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Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss
Mar. 22nd, 2011 11:59 pmI spent Tuesday night at work watching a childhood favorite, Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss, on YouTube. Thank god for YouTube. I mean, the vloggers are a tremendous pain in the ass, but as the world's collective archive of obscure video, it's pretty fantastic.
Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss is one of four sequels to A Christmas Story. What, you didn't know A Christmas Story had one sequel, much less four? You're not alone. Even though I watched Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss five dozen times on the Disney Channel when I was little, I didn't know it was a sequel to A Christmas Story until this year. But then, I haven't seen Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss since I was about eleven, either.
The film follows a 14-year-old Ralphie, played by Jerry O'Connell, who doesn't look anything like the original Ralphie but admirably captures his spirit (all of the actors don't look anything like the original cast members, but they likewise manage to get the feeling across). The film begins as the family anticipates its vacation to Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss, which (SPOILERS!) is revealed to be a complex of six cabins on a small Michigan lake. Much like A Christmas Story, the plot gently meanders around, with the first part of the movie focused on Ralphie's first job moving appliances, and the inexplicable disappearance of the family dog, "Fuzzhead." The second and third acts of the film chronicle the family's road trip to the lake.
And that's about it.
I was surprised at how well the film holds up, although I must admit it's not as funny or as well-produced as A Christmas Story. But then, what is? A Christmas Story is magically perfect, every moment, whether strictly germane to the story or not, adding a delightful bit of humor or emotional depth. I can close my eyes and play A Christmas Story on the inside of my eyelids, but every Christmas I end up watching it again anyway (even with the commercials!).
Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss wanders a little bit, not quite as tightly focused on studying human nature at work, but it still has its moments. Ralphie, Flick, and Schwartz's Sisyphean battle moving a large 1950s refrigerator up nine flights of stairs is a chief highlight, as is Ralphie's subsequent nightmare about the event. I also like when the mother insists the family stop at a lawn-ornament stand, and I especially love the particular ornament they come home with.
And of course, what happens when they arrive at their vacation Valhalla is pretty fantastic, too.
The first of nine parts on YouTube is below:
Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss is one of four sequels to A Christmas Story. What, you didn't know A Christmas Story had one sequel, much less four? You're not alone. Even though I watched Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss five dozen times on the Disney Channel when I was little, I didn't know it was a sequel to A Christmas Story until this year. But then, I haven't seen Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss since I was about eleven, either.
The film follows a 14-year-old Ralphie, played by Jerry O'Connell, who doesn't look anything like the original Ralphie but admirably captures his spirit (all of the actors don't look anything like the original cast members, but they likewise manage to get the feeling across). The film begins as the family anticipates its vacation to Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss, which (SPOILERS!) is revealed to be a complex of six cabins on a small Michigan lake. Much like A Christmas Story, the plot gently meanders around, with the first part of the movie focused on Ralphie's first job moving appliances, and the inexplicable disappearance of the family dog, "Fuzzhead." The second and third acts of the film chronicle the family's road trip to the lake.
And that's about it.
I was surprised at how well the film holds up, although I must admit it's not as funny or as well-produced as A Christmas Story. But then, what is? A Christmas Story is magically perfect, every moment, whether strictly germane to the story or not, adding a delightful bit of humor or emotional depth. I can close my eyes and play A Christmas Story on the inside of my eyelids, but every Christmas I end up watching it again anyway (even with the commercials!).
Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss wanders a little bit, not quite as tightly focused on studying human nature at work, but it still has its moments. Ralphie, Flick, and Schwartz's Sisyphean battle moving a large 1950s refrigerator up nine flights of stairs is a chief highlight, as is Ralphie's subsequent nightmare about the event. I also like when the mother insists the family stop at a lawn-ornament stand, and I especially love the particular ornament they come home with.
And of course, what happens when they arrive at their vacation Valhalla is pretty fantastic, too.
The first of nine parts on YouTube is below:
