An MST3K Christmas movie double header

Here's a Christmas gift from me. Two absolutely awful holiday movies, made hilarious via comments by the crew. Both movies are streaming on youtube. However, if they don't work for some reason, do a search on youtube.com using the words "Santa Claus" and "MST3K" and they'll pop up. As I like to say in PC vernacular: Seasonal Salutations everyone!

"A Child's Christmas in Wales"

 I read "A Child's Christmas In Wales" every Christmas Eve. It's a time-honored tradition (along with watching the Queen's speech) that goes back to when my daughters were little and I think I've only missed reading it one or two times. I saw this special, narrated by Denholm Elliot, several years ago on CBC. It's a beautiful retelling of the Dylan Thomas classic. Hopefully this link will work. If not, do a search for it on youtube. Merry Christmas to all!
4.5 out of 5 stars

"The Angel"

Based on a true story, "The Angel" is the gripping saga of Ashraf Marwan, the son-in-law of President Nasser of Egypt. It takes place in the aftermath of the 6-Days War between Egypt and Israel. Ashraf, brilliantly played by Marwan Kenzari, negotiates with the Mossad to sell them state secrets. While he appears to be an Egyptian traitor, his ultimate goal is peace between the two countries. The movie is based on the best-selling novel, "The Angel: The Egyptian Spy Who Saved Israel" by Uri Bar-Joseph. I had never heard Ashraf's story, and I feel he deserves to be a household name.
4 out of 5 stars.

"Into the Forest"

This loosely falls into the "Post Apocalyptic" genre, which is a favorite of mine. The story revolves around two sisters, brilliantly played by Ellen Page and Evan Rachel Wood. They live with their father in the middle of the woods, somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. When power outages mysteriously occur around the country, they have to fend for themselves. When their dad dies in an accident, they're totally on their own. While it's somewhat slow-moving, Or, "nuanced" as some critics like to say, it's a beautiful shot and acted drama, that will hold your attention right until the end. The movie is based on a novel, that I'll have to look for.
4 out of 5 stars.

"Set it Up"

A refreshingly smart rom-com about a couple of personal assistants who work for over-the-top, driven bosses. They happen to meet while fetching a late night dinner for their employers, and devise a plot: if they can get their bosses romantically involved, they'll gain a bit of personal freedom. The movie is somewhat predictable, as you'd expect, but it's still thoroughly enjoyable nonetheless.  Zoey Deutch and Glen Powell, the two leads, are both perfect in their roles as matchmakers. If you're in the mood for something light, "Set It Up" is nice evening of pure escapism.
3.5 out of 5 stars

"The Late Bloomer"

Warning: this is a total guy-flick. The absolute polar opposite of a so-called chick-flick. You know it's aimed at men when just about every third word is either dick or cock, and not referring to detectives and roosters. While it's not quite on the same level as "This is Spinal Tap" or "Wayne's World", it is a funny/dumb movie well worth watching, if you're in the mood for some mindless entertainment. The allegedly true story is about a 30-something sex doctor, who advises people on how to channel their sex urges into other positive activities. The reason he's so focused on this is he's never gone through puberty, due to a benign tumor which has been pressing on his pituitary gland. After he has an operation to correct this, he experiences puberty over an intense three-week period. Johnny Simmons did a decent job playing the doctor, but I especially enjoyed his two friends, played by Beck Bennett and Kumail Nanjiani. Their quick and humorous banter warrants watching the movie a second time. And J.K. Simmons (no relation to Johnny) was excellent as always.
4 out of 5 stars

"The Land of Steady Habits"

I don't know how the actor Ben Mendelsohn has gone under my radar, but he has. I've seen a couple of his films lately, and have thoroughly enjoyed his performances. In this Netflix original film, he plays a well-to do middle-aged man who is going through a mid-life crisis. He quits his job as a financier and leaves his wife. Then he starts having regrets about his actions, but it's too late to reverse the damage. He befriends a troubled neighbor kid and the two get into mischief together. It's a quirky little, slice-of-life movie that I thought was great. There isn't a lot of action, and the plot is pretty subtle, but overall, it was a lot of fun. One question I have is, how do Aussies manage to totally lose their accents when they play American characters?
4 out of 5 stars