Hey U Guys

There are treasured memories and there are Aladdin's Caves of nostalgia. There are things held close to one's heart, and things that are actually part of it. To say a TV series defines an era is not an understatement.

There are some things seen and enjoyed as a child that will forever, Forever, be the epitome of magical fantasy, of Christmas chills, of journeys taken trough time and snowy roads travelled. An enjoyment so dear that even the merest glimpse of a screenshot, or hint of the Victor Hely-Hutchinson melody will flood my senses with happiness and warmth.

For me, that is The Box of Delights. And Variety is reporting today that it is under the remaker's knife.

It will no doubt retain its period, and with it and the whimsical singsong fantasy and charm may be kept, and there will be many people who did not experience the mystical adventure of Kay Harker and Abner Brown first hand in 1984. I can't get too excited about this, nor the news that Mike Newell is set to direct. But I can see that for me, and for those who loved the BBC adaptation as a child, this film will never measure up.

If you have not seen it I will recommend like a hurricane that you seek out the DVD of the BBC version, wait for December to roll around, turn off all the lights and warm yourself by your fire and indulge in the most sumptuous and evocative Christmas tale. Your heart will love you forever.

A film version? It really is the purple pim.