Christmas Films
Written on Dec 04, 2007 // Film.Here is a litte breakdown of my top five favorite (well current favorite) Christmas films:
5 - National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
If you want to ‘feel’ all Chritmasty, then look no further than buying National Lampoon Christmas Vacation. Everything from the opening music to the ending titles sums up the most favourite time of the year.
It’s Christmas time and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration, but things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen and their two kids. Clark’s continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon
4 - Home Alone
This megahit that made Macaulay Culkin a household name–and still causes me to wince when I’m in the presence of gallon paint cans–is a tightly plotted and very funny tribute to upper middle class child abuse. Chris Columbus helms this ruthlessly crafty comedy, and from the moment the house lights go down, it’s pedal to the metal.
An eight-year-old boy named Keven McCallister was accidentally left behind when his family rushes off on a Christmas vacation to France. Meanwhile, two bumbling pair of burglars named Harry and Marv known as the “Wet Bandits,” are trying to break in to steal all sorts of valuables. Tonight Keven has become a home security system while he is rigging a bewildering battery of booby traps. It’s all up to Kevin to save the house and set out booby traps before Harry and Marv steals everything in the house!
3 - The Nightmare Before Christmas
A Christmas movie as only Tim Burton could do one. If you’re familiar with his work, then his gothic look at the holiday through the eyes of a Halloween character who has Santa-envy.
Jack Skellington is the King of Halloween, but is about to discover something news. Jack becomes bored and tired with the same routine every year, and takes a walk into the woods, in which he discovered a door leading to Christmas time. Christmas time is amazing to Jack, but he doesn’t fully understand the concept. Now, he want to bring Christmas to everyone, and is planning to take over the job from Santa. Problem is, the real world isn’t used to Jack’s lifestyle, and it’s not going to go to plan for Jack at all.
2 - Scrooged
Another take on the Charles Dickens classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. It’s somewhat dated from the time in which it was filmed, but at the same time there’s a dark comedy to it that is timeless.
Frank Cross runs a US TV station which is planning a live adaptation of Dickens’ Christmas Carol. Frank’s childhood wasn’t a particularly pleasant one, and so he doesn’t really appreciate the Christmas spirit. With the help of the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, Frank realises he must change.
Truly one of the finest films ever made. It’s message still resonates after nearly 60 years. It’s central themes of love, appreciation, loyalty, and sacrifice are valuable reminders any time of year. I saw this film for the first time when I was about 8 years old and even then could understand why it had become a tradition in many households at Christmastime. Like many other Christmas-themed films, this one reminds us to pause and take in our surroundings. It is unfortunate that such films are only celebrated once a year, but that particular trait also adds a certain degree of rarity to its charm.
George Bailey spends his entire life giving up his big dreams for the good of his town, Bedford Falls, as we see in flashback. But in the present, on Christmas Eve, he is broken and suicidal over the misplacing of an $8000 loan and the machinations of the evil millionaire, Mr. Potter. His guardian angel, Clarence, falls to Earth, literally, and shows him how his town, family, and friends would turn out if he had never been born. George meant so much to so many people; should he really throw it all away?
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
Loading …