What makes a Christmas movie? Sure,this may seem obvious but if you're sick of the same
old stuff to watch(I love A Christmas Story but does TBS really need to have it on for
an entire 24 hours?)or can't grab your favorite holiday flick at the video store,here's
a way to get your film jollies and be creative at the same time.
This is my basic criteria for a movie to be considered a Christmas Flick:
1)It has to take place during the Christmas season(you can use Thanksgiving as a
starting point just as Miracle on 34th Street did and have New Year's Eve as the
end piece but Christmas has to be in there somewhere)
2)Christmas props must be visible and in full view at least once onscreen.
3)Christmastime has to hold some plot point-it doesn't have to be the main focus but
it should provide a reason for character action.
I'll give a example-Die Hard(the first movie-DH2 was crap and Die Hard with a Vengence kicks ass but it takes place in the fall,I believe)can be considered
a Christmas film. It takes place during the holiday,the main action occurs
during an office Christmas party with a Christmas tree,John McClaine uses a Santa
hat to mock the bad guys and it provides the main reason the hero,a NYC cop,is at
a California corporate function-to visit his wife and kids for the holidays.
Batman Returns is another fine example-it's Christmastime in Gotham City and the first attack by the Penguin is at the lighting of the Gotham Christmas Tree. Also,
the official tree lighter,the Ice Princess,is murdered and her death is used to make Batman look bad. Not to mention that Catwoman trashes a department store(nice way to
work out your holiday shopping angst)and the constant snow covering the city makes
it extra gothy.
I bet you can find many movies that aren't considered traditional holiday fare fit
this particular mold perfectly. I love the classics(the best version of A Christmas
Carol is the Alstair Sim one,IMO)but sometimes,you gotta spice up the usual mix with
something different. Happy viewing to all and to all,a good film.
3 comments:
Here's my own short, short Xmas film - it meets all of your criteria, I believe. And it just isn't sappy at all.
http://www.anthologise.com/johnvslaura/
Regift the link on by all means
Hey,Brendon-thanks for the link! Just watched your John vs. Laura short and was pleasantly amused. Got anything for New Year's?
Agree. However, there is one film that is a new fave. Released last year, "The Happy Elf" follows the story of an elf trying to bring Christmas to a sad town. It's animated too. Check it out.
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