Did you know that #AChristmasStoryChristmas isn't the second film in the Parker Family movie franchise?
And no, it isn't the third.
It's the EIGHTH.
And that movie we all love... A CHRISTMAS STORY?
That's the THIRD. 🧵
And no, it isn't the third.
It's the EIGHTH.
And that movie we all love... A CHRISTMAS STORY?
That's the THIRD. 🧵
https://twitter.com/hbomax/status/1582038730063450114
The first film in the Parker Family series was a Made-for-TV film called THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN HEARTH, in 1976. It's about Ralphie, a teenager, and the drama surrounding his junior prom. The movie also includes the anecdote from Jean Shepard's memoir about the sexy lamp! 
The second Parker Family made-for-tv movie was THE GREAT AMERICAN FOURTH OF JULY AND OTHER DISASTERS, which finds Ralphie in another dating crisis, and the family getting into misadventures at (what else?) Fourth of July.
Ralphie was played by future Oscar nominee Matt Dillon!
Ralphie was played by future Oscar nominee Matt Dillon!
Then there was A CHRISTMAS STORY (1983), the feature film directed by Bob Clark which became a cult classic and then, finally, a mainstream classic.
Oh hey, did you know there was also a PHANTOM OF THE OPEN HEARTH tv pilot produced in 1978? It didn't get picked up.
Oh hey, did you know there was also a PHANTOM OF THE OPEN HEARTH tv pilot produced in 1978? It didn't get picked up.
The next Parker Family film was THE STAR-CROSSED ROMANCE OF JOSEPHINE COSNOWSKI (1985), and centers around Thanksgiving, the old man buying a new car, a school pageant, and Ralphie's first real girlfriend.
This was followed by OLLIE HOPNOODLE'S HAVEN OF BLISS (1988), starring Jerry O'Connell (!) as Ralphie, who gets his first job the summer of a big, eventful family road trip vacation. Also their dog goes missing, with unexpected results.
Bob Clark actually returned for the next sequel, MY SUMMER STORY (1994), which starred Kieran Culkin as Ralphie, and Charles Grodin and Mary Steenburgen as his parents.
This one was theatrically released.
It made a little under $71,000.
This one was theatrically released.
It made a little under $71,000.
It took 18 years for the seventh film, Brian Levant's straight-to-video A CHRISTMAS STORY 2 (2012), to get made.
It's the only film in the series, so far, to be made without original author Jean Shepard's narration (he passed away in 1999). Daniel Stern plays the Old Man.
It's the only film in the series, so far, to be made without original author Jean Shepard's narration (he passed away in 1999). Daniel Stern plays the Old Man.
Which brings us, finally, back around to #AChristmasStoryChristmas, the eighth film in the Parker Family franchise! You can argue the TV movies "don't count" but then again, it's an HBOMax exclusive and HBOMax airs original TV shows, so #AChristmastStoryChristmas arguably is too.
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