Top 5 Christmas Films
1) A Christmas Story
2) It’s A Wonderful Life
3) A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott)
4) National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
5) How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Runners up:
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- Frosty the Snowman
- Miracle on 34th Street
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- Scrooged
Go back and watch Christmas Vacation. It belongs to that special genre of movies (with Goonies, et. al.) that you remember being great, but upon inspection proves to be pretty lame.
Comment by Ryan Bell — December 11, 2006 @ 10:34 am
1) A Christmas Story
2) How the Grinch Stole Christmas
3) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
4) Die Hard
5) Scrooged
Yeah folks will quibble with Die Hard – but admit it. That’s when you first heard Run DMC’s Christmas song.
Ryan, how can you say the Goonies is lame? It’s not the materpiece one remembers – but partially because it is targeting kids. I saw it a few years ago and while it didn’t quite bring the spirit of excitement it once did I’d have a hard time calling it lame. I’ll admit Christmas Vacation isn’t that great. In my opinion only the first one was really that great – and even it isn’t as good as many films of that period.
Comment by Clark — December 11, 2006 @ 10:58 am
I may be the only person alive who has never seen It’s a Wonderful Life.
My list is:
1. Scrooged
2. Muppet’s Christmas Carol (it’s actually funny!)
3. Die Hard 1
4. Die Hard 2
5. Christmas Story
Comment by NFlanders — December 11, 2006 @ 11:00 am
Clark beat me to Die Hard!
And I thought I was being supercreative.
Comment by NFlanders — December 11, 2006 @ 11:01 am
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Comment by Dan — December 11, 2006 @ 11:01 am
NFlanders,
I’ve not seen It’s A Wonderful Life, except for the occasional snippet as I change the channel.
Comment by Dan — December 11, 2006 @ 11:12 am
Amen to Die Hard, which should be on ANY top 5 list of involving movies of any kind whatsoever. Top 5 musicals? Check. Top 5 documentaries about algae? Check.
How about The Nightmare Before Christmas? Incredibly creative and entertaining…
Comment by Supergenius — December 11, 2006 @ 11:14 am
I considered putting Die Hard on there but it’s only tangentially related to Christmas. The subject matter of all the other ones IS Christmas.
Ryan, you’re probably right about Chrstmas Vacation. It’s been years since I’ve seen it, though I remember loving it in high school.
Comment by Rusty — December 11, 2006 @ 11:15 am
I fail to see how annoying in-laws crashing at your house during Christmas is any different from annoying East German terrorists crashing your work Christmas party.
Comment by NFlanders — December 11, 2006 @ 11:24 am
I sure hope that you’re referring to the cartoon Grinch and not the Jum Carey version.
My List:
1) It’s a wonderful life
2) The Polar Express
3) Rudolph
4) Christmas Vacation
5) A Christmas Story
Comment by John Scherer — December 11, 2006 @ 11:32 am
I like the Nightmare Before Christmas but it just isn’t, in my opinion, as good as folks make it out to be. It’s fun. It’s enjoyable. It’s worth seeing. But I’d have a hard time making it an annual event.
Comment by Clark — December 11, 2006 @ 11:37 am
Polar Express!?!??!?
Man, that is one of the WORST movies ever, in my opinion. Crappy script, EXTREMELY creepy animation, cheesy dialogue, and Tom Hanks?? No thank you. UGH.
Comment by Supergenius — December 11, 2006 @ 11:40 am
Ditto. I watched it for the first time over the weekend when it came on TV. Those “emotionless” faces really creeped me out. But my kid loved it. (He’s 2 and I’ve been testing all the rebroadcasts of the classic holiday movies from ABC Family on him) The point where the train went into the cave they cut to commercial and he ran around the room yelling “oh no, oh no!”
Comment by Clark — December 11, 2006 @ 11:44 am
Ned (#9), especially since my relatives happen to be operatives for the Volksfrei movement. And Asian Dawn, too.
Comment by Supergenius — December 11, 2006 @ 11:57 am
The only reason I’ve seen “It’s a WOnderful Life,” is becasue they showed it to us in the MTC on Christmas Day.
“Hey Griswold. Where you gonna put a Christmas tree that big?”
“Bend over and I’ll show ya.”
“Hey, you gotta a lot of nerve talking to me like that…”
“I was talking to her.”
Great movie.
Comment by Tim J. — December 11, 2006 @ 12:33 pm
No love for Bad Santa, huh? and last year it was seeing all sorts of acclaim on this very site…
Comment by a random John — December 11, 2006 @ 12:56 pm
Random John just pointed out to me, and I whole-heartedly agree, that we’ve forgotten Bad Santa. A HUGE omission, although an undeniably filthy one.
Comment by Supergenius — December 11, 2006 @ 12:57 pm
My favorite Christmas Carol version was the one with Henry Winkler. It isn’t on very often but it is a great rendition. I think it was called An American Christmas Carol.
Comment by Sally — December 11, 2006 @ 1:18 pm
I’ll have to revisit Polar Express. We saw it on Christmas eve when it was in theatres and it may have been my two year olds train euphoria rubbing off on me. The North Pole scenes were very cool though.
Comment by John Scherer — December 11, 2006 @ 1:20 pm
I would’ve loved to see Polar Express as a live-action special-effects extravaganza. It’s a cute little idea. The animation was terrible, though. It’s the Uncanny Valley effect that Ebert mentions every time he gets a chance: we’re creeped out by representations that are very close to human but not quite.
Christmas Vacation isn’t real great but I still like it. I usually watch it a couple times during the season.
My top five:
1. It’s a Wonderful Life
2. A Christmas Carol (the one with George C. Scott)
3. Nightmare Before Christmas
4. The Muppet Christmas Carol
5. Christmas Vacation
Comment by Tom — December 11, 2006 @ 1:59 pm
I’m glad to see that I’m not the only one who prefers the George C. Scott version of “A Christmas Carol”.
As for “The Goonies”, every time I see it in its uncut version, I’m dismayed by the language in such a movie that is obviously targeted at children.
Comment by Mark N. — December 11, 2006 @ 4:24 pm
I am so disappointed that no one has mentioned “ELF.” It’s an easy top fiver.
Comment by Greg — December 11, 2006 @ 4:34 pm
Greg,
I thought Elf started out really well, but seriously fell apart somewhere around 2/3 of the way in. After that point, I thought it was basically unwatchable.
Comment by Tim J. — December 11, 2006 @ 4:36 pm
I didn’t mind the 3rd act of Elf. I thought it was only so-so compared to the genius of the first two acts. But for some reason while I love Elf it just isn’t in my top 5. By the same measure I love the Charlie Brown Christmas but it’s not in that top 5 either.
Comment by Clark — December 11, 2006 @ 6:32 pm
You guys are soooo jaded.
1. It’s a Wonderful Life
2. Miracle on 34th Street (original)
3. The Snowman (Raymond Briggs)
4. Christmas Story
5. Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer
OK,OK. And Die Hard.
Comment by meems — December 11, 2006 @ 6:52 pm
“It’s a Wonderful Life” (a masterpiece in story telling, by the way)
“The Grinch Who Stole Christmas” (animated–the live action is a piece of crap)
“A Charlie Brown Christmas”
Those are my top three.
“Rudolph” is weak story-wise but is packed with wonderful songs–I enjoy it though for nostalgic reasons.
“Santa Cause is Coming to Town” is probably the best of the Rakin-Bass productions.
“A Christmas Carol” with George C. Scott is the best one I’ve seen–though I haven’t seen a great one yet.
“A Christmas Story” is a peice of junk. Get over it you eighties junkies.
Comment by Jack — December 11, 2006 @ 9:48 pm
I guess that’s supposed to be “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Oops. A gem–one of Chuck Jones’ best.
Comment by Jack — December 11, 2006 @ 9:52 pm
Eighties junkies??? The film takes place in the fifties!
Comment by Rusty — December 11, 2006 @ 11:27 pm
1. It’s a Wonderful Life
2. A Christmas Story
3. The Muppet Christmas Carol (Light the lamp, not the rat!)
4. Elf
5. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (Boris Karloff narration)
Honorable mention:
Love Actually (yes, too many characters, yes, I would prefer that Hugh Grant not dance – but badly needed sentiment set around the holidays & the use of the Beach Boys at end never fails to make me tear up.)
Comment by Jennifer — December 12, 2006 @ 12:35 pm
Jennifer,
Yes, I love Love Actually, I’ll have to watch it again this season. I don’t even know what it is about it that I love but it just makes me feel human and feel good.
Comment by Rusty — December 12, 2006 @ 2:06 pm
My list:
1. It’s a Wonderful Life
The rest are completely dispensable.
Comment by S. P. Bailey — December 12, 2006 @ 3:15 pm
A Christmas Carol is far and away the best Christmas story, and probably should figure on the list. I like both the Alistair Sim version (from 1951) and the George C. Scott version (from 1983), with a nod to Mr. Magoo (1960 animated).
1. Scrooge/Christmas Carol tie (1951 and 1983)
2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 animated)
3. It’s A Wonderful Life
4. The Miracle on 34th Street
5. Charlie Brown Christmas (1965 animated)
I’ve never been able to sit all the way through A Christmas Story. Scrooged has its moments, but that’s all.
Comment by D. Fletcher — December 12, 2006 @ 3:59 pm
By the way, everybody, our debate about the various versions of A Christmas Carol on this board, from November, 2004, may be found here:
http://www.kulturblog.com/2004/11/christmas-carols/
Comment by D. Fletcher — December 12, 2006 @ 4:12 pm
And here’s the Christmas Carol thread from my Sondheim board. The posts are out-of-order, somewhat, so be warned:
http://p069.ezboard.com/fsondheimandusfrm22.showMessage?topicID=229.topic
Comment by D. Fletcher — December 12, 2006 @ 5:01 pm
I don’t actually hate Love Actually, but something about it drives me nuts. The Alan Rickman and Colin Firth storylines can stay, the rest must go. Especially Keira Knightley.
Yet another Christmas movie that Alan Rickman was the best part of.
Comment by NFlanders — December 12, 2006 @ 5:30 pm
Amen Neddy. HATE Keira. LOVE Hans Gruber.
Comment by Supergenius — December 12, 2006 @ 6:33 pm
D.,
You’re right that “A Christmas Carol” is the best *story*. But no film version (imo) is as good a *film* as “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Rusty,
By “eighties junkies” I mean it seems that those who are the biggest fans of “A Christmas Story” are those who grew up in the eighties–those who were kids when it first came out. C’mon, even I, a sixties junky, have learned to live with the fact that “Rudolph” is a lousy story–even though (as I said before) I still love it for nostalgic reasons.
Comment by Jack — December 12, 2006 @ 7:39 pm
with a nod to Mr. Magoo (1960 animated).
“We’ll steal your pen… and pencible!”
Comment by Mark N. — December 13, 2006 @ 2:15 am
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