Since it’s Christmas, this week’s question is open to all subscribers, brought to you by Jess and family. And I didn’t hand her the win last week just because she sent me a box with her famous, homemade truffles. Although note to future MFC fighters: That that would be a good tactic. This week Jess asks: What’s your least favorite Christmas movie that you feel obligated to watch every year anyway?” Note: Jess says Die Hard doesn’t count…but she’s wrong.
I'm so completely over How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original, not the Jim Carey disaster) and would never watch it again...but...it makes an adequate little convenience facilitating me to make coffee in peace on Christmas morning while simultaneously allowing my wife an extra 40 minutes of sleep.
A Nightmare Before Christmas. So I only watched it once. But it's kind of a cult classic for my DIL and a friend I met through my daughter’s addiction. She has a full life-size Jack in her dining room that her sister made. (Her sister is recently deceased from an addiction related issue)
I stayed at her house one night with my daughter, when my daughter was in crisis. I slept in the living room with Jack watching me. My friend was aghast that I had never seen it. So I promised to watch it and did a few weeks ago. First and last. I mean, I get it. It's Tim Burton. But then, that also means it's creepy. It is stop motion and very well done. But mixing Christmas with Halloween with all the creepy images and evil characters? It's just wrong. So while I will continue to be pestered to watch it again. Once is enough.
I agree with a few already here - The Nightmare Before Christmas (you mean to tell me this is a CHRISTMAS movie!?!), A Christmas Story (ugh), and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (claymation makes me uncomfortable too and I can't figure out why...which bothers me even more).
However, there is one despised (by me) movie that no one has mentioned yet. One movie that seems to check all the Christmas-y boxes for so many folks. One movie that, if I ~never~ saw it again, it would be too soon.
The Polar Express.
This is the first year that I got thru the Christmas season without being suckered into suffering thru it. Never again! Scrolling on.
ps - as for Die Hard... IMHO it's totally a Christmas movie (yipee ki yay) and a good one, at that! :)
Ugh. The negativity gets to me. There are some telling themes of human tendency and psych—if for nothing else, good reminders of what NOT to do. Also the mom perseveres in knowing madness and compassion in the face of a consistently negativity environment. But I hear you. Sort of cringe and not worth it for me to watch every year unless it’s for the shear family-togetherness aspect (but that’s negated because I don’t let my youngest watch it anyway.)
Yep. Wouldn't let my son watch it until he was a teen. My mom hated it the first time we all saw it. She was right. At the time I thought it was harmless, if pointless. Now that I'm old, a parent, and have some wisdom, I see that she was right.
Ughhhh yeah your mom probably cringed the whole while yall we’re watching it, while weighing out if it would be better to shut it off or to not make a big deal out of it by shutting it off and thereby cause you to ponder what was bad about it. 😬 I had that very thing happen last night with the 3 Stooges Movie.💆🏻♀️
I could not watch Rudolf as a kid; it was too scary. I would start to watch it and then have to turn it off or leave the room at some point. 😂
Now, I can say that I’ve never actually watched the entire show. Once I got past the age of being scared, I was past ever wanting to watch it at all. Perhaps it was the claymation, I don’t know.
I’m gonna go with Home Alone. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen it….formerly, because my former self thought it was hilarious…and presently, because my people think it’s hilarious. Except I’m over it. Can’t abide with the way the family treats each other, and there’s just enough references to smut that I don’t want my younger kids picking up on. But I’ll still embrace the pain if it means I get to snuggle close with my family on a dark winter evening with snacks and a wood stove fire. It’s worth that and the one scene where Kevin visits the cathedral.
I'm so completely over How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the original, not the Jim Carey disaster) and would never watch it again...but...it makes an adequate little convenience facilitating me to make coffee in peace on Christmas morning while simultaneously allowing my wife an extra 40 minutes of sleep.
So it's likely to make an appearance again.
Have you seen the 2018 (?) It might spare you the original for a year or two (but probably not more than that.)
I've seen just enough to weep for humanity that this is something an actual studio made and people paid money to watch.
A Nightmare Before Christmas. So I only watched it once. But it's kind of a cult classic for my DIL and a friend I met through my daughter’s addiction. She has a full life-size Jack in her dining room that her sister made. (Her sister is recently deceased from an addiction related issue)
I stayed at her house one night with my daughter, when my daughter was in crisis. I slept in the living room with Jack watching me. My friend was aghast that I had never seen it. So I promised to watch it and did a few weeks ago. First and last. I mean, I get it. It's Tim Burton. But then, that also means it's creepy. It is stop motion and very well done. But mixing Christmas with Halloween with all the creepy images and evil characters? It's just wrong. So while I will continue to be pestered to watch it again. Once is enough.
And the winner this week is Rosemary with The Nightmare Before Christmas. Congratulations, Rosemary, you get to choose Monday's question.
PM or email me the question you'd like to ask at: contact@vinceguerra.com
I agree with a few already here - The Nightmare Before Christmas (you mean to tell me this is a CHRISTMAS movie!?!), A Christmas Story (ugh), and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (claymation makes me uncomfortable too and I can't figure out why...which bothers me even more).
However, there is one despised (by me) movie that no one has mentioned yet. One movie that seems to check all the Christmas-y boxes for so many folks. One movie that, if I ~never~ saw it again, it would be too soon.
The Polar Express.
This is the first year that I got thru the Christmas season without being suckered into suffering thru it. Never again! Scrolling on.
ps - as for Die Hard... IMHO it's totally a Christmas movie (yipee ki yay) and a good one, at that! :)
My older kids are finally old enough that I can recommend watching Die Hard around Christmas.
My husband agrees with you that The Polar Express is horrid.
So much yes here. Totally agree every point...though I might need to watch Die Hard again just to be sure. :D
This will be controversial, but A Christmas Story. I find it long, anti-climatic, and puerile.
The last time I saw it about ten years ago I had to ask myself, "Why is this such a classic?"
Ugh. The negativity gets to me. There are some telling themes of human tendency and psych—if for nothing else, good reminders of what NOT to do. Also the mom perseveres in knowing madness and compassion in the face of a consistently negativity environment. But I hear you. Sort of cringe and not worth it for me to watch every year unless it’s for the shear family-togetherness aspect (but that’s negated because I don’t let my youngest watch it anyway.)
I mean, it diiiiiiid hammer home the lesson to never lick a frozen pole, so that's something I guess.
😂 Even so, I had to learn that one the hard way. Only it was a metal zipper.
Yep. Wouldn't let my son watch it until he was a teen. My mom hated it the first time we all saw it. She was right. At the time I thought it was harmless, if pointless. Now that I'm old, a parent, and have some wisdom, I see that she was right.
Ughhhh yeah your mom probably cringed the whole while yall we’re watching it, while weighing out if it would be better to shut it off or to not make a big deal out of it by shutting it off and thereby cause you to ponder what was bad about it. 😬 I had that very thing happen last night with the 3 Stooges Movie.💆🏻♀️
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer when I was a kid. Only three t.v. channels so it was hard to not watch it. Hated, HATED, still hate claymation!
Gah, I hate claymation too! I make a cringy exception for Chicken Run, but the old stuff grosses me out.
After owning chickens I now relate to the farmer. Need to take out a non-laying hen? I know just the one.
I love claymation!🤷🏻♀️
Rudolph is worth it just for Yukon Cornelius.😂
Have you ever heard Dave Damishek's take on Rudolph? He makes a compelling case that pretty much all of the characters were head cases.
No. I’ll have to look into it. Thx
I could not watch Rudolf as a kid; it was too scary. I would start to watch it and then have to turn it off or leave the room at some point. 😂
Now, I can say that I’ve never actually watched the entire show. Once I got past the age of being scared, I was past ever wanting to watch it at all. Perhaps it was the claymation, I don’t know.
It was creepy, unnatural movement without the compensating grace of being cute.
I’m gonna go with Home Alone. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen it….formerly, because my former self thought it was hilarious…and presently, because my people think it’s hilarious. Except I’m over it. Can’t abide with the way the family treats each other, and there’s just enough references to smut that I don’t want my younger kids picking up on. But I’ll still embrace the pain if it means I get to snuggle close with my family on a dark winter evening with snacks and a wood stove fire. It’s worth that and the one scene where Kevin visits the cathedral.
You need to see the Home Alone Pitch Meeting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1stQiJEW9PE
It has The Christmas Story vibes.
Christmas With The Kranks. Can't stand the treatment Tim Allen's character gets. BUT- he makes me laugh out loud.
The book it's based on, Skipping Christmas by John Grisham, is much better. Books always are.
That's a different fight but sometimes the movies actually are better. Case in point: Last of the Mohicans.
100% true! That movie was far better than the book.
Never saw this one!