Hi everyone. Well, I’m doing a video as opposed to just writing this out because there are a few things I want to mention.
First, this is a list that I could come up with of at least five movies that are arguably Christmas movies that you may not have normally associated with Christmas. Not obvious, like Miracle on 34th Street or even Die Hard. People say Die Hard is a Christmas movie. I think Die Hard, the 1988 film, is probably one of the least likely Christmas movies in terms of this is not what I associate with Christmas. Right? Okay. But yeah, arguably you can say it’s a Christmas movie. Well, if Die Hard is a Christmas movie, then L.A. Confidential is definitely a Christmas movie because right from the beginning you see Christmas going on at the police station there, and it’s Christmas and all of that. So … ho ho ho … L.A. Confidential from 1997, great neo-noir film, also a Christmas movie. Unlikely though it is.
And, of course, there’s Beware My Lovely with Ida Lupino and Robert Ryan. And Ida Lupino hires him as a, what do you call it? A fixit man around the house during the holidays. There’s a lot of decorating and kids with cookies and things going on. Anyhow, arguably that’s a Christmas movie, even though she’s being terrorized by this guy in her house. It’s a suspenseful and creepy movie. So there you go. Another Christmas movie with emotions that you don’t normally associate with Christmas. Then there is, I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes. That’s the fourth on my list. My list, just to make it clear is Die Hard, L.A. Confidential, Beware My Lovely, and I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes. That’s number four so far, and I just saw this and I got to say it is … when Eddie Mueller said there are improbabilities in this movie, boy, was he understating things.
I mean, I’m sitting there going, you guys are acting like this is an ironclad case based on a footprint not even located near the body. I mean, right outside the building, but not … how are you connecting that footprint to that body? Hello?! Reasonable doubt, anyone? And yet this cop is convinced and yeah, I wondered about him right from the start, to be honest, because he was practically stalking this woman anyway, she kept talking about this guy, Santa Claus, and there you go, Santa Claus, the holidays. Okay, so a woman is, I’m totally spoiling the movie here, but frankly I wouldn’t even bother with it if I were you. I mean, it’s just not that great.
It’s predictable. It’s wholly ridiculous in so many ways. I mean, I suppose it’s a fun thing to pass the time with if you have nothing else to watch. But I wouldn’t be in your shoes. That’s the name. I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes from 1948 and yeah, I wouldn’t be in your shoes if I had to watch it again. No, it wasn’t as bad as that horrible French movie that I always complain about.
Anyway, number five. It finally occurred to me when I racked my brain a little bit, oh, you’re missing the obvious one that you talked about ages ago—While You Were Sleeping from 1995. A rom-com that I enjoyed. So it’s about a woman working as a toll booth operator for the subway system, and her whole life seems to be kind of just going nowhere. And she fantasizes about this guy who happens to have an accident that puts him in a coma and then she pretends to be involved with, she pretends to be his fiance, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Merry mix ups ensue and it all takes place during the holidays. So yeah, guy in a coma, pretending to be part of the family. Okay, that’s getting more Christmasy, pretending to be part of the family, definite Christmas stuff, but not a situation you would normally associate maybe with Christmas. You know, people in comas and fraudulent activities, I guess. Anyway, those were the five that I could identify.
The other thing I was going to mention was that I have a short screenplay that I submitted to a contest, one that I hope to actually at some point produce, and it was chosen to be read at the Environmental Film & Screenplay Festival when it takes place, whenever that takes place. And I’m just very excited and hopeful for the future, I guess. That’s a good way to end the year, I think. To say least.
So there’s my selection of unlikely holiday movies or maybe really likely holiday movies. I don’t know. I think they have a holiday theme in there somewhere. And I’m trying to remember, did Fast Times at Ridgemont High have at least one shot where there were Christmas lights in a window? There’s a holiday movie for you! Yeah. Right. Okay. Be seeing you! Talk to you later!
PS: I must be losing my mind. I completely forgot one of my favorites, The Long Kiss Goodnight. Not to mention The Thin Man!
Did Goodfellas have a Christmas scene? Mean Streets did, right? 🙂
PPS: Feel free to suggest others in the comments!
Five (or More) Unlikely Holiday Movies