Now that I look at my title, I’m inspired to head in a couple of different directions. First, my original intent was to focus on a Christmas television show featuring shorts and sunshine to reflect the crazy warm weather predicted for this week. “Death in Paradise” is not a show I can recommend to discerning viewers looking for Emmy-award winning entertainment, but I sure enjoy watching it.
Set on the fictional Caribbean island of St. Marie (actually the island of Guadeloupe), the BBC show features a succession of British detectives solving murder mysteries together with a revolving cast of local police officers. The plots are decent, the acting is fine, but the fabulous reggae soundtrack and the tropical scenery are terrific. Plus they actually have a few Christmas episodes.
Now for Christmas in the 1980s. Of course you’ve seen “A Christmas Story” and “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” but how about a couple of outliers to expand your Christmas horizons. “Silent Night, Deadly Night,” is a genre classic, worth checking out if you’re a horror fan. According to promotional material, Santa is more interested in spreading holiday fear than holiday cheer.
And then there’s “Jaws: The Revenge”... where the cries and shouts of the first shark victim are drowned out by Christmas carolers. Was it the off-key version of “Silent Night” that drove the Great White one to attack in the first place?
