Posterized: Movies named after holidays
Friday, April 29, 2016 at 12:30PM With Mother's Day in theaters today starring romcom queens of yester-yore (Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts and Jennifer Aniston) the question comes to mind: What other U.S. holidays are available for Garry Marshall to make all star ensemble mosaics about? A lot of holidays are already taken as you'll see in today's Posterized. (Disclaimer: We've opted to include only movies with theatrical releases and no holiday-themed titles -- there'd be hundreds with straight to dvd titles or movies with a holiday within the title)
How many of these movies, which take their names from holidays, have you seen?
Let's take them in order of their place on the calendar.
New Year's Day (1989), New Year's Day (2000), Groundhog Day (1993)
Ash Wednesday (1973), Valentine's Day (2010), April Fool's Day (1986)
Mother's Day (2016), Independence Day (1983), Independence Day (1996)
Labor Day (2013), Halloween (1978), Halloween (2007)
Christmas Eve (1947), Christmas Eve (2015), New Year's Eve (2011)
Still waiting for the Garry Marshall Treatment: Columbus Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, Flag Day, President's Day, Easter, Father's Day, Thanksgiving... although the latter did get that sick sick sick fake slasher trailer by Eli Roth in Grindhouse (2007)
It seems beyond strange that the best movie named after a holiday is still a low budget 1970s slasher movie (that turned out great and became highly influential, for better...and usually worse). Halloween was #3 in our list of greatest modern horror movies.
Reader Comments (16)
God knows where he'll go next. I'd like to point out that SNL already spoofed this "franchise"(? hah!) with an "Apocalypse Day" skit. And, more importantly, 30 Rock once included a fake trailer for "MLK Day", starring Jenna Maroney!!
I think these fims stop with M/day,what''s with Julia busted wig from Notthing Hill's fake movie Helix.
Nat: Ash Wednesday would actually be after Valentine's Day but before April Fool's Day. Why? Ash Wednesday in 1973 (it's a rover) was March 7.
I've seen 11. I looked up the 2000 New Year's Day and it sounds very intriguing so I'll be checking that out.
I have no intention of seeing Mother's Day, it's getting terrible reviews and all the other ones Marshall did with that theme have been just awful.
That latter day Liz Taylor vehicle Ash Wednesday isn't very good but she made worse pictures during that period.
Other holiday titled movies:
Christmas Holiday (1944)
Columbus Day (2008)
Father's Day (1997)
I've seen Groundhog Day. I tried to watch Labor Day on Amazon Prime, but the video playback quality was really poor (or maybe it was my WiFi).
I think life's too short to see most of these.
Groundhog Day is the best "holiday" film.
I am so gonna watch Mother's Day even w/ bad reviews. Somehow, Jen's movies always make me happy & entertained after watching them. Definitely, this one's no different. Luv Jen!
C'mon, Nathaniel—Groundhog Day is obviously the best film on this list.
Born on the Fourth of July?
Groundhog Day and Halloween are head-and-shoulders above the rest.
There actually is a (little-seen, largely-forgotten) film called Fathers' Day (1997) that was directed by Ivan Reitman, starring Robin Williams & Billy Crystal, as well as Columbus Day (2008), starring Val Kilmer. ('memba him?) Does Easter Parade (1948) technically check the Easter box?
P.S. As a kid, I was obsessed with/terrified by the cover art for April Fools' Day (1986), which I first saw when my grandparents owned a video store in Provo, Utah, and which apparently was remade in 2008!
Does Easter Parade count?
Born on the Fourth of July?
The born on the part disqualifies it from inclusion.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day got the 30 Rock treatment! http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xo3yw7_30-rock-martin-luther-king-day-trailer_shortfilms
Yeah, I remember a Father's Day being pretty terrible. Shame you couldn't include New Year's Evil.
I'm waiting for Satan's Day.
Happy to say I've only seen three of these, including the two indisputable classics and the Liz Taylor oddity. I wouldn't mind catching the George Raft/Joan Blondell flick, but I will be avoiding the Stepford-Witches-from-Eastwick-looking Mothers Day.