Bah, Humbug! Overlooked Christmas favorites you'd like to see
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vmacek@mindspring.com — 15 years ago(December 13, 2010 04:03 PM)
[spoilers]
Just the movie I thought of when I saw this thread! The main character gets dumped by his girlfriend, and at movie's end is spending Christmas day at work, but it's a happy ending.
I always liked an adaptation of Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales" that ran on tv some decades back, featuring and narrated by Denholm Eliot.
Back in their network tv days, Disney played "From All of Us to All of You" this time of year - all excerpts from their animated movies and Christmas/winter themed cartoons. I hear in Sweden it's still a high-ratings must-see show on Christmas Eve. -
misspaddylee — 14 years ago(December 12, 2011 05:40 AM)
I always liked an adaptation of Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales" that ran on tv some decades back, featuring and narrated by Denholm Eliot.
Oh, that's a dandy!
"Tell me about the squares, Buzzie." -
vmacek@mindspring.com — 9 years ago(December 14, 2016 06:41 PM)
I'm a big fan of the old classics, I need to see Sim as Scrooge every year - but one recent one that's become a favorite is "Elf". It's silly and goofy, but Will Ferrell's Buddy, a man raised from infancy by Santa's elves, has a love for Christmas that's just infectious.
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kerryedavis — 13 years ago(December 16, 2012 02:14 PM)
I expect many would enjoy it, if they ever got the chance to SEE it. Too often, network execs make decisions based on what they assume the "target audience" will be interested in. Which means A Hello Kitty Christmas Carol? Shudder.
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cruisemama98 — 14 years ago(December 09, 2011 04:26 PM)
In addition to the Alastair Sim Scrooge, I have to see Christmas in Connecticut, The Shop Around the Corner, White Christmas, the original Miracle on 34th Street (which we watch at my sister's house on Thanksgiving night but I also have to watch it all by myself), and Holiday Inn. I'm not a fan of It's a Wonderful Life and I've never seen that movie about the boy who wants a bb gun (can't think of the name of it). I'd probably add Meet Me in St Louis which someone has decided is a Christmas movie but that's just because it it's on, I have to watch it!! Some of these are probably NOT overlooked but they're my favs.
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ajprice-1 — 12 years ago(December 15, 2013 09:01 AM)
Trust me.watch A Christmas Story (the bb gun movie.) It has the flavor and gentle humor of an old classic. I love the movies you listed, too, and think we might have similar tastes, so I'm pretty confident that you'll enjoy it.
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cruisemama98 — 12 years ago(December 15, 2013 09:35 AM)
The two reasons as to why I have never seen A Christmas Story are two scenes that probably everyone has seen: the tongue on the pole and when the leg lamp arrives. I think both of those scenes are nothing short of stupid. For those reasons I just can't bring myself to watch this movie.
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ajprice-1 — 12 years ago(December 15, 2013 09:45 AM)
You have to watch it in contextactually not as crass as it seems. The dad is always entering contests and finally has won one. When the leg lamp arrives as the prize and he puts it in the front window, the mother about dies. It all works out.
The movie is set in the 1950's in Indianahas a vintage look and feel. All the "bad words" never are said aloud. It's actually a very sweet movie. But, with all the other great ones out there, you can survive without it. -
indy_go_blue44 — 11 years ago(December 07, 2014 08:11 PM)
"A Christmas Story" is really a wonderful gentle story that brings back precious memories of my childhood in downstate Illinois. The city, the house, the kids they easily could have been my city, my house, my friends. It's actually just a chapter in a wonderfully hilarious book called "In God We Trust; All Others Pay Cash" by Gene Shepherd.
Sadly, it's been played to death, but the marathon is a nice way for TBS to give most of its employees Christmas Day off from the work.
Do you hate me because I have no avatar? Do you even give a damn? -
blissfilm — 14 years ago(December 23, 2011 06:38 AM)
Dear tmaj,
I have been searching my schedule repeatedly, thought I once spotted the Alistair Sim version, scheduled it to record and poof! nothing. I don't understand what the trouble is, perhaps it's such a great film the distributors are asking for too much money? I really am not intimately familiar with all the details of payment for screening rights on television.
But it is the best, the finest. Nobody got Scrooge like wonderful Alistair Sim did. Here's just another message to echo what you wrote last year! I agree about the Charlie Brown Christmas Special too nothing else like it.
I've never seen JT, nor Simple Gifts, nor The House without a Christmas Tree! Since you have good taste, I'll look for those.
I had fun watching The Thin Man for a real variant on the flavor of Christmas
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Gubbio — 14 years ago(December 23, 2011 11:46 AM)
It seems you missed your chance this year:
http://www.imdb.com/board/10044008/board/flat/191996760 -
rmcelroy — 12 years ago(December 05, 2013 04:11 PM)
One that I like to watch is "We're No Angels" with Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov and Aldo Ray. It is a heart-warming light comedy - a rare thing for Bogart - and definitely worth a look.
"Prophecy is a guess that comes true. When it doesn't, it's a metaphor." -
ajprice-1 — 12 years ago(December 15, 2013 08:56 AM)
THE HOMECOMING
a made-for-television movie that was a pilot for The Waltons. It starred Patricia Neal and Andrew Duggan as the mother and father, but at least most the kids were in their future roles. A gritty, but rather lovely, glimpse of life on Walton's Mountain before it became homogenized.
THE GATHERING
another made-for-TV flick that now is rather dated, but still tugs at the heart. Edward Asner is the father who left the family (all children now grown) and this wife, but has discovered he has terminal cancer and won't live another year. He wants to come home and gather all the estranged children and their spouses and children together one last time without anyone but his wife (Maureen Stapleton) knowing about his condition.
CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUTT
you can find it on TV these days. Don't settle for anything less than the Barbara Stanwyck version. Who cares if it makes sense? It's so much fun, you won't notice.
ANDY GRIFFITH CHRISTMAS EPISODE
It's not Christmas at our house until we watch mean old Ben force Andy to jail family-man Sam on Christmas Eve for selling moonshine. Watch for that scene where they are singing "O Little Town of Bethlehem" and see if your eyes don't tear up. -
ajprice-1 — 12 years ago(December 15, 2013 09:38 AM)
After I posted this, I decided to try to find The Gathering in my pile of VHS programs I'd recorded off television over the years. My copy of the movie is pretty shaky, but I decided to try to watch it again. That led to my investigating online and.voila!.the DVD is available from Warners today, on sale for $6.99 and free shipping. Mine is on the way!