Top 5 Christmas Movies

[W_L]

Yeah, I know I have too much sentiment for old things. I like old Christmas movies with a special place for A Christmas Carol remakes each year, I also re-read the entire short book each year as a Holiday tradition.

 

For my top 5:

 

1. A Christmas Carol (1984)- George C. Scott was in my opinion the best Scrooge ever. The TV movie was made before I was born, but the production values and characters are timeless

 

2. An American Carol (1979)- Henry Winkler as an American version of Scrooge during his Happy Days career, I really like this story set in depression era New England versus Industrial 19th century England.

 

3. Christmas Every Day (1996)- Cute little movie with fun little takes on a modern Christmas and its hazards. There's a not so subtle anti Wal-Mart message.

 

4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)- A true classic of Cinema, I love the old story and its message against the backdrop of skepticism that there is still room for hope in something bigger.

 

5. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)- Like a Christmas Carol, the peanut's A Charlie Brown Christmas is a classic in its own way. I love the story and the search for meaning in a holiday that has been losing its meaning for years now.

 

Anyone else got their top 5.

[hombre]

4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)- A true classic of Cinema, I love the old story and its message against the backdrop of skepticism that there is still room for hope in something bigger.

 

5. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)- Like a Christmas Carol, the peanut's A Charlie Brown Christmas is a classic in its own way. I love the story and the search for meaning in a holiday that has been losing its meaning for years now.

 

I love these 2 , and they would be my 1 and 2 respectively. My number three would probably be the animated "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (can't stand the remake) and number 4 would be "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reigndeer", now number 5... "HOME ALONE"!!! Love that little kid!! LOL!!

 

[Mark Arbour]

I really liked "Christmas Vacation" with Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Margo) and Todd were my favorites....the ultimate yuppie caricature.

 

After that, it would have to be "A Christmas Story." ..."You'll shoot your eye out!" Come to think of it, I think I've said that before, but not about guns.

[Nephylim]

I'm not really a Christmas story kind of girl. Nightmare Before Christmas is, I suppose my only favourite Christmas film.

[Zapp]

Nightmare before Christmas would easily be my favourite, not too sure about ones after that, possibly Santa with Muscles..

[TetRefine]

1.) Christmas Vacation (it's hilarious every time)

2.) 8 Crazy Nights (Hunnakkah, but still counts)

3.) A Christmas Story

4.) How The Grinch Stole Christmas (cartoon one)

5.) Rudolph

[jenni]

I love Christmas movies. A lot of my favorites are sappy, but I love sap especially this time of year.

 

1. Christmas Vacation

2. It's a Wonderful Life

3. White Christmas with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye

4. Home Alone 2 - Lost in New York

5. A Charlie Brown Christmas

 

Incidentally, for those in the States, AMC is running Christmas Vacation every night this week. If you haven't watched it, this is your chance!

Edited December 3, 2009 by jenni

[JamesSavik]

Bah humbug. Bad Santa rules!

 

 

Of course, there's always Satan Claus from the Last Boyscout:

 

 

And don't forget Robo-Santa from Futurama.

 

 

And of course, who could forget Santa Zim

 

 

He knows when you are sleeping.

He knows when you're awake.

You better find a bunker,

and hunker down for goodness sake!

[KJames]

Yeah, I know I have too much sentiment for old things. I like old Christmas movies with a special place for A Christmas Carol remakes each year, I also re-read the entire short book each year as a Holiday tradition.

 

For my top 5:

 

1. A Christmas Carol (1984)- George C. Scott was in my opinion the best Scrooge ever. The TV movie was made before I was born, but the production values and characters are timeless

 

2. An American Carol (1979)- Henry Winkler as an American version of Scrooge during his Happy Days career, I really like this story set in depression era New England versus Industrial 19th century England.

 

3. Christmas Every Day (1996)- Cute little movie with fun little takes on a modern Christmas and its hazards. There's a not so subtle anti Wal-Mart message.

 

4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)- A true classic of Cinema, I love the old story and its message against the backdrop of skepticism that there is still room for hope in something bigger.

 

5. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)- Like a Christmas Carol, the peanut's A Charlie Brown Christmas is a classic in its own way. I love the story and the search for meaning in a holiday that has been losing its meaning for years now.

 

Anyone else got their top 5.

 

You should really try to watch the original movie of "A Christmas Carol" from, I believe, 1934, or somewhen thenabout. It was excellently done, and true to the story. The special effects, yes, SFX even then, were excellently done for that time period, and make the movie a true pleasure to watch! It makes George C. Scott look like an amateur.

 

I also like your number 5 pick, especially that poor little tree that ends up being picked out. Just one little red ball and it bends over from the weight of it.

 

How about the animated "How The Grinch Stole Christmas!"? It's another true holiday classic by now.

[W_L]

You should really try to watch the original movie of "A Christmas Carol" from, I believe, 1934, or somewhen thenabout. It was excellently done, and true to the story. The special effects, yes, SFX even then, were excellently done for that time period, and make the movie a true pleasure to watch! It makes George C. Scott look like an amateur.

 

I also like your number 5 pick, especially that poor little tree that ends up being picked out. Just one little red ball and it bends over from the weight of it.

 

How about the animated "How The Grinch Stole Christmas!"? It's another true holiday classic by now.

 

I've seen the 1950's version on AMC, it was a classic. There's a 1940 version as well, which might be what you mean. I think George C. Scott had a great version that is true to the book with a nice amount of imagery.

 

I think A Charlie Brown Christmas is wonderful with many lovable anecdotes that still ring true.

 

How the Grinch stole Christmas is also classic, but I will be frank, it is pretty one note to me. I liked it as a kid, but it lacks something to appeal to me as I got older.

 

I will also have to say no to A Christmas Story, not because I did not like it or it is not a classic, but it is due to being forced to watch it for 24 hours straight. One Christmas they had the movie on for a 48 hours. I wanted to kill the studio executives, who thought it was a good idea to do a 48 hour marathon. After that I have to say I could never watch A Christmas story without thinking about being flooded by marathons.

[Tarin]

I'm not really into Christmas Movies, but I'll try a few.

 

1. [*]

Millions (2004) - Not exactly a Christmas movie, but it takes place during that time and is influenced by it and the giving nature of the season.[*]A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - I agree, classic. They sell fake Charlie Brown trees now.[*]How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) - Like W.L., it lost appeal as I aged but I still remember it fondly.[*]Home Alone

[Arpeggio]

ooooh

 

1. Nightmare Before Christmas

 

2. How the Grinch Stole Christmas

 

3. A Charlie Brown Christmas

 

4. Rudolph

 

5. Home Alone

 

[Cia]

1. Garfield Christmas episode

2. Any and all the old claymations

3. The Santa Clause

4. Home Alone

5. Jack Frost, with Michael Keaton and Kelly Preston..it's just too cute

[GoWithIt]

I don't have a top 5, but How the Grinch Stole Christmas and the Peanut's Christmas episode are my two favorites. I bought a Charlie Brown Christmas tree for my apartment this year and it never ceases to make me smile.

[Jack Scribe]

Check out Holiday Inn. It's a 1942 film starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire, with music by Irving Berlin. An original song from this movie is White Christmas. The main character develops an entertainment venue that's only open on holidays. I hope the screenwriter had a trademark on the title.

[JamieD]

I don't have a top 5 either but I do like watching 'The Santa Clause' ...and for some reason I ALWAYS watch the LOTR Trilogy...weird

[Cia]

Nah traditions....they can be weird. It is at least seasonal but I am made to watch that stupid Chevy Chase's Christmas Vacation every year on Thanksgiving and then at least once a week thereafter. I really really really dislike that movie, but it's my husbands tradition...sigh..tis the season.

[KJames]

I've seen the 1950's version on AMC, it was a classic. There's a 1940 version as well, which might be what you mean. I think George C. Scott had a great version that is true to the book with a nice amount of imagery.

 

I think A Charlie Brown Christmas is wonderful with many lovable anecdotes that still ring true.

 

How the Grinch stole Christmas is also classic, but I will be frank, it is pretty one note to me. I liked it as a kid, but it lacks something to appeal to me as I got older.

 

I will also have to say no to A Christmas Story, not because I did not like it or it is not a classic, but it is due to being forced to watch it for 24 hours straight. One Christmas they had the movie on for a 48 hours. I wanted to kill the studio executives, who thought it was a good idea to do a 48 hour marathon. After that I have to say I could never watch A Christmas story without thinking about being flooded by marathons.

 

 

W.L. that original "Christmas Carol" was 1938 with Reginald Owen, and Gene and Kathleen Lockhart.

[W_L]

It seems like a lot of people like the peanuts.

 

I will have to watch the 1930's version of A Christmas Carol, hope it is good.

 

Home Alone is great, but I don't ever want to leave my kid on Christmas.

[Y_B]

Not in order but...

 

1) Home alone

2) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

3) The Santa Clause

4) A Charlie Brown Christmas

5) Can't think of any more that I really liked equally to the above

[NightOwl88]

The first and fifth on your list are the only ones from it I have seen, I think.

 

I don't really have any favorite Christmas movies, I'm still a sucker for Rudolph and Frosty though lol.

[Marbles29]

Ok so i dont have a top 5 but i do love

 

Bad Santa "how many sandwiches do you want" lol

A Christmas Story is just classic

Home Alone 2 was great but still cannot see how you can leave your child anywhere.

[Toast]

I'm sure I am missing one. But...

 

1. A Christmas Carol, the one with Alistar Slim as Scrooge. I think that is his name.

2. Nightmare before Christmas, such charm.

3. White Christmas or Holiday Inn

4. It's a Wonderful Life

5. Miracle on 34th Street. I love Maureen O'Hara. And Natalie Wood as a kid.

 

6. Home Alone

[glomph]

Close. His name was Alastair Sim. His Scrooge is my all-time favorite, but I'd suggest the 1930's version, too.

 

I watched White Christmas on TV this year, and it reminded me that I liked Holiday Inn somewhat more.

 

I'm not a fan of It's a Wonderful Life for some reason. It was sort of fun to watch it the year of the Savings and Loan Scandal, I admit.

 

The original Miracle on 34th Street was pretty good. It holds up better if I don't watch it every year. I tried watching the modern remake and gagged.

 

I saw Home Alone again on TV this year. I knew I had liked it, but it was better than I had remembered. It certainly pushes a lot of emotional buttons successfully.

 

I liked most of the movies mentioned in this thread, but I don't think I could do a real top-5 list. It would vary too much with my mood and the particular year (such as whether I've seen a given movie too many times in recent years). But I'll mention a couple that I don't believe have been mentioned.

 

On Christmas Eve I watched Auntie Mame (the non-musical version with Rosalind Russell, not the awful film version of Mame with Lucille Ball). It's of course not a Christmas movie as such, but Christmas plays an important part. Next week I plan to read Uncle Mame, the biography of Patrick Dennis, who wrote the novel. His life sounds interesting (how he dealt with his sexuality and also his choosing to become a butler after a wildly successful writing career--including being Ray Croc's butler). [Nuclear physics warning: Don't put your copies of Mame and Auntie Mame anywhere near each other.

 

One of my all-time favorite Christmas movies is Trading Places. I used to watch it every year, but am skipping this one.

 

BTW, most years for New Years I watch When Harry Met Sally. I don't know if I'll get to it this year. I have too much going on on New Year's Eve, but may see it on the 1st. The concert from Vienna takes precedent that day.

 

In the 1980s there always seemed to be a Marx Brothers' marathon on one station or another starting on New Year's Eve, so that is a continuing association in my mind. No matter how late I'd get home, I watch at least some of a Marx Brothers film before I went to bed. Some years I still do that, though now it may be an instant view over Netflix.

[rknapp]

National Lampoon's "A Christmas Vacation" is the single-greatest Christmas movie of all time. All the rest fail to emulate its greatness, and so 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th are all vacant on my list.