Christmas Movies

[bob]

We had a thread for Halloween movies so I figured why not have one for Christmas films.

Here's the Christmas movies I've watched so far this month:

Die Hard (1988) 5/5
Trading Places (1983) 5/5
Rocky 4 (1985) 3/5
Eyes Wide Shut (1999) bluray 5/5
Jingle All the Way (1996) 2/5
It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 5/5

[Jack]

We'll start on ours tonight, since we've got 6 movies and six days up to an including the 25th.

I guess I could sort of count these:

For Your Eyes Only (1981) - kind of Christmasy as a lot of it takes place at a ski resort.  I gave that a 4/5.
Saint Nick (2010) - Dutch Christmas horror, gave that a 4/5 as well.

I should also watch Heroes of Telemark and Where Eagles Dare I suppose.  Oh and I should finally get around to watching Død Snø on Netflix.  All the heartwarming family fare ya know 

[AndyC]

Been watching them all month, either with the whole family or just with my daughter. She's at the age where I wanted to introduce her to some annual favourites.

We've watched:

Elf
Jingle All the Way
The Santa Clause
Home Alone
A Christmas Carol (1951)
It's a Wonderful Life
Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
Ernest Saves Christmas

And a few of the specials:
Rankin-Bass Rudolph
Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown
How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Hoping to enjoy a couple more versions of A Christmas Carol I've rounded up - Albert Finney, Bill Murray, Henry Winkler and possibly George C. Scott if I can find it.

And, of course, I must find time for Ralphie and the Griswolds. Probably Christmas Day.

[The Burgomaster]

So far, I have watched only A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938).  I will be overloaded with Christmas movie viewings over the next few days, as I traditionally dig out my DVDs of:

* A CHRISTMAS CAROL/SCROOGE (3 versions in addition to the one I mentioned above)
* RICH LITTLE'S CHRISTMAS CAROL
* A CHRISTMAS STORY
* THE BEST OF THE ANDY WILLIAMS CHRISTMAS SPECIALS
* A BING CROSBY CHRISTMAS
* HAPPY HOLIDAYS WITH BING AND FRANK

If I have time, I will watch a few others.  But the ones above are the ones I make sure I watch every year.

[ulthar]

We had a thread for Halloween movies so I figured why not have one for Christmas films.

Cuz we've had 'em several times before...almost every year?  

How is TRADING PLACES a Christmas movie?  Just because it happens to take place around Christmas/New Years?  Don't get me wrong, it's an EXCELLENT movie...one of my favorites, but it's not really a Christmas story (in my opinion, at least).

Our list includes all (well, most) of the Rankin-Bass claymation movies, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS and smattering of others as they crop up. 

[FatFreddysCat]

I like a sweet, sentimental, sappy cutesy-poo Christmas movie as much as the next guy, and I always get misty-eyed when Linus delivers his speech about "What Christmas is all about" in "A Charlie Brown Christmas," but after a while I need to counteract all that sugar with some twisted stuff like "Bad Santa" or something from the "Silent Night, Deadly Night" series. 

[bob]

We had a thread for Halloween movies so I figured why not have one for Christmas films.

How is TRADING PLACES a Christmas movie?  Just because it happens to take place around Christmas/New Years?  Don't get me wrong, it's an EXCELLENT movie...one of my favorites, but it's not really a Christmas story (in my opinion, at least).

That's exactly why I count it as one. The same goes for Eyes Wide Shut etc.

[Umaril Has Returned]

The Rankin-Bass Rudolf The Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty The Snowman. And what would it be without Jimmy Stewart reminding us that It's A Wonderful Life? And of course A Charlie Brown Christmas.

These are and always will be a staple of my Holiday viewing no matter what age I get to be. So many wonderful memories of being 5 and laying on the floor by the Christmas tree as the old TV brought ABC in with that little bit of fuzzy reception reminding me that TV was still in it's youth w\regard to reception.

And of course, what sort of ABC Christmas would it have been w\o Santa riding on his Norelco razor?     I'm getting misty-eyed right about now...

[HappyGilmore]

So far, I've watched:
Home Alone
Elf
Die Hard
Gremlins
A Christmas Story
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Also:
Ghostbusters 2
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
Santa's Slay

[Jack]

And of course, what sort of ABC Christmas would it have been w\o Santa riding on his Norelco razor?     I'm getting misty-eyed right about now...

I used to love that ad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=718DpmQrPbg

Last night we watched Frosty The Snowman.  It always strikes me as somewhat horrific that the little girl was trapped in the greenhouse and actually had to watch Frosty melt until he was nothing but a puddle on the ground.   Bet she grew up to be a little bit disturbed.  But it's just a super fun little movie that I remember seeing waaaay back when, ever since I was a little kid.

[lester1/2jr]

I wonder if NL's Christmas Vacation is on TV, that was funny from what I recall. Did you like it HGilmore?

[AndyC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dImluYXmKJc

[ChaosTheory]

All I've watched this year is MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL and MST3K: SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS.  I'll probably pull DIE HARD out before Tuesday. 

I am really not in a festive mood this year. 

[bob]

I'm going to try and get through Elf, MST3K Jack Frost, L.A. Confidential (it starts around Christmas time), Eastern Promises (takes place during Christmas), and MST3K Santa Claus Conquers the Martians before the month is over.

[AndyC]

I knew there was one I forgot. We also watched Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. Not the MST3K version though. My daughter's at an age when she can enjoy that stuff for what it is, so that's how we watched it. It's a silly movie, cheap, corny and all that, but it is entertaining.