I enjoyed my first viewing of it two Christmases ago, and the score has been on my Xmas rotation ever since.
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 16:48 (four years ago) link
Does any of it other than the last scene involve Christmas?
― Chris L, Thursday, 19 December 2019 16:50 (four years ago) link
I can think of another movie in particular where that's also true.
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 16:52 (four years ago) link
https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/38.metropolitan.jpg
38. METROPOLITANWhit Stillman, USA, 1990(149 points, 3 votes)
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 17:15 (four years ago) link
this is the only film I've ever seen that mentions my small hometown by name.
it's been a while since I watched it
― Dan S, Thursday, 19 December 2019 17:29 (four years ago) link
wow, you're from Fourierist, Wisconsin?
― warn me about a lurking rake (One Eye Open), Thursday, 19 December 2019 17:30 (four years ago) link
East Aurora
― Dan S, Thursday, 19 December 2019 17:32 (four years ago) link
hadn't noticed that this is on the criterion channel
― Dan S, Thursday, 19 December 2019 17:45 (four years ago) link
I’m a fan, and I even recently rewatched, but it didn’t strike me as sufficiently Christmasy enough for me to include it on my ballot. What I do or do not deem “Christmasy” will be revealed to be highly arbitrary as this poll goes on, though.
― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Thursday, 19 December 2019 17:48 (four years ago) link
same here. fan of this & scissorhands but would be lying if i said either was a favorite christmas movie. and if i lie too much, santa wont visit me.
― warn me about a lurking rake (One Eye Open), Thursday, 19 December 2019 18:07 (four years ago) link
I regret that we have a four-way tie at this point, but I'll unveil one at a time, in chronological order:
https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/34.cat_ppl.jpg
34. THE CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLEGunther von Fritsch & Robert Wise, USA, 1944(154 points, 3 votes) [TIE]
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 19:41 (four years ago) link
39. MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCENagisa Oshima, UK-Japan-New Zealand, 1983(147 points, 3 votes)― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, December 19, 2019 10:42 AM (four hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, December 19, 2019 10:42 AM (four hours ago) bookmarkflaglink
Prior to seeking out images for the screencaps, I was unaware that this even existed - a film in which David Bowie both eats a poinsettia & is buried up to his head in sand. I'm going to add it to my holiday-viewing list!
― Legacy of Banality (Pillbox), Thursday, 19 December 2019 20:02 (four years ago) link
(Before I begin, I wanted to once again thank Pillbox for providing the images for this rollout. I like to think of our poll collaborations as Bing Crosby tap dancing with Danny Fucking Kaye.)
https://cbsnews1.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2013/06/14/8215e306-1c51-11e3-9918-005056850598/thumbnail/640x480/140d1739f950817cffdb294d670eec31/DK_courtjester.jpg
happy to help!
― Legacy of Banality (Pillbox), Thursday, 19 December 2019 20:06 (four years ago) link
https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/34.34th_st.jpg
34. MIRACLE ON 34TH STREETGeorge Seaton, USA, 1947(154 points, 3 votes) [TIE]
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 20:09 (four years ago) link
very surprised to see the low placement for this, tho at least its numerical rank is appropriate!
― Legacy of Banality (Pillbox), Thursday, 19 December 2019 20:11 (four years ago) link
It's always been a little difficult for me to get too excited about this one, but a rewatch last year confirmed there's plenty of gags and plot points that'd go over kids' heads.
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 20:14 (four years ago) link
I don't think i ever made it all the way through that one.
― wasdnuos (abanana), Thursday, 19 December 2019 20:22 (four years ago) link
Voted for Miracle; didn't vote for Cat People, mostly because it has been long enough since my last viewing that I can't recall its specific Christmas content.
― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Thursday, 19 December 2019 20:52 (four years ago) link
https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/34.home_alone.jpg
34. HOME ALONEChris Columbus, USA, 1990(154 points, 3 votes) [TIE]
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 20:57 (four years ago) link
No real desire to revisit this one, but I’ll hear your defences of it.
― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Thursday, 19 December 2019 20:58 (four years ago) link
The older I get, and the more popular moviemaking swirls down the drain of franchise-driven content wheels, the more fondness I have for mid-level broad-market entertainments tbh.
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 21:00 (four years ago) link
(In other words, it's better than I remembered, and the one in New York is somewhat worse than I'd remembered.)
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 21:01 (four years ago) link
#39 is a real reach (especially since Remember the Night is doomed), save for the gift that is the amazing beauty of Ryuichi Sakamoto.
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 19 December 2019 21:06 (four years ago) link
I was just old enough in 1992 to fully comprehend the sequel as the most cynical possible rehash.
That said, I totally get where you’re coming from re: broad market vs. franchise moviemaking. When I found myself growing mildly nostalgic, a few years back, for John Grisham adaptations, I knew that Hollywood was definitely no longer making movies for me.
― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Thursday, 19 December 2019 21:09 (four years ago) link
I still remember going to school the Monday after Home Alone came out, all of us having seen it and loved it.
― Chris L, Thursday, 19 December 2019 21:13 (four years ago) link
As a kid, I remember being slightly disappointed that the wall-to-wall carnage promised by the trailers only gets rolling in the last 20 minutes or so.
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 21:16 (four years ago) link
https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/34.phantom_thread.jpg
34. PHANTOM THREADPaul Thomas Anderson, USA, 2017(154 points, 3 votes) [TIE]
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 21:19 (four years ago) link
Me and my classmates all came to this conclusion xp.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAz2Le8Xl0M
― Chris L, Thursday, 19 December 2019 21:20 (four years ago) link
surprised at how much i liked home alone when i finally revisited it as an adult, very christmasy (before the mortal kombat brutality kicks in). also surprised that the carnage took up away less screen time than i remember.
helped that i saw it in a theater filled with kids who were my age when i first saw it, all of whom were waaay into it & it was very adorable hearing their shocked & amazed reactions. best moment was when daniel stern falls down the icy steps, which i think is very early in the sequence so the kids in the audience didnt know what they were in for yet, and when he landed after a long noisy painful fall you couldve heard a pin drop in the theater, except for one lone kid who I just heard very loudly whisper: "WHOOOOOA"
― warn me about a lurking rake (One Eye Open), Thursday, 19 December 2019 21:36 (four years ago) link
watched 2 recently, which sucked ass. funny comparing the "home alone" moment from each: in 1 kevin wakes up and its kind of magical bc he doesnt immediately understand what happened and is a little frightened. In 2 kevin lands at jfk, immediately realizes exactly what happened and that he has all of his dads credit cards, refuses an offer of help by some adults, and consciously & assholishly is like "im a lone in new york, sweet, time to go on a spending spree until they find me"
― warn me about a lurking rake (One Eye Open), Thursday, 19 December 2019 21:42 (four years ago) link
https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/33.a_christmas_tale.jpg
33. A CHRISTMAS TALEArnaud Despleschin, France, 2008(157 points, 3 votes, 1 first-place vote)
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 22:02 (four years ago) link
(I was the first-place vote on this.)
Still need to see this one.
― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Thursday, 19 December 2019 22:03 (four years ago) link
me too
― Legacy of Banality (Pillbox), Thursday, 19 December 2019 22:04 (four years ago) link
I think I just prefer the French take on the "my whole nutty family is in one house for a week and we're either going to kill each other or settle decades' long grudges" holiday staple.
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 22:16 (four years ago) link
saw Home Alone once as a kid and never had any interest in rescreening but this is :D
― insecurity bear (sic), Thursday, 19 December 2019 22:26 (four years ago) link
https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/32.hannah.jpg
32. HANNAH AND HER SISTERSWoody Allen, USA, 1986(159 points, 3 votes)
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Thursday, 19 December 2019 22:38 (four years ago) link
i like Hannah v much
ranking below Miracle on 34th Street as a holiday film? bananas
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 19 December 2019 23:00 (four years ago) link
Bananas is definitely not a Christmas movie.
― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Thursday, 19 December 2019 23:58 (four years ago) link
OK, actually we'll do 11 tonight, since there's a tie at #30. Again, in chronological order:
https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/30.mauds_.jpg
30. MY NIGHT AT MAUD'SEric Rohmer, France, 1969(161 points, 3 votes) [TIE]
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Friday, 20 December 2019 00:35 (four years ago) link
didn't vote for Cat People, mostly because it has been long enough since my last viewing that I can't recall its specific Christmas content.
It's set during the holidays; the revenant (?) Irina sings the French carol "Il est né, le divin Enfant" (never mind that she was Serbian in the previous movie).
― Anne Hedonia (j.lu), Friday, 20 December 2019 00:39 (four years ago) link
https://cansesclasseled.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/30.kkbb_.jpg
30. KISS KISS BANG BANGShane Black, USA, 2005(161 points, 3 votes) [TIE]
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Friday, 20 December 2019 00:50 (four years ago) link
That's a wrap on day 1!
Xp yeah I remember seeing it the first time and being surprised that it’s not a horror movie at all, p much a straight up Christmas movie
― warn me about a lurking rake (One Eye Open), Friday, 20 December 2019 00:51 (four years ago) link
Thanks, Eric. Drinks for everyone?https://media1.giphy.com/media/3osBLcKOrK2jpNQB9K/source.gif
― Anne Hedonia (j.lu), Friday, 20 December 2019 00:53 (four years ago) link
https://media0.giphy.com/media/OcOdOUydU6u5y/source.gif
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Friday, 20 December 2019 00:53 (four years ago) link
https://media.giphy.com/media/22PoF18UAasJQzoPg9/giphy.gif
― a very powerful woman in the dog world (Noodle Vague), Friday, 20 December 2019 00:57 (four years ago) link
I've never seen Kiss Kiss Bang Bang yet. What is wrong with me etc (because it looks good). But had no idea it was part of some holiday movies canon. so thanks thread!
― calzino, Friday, 20 December 2019 01:04 (four years ago) link
https://i1.wp.com/brightestyoungthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/speakeasy.gif?fit=500%2C250&quality=100&ssl=1
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Friday, 20 December 2019 01:10 (four years ago) link
https://media.giphy.com/media/l4KhYi2dal7F6e0wM/giphy.gif
― a very powerful woman in the dog world (Noodle Vague), Friday, 20 December 2019 01:15 (four years ago) link
The first part of the Tv version of Fanny and Alexander is the most sumptuously 'Christmassy' thing i've ever seen. Weirdly Eyes Wide Shut almost matches it. I wonder if some of that 'fairy lights in every shot' thing Kubes was going for, was in any way indebted to Bergman.
― piscesx, Tuesday, 24 December 2019 16:24 (four years ago) link
When I voted for F&A, I was really voting for the opening chapter of the TV version.
― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 24 December 2019 16:25 (four years ago) link
That very first glimpse of Clarence is perfect; one of the all-time great character intro shots
https://miro.medium.com/max/801/0*_zJKeOyMm1WHAHhB.jpg
― piscesx, Tuesday, 24 December 2019 16:26 (four years ago) link
Thanks for putting this together.
1. Comfort and Joy (Bill Forsyth)2. A Christmas Carol (1951)3. It’s a Wonderful Life4. Going My Way5. The Shop Around the Corner6. The Apartment7. The Ice Storm8. Fanny and Alexander9. Hannah and Her Sisters10. Mon Oncle Antoine11. Gremlins
Same as other genre polls--I tried to balance how much I liked a film with how Christmassy it felt to me. I should have nominated and voted for Meet John Doe.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 24 December 2019 20:24 (four years ago) link
bold did not place
1. "Peace on Earth" (1939)Meet Me in St. Louis #6It's a Wonderful Life #1The Lemon Drop Kid (1951)Bad Santa (2003) #11
A Christmas Story #8The Shop Around the Corner (1940) #3A Christmas Carol (1951) a.k.a. Scrooge #14Elf #29The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) #14
29th StreetA Very Harold & Kumar 3-D ChristmasKrampus (2015)The GrinchErnest Saves Christmas
Edward Scissorhands #40Fanny and Alexander #2Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence #39Remember the NightMon oncle Antoine #20
Scrooged #5"Pluto's Christmas Tree""Toy Tinkers"3 Godfathers25. 8 Women
― wasdnuos (abanana), Tuesday, 24 December 2019 21:03 (four years ago) link
yeah, Remember the Night, for godssake
i also see a Bob Hope film i haven't watched
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 24 December 2019 21:10 (four years ago) link
1. The Shop Around the Corner2. Fanny & Alexander3. It’s a Wonderful Life4. Gremlins5. Meet Me in St. Louis6. Mon Oncle Antoine7. Black Christmas8. A Christmas Story9. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation10. Gift Wrapped11. Die Hard12. Miracle on 34th Street (1945)13. Remember the Night14. Scrooged15. The Bells of St. Mary’s
Thanks, Eric!
― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 24 December 2019 21:56 (four years ago) link
Yeah great poll, wish i'd had time to vote.
― piscesx, Tuesday, 24 December 2019 22:46 (four years ago) link
I saw Scrooged in a theater. I thought Murray's performance was just loud and annoying and the whole movie was like an SNL skit that went on f-o-r-e-v-e-r. And it had the usual Hollywood 30 minutes of "climax" where you knew it was the climax because it was twice as loud and annoying.
I think Comfort and Joy (Clemenza's #1) is a nice little movie with many funny moments. However, it is pretty slight overall and when it reaches for pathos it never gets there. But I didn't cast a ballot, so consider this post as mere sour grapes.
― A is for (Aimless), Tuesday, 24 December 2019 22:58 (four years ago) link
bold DNP
Black Christmas (1974) Silent Partner (1978) Mon oncle Antoine Eyes Wide Shut Brazil Meet Me in St. Louis Silent Night, Deadly Night The Muppet Christmas Carol Fanny and Alexander Kiss Kiss Bang Bang A Christmas Tale (2008) The Hudsucker Proxy Planes, Trains and Automobiles The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
― Simon H., Tuesday, 24 December 2019 23:02 (four years ago) link
The Thin ManTrading PlacesScroogedBig Business (1929)Compliments of the Season (1930)The Shanty Where Santy Claus Lives (1933)Jack Frost (1934)The Reckless Moment (1949)La Grande Illusion (1937)Bad Santa (2003)La Petite Marchande d'Allumettes (1928)Hell's Heroes (1930)The Night Before Christmas (1933)Holiday (1930)Babes in Toyland (1934)The Curse of the Cat PeopleCarolFar From Heaven (2002)Two Men in ManhattanThe Unholy Three (1925)The Unholy Three (1930)Little Women (1933)Poisoned Ivory (1934)Santa Claus Conquers the MartiansDie Hard
― Anne Hedonia (j.lu), Wednesday, 25 December 2019 00:15 (four years ago) link
thx, j.lu, for the Edgar Kennedy
also shame on the rest of you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWdKYiewpVY
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 25 December 2019 00:57 (four years ago) link
^I think the best Xmas movie Leo McCarey worked on, but you fuckers didn't vote for The Bells of St Mary's either
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 25 December 2019 01:01 (four years ago) link
I did!
― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Wednesday, 25 December 2019 01:54 (four years ago) link
u r absolved
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 25 December 2019 02:01 (four years ago) link
It is Christmas Eve, so I have just rewatched The Thin Man. I stand by my first-place vote.
https://media.giphy.com/media/26gYYWkWBy2USzQXu/giphy.gif
― Anne Hedonia (j.lu), Wednesday, 25 December 2019 03:02 (four years ago) link
If only there was a way for movies dr morbius likes to get voted for... if only....
― warn me about a lurking rake (One Eye Open), Wednesday, 25 December 2019 04:19 (four years ago) link
I don't know when you last saw Comfort and Joy, aimless, but if it's been a while, I think you should look at it again. I think it's more profound than the work of some other much more famous directors whose profundity escapes me. (I have two in particular in mind, and no, I won't name them.)
― clemenza, Wednesday, 25 December 2019 04:45 (four years ago) link
Aimless I feel you re:Scrooged, that’s one that never clicked with me, despite a couple tries over the years
― warn me about a lurking rake (One Eye Open), Wednesday, 25 December 2019 05:02 (four years ago) link
I tried to see Comfort and Joy for this poll, but it wasn’t available via any of my streaming services or libraries.
I liked Scrooged better as a Christmas horror film than as a Christmas comedy. Voted for it mainly on the strength of some indelible images and a strong cast.
― Maria Edgelord (cryptosicko), Wednesday, 25 December 2019 05:08 (four years ago) link
Yeah, I think it's hard to get hold of--all I can see is Region 2 stuff from Amazon. Did find this appreciation:
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/dec/06/jonathan-coe-comfort-joy-forsyth
― clemenza, Wednesday, 25 December 2019 05:13 (four years ago) link
HOME ALONE: Two-thirds of this is a modest, sweet, surprisingly affecting Christmas movie. One of third it is Tom & Jerry's Straw Dogs, and it is really impossible to express how fucking weird that is.— The Zack of Christmas Yet To Come (@zhandlen) December 8, 2019
― Baby yoda laid an egg (wins), Wednesday, 25 December 2019 11:14 (four years ago) link
Yeah I watched it last night and was roaring at the pay-off then I missed Tom and Jerry
― Bojo Rabid (Noodle Vague), Wednesday, 25 December 2019 11:47 (four years ago) link
yeah catherine ohara really is phenomenal in HA1, low-key one of her best performances imo
― warn me about a lurking rake (One Eye Open), Thursday, 26 December 2019 17:11 (four years ago) link
tried to see Comfort and Joy for this poll, but it wasn’t available via any of my streaming services or libraries.Watching it on Hoopla rn (apparently from a pan & scan NTSC-converted VHS transfer)
― don't care didn't ask still clappin (sic), Friday, 27 December 2019 00:45 (four years ago) link
thank you Eric! I enjoyed seeing the results
― Dan S, Friday, 27 December 2019 01:23 (four years ago) link
and Pillbox!
― Dan S, Friday, 27 December 2019 01:38 (four years ago) link
Watched Elf again on Christmas eve with my family. There are a lot of good lines, and I always like “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" at the end
― Dan S, Friday, 27 December 2019 02:15 (four years ago) link
I had a "no Elf, no Home Alone" rule this year. I like Elf but not enough for it to be an annual tradition.
― wasdnuos (abanana), Friday, 27 December 2019 02:21 (four years ago) link
the narwhal's sad-voiced "bye buddy, hope you find your dad" is my new favorite line from Elf
― Dan S, Friday, 27 December 2019 02:25 (four years ago) link
didn't remember until seeing it again that "Baby It's Cold Outside" features in a scene
― Dan S, Friday, 27 December 2019 02:35 (four years ago) link
My Night at Maud’sCarolLa Grande illusionFanny and AlexanderTangerine
2046The ApartmentEyes Wide ShutThe Shop Around the CornerFar From Heaven
Call Me By Your NameBoogie NightsThe Ice StormA Tale of WinterHannah and Her Sisters
It’s a Wonderful LifeMetropolitanPhantom ThreadHoliday (1938)Mon Oncle Antoine
LA ConfidentialJoyeux NoëlA Christmas TaleThe Nightmare Before ChristmasElf
― Dan S, Friday, 27 December 2019 02:47 (four years ago) link
Dan S: Does Boogie Nights have anything Christmas-related? There's the big New Year's Eve sequence ("Goodbye '70s, Hello '80s"), but I've seen it a bunch of times and I'm not remembering anything having to do with Christmas.
― clemenza, Friday, 27 December 2019 07:17 (four years ago) link
agree it's not really a holiday film. what I remember besides the New Year's Eve party scene is the donut shop shoot-out scene where Don Cheadle gets an unexpected Christmas gift
― Dan S, Friday, 27 December 2019 08:10 (four years ago) link
Forgot about that, you're right.
― clemenza, Friday, 27 December 2019 14:12 (four years ago) link
Those who didn't vibe with Scrooged: try again. I wasn't that into it for the longest time but now I don't go a holiday season without rewatching it.
Just finished watching Wonderful Life in its entirety for the first time in many years. I might agree with its placing here. It seems to have become more affecting in my dotage.
― Drive Like a Demon From Steakhouse to Steakhouse (Old Lunch), Saturday, 28 December 2019 23:17 (four years ago) link
Forgot to share the full results spreadsheet:
https://bit.ly/37myWBZ
If it had been a top 50...
41. Remember the Night42. Female Trouble43. Blast of Silence44. 204645. Krampus (2015)46. A Junky's Christmas 47. Home for the Holidays48. A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas49. Call Me by Your Name50. Inside (2007)
― temporarily embarrassed thousandaire (Eric H.), Saturday, 28 December 2019 23:20 (four years ago) link
Goddamnit...how did I forget that Cobra is a Christmas movie?
― Ask yoreself: are you're standards too high? (Old Lunch), Saturday, 15 August 2020 01:29 (three years ago) link