Mixed tape movies: It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

In the eighties it was the-thing-to-do to make a mixed tape (like an mp3 but touchable, always in need of a pencil and definitely cooler). On it you would make a little playlist of all the cool songs. Now the trick was to make each song correspond with the rest of the tape. In this post I will try to do the same with movies.

Every once in a while I will select a general topic and select movies to accompany it. As you can see the more child-friendly movies are at the start of the day, but  when night falls: ‘here be monsters’. Please feel free to give suggestions of other unknown movies.

One rule though: Auteur themes like ‘Shakespeare’ or ‘James Bond’ are not allowed. ‘Spy-movies’, naturally, are.

Theme: Christmas movies.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas. And I’m in the mood for chestnuts roating and singing carols. I don’t know; I just love the people being nice to each other. The news handing out the world’s problems halfheartedly as they really want to be home with their families. Those old’ time movies on the telly. And, above all, all those long lines of silly people in the shopping mall on Chrstimas eve.

So here I wish to take a look at my favorite Christmas movies. These are the ones I like and will watch over and over each year ‘round. :

08:00-10:00         

Mickey's Christmas Carol: The classic that is actually rather hard to find on any television channel. I don’t know why -it's on youtube at least. It’s the ultimate classic. Simply Goofy as Jacob Marley is enough to bring a smile on my face. And Donald Duck, I love Donald Duck!

10:00-12:00 

Ernest saves Christmas: Not the best Ernest movie out there but a fun one nevertheless. I absolutely adore the final gag with the Easter Bunny. At least it’s an adoring little movie with enough jokes for the family to giggle about.

12:00-14:00        

A Christmas Carol: Dancing around on a coffin, brilliant! Albert Finney is great as the vile scrooge (on par with Michael Caine in the Muppet’s version. But Caine can’t sing). This, to me, is the ultimate version. It has song, dance and a good heart.

          

14:00-16:00 

Santa Clause the movie: Not the best movie ever, I admit. But the message of love and friendship and the great portrayal of the Santa Clause legend is great. Plus it has John Litgow being the villain. That’s always awesome!

16:00-17:00         

It's a wonderful life: The ultimate classic. This movie should be repeated well into the future. Yes it’s a bit outdated nowadays. And, yes, the ending is cringe worthy in its sugarcoated-ness.  But this still remains the best Christmas-movie ever even though it includes a suicide attempt. Each time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.

17:00-19:00         

Little lord Fauntelroy: The German classic! Each year ‘ze Germans’ will broadcast this movie (and Dinner for one). It’s tradition. And why not? Little lord Fauntleroy is a sweet movie about a charming boy melting his grandfather’s cold heart. ‘Oh, them golden slippers’.

19:00-21:00

The nightmare before Christmas: Now we are slightly going into darker territory. Christmas is fun and all. But like any Christmas dinner there is only that much of polite conversation you can have with your in-laws that you can muster.

I love stop motion animation and a good song. This movie has both with some dark humor to boot.

21:00-23:00

The Ref: Now we are going dark. The Christmas-message of love and understanding remains the same but it is coated –in this movie- in some of the best hurtful one-liners ever: 

“Your husband ain’t dead! He’s hiding!”

Or

“You know what I’ll get you this Christmas? A big wooden cross. So that every time you feel unappreciated you can climb on it and nail yourself to it!”.

A burglar takes a quarrelling couple hostage. Fireworks, especially when fast-mouthed Denis Leary is present.

           

23:00-01:00         

Whisper: Into Horror we go; Around Christmastime four criminals kidnap a young boy, Alas, they soon find out that this isn’t some ordinary boy – he’s a devil. Fun for the whole family, Christmas is here!

01:00-03:00

Krampus: I love how Michael Dougherty is making movies about each of the American Holidays. Trick-r-Treat was brilliant. Krampus is almost as good. Without going into bloodshed like, for instance, Santa Slay, it tells a nice creepy story with a brilliant ending that should be repeated over and over again.

Honorable mentions: 

Home Alone: I hate the Home Alone-movies with a vengeance. The kid is a freaking psycho. And what is the Christmas message in a movie that deals with a kid torturing criminals? If this is your cup of tea I suggest you watch The agression scale.

The miracle on 34^th street: A sweet movie (all versions) but a bit too sweet for my taste. I caught these movies when I was too old to care about the Christmas spirit (puberty). So it’s out of this list.

Stealing Christmas: Fun, charming, old fashioned. Exactly how a Christmas movie should be - and therefore not quite original enough.

Rare Exports: Fun movie - but since Krampus also included the elements of awkward family gatherings and shopping stress I chose the latter. I'll definitely include Rare Exports in a list about mythological-creatures-that-aren't-monsters-per-se.

Die Hard: A Christmas movie, but –I think we can all agree- better suited in another topic.