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Best (and blurst) Christmas films

Started by turnstyle, December 14, 2009, 10:46:44 AM

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turnstyle

I'd have to vote for Muppets Christmas Carol and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, both of which still have me laughing like an utter twit bag.

jaydee81

I watched Its A Wonderful Life again yesterday. This time it was Clarence's note in Tom Sawyer that set me off.

Something in that film always brings a tear to my eye.
And Bernard And The Genie.

The Masked Unit

I watched some of Elf yesterday, which I actually quiet liked. For me though it comes down to Muppets and Home Alone.

AsparagusTrevor

Scrooged, Gremlins and Nightmare Before Christmas are my holy DVD trinity.

An tSaoi


Ignatius_S

Ones I like: Olive, the Other Reindeer; We're No Angels (not the remake); A Christmas Carol (the Sim version).

I don't like It's a Wonderful Life much.

Johnny Townmouse

A Christmas Story is something of a cult favourite in the States, but pratically nobody has heard of it over here. Strangely subversive and very funny.

Obvious one, but the first three-quarters of E.T. is always watchable (I usually turn off after the bikes take off into the air, but to a 10-year-old me kids escaping from the FBI on BMXs wearing balaclavas and hoods was pretty much porn and I like to relive that now pavlovian response).

For some reason, they have a habit of showing The Wild Geese during the xmas period -a very odd ensemble war film featuring Roger Moore force feeding heroin to a drug dealer. When I was 12 it was my favourite film next to The Dead Zone, Time Bandits and Psychomania.

Jemble Fred

I've never had much love for It's A Wonderful Life – good film, but I don't ever want to sit through it again.

But I did a comedy show yesterday which involved a huge reference to the film, and was STAGGERED to find that half the cast had absolutely no idea what I was going on about. Angels? Clarence? WTF?

Don't you hate it when you have to explain something which YOU KNOW to be extremely well-known to people, and they're suggesting that it's some obscure thing that only you know?

jaydee81

No love for It's A Wonderful Life? Why? When it has this gem in it...

QuoteIs Daddy in trouble?
- Yes, Pete.               
- Shall I pray for him?
- Yes, Janie, pray very hard.               
- Me, too?
- You, too, Tommy.

what's not to love?

Jemble Fred

Quote from: jaydee81 on December 14, 2009, 10:52:28 AM
And Bernard And The Genie.

For many years I used to claim that this was my single favourite film of any kind, even though it's a TV movie.

It has dated very badly, sadly (All that Lineker and Turtles gunk). Plus the strong Christian message makes it a bit hard to love.


CaledonianGonzo

Quote from: turnstyle on December 14, 2009, 10:46:44 AMNational Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

I've never really understood the appeal of this one, to be honest.  Anyone care to help me out?

Also worth mentioning that while the Christmas Carol is the best of the four (count 'em) commercially available Muppets Christmas movies/specials, it's A Muppet Family Christmas that wins the prize turkey for being the funniest.  It's one of the best hours of TV of the 1980s (even if they should have made a regionally-specific UK version of it with Fulton MacKay in).

biggytitbo

Does Trading Places count as a Christmas film? If so, that.

Johnny Townmouse

Quote from: biggytitbo on December 14, 2009, 12:42:38 PM
Does Trading Places count as a Christmas film? If so, that.

When I was 12 I thought this was the funniest thing I had ever seen in my life, and is one of the few times I have ever cried laughing whilst watching a film:

QuoteWe are commodities brokers, William.
-Now, what are commodities?
-Commodities are agricultural products
-Like coffee, that you had for breakfast.
-Wheat, which is used to make bread.
-Pork bellies, which is used to make bacon, which you might find in a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.
Murphy turns and looks at camera.

Jemble Fred

Quote from: biggytitbo on December 14, 2009, 12:42:38 PM
Does Trading Places count as a Christmas film? If so, that.

It definitely does, and yes, that. It also doubles as the ultimate New Year's movie (although I also have a soft spot for Peter's Friends in the latter category – fuck all naysayers etc.).

SavageHedgehog

Quote from: CaledonianGonzo on December 14, 2009, 12:27:55 PM
I've never really understood the appeal of this one, to be honest.  Anyone care to help me out?

I suppose it helps if you liked the previous Vacation movies. I don't know, I think it's the weakest of them if I'm honest (yes I preferred the Vegas one), I remember it being a lot of falling over and the decision to make Rusty about half as old as he was in the previous two was a bit annoying.

I'm not so sure about Scrooged. It has it's moments but the ending scenes are terrible.

Christmas films I really like; Gremlins, Die Hard 1+2 and Lethal Weapon would have to be tops. Christmas "guilty pleasures" would be Invasion USA and Santa Clause: The Movie. And I did really enjoy A Christmas Story the one time I saw it many years ago.

Jemble Fred

Quote from: SavageHedgehog on December 14, 2009, 12:53:15 PM
I'm not so sure about Scrooged. It has it's moments but the ending scenes are terrible.

Aw, one of the most beautiful, life-affirming endings to any film ever made in my opinion. It was better in the cinema, though, obviously.

biggytitbo


Ja'moke


Ambient Sheep

I got told off for saying this on the equivalent thread a year or two ago, because strictly speaking it's a New Year film, but one of my favourite films at this general time of year is The Hudsucker Proxy.

(If anyone knows if and when it's on over the next few weeks, do let me know, as MissInformed has never seen it and I think she'd love it too.  I wouldn't mind seeing it again either.)

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Perhaps it's a bit too new to be considered a classic, but Bad Santa (which is on Channel 5 tonight at 9) gets a thumbs up from me. The whole cast is excellent, but my favourite turn comes from John Ritter, of whom I was only aware until that point for dreadful family comedies.

Ginyard

Herman Merman  -  best name ever. I'm voting bad santa in as well. And Wilder's Willy Wonka, that always used to be on at christmas. At least they don't put The Gnome mobile on anymore, that's one of the most abysmal kids movies.

Shoulders?-Stomach!

It's A Wonderful Life is great, not only in a festive and traditional sense but for having a story that could be emotionally affecting any time you chose to watch it. I've realised I can pretty much watch any film with James Stewart in and find it to be good.

Home Alone II: Lost In New York is the most enjoyable Christmas viewing I can imagine this side of fishing a penny mouthways from Christina Hendricks' sugar-dusted cleavage.

Ginyard

I have never watched a Home Alone film. After all the raving I've seen on this site I'm going to have to make a start.

CaledonianGonzo

Quote from: Ginyard on December 14, 2009, 02:40:54 PMI have never watched a Home Alone film. After all the raving I've seen on this site I'm going to have to make a start.

I think you need to have first seen them as a kid - nostalgia is a pretty big factor in most of these choices, but I was 18 or 19 when I first saw Home Alone and it didn't really do much for me.

Gremlins, on the other hand...

Quote from: Ambient Sheep on December 14, 2009, 01:13:38 PMI got told off for saying this on the equivalent thread a year or two ago, because strictly speaking it's a New Year film, but one of my favourite films at this general time of year is The Hudsucker Proxy.

Oh, yes.  Absolutely.  Though, as you say, a film maybe better suited for Hogmanay, it is still a festive treat when it's snowy outside.

Ignatius_S

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on December 14, 2009, 02:19:03 PM
Perhaps it's a bit too new to be considered a classic, but Bad Santa (which is on Channel 5 tonight at 9) gets a thumbs up from me. The whole cast is excellent, but my favourite turn comes from John Ritter, of whom I was only aware until that point for dreadful family comedies.
Have you seen the director's cut? I haven't myself.

VegaLA

I'm down with the Christmas Vacation movie too! Get me every time and the last 10 - 15 minutes actually make me feel warm and fuzzy inside.
Scrooged with Bill was a fun romp too, a remake that sticks with the formula but is different enough to justify the update.
How come Dan Akroyd never made a crimbo film that year?

biggytitbo

I don't get the Home Alone films at all. A cunt inflicting pain on other cunts for a laugh. Charming.

Ignatius_S

Quote from: VegaLA on December 14, 2009, 03:22:00 PM
...How come Dan Akroyd never made a crimbo film that year?
He was too busy making My Stepmother Is An Alien.

Ja'moke

Is the first Home Alone film on over Christmas? Sky are showing Home Alone 2 this week but I can't seem to find the first one anywhere.