![]() ![]() Unless you still have your reservations over whether or not you can confidently call these films Christmas movies, perhaps you have some refreshing prospects to add to your traditional holiday viewing.Whether someone waits until mid-December to watch their favorite Christmas movies or gets started on November 1st, there's always something cozy, comforting, and familiar about these stories. It is not the most cheerful thought for a Christmas movie, but its brilliant humor and invigorating resolution will have you as giddy as a child on Christmas Morning. The signature moment in which director John Landis’ Trading Places reaches the peak of its holiday appeal is when Dan Aykroyd eats a stolen fish through the dirty beard of his Santa suit in front of an audience of disgusted city bus passengers. ![]() Little does he know that he is just a pawn in the brothers’ experiment, which also involves them stripping their employee, Louis Winthorpe (Dan Aykroyd), of all his wealth at the same time. ![]() In one of his biggest early theatrical hits, Trading Places stars Eddie Murphy as poor street hustler Billy Ray Valentine, who is offered the chance to become rich beyond his dreams by two brothers who own a stock brokerage firm. (Image credit: Paramount) Trading Places (1983) That is the wonderful thing about The Nightmare Before Christmas: it’s a Christmas movie that offers entertainment suitable for any time of the year. Now, this stop motion animation classic is clearly made to watch during Christmas, yet I often see its own licensed merchandise in Halloween stores and, as one of Tim Burton’s most worshipped films, its biggest fans have been known to indulge in its juxtapositional holiday mania whenever they feel like it. When he discovers a world engulfed by the spirit of Christmas, he tries to introduce the themes and traditions of the holiday to his fellow citizens, inadvertently threatening the sanctity of the season in the process. One of a handful of dark holiday-related tales from the mind of Tim Burton, The Nightmare Before Christmas is the story of a world entirely engulfed by the spirit of Halloween and its king, Jack Skellington (Chris Sarandon), who longs to break from the year-long cycle of spooks. (Image credit: buena vista pictures) The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) When not subjecting its audience to comic book action and Tim Burton’s signature irreverent imagery, the movie is not without its holiday references – such as Batman and Catwoman’s “kiss” under the mistletoe, Penguin releasing his goons on the city in a giant green box with a red bow, and the fact that it is always snowing in Gotham. Oh, and it’s also Christmas time.īatman Returns is yet another example of a film in which you have to ignore its dark moments to accept its holiday quality (and the fact that it had a toy deal with McDonald’s). Meanwhile, Gotham City is unwittingly under threat by Oswald Cobblepot (Danny DeVito) – a man born with bird-like features running a mayoral campaign with insidious intentions. In Tim Burton’s sequel to his 1989 smash hit Batman and one of the most unique live-action movies about the Dark Knight, Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) struggles to keep focus on crime fighting when he finds himself falling for a woman who dresses like a cat at night (Michelle Pfeiffer). ![]() (Image credit: Warner Bros.) Batman Returns (1992) Or, when Mark (Andrew Lincoln) quietly professes his love to his best friend’s wife (Keira Knightley) by posing as carol singers. Of course, I will admit that the most iconic moments from Richard Curtis’ anthological rom-com are deeply rooted in holiday lore, for better or for worse, such as when Emma Thompson’s Karen discovers her husband’s (Alan Rickman) infidelity when he gives her a CD for Christmas instead of jewelry she caught him purchasing. While it has become a holiday tradition for many people ( save some of its own cast members, however), can we all agree that Love Actually often feels more like a film better suited for Valentine’s Day? I mean, some of the best of its interwoven stories have little to nothing to do with Christmas, such as Colin Firth’s flirting with Lúcia Moniz or when Kris Marshall’s Colin travels to America believing his accent alone will get him the female attention he craves… and being correct. (Image credit: Universal Pictures/Working Title) Love Actually (2003) ![]()
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