Holiday films. 🎄

[blackforest]

What films do you like around this time of year?

A Christmas Carol, (Jason Robards version) is a family tradition.

The kids love Home Alone.

I wanted to try a new holiday movie this year, so I picked up a DVD of Holiday Inn. Oh wow. I wish I’d known about Bing Crosby and Marjorie Reynolds performing in a minstrel show! My kids were like, “What the heck, Mom??” What’s crazy is that during the 40s, the number, which was a paean to Lincoln “setting the slaves free,” was probably considered very humanitarian and progressive.

 

[Timeflies2me]

I see no one has mentioned diehard yet

 

[PetraG]

I second Charlie Brown Christmas and A Christmas Carol (multiple versions: George C. Scott but also Patrick Stewart and especially Alastair Sim) and It’s a Wonderful Life.
Forgive me if I missed someone, but I haven’t seen How the Grinch Stole Christmas here yet.

 

[LeafByNiggle]

Arthur Christmas. A family Aardman studio film that didn’t get enough attention when it was released, but well worth the ride.

 

[SeekerOfTruth7]

A Wonderful Life
A Christmas Story
Miracle on 34th Street
And then usually something that has to do with either the life of Christ or His Passion. I may watch the movie The Nativity this year

 

[Irishmom2]

Or The Godfather.

 

[Camehome4john6]

Last night my daughter and I continued our tradition of watching White Christmas followed by Christmas in Connecticut. Favorite flicks, favorite memories, favorite tradition.
In addition, I absolutely LOVE Charlie Brown Christmas and can never get through it without tearing up at Linus’ monologue.

 

[F_Marturana]

I’ve never seen that film.

 

[ProdigalDaughter96]

Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer was always a staple for me growing up since I was 4 I was also found of Elf, The Grinch, The Santa Claus movies with Tim Allen, and A Christmas Carol (Patrick Stewart, Kelsey Grammer, and George C. Scott-in that order!). But Grandma Got Run Over is still my favorite, although it makes me feel old at the thought of it turning 20 next year

 

[ProdigalDaughter96]

And I must admit, despite being 23 years old, Barney’s Night Before Christmas still remains a guilty pleasure of mine. But nobody I know can know that

 

[melonhead]

My list, in no particular order:

A Christmas Carol - the one with George C. Scott

Charlie Brown Christmas

How the Grinch Stole Christmas - the original, as Jim Carrey irritates me

A Christmas Story

It’s a Wonderful Life

Polar Express

 

[Nik]

Muppet Christmas Carol with Michael Cain. If it’s not on then Christmas is cancelled.

Can’t say I’m too fussed about any other films.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

As a Clevelander, I must side with your hubby and sons on that one.
Also, I was unaware until I watched it that Chinese restaurants stay open on Christmas. A fact that serves me very well now that I do not have family.

I actually went with my mom and her friend, both of whom were born in the 1920s, to see that in the theater when it came out, and I had a better time listening to mom and friend “remembering” all of the 1930s stuff in the movie than I did watching the film.

Now in terms of my own Christmas movie watching:

A lot of recent ones I never saw because I prefer old movies.

Movies I liked in no particular order:
All the stop-action and cartoon children’s specials of the 1970s, such as Charlie Brown Christmas, Little Drummer Boy, Rudolph, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town…nostalgia overload
Holiday Affair
A Christmas Story
Miracle on 34th Street (original, I didn’t care for the remake)
Most versions of “A Christmas Carol” (exception in the dislikes list)
It’s a Wonderful Life
I’ll Be Seeing You

Movies that were just okay:
Christmas in Connecticut
The Bishop’s Wife (original with Loretta Young, I haven’t seen the Whitney Houston remake)
Meet Me in St. Louis (the bratty little sister annoys me)
The Gathering (Ed Asner is okay and I like seeing Chagrin Falls, but the characters are too wealthy for me to relate to the movie…and they have a servant which is just cringeworthy by today’s standards)

Movies I didn’t like:
The Christmas Bunny (among the most miserable films ever, only worth watching to see Flo Henderson and a bunch of bunnies)
A Carol for Another Christmas (too much talking)
The House Without a Christmas Tree (Jason Robards as the dad was just too mean)
The Homecoming (Patricia Neal seemed really miscast)
Pretty much anything put out by Hallmark Channel, ugh

Movies I saw but it was so long ago I forgot how they went, need to watch again:
The Annette Funicello version of “Babes in Toyland”
The Santa Clause
White Christmas (my husband loved that one)
Holiday Inn

Movies I have never seen and need to watch:
3 Godfathers
Elf
Remember the Night
Jingle All the Way
Prancer
It Happened on 5th Avenue
The Laurel and Hardy “Babes in Toyland”
The Polar Express

 

[CelticWarlord]

What films do you like around this time of year?

In December I always watch Holiday Inn, Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. Some years I will also see White Christmas, also Bing Crosby. It’s a Wonderful Life is a long time favorite but we don’t own that one on dvd yet. Yesterday we saw most of It Happened on Fifth Avenue. Clearly we watch only the old classics.

 

[Convert3]

Nobody has mentioned Scrooged. I like Bill Murray. We’ve already watched White Christmas, The Holiday, and Home Alone. I’m sure the rest will be seen soon.

 

[LeafByNiggle]

A lot has been made about It’s a Wonderful Life, but I actually prefer the 1977 remake with Marlo Thomas called “It Happened one Christmas”. Whereas Jimmy Stewart wastes most of the film disbelieving the premise, Marlo Thomas catches on right away, and spends more of the film absorbing the consequences of the premise. Plus I think the predicament of feeling like you are in an impossible situation and hopeless is easier to see as a woman’s role than a man’s role.

 

[VeryBlessed]

Muppet Christmas Carol with Michael Cain. If it’s not on then Christmas is cancelled.

Totally agree. We watch this every year. It’s a remarkable mix of remaining true to the story, and light moments that really don’t detract. Michael Caine is really good in it. Great for kids, not so dark, but still clearly redemptive.

 

[Nik]

And the songs too! I may have joined in with the whole score one year at the cinema

 

[F_Marturana]

The House Without a Christmas Tree (Jason Robards as the dad was just too mean)

I vaguely remember that film when I was a kid in the seventies. My main memory is that the dad was mean.

 

[CilladeRoma]

No Muppets? Why?
Is that just Christmas movies, or does that include Sesame Street, etc.

To be honest, even as a 50 year old, Christmas would not be the same without them. John Denver and the Muppets Christmas album and the Muppets Christmas Carol are staples in my family.