# Why no good Christmas movies this year? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 26, 2018, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728 "2018-12-26T13:03:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/1 "2018-12-26T13:03:16Z")
I dont get Hollywood. Christmas movies like Christmas Vacation, Elf, Its a Wonderful Life, Christmas with the Kranks,The Santa Clause, A Christmas Story, and many others do well both at the box office and for years to come with dvd sales and merchandising. So why this and many other years dont they make more? Yes, I know they put out a couple of lame ones this year. ---
**Author:** ![senoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@senoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/senoy)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/2 "2018-12-26T13:18:19Z")
The Grinch was this years. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/3 "2018-12-26T13:30:24Z")
If they knew which ones would be good they would never make or release the lame ones. Hollywood throws a lot of tomatoes at recall hoping one will stick. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/4 "2018-12-26T13:45:02Z")
_A Christmas Story_ didn’t get much attention on initial release. It was considered a [sleeper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Christmas_Story#Release_and_reception) and was still in only a few theaters by Christmas. It only became “a thing” once it hit TV. _Christmas with the Kranks_ was, is and will always be a dud. 5% at RT with 37% of the audience liking it. B Cinemascore which is quite bad as even dumb action films usually get at least a B+. Budget of $60M and box office of $96M. In addition to _Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch_ ($254M and counting) this year, there is also _Christmas Chronicles_ with Kurt and Goldie. _Mary Poppins Returns_ will be seen as a Christmas movie down the road. I guess we’re not counting _The Nutcracker and the Four Realms_. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/5 "2018-12-26T15:42:06Z")
Because it is impossible to do better than the holiday celebrations at Nakatomi Plaza? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/6 "2018-12-26T16:20:13Z")
> [@jasg](#): > > Because it is impossible to do better than the holiday celebrations at Nakatomi Plaza? That was the only xmas movie I (re)watched this year. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/7 "2018-12-26T16:56:11Z")
They churn out Christmas movies every year, most of them just land with a thud: [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List\_of\_Christmas\_films#Theatrical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christmas_films#Theatrical) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/8 "2018-12-26T17:13:46Z")
**Moderator Action** Since this is about movies, let’s move it to CS (from IMHO). ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/9 "2018-12-26T17:16:12Z")
Christmas Chronicles on Netflix was kind of a big one this year. And my son’s class went to see The Grinch as well. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/10 "2018-12-26T19:23:42Z")
A \*couple \*lame ones? Have you tuned in to the Hallmark channel lately? ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/11 "2018-12-26T19:45:49Z")
Similarly…you gotta wonder why they don’t time a Marvel or Star Wars movie for this period. Yeah fans can moan and moan about the state of Star Wars but I’m telling you an Obi-Wan or Boba Fett movie would have made bank if released in this month. Who is ultimately in charge of Star Wars films? Well whoever should have just carved out a Kennedy-Abrams-Johnson free branch, hand picked some peeps and green-lit an Obi-Wan film instead of panicking. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/12 "2018-12-26T19:55:33Z")
They did release a Marvel film – Spiderman into the Spider-Verse is still fairly new. It seems to have had a limited release Dec 1st, and it’s real release Dec 14th. (per wikipedia) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/13 "2018-12-26T19:55:45Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Similarly…you gotta wonder why they don’t time a Marvel or Star Wars movie for this period. The Last Jedi came out Dec 15, 2017. I believe I saw it Christmas Day (might have been Eve) ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/14 "2018-12-26T20:06:45Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Similarly…you gotta wonder why they don’t time a Marvel or Star Wars movie for this period. > > Yeah fans can moan and moan about the state of Star Wars but I’m telling you an Obi-Wan or Boba Fett movie would have made bank if released in this month. > > Who is ultimately in charge of Star Wars films? Well whoever should have just carved out a Kennedy-Abrams-Johnson free branch, hand picked some peeps and green-lit an Obi-Wan film instead of panicking. Solo came out earlier this year, Episode 9 is coming out next Christmas. They’re only doing one a year. Marvel Studios never does Christmas movies. They’re almost always spring/summer movies. The closest is early November. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/15 "2018-12-26T20:28:26Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Christmas Chronicles on Netflix was kind of a big one this year. We watched this after dinner last night. Very well done, feel good, Christmas movie. Kurt Russell as Santa. I was surprised to like it. Should be added to the annual Christmas list of movies to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/16 "2018-12-26T20:37:56Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > They did release a Marvel film – Spiderman into the Spider-Verse is still fairly new. It seems to have had a limited release Dec 1st, and it’s real release Dec 14th. (per wikipedia) Thats true. I forgot about that one. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [December 30, 2018, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-no-good-christmas-movies-this-year/826728/17 "2018-12-30T19:14:42Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > A \*couple \*lame ones? Have you tuned in to the Hallmark channel lately? Here’s SNL’s take on the genre: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSzytvDsPfo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSzytvDsPfo)