10 BEST XMAS MOVIES EVER!
Nov 27 '05
The Bottom Line Polar express, Scrooged & Xmas vacation. Yule luv em!
In no particular order...
1: SCROOGED.
A modern retelling of the classic book "A christmas carol" by Charles Dickens. Bill Murray is a top tv network president (Frank Cross) who is less than impressed with the entire idea of Christmas, Thus causing him to act like he has a humbug up his butt. That is until his old boss visits him from the grave to give him the ultimatum of shape up or be doomed to an eternity in hell.
A fantastic retelling with so many enjoyable moments its hard where to start but Bill's role as the scrooge is really fun to watch with him at his natural deadpan best.
An always accessible actor in an instantly accessible film, one which everyone involved looked like they were having fun making.
Best bit? Ghostly new york cab drivers, a sadistic fairy and tons of sarcasm & energy. Should win an award somewhere!
2: NATIONAL LAMPOONS CHRISTMAS VACATION
Best of the series in my opinion. The griswolds are having the family for christmas so Clark is at his overly positive best to give everyone a happy holiday. Slapstick humour, aged relatives, and a crazy squirrel all add to the joy of this fantastic christmas movie.
Best bit?...Clark accidentally frying the senile aunts cat with a string of christmas lights, try not to laugh I dare you!
3:THE POLAR EXPRESS.
A newer title but oh so nice to watch.
Based on the book a young boy begins to lose faith in Santa claus and finds himself being whisked away on a massive steam train on it's way to the north pole. You kinda get a small sense of Harry Potter-esque magic storytelling but thats not a bad thing.
The main attraction is the atmosphere this movie gives off. Its contrasts of cold, snowy and lonely scenery fuses perfectly with the highly warm, bright colours of the internal scenes of the train allowing you to feel like you're really on it. With its easy going storytelling its not hard to see why you may of overlooked it at the cinema but it captures the sense of winter and warmth we demand in a christmas movie perfectly. Best bit?...the pure atmosphere. You'll wish all christmas eves looked like this.
4:MICKEYS CHRISTMAS CAROL.
Disney classic that reminds me of my childhood. Another retelling of the Dicken's novel but with all your favourite characters and the introduction of Donalds uncle Scrooge from Ducktales.
Best Bit? Scrooge coming to his senses and dumping bags of cash down a charitable mole's pants! (Don't ask).
What would christmas be without Disney?
Nothing! Nothing I tell ya!!
5:HOME ALONE 1 & 2.
Spawned a thousand god awful sequels with some god awful new kid.
Kevin gets left home alone accidentally by his overly populated family. 2 burglars try to break in and only Kevin can stop them with every booby trap imaginable. Not highly plotted but very christmassy and relives our own fantasies about being left home alone without parents when we were kids. Great Fun.
Best bit?...Paint cans. Youi have been warned!
6:JINGLE ALL THE WAY.
Was rubbished by critics but is a very good warning of how desperate we get at christmas for our kids gifts. When Arnold Schwartzenegger promises his very neglected son an action figure for xmas I don't think he realises how much trouble it would be. It's christmas eve and its by far the most sought after toy of the year so its no surprise its almost sold out entirely. Luckily theres one left but a newyork postman snatches it up unfairly from Arnolds grip. Cue slapstick hi jinks as the pair face off in a desperate bid to get their kid the one and only action figure left on the shelf. Really quite scary how far parents will go for kids...remember the buzz lightyear craze?
Best bit? Arnold fighting an entire warehouse of kung fu fighting santa clause'. Silly fun.
7:THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
Tim burton's fantastic movie about the king of halloween taking over christmas because he's bored of his own holiday. A fantastically atmospheric film that is truely an original. Only now is it getting the appreciation it deserves some 12 years on.
Amazing animation, great characters and a twisted story allow you to truely admire the unique vision of christmas through Tim's eyes. My tape has been wore out so had to get it on DVD too.
Best bit? The part where it starts to the bit when it finishes.
8: THE GRINCH.
Ron Howards live action remake of the Dr Seuss classic. Only watchable because Jim Carrey looks like he's having the time of his life and you're going along for the ride too. Really colourful and unashamedly over the top, only scrooges would fail to enjoy the magic of this film.
The Grinch hates christmas and isolates himself away from the people of whoville whom actually love this festive time of year. Until one time he cannot stand it anymore and decides to steal it away from everyone. Having it narrated by the smooth talking Anthony Hopkins gives it a warm feeling too.
This film has jokes aimed at the kids but also some in jokes that only the parents will get so theres something for everyone really. But its Jim who makes you watch til the end I promise you.
Best bit? When Jim is being horrible to the little girl Sindylou who. He seems to get a real kick out of it.
9:THE SNOWMAN.
Raymond Briggs originally wrote the story and turned into an animated movie about a boy who befriends a snowman he created. The soundtrack and snowy atmosphere create the intimate setting needed to allow us to get close to the characters with some truly magical music (walking in the air) thats never been beaten since. Its just been released as a double pack dvd with the other great classic by Raymond Briggs "Father Christmas". A classic.
10:DIE HARD?
An unconventional one maybe but fantastic to watch at christmas and its also set around the holiday season too so it counts ok? good!
Bruce Willis goes to visit his estranged wife at her xmas office party only to realise that its about to be hi jacked by would be terrorists. Cue vent crawling, glass shooting and the classic hose pipe escape scene.
Now that you know about my top ten I'm sure you have your own. I do feel there's a lack of truly great xmas films out there but these are by far not the only ones. So get em all on dvd, get some mince pies, popcorn and a huge bottle of coke and sit back behind a duvet and enjoy.
It's christmas everybody!!
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pumpkinking101
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