# Anyone have some obscure Christmas movie suggestions? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 18, 2007, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967 "2007-11-18T23:47:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/21 "2007-11-19T02:38:01Z")
Die Hard 2 is my traditional Xmas fare ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/22 "2007-11-19T02:38:05Z")
The Mexican-made SANTA CLAUS in which Santa, who employs an international array of children on his space-station workshop, fights a devil who is assigned to ruin Christmas- also given the MST3K treatment but AFAIK, that version is not yet released on VHS/DVD. JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN has one Christmas scene in it. ONE TRAGIC …um, that’s ONE MAGIC CHRISTMAS- a Disney film with Harry Dean Stanton as the most sad-sack guardian angel ever. And of course, the obligatory mention of MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/23 "2007-11-19T02:47:59Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] JOHNNY GOT HIS GUN has one Christmas scene in it. [/QUOTE] Merry Christmas! I am the boss, and _this_ is champagne. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/24 "2007-11-19T03:15:51Z")
Bad Santa, and another vote for The Ref. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/25 "2007-11-19T03:29:51Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Nope. It’s the same version they used to show every year on Family Film Festival (KTLA-5, L.A., hosted by Tom Hatten). [/QUOTE] Would he counterpoint the films by attempting to draw Santa Claus conquering the Martians as he did Popeye? ---
**Author:** ![Genital\_Warthog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/edb3f5/32.png) [@Genital\_Warthog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genital_Warthog)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/26 "2007-11-19T03:39:37Z")
[The Christmas Season Massacre](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0303847/) The best critical response they found to put on the DVD Box was “Don’t attempt to watch sober.” ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/27 "2007-11-19T03:39:44Z")
[QUOTE=Eolbo] I recommend **“A Midnight Clear”** an unusual war film set in the Ardennes in Christmas 1944 [/QUOTE] Yay! I’m not the lone voice anymore advocating [this film](http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Clear-Peter-Berg/dp/B0000648X7/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1195443300&sr=8-4). Another, which you will probably have to buy, is Truman Capote’s **A Christmas Memory.** Oh, and of course I must mention [**Silent Night, Deadly Night**](http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Night-Deadly-Jonathan-Best/dp/B000WC38A0/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1195443718&sr=8-1). ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/28 "2007-11-19T03:43:16Z")
A good recent Christmas movie is “Joyeux Noel” (2005); > **[Joyeux Noel (2005) ⭐ 7.7 | Drama, History, Music](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424205/)** > > 1h 56m | PG-13 An old and obscure one is “The Cheaters” (1945); > **[The Cheaters (1945) ⭐ 6.8 | Comedy, Drama, Romance](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037588/)** > > 1h 27m | Passed ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/29 "2007-11-19T03:44:50Z")
If you’re in the mood for something quieter but very offbeat, I recommend the Scottish film, [Comfort and Joy](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087072/). You’ll never look at ice cream men in quite the same way. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/30 "2007-11-19T03:53:01Z")
_The Christmas That Almost Wasn’t but Then Was._ ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/31 "2007-11-19T03:55:15Z")
DONOVAN’S REEF with John Wayne and Lee Marvin… ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/32 "2007-11-19T04:00:43Z")
[Bush Christmas](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039231/): a very dated, post-war effort set in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Punkyova](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@The\_Punkyova](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Punkyova)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/33 "2007-11-19T04:19:54Z")
Someone once forced me to watch “A Midnight Clear” and I’ve never forgiven him. It is a really powerful, horrible, miserable experience. Good (maybe great) filmmaking, gave me nightmares for weeks. My yearly Christmas movie is “The Lion in Winter.” It’s a much happier film. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/34 "2007-11-19T04:21:33Z")
_Bad Santa_, and not just because of the sex and my car. There is bad words and violence, too. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/35 "2007-11-19T04:35:07Z")
[QUOTE=Annie] Die Hard 2 is my traditional Xmas fare [/QUOTE] Die Hard 1 for me! “Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho!” ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/36 "2007-11-19T04:38:56Z")
I vote for the MST3K version of the Mexican Santa Claus, as ref’d above. ---
**Author:** ![valleyofthedolls](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a4c791/32.png) [@valleyofthedolls](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/valleyofthedolls)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/37 "2007-11-19T04:56:05Z")
The Man Who Came to Dinner Black Christmas ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/38 "2007-11-19T08:15:12Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] And of course, the obligatory mention of MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE [/QUOTE] You beat me to it. Two musicians in the lead roles (David Bowie and Sakamoto Ryuuichi), but no music. Also features “Beat” Takeshi Kitano before he was really famous. **Gremlins** isn’t exactly obscure, but it’s not standard Christmas fare and nobody seems to have mentioned it yet. Deserves mention for the “why I hate Christmas” speech. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/39 "2007-11-19T10:07:22Z")
Well, I’ve got to chime in with my usual note of Rankin-Bass’ _The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus_—from the story by L. Frank Baum. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a stop-motion Christmas movie on crack…this is a stop-motion Christmas movie on _peyote_. And since _Die Hard_ has been brought up…technically Disney’s _The Black Hole_ takes place around christmas (According to elements of the script that didn’t actually make it to filming). ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2007, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967/40 "2007-11-19T10:58:22Z")
If it’s at all available, try and get a copy of [The Angel, the Bicycle and the Chinaman’s Finger](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0438769/) - about a small town in South Africa putting on a Nativity play as an exercise in post-apartheid reconciliation. It’s funnier than it sounds. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-have-some-obscure-christmas-movie-suggestions/426967.md?page=3)