Your Christmas Movies! Whatcha' Watchin' this Christmas season?

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Justin101

The marketing art of Saint reminds me of Ghost anyways
I'm annoyed with myself now, the film takes place of Dec 5th it would have been ideal for last night...

Bizarrely i know when to watch Saint, but The Fog, one of my top ten films, i always forget the 23rd of bloody April.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Deck the Halls (2006)

What better way to get Christmas viewing underway than with Deck The Halls? (Don't all shout out at once)

An enjoyable and occasionally daft game of oneupmanship played by Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick when DeVito and family move in across the street and decide to decorate their house with enough lights so it can be seen from space.

This is a film that benefited from a couple of previous years rest as last night i really enjoyed it as an unplanned viewing and indeed laughed out loud a few times too.

I know it's a film that's generally derided, in fact both Broderick and DeVito can grate at times, but Kristen's Davis and Chenoweth always bring joy despite the chaotic antics of their respective husbands.

Almost twenty years on from it's initial release the film hasn't really dated, in fact i'd go as far as to say it's matured, perhaps not like a fine wine, more a tasty slightly mouldy cheese.

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Lethal Weapon (1987)

Another film that has benefitted from a rest and this time longer than a couple of years. I watched it so many times during the late eighties and nineties that i knew it like the back of my hand.

However watching on Blu-ray for the first time this evening was like welcoming an old friend and chatting just as you had all those years ago as if no time had passed.

Basically Lethal Weapon is an action classic with a career defining script from Shane Black and taut direction from Richard Donner, not to mention roles that made genuine screen icons of Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. It's the quintessential buddy cop movie, fast paced, with gritty action and several laughs and spawned Glover's "I'm too old for this shit" line which is still repeated today.

An enduring Christmas treat and a genuine alternative to Die Hard.

[MrBarlow]

The Mean One. 2022.

I'd never thought someone would do a horror version of The Grinch but here we are. So we got a little girl called Cindy who seen her mum being killed and nobody believes her. 20 years later she returns home and the killings begin again. As per usual you got a sheriff who we want to knock out, a deputy chasing after the traumatised girl and David Howard Thornton (Art The Clown) all dressed up and ready to kill. The back story to this Grinch isn't great, the acting is never gonna get better, the narration is quite good and comical, and some good kills that manages just to keep it entertaining.

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[MrBarlow]

Silent Night Bloody Night.

The film was obviously made on the cheap, and in many places things are far too dark to see what's going on. Despite the best intentions of the filmmakers, this film is can be a chore to sit through. The story is cheaply acted by a bunch of famous names such as Warhol favourite Mary Woronov. Guest star Patrick O'Neal doesn't hang around for long, while John Carradine doesn't say a word! Leading actor James Patterson was dying of cancer while the film was being made. There is a bit of a decent story to the film along with the back story and is played out best it can be with some mystery and suspense chiller mixed in that can hold your attention.

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Silent Night Deadly Night Part 3: Better Watch Out.

This was marginly better than the previous film, Ricky played by Bill Mosely is being kept alive in a coma and has a psychic connection to a blind girl...seems pretty much straightforward but the plot does go a bit haywire. This was a rushed production with the original script being rejected. Our killer is totally mute and not screaming out Naughty, Punish or Garbage Day. The acting by Samantha Scully isnt too bad, she does try her best to be the film's heroine but some not so creative direction is lacking and not the best kills are mild.

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[MrBarlow]

Don't Open Till Christmas.1984.

Over the pond the Americans Released Silent Night Deadly Night, at the same time us Brits were pushing this one out.
For a movie that was such a troubled production, Don't Open Till Christmas is about as good as it could possibly be. This isn't your usual slasher flick. There's no teenage annoyances here, and most of the film is set in Soho, London and does give you a curve ball on the killer then gives you the twisting ending. This isn't the best slasher Christmas movie but certainly not the worst to be viewed.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by MrBarlow

Don't Open Till Christmas.1984.

This isn't the best slasher Christmas movie

Oh yes it is.

[MrBarlow]

Originally Posted by Demdike@Cult Labs

Oh yes it is.

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[Demdike@Cult Labs]

In all fairness i think it's the best Christmas slasher because there's a kill scene every seven minutes.

The only other films that run it close, and not by amount of kills, are Silent Night, Deadly Night and 2012's Silent Night which itself is a remake of Silent Night, Deadly Night.

[MrBarlow]

Krampus. 2015.

Out of all the other Krampus movies that have been done and released, claiming to be "the best Christmas film, you'll never want to sleep again blah...blah...blah, this one is the better version to be watched IMHO. Adam Scott and Toni Collette play the mis-match parents who have to put up with Allison Tolman and David Koechner with the kids on either side and have different views on parenting and survival while dealing with grumpy aunt Conchata Ferrell and old granny Krista Stadler.

It does have its pleasures, such as a rich variety of monsters, which are huge, hideous abominations of familiar toys and goodies with a snake like Jack in the box and homicidal gingerbread men. The make-up effects for the demented elves is done decently and as for Krampus, we only.see his face towards the finale so you can only guess what he looks like. There is some dark tongue in cheek.humour mixed in and this is a favourite of mine.

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