• From: Liverpool, UK
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Topic: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

So, it's that time of year where I like to binge on anything and everything Christmassy. But instead of watching the same old stuff this year, I've decided to branch out a bit and look for some things I mightn't have watched before. So, although we covered Christmas movies last week on the Extended Edition (*cough*listen*cough*), I thought I'd bring the topic here.

What are YOUR favourite things to watch over Christmas? I'm a sucker for pretty much anything to do with Christmas and aside from the classics, I love the Hanna Barbera Christmas specials and any sort of sitcom Christmas special.

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  • From: Farmington, CT
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

As a Jew, I wasn't exposed to any traditional Christmas movies or TV specials while growing up. The closest thing I've got is Die Hard, and I do watch it every year around Christmastime.

"The Doctor is Submarining through our brains." --Teague

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  • From: State of Idaho
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

My family enjoys A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation, Charlie Brown Christmas, and the Santa Claus.

Lots of fun and good laughs for the whole family smile

God loves you!

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  • Eddie
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

White Christmas, Elf, Mickey's CHristmas Carol, Wonderful Life.

Eddie Doty

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  • Registered: 2013-02-27
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

The only version of a Christmas Carol that is worth watching. The Muppets one of course!  I have watched that every year without fail.

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  • Registered: 2010-11-12
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas, mostly. I decided to watch the Star Wars Holiday Special last year, and it almost killed me. Definitively the worst viewing experience I've ever had.

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  • From: Poland
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/47/Home_alone.jpg

Watching Home Alone has become the most popular modern Christmas tradition in my country. Every year, Polish TV networks are flooded with e-mails requesting the airing of this movie.

So honor the valiant who die 'neath your sword
But pity the warrior who slays all his foes...

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  • From: Farmington, CT
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

Oh, wait. A Christmas Story. Duh. My family watches that every year. And the Doctor Who Christmas special has become a tradition in the last few years.

"The Doctor is Submarining through our brains." --Teague

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  • bullet3
  • bullet3
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

Long Kiss Goodnight is a Christmas favorite for me. Die Hard and Lethal Weapon 1/2 are also good christmas movies.

I'm pretty sure In Bruges takes place at Christmas-time too. That would be an excellent christmas flick.

Last edited by bullet3 (2013-12-19 23:50:37)

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  • From: Scotland
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

Lethal Weapon 2 doesn't but Die Hard 2 does smile

I listed my favourites in the EE podcast Owen mentioned above but I thought I'd mention some I didn't get the chance to that I loved as a kid-

The Real Ghostbusters- Xmas Marks The Spot

One of my all-time favourite cartoons and this Christmas-based episode is a fun little twit on a well-known Christmas story.

A Pink Christmas

I love the old Pink Panther cartoons and this is one of my favourites. I won't say too much about the story but I like that it isn't all 'life is wonderful, everyone is happy'.

The Christmas Raccoons

Everyone here knows I love 80s cartoons and one of my all-time favourites is The Raccoons. This is the very first special that started it all.

He-Man and She-Ra: A Christmas Special

Now, let me defend this choice.....it is absolute shit but I have added it here more as a curiosity than an actual recommendation. Regarded as one of the worst Christmas specials ever made, nevertheless, it is oddly fascinating to watch.  The cartoon itself wasn't perfect but they take so many liberties here it is unbelievable.

Whatever you do, avoid the ALF Christmas special it is one of the most depressing things I have ever watched.

Last edited by Jimmy B (2013-12-20 01:14:28)

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  • bullet3
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

Another one that occurred to me: Trading Places. A great christmas movie

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  • Eddie
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

Die Hard

Eddie Doty

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  • From: Scotland
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

In the EE podcast I recommended The Ref starring Denis Leary, it's a dark comedy about a burglar taking a family hostage at Christmas. Kevin Spacey plays the dad of the (very dysfunctional) family

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  • From: State of Idaho
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

Jimmy B wrote:

In the EE podcast I recommended The Ref starring Denis Leary, it's a dark comedy about a burglar taking a family hostage at Christmas. Kevin Spacey plays the dad of the (very dysfunctional) family

Again? wink

God loves you!

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  • From: Annapolis, MD
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

Not just my favorite Christmas movie but my favorite comedy period.

Last edited by Ewing (2013-12-20 14:00:09)

Ewing's Website

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  • From: Scotland
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

fireproof78 wrote:
Jimmy B wrote:

In the EE podcast I recommended The Ref starring Denis Leary, it's a dark comedy about a burglar taking a family hostage at Christmas. Kevin Spacey plays the dad of the (very dysfunctional) family

Again? wink

Yeah but before he was anyone big_smile

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  • Registered: 2013-08-05
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

what about Lethal weapon?

I'm Batman

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  • From: Alberta
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

Well, the following are what I make an effort to watch over the holidays: Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire, How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966), and the Trailer Park Boys Christmas Special. Aside from that, I don't really have any "tradition" movies for this time of year.

Twitter

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  • Registered: 2013-04-08
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

What else, Scrooged!

http://i.imgur.com/aMTWPce.jpg

  Show
http://i.imgur.com/1tOCVis.jpg

Only Bill Murray could have pulled that off without it being cheap and sentimental.



The Santa Clause is now a certified Christmas classic.

http://i.imgur.com/fbJmiEf.jpg



National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation




Trading Places (watched it almost every Christmas eve growing up), Hostile Hostages (Denis Leary dropping F-bombs and beating up Santa is somehow the most Christmassy ever), Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Great Escape, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Jingle All the Way (yep!), Gremlins, Lethal Weapon and Die Hard, although I don't recall ever watching the latter three during Xmas.



The Hunt For Red October

http://i.imgur.com/tbHdM90.jpg


It's not a festive movie in any way, but for some reason it totally works for me around the Xmas period, especially after dinner or on boxing day.

Pass the Popcorn | BTN | Letterboxd

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  • Teague
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

i love nightmare before chr


you all know this

Teague Chrystie

I have a tendency to fix your typos.

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  • From: Montpellier, France
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

The Nightmare Before Christmas is perfect because it's as much a Christmas movie as it is a Halloween movie.

Sébastien Fraud
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  • From: Liverpool, UK
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

I watched both Elf and A Christmas Story for the first time tonight. I found myself really enjoying Elf a lot more than I thought I would, but A Christmas Story didn't do it for me as much.

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  • From: State of Idaho
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

Owen Ward wrote:

I watched both Elf and A Christmas Story for the first time tonight. I found myself really enjoying Elf a lot more than I thought I would, but A Christmas Story didn't do it for me as much.

The list of reasons that The Christmas Story doesn't work for you is very long...it really doesn't work for me save for watching my dad bust up laughing every time he watches it.

That and this:
http://yourpopfilter.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/christmas-story1.jpg

Last edited by fireproof78 (2013-12-22 07:09:13)

God loves you!

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  • From: Liverpool, UK
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

I think it's one of those things where I just bought in to the hype too much. Maybe there's some cultural context I'm missing, or it's one of those that works much better when you grow up with it - but it just didn't really hit me as a seminal Christmas movie. I mean, for something called A Christmas Story - it doesn't really get very Christmassy until half of the way through!

For what it's worth though, I was still grinning like a madman by the end of it.

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  • Teague
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Re: Christmas Movies & TV Specials

It's a movie that doesn't suck.

Point one. Kay?

And, crucially: it's a movie that also works for six year old humans. Works just as well.

There ya go. That's why "The Christmas Story."

Teague Chrystie

I have a tendency to fix your typos.

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