My Favorite Things - Top 10 Christmas Movies

It's December 1, so it's officially Christmas season!  I love Christmas and love celebrating (the desk at the office is already decorated as is the apartment), so there are going to be a lot of Christmas posts over the coming 24 days.

I'm going to start with the first of My Favorite Things, a collection of Top 10 lists related to Christmas.  With this list, I'm going to be covering my top 10 favorite Christmas movies.  To be clear, when I say Christmas movie, I mean one where the celebration of Christmas, its meaning, and its message are central to the movie.  It's not just a setting. Meaning primarily Die Hard is not on this list.

With that addressed, here are my Top 10 Favorite Christmas movies, in release date order.

• Christmas in Connecticut (1945) - I love the character actors in this one.  Sydney Greenstreet and  Szőke Szakáll.  Plus it has a Christmas marriage/romance plot that would make a Hallmark movie jealous.
• Its a Wonderful Life (1946) - The Christmas classic.  A surprisingly dark, but hopeful film from Frank Capra, reflecting a bit of how his outlook changed from what he saw in World War II.  The perfect reminder for the reach of one man.
• It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) - An underrated Christmas classic, revealing how Aloysius T. McKeever spends his December in New York City.  Another excellent cast of character actors and a great message on the power of generosity.
• Miracle on 34th St (1947) - We believe in Santa Claus.  The movie that made Macy's the undisputed king of Christmas.  Great performances by Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'Hara, and Natalie Wood.  We have our own precocious little girl who has a lot of Natalie Wood in her.
• White Christmas (1954) - The Christmas musical.  The best selling Christmas song of all time, and a great quartet in the lead. And We'll Follow the Old Man at the end is guaranteed to bring a little mist to the eyes.
• A Christmas Story (1983) - In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash.  One of the funniest Christmas movies with so many great moments.  I'm determined to have a "Major Award" as our primary Christmas decoration visible from the outside once we have a house.
• Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) - Michael Cain is the best Scrooge.  He could truly be the best incarnation of Scrooge in a straight version of the Christmas Carol story, but the fact that he's still able to pull it off acting as the straight-man for Muppet craziness is amazing.  Plus, the songs are wonderful.
• Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - This is a Christmas movie, not a Halloween movie.  The whole plot revolves around learning about Christmas and making Christmas their own.  A delightfully off-kilter Christmas movie.  Plus it leads to a great overlay on the Haunted Mansion.
• The Preacher's Wife (1996) - I debated on this one.  It's hard to beat Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven in The Bishop's Wife.  But Courtney Vance, Denzel Washington, Loretta Divine, Jenifer Lewis, Gregory Hines, and Whitney Houston come close.  This is one case where the remake is just as good as the original.  What puts it over the edge for me is the music.  A great interpretation of Joy to the World at the end. written by Kirk Franklin.  I Believe in You and Me and Who Could Imagine A King are beautiful songs.  And I love the version of the Lord's Prayer turned into song which isn't on the soundtrack, but only in the movie.
• Love Actually (2003) - I've written before how I love movies with colliding storylines.  This is a big favorite of mine and has special significance to me and Jamie.  It's a little wonky and has a couple of excesses I wish could be excised, but a couple of storylines have wonderful payoffs.  Christmas is really all around us.

What are your favorite holiday movies?  Are there underappreciated gems you love to share?

Top 10 Underappreciated Favorite Films of the 1990s

After a report was released in August showing the favorite 1990s movie of every state and revealing that The Lion King was the favorite 1990s movie of Texas, it got me thinking about the movies of the 1990s.  See, though I may have been born in the 1980s and be able to remember it well, the 1990s were my formative years.  These are the years that I began to set my own tastes in music, in film, in style, and in art.  The 1980s movies I watched on VHS or television.  For many of the 1990s movies, I remember being in the theater.  These are the films I chose to see.  The ones I waited for.  The ones where I then bought the DVD (or VHS still, even in college).

And with that fresh on my mind, I set out to write a list of my top 10 favorite movies from the 1990s.  And I can't do it.  It's too hard. The field is too varied and too vast.  How do you choose between Pulp Fiction, Se7en, Jurassic Park, Saving Private Ryan, Fried Green Tomatoes, Scream, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, etc.  There are way too many good recommendations that it is too hard to narrow down the field.

So, instead, I've chosen a different list.  A narrower category to select from.  My list of top 10 underappreciated films from the 1990s.  Films I love that no one else might even like.  Movies that I can sit down and watch anytime they are on.  Movies I love for a particular moment, a particular scene, a particular sentiment.  Some of these might not even be called "good movies," but they are movies I thoroughly enjoy.

So, without further ado, my list of Top 10 Underappreciated Favorite Films of the 1990s, in release then alphabetical order.

• The Rocketeer (1991) - this movie ticks so many boxes for me: classic Hollywood setting, superheroes, action/comedy, and an iconic look.  That Art Deco poster was such a perfect encapsulation.  I love the source material from Dave Stevens comics to the new ones that have been released over the past few years, and I adore the film.  I may have tracked down a Zavvi exclusive UK steelcase for the Blu-ray on this one.
• Mallrats (1995) -  first exposure to Kevin Smith, first exposure to Jason Lee, and one of the greatest Stan Lee cameos of all time.  When people talk about Kevin Smith films, the discussion is usually on Clerks and Chasing Amy, and while those have been over analyzed, I love this quirky little oddball of a film.  Though it has Kevin Smith's typical humor and nowhere near family friendly, its slightly milder than his later excesses.  Jason Lee's Brodie makes the film.
• The Birdcage (1996) - In making this list and looking at my favorite films of the 1990s, I realized just how much of a part Robin Williams played through these years in particular.  And this remake of La Cage Aux Folles is one of my favorites.  A great concept that still plays well today and a superb cast.  Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Hank Azaria, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, and Christine Baranski.  All at the top of their game.  The penultimate dinner scene is incredible.
• Mars Attacks! (1996) - one of my favorite Tim Burton films.  It's just so silly.  And that makes it amazing.  A truly all star cast including an unrecognizable early Jack Black.  And the inspiration references fly by throughout the film. 
• My Fellow Americans (1996) - I know Grumpy Old Men is the better film, but I love this odd little comedy.  Perhaps it's the pairing of Jack Lemmon and James Garner. It's definitely a comfort film; something to slip on when I'm not feeling well.  A ridiculous plot saved by a stellar cast. 
• Can't Hardly Wait (1998) - in the dorms at UT there was one station that cycled through about 4 or 5 movies on repeat.  This was one of them, so I saw this film a lot and grew to love it.  It has a who's who of teen actors from the 1990s and an epic party night for the plot.  A great soundtrack and a lot of fun.  
• Playing by Heart (1998) - This is probably the most random film on the list and feel needs a little more explanation.  I have a soft spot for films with large casts that tell seemingly unrelated stories that all converge at the end.  And this one has one great cast of couples.  Sean Connery and Gena Rollins, Jay Mohr and Ellen Burstyn, Gillian Anderson and John Stewart (pre-Daily Show), Ryan Philippe and Angelina Jolie, Dennis Quaid and Patricia Clarkson.  I'm not a fan of all of the plotlines (like the priest committing adultery), but there are great character moments in this movie.  I also liked the film when the title was originally Dancing About Architecture in reference to a paraphrase quote in the film: "Talking about love is like dancing about architecture."  
• Dick (1999) - If you ever wondered what was on the missing Watergate tapes, this movie has your answer.  An 18 1/2 minute long love message from a teenager lovesick over Richard Nixon.  I never knew I needed a farce surrounding the Watergate investigation, but I'm glad I've seen it.  And Dan Hedaya is a criminally underrated actor and gives a hilarious portrayal of Nixon in the film.
• Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) - a dark black comedy mockumentary about a Minnesota beauty pageant.  A biting satire with an excellent cast.  Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, Allison Janney, Denise Richards, Amy Adams, Brittany Murphy, Kirstie Alley.  A beauty pageant crown so fought for, they kill each other for it.  I saw this with Brooke and Taylor in Austin at an art-house cinema and would have expected the crowd to be a little more connected.  Surprisingly, we seemed to be the only three laughing when the combine exploded.  I don't know what that says about us. 
• The Iron Giant (1999) - the one film on this list I know is a truly great film, just not well seen, particularly in its early release.  A hand drawn masterpiece in animation by Brad Bird.  Touching on cold war paranoia, the film celebrates the bonds of outsiders and childlike wonder.  If you don't cry at "I'm Superman," I don't know what to say.

That's my list.  Oddball picks and all.  What are some of your favorite "underappreciated" gems?

Top Ten Favorite Films

This post arises from conversations with Jamie.  I believe I've mentioned this before, but Jamie and I continually ask each other questions to continue to get to know each other.  They can be deep and they can be silly.  This one was a tough one.  Trying to whittle down a list of films that I would consider my favorite is a challenge.

The way I worked through this was to create a list of movies that impacted me.  Movies that speak to a specific period of my life.  Movies that I have finish if I see them on.

So without further ado, my list.  Not the best movies I've ever seen.  But a list of the movies that I would say are my favorites.  In order of release:

The Thin Man - Endlessly quotable.  Nick and Nora Charles are definitely couple goals, minus the alcoholism.  Comedy with a touch of noir.  The movie that defined gathering all the suspects in a room to identify the culprit.  I love the book and I love this movie.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington - As I've wrote previously, I need this movie every once and a while.  Capra at his finest and a great representation of what our country is supposed to represent.  A standout film from the greatest year in film.

Singin' In the Rain - The greatest movie musical ever.  So many great numbers.  Make 'Em Laugh, Good Morning, Singin' in the Rain.  And Lena Lamount is one of the greatest characters ever created.

Maltese Falcon - Noir at its finest.  A wonderful collection of character actors.  Bogart, Lorre, Greenstreet, Astor.  Truly the stuff that dreams are made of.

Summer Magic - This film reminds me of my childhood.  One my mother loved.  The songs are burned in my brain.  Ugly Bug Ball, Flitterin', Beautiful Beulah.  And one of the greatest songs ever written - On the Front Porch.  An anthem to relaxing on the front porch.  To spending time with family and friends.  To unwinding.  To life.   Not the greatest movie ever made, but one always in my memory.

Monty Python and The Quest for the Holy Grail - The movie where I discovered cult classics.  One of my favorite examples of British humor.  Again, endlessly quotable.  And remarkably silly - which we always need every once and a while.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? - I saw this at just the right time and it blew my mind.  All those characters together at once.  Interacting in inventive and appropriate fashions.  A touch of noir, and a lot of cartoon greatness.  Still technically impressive.

Se7en - Again one that hit at the perfect time.  It led me to following directors, particularly Fincher.  Neo noir and a incredible hook.

Bernie - Linklater is always an interesting director if nothing else and this is my favorite film that he has made.  Incredibly accurate for East Texas and a master stroke performance by Jack Black.

The Avengers - This was a moment built to that could not be ignored.  The first phase Marvel movies had already hooked me.  Iron Man, Thor, Captain America.  Since the first indication at the end of Iron Man - Nick Fury with those words, Avengers, I had been waiting for this film.  And it did not disappoint.  Great character interaction.  Heroes being heroes.  Avengers: Infinity War came close, but this built it all.

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Ask me again in a few weeks and the entire list could be different.  But these are the movies that speak to me now and have impacted me in various ways.  I'd love to hear yours.