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Good and "so bad they're good" seasonal movies (Christmas, Hanukkah, etc.) for watching

ChastMastrChastMastr Shipmate
in Heaven
What are people's favorite good, or "so bad they're good" seasonal movies and specials, for Christmas and Hanukkah and such this year?

One favorite deliciously awful one is the Mexican Santa Claus movie (just called "Santa Claus") in which he fights a demon named Pitch, whose goal is to make all of the children on Earth do evil, and it is hands-down one of the weirdest movies ever made. I would love to find an original subtitled version someday. The available one is dubbed in English in the 1950s and... Santa lives in a castle in outer space, and his helpers include Merlin, and instead of "the powder of invisibility" one of his items is only referred to as "the powder that makes you disappear" multiple times. And the Cocktail of Remembrance! Oh, the Cocktail of Remembrance! And the scene with the giant dancing dolls that goes on forever! And the child helpers from other lands... and the eye on a stalk.. and the ear in a radar dish... and the Rocky Horror-like mouth...

Comments

  • RockyRogerRockyRoger Shipmate
    My favourite pastor recommends, 'A Muppets Christmas Carol'.
    I'll stick with, 'The creature from theBlack lagoon'. Is it seasonal? Just perfect for those long dark evenings curled up with the cats and Mrs RR.
  • ChastMastrChastMastr Shipmate
    As I work through the Universal Monster movies, Creature and its sequels are on my list, but it's in order of release so I have a while.
  • MiliMili Shipmate
    I grew up watching 'Gremlins' many times. It's a horror movie, but set a Christmas. It does go a bit far with the sad story that explains why one main character doesn't like Christmas.

    Another childhood favourite that I rediscovered when we read the story for the ship book club is the 1980s television adaption of 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' by Dylan Thomas. That one is good. Not sure if 'Gremlins' is good or so bad it's good or just a beloved movie for 80s kids.
  • la vie en rougela vie en rouge Purgatory Host, Circus Host
    I love Gremlins. The bar scene might just be the most perfect four minutes of cinema ever made.
  • svfsvf Shipmate Posts: 29
    Let it Snow & The Family Stone … Netflix
  • SipechSipech Shipmate
    I like to watch the films while I wrap presents. My order is always:
    • Muppet Christmas Carol
    • Die Hard
    • It's A Wonderful Life
    • Gremlins

    The only film I'd put as 'so bad it's good' is Jingle All The Way. Most are just so bad they're bad. A cheap knock-off of the latter was Click & Collect which my sister made me watch two years ago and knocked me out of Whamagheddon with an hour to go.
  • March HareMarch Hare Shipmate Posts: 22
    'A Child's Christmas in Wales' makes interesting watching for those familiar with where it was shot... which is a long way from the sea. The shooting is well remembered. As is 'A Christmas Carol' shot in Shrewsbury, where Ebenezer Scrooge's gravestone can still be found in St Chad's churchyard.
  • EigonEigon Shipmate
    I'm rather fond of Miracle on 34th Street (the 1947 version), but this year I'm going for TV rather than film - there's a fun Christmas episode of The Librarians, and I always love Box of Delights.
  • Nick TamenNick Tamen Shipmate
    I will confess there are only two Christmas movies and two Christmas TV shows I care about watching: Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story in the former category and A Charlie Brown Christmas and How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original) in the latter category. (And I always watch A Christmas Story a day or two after Christmas, never before.)

    If someone else in the family wants to watch a Christmas movie other than those two, I might watch with them or I might find something else to do, depending on the movie and depending on whether doing something together takes precedence over not wanting to watch the movie.


  • HarryCHHarryCH Shipmate
    I rather like "The Bishop's Wife", the original version.
  • LydaLyda Shipmate
    A reasonably recent one that I like is "The Christmas Chronicles" with Kurt Russell. A happy action film with modern touches.
  • Cheery GardenerCheery Gardener Shipmate
    That's one of my favourites too @Lyda. Cheery son and I are watching both of those this week. We had the Santa Clause last week and our two favourites Muppet Christmas Carol and Arthur Christmas. Cheery son really loves Jingle all the Way, which to my mind fits @ChastMastr 's criteria.

    There must be something lacking in my parenting as son has never seen Christmas vacation.
  • la vie en rougela vie en rouge Purgatory Host, Circus Host
    Another one I love is Edward Scissorhands with Jonny Depp when he was still young, beautiful and unproblematic.
  • Jane RJane R Shipmate
    Another vote for the Muppets' Christmas Carol and the 1947 Miracle on 34th Street here.

    I also like The Hogfather, although strictly speaking that is not a Christmas film. Worth it just for the Oh God of Hangovers.
  • HeavenlyannieHeavenlyannie Shipmate
    The Hogfather is my favourite Christmas movie and I like to watch it every year, much to my family’s despair. Like you I am very fond of the Oh God of Hangovers. So much so that when I am reading about the young Bacchus (pre-reading for classical studies masters next year when I hope to write a dissertation on Bacchus and funerals) I picture him as the Oh God.
  • HedgehogHedgehog Shipmate
    My all-time favorite is the original "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947), a film that is perfectly cast in every role--even the bit parts.

    Last year, I watched for the first time "It Happened on 5th Avenue" (1947 too!) which is only tangentially a Christmas movie--they celebrate both Christmas and New Year's Eve in the film. The basic story is that every winter a rich man ("second richest man in the world") closes up his 5th Avenue house and goes south for the winter. And every winter, as soon as he is gone, a homeless man moves into the 5th Avenue house (because the house is boarded up, nobody can see that lights are on). Things get more complicated when the homeless man invites a returning soldier (who has just been evicted from his apartment) to join him. An absolute delight of a movie.

    Speaking of being tangentially a Christmas movie, "The Thin Man" (1934)(William Powell & Myrna Loy) takes place over Christmas, and its sequel "After The Thin Man" (1936) takes place over New Year's Eve/New Year's Day!
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    In the heyday of Radio Drama, Orson Welles produced A Christmas Carol Radio Show 1939

    I had the opportunity to be an actor in a recent reenactment in my local community. I was the first ghost. I also was one of the Foley artists.

    I have to say, while not a movie, this remains one of my favorite programs.
  • LatchKeyKidLatchKeyKid Shipmate
    Following are the one I regularly watch.

    The Snowman

    A Christmas Without Snow

    A Charlie Brown Christmas

    MASH Episodes: Dear Dad; Dear Sis; Death Takes A Holiday.
  • chrisstileschrisstiles Hell Host
    Hedgehog wrote: »
    Last year, I watched for the first time "It Happened on 5th Avenue" (1947 too!) which is only tangentially a Christmas movie--they celebrate both Christmas and New Year's Eve in the film.

    I think it still counts as a Christmas movie - it climaxes during the Christmas season and there are plenty of examples of grace in unexpected places.
  • CaissaCaissa Shipmate
    My favourite is a Christmas Carol with Alistair Sim. I have a sentimental spot for a Charlie Brown Christmas. Ms. C played the part of Sally in an elementary school production. More than 50 years later she can still recite all of her lines.
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