Friends! Neighbors! Maids a milking! Lords a leaping! Readers!
I hope you're all having a lovely winter solstice and having a festive season! I've been on break from school for about 10 days now and have finally started to relax. One way that I've been slowly doing that is noodling around on filling out a tag that Hamlette bestowed upon me! Thank you, Hamlette!
At first I was dubious I'd seen enough Christmas movies to qualify but I've actually seen SO MANY, so let's do this.
The Rules:
- Fill out the prompts (expound as much or as little as you like)
- Tag some friends (however many or few you feel like)
- Have fun (this is mandatory)
The Questions:
1. A favorite funny Christmas movie:
Elf (2003). I aspire to be Buddy. He's so pure and sweet and deserves all the maple syrup he wants.
As a writer, the parts about coming up with a story are a HOOT because the struggle is real.
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| And I'm missing Bob Newhart now. </3 |
2. A favorite poignant Christmas movie:
For the answer we all expect: It's a Wonderful Life (1946). I think of this as the best movie ever made. Not just best Christmas movie or best black and white movie or best "old" movie. Best movie, period. It captures a desperation and a duty and how much each and every person is worth in this world. It wouldn't be the same without them.
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| Jimmy Stewart, need we say more? |
For the answer that no one will expect: Beyond Tomorrow (1940). This was ADORABLE but also talks about life and death and cautions against forgetting who you are in the search for success.
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| No CGI for the win. |
3. A favorite romantic Christmas movie:
The Shop Around the Corner (1940). This movie and Pride & Prejudice are to blame for why I think enemies-to-lovers is a spectacular device when done correctly.
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| JIMMY STEWART, NEED WE SAY MORE?? |
It's actually got such a serious side and I'm here for it! I wrote all about it one year, HERE.
4. A favorite feel-good Christmas movie:
Home Alone (1990). I just got to see this on the big screen yesterday and it was buckets of fun. I've always been sort of "meh" about this movie, thinking it was just for laughs but no, it's so much more. It's got such a solid storyline about family and responsibility. My little sister is very much like Kevin so I feel for her.
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| Kevin is so much braver than I am. I'm still scared of grocery stores. |
The least "feel-good" part is the infamous section where everyone is getting hurt. I have a hard time watching that, but the rest is a delight.
5. A favorite movie adaptation of A Christmas Carol:
See, I used to make fun of the Muppets version because I thought it was ridiculous. My sister and I watched it in July a couple years ago which I thought was ridiculous, too. Now I see it's brilliant and I totally want to watch it again. And I also would be here for Muppet adaptations of classic literature. I mean, I can't really complain when I haven't seen Treasure Island, but still!
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| Source I'd pay to see all of the above. It applies for classics, too. |
The first adaptation of A Christmas Carol I ever saw was the Patrick Stewart version and thought I haven't seen it since that one still sticks with me and is the one that I compare every other version to.
The one I watch most often is Scrooged (1988). I have a friend named Frank who I always feel like the Carol Kane to his Bill Murray.
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| Manic pixie |
Okay, to actually decide, I'll go with Scrooge (1970) because "Thank You Very Much" is one of my favorite songs.
6. A Christmas movie you watch any time of year:
Guys, I'm SUCH a stickler for watching Christmas movies only at Christmas. See above question with the whole reason I was doubting Muppets.
However, Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) has, as my sister pointed out, every season. It was kind of an old Hollywood device but I don't care because I get to see so many awesome costumes. So I'll watch it at Halloween, too.
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| I love how Tootie chose the biggest chair when she could've sat on someone's lap. Power move. |
I recently got to see this on the big screen, too! It was a JOY. The dialogue is so witty, the family dynamics are the most realistic in all of cinema, and I cried in a spot I've never cried before. The friend I went with was also an old movie buff and we were living it up.
7. A Christmas movie that surprised you:
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) just surprised me that it was just as disturbing and unhinged as I remembered and maybe even more so. I thought I'd played it up in my head to be more than it was, but no, I was just as stunned. It's a cool concept and I'm glad so many people like it, but me, being the literalist that I am, get stuck on certain things. The group I was watching it with was probably really annoyed that I kept complaining about Jack Skeloton having eyelids but HE'S MADE OF BONE?? I didn't get to see the end because of a costume fitting and I don't really remember it so more surprises lurk there.
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| Whoever came up with this shot is genius. |
I also was surprised that Fred Astaire was purposely unlikable in Holiday Inn (1942)? That was before his hero/leading man era?
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| I'm totally with Bing on this one. |
8. A favorite "but is it really a Christmas movie?" movie:
Little Women (1994). For years it seems like I watched this on Christmas with my sisters so that's what I associate this version with.
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| Having done this scene as one of these characters I feel it even more, now. Any guesses about which one I was? |
9. The oldest Christmas movie you've seen:
For exact OLDEST chronologically, I'm going to have to snag Hamlette's answer, too, with The Thin Man (1934). When I think about it I realize, yeah, that's Christmas, but for some reason it feels more like New Years. So I'm more apt to watch it around New Years than Christmas, but who am I kidding, I'm still watching Christmas movies until Epiphany.
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| We will never been Myrna Loy fashion fab. |
Other than that, I have a couple from 1940, but I've already mentioned them.
10. The newest Christmas movie you've seen:
Godmothered (2020). It felt like it was trying to be Elf (2003) too much? Looking through pictures for this, I guess I remember what happens but not what it looks like.
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| Pretty dress take 2? |
Thanks for the tag, Hamlette! Because I'm trying catching up from my school-induced hiatus I don't know who's done this, but I'll tag:
I was amazed at how many of these movies I've reviewed! Now it's bothering me that I haven't reviewed all of them, so let me know which ones you think I should tackle.
I have some other Christmas post ideas in the works but I'd like to talk about what you guys what to read! I either want to compare:
- Home Alone (1990) to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
- Love Actually (2003) to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989).
Thank you so much for reading! What are some of your favorite Christmas movies? Have you ever seen a Christmas movie (new or old) on the big screen of a movie theater?
Chloe the MovieCritic