Universal Monster Army

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 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1WlesjXVz8Y#)

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

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.

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

Quote from: Scatter on December 21, 2012, 06:34:19 PM
Ralphie. The Old Man. The Bumpkis Family.

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

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

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?v=NE_5TgDSHQM&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DNE_5TgDSHQM)

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

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/ (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039502/)  but it seems like my kind of sappy flick.

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

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.

Black Christmas and Gremlins are always on my list

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!!

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

- 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

Quote from: horror1o1 on December 22, 2012, 04:55:38 PM
Black Christmas and Gremlins are always on my list

A mighty fine Christmas movie list. ;D

Quote from: marsattacks666 on December 23, 2012, 01:07:15 PM

A mighty fine Christmas movie list. ;D

Thank you.

Quote from: MDG on December 22, 2012, 08:03:04 AM
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?v=NE_5TgDSHQM&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DNE_5TgDSHQM)

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


I love COMFORT AND JOY -- a shame it's so little known and rarely shown.

Good call with King Kong Scatter!!

I remember being a little kid and WPIX 11 would show Kong and Mighty Joe Young on Thanksgiving...nothing but the best memories of watching that on the rec room couch with my grandfather, knowing Christmas was right around the corner.

Scrooge with Alister Sim. I watch this movie so much I go back and forth from B&W to color. I love everything about it! It's just a perfect story and film.

Charlie Brown--needs no comment.

Holiday Inn--I seriously don't know the obsession with White Christmas. I argue with my family every holiday season about this..only the beginning and end are Christmas themed! Holiday Inn is the superior Christmas film! Better songs, genuine comedy..the only thing I don't care for is that God awful "Abraham" number, that's just ridiculous. Other than that though it's a 10.

It's A Wonderful Life--Every time I watch this movie I catch something I never did before. I bought "The Complete Guide To It's A Wonderful Life"...good stuff.

Abbot and Costello Christmas Special--If you don't have this you MUST watch the "Holiday Noodle"

Smurfs--Hey I'm a child of the 80's and both Christmas specials are pretty awesome stories.

Christmas Vacation--"Surprised Eddie? I wouldn't be more surprised if I woke up with my head sewn to the carpet"

Frank & Bing--A great dvd I scored. A little long with the Dickens sequence but the stuff at Frank's house is pure class.

A Christmas Story--Next to all the Universal films and Star Wars, I seriously want to "live in this movie". I love the era and story. The fact that pops knew the whole time and got his boy the gun...man, awesome every time.

They just made a Smurf Christmas Special, and I was suprised how much I liked it.  I especially liked it when they went from 3d to 2D animation, when Grouchy was  being visited by the "Ghosts".

Thanks Matt for having the good taste to include THE BLOODY EXORCISM OF COFFIN JOE on your Christmas movie list. I have watched it every holiday season for the last several years. Haven't watched it this season, though. Maybe I will this week.

If you're looking for monstery holiday fare, try a recent film called RARE EXPORTS. It's a Finnish horror/adventure movie about the "real" Santa being excavated from his ancient tomb. It mixes European myths about the Wildman and Krampus with the later Santa legends to create its own monster mythos.

If it weren't for a little blood, nudity and mild cussing, RARE EXPORTS would be a children's movie. It has a cult vibe, but it's much closer in tone to a Joe Dante or early Spielberg film than your typical indie horror movie. I was expecting a transgressive horror experience. Instead, I saw a family film with a little horror spice sprinkled on top.

I would let kids watch RARE EXPORTS. But then, I might let kids watch a Coffin Joe movie, so don't listen to me.

When I think of RARE EXPORTS, I think of TROLL HUNTER, another snowy European monster movie from 2010. The pair would make for a cool Euro-horror-adventure-winter movie night.

Really.a.great.list.of.movies.for.Christmas--I'm.especially.impressed.to.see.John.Huston's.THE.DEAD.listed.
I.would.recommend.BEYOND.CHRISTMAS.(1940).which.is.a.ghost.story.with.a.great.cast..Harry.Carey,
C.Aubrey.Smith.and.Charles.Winninger--as.three.wealthy.men.who.become.benefactors.to.a.young.hard-
luck.couple..!..The.three.old.gents.return.to.earth.as.ghosts.to.help.the.young.folks..Maria.Ouspenskaya,.instead.of.a.WOLF.MAN.gypsy,.is.the.housekeeper.

Great list of Christmas films here!  ...Wanted to mention "Never Say Goodbye," with Errol Flynn and Eleanor Parker, swanky romantic comedy that takes place during Christmastime, with some zany Christmas shenanigans that are somewhat 3 Stooges-like in style.  Really fun movie.

Quote from: Mike Scott on December 21, 2012, 09:02:04 PM
It's "Bumpus". "Sonsabichin' Bumpuses!!"

Takes a hillbilly to know a hillbilly I guess.  ;) :D

Quote from: raycastile on December 24, 2012, 03:44:38 PM
Thanks Matt for having the good taste to include THE BLOODY EXORCISM OF COFFIN JOE on your Christmas movie list. I have watched it every holiday season for the last several years. Haven't watched it this season, though. Maybe I will this week.

If you're looking for monstery holiday fare, try a recent film called RARE EXPORTS. It's a Finnish horror/adventure movie about the "real" Santa being excavated from his ancient tomb. It mixes European myths about the Wildman and Krampus with the later Santa legends to create its own monster mythos.

If it weren't for a little blood, nudity and mild cussing, RARE EXPORTS would be a children's movie. It has a cult vibe, but it's much closer in tone to a Joe Dante or early Spielberg film than your typical indie horror movie. I was expecting a transgressive horror experience. Instead, I saw a family film with a little horror spice sprinkled on top.

I would let kids watch RARE EXPORTS. But then, I might let kids watch a Coffin Joe movie, so don't listen to me.

Gee!  I'll have to keep an eye out for that one.  My latest European wintertime scary flick finds were Dead Snow (Undead Nazis stalking college kids on a winter vacation--whats not to love?) a Norwegian movie from 2009.  And Saint (Sint) 2010, a Dutch movie featuring St. Nicholas as a murderous bishop who kidnaps and murders children when there is a full moon on December 5.

A Christmas Story (1983)


-plays all day here every Christmas

One film that hasn't been mentioned is "The Lemon Drop Kid" starring Bob Hope.  This was the movie the song "Silver Bells" was written for, and involves a con artist, who because he caused a mobster to olose big money on a horse race, has to raise $20,000 by Christmas if he hopes to see New years.

Both versions of Lon Chaney's UNHOLY THREE are set around Christmas time.

All of these listed are cool, my favorite IS It's A Wonderful Life, another film which I watched and enjoyed was It happened on 5th Avenue

Bumping this up because it's that time of year again.

Remember-- my list was made of films I love watching at Christmas-- not necessarily set around Christmas or about it. Some are horror, some not.

The two I'm most looking forward to this year? "The Dead" and "Eyes Wide Shut".

Matt

Some of favorite movies to watch during Christmas time are:
The Exorcist
Angel Heart
Haxen
I Spit on your Grave
Death Wish
Deep Throat
Super Vixen
A Christmas Story
Freaks                             >:D >:D >:D >:D >:D >:D

Quote from: marsattacks666 on December 05, 2013, 07:41:32 PM
Some of favorite movies to watch during Christmas time are:
The Exorcist
Angel Heart
Haxen
I Spit on your Grave
Death Wish
Deep Throat                             >:D >:D >:D >:D >:D >:D

Wow, what a coincidence..."I Spit on your Grave" is one of my all-time favorite Christmas time movies (along with "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS).

Quote from: Mord on December 05, 2013, 07:46:12 PM
Wow, what a coincidence..."I Spit on your Grave" is one of my all-time favorite Christmas time movies (along with "Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS).

We certainly have great taste. ;D   Oh!!!! I also want to add to the list: Debbie does Dallas, Star 80 and......Elf.

Quote from: marsattacks666 on December 05, 2013, 07:51:21 PM


We certainly have great taste. ;D   Oh!!!! I also want to add to the list: Debbie does Dallas, Star 80 and......Elf.

Sorry, dude, I can't go along with "Elf". Unless you meant E.L.F. (Elegant Lesbian Fornicators).

Quote from: Mord on December 05, 2013, 08:24:07 PM
  Sorry, dude, I can't go along with "Elf". Unless you meant E.L.F. (Elegant Lesbian Fornicators).

Is that really a film? Because......if it is indeed a film, I want it!! >:D

I really like 'The Bishop's Wife' and haven't seen it for years.

I just found out about 'The Hebrew Hammer' and will have to check it out.

Man, I really love Bill Murray's Scrooged. I may not watch it every year, but I think about it every year.   :laugh:



And on a completely different type movie, for the crappy bad, the movie Elves is bad in the way it can't even be considered bad-good, but I really love Dan Haggerty's drunken but well intentioned mall santa enough that I should just make a super-cut movie just featuring his parts.
Well, the monster elf is kinda cool too. I should leave him in the cut.
The electrocution bathtub scene is kinda neat too.


Merry Christmas!!

Pretty amazed that more folks haven't listed Mr. Charles John Huffam Dickens' "Ghost Story of Christmas"!

Always watch at least one of those a season; often Sim's, Hicks', Scott's, or Magoo's. (And sometimes, Rathbone's, Caine's, or Williams & Jones.)

Though I usually save the late Christmas Eve slot for a radio one, preferably Barrymore's, and best when just found when twisting the dial...

Playing Scrooge tonight in Staten Island,
-Craig

Quote from: marsattacks666 on December 05, 2013, 08:30:58 PM
Is that really a film? Because......if it is indeed a film, I want it!! >:D

No, but with proper financing I'll get it made. Wanna contribute (you can sit in during the filming)?

Quote from: Wich2 on December 06, 2013, 09:49:24 AM
Pretty amazed that more folks haven't listed Mr. Charles John Huffam Dickens' "Ghost Story of Christmas"!

Always watch at least one of those a season; often Sim's, Hicks', Scott's, or Magoo's. (And sometimes, Rathbone's, Caine's, or Williams & Jones.)

Though I usually save the late Christmas Eve slot for a radio one, preferably Barrymore's, and best when just found when twisting the dial...

Playing Scrooge tonight in Staten Island,
-Craig

Different versions of A Christmas Carol have been a Christmas tradition/staple for years, the thread was more about films set at Christmas time that aren't considered holiday standards!  And there were several mentions of Scrooge/A Christmas Carol scattered thru the thread!

The version of Christmas Carol I've never seen, but am curious about is "Ebeneezer" (I think) Starring Jack Palance.  This version takes place in the American West.  I ended up buying Sims version last year, because that is my all time version of the story.  I ususally watch the Magoo version right after wards. 

The Shining!

Quote from: jimm on December 25, 2012, 09:09:09 PM
A Christmas Story (1983)


-plays all day here every Christmas

Here too.  I saw it when it was in the theaters and laughed all through the movie, and still do.  I also watch It's A Wonderful Life on Christmas Eve, like it used to be shown back in the early 90's when I first saw it.  I would come home from the Christmas Eve service and be able to watch it two or three times at night, and always from the beginning as nearly every station ran it and it was always starting on the half hour.