Hey, Number 6, PIPE DOWN, TAKE A CHILL PILL AND RELAX! If you wanna start a debate over Christmas stuff take it on over to the “pit” for pete’s sake. Obviously you are too narrow minded handle talking about both Christmas-themed and Christmas-related movies at the same time. However, for the rest of us who can, why ruin it?
Personally, I think the guy who uses CAPS first should take a chill pill and relax. None of the seven movies in the OP were significantly about Christmas; they just happened to take place in late December.
Actually, my favourite scene in Lethal Weapon, one of your movies, comes near the end when Gary Busey shotguns a TV set showing something holiday-related while shouting “I HATE CHRISTMAS!”
Personally, I think the guy who uses CAPS first should take a chill pill and relax. None of the seven movies in the OP were significantly about Christmas; they just happened to take place in late December.
Actually, my favourite scene in Lethal Weapon, one of your movies, comes near the end when Gary Busey shotguns a TV set showing something holiday-related while shouting “I HATE CHRISTMAS!”
Yeah he fooled me. I picked mine on this basis:
Behind Enemy Lines: The pilot’s mission is on Christmas Day.
Diner: The characters sit in a Baltimore diner at Christmas.
Eyes Wide Shut: His problems begin when he hooks up with 2 models at a Christmas party.
The Junky’s Christmas: About a junky. At Christmas.
Less Than Zero: Yuppie druggie goes home for Christmas.
The Silent Partner: Vicious crim robs bank at Christmas dressed as Santa.
By the way what does the buddy list do? Bryan Ekers is the only person on mine due to a clumsy point and click. Hi buddy.
Gosh, I’m honoured, I guess. According to a vBulletin (the software used to manage this and many other message boards) FAQ:
Since as far as I know, private messaging isn’t enabled on the SDMB, the buddy list is largely useless.
Wow you’re right. Now all I have to do is use the user cp button and I can tell if you’re online. You are now for instance, but I guess you know that.
BUT, I can tell that without having someone on my buddy list - at the bottom of your post where there’s the option to see someone’s profile, email them or whatnot, there’s the little V thing (I assume it’s for Vbulletin). If it’s yellow, you’re online. If grey, you’re not.
You’re online right now, by the way. 
Wow, you’re right I am online, however my buddy Bryan is not.
Well, there’s nothing like a good computer-geek hijack to keep the threads moving.
Hey Lsura, Bryan is back. And you’re online too I can tell because of your big yellow V.
Incase anybody still wants to know, mine would be the muppet christmas carol, the grinch, the snowman (makes me cry every time), the nightmare before christmas (although arguably a haloween film more than a christmas one) and love actually, in no particular order. I don’t think some of those would be my final choices if i could just remember a few more good christmas films but for now thats it.
Dawne, I watch The Nightmare Before Christmas at least twice a year: once around Halloween and once around Christmas.
Also on my list are: A Christmas Story and Edward Scissorhands.
And call me a sick freak, but Bad Santa is probably going to become a Christmas tradition at the dreadful house.
The Ref, people,THE REF!! Although the ending is a bit cheesy. Apparently in the orginial ending, Gus gets arrested. The director was pressured to change it and said later he regretted it.
That is one of my absolute favorite Christmas movies!!!
(along with Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story)
Reread my post. You’ll see that I pointed out that you criticized another poster for doing exactly what you did in your OP. I was applying your standards to your own list. If those standards are narrow-minded, you’ve aimed that criticism in the wrong direction.
And call me crazy, but I think a Cafe Society thread about Christmas movies is the perfect place to debate what does or does not constitute a “Christmas movie”.
Start a thread about war movies, and you’ll eventually get some debate about what makes a movie a war movie. Likewise westerns, romantic comedies, science fiction etc. If the thread lasts long enough, it always ends up in a debate about which movies do or do not qualify for the genre being discussed.
If you want to define any movie that has any connection to Christmas whatsoever as a “Christmas movie” for purposes of your thread, that’s fine with me. But once you establish that as the criterion, it’s a bit hypocritical to criticize somebody else’s list for using the same criterion.
WHATEVER! FTR, I definitely did not criticize anyone regarding their choices of favorite Christmas movies. I simply pointed out to don’task that said movies did not sound like Christmas movies to me. The poster subsequently reiterated the Christmas significance of said choices, which as you can see, make a lot more sense, as they are more specific in nature. That is all.
My favorites, including a few good ones from this year,
Bad Santa
Elf
National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
The Ref
Home Alone
Special mention goes to The Santa Clause 2, I really enjoyed that movie.
Fair enough. I read that as a criticism, and it still seems that way to me; however, I’ll take your word for it that wasn’t intended that way.
My favorite Christmas-themed movies:
- It’s a Wonderful Life: I know Frank Capra didn’t really consider this movie a Christmas movie, as the bulk of the movie takes place at other times of the year. He’s wrong. The importance of the attempted suicide on Christmas Eve and subsequent nightmare and redemption form the heart of the movie. It matters little that the rest takes place at other times; those scenes are merely set-up for the altered world and the restored one.
This is one of the great movies period, so often imitated that first time viewers don’t realize that this was the first use of this wonderful concept.
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Miracle on 34th Street: The original version of this movie is pure corball wish fullfilment fantasy. On that level, it works magnificently.
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A Christmas Carol (1971): Alistar Sim is the best Scrooge, and thus this is the best version of the classic tale. Patrick Stewart’s 1999 version is a close second.
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A Christmas Story: The best Christmas comedy. Sure, Bad Santa has more bite, but I prefer my Christmas to be a bit more cheerful.
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Holiday Inn: A better movie than its more famous remake, White Christmas, mostly because of the presense of Fred Astaire in the role replicated by Danny Kaye years later.
Fine.
Although I should point out that perhaps you mean Alastair Sim’s 1951 Scrooge, which is not to be confused with Albert Finney’s 1970 portrayal of the same title, or George C. Scott’s made-for-TV 1984 rendition entitled A Christmas Carol.
Let us not forget Reindeer Games, memorable for the swimming pool scene. (For this Charlize Theron fan, anyway.) Ohterwise, very Christmassy themed.