Twelve Days of Christmas Cinema | Week 3

We have come to the final week of Twelve Days of Christmas Cinema and it went by so fast. I think that Markus and I saved the best movies for last. This week, we watched some of the greatest Christmas films I've ever seen. It was the perfect way to end Twelve Days of Christmas Cinema as well as begin the festivities. I loved watching these films and they were exactly what my holiday deprived heart needed.

1. Home Alone (1990)
I forgot how much I loved this movie. This film came out when I was seven and watching it brought back so many memories. There are so many great things about Home Alone. It's hilarious, it's well-written and most of all, it's touching.

For some reason, before we re-watched Home Alone, I thought I didn't like it. It was a great movie but I didn't watch it multiple times as a kid. I was too enamored with Princess Bride and Edward Scissorhands. This was for the best though, because when I watched it again this week, all these childhood memories came rushing back. I couldn't help but feel empathy for Kevin McAllister. I spent my whole life wishing that I could travel the world. Now that I've finally achieved my goal, I never stopped to think how much I would miss my family. There was a moment where Kevin realizes that he misses his family and that moment really resonated with me. Even though, I'm living out my dream, I still yearn for my family.  Despite being a kid's movie, Home Alone is a wonderful film. Even 22 years later, it still makes me want to both laugh and cry.

2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

This is another quintessential Christmas film that I've never seen. I actually didn't know much about the story before watching it. I only knew the famous last words, "Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings." I've always thought that this was a bit cheesy and always put me off watching the film. It's just one of those kinds of movies, the sort of movie that everyone knows, but doesn't necessarily like. Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy classic films. Many of my favorite movies are from the Golden Age of Hollywood. 

There were many things I enjoyed about It's a Wonderful Life. I really enjoyed Jimmy Stewart. Earlier, we watched The Shop Around the Corner and he was fantastic in that as well. I loved that Stewart's character was selfless in this film. He was always giving up his dreams for other people. It was hard for him, but he still did it. He almost made the worst decision of his life, but thankfully, he realized that his life was worth living, even if it wasn't where he thought he would be. Life doesn't always end up the way we think it will, but we still have the possibility of having a wonderful life. 

3. Scrooged (1988)
Personally, I feel like this is "the" Christmas movie of all Christmas movies. This is by far the best adaptation of A Christmas Carol, which is hard for me to say, because I loved a Muppet Christmas Carol. Billy Murray as Scrooge is absolute perfection and Scrooged is a perfect mix of humor and that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you watch Christmas movies.

During Creepy Cinema 2012, I said that Bill Murray is one of my favorite actors. I think that he's amazing in almost everything he does and many of the movies he stars in are my favorites. He's such a versatile actor and I believe that a lot of his recent films are his best. Since he has such a large body of work, I mainly watch his recent stuff. I've forgotten what he was like in the 80s.  He's definitley progressed as an actor and has made some great film choices. He no longer has to play the goofy, funny guy. He can pick and choose what he wants, which is usually a bit more stoic. He's still funny, but in a different way. Watching him in Scrooged was like visiting an old friend you forgot about. I enjoyed watching that side of him.

4. Joyeux Noel (2005)
I've never heard about this film until I was doing research for this year's list of films. I'm actually quite surprised it went under the radar, since I'm sure that many people also haven't heard of Joyeux Noel. The premise is based on true events, the World War I Christmas Truce and is told from the point of view of the Scottish, French and German soldiers. I knew just from the premise alone that I would be weeping by the end.

I really truly loved this movie. War stories are always a bit hard to watch, but Joyeux Noel was different. Even though it's set during war, it still tells a beautiful and touching story. It really showcases the beauty of humanity and that deep down we all still want the same thing, peace. War can bring out the dark side in people, but it was nice to see that even in the midst of a bloody war, soldiers from different sides could put aside their differences and celebrate Christmas. It's a great film and one that I would recommend for the holiday season.

So my dear readers, that is the end of Twelve Days of Christmas Cinema! I hope you enjoyed reading my reviews of each film. I enjoyed all of these 12 films, they were a great way to end this year and get into the holiday spirit. I hope that all of you have a  Happy Christmas and a Merry New Year!

Twelve Days of Christmas Cinema | Week 2

In the second week of Twelve Days of Christmas Cinema, I watched two of my least favorite movies so far. It was a bit of an off week, but I expected it. Half of the movies, I've seen, and the other half were a hodgepodge of genres and eras. I'm more than happy to broaden my horizons and watch things I wouldn't normally watch. If there was one thing I learned from Creepy Cinema 2012, it was that films I didn't think I would like, I loved. These two films just ended up being ones that I would never watch again. 

1. A Christmas Story (1984)
The first time I watched A Christmas Story was 2010 with one of our best friends, who is from Cleveland, Ohio. He said that this was one of the best Christmas films and one that is very special. We decided to include this film on this year's list because I think people would've been appalled if we didn't.

This was one of the films that I feel deserves the hype. I think A Christmas Story is one of the quintessential Christmas films. I know that TBS plays it non-stop on Christmas day. It's something that has become synonymous with the holiday. I knew quite a bit about the plot before I watched it, but it didn't reduce any of my enjoyment. This is one of the better 80s Christmas movies, it's not my favorite, but it's still quite good. I think I liked it better the second time around. The first time, I wasn't as interested, but during this viewing, I paid more attention to the details and the story. I noticed that it had a similar feeling as National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, but A Christmas Story is much more likeable. Maybe because the main character is a child and you can excuse all of his shenanigans. It's much harder to forgive similar shenanigans in a grown man.

2. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
After we finished watching this movie, the only thing I said was, "well, that was weird." I don't even really know how to describe it. Markus and I decided to put it on the list because he had heard it was one of those peculiar cult classics, also because of its interesting title and premise. It's the only film of its kind on the list. I haven't seen very many B-movies and this was definitely a B-movie.

Basically, the plot focuses on the Martians and a problem that they face with their children. Martian kids have become distracted and uninterested in Martian life. They only care about watching Earth programs. The solution that the Martians receive from their 800 year old sage is that they need Santa. So naturally, the Martians come to Earth and kidnap Santa. You would assume from the title that Santa Claus comes in and kicks some Martian booty, but the exact opposite happens. He just sort of bumbles about cheerfully. He does no conquering or anything really special. It's such a strange film. I've never seen anything like it and would never watch it again. Although, I'm glad that we did, because how often do you get to see Santa on Mars?

3. Love Actually (2003)
Words cannot describe how much I adore this movie. Love Actually has to be one of the best ensemble films I've ever seen. There are so many amazing actors in this film: Colin Firth, Martin Freeman, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Emma Thompson, I could really go on forever. I remember the first time I watched it in the theater. I was so affected by the stories and they resonated with me deeply. I love that not every story is a happy ending, which added a hint of realism.

Even though I've watched it many times, the stories never get old. I think that's the beauty of having multiple intertwining stories. They give you a little taste of one and then they move to another before you can get bored.  It's not hard to have a favorite storyline. I like almost all of them, but it's easy to have a least favorite. I always feel so bad for the woman with the troubled brother. Just when you think she's going to end up with the love of her life, fate deals her a bad hand and she misses her chance. Despite the not so happy ending in some of the stories, the film ends on a happy note. I love the message of the film, "love actually is all around." It's true. Sometimes we get caught up in our everyday lives and forget to notice what's going on around us. Love is such a beautiful thing and I'm thankful to be reminded of it.

4. Die Hard (1988) 
After watching Die Hard, I've learned something very important about myself. I do not like 80's guy movies. They're not my cup of tea and I don't enjoy them. It's strange because I love a lot of recent guy movies and I used to watch kung-fu flicks a lot when I was a kid. I think that my distaste is strictly specific to the 80s. This year alone, I watched Predator, Commando and Die Hard and I disliked every single one of those films.

Die Hard is definitely a guy movie. It's all guns, action and catchphrases. The premise is quite unbelievable, but are any of them believable? Bruce Willis isn't bad in this movie, I actually like him. I also loved that Alan Rickman was the villain. He's such a phenomenal actor and I like him in almost everything. What I didn't like was the length of the movie and some of the nonsensical plot points. For instance, why does John McClane have to run around barefoot the entire movie? Are you telling me that when he first heard the gun shots, he was physically unable put on some shoes? My golly. I know it's meant to show how B.A. he is, but I just think it's unnecessary. For me, the movie was just a lot of action and not much depth.

Twelve Days of Christmas Cinema | Week One

This first week of Twelve Days of Christmas was exactly what I needed. Around Christmas time, I get really homesick. Christmas in Korea is nothing like back home. It's more of a holiday for couples and no one else celebrates it. There are so many things I miss about Christmas in America. I miss drinking and eating peppermint infused treats. I miss hearing Christmas songs everywhere. Most of all, I miss spending time with my family and friends. Watching these movies really put me in the Christmas mood and reminded me of home. They were the perfect antidote for my homesickness.

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1983) 
This movie was my first taste of the National Lampoon films. I’ve seen Van Wilder, but I don’t think it really counts. I expected a lot from this movie, and I am sad to report that I was a bit disappointed. I know that everyone loves this movie, but I wasn’t that keen on it. I think that’s the problem with these kinds of movies. People have such fond memories of them from their childhood and they build them up. I've often heard it’s the best movie they’ve ever seen or the perfect representation of Christmas. For me, it was just okay.  

First, the length of the movie is too long. It just kept going and going. Every time they showed the Advent calendar, I kept wishing it Dec. 25. The main character, played by Chevy Chase, is just awful and really annoying. I know that he wants the perfect Christmas, but come on man. Why can’t he just relax? He makes ridiculous choices and most of the time they aren’t even that funny. I think that if I watched this as a child, I would’ve enjoyed it, but as an adult, I just wanted it to end. 

2, The Shop Around the Corner (1946) 
When I was in middle school, I would spend Friday evenings with my mom. We would lay in her bed with a bowl of popcorn and watch classic movies. I’m so thankful for having a mother who exposed me to old movies.  I learned a lot about relationships and love. I also learned how to be a lady and about style and fashion.

On one of those nights, we watched The Shop Around the Corner and I immediately fell in love. It truly is a timeless classic and stars Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. It’s a simple story about two people who argue constantly and end up falling in love on Christmas Eve. The film is executed perfectly. It’s funny and serious when it needs to be. The acting is amazing and it’s a real gem. I wish they still made movies like this; there isn’t a lot of flash or complicated story lines. It gets to the point and focuses on what matters, the relationship between the main characters. It's one of my favorite movies and one that will always leave me feeling warm and happy. 

3. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) 
As a child, this was my favorite movie. When I think back on my childhood, I have a lot of memories connected with this movie. I watched it constantly. I knew all the words to every song and sang them much to the annoyance of my parents and older brothers. My mother even made me a Jack Skellington outfit to wear for Christmas. I was obsessed.

I think I loved it so much because it perfectly combined two of my favorite holidays, Halloween and Christmas. It’s not entirely a Christmas movie, but also not completely a Halloween movie. It’s a great combination of both holidays and it’s a fun seeing how they interact. The story of this film is quite unique and unlike anything I’ve seen. I remember being in awe of Halloween Town. I wanted to live in that weird and kooky place. It seemed like a kid's dream living in a place where it was Halloween everyday, who wouldn't want that?
 

4. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) 
I have to admit that in my childhood I had a considerable lack of Muppets. I never watched Sesame Street or saw a Charlie Brown film. I think it’s because my siblings were 11 and 12 years older than me and I was left to my own devices. I watched a lot of I Love Lucy, Gilligan's Island and I Dream of Jeannie. What can I say? I was an odd kid. 

When we watched this film, it was like I found  a missing piece of my childhood. I absolutely loved this movie. There was so many amazing things about The Muppet Christmas Carol. To be honest, I was expecting to dislike this movie, but it was fantastic. It’s heartwarming, funny and poignant.  Michael Caine was also a pleasant surprise. He makes a great Scrooge. The acting was quite good and the puppetry was incredible.  While watching, I found myself laughing and crying. Yes, crying. I don’t know if it was the wine I was drinking, but there was one part that really got me. Judge me all you want, but watching a disabled frog singing about being thankful was touching. It’s always good to be reminded to be thankful, even in a kids movie.

 

Twelve Days of Christmas Cinema

After the success of Creepy Cinema 2012, Markus and I decided that we wanted to do something similar for Christmas. We settled on 12 Christmas movies, because 31 days devoted to film is a bit much. We were scrambling all through October trying to watch all the movies and at times, I wasn't free to enjoy them as much. I think that 12 is a perfect number and will help us both get into the holiday spirit.

We tried to choose movies from all different time periods and genres. There are some beloved classics as well as quintessential Christmas movies. Despite the fame of many of these movies, I haven't seen them all and have only watched half of them. I'm so excited to begin the Twelve Days of Christmas Cinema and I hope you enjoy my reviews as well!

Credit:
Santa Claus graphic: The Graphics Fairy