A few years ago, my wife had the great idea of watching what we jokingly termed the ‘Not-So-Christmasy’ list. Since then, our tradition has caught on with friends and family. Some of those recommendations are listed below should you ever wish to veer off the beaten path.
Caveat – I must confront the elephant in the room and forego the obvious argument for Die Hard as a Christmas movie. Because deep down in the depths of our hearts, we can all acknowledge the 1988 action classic is the new gold standard for the holiday must-watch. I mean, is it really Christmas unless we see Hans Gruber fall from the peak of Nakatomi Plaza and see John McClane emerge victorious? I don’t think so.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999): Stanley Kubrick’s swan song has garnered heaps of praise and rebuke since its release for its cold temperament; matching the cool hues of the Christmas lights and décor, which fill almost each individual shot of the film (a technique of on–screen lighting Kubrick used in his films). Between the sexual doubt sown between Bill and Alice Hartford (played by Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman) and Bill’s odyssey into the abyss, the film is a masterful tale about the pitfalls of marriage gone awry.
Stalag 17 (1953): An all-time personal favorite, this chamber piece from Billy Wilder portrays the lives of American POWs in the German camp of the title name. As Christmas approaches in 1944, the occupants of Barracks 4 play cat and mouse to find if there really is a spy hiding amongst them in the wake of a botched escape of two of their comrades. Led by William Holden as the acerbic and opportunistic Sgt. JJ Sefton (the role that nabbed him the Oscar), this beautifully scripted comedy/thriller builds to an unforgettable climax where the ultimate Christmas present is gifted at the feet of the camp commandant.
Bad Santa (2003): Speaking of Oscars, I will die on the hill that Billy Bob Thornton deserved a nomination for his performance as scuzzy con-man Willie T. Stokes in this early 2000s comedy gem from Terry Zwigoff. With the help of his hilarious counterpart, played by Tony Cox, Thornton looks to make one last score as a drunken mall Santa before retiring to a life of buggery and cirrhosis. That is, before meeting the adolescent Thurman Murman – arguably the most endearing slab of innocence put on screen.
Fanny & Alexander (1982): For Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman, whose repertoire was heavy with themes of psychological despair, war and the psyche of the sexes, this late-career landmark may be the most life affirming film he ever made. Centering on the eponymous siblings, the film plays out in the dreamscape of childhood while traversing familial issues in the early 1900s. Having only engaged with Bergman’s work within the last decade, I expected the usual emotional sledgehammer but found this film to have a delicate touch, even given the similar terrain.
Batman Returns (1992): The argument for this being a Christmas film has been the sequel to the argument for Die Hard in recent years. Even as it’s the darkest of all the Batman movies, the themes and mise-en-scene are all in place for a favorable argument. From the Penguin (a brilliant Danny DeVito) and evil Max Schreck (Christopher Walken) as the Krampus of Gotham City, the belle falling into the exploding tree, Michelle Pfeiffer’s scene stealing role as the anarchic Catwoman and Michael Keaton’s Batman shoveling his hero complex through the snows of Gotham, the film proves a worthy sequel to the 1989 blockbuster.
Trading Places (1983): One-part A Christmas Carol and one-part satirical send-up of early 80s Reaganomics, this social experiment in class was the peak of director John Landis’ run that began with 1978’s Animal House. Dan Aykroyd as the soulless stockbroker is a masterclass in one-arc storytelling. Together with prime Eddie Murphy as the lowly grifter, Jamie Lee Curtis as the hooker with a heart of gold, and a strong comedic supporting cast, this film holds up to the test of culture due to its always timely comedic punches.
Black Christmas (1974): Lastly, a cult classic from director Bob Clarke, the same director who gave us A Christmas Story a decade later. The film’s plot is as simple as can be: an unnamed, faceless killer stalks sorority girls, mainly Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder, while on Christmas break in a “the call is coming from inside the house” scenario. Taking its cues from both the Italian Giallo genre and the Alfred Hitchcock school of dread, this low–budget horror film was a great influence on later classics like John Carpenter’s Halloween (1977) and Friday the 13th (1980).
