Manic Monday: The Routine

© Warner Bros. | Source: Warner Bros

Still not certain how to celebrate New Year’s Eve? Monica and Ross from Friends show you how to rock just about every party. 

Enjoy!

Christmas Countdown 2015: Day 24

That's it. The final day of our Christmas Countdown is here. We hope that you've enjoyed the past 23 days anticipating the holidays with us and our posts about Christmas-themed movie and television moments. 

In any case, the BSP crew would like to wish you a

The happiest of holidays from Rina, Squuls and Nata Lie. (© BSP)

Savour the upcoming days with your family and friends. Relax, eat, carol, be joyful and festive, and don't forget to watch a good movie or TV series during the holidays.

See you soon, all happy and healthy.

Cheers!

Rina, Squuls & Nata Lie

Christmas Countdown 2015: Day 23

Our Christmas Countdown is nearing its end. Just one more day to go till Christmas! We hope you have all completed your gift shopping and other pre-Christmas chores and can now fully enjoy the last days before the great feast.

With that being said, let’s get back to business. In case you also followed our Christmas Countdown last year, you’ll know that we are of the opinion that there is only one way to celebrate the night before Christmas and it has something to do with this friendly fella here:

© Disney | Source: rebloggy

Jack Skellington from The Night Before Christmas!

Enjoy the song!

Christmas Countdown 2015: Day 22

The time until it's finally Christmas Eve is getting shorter and the days are getting merrier. For this reason, without further ado, I give you a short but merry clip of the world-famous detective Mr. Sherlock Holmes breaking into a world-famous Christmas carol, on the violin no less.

Christmas Countdown 2015: Day 21

It’s the 21st of December already, which means Christmas is almost on our doorstep. And if you are even one bit of the last-minute shopper that I am, you are probably living through the most stressful time of the year right now. But even if not, all the gift wrapping, cookie baking and dinner planning easily shove us to the brink of exhaustion.

That is why, three days before Christmas, we celebrate World Humbug Day. This special holiday means to encourage us to give vent to all our pent-up frustration, so we'll be able to embrace the holiday spirit to its fullest. 

So take it easy, BSPeeps, don’t be a Scrooge and enjoy the last days before Christmas! 

Christmas Countdown 2015: Day 20

On day 20 of our Christmas Countdown we join the Muppets and Sesame Street gang in a little Christmas carolling. Whether you are spending the 4th Advent with your family, are driving home for Christmas, or just relaxing on a Sunday - feel free to sing along!

Christmas Countdown 2015: Day 18

It's "Ugly Christmas Sweater Day", but it is also day 18 of our Christmas Countdown. So for today, as a service to you, we have compiled a list of ugly Christmas sweaters that will help you unleash your inner TV- or movie geek. By far Home Alone and Star Wars dominate the scene this year but let's see some of what else is out there:

1. Home Alone

 

Source: www.uglychristmassweater.com

Source: www.uglychristmassweater.com

2. Star Wars

y

Source: cdn.shopify.com

Source: cdn6.bigcommerce.com

Source: www.uglychristmassweater.com

3. The Muppets and Sesame Street

 

Source: cdn.shopify.com

Source: cdn.shopify.com

Source: cdn.shopify.com

Source: cdn6.bigcommerce.com

4. Dr. Who

Source: cdn.shopify.com

Source: cdn.shopify.com

Source: cdn6.bigcommerce.com

5. Elf

 

Source: cdn2.bigcommerce.com

Source: cdn1.bigcommerce.com

6. Superheroes

 

Source: www.merchoid.com

Source: www.merchoid.com

Source: www.merchoid.com

Source: www.merchoid.com

Source: www.merchoid.com

7. Cartoons

Source: uglychristmassweater.com

Source: bigcommerce.com

8. Various TV-Shows

Source: nbcuniversalstore.com

Source: bigcommerce.com

Source: nbcuniversalstore.com

9. Dr. Seuss

Source: bigcommerce.com

Source: bigcommerce.com

 

10. Griswold Family Christmas 

Source: bigcommerce.com

Source: bigcommerce.com

What will you be wearing this Christmas?

<< Day 17  

Christmas Countdown 2015: Day 17

Because it's so much fun, here's another, and unfortunately the last, emoji quiz. Can you guess the titles of these Christmas movies?

Level 1:

Level 2:

(To find out if you guessed right, do a left-click and select the empty spaces above to reveal the answers.) Have fun guessing!

All emojis can be found here.

Answer Level 1: The Nutcracker

Answer Level 2: Silent Night, Bloody Night

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Christmas Countdown 2015: Day 16

On day 16 of our Christmas Countdown we collaborate to present you with a festive Top 3 of our favourite movies to watch during the holidays that technically are not Christmas movies. Come on, you all know you have these! Anyway here are ours:

Squuls:

3. Dr. Zhivago (David Lean, 1965)

© MGM | Source: doctormacro.com

An epic tale of love and intrigue set around WWI and the Russian Revolution Dr. Zhivago proves its epicness already in its length. At 197 minutes this movie has to be one to watch during Christmas break, because at any other period there simply isn’t enough time to fully enjoy it. While, strictly speaking, not a Christmas movie, the setting of snow-clad Russia in winter with a lot of scenes at night and in the solitude of the countryside puts me in Christmas spirits, when once again dreaming of a white Christmas in vain. ‘Tis the season of strong emotions, too, and boy does this one bring the emotions! And for the less patient ones it also allows a little channel switching here and there or the occasional mulled wine or bathroom break.

2. North and South (Douglas Heyes, 1985, 1986, 1994)

© WB | Source: play.google.com

What started as a mere coincidence in TV schedule now has become a Christmas tradition for my mom and I: at least one late Christmas night is reserved for the indulgence of North and South. The American mini-series brings a lot to the table: Friendship, bromance, and Patrick Swayze pair up with the American Civil War, which is now almost regarded with a sort of nostalgic charm. The age old element of a relationship (in this case a friendship) caught between two enemy sides also works in this series. Finally the almost certain happy ending and the much warmer weather in the southern U.S. states serves as a nice break in our cold and dark winter.

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Peter Jackson, 2001-2003)

© New Line Cinema | Source: www.darkcarnival.co.za

Peter Jackson’s film version of The Lord of The Rings is definitely one of those epic fantasy adaptions that spark our imaginations at any time, but at this time of the year especially. It’s the perfect choice for a lengthy family film session and now we have the time to share and fully appreciate the fantastic action. And with the films not only on regular TV every Christmas, but also available digitally and on disk, we are free to enjoy the Legolas, Gimly, and Aragorn trifecta, while fast-forwarding the annoyance that is Frodo! Faith in humanity and the future of (middle-)earth restored.


Rina:

3. Anastasia (Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, 1997)

© Twentieth Century Fox | Source: Lloyd Movie Reviews

This non-Disney animated feature tells the story of orphan girl Anya who finds out that she's really Anastasia Romanov, the only surviving offspring of the dead Tsar Nicholas II. It's historically inaccurate and a trivialisation of the February Revolution, but it's still one of my favourite cartoon movies out there. It's got a tough and likeable heroine, a bunch of lovely supporting characters, catchy tunes and an engaging storyline. There's adventure, fun, a sweeping romance, Rasputin as the ultimate villain, plenty of opportunities to sing along and lots of snow. What more can you ask for on a lazy Christmas afternoon?

2. Sissi Trilogy (Ernst Marischka, 1955-1957)

© Beta Film | Source: Mafab

The Sissi movies are basically the epitome of sugar-coated, kitschy, melodramatic German post-war cinema. They catapulted young lead actress Romy Schneider to international stardom and - even though she was one of the most charismatic and daring actresses of her time - forever linked her to her rendition of lovey-dovey Empress Elisabeth of Austria. The Sissi trilogy doesn't aim at historical accuracy. It lives from its epic costume and set design, and its utterly and absolutely ridiculous nature. Rural romanticism, traditional family values, a schmaltzy love story amidst a strict court regime, handsome Karlheinz Böhm as the male lead, men in lederhosen - these movies got it all. Germany still loves to show the Sissi films during the Christmas holidays because, let's face it, they're entertaining escapism of the highest order and three times as sugary as Christmas candy - and one's always sure to have a good laugh.

1. Aschenputtel (Uwe Janson, 2011)

© ARD | Source: kino.de

A rather recent German TV adaptation of the Grimm brothers' Cinderella, Aschenputtel has pretty quickly become my favourite film to watch during the Christmas holidays. Since we're all prone to fairy tales, it has always made my entire family gather in front of the screen, which is nice. This Aschenputtel follows the traditional pattern of the story but it's still a modern take on the established narrative. Here Cinderella (or German Aschenputtel) is a kind-hearted, yet strong and feisty young woman, and Prince Charming even has got a name. I mean, can you believe it? The film profits from Aylin Tezel's lovely performance as the oppressed maidservant, and I especially like how it allows her relationship with Prince Viktor (Florian Bartholomäi) to grow rather than to shove the two into a happy ever after without any previous signs of affection. During Christmas time, it's nice to live vicariously through such a sweet blossoming romance and Aschenputtel's eventual rise from doormat to princess.  

Nata Lie:

3. The Last Unicorn (Jules Bass, 1982)

© ITC | Source: fanpop

This animated classic is broadcasted every Christmas and I always try not to miss it. The Last Unicorn is a mythological movie about a unicorn, who is afraid to be the last of her kind and sets out to search for others. It features all the classic elements of a fairy tale: the good vs. evil theme, a dangerous quest beset with obstacles and challenges to rise to and overcome, true friendship, a broad range of fantastical creatures and most importantly a happy ending. Despite being a family movie, there are several scenes that might end up terrifying the littlest ones, like the nightmarish Red Bull and the evil witch. Nevertheless, The Last Unicorn has a kind of haunting, poetic beauty that makes it the perfect movie to watch during the Christmas holidays.

2. Three Wishes for Cinderella (Václav Vorlícek, 1973)

© DEFA | Source: eeagrants

Like Rina, I also count the Cinderella story to my Christmas favourites. However, to me the only true version is the Soviet one of 1973, featuring Libuse Safránková in the role of Popelka (which is the Czech word for Cinderella.) We all know Grimms’ fairy tale of a kind girl who loses her parents and is then raised by an evil stepmother and tantalised by her no less evil stepsisters. That is until a prince finally comes to rescue her from this misery. But the movie from 1973 gives a new spin to the traditional story. Popelka is not the helpless damsel in distress, who needs a prince to save her. She is shown to be clever, feisty and skilled. Moreover, she does not simply fall for the prince, but expects him to prove that he is deserving of her love. Christmas, as such, plays no role in this movie, but the wintry scenery and the romantic and charmingly hilarious plot make Three Wishes for Cinderella a must-see for the entire family.

1. The 10th Kingdom (David Carson, 2000)

© Babelsberg Film | Source: fanpop

The Tenth Kingdom is a TV mini-series about a father and daughter who stumble into a parallel universe, where all the known fairy tale characters actually exist and everyone lives happily ever after. At least until the evil stepmother rises to power. With the aid of the evil Troll King, she tries to seize the crown of Prince Wendall, grandson of Snow White. He is transformed into a dog and flees by leaping through a magic mirror into the Tenth Kingdom – our world. There he meets Virginia and her father, who think he is a stray dog. Still hunted by the Trolls and the Big Bad Wolf, the three of them flee back into the Nine Kingdoms. There they form an alliance with the purpose of returning Prince Wendall to his real body and saving the Nine Kingdoms from the rule of the evil stepmother and getting Virginia and her father back into their own world. But of course this turns out to be a most difficult mission.

Like my entire Top 3, The Tenth Kingdom is another movie for the entire family with a fantastic fairy-tale charm. The series is full of twists and turns that don’t allow for a moment of boredom and it’s laced with a kind of silly humour that will keep you smirking or covering your eyes with embarrassment most of the time. Pretty perfect for Christmas, wouldn’t you say?

Finally we'd like to know what your favourite non-Christmas movies to watch at Christmas are :) Let us know in the comment section below or on social media.

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