First, some honorable mentions. My father LOVED The Big Little Jesus episode of Dragnet from 1953 and 1967. And his little sister my Aunt Sarah loved the Twilight Zone “Night of the Meek” starring Art Carne, season 2, episode 11. And I’ll throw in Stan Freiburg’s Dragnet Christmas as well.

The remainder on my list: the original Miracle on 34th Street, The Bishop’s Wife (original), Christmas in Connecticut (original), Love Actually (when paired with Die Hard Alan Rikman gets what’s coming to him for what he did to Emma Thompson), A Christmas Stoary (I’m not a fan but my dad was Ralphies age!), Scrooged, The Holdovers (a NEW movie that might make the list again next season. damned fine movie.) Home Alone. It’s a Wonderful Life – NOT the edited version from Amazon and finally A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Hope you and yours had as joyful and warm as Christmas as we did.

Occasionally I’m unable to find viable access to a movie on the list. John Denver and the Muppets caused the problem this year. It’s been solve for NEXT year. But in its stead I substituted the 1910 silent version of A Christmas Carol. One thing I’ve noticed about the silent movies (this one, Wizard of Oz, Frankenstein, From Earth to the Moon, etc.) is they ALL presume familiarity with the written source material. This treatment of Dickens is reasonably well done and worth the 10-15 minutes it’ll take to watch.

Of course I followed it up with the 2019 version. It’s a very different telling but very well done and I heartily recommend it as well. It’s dark and troubling but VERY well made. Can’t believe it doesn’t get more love on Flickchart.

1901’s Christmas Dream up next. A nice bit of ephemera but doesn’t need to be experienced.

Dr. Who seemed to crank these out every year and I’m slowly making my way through them. This season it was The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe. Enjoyable.

I’m a sucker for Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas but many argue it doesn’t belong on this list. I’ll sic Oogie Boogie on ’em!

Also – I am NOT a fan of the “live action” Grinch products. Give me Thurl Ravenscroft and Boris Karloff ANY day. 1966. I was 8. A perfect time for it to gain a permanent foothold in my brain.

And we’ll polish off the week with The Muppets Christmas Carol Better than it should be.

Enjoy your holiday!

As in October I’m really becoming disillusioned with the “previously unseen” Christmas movies, but by NEXT year I’ll have forgotten and do it again ANYWAY. First: No Die Hard. Unless it’s watched as a second feature to Love Actually so Alan Rickman can get what he deserves for his treatment of Emma Thompson. Second: Jingle Bells is not a Christmas song. It is a seasonal winter song. Third: https://victorygirlsblog.com/the-christmas-movies-that-arent-actually-about-christmas/

And here’s the month

25. The Miracle on 34th Street. 1955 version. Short (under an hour.) Many scenes are shot for shot. Santa played by Uncle Billy from It’s a Wonderful Life. A few small twists. Better if you’ve sen the original.

24. Elf. I just keep feeling better about Buddy.

23. It’s a Very Muppet Christmas Movie. 2002. A QUITE the product of the year it was made. A couple bright spots but cannot recommend unless you’re a Muppet completionist.

22. Tokyo Godfathers. It may drop off eventually but not next year. There’s some good stuff in the story telling

21. Game-over. Italian. Or maybe French. Interesting but not well executed. Cannot recommend.

20. Holly and the Ivy. Typical British 1952 stuff. Some interesting performances and characters but the treatment of alcoholism is QUITE dated. Nothing else to recommend it.

19. Nat Lamp Christmas Vacation. Classic. Growing on me. There’s a REASON it’s this early.

Today might be my last day at school for the year. Nobody takes off the last week. See you in seven or so.

better late than never?

Had some access issues so ended up watching the 1912 silent “A Christmas Accident.” Cannot recommend aside from seasonal interest.

Managed to get the family to turn OFF the Jim Carey Grinch and settle instead for the Chuck Jones classic. C’mon people. Newer isn’t always better.

Watched Home Alone shortly after Thanksgiving as is the GS’s want. So I finished up this five with three “classics.” The Bishop’s Wife (1947 version – see Grinch note above,) Black Christmas (1974 – see Grinch note above,) and Love Actually (which is actually kinda a horrible movie and tough to watch in many ways. Might lose it next year.

Ralphie runs 24 hours in these parts so doesn’t get re-watched but rather re-shared. And I’m having a bit of a self-arguement over It’s a Wonderful Life. 

The penultimate list therefore serves as the final list and we now return you to our regularly scheduled posting.  

from 1989! National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Not a fan but it makes the list EVERY year. And I always manage to find something new. Dropping it from 8.8 to 7.1 though.

Then we jump back to 1947 with Miracle on 34th Street. HATE movies with bad courtroom procedure and this has it in spades but c’mon. Natalie Wood is adorbs. Maureen O’Hara. And filled with faces and voices that informed our viewing for decades. 9.2

Muppet Christmas Carol. It’s IS actually a pretty good telling of the story. 9.5

Christmas in Connecticut. Another oldie but a goodie. Was redone in ’92. Probably oughta check that out one season. 9.5

And finally The Nightmare Before Christmas. Keep wanting to drop it but it keeps making the list. 6.4. I can’t drop it much further in good conscience. Maybe others will

Also managed to watch the Dragnet episode The Big Little Jesus. Dad’s favorite. Actually TWO episodes. One in ’53 and one in ’68. Identical scripts near as I can tell.

I may roll in the Art Carney Santa Clause Twilight Zone episode later as well. 

And no I cannot bring myself to include Die Hard OR Batman Returns. No. I just cannot do it.

We’ll start off with TWO doses of Dickens: 1935 and 1938. The ’38 version is my favorite, what with the Lockhart family and all. But I dropped it a few points last year and a few more this year. It’s STILL a 7.5.

A mere three years earlier the ’35 version is a bit different. Special effects kept to a minimum. Scrooge’s dinner is quite different. And there are some changes in the pacing at the end. 6.3

1945 gives us Star in the Night. A short directed by Don Siegel. Yes, THAT Don Siegal. A nice little short with a handful of familiar faces delivering a pleasant little Christmas story you can see coming for days. 6.5

We throw back to 1902 for a silent short of The Little Match Seller. More of a curiosity. 1 out of 10?

And we avoided the Wookies again this year but dipped our toe into the Guardian of the Galaxy “holiday” special. It’s ALL about Christmas but we can’t CALL it Christmas but that’s the holiday it’s all about. Not Easter. Or Arbor Day. Christmas. And it wasn’t awful. But it WAS only a 2.6 and won’t be revisited.

NASTY weather here in central Ohio. Huge bonuses being paid to drivers last night but I chose not to brave the elements. Stayed in with Kim, ate chili and watched movies. Will hit the final two tomorrow but wanna wright this up tonight.

We start the final run with the Griswold’s. I give it an 8.8. Makes the list because everybody else loves i and we tend to latch onto the movies of our childhood.

Then back to MY childhood. 1966 Grinch. We drop it a bit every season but it’s spot on the list should stay safe. It’s a solid 9.2 and should last another decade.

My second favorite Christmas Carol (Scrooged) is in a cluster of four movies: the 9.5’s. the 2019 version with Guy Pierce, Scrooged, Christmas in Connecticut and the Bishop’s Wife. Are 414 through 417 on my list of nearly 9,000!

Miracle on 34th Street. Because. Same for It’s a Wonderful Life. Maureen O’Hara is beautiful. Natalie Wood is adorable. The bit players are awesome. Rocks a 9.2. And Donna Reed keeps the 9.5 for Jimmy Stewart.

We’ll finish up tonight/tomorrow with A Christmas Story (dropping to 9.1) and Charlie Brown (9.6).

Hope you and yours have a happy.

Now we get serious. A Christmas Carol 1938. The entire Lockhart family. N stuff.. Dropped it out of the top 1000. Still 8.8/10!

The 2019 version. VERY different, But I LIKE it! 9.5

A bit of questioning from others – NEXT year we’re gonna add the sill stuff – Die Hard, etc. Just because

Then there’s the Muppet version! 9.5

The Bishop’s Wife. Because it’s good. It just IS. ALSO 9.5

One of those non-Christmas Christmas movies? Love Actually. Bumped up from a 9.1 to a ….9.5!

and finally … Black Christmas, 1974. Same director as Porkys ….. AND A Christmas Story. 8.8 but likely dropping