The Christmas Edition

     Merry Christmas everyone! I mentioned in my last entry I was going to take a break from the bucket list to compile a list of some of my favorite Christmas movies. I'll start off by reviewing the criteria by which I decided what to include as a Christmas film. First, I am not including made for TV movies. To the best of my knowledge all of the films included below were released in the theaters. Second, I am not including films that just happen to take place at Christmas. This means I am not including films like Gremlins and Die Hard. There I said it...Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. Finally, the order in which I list the films is completely random and not an indication as to how much I liked or disliked it. If a film is not included (that is traditionally considered a Christmas movie), there are two likely explanations: either I haven't seen it or I completely forgot about it when I was compiling the list. And now on with the show!

A Christmas Story: Classic story about a little boy who wants nothing more than a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas. Includes some classic lines and memorable scenes. I generally liked the movie, however, the cult fascination with it seems a bit much. I don't mind watching it once in awhile but multiple 24 hour marathons of it on television every year is a bit much. 

Home Alone: One of my favorites to be included on this list. I still enjoy watching it when it comes on television. Of course, certain aspects of the story remain questionable. How on earth did Kevin's parents not realize he was missing for as long as they did? I've been on trips (including international trips) with large groups of people and always seemed to know if someone was missing from the group as a whole. Putting those questionable details aside, I still really like the movie.

Home Alone 2: Lost in New York: Like the original I really enjoy this movie...even if the script isn't all that different from the first one. This time they manage to get Kevin to the airport before he inexplicably manages to get lost and on an entirely different flight from his parents and extended family. These are the only two movies in this franchise that I have seen. I couldn't imagine any subsequent films needing to be made or being any good.

It's a Wonderful Life: What list of Christmas movies is complete without this classic? It has been a very long time since I have seen it and don't really recall many details. What I do know is that it has spawned a great number of imitations (both in movies and on television). For example, the soap opera The Young and the Restless is known for doing a Christmas episode nearly every year in which one of the main characters has an It's a Wonderful Life dream-like experience. It's this type of thing that ruins the original for me. 

The Santa Clause: Obviously an implausible plot, but still generally entertaining. Tim Allen was pretty funny as a father who accidentally kills Santa and therefore must become Santa going forward. Also resulted in a few sequels, none of which were as entertaining as the original.

Four Christmases: The tale of a couple who make the attempt to visit all four of their dysfunctional parents on one Christmas day. I enjoyed it because despite going to extremes about how each parent is dysfunctional, it very realistically chronicles the struggle of couples to visit multiple families during the holidays. Plus Reese Witherspoon is one of my favorites. Vince Vaughn was not his normal annoying character stereotype in this film. 

Bad Santa: As it has been a long time since I have actually watched this film, I don't really remember the details. With that said, I do remember Billy Bob Thornton being hilarious as a drunken mall Santa. Never did see the sequel...as with most sequels I figured it couldn't have been as good as the original.

The Family Stone: Sarah Jessica Parker plays an uptight Manhattan executive who agrees to celebrate Christmas with her boyfriend's family (a pretty dysfunctional family). Hilarity ensues as she goes overboard trying to impress his difficult mother. A few plot twists along the way kept the movie from falling into a predictable pattern. Overall, pretty good...and better still it hasn't resulted in unnecessary sequels. The end of the film does a great job of wrapping up all of the divergent stories and giving the audience closure.

The Holiday: Pretty sure I stumbled upon this one by accident, however, to quote Bob Ross it was a "happy little accident." I generally like Jack Black, Kate Winslet, and Jude Law in most movies. Even the presence of Cameron Diaz didn't detract. Also required no sequels because the end of the movie suggests how things turn out for all of the characters. 

Elf: A Will Farrell Christmas classic. It's been awhile since I have seen it so I don't really remember all of the specifics. Farrell was great in a movie that was something of a departure from some of his dumber offerings (probably because they didn't create roles for some of his usual co-stars). Nothing against Will Farrell in general, but I have a hard time watching some of his movies. 

Last Christmas: One of the most recent entries on this list...and the one I watched the most recently (just last weekend). I expected it to be pretty cheesy...but turns out I was wrong. Not only was the storyline somewhat entertaining, there was a twist in the plot I legitimately did not see coming. Also surprising was Emma Thompson's character. Normally she's kind of a stereotypical Brit...but here she played Emilia Clarke's over protective Eastern European mother (and quite convincingly). Also well done was the soundtrack of George Michael songs...not in a forced way. 

Love, Actually: If I were ranking these movies, I'd probably consider this my second favorite. Not a traditional Christmas movie, but rather a loose collection of separate stories (some of which intersect quite nicely). Set in London, the ensemble cast features a lot of big stars...Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and Liam Neeson just to name a few. Definitely worth watching if you like any of these actors.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: Although I wasn't really ranking these films, this is without a doubt my favorite Christmas movie. How could it not be? The extended Griswold family is together in one house (and an R.V.) and hilarity ensues. This is one film franchise where I enjoy (at least at some level) almost every movie included. Full of memorable quotes and the standard by which all over-the-top exterior Christmas light displays are now judged. It's one of the few Christmas movies I can watch multiple times and not be bored.

There you have it...my review of some of my favorite Christmas movies. Yes, there are several not included on here that I have not seen (some of which I'm sure y'all are wondering how it is I haven't seen at this point). Maybe next year I will try to watch some of the ones I have missed in order to update the list. If you have any suggestions for ones to watch feel free to leave it in the comments. Until later...

Four More Down...

     I know it's been a little while since I updated my progress on the bucket list. Work has kept me pretty busy and so I've been pretty tired on the weekends. Since the last update I have managed to scratch another four films off of the list. Without further ado here are my reviews of those those films.

Halloween (the original): I'm not much for horror movies. It's not that I get scared easily...I just generally find they are overly predictable and I tend to get annoyed with the characters not being able to sense that they are in danger. Unfortunately the bucket list has a few horror films on it that I will have to subject myself to if I want to complete the challenge. I expected Halloween to be far more gruesome than it actually was. I'm sure it scared plenty of people when it first came out in the 70s...but today it really falls flat. It's one of the worst offenders when it comes to being predictable. It was pretty obvious when Michael was about to strike. I'm fairly sure I'll be able to resist the numerous sequels...although I was admittedly intrigued by the trailers for the one that came out earlier this year. Not enough to pay money to watch it though.

Four Weddings and a Funeral: This might be one of those films that I have to watch more than once to truly understand why it would be included on a movie bucket list. Don't get me wrong...I typically like Hugh Grant in just about any movie. I find it lacked a truly cohesive storyline. None of the characters were all that captivating (even Hugh Grant's character). I wouldn't go so far as to say it was terrible...there are plenty of other films that would fall into such a category. I would say it was average at best.

12 Angry Men: When I found this on DVD at Barnes and Noble and read the synopsis on the back I was actually intrigued. It doesn't feature a lot of well-known actors (at least to younger viewers). What made the movie all the more interesting is that this type of story is actually relevant today. If you're looking for action and adventure...look elsewhere. This drama based on a jury of 12 men deciding the fate of a young man accused of murder is something that could easily be remade today. I think this was a very well made film that didn't try to do more than necessary to tell a captivating story. If I go into much more detail, I would certainly ruin the movie. I recommend this to anyone who likes a good legal drama.

Groundhog Day: The premise of this movie never really seemed all that interesting to me. I know plenty people swear by this as a comedy classic. I disagree. Yes, there were a few parts that occasionally made me laugh. But overall it was about what I expected it to be. Maybe it's just not my type of humor. I'm sure someone reading this will be shocked that I disliked it. Maybe it was that I was predisposed against it, however, I felt the same way about The Goonies before I watched it for this list and I actually changed my mind. It would be much better for me if every movie on the list I was skeptical about was better than I initially thought. Sadly Groundhog Day was not one of those movies.

Now that I have two 3 day weekends back-to-back to close out 2021, I'm going to try and clear out a few more selections. Not sure which ones I'll tackle next. I'm also pondering a brief entry that takes a break from the bucket list challenge...all about Christmas movies. As always, feel free to leave a comment if you agree or disagree with any of the reviews I have included. I also saw online an ad for another movie poster that lists 100 movies from the 90s. I might just have to purchase that one as well...for another bucket list challenge. Some appear to be duplicates from the current list...which only means I will be able to work my way through it faster. Until next time...