Christmas Curiosities You May Have Missed (Some Discretion Advised)

Christmas means many things to many people. If you're a little burned out on the standard holiday fare, here for your pleasure are some Christmas curiosities you may have missed or forgotten. Be warned that some of these aren't necessarily PC, and some folks may even find them offensive. Parental discretion is advised.

The Story of Festivus

It's Festivus for the rest of us! Seinfeld fans will remember George Costanza's Dad (played memorably by Jerry Stiller) and his celebration (if you can call it that) of a holiday called "Festivus":

The Star Wars Holiday Special

Produced in 1977 to cash in on both Christmas and the then-red hot Star Wars craze, this production, which features most of the actual cast from the movie, is a classic example of the proverbial train wreck you can't look away from:

A Christmas Carol (1971)

Of all the versions of the Scrooge saga, this one is rarely seen. Which is unfortunate, because it has at least two things going for it: the animation, which hauntingly invokes the joys and horrors of the original Victorian story, and the voice of Alastair Sim, the great British  actor whose live-action portrayal of Scrooge in 1951 is considered by many the best ever:

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

In the so-bad-it's-good category, this sci-fi fantasy from 1964 features a very young Pia Zadora (remember her?) as a Martian child. Watch St. Nick and his allies win over the Martians with unbridled Christmas cheer. Hooray for Santa Claus!

As a bonus, here's the equally legendary Mystery Science Theater 3000 deconstruction of the flick:

The Junky's Christmas

This one may put you off on the first viewing (the language is VERY strong, and the images can be kinda creepy). Still, if you have the stomach for it, we urge you to watch this one. It is, underneath it all, a moving, beautiful story about finding redemption in the worst of circumstances. Written by William Burroughs: