Miracle on 34th
Street (1947)
I vaguely remember when I first saw the original Miracle on 34th Street .
I was about 9 maybe 10. On an old black and white tv that my parents had. I was blown away. I
couldn’t wait until the following Christmas to watch it again. In those days we
didn’t have videos or dvds and the internet would have been something in a
sci-fi movie. So if you missed it, you missed it. To be honest I think the next
time I saw it, was about 10 years later. And it hadn’t changed. The magic of the
movie was still there. It is the first Christmas movie I remember watching.
(Not to be confused with John Hughes’ later version.)
Check out the original trailer. They sure know how to make
them back then.
The Snowman (1982)
This was released whilst I was in my mid teens and I first
remember it being on Saturday Superstore. I must have fallen out of bed, mid
morning, just switched on the tely and watched that song. Walking in the Air, the song always associated with Aled Jones. But in the movie it was actually performed by a Peter Auty. The film has a strange
haunting start to it. And then falls into an amazing animated movie with the most memorable song. The scene of the snowman getting off the motorbike, is
still magical to this day.
We couldn’t really find the trailer to this movie, but here
is that song.
A Christmas Story (1983)
Similar to The Snowman, I saw this in my late teens, blimey,
it may have even been in my first year at Uni. Not sure. But I laughed from the
start to the end. I haven’t seen it that often since but that scene, the one
with the pole, still has me in fits of laughter. Plus the one with the wrapped
bowling ball, dropped on the… well…lap on the old man, just golden scenes. Many
would say this is the best Christmas movie of all time (even more than It’s a
Wonderful Life. Not included on this list as technically not a kids movie). And
to be honest it would be difficult to disagree.
Here is the movie trailer
Home Alone (1990)
John Hughes who wrote Home Alone, has a special space in my
heart. Before he wrote this movie, I had written my Uni thesis on his teenage
movies. Putting that to one side, this is a great slap stick movie. My 9 year old son
can not get enough of it. It is full on schoolboy humour maybe that's why he loves it. But it is also a
great family movie. It does take sometime to get going but once the ‘invasion’
scenes start, it is a laugh a second. It is one of those Christmas movies you
can watch anytime of the year.
Here is the movie trailer
The Polar Express (2004)
Second to the Snowman, this is the first Christmas movie I
watched with my son, so has a special memory for me. That said I thought that the animation in this movie is just amazing. You really see Tom Hanks in this as
the Inspector and it has you guessing. Does the bell still sound in all our
hearts? I never read the book, so can not compare it to that. I just enjoyed the
move and the characters are almost to real.
Jump onboard the trailer.
Elf (2003)
What can you say about Elf, other than Will Farrell is just
hysterical in this movie. There are so many unrealistic but funny scenes, you
just get swept away in the enjoyment of the story. Cotton balls and coke will
never be the same again. It is what Christmas movies should be all about. Fun, fun
and even more fun.
Movie trailer.
Arthur Christmas (2011)
This could just possibly become a Christmas classic in the
next, hmm 10 years. It has a great alternative Father Christmas storyline and
how he delivers all those presents. It is also slightly more edgy than a Disney
or Pixar movie. It is almost not political correct in places, yet has a warm
heart. And our 9 year was glued to it. Any film with Hugh Laurie and Bill Nighy
in it, just can not go wrong. A must have to the DVD collection (if you still have one).
Movie trailer.
Movie trailer.
As a final note, we have to leave you with that scene from A
Christmas Story.
