WARNING: This Article May Contain Spoilers
For those who have been reading this blog for a while, you will be aware that I have discussed the different types of Christmas films that exist. Truthfully, I partly wrote that original article because of the fact that Bruce Willis claimed Die Hard wasn’t a Christmas film. Well, I thought I would jump back in again this year… especially as there were still a few films out there that I wanted to talk about originally.
Violent Night
This is actually the first time I’m covering a film straight after seeing it in the cinema. Yes, I know this article is coming out a year after the release but I wrote this paragraph a year ago! Well, for those that love a little bit of arse-kickery during the festive season then this film is for you. Not only is David Harbour a brilliant choice to play Santa but the film is an amazing balance between the usual heart-warming moral you would expect from a Christmas film and downright vengeful violence.
Now I want to pinpoint my two favourite things from this film, and if you get annoyed about spoilers then you shouldn’t have read this far! Firstly Santa’s magic works the same way as it does in the nightmare before Christmas and secondly his backstory is amazing! Something I don’t think any Christmas film has been brave enough to do in the past…
The Bitch Who Stole Christmas
So, I was expecting this film to have some homage to the story of The Grinch who Stole Christmas but for me, the only connection is that it’s set in a small town that loves Christmas. This is possibly the oddest and silliest film I’ve ever seen but I love the way it seems to take the mick out of all the hallmark Christmas films and throws in a little bit of A Christmas Carole! It had me laughing for most of the film and it’s also your typical underdog story based around the Tuckahoe broads.
A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas
So this is one of those films that is a Christmas film because it has Christmas themes. I’ll be honest, a little like Bad Santa, this is not one for the children. A typical Harold and Kumar film, there’s sex, drugs but stops before there’s any rock and roll. However, it is a feel-good film at its heart, because it’s a reminder that no matter how distant you become – if your friendship is strong enough, there will always be a friendship and it can make it through anything…. including burning down your father-in-law’s Christmas tree!
Trading Places
This is one of those category B films – set at Christmas but not specifically Christmas themed. To be honest, the only way you know it’s Christmas is by the decorations as it’s never directly mentioned. However, I will say what can be considered as a Christmas theme is the unlikely, feel good friendship that is created between Winthrop and Valentine. OK, it takes a long time for them to get there but the friendship centres around the bond of taking revenge on those who ruined Winthrop’s life for no more than a measly dollar.
The 12 Disasters of Christmas
Now, I’m not one for disaster films. Most of the ones I’ve seen have been cheesy straight-to-video and this film is no different. Obviously, the less epic ‘disasters’ of Christmas happen off-screen (dying birds, heatwave) as the first we see is the red water. I guess you could say this is a category A as the point of the film is the song The 12 Days of Christmas as it is the countdown to the end of the world and I think that’s a great premise but I don’t see the connection between certain parts of the song to what’s happening in the film. However, I feel the production values and some of the acting just makes it all come across rather cheap
All the Creatures Were Stirring
Who doesn’t love a few stories at Christmastime? I know I do as growing up I remember having The Night Before Christmas read to me every Christmas Eve. Well, here’s an anthology of not so typical Christmas stories – coincidently using lines from The Night Before Christmas as their titles! I’m not going to pretend that the acting in each segment isn’t bad – because it is, it’s very Hallmark Christmas film acting but in a weird way it makes some of the dramatic moments, more dramatic! I definitely did not expect the shot to the head in The Stockings Were Hung. However, I think the poor acting means you lose something in Dash Away All because I feel like there’s supposed to be an element of jump-scare nature to certain parts which just doesn’t exist. It didn’t help that it had a slightly anti-climactic ending. All Through the House is the only segment that is dark but has a happy ending. However of all the stories featured, Arose Such a Clatter is possibly the best.
