Holiday Movies - your favorites and why

[Dave Michuda]

One that hasn't been mentioned yet is "Elf".  Kinda stupid & predictable but I love it.

And speaking of predictable, I really like "Love Actually" for some reason.  It's not really a holiday movie, it just takes place over the holidays.  It's a romantic comedy that I normally would not like but somehow I like it.

[mgriffin]

I have a real soft spot for "Love Actually." I'm not sure quite what it is about that one. A clever script for sure, and a generally amazing cast. Bill Nighy sort of steals the show as a pervy, washed-up old rocker who lets it all hang out. Speaking of Nighy, we recently saw him in "Pirate Radio" and he was great in that, too.

[Bill Binkelman]

Yep on "A Charlie Brown Christmas," and all the old claymation stuff, too.

Harold and Maude

One of my all-time favorites! (Uh, although the Cat Stevens soundtrack makes me want to hurl...)  

I want to be just like Maude when I'm an old lady.

I think by "claymation" you mean the original Rudolph, the Red-Nose Reindeer, which is actually stop-motion (yeah, I know, geek trivia alert). And YEAH, I love Rudolph...I loves me some Yukon Cornelius and Hermie the Dentist elf!!! Not to mention the Island of Misfit Toys!

[Dave Michuda]

Mike,

I just saw Pirate Radio recently as well.  Excellent flick.  Watched while the kids were out so I could listen with audio turned up nice & loud.

[Bill Binkelman]

I have a real soft spot for "Love Actually." I'm not sure quite what it is about that one. A clever script for sure, and a generally amazing cast. Bill Nighy sort of steals the show as a pervy, washed-up old rocker who lets it all hang out. Speaking of Nighy, we recently saw him in "Pirate Radio" and he was great in that, too.

I think it has a GREAT cast and all the subplots are soooo diverse. My favorites include the one I mentioned previously, then the one about Liam Neeson's son who is starstruck with the girl in his class, and, of course, being from Milwaukee, how can I NOT love the one about the Brit who goes to Milwaukee to find some blondes who will CERTAINLY be attracted to his accent. And Hugh Grant as the prime minister - fantastic! I also like, although it's sad, the subplot about the guy who is in love with his best friend's new wife...that scene when he has the flip cards at her door is heartbreaking! All in all, for such a large ensemble cast, a lovely film.

Also, on an unrelated (to the holiday) note but still related to this film...it ALWAYS makes me sad   at the opening and closing credits when I remember how we USED to be able to meet people at their arrival gates at the airport. I MISS that!!! It's not the same meeting Kathryn at the baggage claim. Stupid TSA and all these new security arrangements (sorry for the off-topic diversion).

[lena]

I think by "claymation" you mean the original Rudolph, the Red-Nose Reindeer, which is actually stop-motion

Oh yeah, that's what I meant to say!  

Mike loves these guys:

[sraymar]

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles was good, I've seen that a few times. I'm not really a Holiday film type either, thank God there's Netflix!

[Dave Michuda]

Just talked my 15yr old, skateboarding son into watching Love Actually, and he actually liked it!

[mgriffin]

Everyone should be a fan of Love, Actually, and Bill Nighy should be a bigger star than Hugh Grant.

[Bill Binkelman]

Everyone should be a fan of Love, Actually, and Bill Nighy should be a bigger star than Hugh Grant.

I dunno, Mike. He did some SERIOUS scenery chewing in the Underworld movie series. I think he is a hoot and a half in Love, Actually, but he's been in some stinkers, too...'course, so has Hugh.

[mgriffin]

I watched the first bit of the first Underworld movie on DVD and thought it was so awful I wandered off and forgot about it. That was one of the first in that wave of movies that seemed to say "We'll make a cool looking trailer, and put together a few cool special effects, and we can release this movie with no script, and everyone will love it."  I didn't even know Bill Nighy was in it.