A Cinematic Advent Calendar 2021

[CelestialAgent]

This thread got me thinking, why not have a thread focusing on Christmas films watched over the winter period?

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=343674

I’m going to keep a loose and broad definition as to what could count:

• Films about the Nativity, Christ, Christianity
• Films with lots of snow
• Films about family and giving
• TV specials
• Festive classics you’ve seen since childhood
• Films with only a scene set at Christmas

[Aclea]

Picked up this puppy in the Kino sale because it sounds Christmassy:



I know, I know.

I find my definition of Christmassy often stretches to films I first saw or were released at Christmas (Star Trek TMP, the big over decorated Christmas tree cum tin of Quality Street that is Flash Gordon, even the likes of Every Which Way But Loose and Force 10 from Navarone: it's a Christmas past thing) to chillier foreign films (the first part of The Human Condition, L'Adversaire, Le Cercle Rouge, though they're more Boxing Day onward) to not obviously seasonal but just fit the season (Christmas without Sherlock Holmes or Dickens isn't Christmas) to the Christmas panto element (Aladdin, anything with pirates).

I suspect we'll be getting some interestingly loose definitions.

[CrockettandTubbs]

I'll get the Argument Ball rolling...

Is Die Hard a Christmas film?

[Show spoiler]It is

[CrockettandTubbs]

Jingle All the Way

The only Arnie film my mum will watch!

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by Aclea

I find my definition of Christmassy often stretches to films I first saw or were released at Christmas (Star Trek TMP, the big over decorated Christmas tree cum tin of Quality Street that is Flash Gordon, een the likes of Every Which Way But Loose and Force 10 from Navarone: it's a Christmas past thing)

I think films that always play on TV over Christmas definitely have a shoe in, as do the big December blockbusters.

Something like Night of the Demon is adapted from M.R. James and didn’t he always publish his stories at Christmas, hence the later Ghost Stories for Christmas on TV?

[CelestialAgent]

As a ‘year zero’ these are some Christmas set films I watched last month



And all of these have some Christmas sequences:



These have a good amount of snow:

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

Something like Night of the Demon is adapted from M.R. James and didn’t he always publish his stories at Christmas, hence the later Ghost Stories for Christmas on TV?

He used to unveil them at Christmas to friends and students at university and the BBC carried over the tradition, first with the Ghost Story for Christmas adaptations and later with Christopher Lee recreating the readings in 2000 (infuriatingly only three of the four made it to DVD). More recently, 'Monty' James turns up in the last season of BBC Radio's John Finnemore's Souvenir Programme, telling a version of The Rose Garden at Christmas dinner in 1899.

[Guy87]

I'm starting to run out of original, interesting or new Xmas movies without falling back on old favourites.

This year so far I'm looking forward to:

Aardman's 'Robin Robin' short
Elves Netflix TV series
Black Friday (Bruce Campbell)
One December Night (BRUCE CAMPBELL!)
Rocky IV - Director's Cut (that counts right?)
A Boy Called Christmas (with the wife)
Silent Night


And the favourites will be:
Home Alone 1 & 2
Christmas Evil
Muppets Christmas Carol (hopefully the full cut will drop on D+)
Nightmare Before Christmas
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Black Christmas (1974)
Die Hard
Gremlins
Krampus
Silent Night, Deadly Night

I'd have to dig out my 25 days of Xmas watch from last year. Some interesting films in there (such as "Fatman" and "3615 code Père Noël")

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by Guy87

I'm starting to run out of original, interesting or new Xmas movies without falling back on old favourites.

This year so far I'm looking forward to:

Aardman's 'Robin Robin' short
Elves Netflix TV series
Black Friday (Bruce Campbell)
One December Night (BRUCE CAMPBELL!)
Rocky IV - Director's Cut (that counts right?)
A Boy Called Christmas (with the wife)
Silent Night


And the favourites will be:
Home Alone 1 & 2
Christmas Evil
Muppets Christmas Carol (hopefully the full cut will drop on D+)
Nightmare Before Christmas
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Black Christmas (1974)
Die Hard
Gremlins
Krampus
Silent Night, Deadly Night

Not heard of some of these like Elves and One December Night but I’m sure Campbell will make it worth it. I definitely plan to watch some of these over the season like Home Alone II, Christmas Evil, The Muppet Christmas Carol, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Silent Night Deadly Night. The German 4K release of Silent Night comes out in about ten days, so because the closest showing to me is in Cambridge in a graveyard slot and I don’t really do VOD, I’ll be giving it an import and hoping its good. A Boy Called Christmas sounds like it could be fun. I’m glad Scream Factory are coming out with Krampus on 4K with a different cut.

I should definitely rewatch Miracle and Black Christmas sometime.

[BigNickUK]

[fatboyslim142]

I recommend the following, in NO particular order, for an alternate Christmas list:

Brazil (1985)
Calvaire (2004)
The Passions of Carol (1975)
Inside (2007)
3615 code Père Noël (1989)
Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983)
Black Christmas (1974)
Christmas Evil (1980)
Don't Open till Christmas (1984)
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972)
The Legend of Hell House (1973)
Die Hard (1988)
Die Hard 2 (1990)
Night Train Murders (1975)
The Day of the Beast (1995)
Sint (2010)
Christmas Cruelty! (2013)
Babes in Toyland (1934)
Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (1983)
Comfort and Joy (1984)
Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

[RossyG]

https://www.secondrundvd.com/release_cinderella.html

Restored in 4K… but only available on DVD here. One deserving an upgrade next Christmas, Second Run.

[derek_1999]

My 'always viewed' at Christmas movies are:

Scrooge (1951) Alastair Sim version - just love this one - watched it every year since I was a youngster - it wouldn't be Xmas without it! Recently picked up the German Blu-Ray to watch this year.
Rare Exports (2010) - a relative new addition to my list (2012 was the first time I saw it).
Trading Places (1983) - another great movie with a moderate Xmas backdrop, makes me laugh every time I see it.
Scrooged (1988) - Bill Murray and Xmas, what more do you need?
Carry on Screaming (1966) - one of my all time top 5 movies... but, for some reason I always end up watching it at Xmas (although it's not a Yuletide theme), probably due to the fact it was (and still is) a staple of movie schedules on the TV over any holiday period

[alexrinse]

Blast of Silence
Hugo

[HotRats]

Deathcember
Better Watch Out
Letters To Satan Claus
Christmas With The Dead

[Aclea]

My lengthy but by no means definitive predominantly 'alternate' Christmas list:

DVD only

[Show spoiler]L’ADVERSAIRE
L’AUBERGE ROUGE (1951, aka THE RED INN)
BACHELOR MOTHER
BEAR ISLAND
BEAUTIFUL GIRLS
THE BLUE LIGHT
THE BOHEMIAN GIRL
LA BONNE ANNÉE
DERSU UZALA
FIVE DAYS ONE SUMMER
FLUKE
INTIMIDATION
THE IRON MASK - Fairbanks
THE ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD
LADY IN THE LAKE
MADEMOISELLE FIFI
NEVER CRY WOLF
ON BORROWED TIME
S.O.S. ICEBERG
STORM OVER MONT BLANC
THE SURVIVORS
THREE WISHES FOR CINDERELLA
THE TRAIL OF ‘98
WE’RE NO ANGELS (1955)
THE WHITE DAWN
THE WHITE HELL OF PITZ PALU (Silent version)
YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES

Blu-Ray

[Show spoiler]THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN
THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD
AIRPORT
THE AMERICAN FRIEND
L’ASSASSINAT DU PÈRE NOËL
BATTLE OF THE BULGE
BATTLEGROUND
LA BEAUTÉ DU DIABLE (aka THE BEAUTY OF THE DEVIL)
BILLION DOLLAR BRAIN
LE BOSSU (1997, aka ON GUARD)
BRAM STOKER’S DRACULA
BREAKHEART PASS
THE BRIDES OF DRACULA
CASH ON DEMAND
LE CERCLE ROUGE
COLD PURSUIT
COMFORT AND JOY
COUNTERPOINT
THE CRIMSON RIVERS
CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE
DAY OF THE OUTLAW
DEAD OF WINTER
THE DEAD ZONE
DEATH HUNT
DOWNHILL RACER
DRACULA (1958)
DREAM HOUSE (2011)
THE EDGE (1997)
THE EIGER SANCTION
80,000 SUSPECTS
EVEREST (2015)
THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ADELE BLANC-SEC
FAHRENHEIT 451
THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
FALLEN
THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS (aka DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES)
LA FEMME DE MON POTE (aka MY BEST FRIEND’S GIRL)
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
FLASH GORDON
THE FORTUNE COOKIE - just feels like the perfect Boxing Day late night movie for me
THE FOURTH WAR – not good, but I’ll give it a second chance
THE FRENCH CONECTION
GORKY PARK
LE GRAND RESTAURANT
THE GREAT ESCAPE – hey, it’s tradition
THE GREAT SILENCE
THE GREATEST SHOWMAN
THE GREEN KNIGHT
GREMLINS
THE GREY
GRUMPY OLD MEN
THE HATEFUL EIGHT
THE HAUNTING (1963)
THE HEROES OF TELEMARK
THE HOLLY AND THE IVY
THE HOLY MOUNTAIN (1926, aka DER HEILIGE BERG)
HORROR EXPRESS
THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
THE HUDSUCKER PROXY
HUGO
ICE STATION ZEBRA
ICEMAN (1984)
IN ORDER OF DISAPPEARANCE
THE INNOCENTS
THE INVISIBLE MAN
THE JUNGLE BOOK
KRAMPUS
KRULL – it has that Christmas panto vibe
KWAIDAN
L.A. CONFIDENTIAL
THE LAST HUNT
THE LAST VALLEY
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA
LEGEND
THE LEMON DROP KID (1951)
THE LION IN WINTER (1968)
LONE WOLF AND CUB – WHITE HEAVEN IN HELL
LOST HORIZON
LOVE AND DEATH
LUDWIG
MAN IN THE WILDERNESS
MARCH OF THE WOODEN SOLDIERS (aka LAUREL AND HARDY IN TOYLAND)
A MIDNIGHT CLEAR
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS
THE NAME OF THE ROSE
NAPOLEON (1927)
A NEW LEAF
A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
NIGHTMARE (1964)
1941
NORTH FACE (aka NORDWAND)
NORTH TO ALASKA
NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE
THE ODD COUPLE
ODD MAN OUT
THE ODESSA FILE
OLIVER!
ON DANGEROUS GROUND
ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE – and any Bond film, but most of all this
101 DALMATIANS
ORCA: The Killer Whale
PATTON
PEAU D’ÂNE
LE PÈRE NOËL EST UNE ORDURE
THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES
RANSOM (aka THE TERRORISTS)
RARE EXPORTS: A Christmas Tale
THE REVENANT (2015)
ROBIN AND THE 7 HOODS
ROYAL FLASH
THE RUSSIA HOUSE
THE SAVAGE INNOCENTS
THE SCARLET EMPRESS
SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS
SHAZAM!
THE SHINING
SHOOT THE PIANIST (aka TIREZ SUR LE PIANISTE aka SHOOT THE PIANO PLAYER)
THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER
LE SILENCE DE LA MER
THE SILENT PARTNER (1978)
SNOWPIERCER
SOME LIKE IT HOT
SONG OF NORWAY
STORM FEAR
SUSAN SLEPT HERE
THE SWEET HEREAFTER
THE TAKING OF TIGER MOUNTAIN
THE TALL MEN
THE THIN MAN
THE THING FROM ANOTHER WORLD
THE THING
THOSE DARING YOUNG MEN IN THEIR JAUNTY JALOPIES (aka MONTE CARLO OR BUST)
THE TIGER: An Old Hunter’s Tale
THE TIME MACHINE (1960)
TOKYO DRIFTER
TRADING PLACES
WAR AND PEACE
WHERE EAGLES DARE
THE WHITE BUFFALO
WHITE FANG (2018)
WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

TV

[Show spoiler]THE TERROR
THE BOX OF DELIGHTS
CARRY ON CHRISTMAS
GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT
GHOST STORIES FOR CHRISTMAS
THE LAST PLACE ON EARTH
MR. CORBETT’S GHOST
MURDER ROOMS: The Dark Beginnings of Sherlock Holmes (aka DR BELL AND MR DOYLE)
SHADOWLANDS
WAR AND PEACE

.

[daycity]

Originally Posted by Aclea

[Show spoiler]THE BOX OF DELIGHTS

[FantasticMrFox]

Both very cozy around this time of the year:

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by alexrinse

Blast of Silence
Hugo

Blast of Silence has a wonderful sense of atmosphere, with the winter streets of New York. I watched Hugo at the beginning of the year but I don’t remember a Christmas element.

Though there’s always The Christmas Dream by Méliès.

https://vimeo.com/306036285

[daycity]

There's many versions of A Christmas Carol; but the one I always go back to is the George C. Scott one.