Christmas Movies of the Moment

by Tony Ruggio

Christmas movies, full of cheer, pretty lights, and sometimes reindeer. I grew up on ‘em, on Home Alone and Christmas Vacation. I continued loving ‘em as a big kid even, with Elf and The Santa Clause holding a special place in my cold heart. They used to be one of those seasonal things Hollywood did best, but as comedy has sunk, so have movies set during the holidays. 

They were on the fast track to extinction, in fact, until streaming came along. Sure, there were Hallmark hate-watches and other network specials gasping for attention. Hallmark still has a certain devoted fan base despite the decline of cable television, but theatrical movie-going has been devoid of the holiday spirit for some time now. Thanks to Netflix, I’ve been able to indulge and Christmas party like it’s 1999, so here are three new Christmas films you may have heard of (there are two more I won’t even mention) that you may or may not want to spend time with this season...

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Review: Last Christmas

by Chris Feil

A sure signal of the coming holiday season at the movies is the arrival of unpretentious lighter fare like Last Christmas. This year’s offering falls in line with the easy charms of such previous entries as The Holiday and Almost Christmas, but also arrives with a somewhat affably strange lump of ingredients. Inspired by the Wham! song and packed with a slew of George Michael songs, the Paul Feig-directed film is co-written by Emma Thompson (with Bryony Kimmings and Greg Wise) and offers up timely context within a classic romcom structure. It’s a sugar high of a movie that remains grounded in some substance, not exactly tidy but satisfyingly more than meets the eye.

Emilia Clarke plays the disillusioned would-be singer and Yugoslavian immigrant Kate, couch-hopping between friends that she quickly burns out with carelessness and working in a Christmas-themed giftshop. She avoids her family, particularly her domineering mother (also played by Thompson), and is increasingly testing the patience of her demanding but doting boss (Michelle Yeoh). Kate’s self-destructiveness comes after a serious illness has left her not with renewed gratitude, but with a diminished sense of self she has internalized into constant misbehavior. But her main challenger in the struggle comes when a charming man on a bike named Tom (Henry Golding) wanders in and out of her life.

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Ten Coolest Celebrities Born on Christmas Day

It must be weird to be born on Christmas day, if you celebrate Christmas that is. As a kid do you only receive one present or do parents double up or are there other arrangements to give you what your siblings go with two unwrapping holidays each year. Happy birthday to anyone reading who has this very specific life circumstance. Merry Christmas to any of you who celebrate and Happy Tuesday to any of you who don't! We're trying our best to be inclusive.

Perhaps you're taking a wee online break away from family festivities today? We don't imagine you'll be doing much intense reading today so herewith a list about Christmas babies with pretty photos for you.

TEN BEST SHOWBIZ CHRISTMAS BABIES
They were gifts to their parents on Christmas day and also, as it turns out, gifts to the world through their big showbiz careers as either actors, producers, writers, musicians, personalities or all above the above. We've selected the ten greatest ever (in alpha order) after the jump...

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To Me, You Are Perfect: Ranking the Stories in "Love Actually"

By Spencer Coile 

Every holiday season, we sit down with our favorite festive movies and return to the magic these films have to offer. Some turn to classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life or the various renditions of A Christmas Carol. Others favor Die Hard, Gremlins, or something a bit more contemporary -- The Family Stone, anyone? Regardless, we come back to our favorites for comfort and a jolly mood.

Love Actually, to me, is that Christmas movie. Using the “interwoven lives” structure that so many rom-coms have since used disastrously, Love Actually uses the formula with beautiful effect. The result is a kindhearted, giant hug of a film that always manages to lift the spirits. Put on your holiday hats as we rank the 9 storylines... 

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Blueprints: "Edward Scissorhands"

Happy holidays, everyone! Jorge takes a look at a beloved cinematic moment that feels like Christmas...

 

For this week’s “Blueprints”, a film that isn't so much about a particular holiday, as one that encompassed the feeling of it: flickering, warm, and hopefully lovely. So let’s see what Winona Ryder dancing under a stream of shaven snow looked like on the pages of the Edward Scissorhands script...

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