Every year my family has a checklist of holiday movies we must watch. Are these on your list? In no particular order, here they are:
Jingle All The Way
It’s hard to find a movie without a bit of cheesy special effects and acting, but there’s something special and over the top about Jingle All The Way that I love. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sinbad. The duo are just magical on-screen as hero and villain. The premise is simple, Arnold’s son wants a “hot” toy that Arnold, in his absent-mindedness, forgets to buy the toy early and it becomes near impossible to get. From the beginning till the end we get to witness Arnold in various attempts to attain this unattainable toy while Sinbad, a distressed mailman, try to stop Arnold so he can get the same toy. I quote this movie even when the holidays are over to some annoyance to my family and friends.
Scrooged
Who doesn’t love Bill Murray? A 1988 take on the classic Dickens story. In the story, a tv executive, Frank Cross, played by Bill Murray, wants to develop and show the most outrageous live Scrooged television broadcast possible. But Frank did not become the youngest president of a network by being nice. After stepping on as many possible people to the top, Frank is now facing his “ghosts” quite literally! The movie has plenty of unforgettable moments and a nice touch of heart to make you perhaps shed a tear or two.
Home Alone
Rarely not seen on a top list of holiday movies, Home Alone is a classic. Kevin McCallister is left home by himself after an error in head checks before his insanely rich family leaves for France leads to Kevin defending himself against two thieves targeting his home. A John Hughe’s film, creator of classics like Sixteen Candles, Uncle Buck and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, hits it out of the park again.
A Christmas Story
For most people, it might be hard to relate to some of these Christmas stories where the characters live in giant homes with great jobs and some act of fate put them in peril, but in A Christmas Story, the dad and family are working-class and much closer to home for me. Ralphie, a nine-year-old boy, is excited and anticipating a great Christmas and getting the one thing he wants most, a Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Every character in the movie gets their moments from the Dad’s outrageous leg lamp, Ralphie’s wild brother and his refusal to eat, and even Ralphie’s mom with her go with the flow attitude.
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Another John Hughe’s film! This Chevy Chase classic comes up in the mind of many people when asked about what is their favourite Christmas movie. In some instances, the favourite movie even when it’s not the holidays for some people! Clarke Griswold, like the first National Lampoon Vacation, gets into a series of high jinx that leads down a road of ever-increasing disaster for him. The movie kicks into high gear when Clark’s cousin Eddie shows up! Warning: This of the list so far is the cruder of the group with some bad language and scenes that made not be suitable for younger audiences.
What movies do you love that I missed? Drop us a line, we want to hear what movies you love.