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Christmas Music Guru
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Date Posted:12/07/2009 07:26:42Copy HTML

Here is a thread for everyone to post their favorite holiday movies.


Here are my all-time Top Dozen:

  1)  A Christmas Carol: Scrooge/Director: Brian Desmond Hurst-1951
  2)  Miracle On 34th Street/Director: George Seaton-1947

  3)  White Christmas/Director: Michael Curtiz-1954

  4)  The Bishop’s Wife/Director: Henry Koster-1947

  5)  Holiday Inn/Director: Mark Sandrich-1942
  6)  The Homecoming/Director: Fielder Cook-1971

  7)  Holiday Affair/Director: Don Hartman-1949

  8)  The Shop Around The Corner/Director: Ernst Lubitsch-1940

  9)  Love Finds Andy Hardy/Director: George B. Seitz-1938

  10) We're No Angels/Director: Michael Curtiz-1955
  11) Christmas In Connecticut/Director: Peter Godfrey-1945

  12) The Man Who Came To Dinner/Director: William Keighley-1942


As a bonus, here are my Top 25 favorite regular movies of all-time (I just couldn't keep it at a dozen):


  1)  The Best Years Of Our Lives/Director: William Wyler-1946

  2)  The Grapes Of Wrath/Director: John Ford-1940

  3)  Casablanca/Director: Michael Curtiz-1942

  4)  Meet Me In St. Louis/Director: Vincente Minnelli-1944

  5)  Gone With The Wind/Director: Victor Fleming-1939

  6)  Since You Went Away/Director: John Cromwell-1944

  7)  You Can’t Take It With You/Director: Frank Capra-1938

  8)  To Have And Have Not/Director: Howard Hawks-1945

  9)  The Human Comedy/Director: Clarence Brown-1943
  10) Random Harvest/Director: Mervyn LeRoy-1942
  11) Pride And Prejudice/Director: Robert Z. Leonard-1940

  12) Bringing Up Baby/Director: Howard Hawks-1938
  13) The More The Merrier/Director: George Stevens-1943

  14) The Devil And Miss Jones/Director: Sam Wood-1941

  15) Arsenic And Old Lace/Director: Frank Capra-1944
  16) His Girl Friday/Director: Howard Hawks-1940

  17) The Ghost And Mrs. Muir/Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz-1947

  18) National Velvet/Director: Clarence Brown-1945
  19) Life With Father/Director: Michael Curtiz-1947

  20) Shane/Director: George Stevens-1953
  21) Good News/Director: Charles Walters-1947

  22) Witness For The Prosecution/Director: Billy Wilder-1957

  23) The Miracle Worker/Director: Arthur Penn-1962

  24) To Kill A Mockingbird/Director: Robert Mulligan-1962

  25) A Man For All Seasons/Director: Fred Zinnemann-1966



Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/07/2009 02:24:19Copy HTML

Hello everyone,

Wow, there are a lot of Christmas Movies I could add, but will only do a few here.  I found the year and director information for some on IMDB.com  But other information from my own collection.

1)    It's A Wonderful Life (1946) Directed by Frank Capra
2)    White Christmas (1954) Directed by Michael Curtiz
3)    The Lemon-Drop Kid (1951) Directed by Sidney Lanfield
4)    Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Directed by George Seaton
5)    Stalag-17 (1953) Directed by Billy Wilder (though not really a Christmas Movie, it took place on Christmas Eve.)
6)   J'ai rencontré le Père Noël aka Here Comes Santa Claus (1984) Directed by Christian Gion
7)    A Christmas Carol/Scrooge (1951) Directed by Brian Desmond Hurst
8)    The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story (1983) Directed by Delbert Mann  (This was filmed partly in my home town)
9)    It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (1984) Directed by Peter H. Hunt
10)  A Christmas Story (1983) Directed by Bob Clark (also know as Bob Clarke) not sure which is correct spelling
11)  Santa Claus The Movie (1985) Directed by Jeannot Szwarc
12)  Amahl and the Night Visitors (1963) Directed by Kirk Browning

There are so many more I could add.

Here are a few Classic/Sci-Fi/Horror Movies I love

1)   To Sir, with Love (1967) Sydney Poitier Directed by James Clavell
2)   Teenagers From Outer Space (1959) Directed by Tom Graeff
3)   The Crawling Eye (1958)  Forrest Tucker Directed by Quentin Lawrence
4)   Attack of the 50 Foot Woman (1958)  Allison Hayes Directed by Nathan Juran
5)   Hot Rods to Hell (1957) Dana Andrews Directed by John Brahm
6)  Earth vs The Flying Saucers (1956) Directed by Fred F. Sears
7)   Them (1954)  Edmund Gwenn Directed by Gordon Douglas
8)   The Tingler (1959) Vincent Price  Directed by William Castle
9)   Horror Hotel (1960) aka The City of the Dead Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey
10)  The Blob (1957) Paul Newman Directed by Irwin S. Yeaworth Jr./Russell S. Doughten Jr.
11)  It Came From Outer Space (1953) Directed by Jack Arnold
12)  The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962) Directed by Joseph Green
13)  The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) Directed by Robert Wise
14)  War of the Worlds (1953) Directed by Byron Haskin
15)  One Million Years BC (1966)  Raquel Welch Directed by Don Chaffe
16)  The Day the Earth Caught Fire (1961) Directed by Val Guest

There are several others but I don't want to take up the whole thread with just my favorite movies.
Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/07/2009 04:33:13Copy HTML


Susan,

Being a classic movie buff, I can definitely relate to what you said about how many more favorite movies you could add to your list. That is exactly why I stressed in my opening post on this thread the words
All-time Top 10 (or in the case of my regular movies, All-time
Top 12). Otherwise these posts could get way out of hand. So I'm very glad that you followed my lead and kept your list short by concentrating on your Ultra Top picks. And I ask that everyone who chooses to participate in this thread and post their favorite movies to please do the same.

I, myself, actually have over 150 
All-time
favorite movies that I have compiled over the years. And then there are many, many more beyond even that which I refer to as Preferred favorite movies. But for me to list them all just diminishes the greatness of the Ultra All-time Top favorites that I focused on in my post.

Thanks in advance for everyone's cooperation and I hope you enjoy this new thread.


Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/07/2009 06:52:18Copy HTML

Hi Chip,

You're welcome.  I could do the same for my Christmas and other record albums in my collection, but it would probably take more time to list them then to listen to them lol.

There are several Christmas Cartoons too that are high on my list.  Some that I taped off the TV several years ago and haven't been released on DVD or Video tape.  Alas, they also have commercials in them, but if I can still watch the cartoons from time to time, it's ok.

I hope other members will list some of their favorite Holiday Movies too.
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/09/2009 12:25:21Copy HTML

Just a reminder, a holiday movie that I "discovered" a while back comes on Sat. December 19, 8:00 P.M. on TCM,
The Man Who Came To Dinner, a delightful old 1942 black & white movie with a Christmas theme, starring Bette Davis & a host of stars.
Just in case anyone has been looking for this one, it only comes on a few times a year.
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/09/2009 08:18:11Copy HTML


Yes, 1942's The Man Who Came To Dinner is one of the great ones indeed. Ironically, the main star of the movie is the great character actor Monty Woolley, who is normally a supporting player; and Bette Davis, who is normally the main star in any of her movies, is actually in more of a supporting role. This classic movie also boasts one hell of a great supporting cast, including the always delightful Jimmy Durante, Ann Sheridan, Billie Burke, Mary Wickes, as well as another fine prolific character actor, Grant Mitchell.

Here's a great scene from the movie with Jimmy Durante and Mary Wickes where Banjo (Jimmy Durante's character) makes his unforgettable entrance:





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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/09/2009 10:42:10Copy HTML

Susan,

Ahh...a list after my own heart! If you are able to watch dvds from around the world, I'd like to recommend a recent German dvd of THE CRAWLING EYE from Anolis (many, many extras!). Also, the UK dvd from Optimum of ONE MILLION YEARS B.C. is about 9 minutes longer than the US dvd! It's cheap, check it out if it's one of your faves.

For me, there are too many movies for me to definitively list 10 faves. I can tell you all that the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD has been the most influential movie in my life and I continue to watch it a couple of times every year (which started when I was a kid...thanks, mom!). For Xmas movies, there are so many, but SCROOGE/A CHRISTMAS CAROL with Alistair Sim is right up there at the top (and that even goes over into the regular/non-holiday category).

Ben
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/10/2009 02:45:51Copy HTML


Ben,

First: Having a voluminous list of all-time favorite movies should not in any way whatsoever preclude one from listing their ultra Top 5 or Top 10 films. As I said, being a movie buff, I have a list of films exceeding 150 all-time favorites -- and even more beyond that which I refer to as 'preferred' favorites; so if I can narrow it down to a precious 10 or 12, believe me, anybody can.  

Second: Separating all-time favorite Christmas movies from regular movies does not mean to imply in any way that the Christmas films are not on your general list of all-time favorites as well; it's just simply a way to differentiate Christmas movies from regular movies, which is essential on this message board since its primary focus is Christmas. I can say categorically that for me personally, every single one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies is indeed included within my general list as well.


Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/10/2009 02:54:51Copy HTML

Hi Ben,

My first copy of "The Crawling Eye" was on a BETA tape when they first started coming out.  I may still have it in my collection.  Though I don't have the DVD immediately available for reference, it was identical to the BETA version.  I don't think there were any "Extras" on the DVD I have.

I believe I can watch DVD's from other regions on my portable DVD player, but not on the computer.  I have  "One Magic Christmas" (Walt Disney Studios) that I won from an online contest in the UK that is in "PAL" format and on the computer it only plays in B&W but on the portable, it plays in Color.  I do also have an "NTSC" version that will play in any of my DVD players.

It would be interesting to see the "Extra Features" on "The Crawling Eye".  I'll keep my eye out for it on eBay or something.

Chip, I totally agree with you.

"Separating all-time favorite Christmas movies from regular movies does not mean to imply in any way that the Christmas  films  are not on your general list of all-time favorites as well; it's just simply a way to differentiate Christmas movies from regular movies, which is essential on this message board since its primary focus is Christmas. I can say categorically that for me personally, every single one of my all-time favorite Christmas  movies  is indeed included within my general list as well."
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:06/22/2010 02:50:10Copy HTML

I love making lists, so I'll play.  My ten favorite Christmas films look like this....

01) Miracle On 34th Street (1947)
02) White Christmas (1954)
03) Santa and the Three Bears (1970?)
04) A Christmas Carol/Scrooge (1938)
05) A Christmas Carol/Scrooge (1951)
06) Home Alone
07) The Homecoming (1971)
08) Mr Magoo's Christmas Carol (Was this theatrically released?)
09) Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
10) Santa Claus (1959 or 1960)

Twelve of my favorite films...as mentioned by others I have hundreds, but to keep boredom to a minimum, I'll limit my numbers!

01) Where Eagles Dare (1968)
02) The Lost Continent (1968)
03) Rear Window (1954)
04) Them! (1954)
05) Berserk! (1968)
06) Thunderbirds Are Go! (1966)/Thunderbird 6 (1968)
07) Jaws (1975)
08) The Exorcist (1973)
09) The Mummy (1959)
10) (Horror of) Dracula (1958)
11) Suspiria
12) Gamera vs Jiger

Susan, awesome list of classic horror and sci-fi!  I'd also add, Hot Rods to Hell and Trog as well as One Million Years B.C. to mine and so many others.
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:06/22/2010 06:14:30Copy HTML


No Kimi, Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962) was not theatrically released; it was a made-for-TV production only.


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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:06/22/2010 10:53:54Copy HTML

Thanks for the info!  I think I should have known that, but I also thought I saw a poster for this some years back and thought it might have been theatrically released, too.
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:07/03/2010 02:29:56Copy HTML

Hi Chip!  Here are my faves!


Christmas Movies

1   Babes in Toyland (1934)
2   Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
3   Scrooge  (1951)
4   The Bishop's WIfe (1947)
5   Holiday Affair (1949)
6   White Christmas (1954)
7   Going My Way (1944)
8   Bells of St Mary's  (1945)
9   Holiday Inn (1942)
10 Scrooge (1970)  Sadly we just lost legendary Dir Ronald Neame

Honorable mention

11 A Christmas Carol (1938)
12 Die Hard (1988)  I know both strange picks for fave Christmas movies but both take place on Christmas Eve!!!
13 Die Hard 2 (1990)
14 It's a Wonderful Life (1947) Would be higher if it did not take so long to get to the ending where the Christmas stuff takes place, it is a wonder that George Bailey didn't try to end it all after the 4th or 5th reel he is a tortured soul for soooooooo long!     

Favorite Non Holiday Films


1  The Wizard of Oz (1939)
2  The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
3  The Farmer's Daughter (1947)
4  Spooks RUn WIld (1941)
5  Northwest Passage (1940)
6  The House On 92nd Street (1945)
7  Mary Poppins (1964)
8  The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
9  The Ghost Breakers (1940)
10 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
11 Easter Parade (1948)
12 King of Kings (1961)
13 The Robe and Demetrius and The Galdiators 2 for 1 as they were filmed back to back.
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:07/04/2010 02:52:43Copy HTML


Going My Way and The Bells of St. Mary's are great movies indeed. I didn't include them in my list of favorite holiday movies since only a small portion of each movie is dedicated to Christmas.

Perhaps we should create a new category of favorite movies with Christmas scenes!


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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:07/04/2010 07:45:43Copy HTML

Right you are Chip, we can include Babes in Toyland on that list too!!!!  I just have seen "Christmas in CT" the last two years as it was in the dvd set I bought and have thoroughly enjoyed it - although it misses being a "classic" holiday film for some reason!
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:10/13/2010 04:49:53Copy HTML

Happy birthday to the "Christmas Story" mom, Melinda Dillon!!
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:01/08/2011 01:51:36Copy HTML

 

 

1)                 Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

2)                 Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977)

3)                 Homecoming - A Christmas Story, The (1971) (TV)

4)                 A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965 - TV)

5)                 Frosty the Snowman (1969) (TV)

6)                 Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) (TV)

7)                 Year Without a Santa Claus, The (1974) (TV)

8)                 Twas The Night Before Christmas (1974) TV

9)                 A Very Brady Christmas (1988) TV

10)            Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970) (TV)

11)             

12)            A Christmas Story (1983)

13)            The Polar Express (2004)

14)            Christmas Carol, A (1984) (TV)

15)            Bells of St. Mary's, The (1945)

 

 

 

 

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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/20/2011 04:53:01Copy HTML


 My Top 12, not necessarily in order:


1. Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol (1962)

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

3. Borrowed Hearts (1997) -- Roma Downey, Eric McCormack, Hector Elizondo

4. Silent Night (2002) -- Wonderful true WWII story of German and American soldiers in the Ardennes

5. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

6. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

7. The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

8. The Christmas Box (1995) -- Richard Thomas stars in this lovely adaptation of the heartwarming bestseller

9. Remember the Night (1940) -- Barbara Stanwyck, Fred MacMurray

10. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

11. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)

12. A Christmas Memory (1966)  -- I haven't actually seen this but I had to include it, because it's an award-winning adaptation of Truman Capote's incredible piece.


~ Aanel
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:10/16/2012 02:03:39Copy HTML

Nothing different to add for me....I'll love pretty much anything Christmas (i even find myself watching some of those terrible ones on Lifetime).
I was surprised to see someone mention "It came upon a Midnight Clear". I loved that the few times they showed it back in the 80's.
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:10/16/2012 09:17:33Copy HTML

"It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" from 1984 has only been on TV a few times as far as I know.  But at least I was fortunate to Video Tape it when it first aired.  I don't think it is available on DVD, and I don't know if any of the Networks like Hallmark, Lifetime, Disney would be likely to show it so I am grateful that I do at least have it on Video Tape and I may have made a DVD out of it after editing out the commercials, but the quality got degraded though it is still watchable.  It's hard to believe it was 28 years ago already.
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/03/2012 06:36:32Copy HTML

Hello,

My Favorite Holiday Movies.

1. Scrooge: A Christmas Carol 1951
2. Miracle on 34th Street 1947
3. The Bishop's Wife 1947
4. A Christmas Story 1983
5. Holiday Inn 1943
6. Scrooge 1970
7. It's A Wonderful Life 1947
8. White Christmas 1954
9. A Christmas Carol 1938
10. Going My Way 1944

Honorable Mention
The Belles Of St. Mary's 1945
The Man In The Santa Claus Suit 1979
Christmas In Connecticut 1945
Ernest Saves Christmas 1988
Meet Me In St. Louis 1944
Beyond Tomorrow 1940

Jim

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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/03/2012 10:33:31Copy HTML


Welcome to the message board, Jim.



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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/06/2012 09:37:17Copy HTML

While not exactly a fully joyous movie, I'd like to recommend Ingmar Bergman's Fanny & Alexander. The first hour or so is essentially the family's prep and Xmas celebration. Yes, it becomes rather depressing for the second half or so, but the journey is very worthwhile. Wouldn't be a Bergman movie without both ends of the emotional spectrum, anyhow. :D
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/10/2013 06:27:51Copy HTML

How sad is it that I had to go halfway down this thread to see A Christmas Story mentioned?  Is it because it's overexposed now?  Because it's not from the "classic" era of filmmaking?
Christmas is Christmas all over the world!
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/11/2013 06:33:35Copy HTML

James,
This is just my opinion, even though it was made in 1983, It takes place in the 1940's, so I consider it a Classic Christmas movie.  I don't know why it is halfway through the thread, but for me because it takes place in that era, I feel it is a Classic Christmas movie and if I didn't know it was filmed in 1983, I would believe it was authentic.  They even used a lot of vintage props from the 1940's and that just added to the authenticity of the movie for me.

I am upset though because they made a sequel for it, and it is far to long after, and only takes place a few years later in the story line and somehow, the Leg Lamp is miraculously restored, even after the "Old Man" buried it in the back yard.  I don't know why they couldn't just leave it alone.  It doesn't make sense because they can't even use the same actors/actresses, especially Darren McGavin is deceased.  The great Bob Clark, sadly was killed in an automobile accident, so it doesn't have his special take on the sequel.

Even if Darren McGavin was alive, he and Melinda Dillon would be way too old to play the parents and it just wouldn't have the same feel as the original.

I haven't seen the sequel, nor do I care to.  It just wouldn't make sense after 29 years to make a sequel that only takes place a couple years after the original.

I know in other discussion groups I belong to, several people feel the same way I do.  The sequel is way too long apart from the original and it just ruins the it for the original movie.
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/11/2013 06:48:57Copy HTML

Without going too off topic, Susan, I think it would've made a lot more sense to have it take place in a more modern era, centered around a different family. Something that tries to carry the same sense of nostalgia and hilarity, without having to revisit old material. However, if they could use the same house for the film, and a new family was living there, I think a scene in which someone accidentally uncovered the  "lamp's tomb" would've been a great little homage.
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/11/2013 10:12:22Copy HTML


I totally agree.  It's just that sometimes I get a sense from some members here that it had to be made before the '80s (70s?)  to be considered really "great" or even "good."  I may have a soft spot for the decade I grew up in, but the '80s did have a lot of "classic element" in its movies and TV, and the presentation therein.  Maybe it was helped by the last of the '70s living on in that decade!

Yes, the sequel was a waste of time, but some fellow did a really good write-up on it, I hear...just Google "Blog of Doom" and "Christmas Story 2" ;-) ;-)   I don't know if the movie taking place anytime would help.  You just can't live up to Jean Shepherd's and Bob Clark's original work (I am sure Bob is rolling in his grave over the sequel...then again, he DID think Baby Geniuses was a good idea...).  Though as a kid, I actually wrote a scene for an imaginary ACS2 where Ralphie's kid says the F dash dash dash word, and then him and Randy remember the time that he said it...

To be fair, they did explain how the leg lamp returned...Ralphie just bought a new one for the Old Man.  That's one rare bit of logic I'll admit they used. 

 

Christmas is Christmas all over the world!
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/12/2013 01:00:26Copy HTML


James,

If you got that sense from some of the members here, then you are dead-on correct. Because the unequivocal fact of the matter is that with very, very few exceptions, the movies following Hollywood's Golden Age cannot in any way shape or form compare the movies that came later. And this couldn't be any more true that with Christmas movies, with A Christmas Story being a rare exception.

There is a reason why that time period of yesteryear is referred to as Hollywood's Golden Age. It's a reputation that wasn't earned for nothing. And with the demise of the Studio System, it's an era that will never be repeated.


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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/12/2013 02:53:56Copy HTML

Very well said Chip,
I couldn't agree more, and "A Christmas Story" is indeed the exception, but "Hollywood's Golden Age" and  with the Christmas movies cannot compare to movies that came later.
Christmas Isn't Just A Day In December, It's A Way Of Life. Susan
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/12/2013 09:20:59Copy HTML

There's a COUPLE more from the modern age that I think deserve merit.

1. Santa Claus the Movie. For some reason, hardly anybody I've ever met actually likes this film. The storyline likes to shift between immersive and campy at a moment's notice. One minute you're in the splendor of the North Pole, and the next, you're caught in a diabolical plot with a Lex Luthor clone (and his plan to take over Christmas involves a vehicle that uses the same sound effects pack as the "megacomputer" from Superman 3). But dang, a lot of love was put into this film. From the moment the first title appears on the screen in pixie dust sparkles while simple bells are played in the background, something feels uniquely special. The sets, costumes, and matte paintings are beautiful, and I don't think I've ever seen a better vision of the North Pole workshop. The fact that some things don't look ultra-realistic by today's standards only helps to enhance the dream-like quality that the director seemed to be going for. Even the lack of CGI effects on things like the veil of light that the reindeer run on, makes everything feel more warm and organic.

2. Home Alone (don't shoot me). Too much pop-culture? Maybe. But you can't ignore the things that this film does well, and I think it even may be intentionally borrowing a few elements from A Christmas Story. I can't ignore the fact that Kevin greets a couple of robbers invading his home with a BB gun, or the family life in his home that borders on the bizarre. And, even not being a Christmas Movie, Home Alone miraculously took the extinct tradition of slapstick comedy, and turned it into a modern blockbuster hit.

3. The Grinch. Yeah, I was VERY skeptical when this came out and didn't want to touch it with a ten-foot pole. It wasn't until my wife introduced it to me years later that I finally saw it. I don't know if their vision of Whoville is what Seuss would have envisioned for a live action film, but it doesn't seem to matter. Jim Carrey may be the only reason this film works, but given that he's the key to the whole story, that's not necessarily a bad thing. My main gripe about the film is that it gets oversexulized at certain moments to the point of feeling cringeworthy. But the dynamic of Cindy Lou and the Grinch trying to find the true meaning of Christmas; two souls at opposite ends of the social spectrum, both trapped in a maze of greed and avarice, is just wonderful. The Grinch's moment of redemption always makes me cry if I let it.

4. The Santa Clause. Please don't shoot me. One of the things that has had to happen with modern films, is the acceptance that broken families are now a part of everyday life. I'm sure a lot of folks cringe at the idea of Santa being divorced with a kid. But it's not as if it happened while he was Santa, and it wouldn't be the first time that a quasi-Dr. Who solution to a character being hundreds of years old was applied to Santa Claus (see Ernest Saves Christmas). Somehow, this relatively recent Disney film managed to convey elements of faith in a way that few other films ever have. Between all the instances of chaotic humor, it has some very touching moments. Sadly, this film has been watered down by its sequels, which managed to decrease in quality as films like this often do.

5. As alluded to a moment ago: Ernest Saves Christmas. Wait... there's people who don't like this movie? Silly, awkward, bizarre, but still touching and nostalgic. If it were a standalone film and nobody knew who Jim Varney was, I think this would rank right up there with A Christmas Story.
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/13/2013 04:16:53Copy HTML

You won't find anyone who loves classic film more than me (when I finish up here, I'm going to go watch a Silent!)
But we have to be fair.

#1. Winter is right just above: there ARE still good films being made - even good Christmas films. To his list, and Chip's mention of CHRISTMAS STORY, I'd add the Scott version of CHRISTMAS CAROL, which I think ranks with the best.

#2. Hollywood produced TONS of movies in the old days - we just don't recall the drek! The precentage of crap vs. gold never changes much (Google "Sturgeon's Law"), it's just that MUCH fewer films are produced nowadays.

Merriest,
-Craig
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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/13/2013 05:42:18Copy HTML


I am being quite fair. And I didn't say there weren't some good films being made; but like I said, they are rare and still none of them compare to the classic films of yesteryear.

And yes, there were many subpar films made in Hollywood's Golden Age; however, even most of those films were better that what passes for entertainment today. The humanity has gone out of films today.

We'll just have to agree to disagree here, because I'm going to nip this in the bud before it get started, as I started this thread for folks to post their favorite holiday movies, not to debate people's choices or opinions. I only jumped into the fray here because I needed to respond to James' opening remark in his post of December 11th.


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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/22/2020 06:35:06Copy HTML

While it might not be a "Christmas movie" in the strictest sense of the term, I make a point of watching Billy Wilder's The Apartment every year between Christmas and New Year's.



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Re:Favorite Holiday Movies

Date Posted:12/23/2020 07:12:02Copy HTML

Motown Mike, "The Apartment" is a great film no matter what time of year you watch it.  It does take place during the Christmas season of 1959.  One scene that stands out for me is the one where Fred MacMurray is in the living room of his home playing with his sons on Christmas morning.  The boy got a brand new Remco Yankee Doodle for Christmas.  I also got a Yankee Doodle for Christmas 1959.  Can't forget Jack Lemmon's opening narration where he says his salary is about $4,000 a year, IINM.  The rent for his Manhattan apartment is $85 a month!  Imagine that!  What can you get for $85 a month in Manhattan, even in these pandemic times?  Probably not even storage!


Always loved Ferrante & Teicher's "Theme From The Apartment", which was a top 40 hit in 1960.  It wasn't included in the film, though you heard the melody played by orchestra several times.

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