Christmas Films….

[carter]

We have almost enough to cover every evening from Thanksgiving 'til Christmas !

 

[A.R. McVintage]

There's also Scrooge with Albert Finney. The musical version. "Thank you very much, thank you very much, that's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me..."

And The Hudsucker Proxy spans Christmas to New Years (as it should, being "the Coens do Capra").

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Christmas Films….

Is it too early?

Well, since the area retailers here had Christmas stuff on the shelves for sale on or shortly before October 1 (and the agreement in this household is no Halloween till October 1), I don't think it's too early talking about Christmas movies. And I believe both Macy's and Wal-mart broke the "Black Friday" (day after Thanksgiving) agreement to not start Christmas sales & such by starting on November 1.

And as another post here on FL from last week pointed out, Marks & Spencer in Great Britain's has had a great Christmas commercial online for several days. And if you haven't seen it...give it a look. You're thinking "Commercial? Eh..." but it tips its hat to several movies & stars from the 40's through early 60's.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Recently mentioned in another post was Steven Spielberg's 1941, a comedy about nerves frazzled in the LA area in the week following Pearl Harbor due to fear of a Japanese attack. It's close to Christmas and includes lots of vintage holiday clothes and decor, and what says Christmas better than a 2 story house sliding off its foundation on a Santa Monica bluff before careening down said bluff and ending up in a pile of rubble all over the beach?

And having had a little holiday snit-fit several years, I completely understand and love Clark Griswold's previously posted monologue from Christmas Vacation. And let's not forgetting all the lights and that power meter spinning like a buzz saw.

 

[dhermann1]

Even though it's not really a "christmas movie", I watch Meet Me in St. Louis every year. It's hard to beat Judy Garland singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

With the phoniest looking snow and snowman in the history of film. That back yard set looks like the temperature is about 90 under all those lights.

 

[Gigi]

I'm obsessed with the Christmas season. A Christmas movie was on last night, but I didn't watch it. I watch nothing but holiday movies between Thanksgiving and New Years, so I feel I might spoil it if I start now. I build up the anticipation more if I wait.
I love the classics the most like It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Christmas in Connecticut, etc. I watch most Christmas movies, old and new, even the sometimes cheesy ones on the Hallmark station! I often watch the same movie up to 10 times throughout the Christmas season (and I always watch a full 24 hours of A Christmas Story on Christmas Eve).

 

[Twinkle]

I guess it is a bit too early, but as I am constantly reminded here there is only 6 weeks of panic buying…. Christmas does get earlier every year and while I try to be prepared I never put my decorations up earlier than 2 weeks before the big day.

I guess it is different here in the UK as with no Thanksgiving things start earlier… The Christmas lights went on in Oxford Street last Thursday (it was murder trying to get home on the tube). Selfridges and Harrods even opened their Christmas ‘grottos’ in August for heavens sake!!!

I wasn’t purposefully going to watch a ‘Christmas’ movie on Sunday, I just popped on the Amazing Mr. Blunden and it made me feel like a kid at Christmas… I strongly recommend that film by the way, it has a very elderly Diana Dors (her last roll) as an ugly old child hating battleaxe and young Lynne Fredricks, it is a twisted ghost story and beautifully shot.

Just thinking of other Christmas favourites, Santa Claus the Movie, (with Dudley Moore) while very mawkish in places you can’t beat it when they feed the reindeer the special gold glitter and then he says ‘yo’ and they zoom out of the building, rest of the film is rubbish, Mum and I only watch this section time and time again…

 

[Camille]

I guess it is different here in the UK as with no Thanksgiving things start earlier… The Christmas lights went on in Oxford Street last Thursday (it was murder trying to get home on the tube). Selfridges and Harrods even opened their Christmas ‘grottos’ in August for heavens sake!!!

That's even earlier than here! In Sweden, at least we don't light up the Christmas lights before december first when the Advent-weekends start up.

IKEA fired it off a month ago, though. Ich. I always try to close my eyes if I'm there, and sort of run trough the christmas-decoration-section.

 

[dhermann1]

I generally try to resist till Dec.1, as you say, the beginning of Advent. Which reminds me, I think some time soon I'll start a thread in the Observation Bar on Advent Calendars. I love them.

 

[Kishtu]

"A Muppets' Christmas Carol"- just for the dubious, perverted pleasure of Michael Caine's singing and dancing, which has me in bits every time I see it

Sadly His Nibs will not countenance "It's A Wonderful Life" as it's too sad.

No "Stuart Little"....?
(Someone I used to know *swore* by "Polar Express" - he said that was THE Christmas film par excellence.)

 

[Camille]

I have a soft-spot for the Astrid Lindgren-movies whenever I want to get in the holiday mood. They're just amazingly cozy and there's almost always a part when there's christmas. Lots of nice Scandinavian christmas-traditions in them too!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrid_Lindgren

 

[imoldfashioned]

"Remember the Night (1940) with Barbara and Fred MacMurray. He plays a D.A. prosecuting Barbara for shoplifting (if you see the bracelet she pinches, you can’t blame her) who ends up taking her home for an old-fashioned Christmas."


One of my all time favorite films, that. The credits on this are stellar; Preston Sturges wrote it, Mitchell Leisen directed and the supporting cast is fantastic--Beulah Bondi, Sterling Holloway, Elizabeth Patterson.

My favorite bits are the scene when Stanwyck asks what MacMurray would do if he were starving, Holloway and Stanwyck singing "When You Come to the End of a Perfect Day", Stanwyck meeting her mother and MacMurray getting her out of there--all great. Stanwyck is so wonderful--I'd watch that woman read the phone book.

(And you're so right about that bracelet! Stanwyck has some very nice outfits in this movie, and the house in Indiana is a dream)

 

[Michaelson]

We're No Angels-1955 with Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, and Peter Ustinov is timeless.

AMEN, and AMEN!!!! One of my daughter and my personal favorites that very few people are familiar with.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[texasgirl]

Every year I watch "The Bishop's Wife" and "Desk Set."

Cary Grant as an angel, nothing wrong with that!

And my job is the modern equivalent of Katharine Hepburn's, so I love this one with her and Spencer Tracy.

 

[goldwyn girl]

I always watch Bell Book and Candle, Kim Novak is so lovely. and don't forget the rarely screened I Love Lucy christmas episode. I caught it a few years ago on TV and could'nt believe my eyes, A Lucy I had never seen or heard of before. I tracked it down on VHS............... but now I have it. I wanted to add The Amazing Mr. Blunden and Remember the Night but Netflix appears to have neither, I have not seen either one

 

[Ecuador Jim]

Not a classic from the traditional perspective, but since Lampoon's Christmas is on the list, I'd toss in "Trading Places" which also takes place during the holiday season.

 

[sweetfrancaise]

Not a classic from the traditional perspective, but since Lampoon's Christmas is on the list, I'd toss in "Trading Places" which also takes place during the holiday season.

Ooh, good one. And in the same non-traditional vein, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is usually the first movie of the season I watch. John Candy brings me to tears every time.

 

[rebelgtp]

Ooh, good one. And in the same non-traditional vein, Planes, Trains and Automobiles is usually the first movie of the season I watch. John Candy brings me to tears every time.

nuts you beat me to it i was just thinking of that movie! hmmm i might have to watch that tonight.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Christmas Eve (1986) I bought this movie on VHS several years ago. Also bought copies for my parents who grew up watching Loretta Young and Trevor Howard. One of my favorite Christmas movies of all time. We traditionally watch it on Christmas Eve after finishing up with dinner and the last minute gift wrapping. A great way to bring in Christmas each year. It also has a lush score by Johnny Mandel. The beautiful theme song "All I Want For Christmas Is You" can be found on The Manhattan Transfer's "The Christmas Album" (1992).

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1963) is another seasonal favorite of mine. OK it's a cartoon, but it has a great score by Jule Styne. The entire film-toon is very sentimental and heartwarming.

 

[flat-top]

Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol (1963) is another seasonal favorite of mine. OK it's a cartoon, but it has a great score by Jule Styne. The entire film-toon is very sentimental and heartwarming.

I'm with you on this one. I love it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOJBU95pVmw