Do You Have A "Go To" Christmas Movie?

[Kriselda Gray]

I guess I'm about the only one that is not totally enamored with the Christmas holidays. My roomie is watching the movies (all of them I think. Right now it's the Santa Claus movie that Tim Allen had out several years ago), sings/hums Christmas songs most of the day (drives me nutty), and has her car radio tuned to Sirus XM Christmas music stations.

*sighs*

Yeah, I'm ready for it to be over. At least she waits until after Thanksgiving through.

Nah, you're not alone. I'd hate to be in your situation, though - sounds really rough! My husband is apathetic towards holidays in general, so it works out rather well.

[Kriselda Gray]

I recommend The Ref, if you can stomach Kevin Stacy in a movie. Professional-grade cynicism.

Thanks for the suggestion! I actually saw that one quite some time ago, but you're right - the cynicism is right on point!

[filly]

My husband, who was born on Christmas Day, used to watch White Christmas every year. He loves that song "We'll Follow the Old Man." Maybe I'll find it for him this year. If the GD Roku will work!

[Chilidog]

Auntie Mame.

[Foggy]

Bambi meets Godzilla

[Chilidog]

One I almost forgot about, and haven't seen in years, "We're No Angel's."

[Shizzle Popped]

The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant, David Niven and Loretta Young.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

"We're No Angels" is a must see any season!

Trivia about "The Bishop's Wife" (my brother's favorite): Cary Grant was initially cast as the bishop and David Given as Dudley. Also, too I don't get Loretta Young as the wife. She is lackluster in that role.

[Volkonski]

"The Homecoming"

[keith]

I know its a week late, but somehow they showed this one a week late and I've just caught up.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

That’ll wak you up on New Year’s Day!!!!!

[Phoenix520]

We watched Die Hard and It’s a Wonderful Life for Christmas this year.

I read an article about Jimmy Stewart and how IaWL was his first movie in 5 years, as he was flying bombers in the war.

[noblepa]

I used to work in downtown Cleveland, Ohio.

The city would, of course, decorate Public Square with thousands of lights on the trees and structures in the square. Usually, they left them up until after New Year's Day.

One year, however, the day after Christmas, crews were out taking down the lights. They didn't bother to try to save them for the next year. They used wire cutters.

Even more surprising, a couple of days later, the crews were out again, this time putting up more Christmas lights, but this time they were the old fashioned type with large, multi-colored bulbs. I didn't know what was going on.

I walked into the Higbee's department store across the square, and, surprisingly, they had cleared about half of the first floor. Then they started building some sort of structure that went from the floor to the ceiling, which was two stories (at least) high. When they built a curvy slide, I was really confused.

It was quite a while before I found out that they were shooting a movie called A Christmas Story.

If you watch closely in the scene when the family goes downtown and Ralphie and his brother are gazing longingly through the window displays, you can see the wooden shelters for passengers waiting for streetcars. In reality, they were modern aluminum and glass bus stops. They couldn't be moved, so the movie company built the wooden structures over them.

ETA: The former Higbee department store is now a casino.

[shannon]

Well, I like the 1950's "Santa Claus vs. The Devil. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is also a classic. But my favorite holiday movie is "THe Lion in Winter", aka the "Dysfunctional Plantagenet Family Holiday Special"

[Reality Check]

I chose A Christmas Story. I grew up as a huge Jean Shepherd fan. My brother and I used to listen to his show on WOR NY radio from southern West Virginia every night at 10:15 PM even through the heavy static crashes in the summer on AM radio. He could really spin a story out of nothing. When I saw the movie I knew the plot from having read his book In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash. The movie was mostly based on a single chapter in the book.

So with all that I have to say I did not watch a single minute of it this year. I have just seen it too many times. I think the movie needs to go into hibernation for a decade or so.

I am surprised they did not make more movies from other of Shepherd's stories. His army stories are a lot funnier than the Red Ryder BB gun tale. Some of his tales of working in the Indiana steel mills as a teenager are really good too.

Many of his radio shows are archived on several web sites. A couple of my favorites are one he did after President Kennedy was assassinated and a show where he recounted riding a bus from NYC to participate in MLK's March on Washington in 1963.

[Tiredretiredlawyer]

I love Jean Shepherd’s voice and narration in A Christmas Story. He also has a cameo in Higbee’s directing Ralphie to the end of the Santa Claus wait line.

[Foggy]

Santa Claus vs. The Devil is my new favorite.

[Whatever4]

According to the guy (and others), Eyes Wide Shut.

https://thedispatch.com/p/eyes-wide-shu ... al-holiday

Eyes Wide Shut is an Essential Holiday Classic

Stanley Kubrick’s last masterpiece is as meaningful and profound as any Christmas favorite.