favorite movie #96 - holiday edition: how the grinch stole christmas!

Picking up with my favorite movies list, just in time for the holidays ... Let's see if I can come up with 25 ... I'm giving myself a little leeway here, as I'm allowing TV specials as well as feature-length films. It's my list, my rules, so there.

Favorite movies that have had an impact on me - #96 - How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966) - This is the only Grinch as far as I'm concerned. The narration by Boris Karloff, the animation by Chuck Jones (inspired by its Dr. Seuss source), the vocals by Thurl Ravenscroft and songs by Albert Hague — all perfection.

You're a mean one, Mr Grinch
You really are a heel
You're as cuddly as a cactus
You're as charming as an eel
Mr. Grinch!
You're a bad banana
With a greasy black peel!

You're a monster, Mr. Grinch!
Your heart's an empty hole
Your brain is full of spiders
You've got garlic in your soul
Mr. Grinch!
I wouldn't touch you
With a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!

You're a vile one, Mr. Grinch!
You have termites in your smile
You have all the tender sweetness
Of a seasick crocodile
Mr. Grinch!
Given the choice between the two of you
I'd take the seasick crocodile!

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch!
You're a nasty, wasty skunk!
Your heart is full of unwashed socks
Your soul is full of gunk
Mr. Grinch!
The three words that best describe you
Are as follows, and I quote
"Stink, stank, stunk!"

You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch!
You're the king of sinful sots!
Your heart's a dead tomato
Splotched with moldy, purple spots
Mr. Grinch!
Your soul is an apalling dump-heap
Overflowing with the most disgraceful
Assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable
Mangled-up in tangled-up knots!

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch!
With a nauseous super naus!
You're a crooked jerky jockey
And you drive a crooked hoss
Mr. Grinch!
You're a three-decker sauerkraut
And toadstool sandwich
With arsenic sauce!

Lyrics by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel, Music by Albert Hague

Link to Christmas: What's more Christmassy than the Grinch?

you're a mean one, mr. grinch

Maybe we never really get past our eight year-old selves, as my all-time favorite holiday song still has to be ...

It's the perfect combination of fabulous vocals and clever lyrics. "the tree words that describe you are, and I quote, 'Stink, stank, STUNK!'" Great song, great cartoon.

Merry Christmas!

favorite song friday: the grinch

It's back ... the season of holiday music, in all its glory and horror. It only comes but once a year, and I have to admit that there are a few tines that I actually look forward to hearing again.

My all-time favorite Christmas special is without any doubt How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and it always makes me happy to hear the main song, "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch," sung by the wonderful Thurl Ravenscroft, pop up in the middle of all the "Santa Babys" and "Carol of the Bells."

Sing it, Thurl!

If you'd like to sing along ...

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch
You really are a heel,
You're as cuddly as a cactus, you're as charming as an eel, Mr. Grinch,
You're a bad banana with a greasy black peel!

You're a monster, Mr. Grinch,
Your heart's an empty hole,
Your brain is full of spiders, you have garlic in your soul, Mr. Grinch,
I wouldn't touch you with a thirty-nine-and-a-half foot pole!

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch,
You have termites in your smile,
You have all the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile, Mr. Grinch,
Given a choice between the two of you'd take the seasick crocodile!

You're a foul one, Mr. Grinch,
You're a nasty wasty skunk,
Your heart is full of unwashed socks, your soul is full of gunk, Mr. Grinch,
The three words that best describe you are as follows, and I quote,
"Stink, stank, stunk"!

You're a rotter, Mr. Grinch,
You're the king of sinful sots,
Your heart's a dead tomato splotched with moldy purple spots, Mr. Grinch,
Your soul is an appalling dump heap overflowing with the most disgraceful
assortment of rubbish imaginable mangled up in tangled up knots!

You nauseate me, Mr. Grinch,
With a nauseous super "naus"!,
You're a crooked dirty jockey and you drive a crooked hoss, Mr. Grinch,
You're a three decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich with arsenic sauce!

happy birthday, dr. seuss!

As I dropped off the kid at school today the librarian greeted each child at the door and gave them a sticker and said, "Happy Dr. Seuss Day!" How cool is that? I think some of the first Seuss books I read were also from the second grade school library. My favorite has always been The Sneetches, but I really love them all.

Tomorrow a friend is taking her to see the new Lorax movie as a belated birthday gift. I have had a love/hate relationship with the Seuss adaptations that his widow, Audrey Geisel, has approved since his death in 1991. I think she intends well, but I really can't stand any of the live-action versions and the animated ones have just been O.K. I do really love the older cartoon versions of his books, most of them from the '60s and '70s — the Grinch of course, but also The Cat in the Hat, The Sneetches and Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hears a Who, and an excellent animated version of The Lorax from 1972.

Horton Hatches the Egg, 1942

Horton Hears a Who, 1970

I'm sure she'll love the movie. I'm just happy that I don't have to see it until it eventually shows up on television. But any excuse to read some Seuss is good.

Happy 108th birthday Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel.