Xmas films: controversial opinions (please help to distract me)

[Thack]

I need distracting. My mum died a few days ago. I'm expecting her first grandbaby and am heartbroken beyond words. I've got a great support network but right now I'm fed up with the sound of my own thoughts. I don't need sympathy & I'm not looking to talk about it here, but I do need help to rest my brain for a bit.

So, as a release, I ask:what are your controversial Xmas film thoughts?

Is die hard an Xmas film? I think yes.
I also love Hook and Groundhog day around Xmas.

I don't like Elf. Will Ferrel- hmmmm, not a fan.
I didn't see Gremlins until I was a teen, so have never thought of it as a Christmas film. I've only seen it a few times so maybe I've forgotten that it has Christmassy bits??

Yes to Arthur Christmas being amazing and underrated. I only watched it for the first time a couple of years ago but it's now essential Christmas viewing in our house. It's so quintessentially British. Love it.

Also agree that muppets Christmas carol is the best version of the classic, although also love scrooged with bill murray.

The Snowman is terrible. It should be banned.

I keep putting off watching Polar Express because the animation looks weird.

Love actually is the weirdest film some of it gives me the actual creeps well most of it, the woman opening her legs for Alan Rickman urgh

I don't think it's a wonderful life is uplifting or heart warming it's bloody depressing. Die hard is definitely a Christmas film though.

I am so very sorry about your mum

Sending love to you OP, sorry you’re having a tough time.
We have a new favourite classic Christmas film in this house - Noelle. It’s on Disney + and stars Anna Kendrick and my DC love it !
We also rate both Christmas Chronicles films on Netflix.
My ultimate is Muppets Christmas Carol and I make them watch it every Christmas Eve.
I also dislike Love, Actually and the Polar Express!

Don't watch polar express the animation is so weird.

I saw a clip which made me really giggle, and so have saved the film to watch today with the family - Deck the Halls.

My controversial opinion is that I absolutely hate Home Alone which turns up on every list of must-see Christmas films - abandoned small child does increasingly horrible things to scary men. No thanks!

Arthur Christmas is lovely - funny, sweet and actually quite 'deep' at times. Though my controversial opinion about this one is that I'd like to wrap the wrapping elf (Bryony) weight her down, hurl her out of the sleigh and dust off my hands

I'm glad to find other people who dislike the Polar Express. DS aged 4 and I really disliked it, I think he was unnerved by the animation and by the weird conductor guy who was nice one minute and nasty the next - we turned it off!

We’ve watched Noelle twice already, really enjoyed it. Arthur Christmas is our Christmas Eve film, we’ve watched it every Christmas Eve for about 8 years even though dc aren’t small now they still insist we watch it.

I've never got past the first 20 minutes of Elf without losing interest and switching it off. I don't like Love Actually and the animation in Polar Express gives me the creeps!!

I love Nativity and watch it every year to remind me why I chose to be a primary school teacher. I cry every time the head makes the speech about how wrong it is that people expect so little from the children and how each child is a pocket of stardust.
I'll also happily watch any version of a Christmas Carol.

Yes to Vicar of Dibley for the TV offerings!! Doctor, Doctor, I think I have a mince pie stuck up my bottom...
I downloaded the new one last night, will watch when I'm not too fragile (I'm sure they will address Emma Chambers death nicely).

Like or loathe The Snowman, have you seen the Irn Bru advert? My fave Xmas advert for sure. I can't hear the original any more:

@Luckingfovely

I saw a clip which made me really giggle, and so have saved the film to watch today with the family - Deck the Halls.

This was so all-American, it was like a Norman Rockwell painting. It’s more about American masculinity, marriage and male rivalry than Christmas, but it’s all played out over a feud over Christmas lights between prim neighbour Matthew Broderick and brash neighbour Danny de Vito, and is quite fun.

I don't like Home alone either I'm always scared to say it out loud .

I also hate the Polar Express and it's animation.
Can't stand it.
Home alone leaves me cold

Sorry for your loss op.
Take care.

Did Friends ever have a decent Xmas episode? I haven't watched it in years but don't recall there being a good one. I remember the turkey one but I guess that was thanksgiving? Was the trifle gone wrong Xmas?

Home alone turned many children into entitled brats I'm sure.
He wasn't that clever the others were stupid to be thwarted by a small boy!

Bad Santa. Billy Bob Thornton as an alcoholic store-robbing Santa is easily the best Christmas movie. Screwing the woman turned on by Santa in the ladies changing room always makes me laugh. “You aint gonna shit right for a week.” 😂

The best Christmas film by a golden mile is National Lampoon - nothing else comes close. In this house we know every word, and watching that is the official start of Christmas.

I love the first Nativity, it makes me all teary - just so funny and the kids in that one were brilliant. The second one was pretty good too. I just watched Dude where's my donkeys for the first time - what a disappointment. It had a great cast but the magic just isn't there any more. And some of those kids must be at least Year 9 secondary school pupils. The joy of the first Nativity was how natural the kids in it were - that was missing in the Donkey one - though some of the kids really were good.

I love The Sound of Music but my dh will whinge all the way through it so need to schedule that for a time when he is busy.

Deck the Halls and Jingle All the Way are both brilliantly shite

Love Actually is a lovely film.
Elf is stupid and mainly unfunny

Nativity is the best Christmas film ever

Fred Claus is the best Christmas film ever! I seem to be the only person in the world that thinks this though.

I also love the made for TV crap Christmas films that are so predictable, you could write the script yourself. I watched A Christmas Prince on Netflix yesterday which was gloriously shite!

My child likes Polar Express but it's just too dark for s Christmas film for me. I don't get it. Christmas films should be like the Santa Claus movies. That's just so dark

Nightmare before Christmas is a Halloween film

That Deck The Halls is a top tier Xmas film,we love it.

So sorry for your loss x

toomucheyeliner came to post the same!
Have never seen Home Alone, hated Polar Express - uncanny valley thing.
Watched Gremlins, Nativity 1&2 this week, going to watch Noelle and Klaus based on this thread.
DH let dd12 watch Krampus last year so we had to watch it the other night even though its a 15 and she isnt.

DH has Christmas Carol on every year (the Patrick Stewart version)

Also Christmas Visitor, the bishops wife. We like Christmas movies