Christmas Chaos on Camera

“Cooper's Christmas” was my choice for comedic relief during the week leading up to Christmas.

This little unknown gem is sure to become a cult classic for those who don't mind humour that can be crude, lewd and cringe-inducing at times. This movie was originally released as “Cooper's Camera “ in 2008. The recent DVD release changed the name to “Cooper's Christmas”. The setting is the Christmas day of a very dysfunctional family in 1985. Gord Cooper, his wife Nancy and their two sons; whiney effeminate 17 year old Marcus and smart little budding teen Teddy; are hosting their friends and relatives for the festivities. Gord has accepted a 'barely-used' VHS camera from his sleazy neighbour in lieu of $2,000 owed him. Nancy is not very happy about this as she had earmarked that money for a family vacation to Disneyland before her current pregnancy was too far along. Teddy grabs the camera and proceeds to film the day as it descends into total chaos fuelled by massive amounts of alcohol consumption.

The movie is laugh out loud funny at times and is true to the period with appropriate hairstyles, clothes and mannerisms; plenty of Star Wars references and talk about the 'new Coke'. Gord wears a loud Christmasy sweater and Uncle Nick sports a big mullet hairdo. The ladies have some great hairDO's too. Uncle Nick is one of the great variety of wild and crazy characters that make this movie so entertaining. He is a loud, lecherous oaf who is constantly bragging of his inappropriate extramarital sexual liaisons: “Some would call it rape , but I'm sure she would have said yes if she was awake.” Jamie Balognie arrives with a big bowl of her homemade coleslaw. “It's got some raisins, beets and anchovies in it. They really add some zip”. Nana is my favorite ; she is constantly grumpy and always has a cigarette dangling out of her mouth with a long ash about to drop off it. She insists on a traditional Christmas family breakfast of 'mushrooms-on-toast'. Sexy cousin Heather's arrival gets Teddy's immediate attention and she manages to 'tease' him out of most of his saved-up allowance. The simmering tensions reach a crescendo when Gord's brother, Uncle Tim, shows up for the first time in 15 years. Rumours fly around about Tim and Nancy on Gord and Nancy's wedding night. From here on everything 'goes to hell in a handbasket'.

There is a running joke about erectile dysfunction, including a gift of a penis pump and the comment “Who would ever go to the doctor to get their penis to work?” Viagra was a million miles away back then. Boorish Gord's unhealthy obsession with the mannequin he keeps hidden in a closet is only one of the awkward squirm inducing moments that assure that this movie will never reach a full family audience. I'm sure many will be 'Rolling On The Floor Laughing Their Ass Off'. Just make sure you are ready for abundant gross male sex talk and you'll be OK.This movie was made in Toronto , Ontario in Canada, but I am betting many of my American neighbors will be able to relate to it. We all have some dysfunction in our family; or our neighbo(u)r's family; or someone that we know. LOL

Here are a few more lines from this flick:

“You don't like Shamu?”

“You may be my father, but this guy, he's my Dad!”

“Your family is fucked , you know?”

“You remember when you were born?”

and “I WAS A GIRL ?”

Don't get a stomach ache laughing too hard, and don't blame me if you do.