What's Your Favourite Christmas Movie?

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Over time there have been more Christmas movies than you can poke a Christmas tree at. Classics that bring out the nostalgia, memories of loved ones, of a time long gone. Then there are the 'Die Hard' favourites like Love Actually, Home Alone, The Holiday and so on. And Streaming Services like Netflix, Stan and so forth are inundated with your Mills and Boons-type fluffy love stories centred around Christmas that are fun to watch and occupy a couple of hours of your day. There are also the more solid movies centred around Christmas with known actors like Last Christmas, The Knight Before Christmas, Jingle All The Way, the list goes on. We all have our favourites and you may not agree with me, but that's the joy of being an individual. Sometimes movies 'age' for me, and I just can't watch an old Christmas movie, unless it still stands the test of time. My current binge-watches (you might find them on Netflix or your own streaming service) after a busy Christmas Day, when I'm ready to put my feet up and relax, are as follows.

The Christmas Chronicles has to be one of my new favourites. It appeals to the whole family because the storyline is solid and creative, Kurt Russell is your modern-day Santa who still rocks his body, and looks great rock and rolling in his Santa suit. The children are whip-smart, argumentative like all siblings are at some point or the other, with performance skills that give the veterans a run for their money. What's that old adage? - never perform with kids and animals? In this case, everyone's strength is equally strong, making it an addictive watch. I watched it again this year, and it still hasn't lost its magic for me. Unfortunately, the sequel didn't do it for me.


Changing it up a bit, I'm going to the complete other end of the scale with Violent Night , which is not for kids with an 'R' rating, even though it has kids in it. If you're into thrillers and fast-paced films with a touch of thuggery, this one is it. One of my all-time favourite actors, David Harbour stars in this film that deals with violent mercenaries, and the wish of a young girl who firmly believes in Santa, and believes she is talking to him when she cries for help. It deals with family relationships, has a good solid story in spite of its strong 'bloody' violence, some solid performances, and even manages to stay on track to remind us we are watching a Christmas story and to believe in its magic.

Personally, I'm no fan of Will Ferrell. There I said it, and at Christmas time, you must tell the truth (or did I borrow that from Love Actually). Elf has to be the only film I can handle watching with Ferrell in it. It's sweet, it's engaging, and he's like a big innocent baby who only knows love and kindness as he sets out to find his way in this harsh world. It has all the magic that tugs at the heartstrings as Buddy travels to New York to meet his biological father, and through his innocence and belief in Christmas, manages to ignite the Christmas spirit in one and all and leave you filled with Christmas Cheer by the end of the film.


Arthur Christmas - an animation, has to be one of the most toasty warm, family-friendly Christmas films that's engaging, intelligent and heartfelt. Perhaps it has something to do with the top-notch cast that does the voices of the characters in this animation - that refuse to let you down. Big-name stars like James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton, Laura Linney, Eva Longoria, Michael Palin - goodness, this list of star power listers, goes on. A dysfunctional family movie that'll reveal its own version of how Santa manages to deliver all the presents in one night, and an unlikely hero on an urgent mission.

The charm, wit, and stellar performance of Dame Maggie Smith brings the magic to A Boy Called Christmas , an origin story of Father Christmas. A stern grand aunt to three young children who recently lost their mother, and whose father has to leave on an urgent task, she tells three disbelieving children the story of an extraordinary adventure of an ordinary boy, on a quest to discover the fabled village of Elfhelm. The children disinterested at first, come to look forward to this story within a story that tugs at the heart from both ends. And perhaps grand aunt Ruth has a few secrets under her hat.

[IMAGE1212918 Image © StudioCanal, Netflix, Canal+]
The Holiday Calendar is a magical story of a talented photographer who inherits an antique holiday advent calendar from her grandfather, that seems to have magical powers of its own and can make things happen. It's an interesting wait to see what the calendar brings each day and exactly how it's going to manifest. To each their own, but what I love about all the movies I enjoy watching for Christmas is that I think they're all simply great movies, with great performances and storylines that are engaging. It doesn't mean I don't mind sitting down with a few mindless holiday movies watched for the pure enjoyment of it all, or the old-time favourites one goes back to time and again.

In spite of all the movies on streaming services, sometimes you can't find what you want and that's the time I go back to die hard favourite actors I can watch time again like Bruce Willis (all his Die Hard Films), The Rock (San Andreas, Skyscraper), Jason Statham (The Beekeeper, The Meg), Arnold Schwarzenegger (True Lies, Twins), Tom Cruise (Jack Reacher films, Rock of Ages - where Cruise is outstanding) - and so on. Wherever you are, whatever you're doing this festive season, put your feet up, relax, and savour your Merry Little Christmas, and look forward to a Happy New Year.



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