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Top Five Christmas Movies (1 Viewer)

Adam Lenhardt

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Well, it snowed here for the first time this winter and it got me thinking about holiday movies. Since the previous thread is closed and archived, I thought I'd pose the question again: What's your top five favorite Christmas movies? Movies celebrating other winter holidays are welcome as well. I'm hoping to discover some new classics that will make it into my own top fives.Here are mine as they stand right now:Big screen:5. Love Actually4. Scrooged3. The Family Man2. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)1. It's a Wonderful LifeSmall screen:5. A Smoky Mountain Christmas4. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town3. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas1. A Charlie Brown ChristmasIf you don't even want to think about Christmas until after Thanksgiving, I don't blame you. Come back when you're ready.
 

Mike Frezon

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Hey Adam! I was enjoying me some of those flurries tonight!

My rule of thumb each year is that I can't play any Christmas music until Thanksgiving...or the first time it snows. Time to fire her up! :biggrin:

My top five Christmas movies:

Honorable Mention: The Santa Clause
5. The Bishop's Wife
4. A Christmas Story
3. Elf
2. It's a Wonderful Life
1. A Christmas Carol (1951)
 

Carabimero

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Miracle on on 34th St (original)
It's A Wonderful Life
Charlie Brown
Grinch
Rudolph
Miracle on 34th St (new)
The Note (recommend if you haven't seen it)
 

lark144

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Stanley Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" may not be a traditional Xmas movie, but it's certainly set at Xmas-time, with Xmas trees, wreaths, illuminated Santa Clauses and such in almost every shot. Also, though clearly unfinished, it's a film I really love, and for Kubrick, the ending is positively warm & fuzzy.

"Bachelor Mother" written by Norman Krasna & directed by Garson Kanin, and staring Ginger Rogers as a temp Xmas worker at Macy's.

"Santa Claus Has Blue Eyes" by the great New Wave director Jean Eustache staring Jean-Pierre-Leaud as a French Provincial Santa Claus.

"An Affair To Remember" with Cary Grant & Deborah Kerr & an ending set at Xmas Eve that always turns me into a sentimental slob

and yes, "White Christmas" especially for Big Crosby singing "Count Your Blessings"

And an honorable mention for a Mexican film entitled "Santa Claus" which used to be shown at my neighborhood theater every year, with hallucinatory color, and a Gerry-rigged plot about Satan (a portly bearded actor in a red devil suit puffing on a cigar, or at least that's what I remember) trying unsuccessfully to hijack all the children's toys. I doubt that it was very good, but seeing the film every year as a child (let's say we were more or less a captive audience, as we were dropped off by our parents wanting a child-free Saturday afternoon) whenever I see pink and blue ices sold on street corners in the Summer, the colors immediately evoke this film.
 

bujaki

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lark144, good off-beat list. I'd just exchange Love Affair (1939) for An Affair to Remember. I like both movies, but I feel the original is superior.
 

Peter M Fitzgerald

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It's a Wonderful Life
A Christmas Carol ('51)
Miracle on 34th Street ('47)
A Christmas Story
Remember the Night

Honorable mention:

Home Alone
Holiday Affair ('49)
The Bishop's Wife ('47)
The Cheaters ('45)
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Die Hard
The Wool Cap (TV-Movie)
Beware My Lovely
The Lady in the Lake
The Ice Harvest
Gremlins
Black Christmas ('74)
 

Tino

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A Christmas Carol (1951)Miracle On 34th Street (1947)A Christmas StoryA Christmas Carol (1984 TV version with George C Scott )Love ActuallyBtw, just bought White Christmas on blu. Never saw it.
 

Robert Crawford

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Not in order, but my personal favorites are the following:

3 Godfathers
It's a Wonderful Life
Lady in the Lake
A Christmas Carol (1938)
A Christmas Story
 

Ahab

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Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale - Best movie I ever saw about the real Santa Claus. :)
A Christmas Story
How the Grinch Stole Christmas - The Karloff version
It's A Wonderful Life
Life of Brian
 

Sean Bryan

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For movies:Christmas VacationA Christmas StoryScroogedElfIt's A Wonderful LifeOf course, a Die Hard/Lethal Weapon/Iron Man Three Christmas action extravaganza certainly has its place. For TV:Woodland Critter Christmas (South Park)A Charlie Brown ChristmasSanta Claus Is Coming to TownRudolph the Red-Nosed ReindeerHow the Grinch Stole Christmas
 

JoeDoakes

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Scrooge (1951)
A Christmas Story
The Bishops Wife
Miracle on 34th Street
It's a Wonderful Life

Honorable mention: Going My Way/Bells of St. Mary's
 

Ed Lachmann

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Some odd ones that we watch every year:
1. Come to the Stable
2. Remember the Night
3. King of Kings (DeMille's 1927 Roadshow Version)
4. A Christmas Wish (with Rupert the Squirrel and Jimmy Durante)
5. We're No Angels
 

Ejanss

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A few on my odd, but required, pile:
1. Curse of the Cat People (ahh, Simone: )

2. Santa Claus: the Movie (the last 80's big-soundstage movie for the Salkinds, the first half before John Lithgow shows up is pure holiday store-window, Judy Cornwell retires the jersey as Mrs. Claus, and the first Santa-takeoff montage is required for the holidays)

3. Nutcracker: the Motion Picture (1986--if you have kids, show them the safe, cuddly '94 Macaulay Culkin version instead. Maurice Sendak snootily piles on the "deconstructionist" creepiness, but Carroll Ballard makes those Pacific Northwest Ballet sets look amazing)

4. The Blue Bird (1940 Shirley Temple--well, I mean, c'mon, you gotta...Besides, I clearly remember coming home the day of Christmas school vacation, seeing this playing on the local NY-station afternoon movie, and having no idea what holiday movie I was being shown)
5. Holiday Inn (caught this one on the old-movie channel, and I like Fred Astaire movies, so there--The Irving Berlin tunes are better, and every film fan has to mandatorily educate themselves on the differences against the big fat mainstream fraud of the Crosby/Clooney/Kaye "White Christmas")
lark144 said:
And an honorable mention for a Mexican film entitled "Santa Claus" which used to be shown at my neighborhood theater every year, with hallucinatory color, and a Gerry-rigged plot about Satan (a portly bearded actor in a red devil suit puffing on a cigar, or at least that's what I remember)
Oh, I'd say people remember that one nowadays, albeit for different reasons:


(Although their less-snotty version of "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" is required viewing every year.)
 

andySu

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Okay this line up for December.

1) DIE HARD (1988) THX laserdisc Dolby AC-3 5.1 (R rated)
2) DIE HARD 2 (1990) DVD region 2 Dolby 5.1 (15)
3) GREMLINS (1984) DVD region 2 Dolby 5.1 (15)4) TURBULENCE (1997) Dolby Digital AC-3 5.1 laserdisc (R rated)
5) STAR TREK GENERATIONS (1994) THX laserdisc Dolby AC-3 (PG)
 

BobO'Link

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Top 5:
MIracle on 34th Street (1947)
Holiday Inn (1942) (Far superior to the partial remake White Christmas)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945) (Somewhat obscure but required viewing)
A Christmas Story (1983)
Christmas Vacation (1989)

Honorable mentions:
A Christmas Carol (1938) (Say what you will about the others, this is my personal favorite of them all)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
Mixed Nuts (1994)
Joyeux Noel (2005)
 

Bob_S.

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Top five Movies:1. Holiday Inn2. A Christmas Carol (1938)3. White Christmas4. It's A Wonderful Life5. Polar ExpressHonorable mention: A Christmas Carol (Jim Carrey)Top TV Specials:1. Charlie Brown Christmas2. Rudolph3. A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott)4. Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol5. Frosty The Snowman/Santa Claus is Coming to TownHonorable Mention:The Man in the Santa Claus SuitAll Bing Crosby/Frank Sinatra/Perry Como/Andy Williams/Carpenters Christmas specials
 

Mark Collins

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I love HTF for just this type of thread.


Here is my list.

Christmas Carol 1938

It's a Wonderful Life

Christmas Story

The Nativity

Remember the Night.
 

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