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What happened to all the good Christmas movies?

posted 5 years ago by PrimeMinisterX (8292)
21 replies | jump to latest

The 2000s were a great decade for Christmas movies.

Between 2000 and 2009, there was a big handful of solid Christmas films that were released:

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Ron Howard's version)
Elf
Bad Santa
Love Actually
Christmas with the Kranks
The Polar Express
The Nativity Story
Joyeux Noel
Four Christmases
A Christmas Carol (Disney's animated version)

That at least averages one film per year. Perhaps there are even a few others that you would add to the list.

But from 2010 to the present, the Christmas movie situation has been pretty dire.

I don't see a SINGLE film from 2010 to 2016 that is worth mentioning. In 2017, we finally got something worth adding to the Christmas watch list: The Man Who Invented Christmas, which if you haven't seen it you should give it a look (especially if you're a fan of Dickens and/or A Christmas Carol). That year we also got the so-so Daddy's Home 2, which is an okay watch if you've seen everything else.

And finally, this year, we just got The Christmas Chronicles on Netflix, which I'd say is a solid 7/10 and an enjoyable holiday watch.

So that's . . . what? Three movies in 10 years? What happened? Why did Hollywood suddenly forget how to make good Christmas films?

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[–] halomaniac88 (1736) 5 years ago

Corporate greed made them siphon all the money to make superhero movies.

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[–] SoCrates (868) 5 years ago

The '80s and '90s are even better, IMO, but I guess it's a lost art now. No one makes a decent Christmas movie anymore.

Top 5 Christmas Movies:

1. Tie - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation / Die Hard
2. Home Alone
3. Scrooged
4. The Santa Clause
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas

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[–] PrimeMinisterX (8292) 5 years ago

The 80s and the 90s produced some genuine classics, but they were also light on volume.

For the 80s, I would list:

A Christmas Story
A Christmas Carol (1984)
Santa Claus: The Movie
Scrooged
Christmas Vacation

For the 90s, I would go with:

Home Alone
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Jingle All the Way
A Christmas Carol (1999)
. . . and would maybe give a nod to the Miracle on 34th Street remake

Regarding your list, Christmas Vacation is probably my favorite Christmas film of all time, and Home Alone and Scrooged are both classics. I didn't much care for Nightmare or The Santa Clause though, and don't consider Die Hard a Christmas movie.

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[–] slimone (7996) 5 years ago

A Charlie Brown Christmas
A Christmas Story
. . ... . .my favorites

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[–] greenbudgie (2355) 5 years ago

There haven't been that many exceptional Christmas movies in the present decade I agree. There are so many of them when the TV movies are included. I hope some sleepers will emerge from this period. It sometimes takes time for a Christmas movie to become a classic.

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[–] PrimeMinisterX (8292) 5 years ago

Since you bring up the TV movies. . .

The problem with the TV movies--like the Hallmark, Lifetime and Freeform stuff--is that they are almost all completely terrible.

As far as I've been able to tell, those films are all just boilerplate love stories wrapped in cheap Christmas wrapping. The lack of actual creativity over such a sustained period of time is astounding. Almost impressive, even.

The only exception to this constant pattern of boy-meets-girl-by-the-Christmas-tree that I know of is an ABC Family/Freeform production from a few years back called The Mistle-tones, which not coincidentally is the only one of amongst that entire pile of movies that I find watchable.

Considering how many of those films are produced each year, and all the resources that go into then, it's a shame that a little more effort isn't put into fashioning something good and interesting.

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[–] greenbudgie (2355) 5 years ago

Thanks for recommending 'The Mistle-Tones.' I hope I get to see that. They tend to show the same ones over and over on the Christmas channels. And they do tend to be formulaic. I'll come back if I come across any that I think are worth seeing in the present decade as the season is now getting into swing on the TV.

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[–] PrimeMinisterX (8292) 5 years ago

Bear in mind that I'm not saying The Mistle-Tones is GOOD, necessarily, only that in comparison to the usual made-for-TV holiday dreck, I at least found it somewhat refreshing and watchable. But that's coming from someone who tends to find these made-for-TV holiday films total losses.

However, if you do sometimes enjoy the garden variety Hallmark/Lifetime/Freeform Christmas stuff, then you will probably like The Mistle-Tones. If you happen to have a cable or satellite package with Freeform, then you can probably find it OnDemand right now.

And sure, if you come up with any recommendations, feel free to let me know.

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[–] greenbudgie (2355) 5 years ago

I've just watched a Hallmark/Hideaway movie which I liked. 'Christmas In Angel Falls' (2017). Anybody who likes the guardian angel type of offering should like this. Rachel Boston is terrific as the angel. I've rated it 7/10 on IMDb.

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[–] PrimeMinisterX (8292) 5 years ago

That sounds interesting. I'll have to look it up.

I found the trailer for this one vaguely interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HuNrs1jKXM

I may have to at least give it a shot.

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[–] greenbudgie (2355) 5 years ago

I recommend trying 'A Miracle On Christmas Lake' that you found the trailer of on Youtube. It is underrated. This film has some eerie moments and some uplifting moments. Although it's about a teen who doesn't get believed, it is good viewing for some of the more adult audience. I rated this 7/10 on IMDb.

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[–] TandyMan (10367) 5 years ago

Those movies are all terrible. I haven't seen a good Christmas movie since the 70s.

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[–] PrimeMinisterX (8292) 5 years ago

Don't know what you're talking about. There are barely even any good Christmas films before the 80s.

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[–] actionkamen (23176) 5 years ago

Those good Christmas movies are not going anywhere though. I mean, honestly, a few re-runs of Home Alone on tv is good enough for me and the family.

It's like Christmas songs. While of course it wont hurt to have new ones, but we don't actually really need them. The classics are already suffice.

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[–] PrimeMinisterX (8292) 5 years ago

It probably depends on how into Christmas you are. I really enjoy the season and look forward to it every year.

A big part of December for me is watching Christmas movies, and I eventually grow tired of watching the same movies over and over every year. Sometimes you need some new blood to come along to keep things interesting.

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[–] Stratego (29252) 5 years ago

Most Christmas movies I don't enjoy, but what HAS become a tradition at our house is watching the new fairy tale movies they show every year on German tv.

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[–] Knish (1721) 5 years ago

Reindeer games!

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[–] twinA (4826) 5 years ago

Yes, and the Grinch had taken up a job in marketing too, trying to figure out how to further crunch numbers and tighten holiday-themed budgets.

Since he lives in a snowflake, does that make him a flake? (^_^)

I tease, I tease! I honestly think moviegoers have simply gotten more pickier over time thanks to more movie-watching options from 3 channel TV stations all the way to on-demand-streaming services.

~~/o/

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[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Or at least good films set during Christmas season, like Die Hard, When Harry Met Sally and The Long Kiss Goodnight.

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