BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIES
OK, this is just a short list, but if you wanna add some or give funny quotes, rock on.
Best Christmas Movies, serious or funny.....
10. White Christmas- nothing says Merry Christmas like Bing and Danny singing White Christmas and of course doing the Rosemary Clooney song Sisters. Funny stuff, for vintage movie.
9. Lethal Weapon- it's set during Christmas. Also, Mel Gibson's character, Martin Riggs starts out suicidal during Christmas time and ends on Christmas going to dinner with his partner and best friend. Character recclaims humanity during extraneous circumstances....
8. Christmas Carol- two versions, one with Alistair Sim and a young Patrick MacNee (the Avengers) very good, black and white, 1951. Another, just as good, 1984 TV version with George C Scott as Scrooge, David Warner as Cratchitt, and Edward Woodward (The Equalizer and Churchill The Wilderness Years) as The Ghost of Christmas Present. Who do you think would be a good Scrooge if they tried another retelling? My money's on Anthony Hopkins or Sir Ian McKellan.
7. Trading Places- Dan Akroyd is a commodities trader framed for embezzlement and drug dealing, while Eddie Murphy is a vagrant whom Akroyd wanted arrested for "attempting to rob him." How? Well, two old rich guys(Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy) switch Eddie with Dan, and the vagrant is now a rich man, with street smarts, and Akroyd is now the poor man clueless to the blue collar world. It's a bet on an experiment in what will overtake a man, hereditary versus good environment. It's set around Christmas time, and in fact has a hilarious Christmas scene or two. Now vagrant Dan Akroyd is seen staggering to a bus, drunk, and when Eddie yells out to him, he just growls loudly.....Jamie Lee Curtis is in this as Akroyd's lady of the night friend, who albeit a member of the oldest profession, helps Akroyd stay alive and helps he and Eddie get even with the old rich guys, bankrupt them, and take their fortune back. Another scene, Christmas morning, Eddie is being strangled by Akroyd, and he's groaning- "IT was the Dukes! It was the Dukes!"
6. Bad Santa- so wrong, so raunchy, but so funny. Billy Bob Thornton plays the perfect reprehensible Santa, who eventually does some good in his life. John Ritter's last film. See Santa beat a hood kid. See Santa in a hot tub with a chick he just met at the local bar. See Santa and his surly little black midget rob a department store. And see Santa do all other bad things.....
5. Scrooged- Bill Murray, Alfre Woodard, the late Robert Mitchum, John Houseman, and Buddy Hackett (good cameos by the last 3 deceased actors) in a modern and comedic retelling of A Christmas Carol. The ghosts are worth the watch, The Ghost of Christmas Past- wisecracking NYC Cabbie, Christmas Present- a nutcracking sugarplum fairy played by Carol Cane, and Christmas Future- silent and very dark Grim Reaper- provides the film's darker moments and re-awakening of Murray's character to life and all it means. And another plus Bobcat Golthwait going disgruntled during a live telecast at Murray's TV network.
4. The Ref- Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey are taken hostage by burglar Denis Leary. Their family is so dysfunctional and irritating, that Leary contemplates suicide, but works out a hilarious escape, with the help of the bickering husband and wife, Kev and Judy. Leary has great rants, Spacey goes off, and Judy Davis does very well. Funny film, albeit twisted.
3. TIE- Die Hard/Die Hard 2. Die Hard- the first one, still the best. Alan Rickman, great as a terrorist, his first American film, and no doubt an intro to Mr. Rickman's wide array of acting- comedic (if not by accident) to dead serious as Hans, the terrorist. Bruce and his wife are separated, but low and behold what the events bring. Die Hard 2- how can the same sh-t happen to the same guy twice? Good question, too bad the terrorists get wasting in a more gruesome(icesicle to one's eyeball) or spectacular(airport terminal shootout, plane detonated in midair) manner. Yippykayae and Merry Christmas, Misterfarmer(edited version with cheesy voice).
2. It's A Wonderful Life- the classic 1946 Frank Capra masterpiece. Jimmy Stewart as frustrated yet blessed everyman George Bailey. Donna Reed as his devoted wife Mary, and of course let's not forget Clarence the Angel, brother Harry, Uncle Billy, Mister Potter, and Heehaw Sam Wainright. Great film on retrospect, and what if life had not been. Overtly Christian. None will ever be made like this, ever again. Don't any of you hacks dare remake this classic! Colorization was bad enough. Let It's a Wonderful life be.
1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation- nothing says Merry Frickin Christmas like Clark Griswold causing brownouts with his lights. Putting a 20 foot high tree in his 10 foot high living room. And of course, an asshole in a bathrobe emptying his chemical toilet into a sewer. Merry Christmas, shitter's full! Oh and let's not forget the neighbors getting jumped by a SWAT Team, Clark commenting on how nipply it is outside, and of course Aunt Bethany reciting grace, I pledge of allegiance, to the flag. However, in the end there's a Christmas star, with flying reindeer, and the sewer exploding from the chemical toilet stuff coming into contact with a match. BOOM! That's a good movie there!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all of you.
Oh, and here's some good Christmas TV Specials.
-Charlie Brown Christmas
-Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
-Family Guy Merry Freakin Christmas Special- Hey wanna lemon sno cone? No thanks guys, the last one you gave me didn't taste like lemon, it tasted like, oh you guys are asses!
-Simpsons Xmas Special- Jingle Bells, Batman Smells
-Saturday Night Live Xmas Past- see Santi-Wrap, Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood with Eddie Murphy (And I am so glad Christmas is the time of giving. And look what Mr. Landlord gave me. It's an eviction notice!), the original ending to It's A Wonderful Life- (take that Potter, you son of a bitch!)
-The Rat Pack Xmas
-Bugs Bunny Christmas
-Mickey's Christmas Carol
-To name a few.....
I'm taking a hiatus from politics for a while.
Best Christmas Movies, serious or funny.....
10. White Christmas- nothing says Merry Christmas like Bing and Danny singing White Christmas and of course doing the Rosemary Clooney song Sisters. Funny stuff, for vintage movie.
9. Lethal Weapon- it's set during Christmas. Also, Mel Gibson's character, Martin Riggs starts out suicidal during Christmas time and ends on Christmas going to dinner with his partner and best friend. Character recclaims humanity during extraneous circumstances....
8. Christmas Carol- two versions, one with Alistair Sim and a young Patrick MacNee (the Avengers) very good, black and white, 1951. Another, just as good, 1984 TV version with George C Scott as Scrooge, David Warner as Cratchitt, and Edward Woodward (The Equalizer and Churchill The Wilderness Years) as The Ghost of Christmas Present. Who do you think would be a good Scrooge if they tried another retelling? My money's on Anthony Hopkins or Sir Ian McKellan.
7. Trading Places- Dan Akroyd is a commodities trader framed for embezzlement and drug dealing, while Eddie Murphy is a vagrant whom Akroyd wanted arrested for "attempting to rob him." How? Well, two old rich guys(Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy) switch Eddie with Dan, and the vagrant is now a rich man, with street smarts, and Akroyd is now the poor man clueless to the blue collar world. It's a bet on an experiment in what will overtake a man, hereditary versus good environment. It's set around Christmas time, and in fact has a hilarious Christmas scene or two. Now vagrant Dan Akroyd is seen staggering to a bus, drunk, and when Eddie yells out to him, he just growls loudly.....Jamie Lee Curtis is in this as Akroyd's lady of the night friend, who albeit a member of the oldest profession, helps Akroyd stay alive and helps he and Eddie get even with the old rich guys, bankrupt them, and take their fortune back. Another scene, Christmas morning, Eddie is being strangled by Akroyd, and he's groaning- "IT was the Dukes! It was the Dukes!"
6. Bad Santa- so wrong, so raunchy, but so funny. Billy Bob Thornton plays the perfect reprehensible Santa, who eventually does some good in his life. John Ritter's last film. See Santa beat a hood kid. See Santa in a hot tub with a chick he just met at the local bar. See Santa and his surly little black midget rob a department store. And see Santa do all other bad things.....
5. Scrooged- Bill Murray, Alfre Woodard, the late Robert Mitchum, John Houseman, and Buddy Hackett (good cameos by the last 3 deceased actors) in a modern and comedic retelling of A Christmas Carol. The ghosts are worth the watch, The Ghost of Christmas Past- wisecracking NYC Cabbie, Christmas Present- a nutcracking sugarplum fairy played by Carol Cane, and Christmas Future- silent and very dark Grim Reaper- provides the film's darker moments and re-awakening of Murray's character to life and all it means. And another plus Bobcat Golthwait going disgruntled during a live telecast at Murray's TV network.
4. The Ref- Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey are taken hostage by burglar Denis Leary. Their family is so dysfunctional and irritating, that Leary contemplates suicide, but works out a hilarious escape, with the help of the bickering husband and wife, Kev and Judy. Leary has great rants, Spacey goes off, and Judy Davis does very well. Funny film, albeit twisted.
3. TIE- Die Hard/Die Hard 2. Die Hard- the first one, still the best. Alan Rickman, great as a terrorist, his first American film, and no doubt an intro to Mr. Rickman's wide array of acting- comedic (if not by accident) to dead serious as Hans, the terrorist. Bruce and his wife are separated, but low and behold what the events bring. Die Hard 2- how can the same sh-t happen to the same guy twice? Good question, too bad the terrorists get wasting in a more gruesome(icesicle to one's eyeball) or spectacular(airport terminal shootout, plane detonated in midair) manner. Yippykayae and Merry Christmas, Misterfarmer(edited version with cheesy voice).
2. It's A Wonderful Life- the classic 1946 Frank Capra masterpiece. Jimmy Stewart as frustrated yet blessed everyman George Bailey. Donna Reed as his devoted wife Mary, and of course let's not forget Clarence the Angel, brother Harry, Uncle Billy, Mister Potter, and Heehaw Sam Wainright. Great film on retrospect, and what if life had not been. Overtly Christian. None will ever be made like this, ever again. Don't any of you hacks dare remake this classic! Colorization was bad enough. Let It's a Wonderful life be.
1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation- nothing says Merry Frickin Christmas like Clark Griswold causing brownouts with his lights. Putting a 20 foot high tree in his 10 foot high living room. And of course, an asshole in a bathrobe emptying his chemical toilet into a sewer. Merry Christmas, shitter's full! Oh and let's not forget the neighbors getting jumped by a SWAT Team, Clark commenting on how nipply it is outside, and of course Aunt Bethany reciting grace, I pledge of allegiance, to the flag. However, in the end there's a Christmas star, with flying reindeer, and the sewer exploding from the chemical toilet stuff coming into contact with a match. BOOM! That's a good movie there!
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all of you.
Oh, and here's some good Christmas TV Specials.
-Charlie Brown Christmas
-Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
-Family Guy Merry Freakin Christmas Special- Hey wanna lemon sno cone? No thanks guys, the last one you gave me didn't taste like lemon, it tasted like, oh you guys are asses!
-Simpsons Xmas Special- Jingle Bells, Batman Smells
-Saturday Night Live Xmas Past- see Santi-Wrap, Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood with Eddie Murphy (And I am so glad Christmas is the time of giving. And look what Mr. Landlord gave me. It's an eviction notice!), the original ending to It's A Wonderful Life- (take that Potter, you son of a bitch!)
-The Rat Pack Xmas
-Bugs Bunny Christmas
-Mickey's Christmas Carol
-To name a few.....
I'm taking a hiatus from politics for a while.
posted by NDwalters @ 11:50 AM
5 Comments:
At 5:46 PM,
starttothink said…
Ha ha! I just left a list of Christmas movies on my site, too. Pretty random. It's hardly the end of November. Too bad it's 70 degrees where I am. Not great winter weather.
Great site. :)
At 6:27 PM,
Ranando said…
You forgot, "Debbie does Christmas".
At 7:18 PM,
NDwalters said…
Ran, Debbie does Christmas? That's shocking from a film industry guru like you.
What's next, Russ Meyer's lost classic, Chester's Nuts Roastin Over an open fire? Sleigh Together with all of you. Yes, Yes, Oh God Yes Virginia!
At 11:26 AM,
Gopher-Goof said…
I wonder about your use of a Bible passage in your title bar.
I think you should consider some of the other verses from that same chapter of Ecclesiastes.
Verse 1: As dead flies give perfume a bad smell, so a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.
Verses 5&6: 5 There is an evil I have seen under the sun, the sort of error that arises from a ruler:
6 Fools are put in many high positions, while the rich occupy the low ones.
Verse 13: At the beginning his words are folly; at the end they are wicked madness-
The Bible should not be used as a political tool. God doesn't choose sides.
At 12:47 AM,
Marshal Art said…
Lighten up Gopher. I use the Bible all the time in my political decisions. If a candidate or piece of legislation conforms with my faith, that candidate or bill gets my vote or approval. And since I believe as Nick does, that conservative thought more closely aligns with Scriptural teaching, his choice of Biblical quotes is both clever and on the money.
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