Imagine that you find out that you are likely to be snowed in for at a cabin you’re staying in over the holidays, fortunately with power, and you can only have five holiday movies with you.(Movies only, 30-60 minute cartoon and claymations specials are to be left for another thread. movie length cartoons are fine, though) Which five feature length films do you pack to go with you? Why those movies? Feel free to list them ranked or unranked.
I’ll go first, and I’m ranking mine
** A Christmas Story**
You don’t find to many movies where the funny part is the entire movie. I liked this one more as a child, but I do watch it each and every Christmas still.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
This is the only National Lampoon movie I can stand, and despite the NL label, it’s a darn good movie. I’m probably going to hell for finding the scene with the cat funny, though.
** A Muppets Family Christmas**
Not to be mistaken for A Muppet’s Christmas Carol, or the new Muppets holiday special airing Friday. This movie has Muppets, folks from Seseme Street and Fraggle Rock. What more could you ask for?
** Scrooged**
For many years this movie was my favorite of all holiday films. I have an affinity for toasters, especially used as weapons, so it’s nice to see one make a nice cameo in the movie. I’m not sure if it’s the same toaster that was in Suicide Kings and The Langoliers, but either way it’s nice. Toasters aside, the movie is a fantastic take on A Christmas Carol.
** The Santa Clause**
This is a great movie for people who, though adults, are only 99% sure that there is no Santa Claus. Even the most hard-hearted Scrooge would find this movie appealing.
Bonus query What’s the most famous holiday movie you’ve never seen?
Silent Night, Deadly Night - Aside from my love for cheesy slasher flicks, who among us hasn’t been a party to a holiday bloodbath in one form or another?
[list=1]
[li]Miracle on 34th Street (the original, not the remake)[/li][li]Lethal Weapon[/li][li]Die Hard[/li][li]A Christmas Story[/li][li]Nightmare Before Christmas[/li][/list=1]
(with comments only for the ones that haven’t been mentioned yet)
A Christmas Story
Christmas Vacation
The Thin Man (ok, it’s not exactly a holiday movie, but it takes place at Christmas, and Nick, Nora and Asta are always full of cheer)
While You Were Sleeping (I know it’s cheesy, but I think it’s so sweet.)
The Ref (a little dark humor for Christmas to balance out my previous selection)
Honorable Mention: Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas. Sadly, the plot is not quite as engaging as it was when I was nine, but the Riverbottom Nightmare Band never fails to entertain.
Holiday Movie I have never seen: Scrooged. Despite the high recommendations that it gets, I despise A Christmas Carol so much that I don’t think I could ever bear to watch this.
Well, it is based on A Christmas Carol, but Scrooged is a comedy with some slap-stick, and not a whole lot like the Dickens story, besides using the bare-bones of the premise. It might be different enough for you to enjoy it, much like the novel Wicked was enjoyable to me despite my hating the (movie) Wizard Of Oz.
I heartily recommend that you see it. It’s old enough that it will probably be making daily appearances on TBS or TNT soon.
It’s really funny. As elfkin477 said, it uses the bare-bones premise of A Christmas Carol, but adds a lot of slapstick and silliness. The opening sequence is unbelieveable.
Oh, wow, the toaster. That is a funny scene.
Carol Kane as The Ghost of Christmas Present. “Sometimes you have to slap them in the face just to get their attention!”
And Bobcat Goldthwait.
It is a GREAT movie.
A Christmas Carol (aka Scrooge) – the Alaistar Sim version.
The Thin Man – Nothing better than a good murder.
Miracle of Morgan’s Creek – the payoff is at Christmas.
Most Christmas movies don’t appeal to me: White Christmas is too sloppy; George Bailey in “Wonderful Life” is too much of a doormat (I’m also the only person on this board who not only has read the original story, but read it before he saw the movie. The story is much more clever); “Nightmare Before Christmas” is a Halloween movie, not a Christmas one; “Scrooged” is just plain lame.
I haven’t seen “The Santa Clause,” and have no desire to watch it. It looks really stupid.
Here’s mine in no particular order. One should note that I don’t list two big favorites of everyone else : It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story since those two were shown so many times over and over that I just got tired of seeing them.
1 : Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol … still my favorite “Christmas Carol”
2 : Pocketful of Miracles … surprised no one has mentioned this one yet. Damon Runyon rules.
3 : Miracle on 34th Street … no remake yet has matched the charm of the original movie.
4 : Edward Scissorhands … okay, not really a “Christmas” movie, but it takes place at Christmas and has that nice feel to it.
I’ll add “Meet Me In St. Louis.” Only one part of the movie is related to Christmas, but it’s very good and has Judy Garland’s wonderful rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”.
Like Euty, I’m really tired of “It’s A Wonderful Life”. It’s a good movie. But it was on so much when it was revived around 1990 and I watched it so many times that I ODed on it.
