Top Ten Tuesdays

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I didn't think you'd have to quote Wiki to get your argument across, Nos. I watch it every year and know it like the back of my hand.

To be honest the Wiki quote is right that Sam ties the stories together but as you watch it, for example we see Dylan Baker with the greedy kid on the porch then it cuts to the werewolf girls trying costumes on, back to Baker and the kid, it doesn't play like here's a link, then a fifteen minute story, then back to a link. When it wants to move things along a comic book page appears and says something like 'Earlier that evening'.

I thought the section from Wikipedia was more concise than anything I could write at the time to explain why I consider it a portmanteau/anthology film. I can't remember the exact way the stories play out, but remember thinking it was a film with distinct stories linked by one character who appears in all of them. That separates it from movies with non-linear narratives like 21 Grams.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

I thought the section from Wikipedia was more concise than anything I could write at the time to explain why I consider it a portmanteau/anthology film. I can't remember the exact way the stories play out, but remember thinking it was a film with distinct stories linked by one character who appears unlawful. That separates it from movies with non-linear narratives like 21 Grams.

You quoting from a police phrasebook now?

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

You quoting from a police phrasebook now?

That should have been "appears in all of them", which is now there!

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Portmanteau or Anthology Films

• Creepshow
• Asylum
• Dead of Night
• Dr. Terror's House of Horrors
• Black Sabbath
• Kwaidan
• Trick 'r Treat
• The Monster Club
• Creepshow 2
• Tales from the Crypt

Snow Based Films

Probably in order:

• It’s a Wonderful Life
• The Shining
• Fargo
• The Thing
• Let The Right One In
• A Nightmare Before Christmas
• The Gold Rush
• Gremlins
• The Revenant (2015)
• Batman Returns

The only change from my previous list is The Revenant replacing Doctor Zhivago.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Nosferatu@Cult Labs

The only change from my previous list is The Revenant replacing Doctor Zhivago.

I thought i might give Doctor Zhivago a go this Christmas. I bought it earlier in the year and have never seen it. Ever.

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

I thought i might give Doctor Zhivago a go this Christmas. I bought it earlier in the year and have never seen it. Ever.

That's a good idea and something I may do because it has been years since I saw it last.

[nosferatu42]

Top ten Portmanteau films.

From Beyond The Grave
Tales From The Crypt
Monster Club
Twilight Zone
Creepshow
Trick R Treat
Company Of Wolves
Monty Python’s Meaning Of Life
Black Sabbath
Vault Of Horror

Bunged in a couple of oddballs that i think apply.

These were the other ones that i considered and also enjoy.

Two Evil Eyes
Dr Terrors House Of Horrors
Cat’s Eye
Tales From The Darkside
Necronomicon
Trilogy Of Terror
Asylum
Tales That Witness Madness
House That Dripped Blood
Screamtime (1983)
Dead Of Night
Waxwork
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex* But Were Afraid To Ask
Southbound
Grim Prairie Tales
The Uncanny

[Prince_Vajda]

Top 11 Portmanteau or Anthology Films

In chronological order.

Tales of Terror (1962, Roger Corman)
Black Sabbath (1963, Mario Bava)
The Devil and the Ten Commandments (1963, Julien Duvivier)
Dr Terror's House of Horrors (1965, Freddie Francis)
Spirits of the Dead (1968, Federico Fellini / Louis Malle / Roger Vadim)
The House That Dripped Blood (1971, Peter Duffell)
Asylum (1972, Roy Ward Baker)
Immoral Tales (1973, Walerian Borowczyk)
The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977, John Landis)
Amazon Women on the Moon (1987, Joe Dante / Carl Gottlieb / Peter Horton / John Landis / Robert K. Weiss)
Four Rooms (1995, Allison Anders / Alexandre Rockwell / Robert Rodriguez / Quentin Tarantino)

[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Thank you to everyone who contributed a list of portmanteau/anthology films and/or snow-based films. Given the time of year, it seems (to me, anyway) there is only one logical topic for this week:

Christmas Films

If you've done this before and your list hasn't changed, leaving you wanting a challenge, here's one:

Non-Dracula, Frankenstein or Mummy Hammer Films

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Top 10 Christmas Films

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Batman Returns (1992)
It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Home Alone (1990)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Joulutarina (2007)
The Thin Man (1934)
Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Die Hard (1988)
The Holiday (2006)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Bell Book and Candle (1958)
Joyeux Noel (2005)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
The Polar Express (2004)
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Bad Santa (2003)
Sint (2010)
Don't Open Till Christmas (1984)
We're No Angels (1955)

As a one off, dispensing with the top 10, here's a ranking of my fave Christmas films. Consideration is taken into how Christmassy and festive they actually are rather than film quality and how many times they get a repeat airing.

I don't think the films have changed but their ranking might so here's the revised list.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
Batman Returns (1992)
The Thin Man (1934)
Home Alone (1990)
The Holiday (2006)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
We're No Angels (1955)
Joulutarina (2007)
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Christmas with the Kranks (2004)
The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
Bell Book and Candle (1958)
Scrooge (1951)
Prancer (1989)
Die Hard (1988)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Joyeux Noel (2005)
Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
Sint (2010)
The Polar Express (2004)
Nativity! (2009)
Lethal Weapon (1987)
Bad Santa (2003)
Don't Open Till Christmas (1984)
Elf (2003)

Scrooge, Prancer, Nativity and Elf are new entries.