I don't celebrate Christmas, but I always look forward to seeing Barbara Stanwyck in the original version of Christmas in Connecticut. She's fab. I love it when she does comedy. She's positively SAUCY.
But I have to say that Die Hard is probably my favorite Christmas movie of all time.
A Christmas Carol.
I like to see a new version every year. One day Oh HumBug will win!!
Die Hard; a christmas move? :laugh: :laugh: Oh Yea. ;) :icon_2gun:You are becoming the man of my dreams Arch :-*
BTW I thought DH4 was great.
Cindy
Post Merge: December 09, 2009, 02:23:45 AM
"A Christmas Carol" with Henry Winkler playing the part of a more contemporary
Scrooge. I also like the one with Patrick Stewart playing the classical role.
Come to think of it, I actually love just about every portrayal of the story.
Hi Hun,
The abilty to portray the same story has been a fascination. And obviously still is: to movie money people, and actors and I'm not sure why? I suppose it is a story of hope and redemption. Well obviously it is. But it also has cruel vs innocent, good vs bad. And no real baddies. Scrooge isn't ever betrayed as bad, just ignorant.
It is a very complex story that can be enjoyed from many levels; which BTW it is a well written story.
Love to hear professinal opinion.
Sorrry as ever for HJ the thread. (But I'm not doing either.)
has to be the classical grinch.
Quote from: Matilda on December 09, 2009, 04:03:28 AM
A Christmas Story and Christmas with the Kranks.
Haven't seen the latter, and I tried to watch the former and gave up after twenty minutes. I've heard so many people say that they love
A Christmas Story! I must be missing something. Can you tell me what you like about it? Should I have given it more time to grow on me? It's sure to pop up on TV in the next couple of weeks...
Post Merge: December 09, 2009, 02:24:35 AM
Quote from: LordKAT on December 09, 2009, 04:11:43 AM
has to be the classical grinch.
"You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch!" Yeah, love that one.
Post Merge: December 09, 2009, 03:26:09 AM
Quote from: CindyJames on December 09, 2009, 02:22:14 AM
Die Hard; a christmas move? :laugh: :laugh: Oh Yea. ;)
DH1 is pure fun any time of year.
Scrooge, the musical.....starring Albert Finney
"Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Muppet Christmas Carol"
A Christmas Story
It's A Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol with Patrick Stewart. :)
WHAT?!! No one mentions Home Alone? That has to be the best-- the christmas--...Oh, god, I can't even keep a straight face trying to type this!! :D :D
Maybe I shoulda put this one in the "worst christmas movies" category.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Because when he was good Chevy was excellent, and this is his best work. The jokes never get old.
Christmas Carol - I like the George C Scott one myself.
It's a Wonderful Life - why not? Besides I've always had a soft spot for Donna Reed. I think that only Frank Capra could have made this movie without getting too schmaltzy. The acting is, all of it, outstanding. And the screenplay dialog is very well written. So it brings you not just into the story, but particularly with Stewart (but everyone around him also) delivering what many people consider an outstanding milestone of acting on film. Stewart is as good as it gets here, as you don't just see every emotion on his face, and in his body, but in every inflection of every world until it resonates those emotions with your emotions. In very few movies do you really feel not just for the character, but with the character, like you do in IAWF.
And its not some (because Capra was pretty good) all will be well, light-hearted romp. The dark scenes are very dark indeed. And in some ways there is no vindication for evil either (Potter keeps the money, gaining the whole world and losing his soul). No colder world exists then the single line in Potterville: we serve hard drinks in here for men who want to get drunk fast.
It just would not seem like Christmas without it.
And read the Dickens, its a near perfectly written story, much better than any of the movies, which always want to make it about Christmas, then what it really is, a ghost story.
Well as a wiccan I don't really do xmas.
But I do like Miracle on 34th Street (either the 1947 version or the modern remake AKA The Santa Claus) either version always makes me cry like a baby.
Quote from: Arch on December 09, 2009, 02:09:53 AM
Barbara Stanwyck................ Christmas in Connecticut
I don't remember ever seeing "Big Valley" on Christmas Day...
Oooooh... the movie "Christmas in Connecticut"... never mind. :icon_redface:
Quote from: tekla on December 09, 2009, 12:17:35 PMwhat it really is, a ghost story.
Kinda fitting the whole virgin birth, heavenly host
appearing to the shepherds, guiding star thing and all.
:icon_chuckel:
A Christmas Carol starring Alistair Sims.
It's A Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart
Hugs and Love
Janet
There are so many versions of A Christmas Carol that I can't keep track of them all. I read the story so many times starting in childhood that I never wanted to see film versions. I've seen a couple, but they all run together in my mind. Maybe this year I should seek out a couple.
Not really a Christmas movie but every Christmas I watch A Year in Provence. Not sure why just do...
Andrew Myles
I still dig The Santa Clause, strangely enough, though I wouldn't consider it my favorite. My mainstays have always been Santa Claus: the Movie and Babes in Toyland (the 80s version). Can't get enough of them. Sadly, however, they're very hard to get ahold of on DVD. Oh, and Mixed Nuts. Nothing like incredibly dysfunctional people to get you in the mood for the holiday season. Especially with my family.
SD
Post Merge: December 09, 2009, 08:06:41 PM
I'm retarded... I forgot the old mainstay, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and The Family Stone. The latter echoes what I said about Mixed Nuts.
Forgive me, folks, for the random whatnot... it's finals week.
I really liked "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation."
Sure it's somewhat recent but I love it. I like it when Granny sends jello. Maybe I should be thoughtful and do that this year?
;D
Oldies but goodies:
White Christmas
Holiday Inn
Miracle on 34th Both versions
Its a Wonderful life
Trading Places ! and Elf
Jamie Lee
Muppet Christmas Carol
Babes In Toyland
That's all I can think of. There's not that many good Christmas movies imo, which is a shame because I love the season.
Quote from: Arch on December 09, 2009, 04:24:06 AM
I've heard so many people say that they love A Christmas Story! I must be missing something. Can you tell me what you like about it? Should I have given it more time to grow on me? It's sure to pop up on TV in the next couple of weeks...
A Christmas story. Well, it's funny and that's about it.
When it comes to A christmas story, I'm with Arch. To me, its not funny, just stupid. Stupid can be funny but that show don't got it.
I was forced to watch A Christmas Story last year after the people I was with had found out I had never seen it. It's not horrible, but its not a classic either.
A friend of mine insisted that I watch "A Christmas Story".
He built it up as the funniest thing since....whatever.
I sat there as he convulsed with fits of laughter, waiting for the funny,
which for me never came. A few days later I watched it again, by myself
thinking that I surely must have missed something but I still didn't get it.
Post Merge: December 10, 2009, 05:53:45 PM
I have always wanted to see the movie "Scrooged", staring Bill Murry.
The excepts that I have seen look funny. I have never had the opportunity
to watch it. Has anyone seen it? Was it worth searching out.
Quote from: heatherrose on December 10, 2009, 06:36:32 PM
I have always wanted to see the movie "Scrooged", staring Bill Murry.
The excepts that I have seen look funny. I have never had the opportunity
to watch it. Has anyone seen it? Was it worth searching out.
I haven't seen it, but now I'm curious. When Bill Murray gets a good part, he's terrific.
By the way, I like your new avatar pic, heatherrose.
I really liked Scrooged. If you are a "Christmas Carol" fan it's a goody.
Yes cute pic Heather rose.
Cindy
Yeah.. I like Die Hard, both the ones that happen 'round the holidays...
I'm heathen.. I usually end up rolling my eyes at the religious aspects of holiday movies.. especially when the movies suggest that the origin of holiday traditions are perfectly christian in origin...
...but Min, there was a Christmas Tree beside the manger.
It's where the Three Easter Bunnies laid their gifts of peeps.
Quote from: heatherrose on December 11, 2009, 06:49:22 AM
...but Min, there was a Christmas Tree beside the manger.
It's where the Three Easter Bunnies laid their gifts of peeps.
Don't forget that in the first place, Mary and Joseph went back to Bethlehem for the chocolate Santas.
I would like to recommend a little known movie from 2005 called Joyeux Noël. It is about the Christmas Truce in World War I when both sides put down their weapons, came out of their trenches, buried their dead and played football with each other. It almost ended the war.
Maggie
Quote from: Maggie Kay on December 11, 2009, 02:45:59 PM
I would like to recommend a little known movie from 2005 called Joyeux Noël. It is about the Christmas Truce in World War I when both sides put down their weapons, came out of their trenches, buried their dead and played football with each other. It almost ended the war.
I've wanted to see this ever since I first heard about it. Thanks for reminding me, Maggie!
Quote from: Maggie Kay on December 11, 2009, 02:45:59 PMwhen both sides put down their weapons,
came out of their trenches, buried their dead and played
football with each other. It almost ended the war.
A very powerful story.
The Generals were furious.
What if they threw a war and nobody came?
It is possible.
Quote from: Arch on December 11, 2009, 01:29:39 PMMary and Joseph went back to Bethlehem for the chocolate Santas.
:eusa_think: ...a preggers teenager, riding ninety plus miles through mountain passes on the back of
a donkey, in the dead of winter for a chocolate jones? A little unbelievable doncha think? :icon_confused2:
:icon_chuckel:
Nightmare before Christmas.
A little unbelievable doncha think?
Not at all, people were a lot tougher then. Try reading the story of Sacajawea sometime. She led Lewis and Clark west while pregnant, gave birth and brought them back with a babe in arms. Hell, had there been chocolate involved I'm sure she would have walked them all the way to DC.
Quote from: tekla on December 11, 2009, 10:25:20 PMTry reading the story of Sacajawea sometime.
Wasn't she the bare foot pregnant bitch that runned off with my next trailer neighbor's man?
All right, try the books on tape version then, none of that book larnin' in them tape cassettes.
I would rather read Seaman's autobiography.
It's all moot anyway, I'm going to put on a real Christmas Classic, Black Christmas with Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder and a pile of others. It's awesome, the original slasher movie made years before Halloween, which pretty much copies it.
Perhaps "Reindeer Slaughter House"?
They do slaughter reindeer, Ikea sells reindeer meet, nothing to get the Xmas spirit like munchin' down on a Prancer sandwich while Blitzer is over there steaming away in the crock pot.
Quote from: tekla on December 11, 2009, 11:46:55 PM
...munchin' down on a Prancer sandwich
On
PETA bread?
.bad santa.
Silent Night Deadly Night, (not to be confused with Silent Night, Bloody Night made about the same time) isn't bad, not as good as Black Christmas, but OK.
Quote from: heatherrose on December 11, 2009, 09:10:43 PM
:eusa_think: ...a preggers teenager, riding ninety plus miles through mountain passes on the back of
a donkey, in the dead of winter for a chocolate jones? A little unbelievable doncha think? :icon_confused2:
You've never gotten between a preggers girl and whatever she's craving have you?
Um... no, I like my members where they are...with one exception.
I would prefer that a professional alter that one.
Quote from: heatherrose on December 11, 2009, 09:10:43 PM
a preggers teenager, riding ninety plus miles through mountain passes on the back of
a donkey, in the dead of winter for a chocolate jones? A little unbelievable doncha think?
I didn't know Santa's last name was Jones...
Saint Claus Jones according to the gospel of Rumplestilskin.
as a fairy our main holiday this time of year is the Solstice (Yule in the N. hemisphere, Midsummer where I am) but fairies love to celebrate any holiday, or any day at all, really. My favorite all time Christmas movie has to be Elf, or any of The Santa Clause movies.
(Fairies are related to Santa you know, though the Elves claim that distinction you can't necessarily believe everything an elf tells you, they are very elf-centered.)
My understanding was that santa was a elf suffering from giangantism or some such. thats why the elves deny him but still help him.
Quote from: LordKAT on December 12, 2009, 05:51:51 PM
My understanding was that santa was a elf suffering from giangantism or some such. thats why the elves deny him but still help him.
So they nursed him back to good 'elf?
Its a Wonderful Life - with the original Miracle on 34th Street a close second.
I did it again...tried to watch A Christmas Story. Tried. I think I got all of half an hour in this time before I gave up. I forgot how much I hated the narration. And the movie generally.
Nope, not gonna happen. So I watched Barbara Stanwyck again. She was glorious. And Dennis Morgan wasn't so bad, either. ;)
Silver Bells (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Bells_%28film%29)
I'm not big on xmas or xmas movies I've seen a few but I watched this one with my mum, I think it was xmas day and I loved it!! wow!
I also saw Miracle on 34th the same day but I found it a bit ....cheesy... yet heart warming in an obvious way, like must xmas films lol!
Elf... get's me every time.