For me, it’s jingle all the way. It’s got everything. A drunk reindeer. A terrorist mailman. Arnold punching a deer. Arnold punching Sinbad. Arnold punching Santa. Arnold in general.
Edit: sure are a lot of die hard fans of Die Hard.
It’s genuinely Die Hard. Calling it a Christmas movie used to be something I said for fun, but somewhere along the line, watching it at Christmas has become an actual tradition that I look forward to
Absolutely in the same boat as you. Used to be home alone (1&2) but the past 5 years or so the first Christmas movie I put on is Die Hard and I can’t imagine that changing anytime in the future.
Home alone is a great choice too. Love those ones. Such great comedy, so many good memories of watching it with my family.
If you’re the kind of person who counts Die Hard as a Christmas movie, I seriously suggest you watch The Long Kiss Goodnight as a contender. Geena Davis and Samuel L. Jackson co-starring in a Christmas flavored spy adventure roadtrip.
Here’s a minute and a half to make my point.
I love that movie! :)
It’s like how Star wars movies are Christmas movies.
Not at all.
Die Hard at its heart it is a story of a man trying to bring his family together. His presence in the story is one of traditional family values thrown into a world where they aren’t valued.
Just the fax, ma’am
I don’t mean it like that. I’m not trying to meme or anything. Yeah, meming is why I first started watching it at Christmas, but it’s long stopped being about the meme and and debates about whether it’s a Christmas movie.
I watch it every Christmas now because it has become a genuine tradition for me
Yeah same for me with Star wars. I know I’m not the only one, but it’s just fun.
Have you seen the Star Wars Christmas special?
Unfortunately.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Honestly it’s one of the few Christmas movies I still really look forward to watching. Not only have I always loved the muppets, but it’s just a really good movie. Micheal Caine is gives it 100% and the story adaptation is really well done. And having Gonzo narrating as Dickens plus Rizzo for breaking tension was pulled off so well.
It’s my pick too. I’ve never seen another rendition I liked any better and it’s actually pretty loyal to the book. Caine’s Scrooge is actually very sympathetic and his character growth is really satisfying. It’s funny and wholesome and nicely grounded in what the holiday means to me personally. I’m an atheist but I love Christmas because of the reminder to share our appreciation and gratitude to the ones we love, and come together to share our good fortune or commiserate over bad. Plus the songs are so catchy.
I have such fond memories of this film. Going to see it at our local small-town cinema when it came out and I was like 8 or 9 years old. Me and my little brother used to get dropped off there every Saturday morning with a couple packets of sweets up our sleeves and just left to watch whatever was on while our parents did mysterious grownup errands.
Anyway I remembered it being great but was worried it was just a nostalgia thing. Saw it again a couple years ago and nope! Still holds up! It’s a genuinely great film and anyone who hasn’t seen it should do so immediately.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned Home Alone.
That’s my favorite. Also Home Alone 2, mostly for the scene where Marv becomes a skeleton.
My 4 years old watched these movies for the first time 2 weeks ago and he still talks about Marv being electrocuted and turning into a skeleton.
The Nightmare Before Christmas
What’s this?
Tim Burton masterpiece
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightmare_Before_Christmas
Thank you for the answer, however I was making a reference from the movie myself :)
OH! Obviously I completely missed that.
A 1993 animation film produced by Tim Burton and a great (dark) Christmas film. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightmare_Before_Christmas
I’m upset I had to scroll this far down to find this is my go to movie for Halloween and 🤮mas
sorry I just really fucking hate Christmas
Hogfather. Based on the Terry Pratchett book of the same name. The hogfather (santa) is missing so Death has to fill in.
The 2006 mini series or the 2007 movie?
I haven’t watched it, but I think the 2007 movie is just a re-airing of the miniseries (which was two parts) as a single part. At least that’s what it seems like looking around the internet.
I’m definitely watching it this holiday. I love Pratchett.
For me it has to be National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, along with other seasonal offerings, Groundhog day, Trading Places, Love Actually, & The Family Stone…
A Christmas Story! It always runs 24/7 on some channel come the holidays. It’s also just one of my favorite movies. Nothing overstays, all the actors are great, the little daydream scenes, I love it all.
Since it is well established that Die Hard qualifies, by the same criterion so does Gilliam’s Brazil from 1985, and that would be mine, for its gloriously nightmarish dystopia - closely followed by Klaus (2019), which is a far more conventional seasonal tale: an animation with a beautiful style of artwork and a great story.
Klaus was really good, far better than I expected.
I love that Arnold is so famous in Western culture that no one has to say his last name. He is the only Arnold that matters and it will be a great sadness to the hemisphere the day he leaves us.
Hey Arnold! ended in 2004. Arnold’s been gone for a long time now.
That show was wonderful though
The Grinch (2000). Jim Carrey’s tortured performance slays me.
Followed by White Christmas (1954) because I love Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen.
The makeup tortured him so much they had to hire CIA operatives to teach him how to resist torture.
Yes. We know. It comes up every time it’s mentioned.
And Bing Crosby was a POS who beat his kids.
A Muppet Family Christmas
It has everything, muppets, sesame street, fraggle rock, songs, jokes, swedish chef. It was my favorite as a kid and still makes me laugh every year.Watch out for the icy patch!
I don’t even recall seeing it as a kid in the 80s, but I found it once I had kids and it’s absolutely our favorite to watch as a family. In fact, now that the kids are teenagers, this is probably the only one that will draw them out of their rooms to watch together still.
Bad Santa. It’s cynical and hilarious and still ends up weirdly heartwarming.
Shit happens when you party naked.
The first time I saw that movie it was actually in the theater on Christmas day. It was me, one elderly couple, and one other guy in the entire theater. The elderly couple got up and left before the title even made it on screen, and I was already laughing. I’ve watched it every single year since.
Home Alone. For me, only the first one. The soundtrack is also a legit good Christmas album.
Muppet Christmas Carol. Michael Caine with the straightman performance of the century sharing screentime with Rizzo the rat. Masterpiece from start to finish.
Hear me out: Ernest Saves Christmas
Been quoting lines from this movie for years:
- Every time we see Santa at the mall: (lean it to the wife) “His real name is ‘Santos’”
- Everytime we see a sleigh decoration: “‘Slay’! Not ‘Sleigh’”
- “Call it a fifth sense. Call it extra sensory perspiration.”
- “Right as rain sugar. Pork’s my meat!”
- “It’s all dem movie people want. Poison!”
- “Having walked from the airport, I’ll be dead soon”
- … and much much more
Holy Christmas I thought I was the only one. When he’s talking to Vern in his house, and he’s trying to set the lights up, and while he’s talking to Vern he’s pulling the corn and it’s ripping out of the wall and then it ends up going to the chandelier then he pulls the chandelier but it won’t fall, so he walks away saying he’s going to get some wire cutters. I can’t believe how funny this movie is. And I literally watched it last night too lol.
For me it’s Wonderful Life from Frank Capra!
