Favorite Christmas Movie

[Rebelfreedomeagle]

Wife is watching her favorite, White Christmas, while I play on my phone. I immediately started my old movie activity of seeing how actors died and if any are still alive. Scroll through the cast and look for the actress that played “fat lady” in this 1954 movie.

White Christmas cast

 

[812scottj]

Rocky IV

 

[the nail at the foul line]

When Schwartz gets smacked for Ralphie saying fudge, that is greatness.

 

[gobigblue812]

White Christmas?

 

[LineSkiCat14]

A weird trend I have with rewatching Christmas movies.. I love the first 2/3rds of many Christmas movies, and the last 1/3rd is always "meh", and something I usually change off of. Why is that?

Home Alone 2
Office Christmas Party
Elf
Christmas Vacation
Muppet Christmas Carol (exception, the ending is great, but the first 2/3rds are just that much better)

Off the top of my head.. All movies that are GREAT for the first hour, yet I never really need to see the final 30 minutes.

 

[Nightwish84]

Rewatched A Christmas Story and it just holds up no matter how many times I've seen it. I usually steer clear of the 24 hr marathon and watch the disc because I don't want to be burnt out on the movie. I watched A Christmas Story Christmas afterward and while its not a new Christmas classic, it has a lot of heart and some good moments, so I think its worth a watch if you have HBO Max.

 

[LOL_Man]

What kind of commie xmas movie list doesn't have Frosty the Snowman on it? As a kid, I cried when he melted and I still do.

 

[dbmhoosier]

Thoughts on the new Christmas Story on HBO?

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Christmas with The Kranks might be the worst A-list Christmas movie I can think of.

So many weird and unbelievable plot points, feels like half of it was shot in the back alley of a hollywood studio, Feels like it doesn't know what it wants to be, why did Tim Allen randomly get botox, Jamie Lee curtis is a mess (but an underrated bikini scene for someone who is 60), and on top of all of it, just doesn't feel Christmas-y at all to me.

 

[BC_Wader]

Thoughts on the new Christmas Story on HBO?

LOVED it. A lot of nostalgia and brought back the old characters while keeping the same feel as the original. I thought it would be terrible but was highly surprised.

 

[DreadLox]

1. A Christmas Story. We wore out our VHS copy of it.
2. The Thin Man. Nick Charles shooting out ornaments with a BB gun is how 9 year old me dreamed adult me would celebrate Christmas when I got old and drank.
3. Three versions of the Dickens story: Reginald Owen, Alastair Sim, and the Muppets. The Alastair Sim one has the scariest Christmas Yet to Come scene. The Reginald Owen version has the most convincing transformation.
4. The Ice Harvest. Oddest Harold Ramis movie.
5. Christmas in July. A weak Preston Sturges movie is still a pretty good movie.

 

[sefus12]

100% Christmas Vacation for me. That’s not debatable.

After that, Elf, Die Hard, and Scrooged followed by Home Alone 1/2. For those of you that haven’t seen it, Scrooged is fantastic. Bill Murray in his prime.

 

[MatteoV25]

Hot take, A Christmas Story is simply a terrible movie. Boring and unfunny, only thing good about it is the meme that was made about the bully saying "when I tell you to come, you better come."

 

[WildcatFan1982]

Yep, thought Michael Cain did an excellent job as Scrooge.

Supposedly his contract stated that he was to play the role as originally written and he refused to act as if the other characters were muppets.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Hot take, A Christmas Story is simply a terrible movie. Boring and unfunny, only thing good about it is the meme that was made about the bully saying "whel

Ok.

 

[UK82]

Hot take, A Christmas Story is simply a terrible movie. Boring and unfunny, only thing good about it is the meme that was made about the bully saying "when I tell you to come, you better come."

Hot take. You're in the minority on this one. Great flick.

 

[HymanKaplan]

If the Clown was Santa...

 

[HymanKaplan]

Also, no Trading Places, no care...

 

[parrott]

Great choices but Christmas Chronicles (1& 2) plus Fed Claus are good options.

 

[UK-BILL]

Not a movie - but the Xmas episode of Ted Lasso season 1 is damn near perfect

 

[NociHTTP]

Hot take, A Christmas Story is simply a terrible movie. Boring and unfunny, only thing good about it is the meme that was made about the bully saying "when I tell you to come, you better come."

Definitely a hot take. My family and I love the movie. To us it represents how Christmas and "the times" used to be in America during the 1940's. Every little kid dreams of getting that certain present. Everything about the movie is beautiful to us.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

I like "A Christmas Story" but i feel like I've seen it enough.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Definitely a hot take. My family and I love the movie. To us it represents how Christmas and "the times" used to be in America during the 1940's. Every little kid dreams of getting that certain present. Everything about the movie is beautiful to us.

I think that's the big difference. Christmas story hits a bit different for those born before the 80s. It's still a good movie, but it just feels old to me. That style of living was something my parents had as kids, while I never did. It's why for later generations, movies like Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, and Elf resonate a little better. But there will come a time where THOSE movies won't do anything for kids.

 

[NociHTTP]

I like "A Christmas Story" but i feel like I've seen it enough.

It is one of those movies that everytime you see it, there's a detail you missed before.

Have you seen the new movie where Ralphie's all grown up? It's actually pretty good. For those who haven't seen the second one, I recommend watching the second one first, THEN the first one.

Also, check out online how they made the first one. It was NOT an easy movie to make. The logistics, setbacks, etc. There are a lot of hardcore ACS fans out there

 

[DreadLox]

I think that's the big difference. Christmas story hits a bit different for those born before the 80s. It's still a good movie, but it just feels old to me. That style of living was something my parents had as kids, while I never did. It's why for later generations, movies like Home Alone, Christmas Vacation, and Elf resonate a little better. But there will come a time where THOSE movies won't do anything for kids.

In Lexington there are several school buildings that resemble the school in A Christmas Story. So, that's cool.

It's a bit depressing to think that these days every story has to be contemporary with its audience. Today's audiences can't imagine that there was a world prior to the one they live in?

 

[LineSkiCat14]

In Lexington there are several school buildings that resemble the school in A Christmas Story. So, that's cool.

It's a bit depressing to think that these days every story has to be contemporary with its audience. Today's audiences can't imagine that there was a world prior to the one they live in?

I don't think it means the movie is bad, it just doesn't resonate with younger generations. Like Ralphie getting his mouth washed out with soap, that's such a weird concept for someone born in 2000.

I also think humor becomes stale. Words and phrases that became funny for people born back then, become lame for their kids. Humor evolves. And it evolves quick. I even watch reruns of Friends and almost none of it is funny to me, yet I can also understand (sort of) why this was funny in the late 90s and early 2000s.

 

[BlueRunner11]

As an 80s kid, I enjoyed 8-Bit Christmas. It’s no National Lampoons to be sure, but I’d sure take it over Elf in a heartbeat.

Heck, I still like Ernest Saves Christmas.

 

[Get Bucket$]

I don't think it means the movie is bad, it just doesn't resonate with younger generations

What are you basing this statement on?

 

[LineSkiCat14]

What are you basing this statement on?

You have two relatively younger posters here who are telling you that it just doesn't hit the same way for their generation. I don't know anyone my age that thinks as highly of it, as someone who was born in the 70s, 60s and before. That doesn't mean we don't like it.. but maybe it doesn't need a 24/7 run on Christmas day.

The same way 20 year olds would rather watch Elf than It's a Wonderful Life.

 

[WildcatFan1982]

. Today's audiences can't imagine that there was a world prior to the one they live in?

a lot can't for some reason. I know plenty of people that are oblivious of the world before they were born. I actually got into an argument with a guy the same age as me (born in 1982) that swore up and down there was NEVER a football stadium at Stoll Field because he lived in Lexington his entire life and never saw it.

 

[Get Bucket$]

You have two relatively younger posters here who are telling you that it just doesn't hit the same way for their generation. I don't know anyone my age that thinks as highly of it, as someone who was born in the 70s, 60s and before. That doesn't mean we don't like it.. but maybe it doesn't need a 24/7 run on Christmas day.

The same way 20 year olds would rather watch Elf than It's a Wonderful Life.

Quite anecdotal to characterize a generation lol.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Quite anecdotal to characterize a generation lol.

Sometimes you can just use common sense to figure out trends.

USAToday/Fandango has "A Christmas Story" ranked 7th among millennial's, losing to, you guessed it, movies like "Elf" and "Home Alone".

According to YouGov below: Christmas Story has dropped in popularity, and that's not even factoring in what Gen Z thinks of it. All of the other older movies have dropped in popularity as well, Miracle, White Christmas, IAWL. Meanwhile, movies like Elf and Home Alone are far more popular with Millennial's than A Christmas story.

It's so weird isn't it, that new generations prefer movies that not only 1. came out when they were born, and 2. take place during a time they are familiar with?

 

[Get Bucket$]

Sometimes you can just use common sense to figure out trends.

USAToday/Fandango has "A Christmas Story" ranked 7th among millennial's, losing to, you guessed it, movies like "Elf" and "Home Alone".

According to YouGov below: Christmas Story has dropped in popularity, and that's not even factoring in what Gen Z thinks of it. All of the other older movies have dropped in popularity as well, Miracle, White Christmas, IAWL. Meanwhile, movies like Elf and Home Alone are far more popular with Millennial's than A Christmas story.

It's so weird isn't it, that new generations prefer movies that not only 1. came out when they were born, and 2. take place during a time they are familiar with?

So Christmas story being the favorite Xmas movie of 11% of millennials, 13% of gen x., and 12% of baby boomers somehow supports your position it “just doesn't resonate with younger generations”? 😂

 

[LineSkiCat14]

So Christmas story being the favorite Xmas movie of 11% of millennials, 13% of gen x., and 12% of baby boomers somehow supports your position it “just doesn't resonate with younger generations”? 😂

A drop is a drop.. and what WAS a borderline favorite movie for GEN Xers.. is now a distant 3rd for Millennials.. And it also follows the same trend as other movies made pre 1990. The other article has it 7th for Millennials.

Not sure what else to tell you. Younger generations are continuously favoring more and newer Christmas movies.

 

[DreadLox]

a lot can't for some reason. I know plenty of people that are oblivious of the world before they were born. I actually got into an argument with a guy the same age as me (born in 1982) that swore up and down there was NEVER a football stadium at Stoll Field because he lived in Lexington his entire life and never saw it.

Named for Judge Stoll. We lived down the street from his daughter when I was a kid.

Saw Mike Fanuzzi close out the season and stadium back in 74. BTW, I think Fanuzzi was our best running QB until Lynn Bowden. But Bowden doesn't really count since Bowden had The Blessing.

EDIT: The lady down the street must have been Judge Stoll's grand-daughter or even great granddaughter. She was Mom's age and Judge Stoll was a 19th century trustee of the university.

 

[DreadLox]

A drop is a drop.. and what WAS a borderline favorite movie for GEN Xers.. is now a distant 3rd for Millennials.. And it also follows the same trend as other movies made pre 1990. The other article has it 7th for Millennials.

Assuming the survey was authentic and well-run and the 2% difference wasn't within the margin of error.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Assuming the survey was authentic and well-run and the 2% difference wasn't within the margin of error.

I mean, I have other articles citing is as millennials 7th favorite movie if you guys prefer lol.

Not to mention, millennials aren't even really the "younger" generation anymore. 27 to 42 year Olds. I'd be curious to see what the under 27 population thinks of Christmas Story. But I bet it's even lower (not that GenZ is the voice of reason by any means lolol).

 

[DreadLox]

In the tortuous winding from Christmas movies to Stoll Field, I came upon this wonderful factoid:

On that first game in 1880, which Transylvania University won over Centre College 13¾–0, "The two teams met in a cow pasture, belong to Hubert McGoodwin near Lexington, the present site of the University of Kentucky's Stoll Field . . . There were fifteen players on each team and a player once injured or removed for other reasons could not re-enter the game. At the end of much scuffling and butting of scholarly foreheads, Transylvania was declared the winner by the score of 13-3/4 points to 0

 

[DreadLox]

I mean, I have other articles citing is as millennials 7th favorite movie if you guys prefer lol.

Not to mention, millennials aren't even really the "younger" generation anymore. 27 to 42 year Olds. I'd be curious to see what the under 27 population thinks of Christmas Story. But I bet it's even lower (not that GenZ is the voice of reason by any means lolol).

Well that graph up above shows that it isn't even the favorite Christmas movie of Baby Boomers. and the spread top to bottom is around 1%. Making sweeping generalizations about generational habits and preferences on that kind of data is just goofy.

From that graph you'd imagine Boomers watch It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street. I'm a Boomer and think both were dreadful and in over 40 years of marriage, neither have shown up in this house. I've never heard anyone discussing either movie. The wretched Danny Kaye keeps White Christmas off our screens. The wretched Will Farrell keeps Elf off our screens. The wretched Chevy Chase etc. I haven't watched any of those cartoons since they were made. It's a surprise that Die Hard is considered a Christmas movie. What's left? Home Alone. Well, we watched it when it came out.

 

[BMoore2]

“Home Alone,” but of the ones mentioned, I’ll take “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” She’s a beaut, Clark!