Hogfather (2006)
Hogfather (2006), directed by Vadim Jean.
[Aka Terry Pratchett's Hogfather]
quote
Death: It's the expression on their little faces I like.
Albert: Yeah, a sort of cross between fear and awe. They don't know whether to laugh, cry, or wet their pants.
Death: Yes. Now that is what I call "belief".
I've read only a few of Pratchett's forty-one novels set in Discworld and this is my favorite so far, partly because of the excellent two-part adaptation made for UK television.
Discworld, a flat bounded world way out in space, is the author's platform for spoofing fantasy and science fiction genres of all sorts, with a good bit of social commentary thrown in.
This time it is the anthropologists turn, those who propose Christmas and Yule have their origins in prehistoric sun-worship, celebrations of the turn of the year at solstice requiring holy sacrifice, blood on the snow, that sort of thing. Arguable plausibility, and definitely not immune from satire.
Discworld stories seem to exist in different time periods. Being a Christmas tale, this one is appropriately set in something like Dickensian London.
In this world instead of Kris Kringle we have the Hogfather, mythologically descended from some prehistoric boar deity. He flies his sleigh through the air, drawn by wild boars. He knows who has been naughty and nice and leaves presents or lumps of coal. People set out pork pies, turnips and glasses of sherry for him next to the chimney.
Our adventure involves several intertwined threads, but most importantly: the Hogfather is missing on Hogswatch Eve, threatening the magical foundations of Discworld. It all takes place in one extended night, probably in that "Special Congruent Reality" that allows the Hogfather (and Santa) to complete his rounds in one night.
Charming -- sometimes menacing -- characters. Wit flows in every scene, with now and then more serious, touching moments. It has become one of our Christmas favorites.
Some of our characters:
Death: voiced by Ian Richardson. (Christopher Lee did the voice in other productions). Death is our favorite "Anthropomorphic Personification" in the story. He seems to like humans, performs his office kindly, and over the centuries has developed a mordant wit.
When the Hogfather goes missing, Death knows mischief is afoot. He dons the red robes and performs his own and the Hogfather's duties that night. The concept is something like Time Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
Susan: played by Michelle Dockery, who has had an active career since, notably as Lady Mary in Grantchester. Susan is Death's grand-daughter. (How? Her mother was adopted). She has some magic but is trying a live a quiet life as a governess for a muggle family. Grandfather drafts her into his holiday mission. She is capable: in other books she took over Death's job for a while. She can wield his sword and ride his white horse, "Binky".
Mr Teatime: (pronounced "tee-a-tam-eh") is given a remarkably eccentric interpretation by Marc Warren, who mostly works in television. Teatime is a journeyman assassin, very effective, but with all sorts of things wrong with his mind. If you want a mythological character "inhumed", he actually has thought about how to do it.
Albert: played by the prolific David Jason. Once a wizard, he is now Death's servant, loves a good fry-up and rolls his own. He has to be a substitute Elf this night.
Notes:
No time to describe the goofy old wizards at the Unseen University. One of their young members is a natural philosopher who has invented a thinking machine called "Hex", all gears and hamster wheels. A decal in Intel font says "Anthill Inside". Its display is a quill pen and paper. The "please wait" indicator is an actual hour-glass sand-clock.
Watch the cards pinned up in the kitchen of the house where Susan works. Originally they show the Hogfather, but when he is missing they change to the children's father in a suit, then back to the Hogfather in the end.
Death, voiced by Ian Richardson, quotes Richardson's "I couldn't possibly say" from his House of Cards (1990).
We know the Tooth Fairy and Sandman, but the Soul Cake Duck is new to us. From the book I recall it is supposed to lay chocolate eggs. Does that make it an analogue to the Easter Bunny? In which case a Soul Cake would be... well, well.
This has been available on Blu-ray, but supplies at the online retailers do not look hopeful. Out of print?
