Jump to content

Type keyword(s) to search

Christmas Movies


  • Reply
  • Start Topic

Recommended Posts

9 hours ago, andromeda331 said:

I have to tie it with Scrooged. To me those two are the equally the best. Bill Murray was great in it and so was Karen Allen. Kelvin's siblings decorating him instead. He was so adorable. I always love Frank's speech at the end especially the part about Christmas being the day we are the people we always hoped we'd be.

Oh yes, I love that one too! The speech at the end was 100 percent Bill Murray. It wouldn’t shock me if it was ad-libbed. I know the “Feed me Seymour” bit at the end was.

  • Love 5

I just watched Muppet Christmas Carol a few days ago. I hadn't seen it since my kids were little. Last night we watched A Diva's Christmas Carol. This seems to be my year for watching this story so I need to finish off with Scrooged which is my favorite one. 

We also tried to watch Batman Returns last night but my DVD wouldn't work. Grrr. We watched Jingle All the Way a few days ago which I also haven't seen since my kids were little. My mom got my oldest one the Turbo Man for his birthday the following year. The movie is so silly but I still enjoyed it. The mall at Christmas was the best part. I really miss that kind of mall. 

Tomorrow will be the annual viewing of Christmas Vacation which is my all time favorite. Then, honestly, we'll probably spend the rest of the day binge watching The Witcher.   

  • Love 3

I like White Christmas and watch at least some of it every year. One thing I question though, would soldiers really have that much affection for their old general, that they would take their families across country to help him save his hotel? A 2 star(major) general is in command of a division which has at least 10,000 men. What close relationship could he reasonable have with any of them? I could see if he was a captain in charge of a company of about 200 like say Captain Winters in Band of Brothers. I think the only reason he had to be a general was he had to be old and retired.

Edited by Fool to cry
  • Love 2

Just happened to be surfing channels when I caught "Miracle on 34th Street" on CIRCLE - except it seems to be a TV movie version made about 1957!  They keep a lot of the dialog of the original and even changed a few things (like Kris Kringle hitting Mr. Sawyer at a Christmas lecture Sawyer gives at Susie's school about Santa not being real!).  Not bad, the cast does their best - although they pale compared to the original cast.  I wasn't aware this version existed, although I recall a version made for TV in 1973.

 

On 12/24/2021 at 8:54 AM, Fool to cry said:

I like White Christmas and watch at least some of it every year. One thing I question though, would soldiers really have that much affection for their old general, that they would take their families across country to help him save his hotel? A 2 star(major) general is in command of a division which has at least 10,000 men. What close relationship could he reasonable have with any of them? I could see if he was a captain in charge of a company of about 200 like say Captain Winters in Band of Brothers. I think the only reason he had to be a general was he had to be old and retired.

I can see where there was great respect for the General - since most tended to be in safer areas in wartime, rather than on the battlefield with his men.   He was old and retired and hanging on financially to the inn, so those who were closest to him wanted to help make it a success by putting the word out.  

White Christmas is a great film - several years back, a local theater company did a stage adaptation of it.  I was surprised at what a great stage adaptation it was!  

  • Love 3
On 12/24/2021 at 8:54 AM, Fool to cry said:

I like White Christmas and watch at least some of it every year. One thing I question though, would soldiers really have that much affection for their old general, that they would take their families across country to help him save his hotel? A 2 star(major) general is in command of a division which has at least 10,000 men. What close relationship could he reasonable have with any of them? I could see if he was a captain in charge of a company of about 200 like say Captain Winters in Band of Brothers. I think the only reason he had to be a general was he had to be old and retired.

White Christmas is a staple in my house. As for the men, it’s specifically stated that there has to be enough guys in New England alone to fill the place for the event, enough to let him know that he’s not forgotten.

And given that Bob (Bing) was stated to be a captain maybe they came for his sake. So it all worked out.

Edited by Dandesun
  • Love 5

I just finished watching White Christmas this morning. I started a few nights ago but fell asleep. I try to watch it every year.

So other things I watched this year; Krampus, Black Christmas, A Very Brady Christmas, and yay! I got my DVD of Batman Returns to work last night. I didn't get everything watched that I wanted but I never do. I watched more this season than usual.

  • Love 2
16 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

I watched Falling for Christmas on Netflix, aka Lindsay Logan’s big return. She looks pretty good, considering everything. She looked happy to be working again. Maybe she’s finally got her act together.

Anyway, the movie itself was your typical Netflix Christmas movie: cute, if a bit cheesy and dumb.

I really hope she has.

  • Love 1

On Lifetime I caught Well Suited for Christmas (2022), which, thankfully, had zero triangle tropes, and was refreshingly diverse in the casting:

Quote

Sparks fly between a fashion designer and one of the city's most eligible bachelors as she creates a tuxedo for him for a Christmas gala.




Also on Lifetime: Santa Bootcamp (2022), with Rita Moreno:

Quote

Hired to stage the ultimate holiday gala, an event planner rediscovers the magic of Christmas while searching for the perfect Santa

Rita Moreno's wardrobe is fantastic!

  • Love 1
On 11/20/2022 at 7:15 AM, shapeshifter said:

On Lifetime I caught Well Suited for Christmas (2022), which, thankfully, had zero triangle tropes, and was refreshingly diverse in the casting:




Also on Lifetime: Santa Bootcamp (2022), with Rita Moreno:

Rita Moreno's wardrobe is fantastic!

I liked that movie more than I thought I would. I really liked Santa answering questions he gets a million times and his answers to them. He had some really good answers. Rita Moreno's wardrobe was the best. 

Edited by andromeda331
  • Love 1
On 11/13/2022 at 5:22 PM, Spartan Girl said:

I watched Falling for Christmas on Netflix, aka Lindsay Logan’s big return. She looks pretty good, considering everything. She looked happy to be working again. Maybe she’s finally got her act together.

Anyway, the movie itself was your typical Netflix Christmas movie: cute, if a bit cheesy and dumb.

Her last return was supposed to be her Liz and Dick Lifetime movie, but let's hope things stick this time. 

  • Love 1

I watched The Noel Diary on Netflix last weekend, well because I have been lusting after Justin Hartley since 2001, AND the female protagonist was a very beautiful black woman so had the cutest night bonnet* and wore her curls in a pineapple so I could pretend this was ME! (moving from my fantasies)

The storyline was simple, but the chemistry between them was OFF THE CHARTS, and Justin did well with the emotional nuance. We also had Essence Atkins in it, so it was a blast from the past. Its a good one- not a rom com, a straight drama.

*I dont wear a night bonnet but I didnt care I was pretending anyway. 

  • Like 1
  • Love 4

I almost wish that Home Alone’s big climax had ended with Kate arriving at the house to save Kevin from Harry and Marv instead of the old neighbor. It might have gone a long way to redeeming herself as a mother if she’d gotten to do more than just Karening her way to rush home. Or at least have her do that in the sequel. I’m sorry, but I don’t like that the McAllisters still never found out about Harry and Marv by then. 

  • Like 3

I’m sitting down to watch The Best Man Holiday- I did not see this one for the longest (my mom saw it in theatres when it came out but I didn’t), and I really love it. The soundtrack is amazing, it’s got humor, the holiday feels, the characters you love. Makes me excited for the mini series on Peacock (which I will start after New Year’s). 

  • Useful 1

We watched Spirited! last night on Apple+ TV and really enjoyed it.  It was a fun twist on A Christmas Carol and the music was catchy (if you liked the music in The Greatest Showman, it's the same writing team).  I normally pass on Will Ferrell movies because I don't like him much (UO: I didn't like Elf), but it was Ryan Reynolds and Octavia Spencer that made me give it a try.  I didn't mind Will in this at all.  It really put me in a good mood.

Edited by Shannon L.
  • Like 3
  • Useful 2
6 hours ago, Trini said:

Hotel for Holidays  (on Amazon) -- This was a little dumb and cheesy (even for a christmas rom-com) but I was mostly watching for Mena Massoud and his dimples so, it was fine.

This movie got a bit of discussion in the tv holiday movies thread- I agree. Mena was the high point. He should be doing some high budget netflix rom coms, something better than the one Lindsey Lohan did this year (oh that was disappointing). 

  • Like 4

I watched Scrooged again last night.  I still love it after all of these years.  I'm sure there were people out there who thought Carol Kane's Ghost of Christmas Present was annoying, but I just loved her quirkiness and simple joy of the season.  It still makes me laugh when she's inside the apartment window and jittery with excitement at the fun Grace's family is having and smacking Frank with her wings as he's trying to climb through.  And I love the sincerity with which she says "A Christmas party! I'm so glad I wore my pretty dress!" .  Her delivery is spot on.  The special effects, the make up, the writing, the acting--it's a wonderful movie.

  • Like 1
  • Love 4
On 12/24/2022 at 8:49 PM, Scarlett45 said:

The Muppet Christmas Carol is my most favorite Christmas film🥰🎄

One of the many little things I loved about was how Kermit and Miss Piggy absolutely nailed the quiet grief over losing Tiny Tim. Piggy is still Piggy, ready to get her bitch on at the drop of the hat, so to see her so vulnerable yet determined not to let herself fall to pieces for the sake of her family was a powerful moment.

Mickey’s Christmas Carol is my friend’s favorite version. I agree that it’s good, but this had to be the only version where Mrs. Cratchit/Minnie gets zero lines. I hated that; you can’t stiff Minnie out of dialogue! 

Edited by Spartan Girl
  • Like 4
3 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Mickey’s Christmas Carol is my friend’s favorite version. I agree that it’s good, but this had to be the only version where Mrs. Cratchit/Minnie gets zero lines. I hated that; you can’t stiff Minnie out of dialogue! 

I agree poor Minnie/Mrs. Cratchit got gypped in the characterization department, but I adore this special so damn much, I'm willing to let it go. This was the first with the late, great Wayne Allwine as Mickey, and he is so perfect (did y'all know he was married to Russi Taylor, the voice of Minnie?!). Mickey is a great Bob Cratchit for the same reason Kermit is: they're both lovable "every-men" who are pushovers, but without seeming pathetic.

Everything about Mickey's Christmas Carol just works: the animation, the lovely theme song, the smorgasbord of Disney characters in one setting (it sure was nice that the Big Bad Wolf and the 3 Little Pigs put aside their differences to sing carols together!), and how fun are the three Ghosts?! Jiminy Cricket is delightfully sassy as Christmas Past, and Willie the Giant is a hoot as Christmas Present (I love the Miyazaki-like part where he uses a lamppost as a flashlight). I know purists don't like it when Christmas Future gets dialogue, but Bad Pete (God, I miss when he was an antagonist) is so brutally effective! Heck, Goofy as Jacob Marley should be a terrible idea, but he's surprisingly well cast!

The humor is also brilliant, with too many quotable lines. This line always gives me a chuckle:

Cratchit: Oh, that Fred. Always so full of kindness.

Scrooge: Aye. He always was a little peculiar.

 

 

  • Like 6
  • Applause 1
20 minutes ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Everything about Mickey's Christmas Carol just works: the animation, the lovely theme song, the smorgasbord of Disney characters in one setting (it sure was nice that the Big Bad Wolf and the 3 Little Pigs put aside their differences to sing carols together!), and how fun are the three Ghosts?! Jiminy Cricket is delightfully sassy as Christmas Past, and Willie the Giant is a hoot as Christmas Present (I love the Miyazaki-like part where he uses a lamppost as a flashlight). I know purists don't like it when Christmas Future gets dialogue, but Bad Pete (God, I miss when he was an antagonist) is so brutally effective! Heck, Goofy as Jacob Marley should be a terrible idea, but he's surprisingly well cast!

 

All of this. It makes me so nostalgic, not just for Wayne Allwine’s Mickey, but for the original Disney 2-D animation.

Can I just say how effective how the scene with Mickey Cratchit at Tiny Tim’s grave was? No words, just him quietly weeping as he lays the crutch at the tombstone before mournfully walking away.

And YES, Bad Pete as the Ghost of Christmas Future was one of the best versions of the character ever. That whole sequence of Scrooge getting pushed into the fiery grave scared the hell out of me when I was a kid.

While on the subject of Disney, I do have a soft spot for Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas, another great showcase for Allwine and Taylor as Mickey and Minnie—God, I miss those versions of the characters.

Edited by Spartan Girl
  • Like 2
  • Love 1
7 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

Mickey’s Christmas Carol is my friend’s favorite version. I agree that it’s good, but this had to be the only version where Mrs. Cratchit/Minnie gets zero lines. I hated that; you can’t stiff Minnie out of dialogue! 

It's mine too. Probably because that was the first version I knew. Imagine, years later when I discovered Dickens' version, I was like "Wait a minute! I know this story from that old cartoon!"

  • Like 4
On 12/25/2022 at 6:45 AM, Scarlett45 said:

This movie got a bit of discussion in the tv holiday movies thread- I agree. Mena was the high point. He should be doing some high budget netflix rom coms, something better than the one Lindsey Lohan did this year (oh that was disappointing). 

He was in a Netflix romcom earlier this year called The Royal Treatment that was decent, if you ignore the terrible Brooklyn accents. He was charming as always.

  • Like 1

Some thoughts on Scrooge (1970)...

Mr. Fitch put it most succinctly: it suffers from being almost great, which is too bad, because Scrooge does have a lot going for it. It's certainly one of the prettiest adaptations of A Christmas Carol I've ever seen; the sets are lovely and there are good uses of color that I really appreciated (director Ronald Neame was also a cinematographer). The songs are decent (I do love that this movie has its own equivalent of "Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead"), but the music is absolutely breathtaking, among Leslie Bricusse's best (and he had a hell of resume). Scrooge also has one of the best Belles (called "Isabel" in the movie) I've ever seen, and we get to see more of her, which is refreshing. Suzanne Neve plays Isabel as a vivacious sort with a vibrant outlook on life, making her disillusionment with Scrooge understandable but still heartbreaking. Kenneth More is a scene-stealing delight as the Ghost of Christmas Present, who constantly insults Scrooge with gleeful aplomb. 

But the flaws in Scrooge are especially glaring, starting with Scrooge himself. Albert Finney was, at his best, a brilliant actor above and beyond reproach (please see 1983's The Dresser if you haven't already). At his worst, he was unforgivably hammy and self-indulgent, and that's unfortunately the Finney we get here. For starters, at 34, he's way too young to play Scrooge, and, while the old age makeup isn't bad, he plays him the way kids tend to mock old people. It has an air of parody that clashes with the tone of the movie. Worst of all? Finney cannot sing, and the movie screeches to an awkward halt whenever he does. 

Then there's Alec Guinness as Jacob Marley, which prompts me to ask... why?!?! Why did Neame direct him to play Marley as such a dull, prissy, mincing, un-scary loser?! How could one waste the talent of Alec Guinness, one of the greatest British actors who ever lived, the man who played 8 different characters in Kind Hearts and Coronets, freakin' Obi-Wan Kenobi?! Jacob Marley is the second best part in A Christmas Carol, how could they muff this so badly?!

I must say that Scrooge has one of the worst Tiny Tims I've ever seen. Richard Beaumont was a healthy-looking lad with perfect skin, gleaming white teeth, and sports what looks to be a $100 haircut. Yeah, that's definitely a kid who could keel over if dear old Dad doesn't get a raise!

So those are my inane thoughts, feel free to dispute them... or ignore 'em, I dunno.

  • Like 3
2 hours ago, Wiendish Fitch said:

Some thoughts on Scrooge (1970)...

Mr. Fitch put it most succinctly: it suffers from being almost great, which is too bad, because Scrooge does have a lot going for it. It's certainly one of the prettiest adaptations of A Christmas Carol I've ever seen; the sets are lovely and there are good uses of color that I really appreciated (director Ronald Neame was also a cinematographer). The songs are decent (I do love that this movie has its own equivalent of "Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead"), but the music is absolutely breathtaking, among Leslie Bricusse's best (and he had a hell of resume). Scrooge also has one of the best Belles (called "Isabel" in the movie) I've ever seen, and we get to see more of her, which is refreshing. Suzanne Neve plays Isabel as a vivacious sort with a vibrant outlook on life, making her disillusionment with Scrooge understandable but still heartbreaking. Kenneth More is a scene-stealing delight as the Ghost of Christmas Present, who constantly insults Scrooge with gleeful aplomb. 

Thank You Very Much, which even in isolation is a straight bop, wins major points given the irony of what they are celebrating.  It's hysterical.  But the rest has mostly washed out of my memory.  Now I kind of want to rewatch it.

 

  • Like 4
On 12/25/2022 at 9:46 AM, Shannon L. said:

I watched Scrooged again last night.  I still love it after all of these years.  I'm sure there were people out there who thought Carol Kane's Ghost of Christmas Present was annoying, but I just loved her quirkiness and simple joy of the season.  It still makes me laugh when she's inside the apartment window and jittery with excitement at the fun Grace's family is having and smacking Frank with her wings as he's trying to climb through.  And I love the sincerity with which she says "A Christmas party! I'm so glad I wore my pretty dress!" .  Her delivery is spot on.  The special effects, the make up, the writing, the acting--it's a wonderful movie.

That's my other favorite Christmas Carol. It's the best modern version of it. Frank is an asshole but his thawing was really good. I like the Ghost of Christmas Past certain he'll cry when he sees his mother and Frank insisting he won't. Of course he does. It's also kind of sad that the only family memories he can think of are all from TV shows. I love Grace and her family. They are all really great and so much fun. Calvin is so adorable as the Christmas tree. I like the Ghost of Christmas Present too. Smacking Frank and hitting him with the toaster. He really does need the message knocked into him. He didn't even know Grace's husband was dead. I like his brother, despite everything he still loves Frank. He doesn't even insult or make a joke about him like Scrooge's nephew sometimes does at his party. I like Frank's reaction to what could happen to Calvin and his reaction to the homeless man when he finds him dead. Wondering why he didn't stay with Claire because she would have helped him.  I like the first thing he does when he's scared is to call Claire. I really, really love his speech at the end. My favorite part is always how Christmas is the time we are the people we always hoped we would be. It's a great line and it's true.

 

  • Like 4

I finally watched Christmas Vacation pretty much in full this year with my boyfriend, and I pretty much hated it. Lol I had seen bits and pieces throughout the years, but never sat down to watch the whole thing. Now I know why ha. It just was not funny to me, and I couldn't stand Cousin Eddie. I would have thrown him out of my house. And I liked him fine in the other movies. But it was just too much here. It annoyed the heck out of me. 

  • Like 2
On 12/31/2022 at 8:42 PM, Scarlett45 said:

Single All the Way(Netflix) was so good I watched it twice this season! It hits all the rom com beats and has all the holiday feels. A strong supporting cast, gorgeous Luke MacFarlane AND the character of Nick wears his hair cap at home! I love it. 

I love this one.  i couldn't believe how good it was.  I think I saw it in 2021 when it came out.  I have been meaning to watch it again, especially now since Jennifer Coolidge is having a big renaissance. 

  • Like 2

Now that Thanksgiving is over, Christmas movies are “legal” in my house. We have our every year movies like ElfChristmas Vacation, Home Alone (1&2)A Christmas Story.

For me, personally, I always throw in some good old B&W classics:

The Man Who Came to Dinner: Just love this one. So witty and wacky. The romance angle for Bette Davis wasn’t particularly good (could they have found an actor with less personality to play with BD?). But the rest is gold.

Christmas in Connecticut: I am forever devoted to Barbara Stanwyck. Sure, some of it is off the wall and, while it’s better than in TMWCtD, I’m not so enamored with the romance. But I can’t get enough of Uncle Felix. Every time I make, eat or see pancakes, I think about “flip-flopping the flop-flips.”

Remember the Night: A less wacky BS movie and not Uber-Christmasy, but it’s cozy and touching and nostalgic and just all-around lovely. It’s notable for the ending, which isn’t traditionally “happy.” She and Fred MacMurray had wonderful chemistry here — worlds away from their more famous pairing in Double Indemnity!

  • Like 3

Since I'm sick and have apparently nothing better to do, I watched a second Christmas rom-com this year: Let it Snow. I don't know what I missed since it seems people like it, but I was bored all through it. It's like they tried to replicate Love Actually with all those interconnected storylines, but I couldn't find anything interesting about any of those characters. The pig was cute, that's about it.

  • Like 1

I found a Christmas movie on Amazon Prime that I hadn't heard of. It has a 2022 release date and Amazon wasn't listed among the production companies, so maybe it was a theatrical release. The movie is This is Christmas, and I found it really sweet and delightful. It scratches some of the Love Actually itches (London Christmas vibes, Christmas countdown, some voiceover, interconnected lives) but without the problematic relationships (dude, she just married your best friend, and no, you don't have to express every feeling).

A man (the guy who played Dean in the Harry Potter films) notices that he sees the same people every day on the train as they commute to and from London and impulsively invites them to a Christmas party, then has to pull together a party that he's not sure anyone will actually come to. There's a romantic plot involving the woman from the train who volunteers to help with the planning, and then there are some side stories with other people on the train who begin interacting, including a really lovely story involving Timothy Spall as a grumpy older guy who bonds with an awkward young man. There's a kind of "stone soup" element as they find the various resources and talents of the people on the train that all can be applied to the party.

In all, it's a heartwarming story that's mostly about community and connection. There is a tiny bit of the "it's not cheating if it's Christmas!" element (from the SNL skit about Hallmark movies) in the romance, but I think the fact that the romantic leads are both in relationships with other people is handled fairly well, as nothing much really happens, and the story is about them realizing they're not happy.

There's some minor "not for broadcast TV" language, but not really any kid-friendly content, so probably not something to watch with the family, but it's clean enough to be safe to watch with your parents/older relatives without squirming (unless they're homophobes or bigots, as there is LGBT representation and there are interracial relationships).

  • Like 4
  • Useful 1
4 hours ago, Shanna Marie said:

I found a Christmas movie on Amazon Prime that I hadn't heard of. It has a 2022 release date and Amazon wasn't listed among the production companies, so maybe it was a theatrical release.

The movie came out in the UK in 2022 but didn't hit Amazon until early 2023 so it missed a lot of the Christmas movie lists about what was coming out. I enjoyed it as well.

  • Useful 1

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...