Christmas Films

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12351

What should we watch this Christmas?

Inspired by the movie thread, tell us the films you just have to watch each year, or that others should watch for the first time and why.

This year I'm going to watch Ernest Saves Christmas with Mimi for the first time (and the first time for either of us since we were children). I remember it having some awful Ernest bits in, but also some great, heart-warming story bits where a regular guy off the street is slowly groomed as the new Father Christmas.

Grim... · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:09

End of Watch is my go-to film to recommend to people, as hardly anyone seems to have seen it. Also: Project X.

If they absolutely have to involve Christmas somehow, Trading Places, The Shop Around the Corner, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang or Arthur Christmas.

Mimi · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 26218

Muppets Christmas Carol
Scrooged
National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

The same as every year :DD

And yes, Christmas films should have some kind of Christmas element to them I think.

LewieP · **Joined:** 29th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 7600

LewieP wrote:

Reminder of the best Christmas movies: Jingle All The Way, Bad Santa, Scrooged, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, In Bruges, Brazil, Die Hard.

Honourable mention for Blackadder's Christmas Carol.

zaphod79 · **Joined:** 16th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 14522

Each December we normally churn through a lot of the crappy hallmark films - some of these are so terrible but because they are sorta Christmasy they work.

Mrs Z really likes the 'Mrs Miracle' ones

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1431115/?ref_=nv_sr_1
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1708459/?ref_=tt_rec_tt

The second one has Jewel Staite

Christmas eve is reserved for "The Polar Express" and normally the day before that for "The Muppets Christmas Carol"

Grim... · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:22

Ooh, don't forget Love Actually!

Grim... · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:22

zaphod79 wrote:

The second one has Jewel Staite

And Ray's mum!

Trooper · **Joined:** 4th Mar, 2010 **Posts:** 22405

myp · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:25

The Virgin Mimi wrote:

Muppets Christmas Carol

Yeah, I can't really watch this one anymore.

Curiosity · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:26

Grim-beard... the noisy wrote:

Ooh, don't forget Love Actually!

No, do.

MaliA · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:28

Curiositree wrote:

Grim-beard... the noisy wrote:

Ooh, don't forget Love Actually!

No, do.

I have never seen that

Grim... · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:31

Curiositree wrote:

Grim-beard... the noisy wrote:

Ooh, don't forget Love Actually!

No, do.

YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH

Mr Dave · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:34

Do they still show Flight of the Navigator every year?

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49252

Curiositree wrote:

Grim-beard... the noisy wrote:

Ooh, don't forget Love Actually!

No, do.

Shut up it's lovely.

Malc · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:37

Compliance

Grim... · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:39

Cap'n Gingerbeard wrote:

Curiositree wrote:

Grim-beard... the noisy wrote:

Ooh, don't forget Love Actually!

No, do.

Shut up it's lovely.

And Kiera Knightly just looks so fucking... She's just so... Gah...

I'll be in my bunk.

TheVision · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:41

Gremlins is my Christmas film.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49252

Grim-beard... the noisy wrote:

And Kiera Knightly just looks so fucking... She's just so... Gah...

MaliA · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:46

Cap'n Gingerbeard wrote:

Grim-beard... the noisy wrote:

And Kiera Knightly just looks so fucking... She's just so... Gah...

She is lovely in Never Let Me Go. But not as nice as Sienna Miller in Stardust.

markg · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 16657

Anyone remember The Christmas Martian? I'm sure it used to get shown in about 1980 or so usually a few days before Christmas.

In case you haven't seen it it's all on YouTube here:

I'd highly recommend not watching it. But at least it's actually a Christmas film and not just anything set in December that might have a Christmas tree in the background somewhere.

DBSnappa · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 12:50

It's a Wonderful Life
Love, Actually, I've seen it so many times now I can't remember why it's rubbish.
Die Hard

There are many more. When I was a kid the film that seemed to be on every year was The Wizard of Oz

Bamba · **Joined:** 25th Jul, 2010 **Posts:** 11128

As part of my present to my niece this year is the entire second cycle of Marvel films I'm hoping to watch one of those with my family on Christmas day. That probably won't happen though and we'll end up watching whatever shite people seem to think passes for entertainment on TV these days, like fucking Eastenders or something.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49252

For some reason I'd decided that Love, Honour, and Obey was a Christmas film, but actually I don't think it's got any Christmas connection whatsoever. However, while investigating I came across the rotten tomatoes entry for it:

Attachment:

rt.JPG

I think that has to be the greatest split between audience reviews and critics reviews I've ever seen.

Go watch Love, Honour, and Obey - it's great.

Dr Zoidberg · **Joined:** 15th Oct, 2010 **Posts:** 5467

Not a film, but we do have to watch some of the Christmas Big Bang Theory episodes.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1256021/

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 13:22

I like Home Alone and HA 2.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 13:36

Muppets Christmas Carol
Love Actually
Miracle on 34th Street
Its a wonderful life

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38700

Scrooged, Muppets, The Grinch (the 60s cartoon, not the ropey Jim Carrey version), Die Hard, Jim Henson's The Christmas Toy, Elf, Arthur Christmas

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49252

OH HI DAVPAZ

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38700

I was expecting it in the Mafia Thread, to be honest. Sorry, chaps.

Cras · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 49252

Agent Starling · **Joined:** 8th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 1701

Hogfather

A Christmas Story

While You Were Sleeping

Lost Christmas

The reason I've chucked in links to the above is 'cos I'm thinking there will be maybe two there that are not well known enough, and should be (specifically A Christmas Story & Lost Christmas).

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38700

Agent Starling wrote:

A Christmas Story

You'll shoot your eye out!

Morte · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 14:09

"You'll have someone's eye out"

A Christmas Story is excellent...

Morte · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 14:10

Agent Starling · **Joined:** 8th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 1701

Yep - love it to bits! Possibly my bestest ever Chrimbo film, and a must-see for Christmas Eve.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38700

Morte wrote:

SNAP

O/

myp · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 14:18

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

Morte · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 14:21

...the MST3K version

NervousPete · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 18:30

There's the good old staples of It's a Wonderful Life, Gremlins and Scrooge (Alistair Sims version) I'd recommend as usual, though I am giving Scrooge a rest this year.

But one you might not have seen is, 'The Shop Around the Corner', which is a Margaret Sullivan and James Stewart vehicle directed by Ernst Lubitsch. It's one of those films that's clearly based on a play, and it's basically a will-they/won't-they romance as perky, driven and tactless Margaret Sullivan gets a job at a department store on the whim of the manager, and quickly builds an antagonistic working relationship with old hand James Stewart whose blunt advice offends his boss. (The boss played by the same dude who plays the Great and Powerful Oz, btw.) It all takes place in the run-up to Christmas as the sales staff desperately pray and hustle for a good, honest Christmas rush - otherwise they're all out on the street.

It's a film that much like It's a Wonderful Life is all whimsy and fun on the surface, but has a dark, fearful streak within. For all their mutual arrogance both leads are terrified at the prospect of losing their jobs in a wintry, depression hit Budapest, and the film takes a wry look at work-place politics and and winds up going some fairly dark places with the plot revolving around the manager. Ultimately however the film proves heart-warming, with the shop-keeping family rallying around, and it has one of the best comeuppance scenes in cinema history as a real crawling, devious sleeze who redefines the word 'unctuous' gets what's coming to him. (Helped by the sheer villainous relish the actor Joseph Schildkraut brings to the role.) It's a lovely black and white film and in its stagey manner really evokes the feeling of being someplace warm and cosy inside, a little island of light in a cold, dark winter. Very much recommended if you're bored of the same old rotation of Christmas films, and some great character actors doing their schtick. Even if it is impossible to buy the superb James Stewart as a Hungarian, who, mercifully, sticks solidly to his regular, 'Wa'aaall I wouldn't know about that' voice.

It's full of nice people doing nice things for other people to help them when they're down, which I always approve of and never happens enough in films too. Available on DVD, btw!

Morte · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2015 18:37

The Shop Round the Corner is excellent...remade as "You've Got Mail", don't watch that...watch the original.

asfish · **Joined:** 5th Dec, 2010 **Posts:** 3353

Christmas Day will be a battle, the brother in law and I will want a big Marvel type film, whilst the sister in law will try for some German or French "Art Film" with subtitles

The casting vote will be from my wife (hers appears to count double when she wants it to) guess she will go for the Art film

Pisses me off and I win every other year, Christmas Day is all about a big film for me.

Bamba · **Joined:** 25th Jul, 2010 **Posts:** 11128

asfish wrote:

Christmas Day will be a battle, the brother in law and I will want a big Marvel type film, whilst the sister in law will try for some German or French "Art Film" with subtitles

The casting vote will be from my wife (hers appears to count double when she wants it to) guess she will go for the Art film

Pisses me off and I win every other year, Christmas Day is all about a big film for me.

If only an entire day was long enough to watch two whole films. Curse these incredibly short days we have to suffer.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Tue Dec 08, 2015 21:59

Luckily my son is marvel mad. So will watch loads.

Malc · **Posted:** Tue Dec 08, 2015 22:13

Speaking of Marvel films. Was really hoping to get the phase 2 boxset as a gift "for the kids" much like I got the phase 1 boxset in 2012. I can only see the really super expensive US version mentioned anyway. Have I missed something that says they are not doing it this time?

I thought they would do it after Antman was out on bluray, but apparently not.

BertyBasset · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 334

BAD SANTA is probably my favourite Xmas film.

Possibly not quite as "wholseome" and "family friendly" as other recommendations though.....

MrChris · **Joined:** 1st Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 30498

Man, Hogfather is my"must read every Christmas" book, and I'm going to start reading it to the kids this year. I will definitely give them a go with the screen adaptation as well.

asfish · **Joined:** 5th Dec, 2010 **Posts:** 3353

Quote:

If only an entire day was long enough to watch two whole films. Curse these incredibly short days we have to suffer

It will be like every other day I have off, all day doing my sons bidding plus making Xmas dinner and lucky if we sit down to TV by 8pm. So yes time for one film!

NervousPete · **Posted:** Wed Dec 09, 2015 16:51

asfish wrote:

Christmas Day will be a battle, the brother in law and I will want a big Marvel type film, whilst the sister in law will try for some German or French "Art Film" with subtitles

The casting vote will be from my wife (hers appears to count double when she wants it to) guess she will go for the Art film

Pisses me off and I win every other year, Christmas Day is all about a big film for me.

Compromise and watch a Marvel film with the German dub, with subtitles!

Bobbyaro · **Joined:** 18th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 11915

Just in case you don't know, there is a Christmas film channel on freeview.
http://www.freeview.co.uk/whats-on/chan ... -christmas
Sure it is mostly tat on, but so are all they're films listed in this thread.

DavPaz · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 38700

Was anyone else aware of the existence of A Christmas Story 2?

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Christmas Films

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