A.J.'s Top 20 Christmas Favorites #1: Miracle on 34th Street (1947) The perfect American Christmas tale. Edmund Gwenn is a man who claims to be the one and only Santa Claus. Brilliant comedic acting by a superb cast, and a great script. Skip the remake and discover the charm of the original in glorious black & white! #2: The Lemon Drop Kid (1951) Based on the Damon Runyon story, this sidesplitting holiday comedy is about a con-man, played by Bob Hope, who must come up with a fortune in cash by Christmas Eve. TRIVIA: This is also the movie that introduced the holiday standard "Silver Bells". #3: A Christmas Story (1983) Taking place in the late 1940's, this is a great holiday family comedy about a kid's quest to receive the ultimate Christmas present; an official Red Ryder air rifle. Trouble is, everyone, including Santa himself, just keeps telling him, "You'll shoot your eye out!". Based on a story from the book "In God We Trust; All Others Pay Cash". #4: A Christmas Carol (1984) A simply fantastic made-for-television holiday treat. George C. Scott is perfect as the Christmas-challenged Mr. Scrooge and the production is first rate. This is arguably the best filmed telling of the Dickens classic... ever! #5: Elf (2003) Will Ferrell plays Buddy, one of Santa's most unlikely helpers. After discovering his less-than-elfin roots, he embarks on a quest to reunite with his real father. Can a 6'3" elf make it in the Big Apple? Find out in this soon-to-be Christmas comedy classic! #6: It's A Wonderful Life (1946) Despite its over-exposure every year, I still never tire of this Frank Capra classic. Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey, who gets to see how the world would have turned out without him. #7: Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) The legendary Chuck Jones directed this cartoon about the mean Grinch and all the Whos down in Whoville. There's also a big-budget version around, the way I hear it, but this one's got more than three times the Christmas Spirit! #8: A Christmas Carol (1951) The classic Dickens fable, about a man who needs to be reminded that Christmas is a time of good will, gets a solid telling. Alastair Sim stars as the yuletide-impaired Mr. Scrooge. #9: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) Absolutely the best of the Vacation movies. Chevy Chase and the whole Griswold clan celebrate Christmas together. Sound perfect? Wrong. #10: Scrooged (1994) Bill Murray stars as a television network mogul in this twisted update of A Christmas Carol. A stellar supporting cast and great special effects highlight this comedy frightfest. #11: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1988) Only Tim Burton could conceive of this bizarre cross between Halloween and Christmas. Excellent stop-motion animation and a truly original story make it a great holiday treat. Pair it with Burton's Edward Scissorhands for an excellent creepy Christmas double-feature! #12: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) The classic CBS television presentation, in which each of the Peanuts gang have their own ideas about the true meaning of Christmas. #13: The Bishop's Wife (1947) An angel is summoned to help a bishop and his family fund a new church in this wonderful holiday comedy. Great performances by Cary Grant, David Niven, and Loretta Young. #14: White Christmas (1954) A fun variation of Holiday Inn (where the song "White Christmas'" was first used) is your basic "Let's put on a show!" musical with a Christmas twist. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney star along with many other talented performers from when Hollywood musicals ruled the box-office. Holiday Inn (1942) is actually a better movie, but Christmas plays a much smaller part in that film. #15: Home Alone (1990) A family leaves its youngest son behind when they travel to relatives for Christmas. Gee, that sounds sad, doesn't it? Don't worry, because that kid has plenty of fun foiling the plans of two bungling burglers in this crazy Christmas comedy. TRIVIA: Until THE GRINCH hit theatres, this movie was the highest grossing holiday film of all time! #16: The Santa Clause (1994) This comedy is about how the whole 'Santa' job actually works. Well written, with a surprisingly subtle performance by Tim Allen as the poor guy who gets handed the yuletide torch. #17: Love Actually (2003) Not a love story actually, but a story of love in all its forms. This heartfelt, heartwarming comedy features Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Lian Neeson, Keira Knightley, Colin Firth, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, and even Rowan Atkinson. Got a date this Christmas season? Love Actually is the perfect movie for a romantic holiday evening! #18: A Midnight Clear (1991) Set against the backdrop of war-torn Northern France, this World War II drama takes place in Dec. 1944. An American rifle squad faces German troops who wish to surrender during what should be a time of Peace on Earth. Excellent performances by Gary Sinise and Ethan Hawke. Not a feel-good holiday film, as the horrors of battle soon invade, but well worth a look for any war movie fan! #19: Christmas Eve (1947) This is one that's hard to find - Look for an airing on TV. It's about a woman who only wants to be with all her sons on Christmas Eve. The sons have all chosen different paths in life, and much of the film concerns them finding their ways back home to be with her. A highlight is how the sweet but eccentric mother has dinner served to her guests. #20: The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974) This Rankin / Bass musical stop-motion animation spectacle is also their most original. Definitely a product of mid-1970's culture. A huge cast of characters, including Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves, reindeer, various townsfolk, Mother Nature, Snow and Heat Misers (the best part!) and much, much more. Makes the list for it's shear trippy audacity. Grow up in the 1970's? You will remember this one! |
A.J.'s Hollywood Christmas |
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Merry Christmas from A.J.'s Place! |
#1 Miracle on 34th Street |
#3 A Christmas Story |
#5 Elf |
#12 A Charlie Brown Christmas |
#10 Scrooged |
#14 White Christmas |
#17 Love Actually |
#20 The Year Without a Santa Claus |
#7 How the Grinch Stole Christmas |
