The Wonderful World of Christmas

posted by Tygrrius @ 12:03 AM

I want to begin the last Proverbial Galaxies of 2006 by wishing all of you that choose to celebrate it a very Merry Christmas.

For me, Christmas has many meanings.

First, there is what Christmas is all about. I really can't say it any better than this guy, so I'll just direct you here.

Beyond the spiritual meaning, though, Christmas is also about spending time with family and friends. A time to relax and let go any troubles from the ending year in order to start fresh in the new one.

Christmas is about giving. Giving to those we know and, more importantly, to those we will never know. The best giving is that which goes unrecognized, totally anonymous. True charity does not involve a tax write-off.

Finally, Christmas is about having fun. If The Film Frontier doesn't make it obvious, I honor my inner child quite often but no more so than on Christmas Day.

This year, I plan to wear a Superman t-shirt on Christmas--not unlike I did as a kid all those years ago. Yeah, it's a goofy thing to do. But that's the whole point. And being goofy is part of who I am. My wife can vouch for that.

Here at Christmas, spend time with your loved ones, have fun, and give to others. And not with thoughts of receiving anything in return, but just in the spirit of Christmas.

I often link you to various movie sites and related products. Today, I want to do something a little different.

Here are some sites that you may find useful in contributing to the world. And not just at Christmas, but throughout the year.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Victory Junction Gang Camp
The Christopher Reeve Foundation
The American Humane Association

As an American, my thoughts are also with our soldiers, many of whom are unable to be with their families. Thanks to their courage and sacrifice, I have the freedom to be with my family on Christmas. I think of these heroes often.

Ways to show support for America's troops
Send messages of support to America's troops

May peace be with you all.

The Film Frontier Holiday Gift Guide

posted by Tygrrius @ 10:52 PM

You know, I had a streak going for a few years where I had all of my Christmas shopping complete before Halloween. Those days are long gone, though. In the last three or four years, I've joined the rest of mankind in shopping between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve.

While I do approximately half of my Christmas shopping online now, I still like to make an effort every year to get out there with the masses and visit actual stores in person for the rest of it. As to why I like to do this, I have no idea. Once I get to those stores, I often begin to question my own sanity.

Today, I made a vain effort to finish my shopping. I braved the horrible traffic, got run over a couple of times by the same lady in a card store (she was eighty, so I couldn't really do much but give way), but somehow survived. Other than picking up a box of milk bones for JS (who hopefully isn't reading this), I managed to accomplish very little in the process, though.

As I returned home, defeated, I at least came up with a topic for today's Proverbial Galaxies: a holiday gift-giving guide for the film frontier fans in your life.

And by "film frontier fans" I don't really mean a fan of this site, as that would not prove to be a very useful guide since we have no fans. I'm instead referring to people who are fans of Star Trek, Superman, and Star Wars, which are our key topics and do have fans. Lots of them.

I'll also have a gift of sorts for our readers (both of you). Something unprecedented in the nine-year history of The Film Frontier, something no other science fiction site is bold enough to do: the first-ever, never-before-seen, Film Frontier holiday recipe! (Now, I really hope JS isn't reading this--mostly because I don't want him to quit the site out of sheer embarassment.)

Gifts for Star Trek fans

Star Trek: Captain's Glory by William Shatner and Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens: In a time when most Star Trek novels seem to have hit the same wall of mediocrity that toppled the Rick Berman era, a Shatner/Reeves-Stevens book is most welcome. This is the ninth novel in the trio's adventures of James Kirk.

USS Enterprise NCC-1701 Hallmark ornament (2006): Celebrate Star Trek's 40th anniversary in style with a finely detailed reproduction of Captain Kirk's original USS Enterprise. Comes with a great display base, no need to actually hang this on your tree and risk damage. Pressing a button on the base lights up the ship and, unfortunately, plays a pretty bad version of the theme song. Still, a fantastic-looking ship!

Star Trek: The Complete Animated Series 4-DVD set: All 22 episodes of the 1972-1973 Saturday morning cartoon series. Notable for being the last Star Trek production to make it to DVD and unofficially filling in the final two years of Kirk's first five-year mission.

Gifts for Superman fans

Superman: Up, Up & Away! graphic novel: One of the best-written Superman stories ever. Even better than the Superman Returns movie, which I loved!

Superman Returns: Special Edition DVD: Bryan Singer's take on the superhero brought the Man of Steel into the 21st century in a big way, without forgetting his roots. Terrific movie, a real-must have for any Superman fan. Be sure to get the 2-disc special edition, in order to see the excellent 3-hour Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns documentary and deleted scenes.

Superman: The Ultimate Collector's Edition 14-DVD set: Why stop at Superman Returns when you can get bonus-feature-packed versions of all of the Superman movies? Plus, it is much cheaper to buy them this way than individually.

Gifts for Star Wars fans

Sculpting a Galaxy: Inside the Star Wars Model Shop by Lorne Peterson: In the tradition of Industrial Light & Magic: The Art of Special Effects, except focused totally on Star Wars, this book is full of wonderful pictures.

Star Wars: Unaltered DVD: Every Star Wars fan should own the 1977 version of the first movie of George Lucas' saga. Back when it was just Star Wars. None of this Episode blah blah blah stuff. A real nostalgic treat. Also includes the 2004 version, with enhanced visual effects and additional scenes.

The Star Wars Poster Book by Stephen J. Sansweet and Peter Vilmur: This 2005 coffee table book contains many full-page pictures of some of the beautiful (The Empire Strikes Back Style "A" by Roger Kastel) and not so beautiful (just about anything by Drew Struzan) Star Wars posters from the saga's first 28 years. I'm hoping for a Volume 2 in 2007. There are still many more posters to go! ***And now, as promised, my gift to you. Incidentally, if you do not celebrate Christmas, please feel free to substitute your favorite day of winter, holiday or otherwise, in the recipe name. The rest of the recipe should still work the same and be just as tasty.

The Film Frontier's Merry Christmas Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter
¾ cup sugar
1¼ cups brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups Hershey's milk chocolate chips
¾ cup Reese's peanut butter chips

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs in large bowl until creamy. Slowly beat in flour mixture. Stir in both varieties of chips.

Roll teaspoons of dough into ¾-inch balls and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Yields about 72 cookies. Serve warm with a tall glass of cold milk, while watching your favorite movie. And try not to eat them all. Unless it's Christmas Eve and your name is Santa. In which case, feel free to eat them all. You've earned them, buddy.