You’ve heard of “A Christmas Story,” “Prancer” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” but some holiday movies have a tendency to slip below the radar. Here are some festive films you might not have noticed.
DIE HARD (1988)
One of the greatest action movies of all time is also adorned with festive holiday touches. John McClane (Bruce Willis) intends to reconcile with his wife, Holly (Bonnie Bedalia), at the company Christmas party. The married couples quarrel is interrupted when terrorists, led by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), invade the building, plunging McClane into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse. The Christmas holiday is present throughout the movie, featuring holiday tunes both in the soundtrack and hummed by the villains. Besides, who can forget the message, “Now I have a machine gun, HO-HO-HO,” written in blood on the chest of a dead terrorist?
GREMLINS (1984)
Christmas trees don’t usually try to kill people, but one infested with bizarre creatures nearly does in this horror-comedy. The story starts when Randall Peltzer illegally buys an adorable, Furby-ish creature called a “mogwai” from a curio shop for his son Billy as a Christmas gift. Three strange, but strict, rules accompany the purchase—don’t let it into sunlight, don’t let it get near water and never, ever, feed it after midnight. Things quickly go awry as the rules are broken and the mogwai multiplies and transforms into an army of terrifying, greenish creatures that quickly overtake the town on Christmas Eve in frightening and hilarious ways.
HOME ALONE (1990)
The highlights of this comedy include watching an 8-year-old smash, bang and outwit a duo of wonderfully inept criminals. Behind the slapstick, however, is a holiday comedy with a lot of heart to it. Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) is left behind after his family mistakenly forgets him and jets to Paris for the holiday. Initially, Kevin is thrilled at the lack of parental supervision, but when the danger of being home alone escalates, he begins to miss his family. Kevin’s mother (Catherine O’Hara) is a memorable character as she struggles to rejoin her son in a journey across oceans and countries. Memorable quote: “Keep the change, you filthy animal.”
THE THIN MAN (1934)
This classic comedic mystery is set on Christmas, when Nick Charles, a retired detective, is pulled back into the service when his friend, Clyde Wynant, vanishes. Wynant is possibly involved in the murder of his former girlfriend, Julia Wolfe, but his daughter, Dorothy, refuses to believe he did it. Slowly, Nick and his wife, Nora, piece the story together, consuming plenty of martinis as the bodies pile up. The couple’s witty and dynamic exchanges make the dialogue sharp and poignant. The identity of the killer is finally revealed during a famous dinner party scene.
A WISH FOR WINGS THAT WORK (1991)
Charlie Brown isn’t the only animated character with his own Christmas special. Opus the Penguin, a major character in Berkeley Breathed’s comic strip, “Outland,” dreams of having the ability to fly. He researches various ways, eventually purchasing a machine that should grant his wish, but changes his mind at the last minute. On Christmas Eve, he finally learns the true power of his natural penguin abilities. Memorable quotes: “Wait outside, Bill, and try not to give anyone rabies.” “Pull up. Pull UP. Don’t suck a duck into your turbines.”
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A great list! Sometimes you just get too much of the sappy sentimental Christmas fare and are longing for a little Yuletide nuttiness. I did find one other film that would definitely make it on your list and has put me in fine Christmas spirits….and I recommend it to you and all your readers.
Called “A Very Pez Nativity,” this little gem is available on Google Video. It is an absolutely hilarious, yet somehow very accurate, portrayal of the very first Christmas. It’s a short film (only about 12 minutes long). I do hope you’ll like it. You can watch it by pasting this link into your browser: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8075894292595968288
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