Posts tagged with “Christmas”

I've updated my Holiday Films 2024 watch list with Home Alone 3 (1997) and Ernest Saves Christmas (1988). Short synopsis on both— PASS.

Holiday Films 2024

This year, in an attempt to break away or enhance the typical holiday movie viewing that happens in our household, I've decided to give more time to watching festive films while adding some new and/or underapprecaited titles to the rotation. 1

This year, in addition to our lineup of staple holiday films, I / We will also be watching the films listed below.

No specific order or priority. No specific rhyme or reason, other than it's either been a while since I've seen them or have had recommendations give to me.

I'm looking forward to increasing the density of holiday cheer this year.

Still to Watch

Watched

The Family Stone (2005) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This one’s easily at the top of my Christmas movie list and never seems to get old. The quick pace of the scenes and steady character development make it easy to stay engaged, no matter how many times I’ve watched it (probably a hundred or more at this point). The film thrives on its awkward moments, layered with unexplained family quirks and subtle hints of love and affection—it’s hard to find much not to enjoy.

If I could change one thing, though, I’d replace Sarah Jessica Parker with someone else. That might smooth out some of the awkwardness, but it would also take away part of the film’s charm. Either way, I know I’ll keep coming back to this one, even as it shows its age.

Home Alone 3 (1997) 🆕 ⭐

This film is a disappointing attempt to replicate the charm of the original Home Alone (1990). While it tries to recreate the magic, the addition of a convoluted plot involving a top-secret computer chip and international criminals feels out of place. It’s a misstep that I regret giving screen time to, but knowing myself, I’ll likely revisit more entries in the Home Alone franchise this holiday season—for better or worse.

Ernest Saves Christmas (1988) ⭐⭐

The storyline held some nostalgic appeal from my childhood, but almost everything else about this film fell flat on a rewatch. The acting is lackluster, the characters lean too heavily on clichés, and Jim Varney’s trademark antics don’t hit the same notes they once did. Honestly, I’d be just fine if I never revisit this one again.

Krampus (2015) 🆕 ⭐⭐

Not bad. I likely won't watch it again, but I didn't regret watching it. The special effects left a bit to be desired, and it was a more than a tad campy, but I'll give it to the writers and producers for dreaming this one up. One thing I'll point out was the significantly out of place animated flashback / story telling that the grandmother offered half way through the film; as the only animated portion of the movie, I was left wondering why they didn't choose to simply live-action it instead.

The Holdovers (2023) 🆕 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A nice, but long, holiday film. Paul Giamatti at his best. I really apprecaited the role of Mary Lamb which Da'Vine Joy Randolph brought to the screen; I can't imagine this film unfolding the way it did with someone else in the role. While an untraditional holiday flick, one that doesn't necessarily have a happy ending, The Holdovers was exactly the type of new seasonal watch I was hoping for.

The Night Before (2015) 🆕 ⭐⭐

The best thing Seth Rogan has produced was his memoir, Year Book (2021). This film doesn't even come close. It's typical Seth Rogan—a raunchy comedy. The latter 1/3 of the film was the best 1/3, the nods to classic chrismas films weren't plentiful enough to be effective, and I didn't laugh nearly as much as I was anticipating which is unfortunate because I hoping that The Night Before would act as a reprieve from the everyday of life. As an upside, I will say that I THOROUGHLY enjoyed the talking nativity scene; it had me on the floor laughing.

Black Christmas (1974) 🆕 ⭐⭐

Has a cult following, spawned two remakes (2006 and 2019), and carries some interesting Canadian heritage—being loosely based on a series of Montreal holiday murders. Seemed like enough reasons to press play. The verdict? Not awful, but definitely not my thing. Between its unmistakably Canadian production value (you know exactly what I mean if you've seen enough Canadian films) and the whole slasher element, I found my attention drifting more than once. The plot felt like what I imagine most slasher films deliver, with Christmas serving as nothing more than window dressing. As for the ending—well, if you're paying even minimal attention, you'll see where it's heading long before it gets there. But hey, I went into this with basement-level expectations, so I can't say I was disappointed. The film delivered exactly what I anticipated—no more, no less. Sometimes that's all you can ask for.

  1. what is this, a movie review blog now?

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A list of all the typical films we watch over the winter holiday season:

Holiday Films (2021)

A running list of the holiday films watched this year, updated as new ones are viewed. Films appear in order of viewing, from earliest to most recent.

Edward Scissorhands (1990): Although not a traditional holiday film, this was an attempt to ease into our typical holiday flicks before the snow arrives. With a 1/3 of the film centred around Christmas festivities, that’s enough to qualify as a holiday film this early on in the season.

A Merry Friggin Christmas (2014): Exactly what I was expecting and nothing more; was watched because it was one of Robin Williams’ last films before he died. Not a movie I’d recommend watching and this won’t be making it to my annual holiday must-watch list.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2002): Watched every year, typically while our tree is decorated, I have a love/hate relationship with this film which likely has to do with the presence of Jim Carrey.

The Family Man (2000): Given that this film has a very loose tie to Christmas, and that Nicholas Cage stars in it, I was pleasantly surprised with what it delivered. A modern day A Christmas Carol in some ways, and reminiscent of Scrooged (1988) in many others, I didn’t feel like I wasted 90-minutes. The story of a man finding out what really matters in life.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993): Having never seen this film but always hearing rave reviews from others I was excited for what I thought would be my inaugural viewing. Sadly, the appeal of this film was completely lost on me. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that it is a musical—something I was not aware of, and that I do not typically enjoy most musicals, but I simply could not get into this film. With that said, I liked the story it is trying to tell and the stop-motion animation approach it takes. This will not be an annual re-watch.

Elf (2003): An annual watch, there’s something about the ridiculousness of this film that keeps me coming back for more. Given that I am not a fan of Will Farrell it is surprising that I enjoy this film as much as I do. I am a sucker for Zooey Deschanel‘s voice so that might be what brings me back year after year.

Four Christmases (2008): I enjoy this movie more than I likely should. The collection of one liners that are oh so quotable, and a cast that was perfectly selected for their roles; this is a regular holiday watch that I look forward to each and every year because it is simply so entertaining.