Movies I Watch at This Time of the Year

 

Our topic this week is “holiday adjacent” movies, which I take to mean what movies do I associate with this time of the year.

In our house we always watched “Holiday Inn” with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire on Thanksgiving Day, after the dinner and the dish washing. We loved the singing and the dancing. Of course it’s a 1942 movie so certain portions of the movie are wildly inappropriate nowadays, culturally speaking and painful. We skip those. Some lovely Irving Berlin tunes though…I’m not a huge fan of the 1950’s remake “White Christmas.” I’m not a Danny Kaye fan for one thing and the various subplots don’t do much for me. I do tear up though – SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER -  when all the former soldiers come marching in to save the old general’s inn. I recently streamed the 2017 Broadway production of “Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn” and enjoyed that quite a bit although the plot was so different and I didn’t care for the heroine. She seems a lot less plucky than our gal of 1942.

For some reason the Lord of the Rings trilogy movies always say “Christmas” to me. Probably because they came out at that time of the year? Or maybe because there’s all that snow in “Fellowship”? Or because Rivendell seems to be in permanent autumnal state with all those falling leaves? At any rate, I usually watch all three movies at least once during the holiday time frame. As an aside, I will always believe the scene with Aragorn and Arwen on that bridge is the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen.

I adore “Scrooged”. OMG that’s a wonderful movie. Bill Murray at his finest and the various ghosts are terrific.

“ALL I Want for Christmas” from 1991 is another favorite in our family. Thora Burch, Harley Jane Kozak, Lauren Bacall (who sings!) and Leslie Nielsen as Santa Claus…

I like to watch the Rockettes Radio City Christmas Spectacular dvd at least once during this aeason. Their precision is astonishing…

My late husband and I enjoyed “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” It was quite funny, over the top somewhat of course! But overall enjoyable….

And of course there’s the original “Miracle on 34^th Street,” from 1947 with Maureen O’Hara, a very young Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn as (is he? Is he not?) Santa. SPOILER: expect magic. Of course!

I have to say last year’s “Christmas Chronicles” with Kurt Russell playing Santa as he’s never been portrayed before was GREAT. I was kind of bored by most of the movie frankly but not when he was on the screen and having Goldie Hawn in a surprise appearance as Mrs. Claus was the perfect touch. I haven’t watched the sequel as yet this year but I plan to.

When my daughters were little we used to watch the 1964 version of Rudolph the Red Nosed reindeer, with Burl Ives singing. I don’t think it’s aged very well, in concept or in visuals but every now and then I’ll watch a few minutes of it for old times sake.

So there’s my list and I’ve probably forgotten something completely. Wishing you a very peaceful and safe holiday season!

Variation on a Holiday Theme

Movies. For the longest time, I took great joy in slipping away to the theater to watch whatever happened to be screening. We lived on military bases, which were only so big. My sister and I learned early the math of leaving the house and walking to the single screen theater for a matinee. Most of the movies are dusty and forgotten, now. Mostly because they deserved to be. A few still gleam in imagination. Unfortunately, all of this was before the migraine disorder dissected my love affair with the thrill of a darkened movie theater. This is the long way of telling you I don't have any holiday-ish movies for you. Screens are problematic. Whether it's the flicker or refresh rates of modern panel TVs, we'll never know. 

TV and movies went away shortly after I graduated from college. I do still go to movie theaters - well. I *did* before all of this plague nonsense. But I only go after someone I trust rates a movie good enough for a migraine. Far too few movies rise to that level. The English Patient did. Pirates of the Caribbean, too. Iron Man as well. Oh. And Wonder Woman, though I had a few plot issues with it and that is another rant entirely. What it means is that you can plainly see I'm not at all movie-literate at this point.

I realize no one asked, but it's not the holidays until Buddy Hackett freezes solid beneath the streets of New York City and has Bill Murray yelling at his corpse. Scrooged. It's Scrooged I love.

So if you want to talk about holiday adjacent music, instead, I might have some of that, but that's because I'm pagan and my definition of holiday-ish tunes may be unacceptably odd to anyone else. Naturally, Loreena McKennitt tops the list. She has two holiday themed albums, but one of them is specifically Christmas and the other is more solstice oriented and it is that one that has my affection. Nox Arcana has a creeptastic holiday-inspired album. It's not going to be chirpy, whistle-tone singers belting tunes, that's for certain. There's something about the end of the year that seems to inspire desperation in far too many people. It's as if the arbitrary time marker of 'end of the year' turns deadlines everyone had 12 months to accomplish into monsters hungry for flesh and blood. Yes. I'm thinking of my day job. And maybe I'm busy tech writing what ought to have been tech written six months ago, but who's counting? Decorating and cooking - while fun - can pile stress even higher. So I look for music that sets me to dreaming of sparkling snow drifting through the evergreens, and the stag spirits breathing steam into the frigid night. (Lest you think I miss cold northern winters, I don't. I miss the *idea* of them, but actual snow? No. Thank you. I'll deck the halls with tropical plants and a couple of reptiles, thanks. I like not having to wear socks.)

Holidays are about dreams and memories and traditions. Movies can't be a big part of my life anymore. So I rely on music to tell me the stories I miss out on otherwise.

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

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“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