Holiday movies. They’re one of the best parts of the holiday season. Whether you’re into some of the classic family specials or some of the more recent adult fare, there’s always something special about sitting down with your loved ones and watching a good Christmas movie. Each of us at Geek Vibes Nation has our own favorite holiday movies. Some of them you’ve heard of. Others you might not have. So, join us as we share our favorite holiday movies.
Cassie: “Krampus“
There’s something scary about the holidays. It’s chaos. It’s scary. And it’s all-out war (go to a mall parking lot in December and tell me that’s not as scary as a haunted house walk through). The film Krampus did an amazing job of capturing that holiday season’s creeping feeling. It has everything! The opening scene captures the true spirit of the holidays, fear.
The fact Krampus had practical effects is one of the reasons why it works so well and is my go to holiday classic. The puppets alone, the iconic Gingerbread men, Krampus himself, a bloody chef’s holiday kiss. It brought my family together and created a cult classic that has been watched every year and will continue to be watched forevermore. I keep the fire warm in December and watch the legend of our faithful Krampus to remind myself that you can’t ever give up on the Christmas spirit, or else.
Devin: “Scrooge” (1970)
Since Charles Dickens released The Christmas Carol unto the world in 1834, Ebenezer Scrooge’s tale has resulted in dozens of film adaptations. Some are great, many are good, and a whole slew are utterly forgettable. Chances are if you’re reading this list you have a personal favorite, that iteration of the Dickensian fable that towers above the rest. For me, that version is the Ronald-Neame-directed and Albert-Finney-starring-musical Scrooge (1970).
From a narrative perspective, Scrooge is an eminently faithful adaptation of the original Dickens story. Ebenezer Scrooge (Finney) is a crotchety and greedy old man who hates Christmas, taking that distaste out on his impoverished employee Bob Cratchit (David Collings). On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by his three ghosts, who take him Christmases past, present, and future in an attempt to save his soul from the damnation promised as a result of his selfish lifestyle. Where Scrooge differs from past versions is that it contains over 15 original songs from virtuoso Leslie Bricusse which pair gloriously with Neame’s lush directorial senses and his team’s design work.
Every song is a banger, and like the best musicals, they each function as set-pieces as well as vital components of advancing the plot and deepening the characters. Take an opening pair as a case study: “Christmas Children” and “I Hate People.” The former is a Collings spotlight, showing him and his children preparing for their meager but loving Christmas. The latter, in addition to being highly relatable, is Finney’s first Scrooge showcase, where he parades around town collecting payments on Christmas Eve. They both overflow with heart and hilarity, and the rest of the soundtrack follows suit. In particular, “Thank You Very Much” is a cheeky earworm I promise you’ll be singing all season long.
For your own good, watch Scrooge.
Dillon: “The Polar Express“
Now, I can hear the groans even as I type this. Is The Polar Express really my favorite Christmas movie? Of course not! But, it does hold a special place in my Christmas memories. When it was released in 2004, my mom and I went to see this in a legit 3-D IMAX theater and I have never stopped hearing about it since. The movie was pretty fun, but riding the titular train with the hot chocolate pouring off the screen mere feet from your face was mind-blowing.
My mother’s greatest desire was to share this experience with all of her children and their families. It is still something she brings up most Christmas gatherings as a hope that they bring it back to IMAX some day. You often hear about parents experiencing the joy of Christmas through their children, but seeing the childlike wonder of my mom come out is something I will never forget. Make all of the jokes about Robert Zemeckis creating nightmare fuel that you want. You have Tom Hanks playing multiple characters AND an animated Steven Tyler. This is a Christmas classic in my household.
Ishmael: “In Bruges“
Martin McDonagh’s 2008 black comedy In Bruges tackles a rare Christmas theme: judgement and redemption. We’re taught as children, from promises of presents or the threatened lack thereof, that Christmas is a time to measure up the good and bad you’ve done over the year’s run and await sentencing. Naughty, or nice? In Bruges‘ leads, two Irish hitmen (Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson) fleeing a job gone terribly awry, have been disastrously naughty and are sent to the titular historical city to await their lump of coal. Surprising hilarity and aching pathos ensue. Somehow one of the cleverest scripts ever written while maintaining an average 1.18 f-words per minute, In Bruges isn’t for the whole family, but if you need a laugh or an emotional deep dive, it’s there for you.
Jessica: “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation“
I’m sure there are many families like mine in which watching Christmas Vacation is a part of their yearly holiday tradition. My family always tried to watch it on Christmas Eve. I think my earliest memory of this was when I was six years old. My brothers and I watched the animated intro of the movie repeatedly–for probably what amounted to an hour–where Santa tries desperately to escape from the Griswold’s house after delivering gifts, and then we would roll around on the floor crying with laughter. It is my most-watched movie.
To say this movie is close to perfect is an understatement for me. It aptly captures the trials and tribulations of what can often be a stressful time of year, and through Clark Griswold’s family Christmas experience, we learn that sometimes it’s better to temper expectations of both people and holiday events. The movie is endlessly quotable and full of moments that elicit full-body-shaking, tearful laughter. Even after watching this movie several times, there are still little moments of dialogue and actions of background characters to discover for the first time, and the cast is stacked. It’s the perfect movie to put on as background while the family is opening gifts or as a dedicated watch with a cup of hot chocolate. It’s festive and has a killer theme song, “Christmas Vacation,” sung by Mavis Staples. I can’t wait to watch it again this year.
Martin: “The Family Man“
With almost 60 years under my belt, I have seen A LOT of Christmas movies. The classics like Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life, musicals like Holiday Inn and White Christmas, and more modern classic like A Christmas Story, Elf, The Polar Express, and The Santa Clausesssss. So picking my favorite is a hard one. However, just to be contrary and to think outside the box, I am going to choose The Family Man, starring Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni.
Now to be fair, The Family Man is basically an adaptation of It’s a Wonderful Life. But instead of being removed from life’s equation, Jack Cambell (Nicholas Cage) is given an opportunity to see how his life might have changed had he chose marriage and family as opposed to power and money. It is a charming story and one of Kathy and my favorites for the Holidays. Besides The Polar Express, A Christmas Story, Elf, Holiday Inn…etc.
Michael C: Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town / A Year Without a Santa Claus
The Rankin/Bass Christmas specials are classics for a reason. We all watch Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer every year. But I’m not gonna talk about either of those two. Instead, I propose that the ideal Rankin/Bass double feature is Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town and The Year Without a Santa Claus. Both films represent the best of the Rankin/Bass Christmas specials. They’re the best stories and they have the best songs. Plus, I dare you to name a song from any of the specials that’s better than “Put One Foot in Front of the Other” or “The Snow/Heat Miser Song.” But what makes these two the perfect double feature is that when you watch them back to back, it feels like you’re watching one story.
I’m not sure if The Year Without a Santa Claus was intended as a sequel to Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, but it certainly plays like one. Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town explores the origins of Kris Kringle. Through Fred Astaire’s narration, we learn the history behind all of Santa’s iconic traits. How he knows if we’ve been bad or good. Where the flying Reindeer came from. And even why we decorate Christmas trees. And in The Year Without a Santa Claus, we see Santa recommit himself to Christmas as he witnesses firsthand the kindness in humanity. Combined, the two movies make for pretty solid character exploration. And aside from that, the combination of Rankin/Bass’s stunning stop-motion animation and Mickey Rooney’s iconic performance makes these movies an easy sell.
If you’ve never watched the pair as a double feature, I highly encourage you to. You’ll have a wonderfully heartwarming time.
Shawn: “A Christmas Story“
“A Christmas Story,” directed by Bob Clark, is a beloved and timeless Yuletide classic. And not just because Clark was the same guy who directed the coming-of-age tale of horny teenagers, “Porky’s.”
The tale spans the gamut of emotion, but the stage is perfectly set with the adult voice of Ralphie (played so well by Peter Billingsley). The narration supplies a whimsical ride of fun and frolics. It is the right balance of storytelling and snark, which is unlike any holiday movie ever made. Jean Shepherd—the resonant voice of Ralphie, co-writer of the film and book, and was Santa at Higbee’s—plies his craft masterfully with diction and dialogue.
Listen to the narration. Know that is a genius script. And understand this ageless film says more about Christmas than most youth group pastors at Sunday School. That is not bad considering this movie started as a series of short stories published in Playboy.
Watch it and begin to believe in the magic of the holidays. I triple-dog-dare you!
Tia: “The Nightmare Before Christmas“
Yes, it’s a Christmas movie. While I can also binge this Tim Burton classic on Halloween, there’s something super enjoyable about rediscovering the magic of Christmas through a skeleton’s eyes. I remember being a kid and sitting in my aunt’s house, rummaging through her adult son’s VHS tapes. Low and behold, I discover The Nightmare Before Christmas. Needless to say, I watched that movie so many times, I practically memorized every line. I’ll never forget the day that my aunt’s son moved out and took his movies with him…truly, a heartbreaking day.
The Nightmare Before Christmas came out in 1993 and still holds up to today. I highly doubt many people haven’t seen this movie, but if you haven’t, now is the time to do so! The movie takes place in the fictional town of Halloween Town, where Jack Skellington (a literal skeleton) is the king. Though he is a kind leader and beloved by everyone, he has since grown tired of doing the same thing every year. He yearns for more and his road to self-discovery leads him to Christmas Town, where he finds out what Christmas is. Entranced by the concept, Jack looks to transform himself into Santa Claus and his people into willing participants of his newfound obsession.
What I love most about this film, outside of the ghoulish characters and catchy tunes; is that it does really have a wonderful message that can be applied to the holiday season. Jack eventually learns that Christmas isn’t about the gifts, the lights, or the big red costume. It’s about family, loved ones, and the spirit of kindness. It’s a great lesson for Jack to learn and as much as the studios felt that the movie was too dark at the time, I actually think it’s great for kids to watch.
Please, watch this classic this Christmas!
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