Another childhood memory raped and murdered...<br /><br />Why why why must the Industry rely on reinventing classics instead of creating worthy original material? This live-action retelling of the classic 70s Rankin-Bass stop-motion holiday hit The Year Without a Santa Claus (itself based upon a book by Phyllis McGinley) makes the same mistakes as the live-action "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" movie starring Jim Carrey did in 2000. You just *can't* take a classic and drag it out to feature length! The updated "Year Without a Santa Claus" did not need to be two hours long, nor did it need to be updated *at all*. Even the acting talents of John Goodman, Delta Burke and Carol Kane couldn't save this train wreck of an idea.<br /><br />Fans of the original--you'll be disappointed. It drags, it changes the story, it has *Chris Kattan* and too many topical references that will make it look dated and quite stupid in years to come, whereas the original has remained timeless.<br /><br />Stick with the original.