Christmas Movies (and Specials)

[connor_in]

I saw the thread of "Movies You Just Saw" pop back up and thought to myself, I haven't seen new movies lately as I have been watching all the different Christmas movies and specials.

This, of course, led to discussions of best/worst and why.

Below are some of the best/worst lists out there for you to look at. I always like some of the traditional ones, but I also like the ones that are set at Christmas, but aren't straight Christmas movies (i.e. Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Gremlins, etc...).

Since we are under a week away from Christmas, go ahead and look over the lists if you want and then let us know your favorites (or that you loathe) and why.

Merry Christmas to All and God Bless Us Everyone!

50 Best Christmas Movies | TotalFilm.com

http://movies.amctv.com/movie-guide/christmas-movies/

The Worst And Weirdest Christmas Movies of All Time | Movie News | Hollywood.com

Best Christmas Movies - Rotten Tomatoes

Our Favorite Christmas Movies - Parenting.com

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[woolybug25]

/thread

 

[#1rish]

 

[connor_in]

-- NO!

-- Thumbs Up

/thread

I cannot stand A Christmas Story anymore!..It was at best almost OK when I first watched it, but I can barely stand the commercials for it now.

 

[ThePiombino]

/thread

+1

Probably my #1 and #2 right there.

 

[IrishLion]

Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story are always recognized as the top of the line... I think Home Alone 2 blows all other Christmas movies out of the water though.

 

[gkIrish]

In no particular order:

Home Alone
Home Alone 2
Christmas Vacation (Drum roll please)
Christmas Story
Die Hard
Elf
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Animated)
White Christmas
The Santa Clause

 

[pkt77242]

In my house we watch
A Christmas Story
A Charlie Brown Christmas

 

[IrishinTN]

Those mentioned above are Hall of Fame everyone should watch. I like The Grinch and my family also watches Muppet Christmas Carol.

As far as my other two must watch faves of the Christmas season- It's a Wonderful Life and, every night right after I put the kids to bed a grab a small taste of Jack and Coke, it's A Christmas Carol- 1951 version starring Alastair Sim. No other version comes close. Except maybe Scrooged...

 

[ACamp1900]

Wonderful Life is really the only one I can watch over and over

 

[FLDomer]

Bad Santa

 

[Bluto]

Duck Dynasty Christmas Special?

 

[twig21]

Those mentioned above are Hall of Fame everyone should watch. I like The Grinch and my family also watches Muppet Christmas Carol.

As far as my other two must watch faves of the Christmas season- It's a Wonderful Life and, every night right after I put the kids to bed a grab a small taste of Jack and Coke, it's A Christmas Carol- 1951 version starring Alastair Sim. No other version comes close. Except maybe Scrooged...

Michael Caine in the Muppets Christmas Carol is great. That movie along with White Christmas and Holiday Inn are family traditions. Der Bingle is a American Icon, but Danny Kaye in White Christmas shows why is possibly one of theist under rated performers ever. Fred Astaire in Holiday Inns was awesome, his dance routine when he was drunk is a classic!

 

[irishog77]

The Lifetime Channel Christmas movie/Rom-Coms are "must see TV" for me every year. It's how I spend my Saturdays in December.

 

[connor_in]

The Lifetime Channel Christmas movie/Rom-Coms are "must see TV" for me every year. It's how I spend my Saturdays in December.

ABC Family and/or Hallmark channel can do some decent family ones (usually using at least one actor you know/have heard of), but their only problem is they start their rotation arounf Nov. 1st

 

[notredomer23]

Home Alone and Home Alone 2 have to be at the top of the list, followed shortly by A Christmas Story, the animated Grinch, and Elf.

 

[RuntheBall]

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[GowerND11]

My father and I love It's a Wonderful Life. We can quote the whole thing. We have ornaments, a village, a train, posters, and wrapping paper from the movie. Plus it doesn't help that we have the same last name as Mr. Gower the drug store owner.

Right behind It's a Wonderful Life is Christmas Vacation. Some of the subtle humor (Lightbulbs crushed by dog food in WalMart) just cracks me up.

 

[Emcee77]

My father and I love It's a Wonderful Life. We can quote the whole thing. We have ornaments, a village, a train, posters, and wrapping paper from the movie. Plus it doesn't help that we have the same last name as Mr. Gower the drug store owner.

Right behind It's a Wonderful Life is Christmas Vacation. Some of the subtle humor (Lightbulbs crushed by dog food in WalMart) just cracks me up.

I totally agree. Another example of a great but subtle joke in that same scene is when Eddie inscrutably asks Clark, a food chemist, "So, d'your company kill off all those people over in India yet?", as if it could possibly be the goal to kill people off, and rather than ask Eddie what the hell he is talking about Clark just goes, "Ha, no, we missed out on that one." It cracks me up every time.

 

[palinurus]

In my house we watch
A Christmas Story
A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas is the single best half hour in the history of television. Understated, not sentimental, great jazz score, real.

I read an interesting story about it once -- bottom line: After they screened the show for execs before running it the first time, the room was silent. Then the suits started moaning and wringing their hands -- "is it too religious? is it funny? What's with this music?" -- they were all besides themselves. The producers thought maybe the show was too slow, and that they'd ruined the Peanuts brand. And then one guy in the back of the room -- I think he was an animator or something -- piped in and said: "You guys are crazy. This thing is going to last forever."

 

[Irishnuke]

The Santa Clause was on the other day and my 6 year old daughter wanted to watch it. It's truly an a awful movie with the terrible Tim Allen as the lead role. Truly horrible. Plus I had to explain divorce to my daughter. Awesome.

Elf
The Polar Express
Gremlins
Jingle All the Way (no italics)
Scrooged
That movie where Ed O'neill picks his son, or stepson, up from boarding school and drives him back to Chicago?

Anybody remember the Christmas movie with Dudley Moore that had exploding candy canes?

Almost forgot Christmas Vacation and Home Alone.

 

[Emcee77]

The Santa Clause was on the other day and my 6 year old daughter wanted to watch it. It's truly an a awful movie with the terrible Tim Allen as the lead role. Truly horrible. Plus I had to explain divorce to my daughter. Awesome.

Elf
The Polar Express
Gremlins
Jingle All the Way (no italics)
Scrooged
That movie where Ed O'neill picks his son, or stepson, up from boarding school and drives him back to Chicago?

Anybody remember the Christmas movie with Dudley Moore that had exploding candy canes?

OMG YES. Santa Claus (1985) - IMDb

That was one of my favorite movies as a kid. When my sister's kids got old enough to be into Christmas movies I made a point of buying it for them.

 

[palinurus]

1951 version of "A Christmas Carol" with Sir Alistair Sims. Sims is astonishing as Scrooge.

Second favorite, the George C. Scott version.

Need to see the Muppets version; heard Michael Caine was great. Remember reading that he said his secret was to play off the muppets as though they were human beings.

 

[palinurus]

Those mentioned above are Hall of Fame everyone should watch. I like The Grinch and my family also watches Muppet Christmas Carol.

As far as my other two must watch faves of the Christmas season- It's a Wonderful Life and, every night right after I put the kids to bed a grab a small taste of Jack and Coke, it's A Christmas Carol- 1951 version starring Alastair Sim. No other version comes close. Except maybe Scrooged...

Sorry, I missed this. Yes, it's great.

 

[GowerND11]

Gets me everytime.

 

[Booslum31]

My father and I love It's a Wonderful Life. We can quote the whole thing. We have ornaments, a village, a train, posters, and wrapping paper from the movie. Plus it doesn't help that we have the same last name as Mr. Gower the drug store owner.

Right behind It's a Wonderful Life is Christmas Vacation. Some of the subtle humor (Lightbulbs crushed by dog food in WalMart) just cracks me up.

That's too funny...Mr. Gower. "Don't hurt my sore ear, don't hurt my sore ear..."

 

[connor_in]

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[Irish2155]

Worst part about Xmas is the movies and music all have to tolerate, imo.

Well, think again...the snow, cold weather and pulling out the debit card to buy for someone you don't even like kind of sucks too.

Bah humbug. Give me the 4th of July any day of the week.

 

[connor_in]

The Santa Clause was on the other day and my 6 year old daughter wanted to watch it. It's truly an a awful movie with the terrible Tim Allen as the lead role. Truly horrible. Plus I had to explain divorce to my daughter. Awesome.

Elf
The Polar Express
Gremlins
Jingle All the Way (no italics)
Scrooged
That movie where Ed O'neill picks his son, or stepson, up from boarding school and drives him back to Chicago? Dutch

Anybody remember the Christmas movie with Dudley Moore that had exploding candy canes?

Almost forgot Christmas Vacation and Home Alone.

^

 

[Emcee77]

1951 version of "A Christmas Carol" with Sir Alistair Sims. Sims is astonishing as Scrooge.

Second favorite, the George C. Scott version.

Need to see the Muppets version; heard Michael Caine was great. Remember reading that he said his secret was to play off the muppets as though they were human beings.

Yeah, it's funny. Gonzo tries to convince Rizzo that he is the author Charles Dickens by narrating the story. Hilarity ensues.