Christmas must see movies

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As a film I do like It's a Wonderful Life as I really like James Stewart. But I must admit after hearing so much hype that it was the ultimate Christmas film, I was surprised that the Christmas theme only plays out in the last 20 minutes.
My worst festive film is White Christmas. Watched it last year for the first and only time. Zzzzzzz. Much preferred Holiday Inn.
I like all three of those. I can't think of a classic Christmas film that I don't like. But I'm sure there are some.

What are some other old classic Christmas films? I'm talking 30s,40s,50s.



I like all three of those. I can't think of a classic Christmas film that I don't like. But I'm sure there are some.

What are some other old classic Christmas films? I'm talking 30s,40s,50s.
I've seen The Bishop's Wife 1947 but can't really remember too much about it. Maybe it needs a rewatch.
Does anyone know if a Christmas Film Noir exists?



I don't get all the love for It's a Wonderful Life...that movie bores the hell out of me.
Good to know I'm not alone in feeling that way.
I had found the film boring the two times I caught it on TV.

Then I watched the documentary Five Came Back (about Hollywood directors during WW2), which talked about how both Capra and Jimmy Stewart made the film pretty close on returning from the war.

I watched It's a Wonderful Life shortly after I watched the documentary, and it just felt different this time. I really appreciated the dynamics of the existential crisis and the beauty of how it was filmed. Thinking about what it would be like to come back from serving in a war and make a film like that just gave me a totally different perspective on it.

Not saying everyone "should" love it--just that I came to appreciate why it is so beloved after being previously underwhelmed by it.

As for my Christmas must-watch: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang



Other than the Disney cartoons I used to watch as a kid I'm not really that into christmas movies, but I though The Family Man (2000) was pretty decent. Not sure I would want to watch it every year, but if you haven't seen it I think it's well worth a watch.





No joke-- Curse of the Cat People has become a favorite December watch for me over the past few years.
It's not much of a horror film but more of a fantasy. Not ashamed to say it makes me tear up just as much as It's a Wonderful Life. I wouldn't be surprised if this is Guillermo Del Toro's favorite film. It feels very much like an inspiration for something like Pan's Labyrinth, dealing with childhood and imagination and so forth.

Some familiarity with Cat People will probably help some of this make sense, but I don't think it's necessary to have seen it.
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Did anyone remember the Home Alone movies? I may have missed something, but Home Alone is a classic of the genre. I'm still not tired of watching them.



Victim of The Night
Every year I watch most if not all of the following, FWIW:

The Bishop's Wife
The Shop Around The Corner
Scrooged
Star In The Night
White Christmas
(though I just can't watch Bing Crosby in black-face in 1954, so I just skip ahead)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas ('66, of course)
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer


With an option on:

Christmas In Connecticut
Meet Me In St. Louis
Holiday Inn
It's A Wonderful Life
The Year Without A Santa Claus
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town


That's mostly it. And if anybody tries to put on Elf, I stab them in the throat with an icicle. God I loathe that movie.



Victim of The Night


No joke-- Curse of the Cat People has become a favorite December watch for me over the past few years.
It's not much of a horror film but more of a fantasy. Not ashamed to say it makes me tear up just as much as It's a Wonderful Life. I wouldn't be surprised if this is Guillermo Del Toro's favorite film. It feels very much like an inspiration for something like Pan's Labyrinth, dealing with childhood and imagination and so forth.

Some familiarity with Cat People will probably help some of this make sense, but I don't think it's necessary to have seen it.
It's funny you mention this, I really liked the film but forgot about the Christmas angle and was just reminded of it while compiling my list and now I think I'm gonna watch that this year.



Victim of The Night

Star in the Night (1945)
This one is so great. Best version of the Nativity ever. Had me ****ing weeping.



Victim of The Night
I've seen The Bishop's Wife 1947 but can't really remember too much about it. Maybe it needs a rewatch.
If not my favorite Christmas movie, it's on the short-list. Being a die-hard atheist, I always struggle with people putting Christianity into Christmas, but there's not too much of it and it's really just a lovely film. With Cary Grant being Cary Grant.



The Shop Around the Corner and It's a Wonderful Life are typically the only Christmas films I watch annually. There aren't a whole lot of Christmas films I've seen that I'd be happy to watch annually, but these two have great staying power.

Also, I might watch Cats this December to see what I think of it
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I watch the 1994 version almost every Christmas. It's one of my all time favorite films.
I prefer the one with Christian Bale and Winona Ryder