It’s been a while, so let’s go with your five favorite holiday films. They can either be so sentimental that you need an insulin shot before watching or so cynical they make Machiavelli seem like a pollyanna. You can also be very loose in your definition (I ran across a list that had “Die Hard” as a holiday movie. Yes.)
My five?
Planes, Trains and Automobiles: I saw this in the theater long ago and have rarely laughed so hard. As time has gone on, the jokes have stayed just as funny but I have more appreciated the movie’s heart. John Candy and John Hughes at their best.
The Nightmare Before Christmas: Tim Burton’s movies are a lot more sentimental than they are generally giving credit for.
Miracle on 34th Street: The original.
Bad Santa: I like this movie a lot, but mainly put in here to break up the treacle of my previous and next choices.
It’s a Wonderful Life: So sue me.
What are your five?
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repmom says:
November 23, 2012 11:22 am at 11:22 am (UTC -4)
Ok. I’m going to be the first to put it out there. Then you guys don’t have to. :)
LOVE ACTUALLY
Sure. I could see that. Why not? It’s Christmas, there’s a big Christmas party going on…..
repmom says:
November 23, 2012 11:31 am at 11:31 am (UTC -4)
Home Alone (kinda, sorta)
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
The usuals already listed by Hal
Thrill says:
November 23, 2012 11:44 am at 11:44 am (UTC -4)
I’m glad that one got listed. It’s a great, rare dual-holiday movie.
Ah, yes. Mrs. Thrill’s mandatory pre-Thanksgiving film. We see that one every year.
Love Actually and Die Hard definitely count. Just because they aren’t “Christmas Movies” doesn’t mean that they aren’t centered around Christmas itself, as my Five indicate:
1941 (again): Both a guilty pleasure and a Christmas movie. The scene where the AA gun goes through the billboard and ends up with Santa Claus shooting at imaginary Japanese bombers makes me smile every time.
A Christmas Story: It pleases me to be the first to list it. Yeah, it’ll be on 200 times between now and January, but it’s a great, fun story.
Scrooged: One of my favorite Bill Murray roles. All of the supporting actors are fantastic too. I still crack up at the part with the Solid Gold dancer’s nipples showing.
Gremlins: Yes, it’s a Christmas movie (even with the grim story about the dad dying in the chimney dressed as Santa). And I’ll use any pretext to remind everyone of how much I still have the hots for Phoebe Cates.
Lethal Weapon: Counts as much as Die Hard. “I’m too old for this shit.”
HARLEY says:
November 23, 2012 1:27 pm at 1:27 pm (UTC -4)
Planes Trains and Automobiles…..with out a doubt.
Christmas Vacation……………Shittersfull!
Scrooged………The night the Reindeer died!
A midnight Clear……………. killing nazis
Charlie Brown Christmas …………… you killed it!
ilovecress says:
November 23, 2012 1:33 pm at 1:33 pm (UTC -4)
Holiday films for me are Star Wars (the proper ones) and pre-Goldeneye Bond.
But Elf gets me insanely Christmassy
jacksquatch says:
November 23, 2012 3:32 pm at 3:32 pm (UTC -4)
Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas!
West Virginia Rebel says:
November 23, 2012 7:55 pm at 7:55 pm (UTC -4)
An American Christmas Carol-Henry Winkler, then known to millions as Fonzie, does an impressive job as a Depression-era Scrooge.
Die Hard
A Christmas Carol (1984) with George C. Scott in the role.
The Night They Saved Christmas-good, cheezy Eighties fun.
Silent Night, Deadly Night-one of the few Christmas-themed slasher movies.
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Mississippi Yankee says:
November 23, 2012 8:41 pm at 8:41 pm (UTC -4)
A Christmas Carol – 1938
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Monty Python’s Life of Brian
Doctor Zhivago
Ben Hur
Honorable mention, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Gremlins,Lady and the Tramp, Meet John Doe and the first The Thin Man (they all have scenes or plots centered on Christmas)
repmom says:
November 24, 2012 7:47 pm at 7:47 pm (UTC -4)
JR has died. Why has no one posted about this? What is wrong with you guys?
You must not be Texans. :)
Mississippi Yankee says:
November 24, 2012 7:54 pm at 7:54 pm (UTC -4)
Never a Dallas fan but I remember him from “I Dream of Jeanne”. back during my hormonal raging youth. I also read somewhere, a long time ago, he was the son of Mary Martin. She was the first Peter Pan I recall from my early days too.
RIP
repmom says:
November 24, 2012 8:17 pm at 8:17 pm (UTC -4)
We were living in Big Spring, TX, when Dallas started in ’78. Became fans immediately. Hubby got transferred to Dallas Thanksgiving of ’79. We were so excited to be moving to “JR” land. Hubby even worked in the same building as JR and Bobby;, saw them filming often.
Of course, we were both west Texas hicks, so this was exciting for us..
We were pleased when they started the new Dallas series. It will be interesting to see how they work in his death.
And, of course, loved “I dream of Jeanne”.
Hal_10000 says:
November 24, 2012 10:24 pm at 10:24 pm (UTC -4)
I’ll put up a post on it in a bit.