• fprawn@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    2 days ago

    This is probably not as unpopular opinion as I think it is, but I can’t stand Christmas movies. I do enjoy and celebrate Christmas, but the commercial aspect of it is too shoved down our throats like some kind of Foie Gras nightmare.

    Anyway, instead I watch through James Bond movies substituting misogyny and violence for hokey sentimental commercialism.

    • Krauerking@lemy.lolEnglish
      1·
      1 day ago

      I think it just makes for an easy sell to say that it’s full of good will and a kind story because it’s about Christmas but then you watch any of those Hallmark movies and it’s about calling men dumb and women who work terrible women who should be mothers…

      Like as if the good fun of the holiday will even put whatever else they want to do or say in making a terrible piece of media to a more palatable state.

      It’s like smothering a bad meal in gravy and saying well at least all you can taste is salt but here it’s Santa Claus. Definitely mostly not worth consumption.

    • Pilferjinx@lemmy.worldEnglish
      11·
      2 days ago

      I feel like this could be said of any movie or any form of entertainment. We’re selling stories, ideas, and norms. The Christmas flavor definitely isn’t my favorite though.

    • CaptSneeze@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      2 days ago

      We stumbled upon this, more or less by accident, maybe a decade ago. It immediately entered the annual holiday movie cycle. I think it’s one of Henson’s best works. 10/10!

  • realcaseyrollins@thelemmy.clubEnglish
    2·
    2 days ago

    If I’m depressed, A Charlie Brown Christmas. If not, the 1966 special How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. Mr. Robot S04 is a favorite as well.

    I haven’t seen many classic Christmas films though so I plan on broadening my horizons. My mom plans on showing my Diehard this year, I plan on watching FX/BBC’s rendition of A Christmas Carol, and I likely will see the 2000 Grinch movie with a friend.

  • aeronmelon@lemmy.worldEnglish
    12·
    3 days ago

    Well, first of all, Michael Caine is best Scrooge.

    (Muppet Christmas Carol)

    And of course Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

    The usual family classics like the Charlie Brown & Garfield Christmas specials, all the Rankin/Bass specials, the first two Home Alones (shame they never made any more), newer classics like The Santa Clause and Elf…

    But also a few that are a bit esoteric.

    • Santa’s Magic Toy Bag - From the creators of Alf, a cute and short morality tale about an elf that can’t find his place in Santa’s workshop.

    • The Snowman - A sad and wonderful story about a boy who builds a snowman that comes to (an all too short) life.

    • The Christmas Toy - A Jim Henson production, two toys risk being seen moving on their own to stop new Christmas toys from replacing them. Sounds a bit like Toy Story, right?

    Others that I still remember fondly but haven’t seen in a long time are The Berenstain Bears Christmas Tree, A Muppet Family Christmas, Ziggy’s Christmas Wish, and The Chipmunk’s Christmas.

  • Krauerking@lemy.lolEnglish
    6·
    3 days ago

    You know what’s almost guaranteed to be a bad movie? Any movies specifically written to be a Christmas movie.

    Seriously it’s like wading through waist high sewage till something good drifts along.

    So in likelihood of me to watch them:

    1. Muppet Christmas movies (Christmas carol and Muppet Family Christmas are lots fo fun)
    2. Tokyo Godfathers
    3. Edward scissor hands
    4. Klaus
    5. Gremlins
    • shalafi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      2 days ago

      You cannot comment on this without bringing up the Star Wars Christmas Special. Die hard fan since '77 and I can’t even start it.

      • Krauerking@lemy.lolEnglish
        1·
        1 day ago

        Yup. But like every tie in Christmas special hasn’t been much better.

        I think the only one tied to a pre-existing IP that was good was Pee-wee and that is easy cause he mocks everything the whole time.

        It’s tradition to skip Christmas specials when rewatching pretty much any IP.

    • Slovene@feddit.nlEnglish
      7·
      3 days ago

      A christmas carol with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge. And, of course, Die hard. Edit: I forgot - Home alone.