: Resist. Resist! This could be Bigelow's year at the Oscars, but why do I feel Reitman is getting the Globe?

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
Two of these are not in release. The Messenger has yet to arrive in either my college town or my hometown. Despite my reservations concerning Invictus, I will once again call the Damon nom well-deserved. And Waltz, of course, is unstoppable. Count on him to win it.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Penelope Cruz, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Look for Cruz to be sidelined in favor of Samantha Morton in The Messenger come Oscar Nom Morn. Mo'Nique, like Waltz, is unstoppable, and that is truly awesome. Award-winning actress Mo'Nique. What a sentence.

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL/COMEDY
Matt Damon, The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis, Nine
Robert Downey, Jr., Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, (500) Days of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg, A Serious Man
Damon, Gordon-Levitt and Stuhlbarg are all deserving of noms. Hell, they'd be deserving of Oscar noms, with the other slots filled by Sam Rockwell (Moon) and...hm....either Johnny Depp (Public Enemies) or George Clooney (Fantastic Mr. Fox). Anyway. No telling who would win this, really. Day-Lewis? But probably Stuhlbarg. I'll go with Stuhlbarg.

BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Tobey Maguire, Brothers
The more I hear about how good Brothers (and Maguire) is....the more confused I get. The trailers look AWFUL. Freeman is still deserving, he just wouldn't be on my list. Where's Rockwell? Where's Depp? What is this? Bridges gets it.

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL/COMEDY
Sandra Bullock, The Proposal
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Julia Roberts, Duplicity
Meryl Streep, It's Complicated
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Holy crap, someone remembered Duplicity! That's the big news here, really. Well, that and the Streep times two. I suppose her performance as Julia Child will get her the Globe. I really can't wait to see It's Complicated, though. I am ashamed to say I have not seen The Proposal or Duplicity yet. Perhaps during my Christmas break...? Amy Adams, by the way, gave a truly great performance in Sunshine Cleaning. Just saying.

BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
So...is this Bullock nom happening? Strange, sexy thought, that. I love that Blunt is coming out of the woodwork. I don't love Abbie Cornish (Bright Star) being left out in the cold. Mulligan wins, and everyone is happy.

BEST PICTURE - MUSICAL/COMEDY
(500) Days of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine
Nine wins, of course. What a delightful group this is. I know: I haven't seen It's Complicated or Nine. But the other three rock. So there.

BEST PICTURE - DRAMA
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious
Up in the Air
The bookends are unseen by me. The three in the middle are fine. I did expect them to like An Education more than Precious. This lack of attention to the former has me fearing a Sally Hawkins-esque snub. Knock on wood.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association Nominees

I'm late to the party, as usual. But it is better to be late than to not show up at all, right?

The complete list of nominees can be found here.

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Wes Anderson/Noah Baumbach, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Neill Blomkamp/Terri Tatchell, District 9
Tom Ford/David Scearce, A Single Man
Nick Hornby, An Education
Geoffrey Fletcher, Precious
Genre fare finally getting its due at awards season. I'd like to take a look-see at the Mr. Fox and District 9 screenplays. I have the others, I just haven't perused them yet. I've yet to see A Single Man, but the others are admirable films in their own right, so kudos.

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Mark Boal, The Hurt Locker
Ethan Coen/Joel Coen, A Serious Man
Pete Docter/Bob Peterson, Up
Scott Neustadter/Michael H. Weber, (500) Days of Summer
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
Ladies and gentlemen, your Oscar slate.

BEST ENSEMBLE
Inglourious Basterds
Nine
Precious
Star Trek
Up in the Air
Glad to see Star Trek getting in, too. JJ Abrams and the actors were really what made it work. Zachary Quinto is excellent.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
Matt Damon, Invictus
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Christian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
Alfred Molina, An Education
Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds
I can support the noms for Damon, Molin and Waltz. Damon is truly magnetic in Invictus.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Marion Cotillard, Nine
Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air
Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air
Mo'Nique, Precious
Julianne Moore, A Single Man
Samantha Morton, The Messenger
Minus Cotillard, this is your Oscar slate. I don't think the Nine girls are in -- far too many. But that's sight unseen, then again. Nor have I seen Up in the Air or The Messenger. It's just a feeling I have, but that's been known to lead me astray before. Besides, isn't Cotillard being campaigned for lead?

BEST ACTOR
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
George Clooney, Up in the Air
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Morgan Freeman, Invictus
Viggo Mortensen, The Road
Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
Don't you love that Crazy Heart got a new release date a month before it came out and now it's got the must-see performance of the year? Oscar season. No Sam Rockwell for Moon? Someone throw the guy a bone!

BEST ACTRESS
Emily Blunt, The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Carey Mulligan, An Education
Saoirse Ronan, The Lovely Bones
Gabourey Sidibe, Precious
Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
Blunt? Really? People have seen that movie? It's actually coming out? Thank the maker, but still...it's been practically invisible. Oh, also: Abbie Cornish in Bright Star. WTF?

BEST DIRECTOR
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker
James Cameron, Avatar
Lee Daniels, Precious
Clint Eastwood, Invictus
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds
With the exception of noms for Freeman and Damon, both of whom are deserving, the Invictus party train must be derailed at all costs. Eastwood is NOT one of the Best Directors of the Year. Invictus is a mess, anchored only by two actors with amazing instincts. Eastwood doesn't direct actors, he just puts a camera in front of them. Thus the uneven performances in his movie. (That said, it means all that much more when a real actor shows up to give a great performance: Laura Linney and Kevin Bacon in Mystic River, for example).

BEST PICTURE
Avatar
An Education
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Invictus
Nine
Precious
A Serious Man
Up
Up in the Air
I still doubt Up's chances past these critics' awards. Five extra slots does not mean the Academy will suddenly change. I've already had my Invictus rant. Fun category. Can't wait for the show.

Four to Score

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

The most kid-friendly movie of the year is also one of the best all-around films of the year! In Disney's re-telling of The Frog Princess, New Orleans waitress Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) becomes a frog after kissing another frog, who is really a prince (Bruno Campos) enchanted by a voodoo villain (Keith David) -- and honey, it's a shame vocal performances are ineligible for Oscar, because DAMN. An especial standout is Jennifer Cody as debutante Charlotte, squealing her way through the proceedings in an endearingly grating fashion. Yes, they can go together.

Randy Newman's score complements his fantastic new songs (eight), and the requisite pop ballad at the end, this time written and performed by NE-YO, is actually pretty damn good. While the three song nominations for Enchanted and Dreamgirls were a bit much, but The Princess and the Frog easily deserves at least four of those spots (with fifth going to Jennifer's Body, of course). Standout in this category: "Dig a Little Deeper", as performed by the impeccable Jenifer Lewis (William H. Macy's wife in Mystery Men, and yes that is how I choose to remember her) and the Pinnacle Gospel Choir. Glorious.

The movie actually is shockingly dark at times -- the climactic cemetery sequence is a gruesome, chilling thing to watch. Indeed, most of the scenes involving David's Dr. Facilier are both trippy and frightening. I shan't spoil just how they work, since surprise plays a huge part in their effectiveness, but trust me when I say: it gave me CHILLS.

Final verdict: The second-best animated film of the year (Fantastic Mr. Fox is at Number One), and the best (non-Pixar) Disney movies since Mulan.


HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

This must be the most mature one of the series so far. I'm not talking story, but filmmaking. Bruno Delbonnel's cinematography, David Yates' direction, Nicholas Hooper's score, Steve Kloves' screenplay, the costumes and production design, everything has finally come together to make a consistently great film. It does not have the pacing issues of the first and last two, nor does it have the freeze-frame of the third one. The acting is better, too. Even Emma Watson appears to have improved!

My problem with this one is the same as the last one, though. I'm beginning to find the Harry Potter movies easily forgettable. While I thought Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire were among the best of the year, Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince I mainly remember for their technical achievements. I find myself becoming ever more unmoved by the proceedings, and just admiring them. But then, I saw this on DVD, so the magic was greatly reduced. Anyway, I look forward to the next two.

Final verdict: Great filmmaking, must be seen in theaters.


INVICTUS

Poorly-paced, lazily-written, but well-acted by the two leads. Eastwood continues his Gran Torino technique of having a professional, amazing lead (or leads, in this case), then surrounding them with broad, two-dimensional performances that trivialize the proceedings. Yes, Morgan Freeman and Matt Damon are amazing, but the rest is dull, dull, dull. Worst editing of the year goes to the team of Joel Cox and Gary Roach, who assist Eastwood in turning the potentially exciting Rugby World Cup finale into snoresville. Yeah, I know the game itself was not particularly "Hollywood" (I read the book by John Carlin), but for God's sake, people, at least don't cut the excitement of the fans off at the knees. The original songs are on-the-nose, horrid, awkward.

Gary Roach, by the way, has been co-editing Eastwood's films since Letters from Iwo Jima. No coincidence, I think, that the films have been getting weaker (much as I love Gran Torino...it's not really a "good" movie, is it?). Fire this schmuck.

Final verdict: Freeman and Damon are worth it, but otherwise, meh.


EVERYBODY'S FINE

The ensemble tries, but the movie is a mess. There is a dark, deeply felt story waiting to break out. Instead, we get schmaltz. Forced schmaltz. Despicable. Sam Rockwell and Drew Barrymore have great chemistry with Robert De Niro, though. I hope they all work together again. Kate Beckinsale does not fare as well. She's admitted to being terrified at the prospect of working with one of her acting gods -- it shows.

I will say this: the epiphany dream near the end is one of the funniest things I've seen in a theater this year. It's not supposed to be, but it's hilarious.

Final verdict: Crap.

Stave Thirteen: In Which Parties Are Ruminated Upon

DAY THIRTEEN OF HOLLMANN HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA:

A couple of days ago, some friends of mine held a Classy Christmas party! It was wonderful, of course. The men wore neckties, sports jackets and sweater vests; the women wore cocktail dresses and heels. We danced, we sang, we played a cool party game where you rip paper into a Christmas tree behind your back (no peeking!)

I won.

I think of all the traditions, Christmas Parties may be my favorite. There seems to be an extra air of camaraderie among the group, what with it being that time of year where we remember the importance of Love and Friendship. Everyone makes an extra effort to look their best -- and indeed, who does not look their best in wintry clothing? And, of course, there is the food. Nothing says Christmas like a batch of freshly-baked cookies (my contribution to the evening's festivities, by the way).

Of course, I am always reminded of the spread at the Shipmans' house. We went every Christmas, for their annual to-do was the highlight of the year. Bob and Dolores lived in the same house forever. They had their kids in that house, they welcomed their grandchildren in that house, and I believe they also got to see some great-grandchildren in that house. Peggy lived with them, and a bear would be added to her collection every year (teddy, not grizzly). And do correct me if I am wrong, but did they not serve folded ham with a dish of mustard? It was delicious!

They eventually moved out of their Ft. Lauderdale home, an event that shook the world. No, truly. My father called it the death of Old Florida, the Florida you read about in the novels of John D. MacDonald, the Florida that inspired the Golden Girls to sing, "Miami, Miami/You've got style". They moved to central Florida, and Bob died when I was high school. The Saturday before Thanksgiving, Dolores joined him. And so ended an era. Oh sure, it had been years since we had done a to-do at their place, but this was the official end.

The latest tradition, for me anyway, is Roxanna's. It's a very intime affair, held every Christmas Eve. Just a few friends getting together and celebrating the most important holiday on the calendar. Funnily enough, I'm pretty sure I'm the only one without a drop of Jewish blood that attends the party. Because, as I've said before, Christmas ain't just for Christians, baby. Oh, and there's Lea's party, which I do not attend as often as I should, but which is always a worthy celebration.

Basically, Christmas parties rock. The holiday's all about Love. What better way to celebrate that than by ringing it in with your best mates and family? Hey, as long as the food's good, right? Well, that and mistletoe. OK, all that, plus if you get a really good dance going:



Frosted window panes
Candles gleaming inside
Painted cany canes on the the tree
Santa's on his way,
He's filled his slay
With things, things for you and for me

It's the time of year
When the world falls in love
Every song you hear
Seems to say
Merry Christmas
May your new year dreams come true
And this song of mine
In three quarter time
Wishes you and yours
The same thing too

Merry Christmas
May your new year dreams come true
And this song of mine
In three quarter time
Wishes you and yours
The same thing too
Merry Christmas to you

Stave Ten: In Which the Author Tells the Truth

DAY TEN OF HOLLMANN HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA

Life in the film school is busy, you know. This is my first day without any duties to perform, fortunately, and so I can return to my sadly neglected HHE.

We are finally finished with shooting our F3s. This is the third narrative we have completed at the film school, and once again I have achieved a dream. I have finally written a piece that's been in my head since I was ten. And, most importantly, I worked on a Christmas movie. Appropriate, right?

The film is Star of Wonder, a seven-minute short written and directed by my friend Evan, a filmmaker whom I greatly respect and admire. Film follows a brother and sister during the Christmas season, just six months after the death of their older brother. The sister begins openly questioning the existence of Santa and God and Heaven, and it hurts her brother. She has a talk with their mother, who tries to convince her that it's not always about what's true, but what is your truth. You understand? It ends in the woods as the siblings follow a star to the tree where their brother died, and the ending...my God, the ending is beautiful.

Thank Whatever I worked on this movie. I grew up in the church, but I have since decided that Jesus is not the son of God. I still have trouble, though, coping with what I do believe in. Sometimes I think I'm an atheist. Other times, I can acknowledge the existence of a Creator, for everything on Earth works so perfectly and purposefully that it seems absurd to consider it all spontaneous. I find the Bible to be full of contradictions and lapses in logic, to be more symbolic than anything else. Yet I take great offense to those that would call it meaningless or garbage, for much of what is written in there has some historical context. Besides: Song of Solomon, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Exodus, First and Second Kings, Judges -- that's some good shit. Sex and violence at every turn.

It is especially at this time of year when I think on these things. Christmas is my favorite holiday, yet the birth of Jesus means little to me spiritually. Of course, one can celebrate it as the birth of an influential historical figure, but I don't really celebrate the births of Mohammed and Moses, now do I? And it has its roots in the secular celebrations of the Winter Solstice, anyway, which I can totally get behind. (I love Winter. It's more cinematic.) At the same time, I hate it when the cynics use this fact as an attack on people who claim "Jesus is the Reason for the Season". I've gotten into many arguments on both sides. Yes, acknowledge the history of the holiday, for ignorance is stupid. But please respect that there are people who look forward to this annual date as a celebration of their faith.

A story:

Some friends and I were setting up a green screen. This was the week before Thanksgiving, and we eventually started discussing the holiday season. I declared my love of Christmas, with its hokey songs and tinsel and everything. One of my mates -- and I think he's great, don't get me wrong -- talked about its Pagan origins, and reasoned that what I thought of Christmas isn't true Christmas. It's meaningless. I scoffed and said, "I don't believe in Jesus, either. But I do believe in Peace on Earth and Good Will Toward Men. My Christmas is true for me."

That's what it's all about. And sure, you can reason that man is imperfect and incapable of Peace on Earth, so Jesus needed to be born in order to bring it forth. But I disagree. As Evan wrote in Star of Wonder, it's about whether or not there's some truth worth believing in. My truth is that we are all capable of good. We are all capable of love.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nlo1kldHjF8

I believe in Santa Claus
Like I believe in love
I believe in Santa Claus
And everything he does
There's no question in my mind
That he does exist
Just like love I know he's there
Waiting to be missed

I believe in Santa Claus
But there was a time
I thought I had grown to old
For such a childish rhyme
He became a dream to me
Till one Christmas night
Someone stood beside my bed
With a beard of white
"So you're too old for Santa Claus"?
He said with a smile
Then you're too old for all the things
That make a life worth while
For what is happiness but dreams
and do they all come true
Look at me and tell me, son
What is real to you?

Just believe in Santa Claus
Like you believe in love
Just believe in Santa Claus
And everything he does
Wipe that question from your mind
Yes, he does exist!

Just like love you knows he's there
Waiting to be missed
Just like love I know he's there
Waiting to be be missed

Stave Four: In Which We Meditate on Mistletoe

DAY FOUR OF HOLLMANN HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA

What's the one thing young, attractive people and older, extremely sad people do every year, without exception, at Christmas?

Try to desperately to get a kiss under the mistletoe.

But which is the desperate one?

It's the truth. You can try to chuckle and play it off like you know it's lame, but everyone wants a kiss under the mistletoe. For one thing, we can get some action without being creepy. I mean, hey, it's just a holiday tradition, nothing more. For another...well, no, I'm sure that's the main reason. And yeah, people try to be hokey about it. "Oh-ho, the mistletoe," people exclaim in odd voices, as though it's a tradition they're only honoring as a goof. But you like it. Admit it.

It seems odd, of course, that this tradition exists. Indeed, many times it seems as though the only thing keeping it alive is desperation and drunken Christmas parties. Think about it: what's so romantic about a plant whose berries would cause diarrhea if devoured? Some claim that its origins date back to Norse myhtology.

So there's this god Baldr, right? He's all about beauty and love and being happy and just, like, positive vibes, man. Ah, but Baldr and his mother, Frigga, keep having fucked up dreams about him dying, so Frigga forces all the objects of the world to never harm him. The only thing she does not force into this deal is Mistletoe, because it's too small and insignificant to do anything.

Loki learns this, and because he is the mischief-maker, he makes mischief out of this. He makes a spear out of mistletoe and gives it to Baldr's blind brother. The gods hurl stuff at Baldr for shits and gigs (don't we all have a friend like that?), and Baldr's blind brother throws the spear. It kills Baldr, Odin's son kills the blind one, Thor kicks a dwarf into the funeral pyre, and snake venom drips onto Loki's face after he is tethered to rocks.

Aw, crap.

Winter falls upon the all the lands, until the gods bring Baldr back to life. Frigga enchants the mistletoe, making it a sacred plant that would now bring love instead of death. They're opposites, you know. When we kiss under the mistletoe, it is a celebration of the resurrection of Baldr, a testament t mistletoe never harming another living soul, ever. Except, you know, for the diarrhea.

Today, it is best-known as the clue that tips off Selena Kyle and Bruce Wayne to each other's true identities in Batman Returns. For some reason, they like to recite an odd little rhyme about how "Mistletoe can be deadly, if you eat it/But a kiss can be even deadlier, if you mean it." Okay, so it doesn't really rhyme, but it feels like that's what they were going for. They make this discovery at the Christmas party held by department store owner Max Schreck, which is soon crashed by a vengeful Penguin. Christmas.

Oh, and here's something cool. Mistletoe can probe beneath tree bark so that it can suck up nutrients and water during a drought. Because of this, it is called...the vampire plant.

Not to be confused with the vampire fruit.

There's a very good reason
Why the holiday season
Is a wonderful time
For a boy and girl to fall in love

'Cause Santa and Cupid
Planned exactly what you did
When you kissed me by the mistletoe above

We stood there kissin' by the mistletoe
Tingle, tingle (tingle, tingle)
Mmm and away we go
Jingle, jingle
Kissin' by the mistletoe, love came to stay
And now it's Christmas every day

There's a heavenly treasure
More than money can measure
In the gift you get when you give your love
And I can tell
(kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss)

'Cause whenever it's Christmas
If I never get this much
He ran my heart I remember very well

We stood there kissin' by the mistletoe
Tingle, tingle (tingle, tingle)
Mmm and away we go
Jingle, jingle
Kissin' by the mistletoe, love came to stay
And now it's Christmas every day

I said now it's Christmas every day
Oh yeah
And now it's Christmas every day