Chris’s Top 5 Must Watch Holiday Movies!
By Chris Conkling
5. Iron Man 3 (2013)
Prior to the Hawkeye limited series or the more recent “Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special”, “Iron Man 3” was the only way for an MCU fanatic to get their holiday fix. Initially, Iron Man 3’s inclusion in my holiday season started as a joke. A way to fluster my wife and upset those close to me that hated the film. I would tell people, “If Die Hard qualifies as a Christmas movie, so does Iron Man 3”, and in 2013 I forcibly integrated it into my family’s holiday traditions. When “Iron Man 3” was released, I thought it was a mediocre, middle-of-the-road Marvel film, however, it is amazing how 9 years of pushing myself to watch this movie has drastically changed my opinion. By 2017, “Iron Man 3” became an integral part of putting me in the holiday mood and kicking off the season. It has become pavlovian. All its faults unintentionally washed away by the memories and emotions with which I have imbued it, and now… it’s simply not Christmas until Tony executes the “clean slate protocol”.
4. Elf (2003)
The term “instant classic” is thrown around a lot, and few films are legitimately worthy of that level of cult appeal, however, in 2003 Jon Favreau’s “Elf” starring Will Ferrell and Zooey Deschanel truly became an “instant Christmas classic”. The charm of the film derives from Will Ferrell’s genuinely innocent and naive performance as Buddy the Elf, and the way he interacts with his jaded cast-mates. The film is a heartfelt fish-out-of-water story and should be mandatory viewing for any holiday movie marathon.
3. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966/2000/2018)
Whether you enjoy the original 1966 Chuck Jones cartoon, the film starring Jim Carrey from 2000, or the most recent 2018 animated flick from Illumination, there is a flavor of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” for everyone. However you choose to watch this Dr. Seuss classic, its themes are always the same. The holidays are about being with loved ones and cherishing the time spent together, not the material items we give each other. A message of which many might need reminding.
2. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
How can you beat a Charles Dickens classic Christmas tale starring The Muppets and Oscar-winning actor Sir Michael Caine? The answer is, you cannot. “The Muppets Christmas Carol” has everything; heart, comedy, and more than a couple moments which will bring a tear to your eye. Not only is the film a masterclass in set construction and shot composition, but Sir Michael Caine delivers a captivating performance and acts as if he is sharing a set with genuine thespians. This year marks the 30th anniversary of “The Muppets Christmas Carol”, and to celebrate, Disney has finally released the full-length version of the film on Disney+. This new cut re-inserts the song, “When Love is Gone,” which has been removed and included off and on over the film’s home release history, and until this year was not available on Disney+.
1. Home Alone (1990)
Written by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus, this film from 1990 screams Christmas! The set dressing, color motifs, score by John Williams (which was nominated for an Academy Award that year), all of it merges to give off an intrinsically Christmas feeling. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern deliver absolutely zany physically comedic performances as the incompetent Wet Bandits, and Macaulay Culkin’s performance as Kevin McAllister made him a child superstar sensation.