Jimmy Stewart Shines in The Shop Around the Corner

It’s been a decade since I first saw You’ve Got Mail, the charming Tom Hanks / Meg Ryan film about a pair of bookstore owners who are fierce competitors in their day-to-day lives but are falling in love with each other online. For most of that time, my friend Libbie has been telling me that I really need to see The Shop Around the Corner, the movie of which You’ve Got Mail is a remake. We finally watched it together this week, and I concur that it’s a lovely film, and with a Christmastime setting to boot.

Jimmy Stewart has long been one of my favorite actors, for many of the same reasons that Tom Hanks is, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise to me that he occupied the role Hanks did in You’ve Got Mail. It’s especially endearing to hear his character, Alfred Kralik, confide to his friend that he hopes the correspondent with whom he is falling in love isn’t too pretty, since a girl like that surely wouldn’t be interested in a plain-looking fellow like him.

Mr. Kralik is the senior salesperson at the store owned by kindly but frazzled Hugo Matuschek (Frank Morgan). For the most part, it’s a cozy work environment, and it helps that Kralik’s best friend, humble family man Pirovitch (Felix Bressart), is also employed there. True, he does have to put up with the foppish Vadas (Joseph Schildkraut), whose superior airs, coupled with his brown-nosing in the boss’s presence, are grating. But it’s a pretty nice situation for him until Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) shows up. He and Klara don’t get along very well at all, and most of the blame rests on her shoulders for the animosity she displays to him. His attempts to be civil are of little consequence.

Little does he know, at least initially, that Klara is the pen pal who writes to him with such passion and intelligence. When he answered her ad in the newspaper, he was merely looking to better himself by finding someone with whom he could expound upon intellectual topics. He hadn’t counted on falling in love. But by the time they finally agree to meet, he’s quite smitten, and more than a little worried that he’ll fall short of her expectations. When a perplexing work crisis immediately precedes his long-awaited date, it cements his insecurity, leading him to stand her up, though he intends to send his regrets with Pirovitch. That is, until Pirovitch takes one look at the woman waiting at a table with a carnation and announces that she and Klara are one and the same.

As in You’ve Got Mail, then, it’s the guy who has the upper hand, spending about half the movie well aware of the identity of his correspondent, while she has no idea. While his initial reaction is one of indignation, and her treatment of him when he goes inside to talk to her is deplorable, there’s a marked change in how he interacts with Klara after that. He is all kindness and consideration - except when he’s playing mind games with her in regard to her mysterious correspondent, who has explained his absence at their date and is back to writing her lengthy, romantic letters.

You’ve Got Mail replicated this aspect of the movie fairly faithfully, except that Ryan’s character, while having more reason to be vitriolic toward Hanks’, never treats him with the contempt that Klara lavishes upon Kralik. I don’t know that I can blame Sullavan, who zooms through her lines like the Micro-Machine Man, for her character’s lack of likeability, but one can’t help thinking that Klara is getting the better end of the deal. At first, I thought her rather enjoyably plucky, especially in her creative way of selling a cigarette case to a woman before she had even secured a position in the shop, but later, I found some of the barbs she flings at Kralik to be unnecessarily cruel. I actually found myself thinking of Kate on LOST, particularly in The Moth, when she sneers at Sawyer, who is trying to do something helpful for a change, “You’re actually comparing yourself to Jack?” Clearly, Klara views Kralik with that same degree of distaste, while she thinks her pen pal, like Jack, can do no wrong. As with You’ve Got Mail, I found myself almost forgetting that Kralik was both people, so different was Klara’s reaction to him on paper and in person; once I saw her she finally begin to develop some real affection for the flesh-and-blood Kralik, I bemoaned the fact that she was still going to choose this mysterious pen pal when such a warm, wonderful guy was right in front of her.

The movie is probably at its most fun when Kralik uses his additional knowledge to plant seeds of doubt in Klara’s mind about the suitability of her secret love. His teasing is witty, and at times I might even say merciless, but considering what she’s dished out to him, I think she has a little emotional distress coming to her. Besides, it’s a clever way to deconstruct this vision of perfection he won’t be able to live up to and gradually show Klara that in reality, he is a man worth loving, whatever his faults may be.

This is a romance, and primarily a chick flick, I’d imagine, since Jimmy Stewart is so much more swoon-worthy here than Margaret Sullavan. But it’s also a sweet story of friendship and apprenticeship. Pirovitch is kind, practical and loyal, the sort of friend that anyone would want to have. Meanwhile, Mr. Matuschek, after falsely suspecting his most cherished employee of grievous misdeeds, comes to realize just how much Kralik means to him and the extent to which his employees have become his family. In some ways, the movie is as much about his relationship with Kralik as Klara‘s, which adds a tender father-son dimension mostly lacking in You’ve Got Mail.

This film came late in the career of director Ernst Lubitsch, who considered it the movie of which he was proudest. Meanwhile, it’s one of Stewart’s earlier films; I don’t think I’ve watched any of the movies he made before 1940, so seeing him at his most youthful was another plus for me. If you like his performances or if you found You’ve Got Mail as enjoyable as I did, you’ll want to take a peek at The Shop Around the Corner.

My Top Ten Movies of the '70s

The 1970s were just before my time, so I didn't see any of these in the theater, but I easily got caught up in their magic from the comfort of my own home.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) / Pete's Dragon (1977) - Both of these movies are live-action films that creatively incorporate animation.  In the first, it's in a lengthy sequence of the movie that takes place underwater and then on an island, where the apprentice witch played by Angela Lansbury goes with the children under her care and their new acquaintance Emelius, portrayed by the always-amusing David Tomlinson.  A fun film with enjoyable songs, especially Portabello Road, which I always think of when I read about Harry Potter's first trip to Diagon Alley.  In the second, everything is live-action except the title character, otherwise known as Elliot.  He's the most unintimidating dragon you've ever seen, except when hard-luck orphan Pete is in danger.  The movie has a bittersweet ending, but it's mostly happy.  Mickey Rooney, Red Buttons, Shelly Winters and Jim Dale give hilarious performances, and Helen Reddy beautifully sings Candle on the Water, one of my all-time favorite Disney songs.

Fiddler on the Roof (1971) / Jesus Christ Superstar (1973) - Norman Jewison directed both of these musicals.  The first is about Russian Jews trying to uphold honored traditions while facing oppression in the tiny town of Anatevka.  The songs are outstanding, and Topol is excellent as the robust, philosophical Tevye, who is deeply devoted to God and to his daughters.  The second is filmed in the Holy Land, which is pretty neat, though some of the directorial choices are a little strange, like the costumes that sometimes seem more suited to hippies than ancient Jerusalem dwellers and the tanks that Judas imagines trying to plow him down at one point.  Still, the songs are amazing in this unconventional look at Holy Week, told entirely in song and focusing on Judas's perspective. The extremely energetic Carl Anderson is exhausting to watch as Judas, and Barry Dennen makes a big impression in his few scenes as the conflicted Pilate.

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) - I enjoyed Tim Burton's remake of this classic very much, but I'll always have a special place in my heart for the original. Gene Wilder makes a wacky, manipulative Wonka, while Julie Dawn Cole and Roy Kinnear are the most memorable child-parent pair as horrendously spoiled Veruca Salt and her cowed father. My favorite character, however, is Charlie's inept teacher, Mr. Turkentine, hilariously played by David Battley. I also love the Oompa Loompa songs and the vignettes at the beginning of the movie showing what ridiculous behavior Willy Wonka's contest has inspired.

Herbie Rides Again (1974) - My favorite of the Herbie sequels, and I may even prefer it to The Love Bug, though I do miss Buddy Hackett's gold-hearted mechanic, Tennessee. Grandma Steinmetz is just as lovable, though, and has plenty of spunk as she stands up to the comically villainous Alonzo Hawk, played by a deliciously over-the-top Keenan Wynn. This movie has nothing to do with racing; it's just Herbie, with some help from some other curiously animated objects and a couple of human friends, helping sweet Mrs. Steinmetz save the firehouse where she has lived for so many years. A very funny movie.

Young Frankenstein (1974) - As is this, though it's a little more adult-oriented. I watched it for the first time when I was about eight, and I laughed myself silly; I watched it again in high school and couldn't believe how many naughty double entendres were in it. They sailed right over my head at the time, which is one nice thing about this movie; kids can enjoy it as a goofy horror spoof and probably won't pick up on the innuendo. Gene Wilder goes from strictly level-headed to demented in his performance as the scientist trying to resist the associations of the family name, and Marty Feldman is a hoot as his hunchbacked assistant Igor, while Peter Boyle, now most associated with cantankerous Frank on Everybody Loves Raymond, makes a sympathetic monster. Usually I'm not a big fan of black-and-white, but in this case I think director Mel Brooks definitely made the right call.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) - Throughout high school, several of my friends told me I needed to see this famous spoof. My English teacher even showed it in class one day, but it was the one day that term I happened to be absent. So it wasn't until after high school that I finally saw it, and I understood what all of the fuss was about. This, too, is full of adult humor, and some of it is more overt than in Young Frankenstein. There are also a couple of scenes, particularly one involving a vicious bunny, that could be traumatizing to youngsters. But as an Anglophile who loves the Arthurian legends, I couldn't stop laughing at the antics of King Arthur and his Knights, and when it comes to sheer silliness, this one gives Airplane! a serious run for its money.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977) - Given my great fondness for Winnie the Pooh, I couldn't leave this off the list. This humble Disney masterpiece is a combination of three earlier shorts, in which Pooh gets stuck in Rabbit's front door, Piglet loses his house in a dreadful rainstorm and Rabbit plots to rid the Hundred-Acre Wood of the menace that is Tigger. These cozy tales have only the mildest amount of peril, and they paved the way for my all-time favorite cartoon, The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Star Wars (1977) - This first installment in George Lucas's trilogy is full of classic characters and scenes. Mark Hamill is an endearingly whiny Luke in the film's early moments, while Carrie Fisher's Leia is bossy and Harrison Ford's Han Solo is cynical. They've all got some growing to do, and their first adventures together help them accomplish that. The trash compactor scene is a compact example of the perfect balance the movie strikes between action and comedy. The special effects aren't groundbreaking anymore, but they still draw us into that world, though not as much as iconic characters like R2-D2, C-2PO, Chewbacca, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader.

Watership Down (1978) - "It's about bunnies," said LOST's Sawyer in a concise description of the novel from which this animated film was adapted. But that doesn't really begin to cover it. It's about survival, migration, faith, industrialism and all sorts of other things, and while the characters are most definitely rabbits, they have a lot to say about the human condition. It's a surprisingly dark movie, but it's lovely nonetheless, especially the segment that features Art Garfunkel singing Bright Eyes, a somber reflection on grief.

The Muppet Movie (1979) - The musical buddy comedy assembles all of the major players from The Muppet Show for an adventure explaining how they got together. For Muppet fans, this is a must-see. Full of that great mix of humor and heart that makes Jim Henson's creations so irresistible, the movie also features comedic performances by the likes of Steve Martin, Bob Hope, Milton Berle, Richard Pryor and Orson Welles. And of course, the songs are terrific, especially Kermit's banjo-assisted soliloquy, The Rainbow Connection, the quintessential Muppet anthem.

Honest Abe is a Lawyer to Reckon With in Young Mr. Lincoln

Back in February, when I was immersing myself in all things Lincoln, I discovered the movie Young Mr. Lincoln on Netflix.  I'd planned to bump it up to the top of my queue, but I never got around to it, so it took me until April to see this 1939 movie directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda.  It was odd to see Lincoln from his lawyer days, as I'm used to seeing him portrayed as President.  The case involved was loosely based on a case Lincoln tried later in his career, but this movie is more about being true to Lincoln's character than giving us actual facts about his life.  In honor of National Poetry Month, here's my review of the movie in verse.

Young Mr. Lincoln

John Ford and Henry Fonda made a pretty stellar team.
The Grapes of Wrath had Fonda play Tom Joad,
A man who loved his ma, a rugged hero with a dream,
A wanderer who walked a weary road.

Not long before that fabled film, the Ford and Fonda pair
United for another rousing tale
About a budding leader with an unassuming air
Who swore to see that justice would prevail.

Young Mr. Lincoln isn't a biography at all.
Most details it divulges are not real.
But Fonda is believable, a lawyer standing tall,
With witty tongue and a resolve of steel.

As Abe, he shows the sadness of a man who's suffered loss.
His craggy face is gaunt.  His eyes are kind.
He's gangly and he's awkward, but he isn't one to cross;
There's power in the way he speaks his mind.

The movie, in its first third, has a muddled sort of style,
With characters we barely get to meet
And scenes of small significance that drag on for a while
As more important ones seem incomplete. 

But once Abe has his chance to make a speech, the film's on track,
A courtroom drama full of clever tricks.
Two brothers stand accused of murder.  It's Abe's case to crack.
He'll do his best to free them from their fix.

The little hints of romance scattered here and there are odd.
His first true love is given but a scene.
He bumbles through encounters with the ritzy Mary Todd;
She doesn't seem the type to be his queen.

If anything, the tale explores love of a different sort:
The bond between a mother and her son.
His clients' rustic ma is like his own, and in the court,
That helps him to unearth the guilty one.

I'd like the movie better if it weren't in black and white.
The first half hour left me rather bored.
But otherwise, I found this Lincoln tribute a delight,
So kudos, Henry Fonda and John Ford!

Cary Grant Patches Lives and Steals Hearts in The Bishop's Wife

I was in high school when The Preacher's Wife hit theaters. Though I'd wanted to see it back then, I didn't get around to it until this year. My mom, meanwhile, had been hearing good things about The Bishop's Wife, on which the former is based, so once I kicked off my Christmas movie watching with the angelic Denzel, I figured I might as well move on to Cary Grant.

The Bishop's Wife is directed by Henry Koster and written by Leonardo Bercovici and Robert Sherwood. The first major difference between the two movies is that this 1948 film is in black and white, a condition I always find gravely disappointing, but if the movie is engaging enough it stops bugging me after a little while. This one is. The second significant difference is that while every major character in The Preacher's Wife is black, every major character in this movie is white.

It's a very different sort of setting, and David Niven, as Bishop Henry Brougham, has a decidedly aristocratic air. He's English, detached from his family and lives in a mansion, where he is attended by servants, one of whom is played by Elsa Lanchester, who I know as sourpuss nanny Katie Nana in Mary Poppins. So when Dudley (Grant) shows up with his little bag of angelic tricks to help Henry get control over his life, I couldn't help but think this movie has as much in common with Mary Poppins as with The Preacher's Wife.

I found Loretta Young more engaging than Whitney Houston in the role of the wife, Julia, who supports her husband's ministry but is beginning to feel neglected. She's a warm, passionate woman, and her vivacity increases in Dudley's presence. In this original version, Dudley has always been an angel, an entirely different order of being from humans, and he's been averting calamities for centuries. He's hobnobbed with ancient royalty, but he's never before become so entranced by a woman that he actually wishes he could stop being an angel. It comes to that in this movie, and Julia is the one who must ultimately decide the course of Dudley's future.

The plot is pretty similar overall. In both films, Henry is pressured by someone very wealthy to agree to the building of an opulent cathedral. In this case, it's elderly Mrs. Hamilton (Gladys Cooper), who seems cold as ice but whose past hides a private pain that Dudley is uniquely qualified to unlock. He oversteps his bounds a bit by taking Julia to a restaurant of great importance to her and her husband and spends an idyllic evening ice skating with her in the park.

Because this Dudley is an angel in a truer sense of the word than Washington's Dudley, he does a lot more than change just the Bishop. He has a profound impact on several minor characters who don't have counterparts in the remake, including world-weary cabbie Sylvester (James Gleason) and atheistic history professor Wutheridge (Monty Woolley). Of course, because he's Cary Grant, he has a different sort of impact on every woman he meets. All the swooning gets a little silly after a while. And I get the impression that these ladies were not acting.

It's hard to say which of the two films I liked better, as there were aspects of each that I preferred. While I would much rather watch The Bishop's Wife in color, the movie is vibrant enough to make up for it, much like its contemporary, It's a Wonderful Life. While Bishop Henry is no George Bailey, we want his life to turn around, and it sure is fun to see just how that happens.

Don't Rush to See Bush Christmas

Once upon a time, a girl excessively fond of Christmas movies raided Netflix in search of fun holiday films. Recovering from her disappointment that there was no separate section set aside especially for yuletide delights, she improvised and did a keyword search. And so it was that she stumbled upon Ralph Smart's Bush Christmas, a 1947 children's film in which five kids brave the outback and risk missing Christmas dinner in hopes of tracking down a bunch of nasty horse-thievin' blokes.

The 80-minute-long black-and-white movie reminded me of something you might see on the Wonderful World of Disney, rather along the lines of The Apple Dumpling Gang. The troop of kids consists of responsible, braided Helen Thompson (Helen Grieve), the oldest at about 12; her brothers John (Morris Unicomb) and Snow (Nicky Yardley), a lively six-year-old; Michael (Michael Yardley), a nerdy Brit taking refuge with the Thompsons while war rages back home; and Neza (Neza Saunders), an easy-going, resourceful child of Aboriginal descent. With faithful pooch Kanga in tow, they set off in search of the outlaws whose trickery lost Mr. Thompson his prize mare and her young foal.

Because the movie took place in 1947, I had steeled myself for black and white, but the menu screen is colorized, which gave me a momentary surge of hope. I really find it hard to warm to a world entirely devoid of color, and that may have detracted from my enjoyment of the film. Mostly, though, everything about the movie just felt so antiquated, from the flowery, detached narrator (John McCallum) to the notion of a mother sending five kids off on an alleged several-day camping trip with no adult supervision, especially when she knows there are a bunch of bandits about.

Not to worry, of course; these children are more than a match for a trio of bumbling no-goodniks. Ringleader Long Bill (Chips Rafferty), a quintessential Aussie who seems to be easily the best actor in the movie, would probably do all right on his own. He's tough and clever, and if he weren't such a heavy sleeper I doubt the kids could outsmart him too easily. But his sidekicks, Jim (John Fernside) and Blue Kennedy (Stan Tolhurst), are useless, and with the kids' sabotage and the lackeys' muddling, it's a fair bet those horses will be back to their rightful owners in no time.

There's some nice footage of the Australian outback, but aside from a brief glimpse of a kookaburra it might as well be the American west. There's a disappointing lack of kangaroos, koalas, crocodiles and other distinctly Australian creatures. I can't decide if the treatment of Aboriginal culture is respectful or condescending. For the most part, the kids seem to regard Neza as an equal, even someone with a bit of an edge when it comes to surviving in the wilderness, but there's something grating about the way various characters keep joking about "those blacks".

Mostly, though, while this was a short movie and it was supposed to be an adventure, I was bored. The outlaws were occasionally funny, and the kids faced some interesting challenges - especially poor Michael, who lost his glasses out in the bush - but generally, I found it pretty dull. If you want a rip-roaring, kid-friendly Australian adventure, skip Bush Christmas and go for The Rescuers Down Under instead.

Let Us Never Forget

Oskar Schindler was a shrewd businessman. He was a womanizer and a Nazi. He was also a humanitarian. In Stephen Speilberg's amazing epic film, Schindler's List, the life of this unlikely hero is chronicled through a horrifying three-and-a-quarter-hour account of the Holocaust, in which six million Jews met their demise in the Nazi gas chambers.

The entire film is in black and white, except for a few key moments. This lends the movie a documentary feel and adds to the aura of desolation and horror that hangs over all of Europe. When color finally comes, it is first as a means of recognizing a child seen previously in the film during the storming of a ghetto. But moments before the conclusion of the film, it is a symbol of hope in the form of flames from the candles of the Sabbath ceremony performed by the rabbi in Schindler's factory.

Liam Neeson plays Oskar Schindler, a deeply conflicted man who must eventually decide whether to live as he has lived, seeking profit and going along with the cruelty of his political party, or risk everything to make a difference -- indeed, to save lives. His two best friends are the sadistic Ammon Goeth, a psychotic Nazi commandant played chillingly by Ralph Fiennes, and Itzhak Stern, his Jewish clerk, whose gentle wisdom and compassion shine brilliantly through Ben Kingsley's portrayal.

While the movie focuses on the ever-differing lives of Schindler and the commandant, it gives a horrifying account of what happened to the Jews after Hitler declared his plan for the purification of the Aryan race. The brutality and inhumanity which occurred during these years was such that a person watching this movie would be tempted to think that such a thing never could have happened, especially not in our civilized twentieth century. We must not succumb to that temptation. Six million Jews, not to mention several million other people who didn't fit the Nazi ideal, were systematically slaughtered in ghettos and death camps before the war ended in 1945.

Schindler's List depicts this mindless genocide in stark detail. This movie is not pleasant, and you should consider carefully whether your child can handle such graphic material; indeed, you may not be able to yourself. Prepare yourself, and prepare your child for the horror he or she is about to witness. I would not eagerly endorse this film for anyone under the age of thirteen, though I do think that younger children should be informed of what happened during the Holocaust. I just don't think they are ready to see it presented in such graphic detail.

Despite this film's bleak subject, it is not without hope. It provides a powerful testimony of the profound difference one person can make. Oskar Schindler bankrupted himself to save 1100 Jews. Over 6000 "Schindler Jews" are alive today. That is a powerful legacy. Let us never forget the horror of the Holocaust or the power of a person to bring a ray of hope into the darkest hours of human history. For "all that is necessary for evil to exist is that good men and women do nothing."

A List of Spoofs for a Variety of Tastes

Who doesn't love a good spoof? There are some great flicks out there that poke fun -- gently and not so gently -- at genres or particular shows/movies that we have grown to love. I'm sure that once I complete this list of favorites, I'll think of something that I should have included, but nonetheless I'm going to go ahead and give the list a shot.
Here goes!

The Princess Bride: Positively hilarious, this is a riotous ride through fantasy lands complete with romance, adventure, fencing, pirates, Rodents of Unusual Size, a rhyming giant, a torture chamber, a six-fingered man, a batty miracle man, a priest who sounds like Elmer Fudd... Well, you get the picture. This is one bedtime story you'll never forget!

Young Frankenstein: I don't care if it's in black and white. This Mel Brooks monster movie doesn't need color to tickle the funnybone. When the famed scientist's nephew inherits his castle, he isn't too interested in following in his uncle's footsteps. But his creative instinct soon takes hold, and his attempt to form his own perfect being goes awry when Igor brings him an abnormal brain...

Airplane: It doesn't get much funnier than this. This movie is so stupid it's hilarious. It's got more one-liners and sight gags than you can shake a stick at. "Surely you can't be serious!" "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley." A plane's passengers and pilot go down with food poisoning, and it's up to a conflicted fighter pilot to save the day. Can he do it? You may be too busy laughing to notice!

Airplane 2: Not quite as good as the first, but pretty darn close. It's got all the same types of gags, and once again the fate of hundreds of passengers depends on our hero Striker. This time, however, it's a space ship, and it's got a bomb on it. Extra bonus: William Shatner.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: This naughty spoof of the Arthurian epic is both witty and absurd. A troop of Brits tramping across the countryside in search of the Holy Grail, riding invisible horses whose hoof-steps are simulated by coconuts. Kinda falls apart at the end, but there are plenty of laughs beforehand to make up for it.

Galaxy Quest: A must for Trekkies. This movie places the crew of a syndicated sci-fi hit which bears a suspicious resemblance to Star Trek on an actual space vessel to help a batch of adoring alien fans beat an evil enemy. Tim Allen plays the Captain Kirk-like figure, and he is the most clueless of all when it comes to actually filling his character's shoes. Most fully appreciated by Trekkies, the movie reaches its climax with a band of nerdy groupies who must come to the crew's rescue.

Space Balls: Space is a popular setting for spoofs, and this film, whose storyline focuses mainly on Star Wars, considers most sci-fi fair game. Mixed in with the tale of the valiant hero who must use the Schwartz to defeat the ridiculous villain Lord Helmet and rescue his princess are references to such shows and movies as Star Trek, Aliens and Planet of the Apes.

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery: All right, I'll include it. This James Bond spoof features a British special agent from the sixties with bad teeth, an extra supply of mojo, and clothes that would make Elton John cringe. He's got his moments, but the star of this spoof, in my opinion, is Dr. Evil, the much maligned villain who Austin was thawed out to defeat. It's hard to feel too intimidated by this guy, but it sure is easy to laugh at him.

And finally, here's two especially for the kiddies.

Muppet Treasure Island: The remake of the Stevenson classic by Henson's famous crew of muppets. A crew consisting of the scurviest bunch of scallawags ever to be crafted, an island populated by a tribe of savage hogs (including a certain female pig with whom we are all familiar), and of course some rousing Muppet songs...It's a hilarious high-seas adventure your kids will love.

Veggie Tales: Are You My Neighbor?: Just had to include this. It's got not one but two spoofs on it. The first is a rendition of the Good Samaritan told in the style of Dr. Seuss and set against a Seussian background. Second is an adventure which takes Junior Asparagus, Bob and Larry onto the U.S.S. Applepies to help Scooter avoid having the ship hit by a giant popcornball meteor. Yes, these are very gentle spoofs, but they're great nonetheless. You may well even catch yourself giggling.

Well, I won't say this is a definitive list of the ten best spoofs, but they're all pretty good and certainly funny.