Tuesday, December 8, 2009

RI presents: 8 so-so to Great Christmas films


Well it's that time of year. Yep it's time to put up your tree, make some egg nog and watch sappy movie. It's Christmas. And what better way to spend an evening in December then.... reading a good book, playing an awesome videogame, watching a great Christmas special of your a TV series (This blog is not about that but here are some great recommendations anyway: The Office Christmas Special UK version, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia - A Very Sunny Christmas, Extras The Specials, and several Christmas episodes of The Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy, Futurama, Venture Bros., American Dad and Robot Chicken)

Also I guess you could watch a Christmas movie. Now in October I did the Halloween movie list and that was easy. There are lots of great scary films. But Christmas films is a lot harder. I could only come up with 8 and one of them is technically an episode of a TV show. There is a lot of crap Christmas films out there (A lot of them starring Tim Allen). So I could only come up with 8. But 8 is enough (:P). And they are good ones. Or average ones lets say that. Each entry will include a link on where to purchase or in a couple of cases watch them in their entirety. OK enough Jibber Jabber lets get into the list:

8. HOME ALONE (1990)
Directed by: Chris Columbus
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Candy, Cathrine O'Hara
Get the DVD: here

Damn I have not seen this film in well over a decade. This is one of those films I came up with when I was struggling to think of some titles. Yeah this film is alright. Quite comical. Gets a bit heart warming towards the end... I should point out this movie is about a kid that gets left at home when his family go holiday and some bumbling burglars try to rob his house on Christmas Eve but fail with humorous results. OK I'm done with this film. Moving on.....

IMDB Trivia um.. fact: There is a legend that Elvis Presley (who died in 1977) makes a cameo in this movie. Many of those who believe that Elvis is still alive maintain that, the heavily bearded man standing in the background of the scene where Mrs. MacCallister is shouting at the desk clerk (just before she meets John Candy) is Elvis.

7. Santa Claus Conquers The Martians (Mystery Science Theater 3000 Episode) (movie: 1964, MST3K: 1991)
Directed by: Nicholas Websters (movie), Jim Mallon (MST3K)
Starrinng: Movie: John Call, Leonard Hicks. MST3K: Joel Hodgeson, Trace Beaulieu, Kevin Murphy.
Watch it: here

Hooray for Sandy Claus! OK SCCTM is a terrible, terrible film from the 60's about a race of Martians who kidnap Santa Claus because the children of Mars are depressed and think that bringing Christmas to Mars might cheer them up a bit. The film is bad as said but it does have it's own charm. You can tell the people making it had fun. The Villain has some unintentionally funny lines.

Cut to 1991 on the Satellite of Love. Now if you not familiar with Mystery Science Theater 3000 I will let the link to this video explain (Explain Video). Well that saved some time ;).. Anyway this particular episode they have to watch SCCTM. And it's hilarious. As mentioned not really a movie. But I feel that it needs a place.

IMDB Fact: The movie ranks in the IMDB Bottom 100 films of all time list. At time I made this blog it was at: #77

6. Scrooged (1988)
Directed by: Richard Donner
Starring: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, Bobcat Goldthwait, Carol Kane, Robert Mitchum.
Get the DVD: here

Another film I have not seen in a while. A modern and humorous (well for 1988 anyway) retelling of the Charles Dicken's 'A Christmas Carol'. Bill Murray plays a TV network executive with a cold heart and only interested in TV ratings and revenue. You know the story he is visited by a ghost of an old partner (more of a Zombie in this film) who tells him that three spirits are going to set him right before it's too late.

Well worth a watch because it's very funny. Bill Murray is great as always. And it features what I think is the coolest looking Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come ever:


IMDB Trivia Fact: The late comedian Sam Kinison was originally slated to play the part of Eliot Loudermilk. The part eventually went to Bobcat Goldthwait due to his friendship with Bill Murray.

5. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Directed by: Brian Henson
Starring: Michael Caine, Kermit The Frog, Miss Piggy, The Great Gonzo, Rizo the Rat, Fozzy Bear, etc.
Get the DVD: here

Another film based on the Dickens classic. You want to hear about perfect casting. It's in this film. Michael Caine was born to play Ebeneezer Scrooge. And he ended up playing him in the Muppet version. But that's not a bad thing.

In my opinion this movie is the most entertaining of any movie or TV special based on 'A Christmas Carol'. It's also one of the most faithful adaptations minus the Muppet alterations. And of course it has that charming Muppet humor will know and love. The Disney Channel (Yes it's a Disney film) should play this film every Christmas,

IMDB Trivia Fact: Michael Caine considers the role of Scrooge to be one of his most memorable (to him) roles.

4. Bad Santa (2003)
Directed by: Terry Zwigoff
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Brett Kelly, Lauren Graham, Bernie Mac, John Ritter.
Get the DVD: here

Not all Christmas movies have to be friendly kiddie films. And this one of those Christmas films that proves that you can make a fun Christmas film aimed at an adult audience.

Thornton plays Willie an alcoholic, foul mouthed crook who come December dons a Santa suit to become a mall Santa Clause. Along with his Elf in crime on Christmas Eve they break into the mall's safe and steal the day's takings. And for the rest of the year they live off the profits from the crime.

During the coarse of the film Willie makes friends with a lonely and gullible child and decides to take advantage of him. See the kid does not have mother and his Dad is in prison so the kid just lives his senile grandmother in a big house. As you probably guess Willie grows fond of the kid and looks out for him.

A pretty good film. Probably my favorite Billy Bob Thornton performance.

IMDB Trivia Fact: Billy Bob Thornton admitted that he was genuinely intoxicated during the filming.

3. Miracle On 34th Street (1947)
Directed by: George Seaton
Starring: Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood.
Get the DVD: here

Look an actual Christmas movie that is considered a true classic. Have I gone mad. Maybe I should be put on trail.

OK the story of this film Macy's the big New York store hires a man named Kris Kringle to be the store's Santa Clause. A man that believes and may or may not be the actual Santa Clause. Many people think he is crazy but the store is getting some good profit and publicity from the guy some no one really complains. Well one guys does and has Kringle sent to the nut house. The film climaxes in court were a young lawyer tries to prove that Kringle is in fact Santa.

This film is a classic for many reasons. It's charming, it's warm, it's inspiring and it's funny. Honestly for a film made in the late 40s I actually got quite a few laughs from it. I also like it also sort of has a anti commercialism of Christmas message in it. Kringle is in town because he thinks people are forgetting what Christmas is about. Anyway great film.

IMDB Trivia Fact: Despite the fact that the film is set during Christmas, studio head Darryl F. Zanuck insisted that it be released in May because he argued that more people went to the movies during the summer. So the studio began scrambling to promote it while keeping the fact that it was a Christmas movie a secret.

2. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
Directed by: Frank Capra
Starring: James Stewart, Donna Weed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell, Henry Travers.
Watch It: here

Ever feel that you give so much and feel like your getting nothing in return? Well George Bailey did in this essential classic. Yes another true classic. A Wonderful film if you will...

Anyway George Bailey is guy with huge ambitions and the World at his feet. But he has to sacrifice those ambitions for the good of his family, friends and his home town of Bedford Falls. When things seemingly start to go wrong for him he decides maybe the World will better off without him. That's when a Galaxy and a Nebula (go with it) send down a Angel in training to try and convince Bailey not to do it and shows him a World if Bailey was never born.

The movie is in the public domain hence why you can watch it for free on the link above. I recommend if you have not seen it to click that link now and watch it. It will make you feel better about yourself. My only complaint is that the famous bell ringing scene at the end could of been a bit more subtle. Still a great film though.

IMDB Trivia Fact: Films made prior to this one used cornflakes painted white for the falling snow effect. Because the cornflakes were so loud, dialogue had to be dubbed in later. Frank Capra wanted to record the sound live, so a new snow effect was developed using foamite (a fire-fighting chemical) and soap and water. This mixture was then pumped at high pressure through a wind machine to create the silent, falling snow. 6000 gallons of the new snow were used in the film. The RKO Effects Department received a special award from the Motion Picture Academy for the development of the new film snow.

1. Christmas Vacation (1989)
Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Starring: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Randy Quaid.
Get the DVD: Here

Christmas is a time for happiness, family and get together. It is also a time when things just f*** up royally. And in this film anything that f***s up does.

The Griswold family are having the traditional family Christmas and nothing ever seems to go right. From getting the Christmas tree to cooking the Christmas turkey everything just goes wrong. One of the only things that goes right is the Christmas Lights that Clark Griswold covers every inch of his house in. Things explode, things catch fire, animals are on the loose, arguments happen, rednecks move in.

Not a Christmas goes buy without a viewing of this film. I love it. I can't give it justice give it a viewing. BTW stay well away from the sequel 'Uncle Eddie's Vacation' it will destroy your soul.

IMDB Trivia Fact: According to Randy Quaid, many of cousin Eddie's characteristics (most notably the clicking of the tongue) were based off a guy that Quaid knew from when he grew up in Texas years ago who had similar traits.

So that is my list. I hope you enjoyed reading it and I hope you check out the films I mentioned. I will just leave you with a Christmas Card from Cousin Eddy:


(Pictures from I-Mockery.com)

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