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I thought about doing a thread for this movie, but it seemed more efficient to hit all the ones we watch this year in one thread. Anyway, first off -
LAST CHRISTMAS (2019)
Paul Feig directed and Emma Thompson was one of the writers. Emilia Clarke stars as a young lady whose life is a mess. She came to England from Croatia with her parents when she was a young girl. Emma Thompson chews the scenery as her mother, who was traumatized by the war. (Not sure why they didn't get a Croatian actress.) She works in a Christmas boutique owned by Michelle Yeoh. Henry Golding is a mysterious man who keeps coming to visit her
This was sort of odd. Amusing but not laugh out loud, and it took a supernatural/magic realist turn, which would be a spoiler so I won't mention. A happy ending but not what you'd expect at the outset.
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I saw this. I thought I reviewed it.
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"Everly", "Violent Night", and "Die Hard" are my top holiday movies. Violent Night was the best holiday-themed of them, since it took all of the holiday movie tropes and kicked them in the ghoulies...then helped them up and dusted them off.
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I never thought of Everly as a xmas film. But I will from now on.
![[Image: rs_1024x492-150127142252-1024-everly-sal...center,top]](https://akns-images.eonline.com/eol_images/Entire_Site/2015027/rs_1024x492-150127142252-1024-everly-salma-hayek.ls.12715.jpg?fit=around%7C1024:492&output-quality=90&crop=1024:492;center,top)
Because I like blue...
I always like to watch some version of the Christmas Carol over the holidays.
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A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life for the holidays.
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Wonderful Life used to be on my list too but it’s too long. Anything over 2 hours needs a fight scene or a Bollywood dance number.
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Don't give up on Bert and Ernie!
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Besides It's a Wonderful Life, I always have to watch The Bishop's Wife. It's probably my favorite of the really old ones. Of that era, I also like It Happened on Fifth Avenue, and Christmas in Connecticut.
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When I was a kid, we'd somehow manage to watch the original King Kong, and Alakazam the great. I recall it happening more than once, so those are my Xmas flix
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Muppet Christmas Carol, always.
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YES! Always that one. It's the only version that has some of Dicken's narration.
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(12-20-2025, 05:09 PM)King Bob Wrote: YES! Always that one. It's the only version that has some of Dicken's narration.
Apparently, the costumes are also totally spot on. Love me some Muppets!
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12-20-2025, 07:59 PM
(This post was last modified: 12-20-2025, 08:00 PM by Greg.)
Have any of you seen Rod Serling's take on a Christmas Carol? Just learned about it today.
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I don't remember it.
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Seen
Serling wrote this after Twilight Zone finished as a promotion for the United Nations. It’s got some solid actors - Steve Lawrence, Peter Sellers, Ben Gazzera, Eva Marie Saint, James Shigata… But it’s a major twist on the tale. Daniel Grudge is the Scrooge taking on a conservative stance that’s a maga precursor, and it’s about WWII and fear of the bomb. The dialog is longwinded in that exactly verbose style of Serling, and here it comes off as very preachy. It ends with Imperial ME (Sellers) which reeks of the selfish narcissist tone in our government today - disturbingly spot on at points. This film is as old as me - premiered in 64. It’s longwinded dialog, more of a debate between arithmetic and compassion. The Xmas present was like an ICE detention center. Preachy for Serling, but with me it was preaching to the choir. Especially for me.
It’s an enjoyable watch - a must see for Twilight Zone fans - but not something I’ll make an annual Xmas movie. I suspect I won’t watch this again.
Mildly D00M recommended; hou gotta be into that singular Serling style - a must watch for Serling fans.
Only reccomended for D00M Serling fans.
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