Oh Fudge: The Soft Glow of Electric Sex + Tornadoes

I’ve always loved movies … ever since, I don’t know, Goonies and Star Wars, Mad Max and Conan the Barbarian ... The Neverending Story, Return to Oz ... they all had my attention. My obsession didn’t really kick in, though, until the early 2000s when a friend introduced me to a slew of titles in his collection, then Lord of the Rings burst through the door. Ever since, my need to own every title I love grows stronger and stronger with each new year, and there are just too many favorites to narrow down.

I can say that one of my earliest favorite movies was just about everyone’s favorite at some point—the 1983 holiday classic A Christmas Story. As far back as I can remember, I have watched this movie every time it comes on TV. And now, in these glorious digital days, I can let it roll nonstop with no interruptions whenever I want.

Now, on the off-chance you know nothing of this movie, allow me: it’s a holiday classic

from the early ‘80s about a kid in the ‘40s who spends most of his time dodging a town bully and dreaming of ways to manifest his ultimate Christmas gift, a Red Ryder air rifle bb gun, which everyone just laughs about then says, “You’ll shoot your eye out [with that thing]!”

We also get to experience the first time said nine-year-old kid drops the F-bomb in front of his cranky, super conservative father - the one from whom he heard it in the first

place. Then, we get to see the aftermath unfold and it is so relatable. On all fronts, throughout the whole movie. No one will ever think of bunnies or weird gifts from strange aunts or even Santa Claus the same way again.

You can imagine my excitement, then, when I first learned of HBOMax’s plans for A Christmas Story sequel, A Christmas Story Christmas.

For real. After all these years.

The trailer dropped earlier this week and featured the first footage of Peter Billingsley in his return to his iconic role as Ralphie Parker. Check it out here:

The film follows Ralphie as an adult in the 1970s, who returns home to Indiana to his house on Cleveland Street with his own kids to deliver to them a magical Christmas like the one he had growing up. He reconnects with friends, and it is confirmed that Zack Ward—the actor who played town bully Scut Farkus—is reprising his role as well. Thing is, he’s now a police officer.

Also returning is Ian Petrella, who played Ralphie’s younger brother Randy. While home, Ralphie also reconciles the passing of his Old Man and sows the seeds for the origins of the beloved holiday classic.

A Christmas Story Christmas drops on HBOMax on November 17, and I’m sure the lamps emanating the soft glow of electric sex in the window and triple dog dares amongst kids will be plentiful. And hysterical. And just in time to kick off your 2022 holiday season.

Another one of my favorites from the 20th century I literally just learned is getting a sequel—and which my husband constantly laughs at me for loving—is the 1996 epic disaster blockbuster Twister, starring Helen Hunt, the late Bill Paxton, the late great Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes … need I keep going? Plus, it’s about tornadoes!

What I love about movies is their ability to (or not to) convince me that what’s happening is real. How real does everything look, from sets to blood to special effects, even accents? How far can one take it? Can a movie make me forget it’s just a movie? I love it all! This tornado blockbuster allowed me to experience, in some way, what it might be like to live through a tornado—not that I have ANY interest whatsoever in finding out in real life, but Nature just fascinates me.

A few days ago, entertainment news outlet headlines began surfacing with confirmation a Twister sequel is, in fact, in the works. According to Deadline Hollywood, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment are meeting with directors hoping for a spring start on the big-scale sequel, which is to be called Twisters.

The Dish reports that Steven Spielberg himself flipped for the script, which was written by The Revenant scribe Mark L. Smith, noting, “his enthusiasm provided the impetus for the fast-tracked film.”

While a director hasn’t yet been nailed down, it is reported that those also under the helm of consideration include Oscar-winning Free Solo directors Jimmy Chin & Elizabeth Chai Vaserhelyi; Dan Trachtenberg, whom you’ll know from the recently terrific Predator reinvention AND the Hulu movie Prey and, before that, 10 Cloverfield Lane; and Travis Knight, the Laika chief whose recent animated films were Missing Link and Kubo and the Two Strings.

The hope is to bring Helen Hunt back and have the drama focusing on her daughter, whom she had with the character played by the late Bill Paxton and who has caught the storm-chasing bug her parents had.

That’s all the deets we know for now but be sure to stay tuned!

You know I consume all kinds of content and will you keep as posted as I possibly can!