The bottom line for Christmas movies is that they can be completely awful, aside from a happy/touching ending, and all will be forgiven...

Take "Christmas With The Kranks" for example. We watched it last night on Movie Central, and aside from a heartwarming ending, the movie never lived up to the original trailers, prior to release.

It could have had something to do with Tim Allen, who is becoming to acting what Tiger Woods is to Middle-Eastern Cuisine. Or even Jamie Lee Curtis, who over-acted as if expecting someone to tell her she was just being punk'd.

The movie offered nothing new, and even if those advance commercials offered slim hope, the scenes shown in advance were the funniest you could find, sitting through the whole show.

Why am I rambling on about a movie that's over a year old?? Well, for one thing, I have this space to fill, and have yet to buy a new Christmas CD today.

For another, even my easy-going temperament was tested as this thing droned on, so consider yourself forewarned if it should air on your own TV soon.

On the odd side, they did freeze a cat in one scene, which should get the attention of my old PETA pals...

Chow for now!!