Christmas In The Movies

 

Let's take a break from the music for a while and take in some movies.  Ten movies to be exact.  Here are numbers 11-20 of the Man Holes favorite movies where Christmas makes an appearance.

 

 

20.  Trading Places (1983)

 

Starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd.  Directed by John Landis.  U.S. box office gross of over $90 million.

Philadelphia at Christmas time is the perfect backdrop for this loosely and comedic retelling of Mark Twain's Prince and the Pauper. 

"Looking good Louis!" 

 



19. 1941 (1979)

 

Starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.  Directed by Stephen Spielberg and written by Robert Zemeckis.  Box office gross of over $94 million. 

Frantic Californians react to a possible U.S. invasion after Pearl Harbor in the middle of December.  More drama than a comedy but still has some funny parts. 

" You won't get shit out of me. I've been constipated all week!" 



 18. Love, Actually (2003)

 

Starring Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, and Colin Firth.  Written and directed by Richard Curtis.  Box office gross of over $246 million. 

A romantic comedy following the lives and stories (maybe too many stories) of eight different couples in London all taking place in December.

"Hello, David. I mean "sir". Shit, I can't believe I've just said that. And now I've gone and said "shit" - twice. I'm so sorry, sir."       

 17. Lethal Weapon (1987)

 

Starring Mel Gibson (before he was nuts), Danny Glover, and Gary Busey (also before he went crazy).  Directed by Richard Donner.  Box office gross of over $120 million. 

Buddy-cop movie about miss matched partners whose friendship grows as they are on the hunt for drug smugglers.

"I'm too old for this shit!"

 16. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

 

Starring Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'Hara, and John Payne.  

The story takes place between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day in New York City, and focuses on the impact of a department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real Santa.  One of the classics.

"Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind and that's what's been changing. That's why I'm glad I'm here, maybe I can do something about it."

 15. Disney's A Christmas Carol (2009)

 

Starring Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, and Colin Firth.  Written, directed and produced by Robert Zemeckis.  Box office total of over $325 million.

Disney's animated take on the Dickens's classic.

"BAH! Humbug!" 

14. Scrooged (1988)

 

Starring Bill Murray, Karen Allen, and John Forsythe.  Directed by Richard Donner.  Box office total of over $60 million.

Another modernization of the Dickens's classic more loosely based this time. 

"If you TOUCH ME AGAIN, I'll rip your god damned wings off! Okay?"  

 13. Bad Santa (2003)

 

Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham and Tony Cox.  Box office total of over $76 million.

A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid, and the security boss discovers the plot. This also marks the last movie appearance of John Ritter before his death.

"He's not going to say fuck stick in front of the children, is he?"    

 12. Gremlins (1984)

 

Starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton.  Written by Chris Columbus.  Box office of over $153 million.

A boy inadvertently breaks 3 important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.   

"Bright light!  Bright light!"

                          

 11. Jack Frost (1998)

 

Starring Michael Keaton, Kelly Preston, and Joseph Cross.  Box office of over $34 million.

A father, who can't keep his promises, dies in a car accident. One year later, he returns as a snowman, who has the final chance to put things right with his son before he is gone forever.

"My balls are freezin! I never thought I'd say THAT with a smile on my face. "