Favorite Christmas/Holiday special
- Thread starter Vanyel
- Start date
Children's special: The only one that I make a point of catching every year as an adult is A Charlie Brown Christmas. It was appointment viewing as a kid, but I don't think that I fully appreciated it until adulthood.
Movie: Take a look around and make a wild guess. It's a Christmas Eve tradition for me.
Movie: Take a look around and make a wild guess. It's a Christmas Eve tradition for me.
Too many to choose.
For me, the ones that always got me excited for christmas were: A Garfield Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph, Grinch, Mickey Mouse Xmas Carol, Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story.
For me, the ones that always got me excited for christmas were: A Garfield Christmas, Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph, Grinch, Mickey Mouse Xmas Carol, Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story.
The one I always make sure to watch is The Avengers episode Too Many Christmas Trees, machine gun toting evil Santa ftw.
I'll usually make time for the first Jonathan Creek special as well.
As for movies, Scrouged of course.
I'll usually make time for the first Jonathan Creek special as well.
As for movies, Scrouged of course.
1. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
3. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
4. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
5. Scrooge (Albert Finney, 1970)
6. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
7. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
8. A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott, 1984)
9. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (MST3k version, 1991; original film 1964)
10. Frosty the Snowman (1969)
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
3. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
4. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1977)
5. Scrooge (Albert Finney, 1970)
6. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
7. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
8. A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott, 1984)
9. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (MST3k version, 1991; original film 1964)
10. Frosty the Snowman (1969)
This year I'm planning to start the film at 9:07 p.m. so that the scene where George thinks of taking his life actually happens at 10:45.... 
LOL! I just watched Part 2 last Friday 20/12!
I am currently going through the ENTIRE series of EIE now that the DVDs have been released and watch an episode every Friday - I actually planned to start watching so the schedule would have me watching the Christmas episodes this very time of the year.
As for the episode - I'd have thrown that old bastard in jail so quickly his Depends would have been spinning on him!!!
Hard choice. Right now I'm watching the 1969 "Frosty The Snowman" on CBC's SD feed (which, oddly enough is being broadcast in 1.78:1, and I don't mean it's a 1.37:1 image with side pillar boxes---it's definitely the HD scan that was done for the Blu-Ray a few years ago, but some scenes look cropped, while others appear to be interpreted, and look stretched, to the 1.78:1 aspect; also the funny scene with the police man and Frosty has been edited out---it fades out as though going to commercial, but comes back extremely quickly with everyone entering the train station, and then just as Frosty and the kids start to enter the train, it fades to commercial---Professor Hinckle's line about "No more trick cards" and everything has also been edited out, so that scene sort of makes no sense anymore, since it jumps right to a Santa saying "No more anything". I'm also wondering if it is an approved conversion by Classic or if CBC did the conversion themselves, since about half-way through the show, at the top of the image, and running to the end, a couple of video lines went haywire, something that appears in the overscan area on tapes, and the image "bobbed" up and down a few times (it didn't completely flip, but it did bob from tracking). But then again, just last night I caught a re-broadcast of the 64 Rudolph on YTV, and considering just how dirty and washed-out the picture was, I think YTV was using an U-Matic or Betacam SP tape from the early 90's or earlier.
Of course I just saw this year the 1974 Perry Como Christmas Special with the Carpenters that's going to be a yearly tradition from now on. Not to mention Rita MacNeil's 2000 Christmas special; it hasn't been aired for a few years, but I did record it one Christmas.
ALF's Christmas Special is also nice, along with Alf's Season 1 Christmas episode "O Tannenbaum".
Of course I just saw this year the 1974 Perry Como Christmas Special with the Carpenters that's going to be a yearly tradition from now on. Not to mention Rita MacNeil's 2000 Christmas special; it hasn't been aired for a few years, but I did record it one Christmas.
ALF's Christmas Special is also nice, along with Alf's Season 1 Christmas episode "O Tannenbaum".
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Patrick Stewart's Scrooge would be my favourite along with Alastair Sim. I have Patrick Stewart's Audio book version and I will be listening to that very very soon.
A Christmas Story
Christmas Vacation
Home Alone 1 and 2
Christmas Vacation
Home Alone 1 and 2
I assume you mean the 1970 film musical with Albert Finney and Alec Guinness, right? If so, very good choice. A childhood tradition of mine and contains one of the best songs of any musical ever made ("Thank You Very Much").
It's hard to choose because I have a collection that I like to watch every year spread out over the season.
I think my favourite is actually a more recent (2007) Finnish film called Christmas Story. I actually came across this being reccomended by someone right here on the TBBS and decided to check it out. I love this film and a big part of its appeal is because it's lowkey and not so over-the-top like the vast majority of Hollywood holiday works.
But other favourites are must watches over the season, in no particular order:
Miracle On 34th Street (1947) - best Santa on film after Christmas Story, IMO.
A Christmas Carol (1953) - Alistair Sims rocks.
It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - not that much of a Christmas story until the end, but this story hits all the right buttons.
Remember The Night (1940) - I found this nugget on late night TV decades ago and it became a favourite.
The Homecoming (1971) - the made-for-TV movie that inspired The Waltons. Love the film, the series not so much.
The Man Who Saved Christmas (2002) - I love the period setting and the story.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - better than the vast majority of over-the-top Hollywood fare.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) - can't beat this original.
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1964) - fun music and characters.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1970) - fun like the earlier Rudolph.
Frosty The Snowman (1969)
I think my favourite is actually a more recent (2007) Finnish film called Christmas Story. I actually came across this being reccomended by someone right here on the TBBS and decided to check it out. I love this film and a big part of its appeal is because it's lowkey and not so over-the-top like the vast majority of Hollywood holiday works.
But other favourites are must watches over the season, in no particular order:
Miracle On 34th Street (1947) - best Santa on film after Christmas Story, IMO.
A Christmas Carol (1953) - Alistair Sims rocks.
It's A Wonderful Life (1946) - not that much of a Christmas story until the end, but this story hits all the right buttons.
Remember The Night (1940) - I found this nugget on late night TV decades ago and it became a favourite.
The Homecoming (1971) - the made-for-TV movie that inspired The Waltons. Love the film, the series not so much.
The Man Who Saved Christmas (2002) - I love the period setting and the story.
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) - better than the vast majority of over-the-top Hollywood fare.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) - can't beat this original.
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1964) - fun music and characters.
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1970) - fun like the earlier Rudolph.
Frosty The Snowman (1969)
Y'know, we just re-watched the Rankin/Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer...
...and Santa really comes off as a douche in the early part! I mean, okay the reindeer are mean to Rudolph (even his parents...yuck) but c'mon. Santa Claus??
Not leaving any cookies out for that fat bastard again.
...and Santa really comes off as a douche in the early part! I mean, okay the reindeer are mean to Rudolph (even his parents...yuck) but c'mon. Santa Claus??
Not leaving any cookies out for that fat bastard again.
Well, technically the entire movie takes place on Christmas Eve...an association that's been strengthened by its being broadcast on Christmas Eve for so many years. (Ah, for the days when it was in the public domain and you could flip around cable to find overlapping airings on at least three channels....)
Merry Christmas, all!
We're on the third leg of a Christmas film marathon: The Lion in Winter, Die Hard and Eastern Promises. Unfortunately we don't have The Ice Harvest or my #1 choice for best Christmas movie, Bad Santa. Now that's the kind of holiday movie I can relate to.
For traditional Christmas specials, the Karloff Grinch wins hands down.
Oh, and Merry Christmas to the Board!
For traditional Christmas specials, the Karloff Grinch wins hands down.
Oh, and Merry Christmas to the Board!
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I've long thought the same thing. I find that quite a weak part of the story.
I forgot one that I cherished as a kid: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974), the cartoon about the clockmaker and the talking mice who build the clock that would chime loudly and signal Santa to come to their town. Joel Grey narrated, and the show had one of the best and most memorable songs I've ever heard in an animated special ("Even a Miracle Needs a Hand").
