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Post by berkley2 on Dec 21, 2021 22:16:52 GMT -5
I like the Dickens story but have never been a big fan of any of the film versions that Ive seen.
I remember another Christmas movie I enjoyed, though: Trains, Planes, and Automobiles if that one counts.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2021 22:23:56 GMT -5
I like the Dickens story but have never been a big fan of any of the film versions that Ive seen. I remember another Christmas movie I enjoyed, though: Trains, Planes, and Automobiles if that one counts. I like the story by Dickens, but I despise having to read his prose, so I like any of the film versions (or animated versions or stage versions or any version in any media) better than Dickens' actual written story. -M |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2021 23:20:34 GMT -5
Finnish movie Rare Exports. yup. . HUGE fave, and one of our "traditional" films that my best friend and I will watch on Christmas Eve. His family comes over (we have the bigger TV) and we *always* do 3 films: Rare Exports:
then "Black Christmas" (the original). . it's not my favorite holiday slasher (that would be either "you better watch out" or "Silent Night, Deadly Night"). .but BC is a pretty bloodless slasher that's all about the atmosphere, so the more squeamish don't mind it - after all, they've seen it multiple years at this point.
and we always end with "Krampus". . .
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Post by Prince Hal on Dec 22, 2021 1:25:34 GMT -5
"Christmas in Connecticut" sparkles. I wish it had made with some one other than the ultra-bland Dennis Morgan, though.
"A Christmas Story" is just the right blend of realism and nostalgia.
"Babes in Toyland" with Laurel and Hardy. Love the fun and innocence of this, but truth be told, when they showed it around Thanksgiving when I was a kid, those Morlocks scared the crap out of me.
"Muppet Christmas Carol" is better than many another version.
But not better than the wonderful "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol."
"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" is a family favorite that our "kid" have seen so many times, they have it memorized.
Same with "Rudolph."
The traditional"Christmas Carols"... each version has a special place in our hearts because each provides a slightly different take on the characters, story and themes.
Reginald Owen's: efficiently told with classic MGM sheen. He "converts" earlier than any other Scrooge.
George C. Scott's: realistic, with excellent acting throughout.
Patrick Stewart's: only version that shows the lighthouse men and sailors. A little too CGI-heavy, but Stewart is good. Absolutely the most poorly designed Ghost of the Future. Takes you right out of the moment.
Albert Finney's: ("Scrooge"): Not a must-watch, but does have some great moments, notably Finney as a very nasty Scrooge.
Alastair Sim's: Sim is superb, probably gives the most natural performance as the transformed Scrooge.(Look for the cameraman in the mirror when he puts on his top hat.)
And do not ignore the 1935 Seymour Hicks version (also called "Scrooge"), please. Hicks played Scrooge on stage hundreds of times, but his performance is subtle and fresh, and his transformation is up there with Sims's. Give it a shot.
"Love Actually:" the "just in cases" scene gets me every time. So does the "Both Sides Now" scene, but for different reasons. "Ooooooh, do you think she's chubby?" is one of many great lines.
"White Christmas:" The sine qua non at our house for tree-decorating. Beyond logical criticism anymore. Just let it happen.
"The Shop Around the Corner:" Ernst Lubitsch magic. The acting is superb, top to bottom. Reveals more and more in repeated viewings.
Capra's "Meet John Doe," which has become more frightening every year since 2016. Another supposed plateful of Capracorn, but don't buy that assessment. It has a deeply cynical heart.
And of course,"It's A Wonderful Life." Capracorn? It's got a bleak film noir at its heart that shows just how fragile the line between comfort and chaos has always been. We've been living in Pottersville for years, friends.
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Post by EdoBosnar on Dec 22, 2021 4:31:08 GMT -5
Scrooged.
Trading Places.
Die Hard.
...that's all I've got...
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Post by shaxper on Dec 22, 2021 5:41:56 GMT -5
I like the Dickens story but have never been a big fan of any of the film versions that Ive seen. I can't spend a December not watching Mickey's Christmas Carol and Scrooged. Amber adores The Muppet Christmas Carol as well. It's actually a Thanksgiving film, but whatever lights your yule log. |
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Post by shaxper on Dec 22, 2021 5:46:50 GMT -5
As mentioned above, my absolute favorite each holiday season is Mickey's Christmas Carol. No, it's not because of Scrooge McDuck. There's just something about the tone--It's both darker and brighter than any other holiday special I've ever seen. I think even the opening credits alone capture this beautifully:
Tonight, we did a double feature of Home Alone and Holiday Inn, and it did my spirit good, even if Holiday Inn does that one scene in the most offensive blackface I've ever seen. Can't say I can forgive it nor dismiss it as being from a different time. It's really bad. But, the rest of the film? Man, I love it.
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Post by shaxper on Dec 22, 2021 5:58:00 GMT -5
"The Shop Around the Corner:" Ernst Lubitsch magic. The acting is superb, top to bottom. Reveals more and more in repeated viewings. Totally forgot this was a Christmas movie! I got to play Kodaly in my high school's production of "She Loves Me," which is adapted from The Shop Around the Corner, so I always have a nostalgic soft spot for that film. Gasp! A Capra film I don't know. I'll need to check this out asap! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2021 8:41:02 GMT -5
The Grinch and Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
I never liked A Christmas Carol. Too unbelievable, even for fantasy. People don't change, especially to that extent. I don't care how many ghosts you throw at a guy like Scrooge, a heartless SoB is always a heartless SoB. If anything, he'd spitefully double-down on the heartlessness after that experience.
I think the Die Hard controversy has come full circle, where the contrary position now is to go against the original contrary position, so allow me: It's not a Christmas movie. I don't even have any interest in defending The True Meaning Of Christmas, but Die Hard? Come on. Then there's probably some porn out there that qualifies as Christmas movies too, given whatever reasoning leads you to conclude Die Hard is a Christmas movie.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2021 8:45:03 GMT -5
Nuance can often be lost online, so please take the following post in a fun spirit, imagine me with a party hat and laughing as I say this: For me, a Christmas movie requires Christmas to be intrinsic to the plot. That would qualify, say, SANTA CLAUS: THE MOVIE. DIE HARD could have taken place during Easter or Halloween without changing the plot. McClane could have been ready to spend Halloween with his family. A tower block could have been hijacked during Halloween. Nothing would have changed. That’s all.  |
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Post by The Captain on Dec 22, 2021 9:03:48 GMT -5
Counterpoint: Christmas IS intrinsic to the plot of Die Hard.
Without Holly’s company’s CHRISTMAS PARTY, to which she invited John, to which he flew across the country to hopefully patch things up with Holly, at which time he met his driver Argyle, who drove him to Nakatomi Plaza, none of this happens.
No company is going to throw a Easter Party, Halloween Party, Fourth of July Party or any other holiday party important enough and with enough pull to have Holly ask John to travel across the country.
Christmas Party? Damn right that’s significant enough, and this how Christmas is critical to Die Hard, this making Die Hard a Christmas movie.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 22, 2021 9:05:24 GMT -5
Oh, I don’t know, I worked for a company that had a big Halloween party every year, which often reunited couples who had split up. Happened every year, in fact.
(Not true, just my usual lame humour)
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 22, 2021 9:50:59 GMT -5
As mentioned above, my absolute favorite each holiday season is Mickey's Christmas Carol. No, it's not because of Scrooge McDuck. There's just something about the tone--It's both darker and brighter than any other holiday special I've ever seen. I think even the opening credits alone capture this beautifully: Tonight, we did a double feature of Home Alone and Holiday Inn, and it did my spirit good, even if Holiday Inn does that one scene in the most offensive blackface I've ever seen. Can't say I can forgive it nor dismiss it as being from a different time. It's really bad. But, the rest of the film? Man, I love it. I watch Holiday Inn every once in a while. It’s one of my favorite Bing Crosby movies. Marjorie Reynolds is amazing. And the scene where Fred Astaire is dancing while drunk is amazing. And the blackface scene ... they don’t get much blackfacier than that. But the thing I like about it is how it’s worked into the plot because Bing is trying to hide Marjorie from Fred. Have you seen Honolulu? Eleanor Powell performs a tribute to Bill Robinson ... in blackface. Oh Eleanor! |
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Post by Hoosier X on Dec 22, 2021 9:56:22 GMT -5
The Bojack Horseman Christmas Special isn’t very old - three years, I think - but I’ve watched it in December every year since it came out. It is hilarious - and very Christmas-y in its way despite acting like it’s trying hard not to be.
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Post by Prince Hal on Dec 22, 2021 11:09:52 GMT -5
"The Shop Around the Corner:" Ernst Lubitsch magic. The acting is superb, top to bottom. Reveals more and more in repeated viewings. Totally forgot this was a Christmas movie! I got to play Kodaly in my high school's production of "She Loves Me," which is adapted from The Shop Around the Corner, so I always have a nostalgic soft spot for that film. Gasp! A Capra film I don't know. I'll need to check this out asap! Actually both "Shop" and "She Loves Me" are adapted from a Hungarian play called "Parfumerie." "She Loves Me" sticks closer to the original.
Samson Raphaelson, who wrote "Shop" (and the Hitchcock movie "Suspicion" and Lubitsch's "Heaven Can Wait"), re-adapted it as a musical with Judy Garland called "In the Good Old Summertime," set in a music shop. I'm not a fan.
Then the Ephron sisters did yet another adaptation: "You've Got Mail," which I have never seen, and is not on my bucket list.
Yes, shax, you must look for "Meet John Doe." It's a problematic film; Capra filmed several endings, showed them to preview audiences and was never completely happy with what he finally had to go with because of the need to wrap it up. But do not overthink it, because it packs an astonishingly contemporary take on politics, the media, populism, authoritarianism, capitalism, and a few other isms.
It is also clever, funny and filled with great performances, like most Capra films, from the likes of Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, James Gleason, Spring Byington, Gene Lockhart (as a villain!), and the eminently hissable Edward Arnold and a host of perfectly cast character actors.
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