You ever think about It's a Wonderful Life being mirror image of A Christmas Carol? In one, time traveling angels convince greedy man to change himself in order to alter the future, in the other time traveling angels convince unselfish man to accept himself in order to NOT alter the future.
I thought it was intended?
Ask not what bears can do for you, but what you can do for bears. (razz)
When one is in agreement with bears one is always correct. (mae)
bears are back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I always did see IaWL as a nice, christmas fable for cinema. Funny how both stories contain early examples of classic science fiction staples (time travel and parallel universes) and yet work entirely because they don't bother exploring how either works, the story's not about those ideas. They're used as a part of the story to explore and to push the characters, which is how I like my scifi: less something about ideas and more about people.
Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends.
You are a walking talking Doctor Who encyclopedia to me. - Melike
I love allegory. And I also love social themes, which both of these have in spades. (Although a major one in both cases is responsibility of the individual, so it goes together with stories about people, anyway.) Sorry if I inadvertently sounded dismissive -- nothing wrong with that, I was just thinking that it could make for an interesting discussion.
Bumping an old thread here I know but I see a few people here talking about movies like Gremlins and Die Hard as Christmas movies.
I've been having this discussion with others and there are a handful of movies that people like to qualify as "Christmas" movies simply because they take place on or near the holiday. To me there's a fine line between an actual Christmas movie, which would be a movie that's actually about the holiday itself and a movie that just so happens to take place on Christmas but has nothing to do with the actual holiday.
Christmas movies are things like A Christmas Story, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, The Santa Clause, Elf, The Grinch who Stole Christmas, Krampus, etc...
Movies that aren't actual Christmas movies even though people try to be clever and include them in their lists every year are things like Die Hard, Gremlins, Rocky 4, Trading Places, The Ref, Lethal Weapon, The Shining, etc...
Am I alone in this?
Hearts are tough, she said, most times hearts don't break, and I'm sure that's right . . . but what about then? What about who we were then? What about hearts in Atlantis?
I've gotta say, Arthur Christmas has become one of my top 5 Christmas movies. I've watched it quite a few times this year.
I'll go to my grave arguing that Die Hard is a Christmas movie. The same for Gremlins. Sure, if you use your criteria, then it's not, but in my book it is.
In Gremlins, Gizmo is literally a fucking Christmas present.
Die Hard takes place at a Christmas party. There's Christmas music all over the place. Christmas references, "Ho, Ho, Ho, now I have a machine gun." I don't know why so many people get so bent out of shape when people consider films like this Christmas films. It's not diminishing other Christmas films like Christmas Vacation and Christmas Story.
It's like if I were to say It's a Wonderful Life isn't a Christmas movie because much of the film doesn't take place at Christmas.
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There are a lot of movies that could be considered Christmas movies if you use the simple criteria that some part of the story takes place around Christmas.
Just a few off the top of my head: Psycho, The Shining, The Family Man, Toy Story, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Edward Scissorhands, Trading Places, Batman Returns. I'm sure there are more that I haven't seen or am forgetting.
I just like to keep my list simple. Is the main plot of the movie about Christmas? If yes, then it's a Christmas movie. If it's about something that just happens to take place on Christmas, it's not a Christmas movie.
Hearts are tough, she said, most times hearts don't break, and I'm sure that's right . . . but what about then? What about who we were then? What about hearts in Atlantis?
It's a Wonderful Life barely takes place on Christmas. Actually just the end scene. I think it's more the message and feel goodness of it that always gets it classified as a Christmas movie. Personally would I classify it as a Christmas movie? Probably not? But I do like to watch it at this time of year.
Only the gentle are ever really strong.
I know what you mean. Die Hard is an action film first and foremost, but for me it belongs in the sub-genre of Christmas movie. Some of those films you listed don't have as much Christmas things going on in them as Die Hard does.
I will be the first to admit that I don't watch Die Hard during Christmas time because it's a Christmas movie and it gets me in the mood. I do that with many other films, but I still consider it a Christmas movie.
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Currently, going through a list of films and TV shows set mostly around Christmas, but are either horrific or just fucking depressing to watch. "The Bleak Midwinter", I call it. I've watched Black Christmas already, also planning to watch:
The Children (2008 )
Filth
Rare Exports (this one I haven't actually watched yet, so I'm keen to check it out)
Blackadder's Christmas Carol (an essential watch at this time of year)
I'm going to do a review of each one after I've watched it, so if anyone can think of any other depressing or dark Christmas movies for me to watch, let me know and I'll try and find it.
Never be cruel and never be cowardly. And if you ever are, always make amends.
You are a walking talking Doctor Who encyclopedia to me. - Melike
Please watch the unrated version of a french horror film called Inside. It takes place on Christmas eve and I will say no more about that one!
Think my alltime fav. Christmas movie is:
3 hazelnuts for cinderella
It´s an old 1973 ČSSR/DDR movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICRqekAqhTw
My Stephen King collection
http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/...on-Stockerlone
Non-King collection
http://www.thedarktower.org/palaver/...rlone-Non-King