Movies 15 - 11

This will be a short post as I started it well later than I should have and don't have much to say about the first five entries of the list.

Movie #15 - Gremlins

Not a Christmas movie you say?  Why does Randall buy Gizmo in the first place?  The answer is Christmas, and that is enough to get it on this list.



Movie #14 - The Santa Clause

Terrible tagline, just terrible.

What the hell happened to Tim Allen?  During the Home Improvement years of the nineties it seemed like you couldn't turn around without hearing that stupid grunt coming from somewhere.  In 1994 Allen starred in The Santa Clause and launched a movie career that would largely fizzle out to a series of flops and ill advised sequels by the end of the decade (and movie "career" might be a bit generous as it includes Jungle 2 Jungle and Galaxy Quest as part of hit golden age).  Between the holiday hit and the wildly popular Toy Story soon after, it seemed like the sky was the limit for Allen.  I would list his poor movie choices of the past ten years as an illustration of how far he has fallen, but you probably wouldn't know any of them.


Movie #13 - Scrooged




One of the downsides to compiling a list of this sort with other people is that occasionally you run across something that you have no knowledge of.  This is one of those times.  If I saw Scrooged as a child, I certainly don't remember it.

However, I have a standing rule that anything Bill Murray does gets the benefit of the doubt, and between him in the lead role and the lovely Karen Allen as his love interest, I have nothing but faith that this #13 ranking is deserved, sight unseen.

Movie #12 - Love Actually

Rowan Atkinson is OK in my book.

What does it say about me that I haven't seen Bill Murray's Christmas movie, but I have seen arguably the biggest holiday themed chick flick of all time?  Don't answer that.  Not only have I seen Love Actually, but I actually remember enjoying the movie.  If you couldn't bring yourself to at least feel some emotion, then I just don't know what will melt your icy heart.

The only bad thing I can find to say about Love Actually is that it seems to me that it is the stylistic origin of progressively worse movies like He's Not That in to You and later Valentines Day.


Movie #11 - Bad Santa

This very well could be the role that Billy Bob Thornton was.  A disgruntled mall Santa Claus involved in a crime plot to knock over department stores during the holidays, who is teamed up with a filthy mouthed midget and is trying to pull one over on John Ritter and Bernie Mac as the store manager and head of security?  Add in the fact that I have always had a thing for Lauren Graham and the Coen Brothers are involved and you have a perfect recipe for a hilariously dark Christmas movie.

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Five more songs to come tomorrow, then back on Monday for another week of the countdown.