Lights, Camera,...Holiday Films?

One of my all-time favorite Christmas movies is…Lethal Weapon.  Once upon a time, directors and studios that had a film set to release around the holidays would incorporate that theme into their movies, even if it was not designed specifically to be a holiday movie.  In some films it may just be a scene, in others, some background music or decorations.  Because today’s films tend to have extended releases and replay value, we see fewer of these films and are pretty unlikely to see Luke Skywalker in a Santa hat or spinning a dreidel in the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi.  If, however, you want just a bit of a holiday touch with your feature films and are fatigued by National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or Eight Crazy Nights, here are some titles worth checking out.

Action movies

The Lethal Weapon opening credits are set to Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” and as the film progresses, we see plenty of twinkling lights and decorations, plus hear references to Christmas and holiday plans.  The main plot of the movie follows Detectives Riggs and Murtaugh getting into plenty of death-defying situations while working on a case involving a drug trafficking ring.

Die Hard and Die Hard 2: Die Harder involve Detective John McClane yippee ki-yaying his way through two very rough Christmas Eves spent battling terrorists, first in Los Angeles and then in Washington, D.C.  Aside from the stated timing of the films, there are decorations and a few Santa suits that show up during all the explosions and sniper attacks.

Rocky IV and Full Metal Jacket are both less-Christmas centric than the other two action flicks, but do include a few holiday scenes.  In Sylvester Stallone’s fourth turn in the role of the titular boxer, Rocky makes mincemeat of Russian machine Ivan Drago during a fight held on Christmas Day.  Stanley Kubrick’s Vietnam War film features Private Joker Davis and his platoon doing a Happy Birthday Jesus song at boot camp, followed by a drill sergeant’s twisted take on what Christmas means on the front.

Thrillers

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is another film set at the holidays and we see plenty of decorations and Santa hats the entire time we follow Harry Lockhart, a thief who ends up in a film audition while trying to evade the police.  The audition leads to a strange set of twists and turns as Harry wins the role and then ends up on a bizarre adventure with the private detective he is supposed to shadow for the role.

The Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho takes place starting on December 11.  While holidays are not really mentioned, you can spot Christmas decorations in the background during the film.  Note some garland on the lamp posts, then scream along with the shower scene.

Superheroes

One of the Michael Keaton-led films in the Caped Crusader series, Batman Returns features Penguin and Catwoman trying to destroy Batman as Gotham is preparing for its annual Christmas festivities.  Perhaps one of the oddest things about the Christmas theme in this movie is it was released in June.

Iron Man 3 was another summer movie that featured a Christmas theme, but in this case the theme was intentional to draw attention to the loneliness of the characters.  In this third edition of the Marvel series, Tony Stark is having flashbacks and panic attacks years after a New Year’s Eve run-in with villain Aldrich Killian.  Killian is of course up to his old tricks of manipulation and is attempting to carry out a plot to kill the president, which leads Stark/Iron Man to save the day again.  Note that Shane Black wrote and directed the film; he also wrote Lethal Weapon and either wrote or directed The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Last Boyscout, and The Nice Guys – all action movies with a Christmas theme.

Hanukkah

Little Fockers is the third film in the Meet the Parents series and includes the same cast from the first two films.  In this one, Greg Focker once again faces the suspicious eye of his father-in-law, Jack Byrnes, who has finally decided Greg is worthy enough to take on the role of family patriarch.  But, before that can happen, the usual family saga ensues, filled with comedy and a few dark moments.  The holiday tie-in is the film time jumps from the initial action to Christmas Day.  At the family holiday gathering, Greg’s family informs Jack that his genealogy shows some Jewish relatives, which tips their Christmukkah celebration a bit more toward the Hanukkah side.

Fievel Mousekewitz gets separated from his family during an ocean emigration to the United States during the animated An American Tail.  Fievel is fortunate to find some friends to help him reunite with his family, but ends up getting separated yet again.  The eventual resolution is tied to a blue hat that Fievel was given by his father at their last Hanukkah celebration in Russia.  The hat was the one thing Fievel had been able to hold onto to remind him of his family and it turns out to be the clue that his mother needs to bring the family back together.

Gangsters

If you have a horse’s head on your Christmas list, you probably should be watching The Godfather sometime this month.  The quintessential mob film based on Mario Puzo’s novel features the Corleone family as they feud with a drug dealer at Christmas.  Al Pacino, as Michael, does some Christmas shopping in one scene and the set was decorated with subtle reminders of the season. 

Goodfellas tracks 25 years in the crime career of Henry Hill and his Mafia family, so of course we would get a Christmas party and some additional Christmas scenes in that span of years.  The all white tree with silver balls is a classic look if you need some decorating ideas.

Family

We learn early on in Gremlins that you never feed a mogwai after midnight or expose one to water or bright light.  But, when you are a kid and get the cute, cuddly creature for a present, all bets are off.  The resulting gremlins then terrorize the family and neighborhood on Christmas Eve.

Another classic film with subtle holiday hints not many pick up on is The Princess Bride.  The main story itself has nothing to do with any holidays, as it is a fantasy story about a farm hand who sets out to rescue Princess Buttercup.  The film starts, however, with a grandfather reading to his sick grandson.  If you notice, the book he reads from was a gift wrapped in Christmas paper and there are decorations around the room.  The main story is funny and warm with a host of memorable characters that provide timeless entertainment.  Sundance Channel did a marathon of the movie on Christmas day in 2015.

RomComs

When Harry Met Sally…is sort of a New Year’s Eve film, as there are a few year-end parties that play a big role in the plot.  Harry and Sally know each other from college and both end up in New York, where they occasionally see each other and eventually start up a friendship.  During their many discussions, Harry contends male-female friendships do not work so they do manage to keep their distance for many years before giving in.  Of course Harry is proven right when they end up romantically involved after one New Year’s Eve party and then separated the following year only to be reunited the following New Year’s Eve.

You’ve Got Mail features Joe and Kathleen chatting it up in an online dating room during the early days of the internet.  Hidden behind their screen names, they have no idea they are rival bookstore owners and have several business interactions before Joe discovers the truth and cools the online romance by standing Kathleen up on their first scheduled real-life date.  Eventually they get together and love conquers all.  The holiday hook involves decorating shop windows, some carols, and a pretty good view of a decorated New York City.  The film is a remake of 1940’s The Shop Around the Corner, which starred Jimmy Stewart.  The original film plays up the just before Christmas timing of the romance a bit more than the remake, so it would also be worth adding to your viewing list for the season.

-          Laura, Information Technology