Back in the 2015 holiday season I marathoned 41 Hallmark and Hallmark style Christmas flicks, it was hell. Checking my Letterboxd log it turns out that I only awarded 6 of them three stars or better and 3.5 was the highest rating. These 41 were a fraction of the films available and since then at least a couple hundred more have been produced. Judging from the handful of more recent ones I’ve caught the quality hasn’t improved while their popularity has soared.It’s been an odd feeling to watch Christmas “fandom” embrace these films while I remain bewildered. If all my Christmas loving peeps dig these flicks they can’t be all that bad right?
Anyway, I’ve decided to give the genre a second chance this year. Starting now…
Pete’s Christmas (2013)
First Viewing | Streaming Filmrise
Looks like I picked, admittedly randomly, a decent place to start. Pete’s Christmas features my second favorite Christmas movie trope - Groundhog Day. The script is the weak link here but it’s still OK , Bruce Dern is the “He’s in This!?” supporting actor surprise and it’s got Bailee Madison, who is apparently a popular Hallmark frequent flyer. The first half drags while everything's being set up for the Groundhog Day stunt, while the second half doesn't exactly take off but is greatly improved by the introduction of Madison's character.
No masterpiece but compared to yesterday’s Christmas with the Andersons it’s, if not Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons.
FYI : Director Nisha Ganatra recently graduated to the Hollywood big leagues with the Mindy Kaling / Emma Thompson comedy Late Night.
Rifftrax: A Visit to Santa (2007)
Repeat Viewing | Rifftrax App
As I've said I'm luke warm when it comes to the cookie cutter Christmas movies that Hallmark pushes out like Rotisserie Chickens at Costco but at least I understand why they make them. There's no logical explanation for some of the bizarre, surreal and off putting Christmas shorts that were foist upon innocent children back in the day.
Here we have one such disturbing artifact of Christmas past made palatable by Riffmeisters Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett. Apparently a promotional film for some "Santa Land" or other, I can't imagine many kids begging their folks to bring them to visit this dystopian wonderland.
As usual Mike and the Boys take something miserable and make it wonderful.
As usual Mike and the Boys take something miserable and make it wonderful.
The Neighbors - Merry Crap-Mas (Season 1 Episode 9)
Repeat Viewing | Streaming ABC
Airing for a paltry two seasons starting in 2015, The Neighbors remains one of the funniest sitcoms of the last decade. A family moves from the city to the suburbs only to find themselves smack dab in the middle of an alien colony.It's funnier than it sounds.
Merry Crapmas is the first season's Christmas episode and it's great. If your unfamiliar with the series you might want to check it out from the beginning - Merry Crapmas and both seasons of the show are available to watch through ABC's online and streaming apps.
I Love Lucy Christmas Special (2016)Repeat Viewing | CBS DVR
The success of CBS's colorization of these classic episodes of I Love Lucy was a pleasant surprise. I recall being a tad disappointed the first time I watched the Christmas episode as it merely uses a bare bones trimming-the-tree story line as a frame for a handful of flashbacks to the "Lucy Has a Baby" story arc ( the first TV series example of a "clip show', one of many Desilu innovations that shaped the way the world watches TV). Since then I've come to love Lucy's Christmas and this Christmas in July viewing marked the first time all month I actually got a little bit verklempt with holiday spirit.
End of night roundup:
The Naughty: Pete's Christmas but only because of stiff competition.
The Nice: Everything else.
End of night roundup:
The Naughty: Pete's Christmas but only because of stiff competition.
The Nice: Everything else.
