Holiday Season Movie Viewing

 

It's pretty convenient that my writing get-away spot this week has not one...but TWO copies of Planes, Trains and Automobiles! And I'm talking the classic Steve Martin and John Candy one.

It must be serendipity....which is my ultimate top pick for a holiday movie and is the first destination I'll visit if I ever get to New York, but since Jim already listed Serendipity—I'll move on. 

There's also The Long Kiss Goodnight...again, that gem was picked by Jeffe on Sunday. The knife throwing is so fun!! 

You've Got Mail is another top contender. Meg Ryan's Shop Around the Corner is incredibly adorable and looks great decorated for Christmas. Shoot! Jeffe listed that one too!

Ooo! I've got a new one to watch! KAK suggested I Am Dragon and it looks so perfect for me! Fantasy romance...and there's a dragon. Yep, as soon as I get home, handsome, this is coming on.

I suppose that's already five flicks. As far as Christmas-movies go, my list is longer than Kris Kringle's. Clearly, there's work to be done on the Christmas-adjacent ones. So if you have any to suggest, let me know!  

I hope you all have a movie-filled ramp-up to the holiday season! 

Christmas Movies That Aren't Necessarily

This week at SFF Seven, we're listing off our favorite movies that aren't about Christmas but happen to feature a midwinter setting or themes or something related. Think Die Hard, right. And some folks have already mentioned a couple that pop up for me right away: Lethal Weapon and Iron Man 3. To all these I will add:

3. Gremlins. Hey, it's about finding that perfect gift and properly evokes all the anxiety of that fun process.

2. Trading Places. It's winter, the orange crop might have been frozen, and rich people are villains. Sounds like a Christmas to movie to me.

and most of all...

1. Edward Scissorhands. The ice sculpture scene where Edward makes snow. Oh, my heart! 

In related/adjacent news--you see what I did there?--we had our first almost-winter freeze last night, and I'm feeling particularly winter-wonderlandy and so have purchased a heated blanket and some German cherry wine-ish stuff that you're supposed to serve hot. Cheers to all, and stay cozy and warm!

Favorite Holiday-Adjacent Movie: I am Dragon

 Christmas (or similar holiday) adjacent movie that I love?

I Am Dragon

It's a charming YA Beauty and the Beast-ish Russian flick that has amazing costumes. It's not a blood, guts, and gore movie. Sure, there are villainous moments, but we're talking villain-lite. The scariest parts are in the trailer, so safe to use that as a guide for whether it's suitable for your kidlets.

The Holiday Next Door

 So the topic is Holiday Adjacent movies nd we're supposed to give a top five. 

Lessee....

First, I'll go with WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. Why? Because the movie is incredible, number one, and because it does a wonderful job of showing how very differently we approach the big holidays depending on who we are with. Christmas and New Year's Day preparations change drastically as a result of who is present in the movie and I've seen and experienced the same in my life. 

Second, let's go with LETHAL WEAPON. Oh, I know everyone always says DIE HARD, but LETHAL WEAPON has a cheerful Christmas scenes playing out in the middle of a lot of murder and mayhem. It's also a genuinely fun testosterone-fueled flick. 

Of course, if we're talking testosterone I think we can safely add BATMAN RETURNS to the list. There's mention of mistletoe, there're penguins and snow and possibly even a candy cane or two. Heck, Danny DeVito as Oswald (the Penguin) Cobblepot is certainly reminiscent of Ebenezer Scrooge. 

Next up, I'd have to say LOVE, ACTUALLY is a great example of Christmas Adjacent, seeing as the third act takes place on and around the very holiday in question. It's also, frankly, just plain fun for me. 

Okay, one more then. SERENDIPITY a love story that has no particular focus on Christmas but also ends during the holiday season and gives me the warm-fuzzies. Oh, I know, I'm all about the bloodshed and carnage but there are exceptions to every rule. I'm an old softy when it comes to the holidays. In fact, my absolute all-time favorite movie is IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. It has a positive message, but as an added bonus, there's a thick vein of horror running through the entire thing. 

May your holidays be filled with joy!

Jim

Jeffe's Top Five Christmas-Adjacent Movies

Our topic at the SFF Seven this week is our favorite Christmas-adjacent (or other holiday-adjacent) movies. Now, I'm a Christmas-loving gal, so if you don't celebrate or don't care, feel free to skip. This will not be on the final.

All right! Now, if you are like me and love to add Christmas movies to the general celebrating, but maybe get tired of the movies that focus SOLELY on Christmas - not that there's anything wrong with those! - then you might like some of these Christmas-adjacent movies. They're not Christmas movies in any real sense, but they include Christmas in awesome ways.

Also, I suggested this topic because I'm always looking for more Christmas-adjacent movies. (NOT Die Hard, people.) So, I'm looking forward to what my bordello-mates suggest - and please tell me yours!

In reverse order, my Top Five Christmas-adjacent movies.

#5    Mean Girls

What? I *told* you these aren't actual Christmas movies! Mean Girls is almost an honorable mention, but I have to include it because of the classic sexy-Santa-in-red-latex dance. Also, this is a brilliant movie that deserves a rewatch anyway.

#4    You've Got Mail

The Christmas scenes in this movie capture all the wonderful nostalgia of the season. The original movie, The Shop Around the Corner, had a stronger Christmas focus and is totally worth watching, too.

#3    Iron Man 3

Tony shopping for a gift for Pepper? Trying out a new suit to the tune of Jingle Bells? Yes, please! Also the Christmas setting provides glittering contrast to the story. 

#2    The Long Kiss Goodnight

Seems like not many people saw - or appreciated - this one, but I love Geena Davis as a kickass spy who goes from sweet, amnesiac wife and mom to lethal superagent. All at Christmas time. Plus Samuel L. Jackson. More ironic Christmas cheer for the win!

#1    Bed of Roses

Sometimes I feel like the only person who saw and LOVED this movie. I saw it in the theater twice, and have had it on VHS since then. It's one of my favorite romances, and the juxtaposition of the emotional pressure of Christmas and family make the love affair even more poignant. Plus, contains the line from Pamela (Segall) Adlon, "I'm a Jewish Elf." 

Now, hit me with suggestions! What Christmas-adjacent movies should I be watching???

Gratitude Attitude

 “Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” Robert Brault

DepositPhoto

“Got no checkbooks, got no banks, still I’d like to express my thanks. I got the sun in the morning and the moon at night.” Irving Berlin

Gratitude is Riches

Gratitude is riches. Complaint is poverty.

Doris Day

 

The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.

Friedrich Nietzsche

Thankful

The more grateful I am,

The more beauty I see.

~Mary Davis

For our readers in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! During this Thanksgiving week we like to reflect on the many things we're thankful for. 

It's easy to pick out what's not going well or the failures that keep us from where we want to be. It takes an effort to look on the bright side. And while I believe it can be good to let yourself wallow for a bit, afterward it's even more important to take stock of the good things. 

It doesn't have to be all big things either! I was thankful for my cup of coffee this morning and I'll be thankful for a glass of wine tonight. Right now I'm incredibly thankful for my friends who keep me going—even better than caffeine—and help build me up when I've been torn down. 

Thank you my friends for being there. And thank you to our readers for giving us your time each day! I hope you all have a thankful weened!