Christmas films

[Strawboss]

My wife and I are big on traditions and family. Every year we go on a mini road trip the day after Thanksgiving to start our Christmas season, we usually hit flea markets and antique stores. When we get home, we warm some leftovers from Thanksgiving and afterwards we watch a little known film that was actually the pilot for the TV show "The Waltons". It's called "The Homecoming", from 1971, a great family movie and a great story. We also alternate with another very little known film called "The House Without A Christmas Tree", from 1972, you will most likely have to buy it to watch it as it is pretty much unknown. Another great family film and a great story.

BTW, I also make turkey soup with liver dumplings, it's an old tradition my Great Grandmother make for my parents that I continue along with pieroghi's and stuff cabbage.

[DC Concours]

You guys have a nice tradition and a warm start to the holidays. I should make one too.

Alas, I have no wife.    And Girlfriends come and go. Maybe I need to start a solo tradition.

[Stasch]

Love the Walton's original 'The Homecoming' movie and the series.

'White Christmas' is a tradition for us, particularly my wife, daughter and granddaughter. 

The 'rule' is, it can only be watched a) after Thanksgiving and b) after snow has fallen and stuck (or is currently falling and sticking).  Then its a go with popcorn and hot chocolate.

The trees (yes, we have more than one!) start to go up on Black Friday or soon thereafter - takes a few days to get everything in place and decorated - my wife absolutely loves all of that as it really kicks off the Christmas season for her.

[VirginiaJim]

There's a real good one coming up this Saturday on Comedy Central.  It's a play on all the Hallmark Christmas movies.  Even filmed where the others get made in Canada.  ClusterFunk Christmas. 


My personal favorites are the Polar Express and the Grinch flicks.

[DC Concours]

Not a "real" xmas movie, but watch "Shop around the corner" sometime. It ends with xmas anyway.

I fondly remember my family watching that 3 xmas in a row because my aunt loved it so much.

It kindda became our de facto  xmas movie. I haven't watched that in a few years. I will this xmas.

[Strawboss]

I like those rules Stan, that's wonderful, we have a big old house and have another tree on the porch too. I tend to stick with the older Hallmark films Jim but that may be worth a watch. We also watch most all of the classic Christmas films as we don't watch TV, some we have on old video cassettes. DC, when I was single, I still set aside a day or days and watched, cooked or did things we did when we were kids, that's still a tradition and it's ok if you are alone, when you do meet someone, then it will be great to share that.

We all become kids sometimes when we watch these movies, memories, nostalgia, etc... BUT good stuff. We set our old toys around the house that we both got from our parents, my HO train may be set up around the tree too. My big "Texaco" fuel truck with steerable wheels has a place next to the fireplace, her Barbies were given away by her mom when we had some family troubles so last year, I went out and bought her some Barbie dolls, not the same but the look was famous when she opened them Christmas AM.

Our jobs dictate that sometimes we work Christmas Day, many a year we have celebrated the day after of before. It makes it special for us, it's a VERY important day for us, I work Christmas Eve this year.

It Happened on 5th Ave
The original and 70's remake of Miracle on 34th St.
Holiday Inn

[maxtog]

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

[VirginiaJim]

That is a good one.

[m in sc]

Die Hard is about as close as I come to a live action Christmas movie. And Elf. that's about it.

[BruceR]

It's not Christmas until Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi Plaza.

[Strawboss]

Because it was filmed about 5 miles from my house "A Christmas Story", the house is a sort of museum now, very popular, not in the best place in town and very little parking to be had, a good time if you go though, don't make it a vacation, destination, about a half mile from the Rock HOF if you are in town for that.

[maxtog]

Because it was filmed about 5 miles from my house "A Christmas Story"

Don't watch it- you'll shoot your eye out...

[Strawboss]

Just found out that a new PC updated version of the Walton's "Homecoming" was made this past year. Skip it. Somebody needed money or felt the need to educate on how life as they think it was or how they think it should be portrayed did this. It's still a family film but it just proves on how you should never mess with originals, but, then again, those who it targets would never know about the original.

[Pilgrim]

There were three Grinch movies.
 
1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)
2. Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
3. The Grinch (2018)

The first is a classic.  I didn't like #2 with Jim Carrey.  I did like #3.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

[DC Concours]

Aside from the wonderful movies, anyone set up trains this holiday? I usually do that the night before Christmas for my nieces and nephews. Just oiled up my old LGB train set (needs a new regulator) and a new HO trainset which I will give away to my niece to take along. I miss my Lionel though.

[Strawboss]

TRAINS ARE COOL! My wife has been bugging me to set some of my HO stuff around the tree. I don't have a layout but I do have all my trains from my youth. My brother had a Lionel set we used to play with in the 60's. HO is a little small for around the tree.