Some local movie-lovers offered their favorite Christmastime movies in today's Times. From "Gremlins" to "Scrooge," it's a pretty fun list.
Allow me to offer my Christmas favorite. Remember, I'm a bit dark in taste. I don't expect to be forgiven.
"Die Hard" – set on Christmas Eve – comes close to my favorite. I'm just lying if I don't consider "A Christmas Story," however over-played it is. I love "O Lucky Man!" for one jaw-dropping Christmas party. (Do not rent this and show it to kids.) "It's a Wonderful Life" features my favorite actor of all time, Jimmy Stewart, so it's really hard not to select it. "Love Actually," which is more honest about Christmas blues than most, is growing on me. Last year, I celebrated the shock-and-awfulness of "Star Wars" Christmas special, but there's one that stands out among the rest.
This year, I have to go with what I want for Christmas something a bit obvious: "The Nightmare Before Christmas." Scared the living daylights out of me when I first saw it. I was 17 or 18, mind you. I still don't know why I responded that way. Because of its subversive quality? Danny Elfman's hypnotic score? The gloomy synergy of Tim Burton and Henry Selick? Was it hearing the bones of children – and teenagers – rattle in horror until the credits rolled? I don't know. I don't really want to know, frankly. I just love it.
Enough of me.
What's your favorite Christmas movie? I'm making a list, checking it twice and don't really care if you're naughty or nice.
Just post your favorites and argue! (Consider it practice for extended family visits.)
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10 comments:
Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer was in the 60s, not the 70s...
:P
You're right, Bahhumbug. So what's your favorite movie?
It's a tie between Nightmare Before Christmas and Miracle on 34th Street. Both have extremely human stories to tell and both end on a high note which make them perfect of my Christmas-centric personality!
:)
My favorite is "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation." Love it, love it, love it...
"Scrooged" (with Bill Murray) runs a very close second. Very close.
Other favorites I tend to see at the holidays every year include "The Lion in Winter," "Silent Night, Deadly Night," and "Trading Places." Such fun!
Ooh, pork bellies. I forgot about "Trading Places." You've just solved a Christmas gift crisis! "Miracle on 34th Street" is a great one, too.
More, more, more!
Die Hard is one of my favorites as well (it drives my wife nuts) But my favorite is in the same vein--Lethal Weapon.
Less well known but also super fun is 1999's GO which tells the story of one Christmas eve from numerous perspectives. Definitely NOT a traditional "Christmas" movie--
Zack: It really didn't go as bad as it could have.
Adam: A girl is dead, Zack.
Zack: I didn't say it went perfectly.
By the way,what about New Year Movies?
A Christmas Story. You're gonna put your eye out. Nuf said.
Original ANON here:
What is it with people not getting their movies right on this moviest of Louisiana movies blog!?
"You'll shoot your eye out!"
ANON 2 says:
"...put your eye out..." bleh!
It misses the entire point of the movie!
I'll go sit in my corner and plot some more. Perhaps Synecdoche will be the film that understands me most this year.
well all mine were taken! lol .. i MUST see "trading places" (which i now have on dvd to enjoy year-round), "a christmas story" (i watch it at least twice when TBS runs the marathon), "scrooged", and "home alone" ..
now if only i could find the "otter jugband christmas" (or something like that as the title) ... my holiday will be complete :)
There's no doubt..."A Christmas Story". I grew up in the late 50's and early 60's in a small town and it was so much like Ralphie's place in the late 40's that it's like going back in time for me...to a good time with wonderful memories.
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