ELF [2003]

If you have not watched Elf, please stop reading immediately and go watch it.  HERC will be here when you get back.  You have 100 minutes...GO!

A quick review:

Buddy, the title character, is a human raised as an elf.  He is played by the wonderfully child-like Will Ferrell who has thus far rejected reprising his role for any Elf sequels.

An elf's four major food groups are:

• syrup
• candy
• candy corn
• and candy canes

And "the best way to spread Christmas Cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"

Elf is a great, wonderful family film that captures the childhood innocence of the Season without bursting anyone's bubble.  An extremely funny and talented cast supports Ferrell in one of his best roles in this modern Christmas classic that HERC recommends wholeheartedly.  It is one of four films HERC watches every Christmas without fail.  Maybe someday he'll tell us what the other three movies are.

But the movie could have been much different:  When the project was first getting off the ground in 1993, Jim Carrey was attached to star but he chose to film Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and went on to become a huge star, eventually starring in  two movies based on Classic Christmas material: Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas and Disney's A Christmas Carol.

Terry Zwigoff was offered the Director's Chair before production began in 2002 but he opted to direct Bad Santa instead.  [That's Lauren Graham being naughty on the movie's poster.]  Actor Jon Favreau made his major motion picture directing debut with Elf and went on to direct the first two Iron Man films among others.  Favreau appears in Elf as a doctor.  Another person to watch for in Elf is the star of that other Christmas classic, A Christmas Story:  Peter Billingsley, "Ralphie" himself, appears in Elf as an elf named "Ming-Ming".  Hint: you can spot him near the beginning of the film.  And in one of the clips above - he's got six "snowballs" on his costume.

The music contained in the movie and on the officially released soundtrack album is a delightful mix of old and new, quirky and quaint.

Not a traditional Holiday song, Louis Prima sets the upbeat tone for the rest of the movie with his exuberant Italian scat version of "Pennies Form Heaven".  That's Sam Butera blowin' sax, fronting his band The Witnesses.

"Sleigh Ride" is a traditional Holiday song yet it is often cited as one that doesn't mention "christmas" specifically.  Ella Fitzgerald delivers a bouncy, gliding version here.

Here's the quirky: Leon Redbone is an acquired taste, either you like his musical style or you don't.  His cover of the classic "Christmas Island" fits right in with the other songs on the soundtrack.

Featured in the movie but left off of the soundtrack album is this joyful blast from Christmas past by Stevie Wonder.  "What Christmas Means To Me" closes Wonder's 1967 Holiday album Someday At Christmas, a favorite here at the Hideaway.  Cee Lo Green covers the song on his lastest album - that track is prominently featured in new JCP commercials.

HERC's calling this one "quaint" and that's a good thing.  It's Eartha Kitt bringing the sexy back to Christmas with "Santa Baby".  It's been covered many times through the years but no one purrs and coos their way through it like Miss Kitt.

Closing out the soundtrack album is this funk workout from Billy Preston and his mighty Afro.  So what if it's not a Christmas song?  It fits in with the positive vibe from the rest of the soundtrack and it's educational as well.

The Songza playlist below also contains the full soundtrack score album (above).

Elf [SONGZA]

from the back of the CD booklet to the soundtrack to Elf:

Congratulations!

You have just purchased the soundtrack of the movie Elf!  That means you either enjoyed the film or you just thought the songs were cool.  Either way, you have done a very good thing.  These songs will no doubt bring you much enjoyment for years to come.

I recommend you either play this CD in your car, load it into your home changer, download it into your iPod, or use it as a coaster.  Whatever you decide to do with it, I hope it brings you and those around you holiday cheer.

Growing up in New York, I've always viewed Christmas as a holiday for everyone.  Though rooted in religion, it has grown into a holiday that has come to represent the coming together of all mankind.  it represents the best of people.  I tried to capture that spirit in the songs on this album.  Hopefully it will put a smile on your face.

Jon Favreau