Christmas Movies

[bassman]

One little tradition that my family always had when I was a kid was watching Christmas movies throughout the month of December. This is something that i've kinda carried over into my adult years and to some extent with my own family.(Even though my daughter is still a bit too young)

Of course there are hundreds of Christmas movies out there. Most of which are known by everyone, but maybe i'm missing some good ones. So I was thinking maybe this could be a list of HPotD's favorite christmas movies.

Some good, some bad, some all about christmas, some barely about christmas, whatever. Surely you guys know some, so let's name em off for everyone to share.

A few to kick it off:

- National Lampoons Christmas Vacation - This one is my all time #1 Christmas flick. Love it, love it, love it.

- Scrooged - A Christmas Carol retold by Richard Donner and Bill Murray. Enough said.

- A Christmas Story - You can catch this on the tube at any time during the season.

- Die Hard - Hey....I said some could have barely anything to do with Christmas....

- Gremlins - Christmas and Gizmo. Perfect combination.

- Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas - THE ORIGINAL! Not to hate on Ron Howard/Jim Carrey's version as it wasn't too terribly bad, but the original is just a piece of celluloid gold, imo.

[Danny]

only one ive got to add is the nightmare before christmas, sure the emos can try and take it but thats been our family movie for 11pm every christmas for years.

-and i havent watched scrooge in a long time, i love that flick.

[MoonSylver]

- National Lampoons Christmas Vacation - This one is my all time #1 Christmas flick. Love it, love it, love it.

- Scrooged - A Christmas Carol retold by Richard Donner and Bill Murray. Enough said.

- A Christmas Story - You can catch this on the tube at any time during the season.

- Die Hard - Hey....I said some could have barely anything to do with Christmas....

- Gremlins - Christmas and Gizmo. Perfect combination.

- Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas - THE ORIGINAL! Not to hate on Ron Howard/Jim Carrey's version as it wasn't too terribly bad, but the original is just a piece of celluloid gold, imo.

I think you just hit all of mine.;)

Even though "Planes, Trains, & Automobiles" is a THANKSGIVING movie, it has a kind of general Holidays vibe.

Home Alone would fit the bill too.

All of the old Rankin Bass animated stuff like Rudolph, Frosty etc.

Since you thew in Die Hard, "Lethal Weapon" is set at Christmas time too...:D

[capncnut]

It's A Wonderful Life is about as far as I go. Maybe I should include The Sound Of Music because it's always on over Christmas.

[bassman]

Since you thew in Die Hard, "Lethal Weapon" is set at Christmas time too...:D

Yes, yes. Good one that I had forgotten.

Another has just popped into mind. It's a bit of a guilty pleasure, but I enjoyed The Santa Clause.:o Never saw the sequels, though...

[Skippy911sc]

It's A Wonderful Life is about as far as I go. Maybe I should include The Sound Of Music because it's always on over Christmas.

Its a Wonderful Life is a Classic from my youth. My Dad, sister and myself always watch this one. My boys are a bit young yet so they will be unable to sit long enough to watch this type of film.

[SRP76]

How can you forget the Charlie Brown Christmas?

"Do something right for a change, Charlie Brown!" damn, it's a wonder Chuck didn't grow up to be a serial killer with the shit he put up with.

[krakenslayer]

How can you forget the Charlie Brown Christmas?

"Do something right for a change, Charlie Brown!" damn, it's a wonder Chuck didn't grow up to be a serial killer with the shit he put up with.

Maybe he did! We've never seen him as an adult. :shifty:

I'm gonna agree with Cap on It's a Wonderful Life. I've been to see this around Christmastime at the Glasgow Film Theatre for the past three years. Will probably do so again this year; it's the closest I get to voluntarily doing something "Christmassy" (apart from the usual visiting my parents, etc.).

It's actually a surprisingly deep and twisted fantasy film - much darker than it's reputation as a "nice family movie" would suggest. Although it does have some lighthearted moments, the overall jist of the film is about broken dreams, mental breakdown, greed, malice and suicide. It's a damn good movie, too.

[Craig]

Of course Die Hard, one of my favourite films period.

I remember watching films like Home Alone and The Santa Clause alot when I was young, even when it wasn't Christmas. Something like Jingle All the Way I still think I'd sit down and watch now, though. Probably a few more but I can't think of them.

[clanglee]

All of the above, expecially A Christmas Story. Also I really like Miracle on 34th Street.

[krakenslayer]

Of course Die Hard, one of my favourite films period.

I remember watching films like Home Alone and The Santa Clause alot when I was young, even when it wasn't Christmas. Something like Jingle All the Way I still think I'd sit down and watch now, though. Probably a few more but I can't think of them.

Haha - Jingle All the Way - that's a strange one! It's absolutely awful, yet difficult to hate. I have a weird soft spot for this movie.

[DjfunkmasterG]

One little tradition that my family always had when I was a kid was watching Christmas movies throughout the month of December. This is something that i've kinda carried over into my adult years and to some extent with my own family.(Even though my daughter is still a bit too young)

Of course there are hundreds of Christmas movies out there. Most of which are known by everyone, but maybe i'm missing some good ones. So I was thinking maybe this could be a list of HPotD's favorite christmas movies.

Some good, some bad, some all about christmas, some barely about christmas, whatever. Surely you guys know some, so let's name em off for everyone to share.

A few to kick it off:

- National Lampoons Christmas Vacation - This one is my all time #1 Christmas flick. Love it, love it, love it.

- Scrooged - A Christmas Carol retold by Richard Donner and Bill Murray. Enough said.

- A Christmas Story - You can catch this on the tube at any time during the season.

- Die Hard - Hey....I said some could have barely anything to do with Christmas....

- Gremlins - Christmas and Gizmo. Perfect combination.

- Dr. Suess' How the Grinch Stole Christmas - THE ORIGINAL! Not to hate on Ron Howard/Jim Carrey's version as it wasn't too terribly bad, but the original is just a piece of celluloid gold, imo.

That is pretty much my XMAS movie list to a T and I have as many of those in HD as I can possibly own. Most on Blu, except XMAS vacation which I have on HD DVD

[bassman]

I totally forgot one of my favorites until I came across it on the tube the other night -

Ernest Saves Christmas. A great big ball of cheesy fun. But the Ernest P. Worrell films are guilty pleasures of mine, so I guess it's a bit biased. Even still.....it's a cheesy family movie with a good message and chuckle laughs.

"You want one for ya boy?!?"
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:lol: The dude was a fuckin legend in my book...

[PJoseph]

Back in Miami - I had people over for a Die Hard/ Silent Night Deadly Night party. When I moved to L.A., my producing partner and I actually turned into an event each year at a bar where we play the films. We've now been doing it since 1998.

Sadly, this year (for the first time since we started) we didn't have the time to put it together, and everyone who counts on it every year is really upset about it - but I promised them to bring it back next year.

However, I still watch the two movies on my own.

And in a funny note, when I was producing The Stunt Awards - I had to interview the stunt coordinator/2nd unit director of Get Smart - and in his IMDB listing was Silent Night, Deadly Night.

Well, I couldn't resist bringing it up and he was very happy I did because as it turns out, it's the film he met his wife on. He was really, really cool about it and I told him that next time we do the party, he should come as our special guest of honor. He said he would.

So, aside from a handful of other TV holiday movies, Die Hard/ Silent Night Deadly Night are my two favs.

pJ

[MikePizzoff]

I can watch Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story ANY time of the year; I absolutely love both of them.

A Christmas Story is the second most-watched movie (aside from DOTD) of my entire life. Every x-mas, I will leave the TV for 24 hours straight on TBS for their annual 24-hour A Christmas Story marathon. It's just a tradition of mine/my family.

[wayzim]

Let us not forget, Santa Claus vs The Martians (nuff said) or Santa Claus (59) a mexican film which pits Kris Kringle against Satan.

Cereally tho, Santa Claus; The Movie(85) was Ilya Salkind's holiday answer to his earlier Superman; The Movie "You will Believe. " which has Santa facing off against an industrialist(John Lithgow )and a disengruntled elf (Dudley Moore )

Albert Finney sang his way through a musical Scrooge (70) as the title character. They used to show this on cable every year, but not for awhile. Tho not to many peoples taste, I liked it. "Thank you very much, Thank you very much. That's the nicest thing that's anyone's ever done for me. " (the only really memorable song from the film. )

One Magic Christmas (85), which is one of the darkest non-horror holiday films to come along. Mary Steenburgen as a woman who loses her husband and her job only to meet the unlikeliest guardian angel in Harry Dean Stanton. And this is a disney film.

Tho Miracle of 34th St (47) has been remade, this version has never been surpassed with Edmund Gwen as Kris Kringle, Maureen O'Hara as Doris Walker and her daughter, Susan, played by a very young Natalie Wood.

Joyeux Noel (06) is the story of the 1914 Christmas truce during World War One, when both sides stopped fighting for a time to share in Yuletide festivities.

A Christmas Story(83), nuff said. "You'll shoot your eye out. " tho how many people actually saw the followup (same director, same family, different cast. ) entitled 'It Runs In My Family(84) ?

Meet John Doe (41), also Frank Capra, with Gary Cooper as a bum recruited by a cynical reporter (Barbara Stanwyck ) as the figurehead of a good will campaign to benefit a crooked business man.

The Homecoming; A Christmas Story (71) is the film which lead to a later popular TV series; The Waltons, with Patricia O'Neal playing Ma with great pathos. Good melodrama.

Just a few I could think of, all of which I've seen.

Wayne Z
"This is one Santa that's going out the front door. "
'The Night The Reindeer Died. ' one of the better moments from 'Scrooged. ' with Bill Murray.

[bassman]

Let us not forget, Santa Claus vs The Martians (nuff said)

:lol:

Are you refering to Santa Claus Conquers The Martians? If you are....I agree. I just don't think everyone would enjoy that film.:p

It's is however one of my favorite episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000...






Another strange pick for a Christmas film? One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Think about it.;)

[darth los]

:It's is however one of my favorite episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000...

It's one of my favs as well. It's crazy how those guys used to make even the shittiest flicks enjoyable.

:cool:

[BillyRay]

Let us not forget, Santa Claus vs The Martians (nuff said)

First screen role of Pia Zadora as the little Martian girl.

Cereally tho, Santa Claus; The Movie(85) was Ilya Salkind's holiday answer to his earlier Superman; The Movie "You will Believe. " which has Santa facing off against an industrialist(John Lithgow )and a disengruntled elf (Dudley Moore )

Wasn't one of the major plot points some kind of mass-produced magic lollypop?

Albert Finney sang his way through a musical Scrooge (70) as the title character. They used to show this on cable every year, but not for awhile. Tho not to many peoples taste, I liked it. "Thank you very much, Thank you very much. That's the nicest thing that's anyone's ever done for me. " (the only really memorable song from the film. )

I love this movie. Favorite version of the Christmas Carol. (That includes Scrooged) Yet I hate musicals as a rule. Something about it just gets me right here (points to where his heart would be).

[wayzim]

:lol:

Are you refering to Santa Claus Conquers The Martians? If you are....I agree. I just don't think everyone would enjoy that film.:p

It's is however one of my favorite episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000...


Another strange pick for a Christmas film? One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Think about it.;)

Yep, that's the one, thanks for the catch, I was quoting from memory at the time.

Pretty bad, even from a kids point of view, Still a zippy theme song ... "Hurray For Santa Claus. " which almost reminded me of a MST3K moment when Joel (or was it Mike? ) and crew parodied the Gamera theme. "Gamera is really neat, Gamera is full of meat. We All love you Gamera. "
http://mst3k.wayfellows.com/


As for Cuckoo's Nest, I'll have to rewatch it I guess.

Wayne Z
"And if Life were a Woman, she would be my wife , why? ... "
SCROOGE

[MoonSylver]

A Charlie Brown Christmas used to be another traditional one I watched as a lad, though I haven't seen it in many years.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is another really cool one.

[rongravy]

This time of the year is when I break out all my South Park XMAS episodes.
How could you possibly have Christmas without Charles Manson and Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo?

[bassman]

Any science fiction fan's christmas would be incomplete without the legendary Star Wars Christmas Special!

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[blind2d]

Everything everyone else already named! (Ain't I a sphincter?)
Also, Edward Scissorhands... hey, it's got snow! Oh, and any/all Rudolph stuff, cartoon or RankinBass. What about Elf? That movie...... sucked Chef's salty chocolate balls.