Hey there guys! I hope this Christmas season is treating you well. I trust everyone is finding time to sit down with family and friends and enjoy some good food, drink, and some good movies. Just like with my Halloween movie and TV suggestions, I’m going to break down some awesome geeky Christmas movies and TV that should not be missed this holiday.
Of course everyone has their favorites, and they shouldn’t be missed either. “Christmas Story”, “ Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” are always on some of the big ones this time of year, and they are all great.
But my family and I roll a little different. I hope some of these suggestions make it into your holiday this year.
Justice League: Season Two “Comfort and Joy”
This stand-alone episode isbroken down into three stories, all involving Christmas and The League. Everyone is looking forward to the Christmas season- except J’onn J’onzz and Hawkgirl, who are unfamiliar with Earth’s holidays. Clark takes J’onn to Smallvile to enjoy a down home traditional Christmas, Green Lantern and Hawkgirl have a furious snowball fight and then end up in an alien bar where they drink the night away, and The Flash teams up with Ultra-Humanite to track down the hottest toy of the season for a bunch of orphans.
This is a great episode with some wonderful characters moments and an over all good Christmas feeling.
The Batman Animated Series: Season Four “Holiday Knights”
This episode contains three Christmas-themed vignettes, all completely unrelated to one another. The first story stars Batman in pursuit of Gotham’s bad girls Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn; the following tale features Batgirl’s confrontation with Clayface; finally we have The Joker on the loose with Batman and Robin trying to stop him.
This is one damn good episode. In addition to some some awesome and humorous moments, its ending is a great scene shared between Batman and Gordon that helps to highlight why BTAS is still one of the best shows ever on TV.
Black Christmas
A 1974 horror film inspired by the urban legend called “The Baby-Sitter”, the film is notable for being one of the first slasher films, inspiring later titles such as Friday the 13th and John Carpenter’s Halloween.
The majority of the film takes place in a sorority house during Christmas time. A handful of girls didn’t go home for the holidays and are being stalked by an unseen figure in their own home. I urge most people to give this a shot. This is an amazing horror film for the day and you can see how inspired some of the great horror films of the future.
Scrooged
A 1980’s take on the classic Charles Dickens “A Christmas Carol”. Bill Murray stars as a conceited, cynical television-programming executive who’s risen atop the crushed bodies of the little people. But this Christmas, he comes face with the Ghost of Christmas Past, Present and Future.As he tries to find the meaning of Christmas and where his life went wrong, we tag along for some encounters with a few memorable characters.
This movie is hands-down just crazy. So much random humor that my family and I still laugh at the same crazy parts over and over again no matter how many times we’ve seen it. This is one that differently should not to be missed.
The Muppets Christmas Carol
Another version of the Dickens classic, but this time brought to you by The Muppets, this is considered one of the better versions of this story brought to life on screen. We join Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo and all the rest of the crazy Muppets as we watch them help Michael Caine’s Scrooge find his meaning of Christmas.
This movie has some great songs and very funny moments. If you have kids or children at heart in your home, this should always be at the top of your Christmas viewing list.
Supernatural: Season Three “ A Very Supernatural Christmas”
Sam and Dean find themselves investigating some murders committed by an anti-Santa who pulls his victims up the chimney; but the real truth is far darker than either of them had imagined. Blend a mix of tradional Christmas and The Pagan Gods of Yule.
This episode is a nice touch for horror fans. It has some nice horror moments and fits nicely into the Supernatural canon of the show.
Gremlins
The 1984 horror comedy centered around a young man who is given a strange creature for Christmas, the Mogwai, Gizmo. He is told three rules that must never be broken: Never expose it to bright lights, never get it wet, and never feed it after midnight.
Of course none of these rules are kept.
Once wet Gizmo multiplies into other more dangerous Mogwai. And then they are fed after midnight, which turns them into horrible little monsters spreading havoc across town.
One of my favorite movies ever made. Extremely humorous, it has some great moments for any fan of horror comedy genre. Great special effects for the day and some good scares for kids.
And lets be honest…. Gizmo is just so damn cute.
White Christmas
White Christmas is a bit different from the rest of this list. But this film has been a staple every Christmas Eve since I was old enough to walk this is watched, come rain or shine. Thus 1954’s classic follows the story of two army vets after World War II who becomes a great comedy, singing duo. On their way to booking they meet two ladies who convince them to come with them to Vermont and mount a Christmas Production up there for the season. What follows is a simple story about love, family and the Christmas Spirit.
Featuring some of the greatest songs of the time period and some of the biggest actors of the 1950’s this is just a classic. They don’t make’em like this anymore, and it evokes some very nice memories. If you’re looking for something a little different give this a shot, even if it’s not you thing you can at least appreciate the filming and how movie where once made.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
This 1989 movie is a perfect example of how everything that can go wrong at Christmas will, with as much comedic flair as expected. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is by far one of the funniest Christmas movies ever made, once more following Clark Griswold Jr. into the maw of madness.
If you haven’t seen this…stop. Go get it! No questions asked. This is a perfect movie for anyone at Christmas time.
Pee-wee’s Playhouse Christmas Special
From 1988, this is one crazy TV special that should not missed. If you’re a fan of Pee-wee then you most likely already have seen this. But if you’re just a fan of crazy humor and random 80’s celebrity cameos then this is the special for you.
The special follows Pee-wee as he gets ready for Christmas, joined by his usual cast of funny chacacters. But suddenly out of nowhere comes Zsa Zsa Gabor, a talking cow, Oprah, Joan Rivers, Whoopi, Little Richard, Grace Jones, Cher, Magic Johnson, and a host of other baffling surprises.
So I totally recommend cracking a six-pack, sit back and get ready for a totally awesome walk down 1980’s memory lane.
The Doctor Who Christmas Specials
Any of these Christmas specials are worth watching, but the two that I love the most are “The Runaway Bride” from 2006 and “A Christmas Carol” from 2010.
The Christmas Carol is a wonderful, wistful sci-fi take on Dickens’ classic tale, featuring some good special effects and a touching friendship between the Doctor and a young boy trying to understand his father.
The Runaway Bride, on the other hand, is just fun, the first appearance of Who companion Donna Noble. This lighthearted special sets up their great Season 4 friendship.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
First aired in 1965, this prime-time television special based on the beloved cast of Peanuts has become an American TV Christmas tradition. Despite its age, its sincere sentiment makes it a vision into a different time.
A Charlie Brown Christmas is a comforting contrast to modern Christmas over-commercialization. It’s a reminder that the true meaning of Christmas revolves around family and friend coming together to celebrate, a badly-needed contrast to both cynical and saccharine modern attempts to profit off Christmas spirit.
I hope some of these make it into your Christmas viewing this year. Christmas is a hard time for some these days, and hopefully these people can find some comfort in these old and new classics. that those people could take comfort in watching something old, new, or beloved that makes them smile this time of year.
Everyone needs somebody this time of year. I hope you all have a wonderful holiday.