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??

don't like Love Actually or Polar Express.

Die Hard is a Christmas film

Trading places is our Christmas family favourite.

I love scrooged.

The Holiday is awful but I still like

After seeing Gremlins for the first time in years, I decided it's not a kid films. Not sure how we weren't all disturbed by it as children.
DH read the book as child and he said it was darker than the film and freaked him out.

Sorry for your loss OP

"Get Santa" is brilliant but hardly ever gets a mention. It's my kids second favourite with Home Alone being their first.

Gremlins is my favourite Christmas movie. Just love it

Isn’t “About a boy” a semi Christmas film? I remember HG lives off the royalties to a tacky XMas song and plays at a school concert to save young Nicholas from dying of embarrassment to make his mum happy. That’s the film we’re watching tonight if I can find it.

@Sgtmajormummy

Isn’t “About a boy” a semi Christmas film? I remember HG lives off the royalties to a tacky XMas song and plays at a school concert to save young Nicholas from dying of embarrassment to make his mum happy. That’s the film we’re watching tonight if I can find it.

Yes, it is! Great film and Hugh Grant is wonderful as Will. I love that film and I'm not a HG fan normally. Has a Christmas feel.

Sorry OP

The Bee Movie was on tv on Christmas Day two years in a row before last year. It became an odd Christmas film tradition for us and I love it!

Most Christmas films are a bit shit and I think once you’ve seen elf once the funny bits are expected and less funny.

I’ll take Casablanca every year though.

We're watching die hard tonight. I will probably fall asleep though.

Agree pp about Jim Carey. I do like Bruce almighty though and (I haven't seen it in years) I remember liking the truman show, although I then spend weeks looking for patterns and cameras....

Santa Clause the Movie from the 80s is massively underappreciated, even with blatant coke cola product placement, its amazing.

Also the 90s Father Christmas animation is superb.

The Holiday is a pretty film but I have no idea how all those relationships are going to survive once the film ends

Christmas with the kranks is right up in my top 3. I can watch it over and over

Hate love actually.

Not too keen on elf BUT the animated musical version is brilliant. Buddy's musical Christmas. Its our Xmas eve film.

Polar express is weird. Dd has never read the book or seen the film with its rubbish animation. My DSis keeps trying to book us on a santa train thingy based on it. Covid fortunately stopped it this year as I am running out of excuses.

We have been watching the Santa clause films yes I know sponsored by cola etc etc but they are great.

The Lion in Winter is a brilliant Xmas film. I know it is. Henry knows I know. I know Henry knows I know. We're a knowledgeable family! {If you've not seen the film you won't get that.}

We love The Polar Express here. It is strange but quite magical.
The Grinch is also on of our classics but the original short animation. It’s not been bettered.
I love A Wonderful Life and am going to try my teenagers with it tomorrow. I’m not sure how it will go down.

one of our classics

Agree the Muppet Christmas Carol is by far the best Xmas film, but only the version with the missing song (otherwise the cut to the sobbing rat makes no sense) and I'm glad they found it again as my old VHS copy is no more.

Can I throw Bad Moms Christmas in there. OK you need to be a bit drunk, and it's not a great film but I still love it. It's a bit like how I love nice stationery but I have a secret love for orange barrelled Bics and cheap The Works notebooks. And I love bean-cup coffee yet still also love Kenco instant.

@elfycat
That song (When Love Has Gone?) on the video traumatized DC1 and we usually fast forwarded through it. I think it plays on the kids’ fears that their parents might divorce.
Our favourite song is “There goes Mr Humbug”.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles is a Christmas film for us.

Those aren’t pillows!

Polar Express is the worse Christmas film ever. It feels so menacing, the animation is disturbing, and it’s far too long.
The whole thing is depressing.

Die Hard is very much a Christmas film... It's about being with your family at Christmas and redemption, reunions.

The animation on Polar Express is weird as can be. I have never understood the love for that film. Gives me the creeps.

@Countarthursgroupie

Well I'm donning my tin helmet for this, but "It's a Wonderful Life" - only people with friends deserve happiness? Sod off Clarence!

This^

Nightmare Before Christmas is definitely a Christmas movie.
Muppets Christmas Carol is the best Christmas movie but Patrick Stewarts version runs it a pretty close second (I would never have thought I'd prefer a frog to Patrick Stewart - just goes to show).

So sorry for your loss

Elf is completely overrated.
Arthur Christmas is one of the best Christmas films out there, only pipped to the post IMO by the Santa clause, love that one

My very favourite Christmas movie is a TV movie from 1999, has S Club 7 and Dr Who

@TrashPanda that sounds awful, I must watch it!!!

We love Arthur Christmas and Paddington 1 & 2 (the 2nd film seemed better), plus Charlie & Lolas Christmas how many sleeps - the scene with the Elves chanting “present, wrap, sticky tape, bow” becomes an ear worm in my head