** Click here for Episode 160 **
Ho ho ho and ho again; here’s a question from Callum in Devon:
Simple Question: Best Christmas Movie?
How can you say that’s a simple question, Callum? It’s far from simple even to pick the ultimate Christmas movie genre – kiddie caper, blubfest, classic black-and-white film, modern farce, something involving Scrooge, etc etc… And what about shorts like The Snowman, or those movies which aren’t about Christmas but are always on at Christmas, and therefore enter the canon of Christmas movies? Movies set at Christmas but not about Christmas (eg Gremlins), do they count? And does ‘best’ mean the film that is Christmassiest, or the one that is artistically superior?
Tshch, the choice is overwhelming me; I must go and lie down. While I do that, readers, go to the comments and tell us which is your favourite festive film.
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Answer Me This! Podcast 
January 12, 2011 at 4:15 pm |
Not that cheery, but Black Christmas- the sorority house murderathon responsible for the “The Calls are coming from INSIDE THE HOUSE!” stories your older sibling used to scare the beguggles out of you with when you were little. Thanks a lot Margot Kidder…bitch.
January 9, 2011 at 12:54 pm |
Im the callum in quesrtion, cheers for answering my question, it made my day, hell it even made my week!
January 8, 2011 at 6:20 am |
im so happy because my self is have ah no problem !!!!!!!!!!!!!!……………………………………… ^………………………………………….^
December 20, 2010 at 10:05 pm |
Love actually is my gay movie that i love!!!!!
December 20, 2010 at 8:47 pm |
I’m not sure why it gets shown in the US every Christmas, but The Wizard of Oz.
But my fave Christmas airing has to be Pee-Wee’s CHristmas Special, which I air on DVD as the first Christmas show I watch each year.
December 19, 2010 at 10:57 pm |
Die Hard or Home Alone. Classics.
December 16, 2010 at 11:56 am |
HOME ALONE!!!
only the first one the others are pants
macaulay culkin is sooo cute….. but now he is werid and ugly
Shame 😦
Happy Crimble
xxxxx
December 16, 2010 at 10:33 am |
For Christmas 2011 I’m looking forward to The Men Who Stare at Reindeer.
Otherwise I like to bath in the festive snowy cheer that is Ice Storm.
December 16, 2010 at 1:37 am |
Meet Me in St. Louis, for the snowman massacre alone.
Scrooged
The Family Stone (have to add that one because my friend is in it)
December 15, 2010 at 9:33 pm |
Its a wonderful life! Not that christmassy but watch it every year! If you counted tv shows I would say ‘the box of delights’ wonderful 80’s nostalgia u watch every christmas eve
December 15, 2010 at 12:01 pm |
Muppet Christmas Carol, A Wonderful Life. A nightmare before Christmas. Funnily enough, I wwas good friends with the sister of the woman who was in charge of animation on Nightmare…
December 15, 2010 at 9:25 am |
Elf, all versions of A Christmas Carol, especially Scrooge with Albert Finney and Alec Guinness. I love most Christmas films! Die Hard does stand out as a Christmas film for me too, love it!
December 14, 2010 at 11:49 pm |
A Muppet Family Christmas
December 14, 2010 at 9:38 pm |
What about Santa Claus The Movie? I have to watch that every christmas. Saying that, Scrooged might just edge it if I had to pick just one.
December 14, 2010 at 7:51 pm |
I don’t think it’s the best Xmas flick ever (which is Scrooged, obviously!) BUT….an honourable mention has to goto Rare Exports : A Christmas Tale, which was out at the cinema last week (and may well still be in old London town). A charming Finnish Xmas tale, with a lot of blood. And old men’s wangs. Go see it.
December 14, 2010 at 6:37 pm |
You can’t say Home Alone isn’t about Christmas; his Christmas wish is that he gets his parents back!
My top 5 are…..
Muppet’s Christmas Carol
Home Alone
Elf
Father Christmas (The lesser known twin of the Snowman, but from the point of view of Santa… he goes on summer holidays and everything!)
Nightmare Before Christmas
December 14, 2010 at 6:32 pm |
Muppet Christmas Carol.
I don’t count movies that are set at Christmas but not really about Christmas so Die Hard and Home Alone don’t count. If it hasn’t got Santa, Jesus, reindeers, Scrooge or a desperate battle to save Christmas it’s not a Christmas film.
I’ve only watched It’s A Wonderful Life once and it was amazing but can’t remember the story too well so don’t know if it meets my strict rules for Christmas inclusion.
December 14, 2010 at 4:59 pm |
Gremlins and Die Hard count.
I don’t have a single favourite, but I love:
The Grinch, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Gremlins, Home Alone, Die Hard 1+2 and Christmas Specials of South Park/The Simpsons/Family Guy. And you can’t go wrong with Merry Christmas Charlie Brown.
December 14, 2010 at 4:35 pm |
Scrooged with Billy Murray (until the singing at the end) and Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase. No sappy xmas stuff for me eh?
December 14, 2010 at 4:25 pm |
The REAL question this week is whether Ollie has heard what Richard Herring said about him on the Collings and Herrin podcast… I mean, he’s not THAT bad-looking.
December 14, 2010 at 4:30 pm |
I doubt it – which episode and approximate timecode? I haven’t the time to trawl through their entire back catalogue…
December 17, 2010 at 12:52 am |
It’s the most recent episode, 143, and starts about 30 minutes in. I believe they would like Answer Me This and the Collings and Herrin Podcast to have a Jets and Sharks style feud.
December 27, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Olly is also mentioned in the most recent Precious Little podcast, about 20 minutes in. Sorry Olly, although Michael Legge is half complimentary.
You guys need to fight back!
December 14, 2010 at 4:18 pm |
I have to say Die Hard is my favourite christmas movie.
Like most of my christmas’ he end up in a massive fight and swears a lot.
Can’t say I’ve ever thrown someone out of the window though
December 14, 2010 at 4:16 pm |
Home Alone.. 1 or 2.. don’t care which; they’re both amazing.
I love them to bits.
Also, strangely, I agree with Die Hard too.
December 14, 2010 at 4:14 pm |
Muppet Christmas Carol, every time.
Also Bernard and the Genie, but nobody has ever heard of that, so…
December 14, 2010 at 4:10 pm |
Jean Shepherd,’s _A Christmas Story_. Nothing else is even close. I watched it and loved it as a child, and I still watch it and love it. _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ is second in my book. The best thing I can say about _It’s a Wonderful Life_ is if you can find an original print of this film it still burns quite nicely in a festive, holiday way.
December 14, 2010 at 4:00 pm |
Best Christmas Movie :
It’s an oldie and very obvious but it has to be :
The Snowman
I am 24 and still love this film, my mother actually bought it me on DVD for christmas last year in fact!
Nostalgic, weepy and makes you feel all warm inside – a classic !
December 14, 2010 at 3:56 pm |
“It’s a Wonderful Life” is my top pick followed by “A Nightmare Before Christmas”.
December 14, 2010 at 3:43 pm |
Has to be It’s a Wonderful Life. A classic combining life’s problems and triumphs with christmas cheer. Plus it’s got James Stewart in. Unbeatable.
December 14, 2010 at 3:42 pm |
Muppet Christmas Carol. Die Hard.
I also assosciate Airplane! strongly with Christmas, simply because it’s always on TV (usually on Five) around that time. Looking forward to settling down to my annual viewing soon.
December 14, 2010 at 3:41 pm |
Best Christmas movie? Has to be Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas… Brilliant story, brilliant music and fab stop-motion animation.