Chevy Chase and the 'Vacation' films.

[Aldo]

I just recently went through the first three films in the wonderful Vacation series (I didn't watch Vegas Vacation because I don't own it, more on that later).

My viewing started with Christmas Vacation, which itself is a fun Christmas movie, and has the added benefit of being the only Vacation film that I saw in theaters. Of course once I watched that one I had to follow it up with the other two, which I own on a single DVD double feature (one of those discs that has a movie on each side).

Vacation - Of course this is the best one. Who can't identify with being stuck with the folks while being drug across the States on a family vacation. Though as far as I can recall mine were never this out of control.

There's hardly a dull moment in the film. Harold Ramis certainly was a great director back in the day, and Hughes' script is really good. I can't recall a time when this movie wasn't a part of my life, it's always turned up in one form or the other.

European Vacation - The supposed black sheep of the series. Not hard to see why, as the humor is a bit more forced this time around, and Clark and his family are written as buffoons in order to get a laugh out of the premise. Still, for some reason I really enjoy it, and always view it back to back with Vacation (as I just did tonight).

Christmas Vacation - As I said earlier, the only film out of this series that I saw in theaters. A fun film all around and it's turned into a must view at Christmas time. Even though I know it was done as a joke, I always wished they cast kids that looked more like the kids from the first two filims.

Like I said earlier, if I had Vegas Vacation, I would have watched it too. It's definitely (imo) the weakest of the four, but it's a pretty inoffensive film. And it is fun to see Chase and D'Angelo portray these characters one last time. Ethan Embry also acquits himself nicely as Rusty, but then again I've always liked Ethan Embry.

 

[Icemizer]

Parks closed, Moose outside should have told ya.

 

[1001001]

"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny Fucking Kaye! And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse!"

 

[Kirby]

Cop: Do you know what the penalty is for animal cruelty in this state?

Clark: No officer, I don't.

Cop: Well... It's probably pretty stiff.

Great bunch of films. Vacation and Christmas Vacation get regular viewing in my house. European Vacation has some moments, but otherwise it's pretty lame. I saw Vegas Vacation once. Not bad, but it didn't make me want to go out and watch it again.

I'd love to see a Griswold family reunion with the original cast.

 

[TheSeeker]

Ah Vacation. The sight of a scantily clad Christie Brinkley had me all aquiver when I went to see it as a young lad.

 

[Captain Craig]

I own all 4 films and even find some charm in the Vegas installment. You can tell the chemistry is a bit amiss in Vegas for whatever reason(s) but it does have the hottest actress to play his daughter. So that's a win! Like many of you I'll be popping in the Christmas classic soon enough.

 

[B.J.]

I'd love to see a Griswold family reunion with the original cast.

Personally, I think it would be great to have the original Rusty (Anthony Michael Hall) taking his family for a vacation with crazy old Grandpa Clark tagging along. It could probably work if written right. Besides, Chevy and Beverly are getting a bit too long in the tooth to be able to pull off having teenage kids anymore.

 

[the G-man]

I'd love to see a Griswold family reunion with the original cast.

A little hard to do what in the case of Cousin Eddie.

 

[Kirby]

My thought was to bring back the original Rusty and Audrey and have a family reunion somewhere.
I'd love to see Rusty actually be the kind of Dad that Clark always wanted to be, and not screw up, or go completely nuts. Anthony Michael Hall was my favorite Rusty, and he probably needs a job right now anyway.
The great part will be Randy Quaid since he's been in cousin Eddie mode for years now.

Edit: G-man They could just shoot the thing in Vancouver so Quaid wouldn't 'be a target' for all those people who are out to get him.

 

[Captain Craig]

I'm behind on Randy Quaid news it seems. Why are people out "to get him"?

 

[Kirby]

You can do a more detailed and recent search, but this is a snippet from a Vanity Fair article in January:

Evi Quaid called from a pay phone in Vancouver to say that she and her husband, Randy, the actor, had tried to drive to Siberia, but they “couldn’t figure out how to get there.” The Quaids don’t use cell phones anymore, because, Evi said, “they’re tracking us.”
“They” were “the Hollywood Star Whackers” the couple had been talking about in television interviews ever since they arrived in Canada in October, seeking asylum. The “Whackers,” they said, were the same people who may have “killed” David Carradine and Heath Ledger, possibly set up Robert Blake, and could now be targeting Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan.

 

[Peter Q Taggart]

Some of my favorites:

Clark: Hey! If any of you are looking for any last-minute gift ideas for me, I have one. I'd like Frank Shirley, my boss, right here tonight. I want him brought from his happy holiday slumber over there on Melody Lane with all the other rich people and I want him brought right here, with a big ribbon on his head, and I want to look him straight in the eye and I want to tell him what a cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit he is! Hallelujah! Holy shit! Where's the Tylenol?


Clark: Oh, I was just smelling - smiling. I was just blouse - browsing. I, uh, heh heh. Well, I guess it just wouldn't... Oh hee hee, it wouldn't be the Christmas shopping season if the stores were any less hooter than they - HOTTER than they are. Whew. It is warm in here, isn't it?
Mary: You have your coat on.
Clark: Yes, oh do I? Yeah, it is a bit nipply out. I mean nippy. What am I saying, nipple?


Eddie: Every time Catherine revved up the microwave, I'd piss my pants and forget who I was for about half an hour or so

 

[Owain Taggart]

They don't even have to have Cousin Eddie, I think. He had his own movie anyway, the ridiculously bad Christmas Vacation II TV movie, so he's had his time to shine. I love the idea of Rusty taking his Dad along on a trip. Where would they go? Maybe they could visit a relative living in Alaska or something.

 

[Aldo]

Christmas Vacation 2 may have been horrible. But it does have the distinction of being the only other time Dana Barron portrays Audrey in the series.

 

[sojourner]

Better yet, they could write some lines into the movie alluding to Quaid's current situation, "Cousin Eddie? No he can't make the trip, still in Canada hiding from... them."

 

[1001001]

Better yet, they could write some lines into the movie alluding to Quaid's current situation, "Cousin Eddie? No he can't make the trip, still in Canada hiding from... them."

You gotta have Cousin Eddie!

 

[Ethros]

Christmas Vacation is the best Christmas movie ever. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool.


"Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass. Happy Hanukkah."

 

[Amaris]

Better yet, they could write some lines into the movie alluding to Quaid's current situation, "Cousin Eddie? No he can't make the trip, still in Canada hiding from... them."

You gotta have Cousin Eddie!

Honey, have you checked our shitters?

God, I love that movie.

 

[marillion]

Better yet, they could write some lines into the movie alluding to Quaid's current situation, "Cousin Eddie? No he can't make the trip, still in Canada hiding from... them."

You gotta have Cousin Eddie!

Disagree... Other than the well portrayed country bumpkin in the first movie, I find Cousin Eddie the hardest part to watch in the follow ups. They just went too over the top with the character.

 

[BillJ]

Disagree... Other than the well portrayed country bumpkin in the first movie, I find Cousin Eddie the hardest part to watch in the follow ups. They just went too over the top with the character.

Cousin Eddie was over the top from the beginning...

Cousin Vicki: I'm going steady, and I French kiss.

Audrey Griswold: So? Everybody does that.

Cousin Vicki: Yeah, but Daddy says I'm the best at it.