Great Christmastime Movies!

[mjaycox]

Happy Ghoul-tide all!

The following are a set of movies not necessarily about Christmas, but some set at Christmas time. I love watching each of them around the holidays. Just in case you were looking for something other than "Miracle on 34th Street", "Christmas Story", "It's a Wonderful Life", "Christmas Carol" or "Holiday Inn" (although those are all marvelous films, don't get me wrong). In no particular order:

1) "Curse of Cat People" (This one is obvious)

2) "The Dead" (1987). The final film by the great John Huston is a superb adaptation of what I feel to be the best short story ever written around the theme of the holidays. Set in Dublin around the turn of the century, it should not be missed by any lovers of Joyce.

3) "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" (1984). This delightful episode from the first season of Granada's Sherlock Holmes series starring the great Jeremy Brett is often referred to by Holmes-philes as the "Christmas Sherlock Story". It is streamable on Netflix. And, I believe, Youtube 

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes S01E07 - The Blue Carbuncle

4) "Batman Returns" (1992). The last truly great Tim Burton movie. He has made several good films since this, even approaching near-greatness with "Sleepy Hollow". But this is, to date, his last masterpiece. The Christmas setting is woven in nicely here. Wonderful closing scene still works very well.

5) "Eyes Wide Shut" (1999). The final film from Stanley Kubrick was, like a lot of the late genius's work, met with confusion and, in some cases, antipathy upon first release. There was no way it could live up to the hype. I think it is a terrific final masterpiece. Tom Cruise's most mannered performance is, funnily enough, his best in my opinion. Kubrick, I think, set this around the holidays because the frequent night in the city shots would be made more interesting by the presence of Holiday lights. I find it interesting how the superficial cheer of them contrasts with the secret world the film explores. Fir some reason, this film always reminds of me Val Lewton's superb "The 7th Victim"

6)  "Son of Frankenstein" (1939). Obviously not affiliated with the holidays in any way. But I could not think of a better Universal to watch around the holidays. It was always on Creature Feature at Christmas time when I was a kid, and so I associate it strongly with the holidays. I dare you-- watch it at Christmastime for two consecutive years, and then see if it doesn't feel like a Universal "Christmas" movie to you. I know it is just Pavlovian association, but dammit, it works!

7) "The Magnificent Ambersons" (1942). Orson Welles' chopped up masterpiece has some wonderful scenes set during Christmas. it is finally available on a bare-bones DVD and Blu-Ray and is heart-achingly beautiful.

8 ) (nod to my buddy Ray here) "The Bloody Exorcism of Coffin Joe" (1974?). This is my personal favorite "Coffin Joe" flick, although technically it falls outside Coffin Joe canon trilogy. It is a fun bit of meta-fiction in which Jose Mojica Marins plays a version of himself-- a maker of horror films about a character named Coffin Joe. However, lately (much like "Wes Craven's New Nightmare") the film-maker becomes haunted by dreams of his creation. CJ tries to enter our world at Christmas time, and must be fended off by Mojica. The Coffin Joe of this film is unremittingly evil, lording it over a satanic orgy which reminds me of the extended opening credits of "Night Gallery". This Ze' do Caixao has no compunction against harming a child. There is a terrific scene where Mojica hallucinates a Christmas tree decorated with tarantulas and snakes. Freaky stuff.   

Note: I didn't include "The Godfather" on this list, even though I know many would, because I can't find even the most tenuous link to the holidays in it for me. Great movie, of course. I just don't watch it at Christmas. If you do, great. Let's see YOUR list then!

Merry Christmas all!

Matt

[Scatter]

1) King Kong (1933)

If you grew up in the New York Tri-State region in the 70s, then you know the Holiday Season cannot begin without viewing 1933's iconic masterpiece. Kong aired every Thanksgiving on WOR-TV after the Macy's parade, punctuated liberally by "Crazy Eddie" Commercials. Ahhhhhhh.........the Holidays had arrived.

4) A Christmas Story (1983)

Ralphie. The Old Man. The Bumpkis Family. Leg Lamp. Deranged Easter Bunny. Red Ryder Rifle. "You'll shoot yer eye out kid!" 'Nuff said. Can't have Christmas without it.

3) Black Christmas (1974)

The very talented (and underrated) Bob Clark has not one, but TWO indispensable entries in Christmas filmdom (the other, of course, being the classic "A Christmas Story"). This proto-slasher is by turns funny, quirky, and downright scary. It's Ho-Ho-Horror at it's best!

4) A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

A flawless blend of comedic, nostalgic, and spiritual sensibilities that somehow manages to coalesce everything that's best about the Season into a scant 25 minutes. Brilliance.

5) It's A Wonderful Life (1946)

I know, I know..........but it makes all the lists for a reason.

6) A Christmas Carol (1951)

Alistair Sim delivers a marvelous performance in the most decidedly dark and moody take on the Dickens story. Superb in every sense.

7) Christmas Vacation (1989)

The Griswold household is the perfect place to spend a "nipply" night before the Christmas chaos.

[Flower]

Here are some of my favorite Christmastime movies ~



Bell Book & Candle ~ 1958 .. one of my all time favorite movies

Christmas in Connecticut ~ 1945

Remember the Night ~ 1940 .. Get pairing of Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray

Sleepless in Seattle ~ 1993

While You Were Sleeping ~ 1994

The World of Henry Orient ~ 1964

You've Got Mail ~ 1998

[Mike Scott]

Ralphie. The Old Man. The Bumpkis Family.

It's "Bumpus". "Sonsabichin' Bumpuses!!"

[Mike Scott]

The Essentials:

A CHRISTMAS CAROL '51
IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE
MIRICLE ON 34th ST. (original, of course)
MR. MAGOO'S CHRISTMAS CAROL

2nd Stringers:

A CHRISTMAS STORY
CHRISTMAS VACATION

[CreepysFan]

   

My five MUST view Christmas time viewing:

 

#5 - Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

#4 - The Polar Express

#3 - A Christmas Story

#2 - A Charlie Brown Christmas

#1 - A Charlie Brown Christmas ( only once a year is not enough )

[MDG]

I'd say A Christmas Story if it hadn't been played to death. My ral favorite is probably the hard to find Comfort and Joy.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NE_5TgDSHQM&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DNE_5TgDSHQM

http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=FHMFooKZsFs

[Flower]

We saw Irving Berlin's "White Christmas" as a play a couple of years ago, it was very enjoyable and much better than the movie.

I've never seen "It Happened on 5th Avenue" .. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039502/  but it seems like my kind of sappy flick.

[RedKing]

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Santa Claus (Mexico 1960)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas(Karloff,Chuck Jones and Dr Suess-what's not to love??)
Nightmare Before Christmas-I wish i lived in Halloween land
A Christmas Story
Christmas Vacation
White Christmas
Miracle on 34th Street
aall of the Rankin Bass Christmas specials

[Haunted hearse]

Christmas Carol 1951
Miracle on 34th Street
Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
Rankin Bass Christmas specials
It's a wonderful life
Chuck Jones/Boris Karloff "How the Grinch stole Christmas"
Holiday Inn
White Christmas
Mickey's Christmas Carol
Nightmare before Christmas
Charlie Brown Christmas
Rise of the Guardians

So bad their funny
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians
Mexican Santa Claus filme (1960), especially the MST3k version.

[horror1o1]

Black Christmas and Gremlins are always on my list

[neonnoodle]

Let's give a big hand for the somewhat obscure "The Christmas That Almost Wasn't"and the extremely weird, and horrifyingly bad "Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny," that one is a real doozy if you ask me!!

[Dr. Madd]

My Favorite Christmas movies that aren't

The Invisible Man and Bride of Frankenstein- Got my first copies for them on VHS for Christmas.

Son of Frankenstein's always a great choice.

Any Mummy Movie.

Favorite Christmasy movies:

1. Muppet Christmas Carol
2. Santa Claus conquers the martians
3.Rankin Bass- Santa Claus is coming to town

[BaronLatos35]

- The Grinch (Boris is narrating!)

- Scrooged (I love this take, especially the relationship between the brothers)

- Charlie Brown (of course...)

- A Christmas Carol '84

- Disney's A Christmas Carol

- A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas

- Bad Santa

[marsattacks666]

Black Christmas and Gremlins are always on my list

A mighty fine Christmas movie list.