Home > Holiday Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 23 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSome sorta Christmassy movie suggestions
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tired of George Bailey and “It’s a Wonderful Life”? Of Bing in “White Christmas,” Kris Kringle in “Miracle on 34th Street,” even — say it ain’t so! — Ralphie and The Old Man in “A Christmas Story”? It’s OK. Like many of us this time of year, you are suffering from CCMF: Classic Christmas Movie Fatigue. It’s not life-threatening, but it can be annoying.
What to do? Trade in excessively Christmasy films for a few where the holiday is a mere supporting player instead of camera-hogging star.
Below are a few suggestions. Have one of your own? Post its title and your minireview below. Happy (sort of) holiday viewing!
Rocky IV (1985): While Sylvester Stallone beats you nearly senseless with Easterlike themes of death and resurrection (and bad Russian accents), the big showdown between Rocky and Soviet superfighter Drago takes place on, yes, Christmas Day.
Diner (1982): A compelling young Mickey Rourke. Steve Guttenberg’s pre-wedding Baltimore Colts quiz. Daniel Stern’s compulsively organized record collection. The partridge in the pear tree? Kevin Bacon putting no degrees of separation between himself and Baby Jesus, lying in a nativity scene manger.
Die Hard (1988): Twenty Christmases have not dimmed the glow from the endless fiery explosions, shattering glass, crashing helicopters and sweaty, shoeless Bruce Willis that make the Nakatomi office Christmas party an evening few will ever forget.
.JPG)
Services »
Comments
By Tyler Durden
December 23, 2008 6:37 PM | Link to this
For me, non-traditional holiday movies begin & end with the classic ‘Better Off Dead’. A young, heartbroken John Cusack contemplating suicide amongst a cast of true characters such as Booger and Charles Emerson Winchester, and you get the added bonus of an acid-inspired claymation hamburger rocking out to Van Halen. Truly inspired filmmaking from the mid 80’s.
By Lane
December 23, 2008 7:01 PM | Link to this
I’ll never get tired of “It’s A Wonderful Life” and the original “Miracle on 34th Street”. May they live forever!!!!
By FiltyMcNasty
December 23, 2008 7:18 PM | Link to this
Anything about Christ,the reason for the season? Is there anything that’s not commercial on what’s suppose to be the Son of God’s birthday?Why leave him out of his birthday celebration? Santa gets more attention than the lamb of God. Does this mean a Christian nation/state accepts Santa over the God of their religion’s holiest day?
OK, Children, quite class;
Lets see how many words we can create from……SANTA
By Racebaiter
December 23, 2008 7:25 PM | Link to this
Tell you what: Don’t waste time with “Light Before Christmas” at Fernbank. At less than a half hour, it isn’t worth the drive down there, much less the ridiculous price.
Chris
By parentof4
December 24, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this
My husband and I watch, Love Actually plot around the 6 weeks before Christmas and Christmas day. And Family Man with Nicholas Cage. They have Christmas themes in it.
By No Name
December 24, 2008 9:11 AM | Link to this
Only one movie worth watching….A Christmas Story.
And Flity….get over it. Nobody wants jesus shove down our throats….god knows we get enough of that the rest of the year.
By Mandelbaum
December 24, 2008 9:18 AM | Link to this
Yentl.
By SP
December 24, 2008 9:29 AM | Link to this
Merry Christmas, everyone! I usually spend Christmas Eve with “Bad Santa” (Billy Bob at his finest). Then I usually like to go to Waffle House and give the pathetic individuals Dollar Tree gift cards as tips. (Hoping they’ll buy some deodorant or toothpaste).
By Steve
December 24, 2008 9:31 AM | Link to this
I would highly recommend The Nativity Story. It’s a few years old and can be rented on DVD. Excellent casting and sticks to the true story as told in the Bible.
By mustang100
December 24, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this
SP, find a new Waffle House. There’s probably one just around the corner from that one. P.S.: I think I’ve been to that one.:-)
By Peadawg
December 24, 2008 10:00 AM | Link to this
I recommend The Christmas Story. You can’t beat Ralphie and the red ridder bb gun. “You’ll shoot your eye out”
By joey
December 24, 2008 10:46 AM | Link to this
Make it a Holiday Double Feature with a Couple of Classics: “Deep Throat” followed by “Debbie Does Dallas”. Great acting and an award winning plot.
By val
December 24, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this
Tonight a “Wonderful Life” is on, I’ll switch back and forth. I have a few movies I enjoy around Christmas, Someone Like You, “The Mirror has Two Faces”, “Object of your Affection’, not really Christmas movies but a Christmas reference. But I also enjoy the traditional stuff.
By jon
December 24, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this
i say just watch all the movies ..including new ones in the theatre free on www.defSpot.com
By new mom
December 24, 2008 1:14 PM | Link to this
I love all the old classics, but can get overloaded on them. Personally, we try to watch Christmas Vacation (possibly one of the funniest movies of all time) and also Elf…so many funny lines in that one. It seems like last year, Elf was on all the time (which is why I haven’t bought it) and now I can’t find it on anywhere. USA is airing it on Dec. 29th. Hello? a few days late…son of a nutcracker! :) Merry Christmas everyone!
By dirtywhiteboy
December 24, 2008 1:23 PM | Link to this
When the truth broke out that Jesus is Black,
All of a sudden ,Rednecks want to get rid of Christ-Mass !
By KatyWatts
December 24, 2008 1:27 PM | Link to this
How about Trading Places? Eddie Murphy & Dan Akroyd are Christmas perfection in a story about rags to riches or is it riches to rags? Hilarious and timeless!! Enjoy…:)
By Super Dad
December 24, 2008 1:59 PM | Link to this
After the kids go to sleep, the wife and I like to break out the @ss Masters series to celebrate Christmas.
By Skip
December 24, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this
Rocky IV?, Diner?, Please . . Christmas Story, White Christmas, and Elf are the top three.
By Ex-Northerner
December 24, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
We watch our stable of Christmas movies that culminates on Christmas day with “The Polar Express” and the best adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” ever made, the musical “Scrooge”. Christmas Eve’s viewing is “White Christmas” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Can’t get enough Christmas cheer!
By I'll Wait for the Movie
December 24, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
Clearly, many of you missed the fact that the original post was asking about alternative Christmas movie fare - not the old standbys.
Like another poster, I really like Love Actually - it’s set at Christmas, but it’s not necessarily a Christmas movie. Trading Places is another fun movie set at Christmas time. Reindeer Games is a decent enough little action flick. I’m surprised no one mentioned Gremlins - while it takes place at Christmas, the holiday feelings are definitely somber. Die Hard fans probably also cozy up to the yule log watching the original Lethal Weapon.
I just finished watching Go - a fun and crazy little movie that takes place on Christmas eve - though Christmas is defnitely not top on folks’ minds in the film. I like it, but it’s rated R for a reason (many of tham, actually).
Finally, I may be wrong, but I seem to remember that It’s a Wonderful Life didn’t come out at Christmas when it was first released - I seem to remember reading that it came out in the summertime.
Well, Merry Christmas to all, and may you enjoy whatever you choose to throw in the DVD with family and friends that love you!
By Dee
December 24, 2008 5:04 PM | Link to this
I know some people are sick of the annual 24 hours of a Christmas Story, but Ralphie is hilarious. I’m looking forward to 8pm this evening for the movie to start. Also, I’m looking forward to the Benjamin Button movie on Christmas Day. Sorry, Jennifer Anniston. It’s not about you and your movie! It’s about Brad!
By MOT
December 24, 2008 5:08 PM | Link to this
Holiday Inn with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. This is a cute, fun movie that features all the Holidays Year round (hence the name Holiday Inn). This is also the movie that the song I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas made it’s debut —-1942. The movie White Christmas was made in 1954.
This is our favorite Un-Christmas movie because it covers all the seasons and holidays and is also Christmasy at the same time.
Highly recommmend it.
By Derek
December 24, 2008 8:44 PM | Link to this
Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story, and Home Alone 1 & 2….. Enough said, and to No Name. stupid comment “we have enough religion shoved down our throat!” Without religion this holiday wouldn’t be so special…
By Derek
December 24, 2008 8:47 PM | Link to this
ps> also Polar Express, lots of hidden messages…
By No faves
December 25, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
I fear I’m the only person in the world who doesn’t enjoy It’s a Wonderful Life - too disjointed and silly, and Donna Reed in that particular role just leaves me cold. And don’t inflict A Christmas Story upon me either - sorry, those two films just never appealed to me much. My favorite film about Jesus Christ is Jesus of Nazareth because it’s simple and moving, but it’s not strictly about his birth, I guess. Favorite Christmas film? Not really sure. Maybe none of the classics. But then I’m a little bah humbug about Christmas anyway because it’s more about fluff and less about the Reason for the Season.
By FREEDOG
December 25, 2008 11:38 AM | Link to this
Spaceballs.
By Rudolph
December 25, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
OH!! My turn,my turn,it’s my turn! On Christmas,I like to watch the Exorcist,Brahm Stokler’s Dracular, Cujo,The Car From Hell,Carrie,and reruns of 9/11.,while drinking gallons of eggnog,eating sweetpotato pie,smoking herbs,and sniffing heavenly farts.
By TW
December 25, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this
I went to see the new Brad Pitt movie “THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON” and its a VERY POWERFUL MOVIE!!!!!!!!! It definitely makes you stop and think about your own mortality, the decisions that one makes in life and those that you love and care about. It’s definitely an Oscar worthy performance for Pitt and his supporting actresses (the young black actress that played his Mother and Kate Blanchett)
By just me
December 25, 2008 6:30 PM | Link to this
i like the standbys but give me SCROOGED….
By Willie Soak
December 25, 2008 6:37 PM | Link to this
BAD SANTA is freakin’ hilarious.
And, BTW, IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE, far from being “disjointed and silly,” is frequently misunderstood and therefore unappreciated as the (predominantly) dark-visioned masterpiece that it is.
By DLink
December 25, 2008 7:44 PM | Link to this
“The Family Man”, showing @ www.hulu.com
A much darker “Gabriel”, at Netflix liveplay.
By AJW
December 25, 2008 8:54 PM | Link to this
The best and funniest has to be Christmas Vacation. 5HITT3R5 FULL!
By mustang100
December 26, 2008 7:53 AM | Link to this
No faves, pleez go see a shrink about your manic depressive issues before you decide to have that Magnum sandwich!
By Leigh
December 26, 2008 8:42 AM | Link to this
I love to watch White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Elf and It’s a wonderful Life. I also celebrate the “true” reason for the season by sharing the love of Christ.
By STYLE NETWORK
December 26, 2008 9:33 AM | Link to this
NOW SEEKING THE MESSIEST HOUSE!
STYLE NETWORK’S “CLEAN HOUSE” IS LOOKING IN THE ATLANTA AREA FOR THE MESSIEST HOME IN THE COUNTRY TO FEATURE IN AN UPCOMING SPECIAL SERIES.
Do you, or someone you know, need help ridding your home of clutter? Are you having a hard time letting go of stuff you don’t need but just can’t seem to part with? Are ALL THE ROOMS IN YOUR HOUSE in dire need of a makeover? Then you need CLEAN HOUSE!!!
If you are chosen, the CLEAN HOUSE crew will get rid of your clutter, clean, paint, and transform your home into a beautiful living space with the help of an interior designer.
You will stay in a luxury hotel while the work is being done, and reap the benefits, but you must participate as the owners of the house in the filming of the show.
If you OWN a SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE (sorry, no apartments, condos, or townhouses) and at least 2 adults live in your home, then please email the following info to us and we’ll be in touch with more details:
Email us at mcolford@mindspring.com
Do You Have the Country’s Messiest Home?
Apply at mcolford@mindspring.com to be considered for upcoming episodes in the Atlanta area. Submit photos now and you could be in the running for Messiest Home 3!