Can't Miss Christmas Movies

One of the best things about Christmas is all the great holiday themed movies. Here's a look at a few films that you shouldn't miss this season.

Clash of the Titans

The one thing that I could never understand about Clash of the Titans is why it airs only during the holiday season. The story, which has nothing to do with Christmas or Hanukah, recounts the myths that surround Perseus and Andromeda. Clash of the Titans follows the Greek hero Perseus (one of Zeus' many sons) and his quest to free his love Andromeda who is slated to enter her grave a tad bit early thanks to her mother's arrogant comparison of Andromeda's and goddess Thetis' beauty. Rather than have his love die a horrible death courtesy of a Ray Harryhausen animated Kraken, Perseus flies all over Greekdom gathering the proper tools, killing Calibous (Andromeda's former fiancée), being attacked by scorpions the size of minivans and beheading Medusa so that his love might avoid a painful death. Persius prevails which should be no surprise to anyone due to the fact that the myth is well known and the movie is heavily rotated on TBS throughout the Christmas season.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

When I talk about the genius that is How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I am of course referring to the 1966 animated version narrated by Boris Karloff, not the abomination that Jim Carry and Ron Howard made. How the Grinch Stole Christmas, known simply as The Grinch in most households, tells the story of the Christmas obsessed Whos and the Grinch who hatches an ingenious plan that involves impersonating a Saint and breaking and entering. The Grinch plans to steal the festive holiday from the Whos and all the presents and joy that it brings. With his plan completed, the Grinch waits to hear the wails of sadness form all the inhabitants of Whoville when they wake empty handed on Christmas morning. Of course as everyone knows the story the Whos are not sad at all. Instead they rejoice in the season and break out in song. This song warms the Grinch's black heart making it grown three times it original size. Feeling full of joy, the Grinch returns all of the Christmas goodies and stays in town long enough to carve up the roast beast.

Scrooged

Scrooged may be one of the best "grown up" holiday movies of all time. Scrooged is a retelling of the classic A Christmas Carol and follows television executive Frank Cross (Bill Murray) in the traditional Ebenezer Scrooge role. During the course of the movie Frank is busy trying to produce a live broadcast of A Christmas Carol (complete with Solid Gold Dancers) while trying to save his job from a younger, more narcissistic version of himself, all the while being visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. After 19 years this film will still induce many belly laughs and maybe even a few tears.

If Scrooged is not your cup of tea then there are several other great versions of A Christmas Carol. There are the traditional versions like those starring Patrick Stewart or George C. Scott. Then there are the wonderful "children's" versions like Mickey's Christmas Carol or the Muppet's Christmas Carol. Both Mickey and the Muppet version are top notch family fair, very heartwarming and funny.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever was a made for television movie (based on the book of the same name by Barbara Robinson) that aired way back in 1983. As a young girl this was one of my favorite Christmas films. Pageant tells the story of the Herdman children who consist of six very unruly and very poor kids with little to no adult supervision. Believing that they will receive free candy at church, the Herdman children show up at the local chapel one day and soon bully themselves into the church's Nativity pageant. This film is very funny and sweet and has a wonderful Christian message. The acting is pretty good for being led by a group of children. Although this film no longer airs on television you can purchase it on DVD from Amazon.com.

Blackadder's Christmas Carol

Blackadder's Christmas Carol is another take on the traditional Christmas Carol story but with an ingenious twist. In this film the character of Ebenezer Blackadder is kind, gentle and giving. If you are familiar with the Blackadder series then you know that Ebenezer would be considered the black sheep because of all his kind deeds.

On Christmas Eve the Spirit of Christmas visits Ebenezer Blackadder and takes him into the past so that he can see how his ancestors lived. He is also shown a glimpse of how his life would be in the future if he were to stay kind or become evil (which is really too strong of a word). Ebenezer decides that the rotten, conniving, narcissistic Blackadders have way more fun and immediately starts to take out his new "personality" out on his friend Baldric.

Babes in Toyland

Babes in Toyland is one of those movies that are so bad you can't tear you eyes away from the screen. Babes in Toyland follows Lisa, an 11 year old girl who is forced to take care of her brothers and sisters, doing all the things that her mother should be doing. During a bad winter storm Lisa finds herself in Toyland where she must break up a wedding and thwart the evil Barnaby's plan to take over Toyland.

The film is exactly as bad as it sounds. But what makes this film so great is that even though the actors can't act, the sets look terrible and the musical tunes will give you a headache, everyone seems to be taking things oh so seriously! Keanu Reeves plays Jack Be Nimble and Drew Barrymore is the young Lisa. This film was made in 1986 which makes Drew smack dab in the middle of her experimental drug/alcohol days which means that you can play the fun game of trying to figure out if she is straight or lit during filming.

A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas first aired on television in 1965 and is still fresh and entertaining even though more than 20 years have passed. The story follows Charlie Brown who has become quite upset about the commercialization of the Christmas season. He gets wrangled into directing the school Christmas pageant and then the real headaches begin. In the end Linus explains the true meaning of Christmas (the birth of Christ not the present giving) and everyone is happy. One of the best scenes of this short cartoon is the sad little fir tree that Charlie Brown tries to decorate.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas follows Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween town, as he has Santa Claus kidnapped and takes over Christmas for himself. Of course he doesn't quite get the concept which means that the little boys and girls of the world are getting severed heads for presents instead of proper gifts. This film was released in 1993 and re-released recently in a 3-D format (which was pretty good). The clay animation is amazing and the music is wonderful and catchy. While most people watch The Nightmare Before Christmas during Halloween this really is a great Christmas film as well.

A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story is one of the best Christmas movies of all time. It's funny and sweet and teaches a pretty good life lesson (you know, the one about shooting your eye out). For those who don't know, the story follows Ralphie and his quest to get Santa to bring him a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas. Everyone he talks to about the BB gun, from his mother, his teacher, to the mall Santa all tell him that he'll shot his eye out and that it is just not a good idea. In the end of course his father buys him the gun and Ralphie comes very close to shooting his eye out. This film has numerous gags (Frag-eeee-lay) and will give you a warm feeling in your tummy. A Christmas Story is on heavy rotation on many different television channels throughout the holiday season.