Anyone else celebrate the creepy weirdness of the STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL?
Just me? …ok.
How about THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy (extended cuts) at Thanksgiving?
I’ve been watching It’s a wonderful life and home alone during the holidays for as long as i can remember!
Whats the name of that one with the lamp shaped like a leg?
“Scrooge,” aka “A Christmas Carol” (1951), with Alastair Sim
“A Christmas Carol” (1999), TV movie with Patrick Stewart
“White Christmas” (I need to get the DVD, because they cut scenes out when they show it on TV)
“A Christmas Story” (big duh!!!)
THE APARTMENT is the greatest holiday movie of all time. Hands down.
also FANNY AND ALEXANDER
Rasing Arizona doubled billed with It’s A Wonderful Life
or Once Upon a Time In America on its own.
Evil Dead 2… well, maybe
I’ve seen “White Christmas” probably 40-50 times since when I was a young lad. I can almost recite the film line-by-line.
Besides the ‘classics’ mentioned already, there are other movies with a Christmas theme in them, or a great Christmas scene:
Bell, Book and Candle has James Stewart being seduced by witch Kim Novak and her Siamese cat – I am not making this up – on Christmas day. The scene takes places in a New York shop where Kim sells tribal curios. A most delighful and surprising holiday movie. Jack Lemmon has a bit role.
Desk Set has the greatest, most drunken, Christmas party ever! Librarian Katherine Hepburn gets together with efficiency expert Spencer Tracey after the party. A great film from this magical pair. Acting is perfectly natural throughout.
Man Who Came to Dinner – all the major action takes place on a very eventful Christmas where Bette Davis’ character is trying to cope with the ultimate Grinch, played brilliantly by Monty Wooley.
World of Henry Orient- this films follows the exploits of 2 young girls chasing Peter Sellers’ manic concert-pianist character around New York. The dramatic scene – where one of them discovers that her mother, played by Angela Lansbury, is having an affair with him – takes place at Christmas. One of the most delighful movies about the trials and tribulations of early adolescense. The 2 girls are perfect!
These are Christmas based theme movies that often get left out:
Holly & the Ivy with Ralph Richardson playing a very crabby minister whose family desperately wants to cheer him up for the holidays. Will they succeed?
Christmas in Connecticut – Barbara Stanwych gets herself in very hot water when she pretends to be the perfect hostess for a Christmas feast and she can’t even boil water. She also manages to get a couple of babies switched when she tries to pass one off as her own. Wonderful character acting from Sydney Greenstreet and S. Z. (“Cuddles”) Sakall and good storyline make this a delight.
These films are guaranteed to dispel the inner Grinch.
I watch A Christmas Story and A Charlie Brown Christmas every year. Christmas Vacation is also a classic.
A Christmas Story. No sentimental Hollywood bs. Kids who actually seem like real kids.
Fanny and Alexander and 200 Cigarettes. Quite a duo, I know.
Great recommendations STUTSMAN. Thanks.
CITY OF LOST CHILDREN- Not really a Christmas movie, but I always watch it around this time for some reason. Maybe it’s all the demented Santa Clauses at the beginning. Also THE JUNKIES CHRISTMAS by William S. Burroughs. It makes me glad that I’m not a junky. And finally, my favourite: A CHRISTMAS CAROL with Alistair Sim. I watch that one every year as well.
I might be a little late to this thread…
I highly recommend Satoshi Kon’s wonderful animated feature, ‘Tokyo Godfathers’.
HAPPY LIFE DAY!!
My fellow film nerds!
SHOP AROUND THE CORNER (1940) Ernst Lubitsch
REMEMBER THE NIGHT (1940) Mitchell Leisen
Fanny and Alexander, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer (The Burl Ives version) and Home Alone.
Die Hard
Scrooge (Albert Finney)
I have a bit of a soft spot for White Christmas.
ELF ELF ELF ELF ELF
It’s a wonderful Life
The Sound of Music
Every year it’s Emmet Otter followed at some point by Silent Night, Deadly Night. I can’t believe no one’s mentioned it yet. The sequels offer some severely diminishing returns, but the first one is a classic b flick.
I’m not a big fan of Christmas movies but I liked A Christmas Story a lot
Flms I like to watch over christmas are:Batman Returns, The Great Silence , Windchill , The Shinning ,Groundhog Day , Fearless Vampire Killers , On Her Majestys Secret Service,Die Hard 2 and P2. What are yours?
DIE HARD
My all time favorite X Mas film.
Sonja
oooooo yeah A Midnight Clear. totally underrated and underappreciated!