This installment of the FX series It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia isn't actually a movie, but it isn't really a TV episode either. It's just a stand-alone Christmas special that was available only on DVD, Blu Ray, and digital download. I am a huge fan of the series, so I bought it through the iTunes Music Store as soon as it came out last year. Since then, I've probably watched it about 100 times. It's just brilliant.
Just to be clear, Sunny is one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I own every episode and rewatch them all over and over again. I think the show is criminally overrated and that the cast (who also created the series and write most of the episodes) should have been showered with awards over the course of the show's (til now) six season run. And, having said that, this Christmas special is just about as funny as the show gets. Since it was written for a DVD release instead of a TV broadcast, they were able to go even more dark and twisted than normal. But Sunny is always at its best the more dark and twisted it gets.
The story revolves around... well... who really cares? The story revolves around the zany gang's twisted view on Christmas, so that's all you really need to know. I don't want to go into detail about the plot, because much of the fun comes from watching all of the insanity unfold as the episode goes on. Charlie Day (who plays Charlie Kelly) in particular is fantastic. He is everybody's favorite character on the show (or, at least, he's my favorite), but his performance in this special is just about the best thing he's ever done. I don't want to say too much, but the scene where he beats that Santa Clause (possibly to death) was just about the funniest thing I've ever seen. It makes me laugh every time I watch it, even though it's actually quite horrific.
So check out A Very Sunny Christmas, whether you are a newcomer to the show or just a long-time fan who has been reluctant to shell out the cash for a single episode. It's not only the funniest parody of Christmas stories I've ever seen, but it's one of the best "episodes" of one of the funniest TV shows of all time. Two thumbs up.
1 comment:
I'd watch it. On a side note, this is one of those somehow distinctly American shows that completely baffles my wife. She doesn't understand the humor in this show at all. I've got a strange relationship with it, because I don't really laugh out loud a lot while watching, though I can appreciate it's funny and I enjoy it.
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