Holiday Film Picks
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Really the best adaptation of any of Dickens’ work, preserving his inimitable descriptive language which is no worse the wear for coming from the mouth of Gonzo the Great. The songs are almost all very good (although “The Love is Gone,” abrogated from the new DVDs is god-awful) and Michael Caine delivers the best performance of his career—anyone can pretend to run a boarding school or babysit batman, but acting very convincingly with Muppets is not mean feat. –Nathaniel Berry
Home Alone (1990)
Home Alone is always the first movie I watch to celebrate the holidays. And one year, when a snowstorm stranded me at the airport for a day, I of course had to watch it during the delay. Unfortunately, there was no Polka King of the Midwest on the flight... —Michael Colbert
The Holiday (2006)
I don’t think I’m alone on this one. Two women struggling with their love lives agree to switch homes for the holidays, where they eventually fall in love with each other’s closest familiars in their new, temporary hometowns. My favorite aspect of The Holiday is its location; shot in both Surrey and Los Angeles, the houses depicted are gorgeous though they differ in stature and feel. I don’t know which one I’d rather spend the holidays in, a cozy, small cottage covered with snow in England? Or a mansion with an amazing DVD collection and automatic blinds in sunny Los Angeles? Thankfully, with The Holiday, I can vicariously live in both and watch Jude Law, Jack Black, Kate Winslet, and Cameron Diaz make holiday magic. A fun and captivating rom-com, Nancy Meyers always knows what she’s doing. (Oh, and the soundtrack is off the chains). —Giulia Di Stravola
The Holiday (2006)
Just to be clear, I watch The Holiday year-round...like, six times a year, minimum. I don't think any film scene has ever depicted my life more accurately than Kate Winslet's character describing herself as single then muttering, 'Hate my horrible life.' Whether you're looking for a picturesque English holiday full of winter-warmed Jude Law or California Christmas renting DVDs with Jack Black, this film will fill your heart with love and wanderlust from the comfort of your couch. —Rachel A.G. Gilman
Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
Laugh all you want — did you know this introduced Boba Fett before he ever appeared in a Star Wars movie? Did you know this ALSO introduces the important characters of Chewbacca’s father, Itchy, and his son, Lumpy? My favorite segment is when all of the Wookies scream at each other in guttural noises, without a single subtitle. What, you didn’t learn Wookie before watching this? You rube. —Elliot Alpern
The Polar Express (2004)
Before Tom Hanks was the national face of COVID-19, he was the face of every character in this movie. Buckle-up, folks, for here is Tom Hanks as Hero Boy! Tom Hanks as Father! Tom Hanks as Conductor! Tom Hanks as Hobo! Tom Hanks as Scrooge! And of course, Tom Hanks as Santa Claus! And because this is a Tom Hanks film, it does bear an all-important, extremely relevant message—“seeing is believing, but sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can't see”. Ultimately, all Tom Hankses converge into one single reminder: keep your masks on. –Gauraa Shekhar
Santa Clause is Coming to Town (1970)
I loved the Rankin/Bass Rudolph movie as much as any child loved anything, but the year I stayed up past the broadcast of Rudolph to watch Santa Clause is Coming to Town was transformative. It felt like getting away with something, seeing Santa as a cool rebel joining forces with winter sorcerers and committing crimes in Somber Town in order to save Christmas. SCICTT is up there with Marx and Bakunin among essential texts for radicals. –Nathaniel Berry
Krampus (2015)
If you’re interested in finding a comedic thriller for the holiday season, Krampus is what you’re looking for. Starring Adam Scott, Toni Collette, and David Koechner, Krampus is yet another rendition of the infamous Christmas villain, Krampus, a half-goat, half-demon figure that punishes those who have abandoned their Christmas spirit. His evil, little helpers will surely make you scream and laugh simultaneously; they’re so ridiculous! The younger son might annoy you but I’m sure you will be distracted by the stellar cast and the crazy adventure they find themselves in. —Giulia Di Stravola
The Year Without a Santa Claus (1975)
I don't know what it says about me that I had a childhood crush on Snow Miser, but I'll leave that for my therapist to help me figure out. This Rankin/Bass claymation classic imagines a world where Santa's thrown out his back and cannot deliver presents, leaving it up to children around the globe to lend a kind word and a hand. —Rachel A.G. Gilman
Rise of the Guardians (2012)
I love cartoons, so I'd always opt for animation over live-action when I have time to watch a show. I recently watched Rise of the Guardians and really enjoyed it! It's like a giant mythical rojak of different Christmas myths, and so wonderfully voiced and animated too. –Jemimah Wei
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
What says Christmas better than guilt, confusion, speedballs, orgies, and men in creepy Venetian masks? Like “A Nightmare Before Christmas”, I’m sure “Eyes Wide Shut” can be divided into both Halloween and Christmas camps, but it’s 2020 and it feels like the kind of Christmas movie the year deserves. “Eyes Wide Shut” is Kubrick’s best Beat film; it’s the endless scroll that made it through without the necessary edits—except instead of a 120-foot roll of paper, it’s an unbroken shoot of forty-six weeks, which does not include the six times Alan Cumming had to audition before the filming process officially began. (It might be worth noting that Alan Cumming appears in exactly one scene.) While watching the film last weekend, I nudged Elliot and told him we’d been to that jazz bar in the village, the one where Tom Cruise’s character meets up with his pianist friend. Then I learned that the entire film was shot in England due to Kubrick’s aerophobia. Like, Pinewood Studios had to recreate the entirety of Greenwich Village in London. This one’s a wild ride, but you deserve to be on it, if only for the marginalia. –Gauraa Shekhar
