Pass the mince pies- Christmas Chat Thread Part Deux

Jude13

I am slightly different, if we are in Ireland for Christmas then it's a slog till mid-term in April (my OH is a teacher). That's the toughest period as a group. My OH has the summer off and goes home or on holidays, it's far too hot here in the summer. I tend to use the hot months, whilst the OH is away, to do all the work requirements I hate and fly to all the lovely destinations I would not wish upon an enemy. It's post this, usually the end of August when my year gets fun again, weather is better and the run in to Christmas begins.

TLDR: Jan to April is a pain but have nice weather and family.

Littlehorny

Recorded it last Christmas but the wife and myself finally set an afternoon aside and watched It's a Wonderful Life.

Love the ending to the film, it was a re-mastered version so it was in colour. I think she sat through it for me because it's Fathers Day

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's on here.

PTH2009

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zy-qnSi3zE

Amazing version and very Christmas

2014 was such a horrible Xmas for me but this is one positive from it

DvB

Littlehorny wrote: »

Recorded it last Christmas but the wife and myself finally set an afternoon aside and watched It's a Wonderful Life.

Love the ending to the film, it was a re-mastered version so it was in colour. I think she sat through it for me because it's Fathers Day

Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's on here.

Funnily enough despite loving that film I can't watch the colourised version, much prefer the B&W one.

Bought the blueray a few years back & it has both versions on it (along with a load of additional extras that are worth the cost of the BR alone) and one Christmas Eve stuck on the coloured one, had to turn it off after 10 minutes & put on the original B&W version as I found it more appealing for some reason.

Not everyone on here likes it but I think its the greatest Christmas film of all time.

Jude13

I still haven't managed to get through that movie, I have no idea why. Though I have only attempted to watch it with my OH who voiced disapproval throughout which may have caused me to never finish it. Similar to when I walk in and she has real house wifes on.

antimatterx

It's a very wintery day out there today.

DvB

Jude13 wrote: »

I still haven't managed to get through that movie, I have no idea why. Though I have only attempted to watch it with my OH who voiced disapproval throughout which may have caused me to never finish it. Similar to when I walk in and she has real house wifes on.

The casual violence (especially towards children) is a bit of an eyebrow raiser for sure and could definitely have modern day viewers turning off.

Littlehorny

Jude13 wrote: »

I still haven't managed to get through that movie, I have no idea why. Though I have only attempted to watch it with my OH who voiced disapproval throughout which may have caused me to never finish it. Similar to when I walk in and she has real house wifes on.

Before yesterday I had never seen the whole film from start to finish in one sitting, always half here and half there.
In fairness to you the film is over 2 and a half hours long, so it's a whole afternoon to spare job!
I said to the wife that the film is a bit too long, some of it, especially his early life could have been condensed and we still would have got a good feel for George's life up till the main crux of the film.

Littlehorny

DvB wrote: »

Funnily enough despite loving that film I can't watch the colourised version, much prefer the B&W one.

Bought the blueray a few years back & it has both versions on it (along with a load of additional extras that are worth the cost of the BR alone) and one Christmas Eve stuck on the coloured one, had to turn it off after 10 minutes & put on the original B&W version as I found it more appealing for some reason.

Not everyone on here likes it but I think its the greatest Christmas film of all time.

Enjoyed the colour version actually, only issue I had was James Stewart looked too old to be playing the young adult George Bailey round about his college going years.
It's a silly one I know but my favourite Christmas film has always been National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

Jude13

My favourite has changed over time due to excessive watching. It probably still is national lampoons, but Die Hard (not a wind up), and Home Alone 1 are still up there. For many years it was scrooged as it was rarely shown. I also love the really old B&W Christmas carol.

Please please please watch the original 'Black Christmas', especially around Halloween. It is a brilliant movie. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Christmas_(1974_film)#:~:text=Black%20Christmas%20(Canadian%20French%3A%20No%C3%ABl,written%20by%20A.%20Roy%20Moore.&text=It%20is%20the%20first%20film%20in%20the%20Black%20Christmas%20series.

DvB

Littlehorny wrote: »

It's a silly one I know but my favourite Christmas film has always been National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

Joint top!!:D

antimatterx

My favourite Christmas film is Home Alone (1/2). Other notable films i really enjoy are The Grinch, Elf, Fred Clause.

Other films that aren't Christmas films, but I love watching at Christmas include Father of the Bride 1/2, Harry Potter, The Shawshank Redemption, and Terminal.

DvB

I have my own personal list that are 'must watches' on the run up, these would be:

Its a wonderful life (always on Christmas Eve)
National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
The Family Man
Home Alone 1
Home Alone 2
Elf
& it all starts with the nightmare before Christmas in the first week of November!

Others I can take or leave but the ones above I will watch every year.

Jude13

The Family man, a rarely mentioned gem.

Harry Potter reminds me of Christmas also. Pre elves when I would be away working and flying back to Ireland for Christmas I would get tipsy before the flight, and during the flight, and I would throw on a Harry Potter movie on the plane. I would be embarrassed if people saw an adult watching it so with the booze I wasnt bothered. Seems so silly now.

TRS30

Too many posts to quote so will try to do one catch up!

Firstly, great to come in and see 7 bold threads, its been a while

Not that I though it was possible however this year has flown by!! The nights start getting shorter from tonight, we are in the second half of the year already.

Am a fan of 'It's a Wonderful Life' and would watch is most Christmas'. The wife said she could take it or leave it. However after finally getting her to watch 'Casablanca' and she said it OK, I secretly reject all her thoughts on movies now . I have never seen the colour version however imagine I probably wouldn't like it. Some movies need to be left the way they made.

My top Christmas movies wouldn't be too different to DvB's, would add 'Muppets Christmas Carol' and 'The Santa Clause' trilogy.

DvB

Jude13 wrote: »

The Family man, a rarely mentioned gem.

Harry Potter reminds me of Christmas also. Pre elves when I would be away working and flying back to Ireland for Christmas I would get tipsy before the flight, and during the flight, and I would throw on a Harry Potter movie on the plane. I would be embarrassed if people saw an adult watching it so with the booze I wasnt bothered. Seems so silly now.

Have never watched a Harry Potter movie or read a Harry Potter book.

Jude13

I read two of the books whilst in hospital and doped up to the gills. I hated flying at the time so would research what movies I had on the plane prior to the flight and make sure they covered the 8+ hours. To make sure that I didn't have any moments where my mind was able to drift to the fact that I was at 30,000 feet in a a metal tube of death, I would line up movies that I knew would keep my mind happy. These would usually be Christmas movies.

Littlehorny

Another film I really like is Love Actually, is it a Christmas movie though?

jellybear

Littlehorny wrote: »

Another film I really like is Love Actually, is it a Christmas movie though?

Oh yes, definitely!! Love that movie

New Home

Funny that Alan Rickman is in at least 3 of these films.

Posy

I was not keen on It's A Wonderful Life at all the first time I watched it, but when I re-watched it, I really enjoyed it a lot more! I re-watched the colourised version actually, but don't know if that made any difference.

Littlehorny wrote: »

James Stewart looked too old to be playing the young adult George Bailey round about his college going years.

I thought Jimmy Stewart looked well in his forties, so it was strange watching scenes where he is meant to be just finished high school and talking about going away to college. :pac:

Jude13 wrote: »

The Family man, a rarely mentioned gem.

I've still never seen that- must rectify it this year!! It just never seems to be on!

I love the Harry Potter books, but have not seen the films, so I wouldn't associate them with Christmas at all.
I think Love Actually is only okay, but still watchable.

DvB

Posy wrote: »

I thought Jimmy Stewart looked well in his forties, so it was strange watching scenes where he is meant to be just finished high school and talking about going away to college. :pac:

I've still never seen that- must rectify it this year!! It just never seems to be on!

The age of Jimmy Stewart never really bothered me I must admit (I think the B&W helps in that regard )

Do see The family Man Posy, I'd be amazed if you didn't love it. I adore it, & without giving anything away theres one scene at the end that definitely brings out the feels massively. A great little film that one.

TRS30

Posy wrote: »

I thought Jimmy Stewart looked well in his forties, so it was strange watching scenes where he is meant to be just finished high school and talking about going away to college. :pac:

I was reading yesterday that Jamie Foxx who is 53 is playing a young Mike Tyson :eek:

Posy

There's Jimmy there, playing a 21 year old.



I have a few issues with It's a Wonderful Life, and it's overall message- but one thing problematic for me was that in the version of events where George was never born... his wife Mary ends up tragically... and devastatingly... a single woman with a job.


A fate worse than death in 1946 it seems! :pac:

DvB

Posy wrote: »

There's Jimmy there, playing a 21 year old.



I have a few issues with It's a Wonderful Life, and it's overall message- but one thing problematic for me was that in the version of events where George was never born... his wife Mary ends up tragically... and devastatingly... a single woman with a job.


A fate worse than death in 1946 it seems! :pac:

I have no doubt it'll go down the PC route and will have a warning inserted at the start that 'The following film reflects outdated ideals, opinions & actions that were of a time and do not reflect society of today' or suchlike... a bit like the gone with the wind situation (for different reasons obviously).
It already happened with other films so its not like its a brand new idea, but I do expect it to become more widespread as time goes on.

TRS30

I agree DvB. Different times, so things that were seen as acceptable at the time are not now or frowned upon. I do think these go too far at time unfortunately.

DvB

TRS30 wrote: »

I agree DvB. Different times, so things that were seen as acceptable at the time are not now or frowned upon. I do think these go too far at time unfortunately.

I agree, but that's a wormhole of a debate I really don't want to go down, its toxic.

Anyway... on a lighter note, saw an ad for christmas trees yesterday! yay!

TRS30

Agree (lots of agreeing today )

Where did you see that??

DvB

TRS30 wrote: »

Agree (lots of agreeing today )

Where did you see that??

Was out on site driving down some back roads in the Kildare, maynooth/Celbridge area & saw a sign at the side of the road. At the time I laughed and said someone had forgotten to take last years one down which was probably the case to be fair.

Still cheered me up though

freshpopcorn