In search of a different kind of Holiday Movie

Ok what would you watch at Christmas time if you did not want to watch Traditional Christmas Movies or The Classic Christmas Movies again? Or what if you have worn out some of those Christmas shows.

What do you watch next? The neat thing about this is the holiday season can find it’s way into more movies than we would think even if they don’t actually recreate Holiday cheer. So, keep and open mind with the storylines. So, let’s have a look.

Well here is a list of non christmas movies for you and here is my criteria for the first part. These shows take place During or near the Gift giving season season and you might see things that have to do with the holiday but the Movie is not about Christmas itself.

However I will say that the Christmas setting might be important to some of these movies. So, if the movie focuses on the Christmas Holiday then they don’t belong on this list.

It’s a Wonderful Life – Might not have been meant to be a christmas movie but it was constantly aired by the TV Networks at christmas time. So, technically, its a really good movie that happens to end at christmas time.

Die Hard – Sets the benchmark for its genre. It is on this list because it takes place during a company christmas party and it has themes of getting family together.
Quote from the movie by John McClane: “Got invited to the Christmas party by mistake. Who knew?”
This movie as plotted could happen at any time of the year. It is the type of film that centers aroung  the heist. But one thing that makes it differnt is it is on Christmas Eve.
This manly man was able to further enchant the show with the quote from the movie, “Now i have a machine gun. ho ho ho”. Die Hard has become a very classic watch at Christmas time show for many families.

Die Hard II
John McClane takes on some bad guys that are kidnapping an airport. It has lot’s of action like Exploding airplanes, F-bombs that explode, and an icicle. Won’t elaborate on what is done with the icile.

Ghostbusters II
This movie takes place in New York City during the Christmas season although it does pertain more to New Years Eve.
Some quotes from the movie:
Janine Melnitz: “So, do you live alone?”
Louis Tully: “I used to have a roommate, but my mom moved to Florida.”

The Ref a 1994 show that is funny.
Where a guy who takes a snooty disfunctional family hostage.
The burglar has his hands full when he kidnaps this family as there is plenty of fueding going on. He pretends to be their marriage counselor during their Christmas party. It is an amusing movie.
Quotes from the movie:
Caroline: “I had this dream…”
Lloyd: “Do we have to do dreams?’
Caroline: “I’m in this restaurant, and the waiter brings me my entree. It was a salad. It was Lloyd’s head on a plate of spinach with his (blank) sticking out of his ear. And I said, “I didn’t order this.” And the waiter said, “Oh you must try it, it’s a delicacy. But don’t eat the (blank), it’s just garnish.”
Dr. Wong: “Lloyd, what do you think about the dream?”
Lloyd: “I think she should stop telling it at dinner parties to all our friends.”

Love Actually – Has a lot of Christmas things happening but it is mostly a romantic comedy.

The Man Who Came to Dinner is a 1942 film.
It Happens at Christmas time but doesn’t have much of anything to do with Christmas.
Could be considered better than It’s a Wonderful Life as it is not as sappy like.
Monte Woolley had a way of showing that telling the truth though painful could be humorous. And he did it way before its time.

The Lion in Winter is a good one with some of the best dialogue in a movie of all times.

Batman Returns
Danny Devito played the pengin in performance that leaves me wondering where does the actor and the character end? Great performance. There are so many Tim Burton films that have christmas but this show is great.
The beginning of the movie has a christmas tree lit up but the lights are ruined by some freaks. The penquins at the end of the show have quite a Happy Holiday surprise for Gotham.
Quotes from the movie:     The Penguin: “I could really get into this mayor stuff. It’s not about power, it’s about reaching out to people – touching people – groping people!”

Diner is a 1982 show
During the year 1959 some child hood friends meet at Fell’s Point Diner located in the city of Baltimore for Christmas. Though each of the friends that meet at the diner have impending events in their life that will cause their lives to change forever and soon they just enjoy themselves.
Great period detail and a sparkling screenplay for this semi-autobiographical show.
From Oscar-winning director Barry Levinson

Nightmare Before Christmas – It’s a Halloween movie though for most part.

I leave Gremlins here so you can decide if the kids should see it…instead of the section on not for everybody.
Gremlins filmed in 1984 has monsters that attacked during Christmas
It blends horror and humor really well. Did anyone see any Gremlins? It is a present for Christmas that becomes a disaster. Without the Christmas parts in this movie it would be probably be just a bit Bad.

Anyway, the boy Billy gets a cool gift that is very exotic from his Dad. It’s technically a Mogwai. But when it gets water on it it will multiply and then terrorize all. The Mogwai is then a gremlin. These gremlins go out Christmas caroling. These show gets pretty heavy.
This film is actually pretty violent for a PG-rated movie aimed at kids.
Written by Chris Columbus who eventually ended up directing the first few Harry Potter movies.
quotes from movie:
Billy Peltzer: It’s the creatures!
Sheriff Frank: (kinda angry) Ah, the creatures.
Billy Peltzer: The creatures are making it look like an accident!
Warning for parents of young kids. Gremlins has some very disturbing monologue for a movie with Christmas. The character Kate describes why she hates Christmas.

Spartacus simply because it seems to be played at Christmas day every year.

LA Confidential

Eyes Wide Shut

The Godfather

Trapped in Paradise was good

Lethal Weapon
Mel and Danny Glover are just fantastic. The Christmas season is going to have some gunfights and what better place than the Christmas tree lot. Christmas decorations had to be put up early to make this film.
Quotes from Movie:
Roger Murtaugh: “Remarks like that will not get you invited to Christmas dinner.
Martin Riggs: My luck’s changing for the better every day”

Just Friends

Grumpy Old Men

Beautiful Girls

Brazil
Raided at Christmas by the police. A family’s dad is drug off for questioning.
Quotes from the Movie:
Santa Claus: “What would you like for Christmas?
Little girl on his lap: My own credit card.”

Better Off Dead

Reindeer Games is kinda ok.
Some people don’t like Affleck. Not certain why but if Bruce Willis were to have played the lead role in Reindeer Games more people would have thought it was great.
Despite flaws and some cheesiness it was ok.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Criteria for this section is any movie that is fun to watch and entertaining. That would make a great gift but is not set during the holiday season and has no christmas in the scenes anywhere.

Will be adding more…


Criteria for this section has some element hidden somewhere about Christmas time period but might not be so enjoyable for all audiences.

The Shining
The Rocky Mountains and the Overlook Hotel. Snow to bad to have visitors during the Christmas break. A simple writer given the hotel temporarily for the season and a hotel that doesn’t like visitors. Scary.
Quotes from the movie:
Stuart Ullman: “Physically, it’s not a very demanding job. The only thing that can get a bit trying up here during the winter is, uh, a tremendous sense of isolation.
Jack Torrance: Well, that just happens to be exactly what I’m looking for. I’m outlining a new writing project and, uh, five months of peace is just what I want.”

Will be adding more…

Have fun with this list and I hope you find some to enjoy! Holiday wishes to you! And if “the weather outside is frightful” and you need some of these to watch go for it and just pick up some.

What other ones can you think of?

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , ,