FILMS - Christmas

A fantastic cast and a magical film, I have such fond memories of watching this as a child. Unfortunately, on re-watching this last Christmas, I was horrified to realise this is an awful film. Still, I'm giving it a decent rating for the child inside.

Good Santa!

One of the greatest films ever made in my opinion. James Stewart and Frank Capra make for one brilliant collaboration. Many have tried to achieve the magic of It's a wonderful life, many have totally ripped it off but none have matched it's brilliance. Film makers of the future take note, character development is key! That a boy Clarence!

Chritmas wouldn't be the same without it!

I?m glad the Muppets didn?t die when Jim Henson did. His son did a good job here but it?s not quite the same! I still love the Muppets though!

Very few Christmas films are essential viewing but for me, it just isn't Christmas until I've watched A Charlie Brown Christmas. It's usually on at stupid O'clock in the morning on kids TV so I've gone as far as buying the DVD, Money well spent, in fact, I could probably quite happily watch it in the middle of the summer too! Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!

I?ve finally watched, what has probably been the most hyped about film by my friends, ever! The good news is that my friends were right, The Nightmare Before Christmas is brilliant! Last of the great fairytales, a combination of Tim Burton?s wonderful imagination and Henry Selick?s patience and artistry. This is a wonderful original animation, already a classic and something very special indeed. New favourite too!

My favourite of the Christmas Carol's. Not that I like Christmas. Humbug!

It's one of Murray's funnier films and certainly one of the better Christmas movies around (not that that's a hard thing to achieve!)

A childhood Christmas favourite about a stoned-looking Snowman who steals a hat from a Wizard from what I can remember. It reminds me of early morning TV during the Christmas holidays in the 80's - it's probably complete crap but I'm rating it high for nostalgic reasons and because I love Jimmy Durante's voice almost as much as I love his nose!

I've been wanting to know what all the fuss was about regarding this 1978 Christmas special and finally, after spending a day at a particularly geeky Collectamania 2011 where I met R2-D2 (Kenny Baker), Darth Vader (a rude David Prowse) and Greedo (a very friendly Paul Blake who confirmed for me that Han did shoot first) I found a Star Wars stall that sold bootleg copies! For only £5! I was sure I'd probably bought a dodgy copy that wouldn't work, surely this TV program is long lost and is only now folk-law? Well no, the DVD worked just fine and......it is as truly bad as everyone says it is. Like really bad. Not good bad, but bad bad, as in 'What the hell were you thinking' bad. There was a quote on the DVDs sleeve that said said 'If I had a hammer and the time, I'd smash every bootleg copy in existence' - George Lucas. I believe him, I'd feel the same way if it were me!

Raymond Briggs was always a bit of a childhood hero of mine. It seems that the fact that all his storeys were actually quite dark was only ever picked up and enjoyed by children. The ending of this story is absolutely devastating and yet it's the bit everyone seems to forget and the bit where parents and grandparents alike would either fast-forward or stop completely so as not to upset the kids. I always appreciated Briggs's harsh realism, Aled Jones's voice less so though. I know I know, it wasn't Aled Jones...

I don't get the warm and fuzzy feeling of nostalgia watching this film as until this Christmas just passed, I'd never seen it. That is due to the fact that it never really took off in the UK as it did in the US, so was never on the telly. I wouldn't expect an American to want to watch or appreciate a Tommy Cooper Christmas special or a Morecambe & Wise repeat so please don't be offended by my star rating, it's just not my childhood.

One of the only Christmas films out there that I can watch quite happily in the summer!

This is when they started going on too many Vacations. In fact, I don't think they actually went anywhere!? A sure sign that it had had its day.

So so sooooo bad. Who thinks up this crap and who the fuck funds it?

Shit. I love Dr. Seuss. Watch the cartoon film instead, the cat in the hat meets the Grinch or read the books damn it but not this shite!

A fun Christmas film. Reasons to watch: Will Ferrell, The Stop Animation, the size difference scenes in North Pole and a fantastic cameo by Peter Dinklage. Reasons not to watch: Caan being crap, Steenburgen being crap, the ever annoying waste of space that is Zooey Deschanel and a fairly boring second half. All in all not bad, for a Christmas film at least!

One of the better annual alternatives to the Queen's speech. I think Ali G did the first one but I may be wrong. It was good but not as funny as the older episodes.

The animation looks like one of those dodgy chapter breaks in old computer games and just when you think you're going to hear something important, a life lesson or some good advice, the train turns into a roller coaster. Live-action animation? Isn't that an oxymoron? It doesn't look good either way. If all I got for Christmas was a false scenes of achievement I'd ask for my money back, I'd rather have a new bike thanks. Ba humbug to it, especially as I suspect it was written as more of a piece of Christian propaganda, luring children into a ridiculous concept of blind faith. You don't believe in Santa? Get on the train!!! - That's what the Nazis did man! I don't know who is more ridiculous, Santa or God? I wonder who would win in a fight? Anyway, am I a miserable sod? Yes, yes I am, but I bet I'm disappointed fewer times in my life than most people! Merry Christmas everyone!

I liked the premise of this film, I think it had huge potential, albeit for an alternative Christmas film. It soon got silly and far-fetched though and gets everything wrong. I expect nothing more from Tim Allen - who actually looks bored throughout, but Jamie Lee Curtis really doesn't do herself any favours with this, the worst performance of her career (although she still has a great rack - thank God she got them out, maybe that was only reason she was cast!?). It actually took away all the Christmas spirit I had in me and made me want to pull down the tree I'd just put up. It actually highlights all that is wrong with Christmas (and dare I say it, America) and confuses community with conformity. I guess we're all going to hell then. Was this really written by John Grisham?

The script is horrible, the story is unimaginative and silly, the performances are embarrassing and after a sadistic 138 minutes there isn't even a bloody conclusion! This was a hard film to get through, it's actually quite insulting and astonishing that a) The film got green-lit and b) some people actually liked it! Nancy Meyers makes horrible films and Joe Hutshing needs to wake up and get cutting!

You don't have to be a cynical old Scrooge like me to see through this transparent nonsense. The moral message is totally confused, just when it becomes time to explain themselves, someone throws a dwarf in the air like it's funny and socially acceptable. Where exactly was Santa born and in what time period? At least it got one thing right, Christmas is all about receiving - that's it. I would say that this is just another capitalist consumer Coca-cola Christmas story but I don't think the writers are that intelligent. The only redeeming feature was the support for people living in their brothers shadow scene but then even that felt like a wasted opportunity. I can't say I was that disappointed though as it pretty much matched my low expectations. Directed by David Dobkin, ah now it makes sense!

The Finns make some awesome films; Rare Exports is an awesome film. If you fancy an alternative Christmas movie but have seen Bad Santa enough times already, this is for you. It premise is very creepy, it's also very silly but it never falls foul of the usual cliches found in horror films and nor does it ever get very silly. It's very dark and yet by the end, it seems quite family friendly in a way. A brother's Grimm tale with a modern twist, refreshingly original.

John Landis and Eddie Murphy worked really well together. This is an old favourite staring Denholm Elliott, one of my favourite actors, Jamie Lee Curtis, who has a pair of my favourite breasts and is proof that Eddie Murphy was funny once!

A childhood favourite with the best theme tune ever!

The original ?Man in a vest kicks ass? action movie. The difference with this film is that unlike action movies of its kind that came before, Bruce Willis wasn?t a muscle-bound moron with no acting abilities. He was a just a nice guy with a good sense of humour. Classic action movie from the 80?s and great stuff.

I have nothing but hate for this movie!

I think Batman returns is a little bit better than Burton's first Batman movie, although Batman seems to take a back seat, the Penguin and Catwoman are far more interesting, possibly Burton's only flaw in the franchise and thankfully, one Nolan hasn't repeated. For me though, it's Walken who steals the show in this one!

David Bowie, Tom Conti and Beat Takeshi put in three amazing performances in this very underrated POW classic! Brilliant! Beautiful soundtrack too!