Can we share great Christmas movies? I'll go first!

[Alicia64]

I know this sounds odd, but I'm hearing from reliable sources that the Muppet's Christmas Carol -- with Michael Caine as Scrooge -- is fantastic.

Supposedly it's the closet to the Christmas Carol book that these people had seen.

And it's not Michael Caine's voice-over a puppet -- it's really Michael Caine.

We're watching tonight after we decorate the tree.

Then I'm serving @Garga 's 10,000 calories for dessert (thank you again, @Garga!!).

We also really love White Christmas w/ Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wendy

Edited December 5, 2020 by Alicia64

[Drama Llama]

My kids liked the new Jingle Jangle movie on Netflix.  

[Ottakee]

3 minutes ago, BaseballandHockey said:

My kids liked the new Jingle Jangle movie on Netflix.  

I watched that and did enjoy it.  I loved the multicultural cast and the fact that it showed a girl using science and math.  It was cute 

[Alte Veste Academy]

Someone here posted once about The Bells of St. Mary and The Bishop's Wife, and I've since watched them every year. Classics that I love. Other than that, mostly the standard movies. And yes, The Muppet Christmas Carol is a favorite of mine.

[Alicia64]

2 minutes ago, Alte Veste Academy said:

Someone here posted once about The Bells of St. Mary and The Bishop's Wife, and I've since watched them every year. Classics that I love. Other than that, mostly the standard movies. And yes, The Muppet Christmas Carol is a favorite of mine.

Thank you! I've never seen either the Bells or The Bishop's Wife.

:)

W.

[theelfqueen]

Bishops Wife is one of my very favorites. We also love Muppet Muppet Christmas Carol. 

[Spryte]

We love Elf.  We even took the kids to the musical, in NYC. 

Another vote for the Muppets.

DS had one he loves about a snow globe, I can’t recall the name, it’s along the lines of a Hallmark movie.

[Ali in OR]

Elf and The Muppet Christmas Carol are our must-sees every year. We tried Die Hard last year hearing others liked it--it's not for us. We watched Home Alone after Thanksgiving and that was a good fit for us. I hadn't seen it since it came out in 1990 I think. The clothes and home decor styles brought back memories of that era for me. So much home clutter! Not the style anymore. We're planning to watch The Santa Clause movies since they're on Disney Plus.

[Lady Marmalade]

I spent one year watching every version of A Christmas Carol I could find to find the best one to add to our seasonal viewing.  I watched every one I could find, including a few made-for-TV versions.  

The George C. Scott one was the best all-around.

Patrick Stewart was the best Scrooge, hands down.

Jim Carey version was creepy and not one I'll willingly watch again.

The Muppets was the most family-friendly.   And Michael Caine did the best job showing the transformation from scrooge to Mr. Christmas. 

Honorable mention to A Christmas Carol: The Musical that was made for TV several years ago.  It has Kelsey Grammar as Scrooge, and Jesse Martin as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and I loved both of them.  The music was only meh, but it was enjoyable enough that I'd watch it again. 

I never did settle on my one version that I would prefer to watch.  

[theelfqueen]

9 minutes ago, Lady Marmalade said:

 

Honorable mention to A Christmas Carol: The Musical that was made for TV several years ago.  It has Kelsey Grammar as Scrooge, and Jesse Martin as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and I loved both of them.  The music was only meh, but it was enjoyable enough that I'd watch it again.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

That's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me!

 

Also we listened to an audiobook version of A Christmas Carol read by Patrick Stewart and theres a scene where the bells ring "Bong! GONG! BING! BONG!" Which I'm pretty sure my kids would to this day tell you is the funniest thing they have ever heard in their lives. 

[MercyA]

Love the George C. Scott Christmas Carol, but I am in my mid-40's and am still scared to look at Ignorance and Want under the Ghost of Christmas Present's robe. Someone tell me they're not as scary as I am remembering*. I like scary movies!!! What's wrong with me? 

My favorites: Elf, Prancer (filmed not too far from me), The Santa Clause, Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life. A Christmas Story is the one my FOO quotes the most!

Thanks for the recommendations! Keep them coming! 

*Okay, I was brave and googled them. Yeah, they're creepy. But not as bad as I remembered. I think it's the fact that they're KIDS that make them extra scary. 

Edited December 5, 2020 by MercyA

[Alicia64]

6 minutes ago, theelfqueen said:

Also we listened to an audiobook version of A Christmas Carol read by Patrick Stewart and theres a scene where the bells ring "Bong! GONG! BING! BONG!" Which I'm pretty sure my kids would to this day tell you is the funniest thing they have ever heard in their lives. 

Great story!!

I'll find this and listen -- thanks!

Wendy

[J-rap]

Our yearly favorites (for every age) are:  Muppet Christmas Carol, Christmas Carol with George C. Scott, It's a Wonderful Life, and White Christmas. Depending on our mood each year, one of those is our favorite of the year, but we love all of them.  

When we have more time for more Christmas movies, we might throw in The Bells of St. Mary, Christmas in Connecticut, The Shop Around the Corner, Miracle on 34th Street, The Lemon Drop Kid, It Happened on Fifth Avenue....

A family favorite which isn't really a Christmas movie but has some really lovely Christmas scenes is Little Women with Winona Ryder.

[MEmama]

Elf and A Christmas Story are our not to be missed, must watch movies. We used to have many more, but thankfully DS grew out of them. Last year we traveled on Christmas Eve so we all downloaded A Christmas Story on our phones and watched on the plane. Gotta keep those traditions! 🙂 

Die Hard was new to us this year. I’ve been informed by said teen that DH2 will be our solstice movie and we are to watch DH3 on Boxing Day. Lol

Seriously, it’s really such a bad movie—we all laughed *hysterically* the entire movie. Is it supposed to be so terrible? 

Edited December 5, 2020 by MEmama

[MercyA]

11 minutes ago, Choirfarm3 said:

Yeah, they are disturbing!!  My daughter still gets creeped out by the beginning.

Thank you! 😉 And, yes, the beginning has plenty of creepy elements, too!

[gardenmom5]

Muppet's Christmas Carol *is* wonderful.

Merry Christmas Charlie Brown

It's a wonderful life

Miracle on 34th St.  (1947)

Mr. Kruger's Christmas (There's a scene where Mr. Kruger pours out his heart to the baby Jesus.  Jimmy Stewart told them to get it in one take as he wasn't acting - the emotion was real.)

I like the Bishop's wife, but don't watch it every year.  Sometimes Christmas in Connecticut.  I don't have a preferred version.

Our off the beaten path favorite is We're no Angles with Humphrey Bogart   

[alisoncooks]

We love the "new classics": The Santa Clause, Home Alone 1&2, Elf, etc.  I also like The Last Holiday with Queen Latifah (set around Christmas) and The Holiday (Cameron Diaz, Jack Black).

We love the old classics: Miracle on 34th St, It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas. 

We still watch the kid shows: Frosty, The Grinch, Rudolph

And I've enjoyed some of the new releases on streaming platforms: "Let It Snow" (Netflix) was enjoyable enough that I watched it again this year. (May be more suited for teens and up...). "The Mistletones" (Disney+) is another fave.

My DD likes cheesy Hallmark Christmas romances. Her fave is A Crown for Christmas. 

[MercyA]

I thought about having my DD watch the old Rudolph this year (she's never seen it), but, man, that movie is BRUTAL. The father is so mean to Rudolph (and Santa is, too!) and even Rudolph's girlfriend tells the Abominable Snowman to "finish the job" when he tries to KILL Rudolph. The other elves are mean to sweet Hermie. And don't get me started on the Island of the Misfit Toys. 😞 I can't take it. 

[Tina]

We love old Christmas movies here, and watch the same ones every year.  

Miracle on 34th St, It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Holiday Inn, The Family Man with Nicholas Cage, The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant

Some more unknown ones we watch are

It Happened on Fifth Avenue with Don Defore --sweetest movie you ever want to see

Tenth Avenue Angel with Margaret OBrien and Angela Lansbury

Remember the Night with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck

Pocketful of Miracles with Glenn Ford and Bette Davis

Boys Town with Spencer Tracy and Mickey Rooney

Meet Me in St Louis with Judy Garland

 

[lmrich]

Elf is our favorite! Followed by White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Eloise at Christmas (my dd made me say this - it is innocent and oh! Eloise is just silly), The Holiday (just me), Die Hard (just dh) - something for everyone!

[Tina]

3 hours ago, gardenmom5 said:

 

Mr. Kruger's Christmas (There's a scene where Mr. Kruger pours out his heart to the baby Jesus.  Jimmy Stewart told them to get it in one take as he wasn't acting - the emotion was real.)

Our off the beaten path favorite is We're no Angles with Humphrey Bogart   

Thank you for sharing these.  Humphrey will be a nice addition to my Christmas movies.  😉

[AmandaVT]

Christmas Vacation is my all time favorite! 

[JustEm]

9 minutes ago, AmandaVT said:

Christmas Vacation is my all time favorite! 

Mine too! We watch it every year while putting lights on the tree and decorations, which we just finished doing.

Another favorite of mine that hasnt been mentioned is Love Actually. But that isn't one we watch as a family. And of course there is die hard.

[theelfqueen]

9 hours ago, theelfqueen said:

 

Also we listened to an audiobook version of A Christmas Carol read by Patrick Stewart and theres a scene where the bells ring "Bong! GONG! BING! BONG!" Which I'm pretty sure my kids would to this day tell you is the funniest thing they have ever heard in their lives. 

So I asked them .... "what  was the funniest thing -just in audio- that you ever heard?" They both came up with something else then middle started to walk away and turned back - NO! It's Sir Patrick Stewart-- Bing Bong! The. Youngest chimed in ding dong ding!! And they both dissolved into peals of laughter. 

[Granny_Weatherwax]

9 hours ago, theelfqueen said:

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

That's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me!

 

Also we listened to an audiobook version of A Christmas Carol read by Patrick Stewart and theres a scene where the bells ring "Bong! GONG! BING! BONG!" Which I'm pretty sure my kids would to this day tell you is the funniest thing they have ever heard in their lives. 

 The song you're quoting is originally from the musical Scrooge (1970) starring Albert Finney.  The song, Thank You Very Much, was nominated for an Academy Award. I have never seen the Kelsey Grammar version of A Christmas Carol so it may also include that song.

If you can find the original Scrooge, watch it and not the edited version that is aired on TV these days. The edited version eliminates the scenes when Scrooge is in Hell.

 

(Going off to research Kelsey Grammar as Scrooge)

[BakersDozen]

13 hours ago, Thatboyofmine said:

I love 'Christmas with the Kranks.'

Have you read the book? It's one of our favorite December read-alouds.

 

[BakersDozen]

We like all of the Christmas Carol movies but I have to say Patrick Stewart's portrayal of Scrooge is, imo, the best of the best. When Scrooge wakes up and realizes he is alive...I replayed that part a few times because Stewart does such an amazing job. Gives me goosebumps just thinking about it.

I have to say that "The Ride" (Woller/Heller starring) has become my most favorite Christmas movie. 32 minutes long and so, so profound. I love it because it was in 2014, the year the movie was made, that our oldest walked out one night. I kept the lights on every night and put electric candle lights in the windows as my way of reaching out to her. Our lights are still on for our children each night, not just at Xmas time, and they know it.

[itsheresomewhere]

Elf

A Christmas Story

A Christmas Love Story 

A Christmas Carol ( we like a lot of the different ones)

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation ( Love it and so many good quotes to use)

November Christmas ( This is such a good movie)

We love so many Christmas movies so hard to not say them all. 

[I talk to the trees]

Patrick Stewart will always be my favorite Scrooge! We also like The Shop Around the Corner, which has already been mentioned. Also, it wouldn’t be Christmas without watching the original, animated How the Grinch Stole Christmas. 

[marbel]

I love "The Bishop's Wife" but my family finds it a little annoying.  We like several versions of "A Christmas Carol" but not the muppet one! Actually we loved it the first time but when we watched the next year we were all like "why did we like this?"  We seem not to like the most popular ones ("A Christmas Story," "Elf"). 

I am always on the lookout for something new so I'm glad to see these lists as there are several I have never heard of. 

Last year we watched a movie that was fun because it was very mockable; we watched it in a Mystery Science 3000 Theater sort of way. I don't remember the name but it was sort of Hallmark style involving a puppeteer who lost her big city job and returned to her small town... you know the rest. 😎

 

 

[JustEm]

If anyone like horrors movies Rare Exports is a great Christmas one. Not for kids.

[history-fan]

Deck the Halls is a fun watch - similar humor to Christmas with the Kranks- and National Lampoons Christmas Vacation. Olive the other reindeer is another fun watch, especially if you like puns.

Edited December 6, 2020 by history-fan

[LAS in LA]

Does anyone else remember the Jon Schneider/Tom Wopat movie "Christmas Comes to Willow Creek"? They play estranged brothers (instead of Bo and Luke Duke). We watched it free on amazon and it's better than one might expect from a mid-80s made-for-tv Christmas special! Fairly predictable and with a strange plot twist, but funny, too, and the relationships seem realistic. Plus, a rendition of that classic song "Babies and Barstools Don't Mix".  🤣

[wintermom]

I like a different Muppet Christmas movie, I believe it's simply called "A Muppet Christmas." It has all the muppets, with surprise visits from the Sesame Street gang, Fraggle Rock characters, and Jim Hansen makes an appearance as well.  

I also like "It's a Wonderful Life," but my favourite version now is the Radio Play version of it, specifically the play my ds played Young George. 😄

White Christmas is alright, but only if I'm in the mood for a musical. The Bells of St. Mary's is good, too. 

I tend to lean toward Christmas episodes of my favourite TV series more now than full-feature movies. I like the Benihana Christmas episode of "The Office," and other Christmas Special episode of TV series I enjoy, such as "Corner Gas" , "Call the Midwife," etc.

[JustEm]

1 hour ago, wintermom said:

I like a different Muppet Christmas movie, I believe it's simply called "A Muppet Christmas." It has all the muppets, with surprise visits from the Sesame Street gang, Fraggle Rock characters, and Jim Hansen makes an appearance as well.  

I also like "It's a Wonderful Life," but my favourite version now is the Radio Play version of it, specifically the play my ds played Young George. 😄

White Christmas is alright, but only if I'm in the mood for a musical. The Bells of St. Mary's is good, too. 

I tend to lean toward Christmas episodes of my favourite TV series more now than full-feature movies. I like the Benihana Christmas episode of "The Office," and other Christmas Special episode of TV series I enjoy, such as "Corner Gas" , "Call the Midwife," etc.

Every year dh and I watch all the Christmas episodes of the office.  We watched this one last night.  So great!  I also like watching all the Dr. Who Christmas episodes

[Soror]

Favorites here-

Miracle on 34th Street (original and remake)

Elf

Arthur Christmas

Home Alone

Santa Claus

Christmas Story

[Soror]

OH, and I always watch Love Actually on my own (not kid friendly and dh is not interested).

[alisoncooks]

1 hour ago, Soror said:

OH, and I always watch Love Actually on my own (not kid friendly and dh is not interested).

I love Love Actually, but I prefer to catch it in network tv (where they edit out some of the more explicit scenes - basically the whole p0rn subplot). The first time I watched it unedited, I was like 😳😱🙀 I didn't even know that storyline was there before. 😂

Edited December 7, 2020 by alisoncooks

[gardenmom5]

50 minutes ago, alisoncooks said:

I love Love Actually, but I prefer to catch it in network tv (where they edit out some of the more explicit scenes - basically the whole p0rn subplot). The first time I watched it unedited, I was like 😳😱🙀 I didn't even know that storyline was there before. 😂

yeah - after hearing how "great it was" . . . . . . . . not. happy.  I turned it off, never finished it - and have zero desire to watch it.

[Alicia64]

29 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

yeah - after hearing how "great it was" . . . . . . . . not. happy.  I turned it off, never finished it - and have zero desire to watch it.

Like you, I've heard how great it is. I had no idea. Thanks for the heads up.

[Emba]

I love the Muppets Christmas Carol. It is one of my favorite Christmas movies. We also like Elf and watch it every year. 
 

DH really likes It’s A Wonderful Life, but I’m only so-so on that one.

[Soror]

1 hour ago, alisoncooks said:

I love Love Actually, but I prefer to catch it in network tv (where they edit out some of the more explicit scenes - basically the whole p0rn subplot). The first time I watched it unedited, I was like 😳😱🙀 I didn't even know that storyline was there before. 😂

 

36 minutes ago, gardenmom5 said:

yeah - after hearing how "great it was" . . . . . . . . not. happy.  I turned it off, never finished it - and have zero desire to watch it.

 

5 minutes ago, Alicia64 said:

Like you, I've heard how great it is. I had no idea. Thanks for the heads up.

Ya that one part is not great but it is only a couple of minutes. I wouldn't watch it with kids but find it more ridiculously funny than offensive. 

[Emba]

One time when I was a kid, I saw a movie called The Christmas Toy. I think it was a Jim Henson movie with muppets. There was a stuffed tiger and the toys could move around when people weren’t around, but if they got caught by the humans, it rendered them permanently inanimate, I think.

I loved that movie, but only saw it once I I always wonder if it is really good, or is one of those movies that wouldn’t hold up to rewatching.

[Emba]

On 12/5/2020 at 1:46 PM, MercyA said:

Love the George C. Scott Christmas Carol, but I am in my mid-40's and am still scared to look at Ignorance and Want under the Ghost of Christmas Present's robe. Someone tell me they're not as scary as I am remembering*. I like scary movies!!! What's wrong with me? 

I think I was permanently scarred by that scene as a child. Now I k now exactly which version to avoid. 😁

[Alicia64]

40 minutes ago, Soror said:

Ya that one part is not great but it is only a couple of minutes. I wouldn't watch it with kids but find it more ridiculously funny than offensive. 

I DID almost watch it with kids!! 🙃

[gardenmom5]

47 minutes ago, Soror said:

 

 

Ya that one part is not great but it is only a couple of minutes. I wouldn't watch it with kids but find it more ridiculously funny than offensive. 

You can find it ridiculous - it squicked me out, and for that reason I won't reward the producers by watching it.

[MercyA]

1 hour ago, Emba said:

I think I was permanently scarred by that scene as a child. Now I k now exactly which version to avoid. 😁

Ah, still well worth it IMO! George S. Scott is awesome.

[JustEm]

In Love Actually,  it isn't a porn just a sex scene in a movie.  And the two characters are stand ins for the actors to get the lighting and positioning for the scene right.  They aren't having sex in the scenes, they are pretending to in order to get the scene set right before the actors come in so the actors don't have to do all of that positioning themselves.  Just mentioning that for anyone who hasn't seen it and might be thrown off by it.  They are nude and some touching and awkward motions.  The two characters are actually my favorite in the whole movie because their relationship springs from such an awkward situation

[alisoncooks]

IMDb gives the specifics for the content in Love Actually. Obviously the characters aren't actually having s3x, but they are simulating certain acts and there is nudity. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0314331/parentalguide/nudity

[busymama7]

We love the Night They Saved Christmas.  I watched it growing up and introduced it to my kids young enough that they like it too ☺️

Christmas for a Dollar is very sweet and family friendly.