Die Hard and It's a Wonderful Life are NOT Christmas Movies
This madness needs to stop. Just because a movie just happens to have a Christmas tree in the background or happens on Christmas Day does not make it a Christmas movie. There is nothing "Christmas-y" about Die Hard and even worse, Love, Actually. I cannot believe there are people out there promoting a movie like "Love, Actually" as a Christmas movie when it is a movie more suited for Valentines Day.
If the only criteria for a "Christmas Movie" is that it has any reference to Christmas, then THOUSANDS of other movies would qualify including classics such as Jumanji, Hustlers (who doesn't love some strippers on Christmas?), Watchmen, The Godfather (THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS MOVIE EVER???), Shazam, Green Book, and so on and so on. What family Christmas celebration would be complete without watching Deadpool (has a Christmas scene!) on Christmas Eve?
This is chaos.
There are simple rules to see if a movie qualifies as a "Christmas Movie".
- Any movie about birth of Christ - by definition, it is a Christmas movie
- Any movie about well known Christmas characters - Anything thing to do with Santa, Rudolf, Scrooge, etc.
- Any movie about a Christmas carol - qualifies movies like Last Christmas and I'll be Home for Christmas
- Any movie about the holiday traditions - The Christmas Story, Jingle All the Way, Deck the Halls, etc.
- Conversely, if the movie is set in any other day and it does not change the story in anyway, it is not a Christmas movie.
If the movie does not fall within these criteria, how could anyone say it is a Christmas movie? And YES, this means It's a Wonderful Life is out too. It just happens on Christmas day. If it was set on George Bailey's birthday instead of Christmas, nothing would change about the movie, thus it is NOT a Christmas movie.
If you think, movies like Eyes Wide Shut, Mean Girls, Zodiac, Goodfellas, La La Land, and American Psycho are Christmas movies because they happen to mention Christmas in a few scenes, go knock yourself out and binge on those on Christmas day. Just don't try to convince the rest of us.
December 25th, 2019 at 6:14 PM ^
Delete this crap, and boo this man.
December 26th, 2019 at 9:31 AM ^
I'm sending Robot Santa to deal with Gameboy.
December 26th, 2019 at 3:19 PM ^
I logged in just to become downvote #67.
Only 33 more and Gameboy gets his cold water wings....
December 25th, 2019 at 6:16 PM ^
It's painfully obvious that Die Hard is not a Christmas movie. I always assumed that people who made this argument were doing so in jest. Nobody who associates with the University of Michigan would lack the intelligence to honestly believe that.
December 26th, 2019 at 4:42 PM ^
False. The entire premise of the movie is to go see his family for the Christmas holiday. I’ll bet you think Lord of the Rings is about returning jewelry
December 25th, 2019 at 6:17 PM ^
I basically agree with your contention.
December 25th, 2019 at 6:17 PM ^
... what the hell is "christmas"?
December 25th, 2019 at 6:19 PM ^
Who hurt you?
Its Christmas, my dude. Get off Mgoblog and spend time with your family and stop caring so much about something so trivial on a day like today. Oh, and let people enjoy things the way they want to enjoy them.
Merry Christmas
December 25th, 2019 at 6:41 PM ^
December 25th, 2019 at 7:23 PM ^
Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie and Pineapple doesn’t belong on pizza are arguments to go post on RCMB. No one gives a shit either way.
we live in a world where Donald Trump is running for re-election, Billy Madison is likely to get an Oscar nomination and OSU wins every year. Nothing means anything
December 25th, 2019 at 9:20 PM ^
I give a shit. Pineapple on pizza is a disgrace to everything that is decent and holy in this world. May god have mercy on your soul.
December 25th, 2019 at 9:22 PM ^
You are a Fascist
December 25th, 2019 at 11:20 PM ^
Yeah well you're a commie!
Pineapple on pizza is an abomination. Punishable by 10 years of listening to David Brandon motivational speaking.
December 25th, 2019 at 11:30 PM ^
If you really wanted to punish someone you would have Dave Brandon take over as CEO of the company the pineapple lover worked for.
December 26th, 2019 at 12:26 AM ^
What about putting pizza on a ham? Whaddya got to say now!?
December 25th, 2019 at 6:20 PM ^
My family and I watch eyes wide shut together on every Christmas, don’t tell us what constitutes a Christmas movie
December 25th, 2019 at 6:35 PM ^
Yeah, that's the Christmas movie right there. Nothin says Christmas like it.......
(I feel kind of weird even typing that as a joke)
December 25th, 2019 at 9:21 PM ^
Eyes wide shut is a true story. That’s why Epstein, Trump and Hillary had Stanley Kubric killed.
December 26th, 2019 at 6:19 AM ^
I thought it was the Pentaverate: The Gettes, the Rothschilds, the Queen, the Vatican, and Colonel Sanders.
December 26th, 2019 at 8:54 AM ^
Ahhh, the Colonel. With his wee beady eyes!
December 27th, 2019 at 8:37 AM ^
"Dad, how can you hate the Colonel?"
"Because he puts an addictive chemical in his chicken to make your crave fortnightly, smart ass!"
December 25th, 2019 at 6:24 PM ^
Use your aggressive feelings, boy. Let the hate flow through you.
December 25th, 2019 at 6:28 PM ^
Is this the Festivus Airing of Grievances thread?
December 25th, 2019 at 6:30 PM ^
Fair point and I’ll even agree to your rules however I feel that angels are one of those Christmas characters that open the door to a movie being a Christmas movie. Wonderful Life has the angel Clarence. If you recall the angels are integral to the birth story in Luke 2 and have solidified themselves on most Christmas trees because of it. Clarence in front of a Christmas tree, all of a sudden you have a Christmas classic that would not otherwise be considered. You can make the same argument for Bishops Wife. All angel movies are not Christmas just like all movies with an elf or snowman aren’t, but when set to a Christmas backdrop I think they qualify.
December 26th, 2019 at 9:20 AM ^
Yup. When Robocop dies I get my wings.
December 25th, 2019 at 6:30 PM ^
Ho - ho - ho
Now i have a machine gun!
December 25th, 2019 at 8:19 PM ^
Hoes do not a Christmas movie make
December 26th, 2019 at 2:15 AM ^
You sir either dont know enough about hos, or enough about christmas..
December 26th, 2019 at 7:46 AM ^
Trading Places.
December 26th, 2019 at 5:08 PM ^
Jammie Curtis big jugs flashback!
December 25th, 2019 at 8:26 PM ^
He also straps the gun to his back with Christmas’s tape.
December 25th, 2019 at 6:32 PM ^
My wife and I are spending our first Christmas in Denver and learned the hard way today that they don't sell full strength alcohol on Christmas Day in Colorado ?
December 25th, 2019 at 6:42 PM ^
At least they sell pot!
December 25th, 2019 at 10:37 PM ^
Ummm, that law changed last January.
Where are you shopping?
December 26th, 2019 at 4:24 PM ^
Yes, you can now buy non-3.2 beer at supermarkets and convenience stores. Just not on Christmas, it's the only day of the year in the state where sales of alcohol are prohibited (outside of bars)
December 25th, 2019 at 11:38 PM ^
You shouldn’t have to buy anything on the actual holiday itself anyways. Your mistake
December 25th, 2019 at 6:32 PM ^
and that's how the mgopeace of Christmas ended at 6:12 p.m....
December 25th, 2019 at 7:02 PM ^
Fa la la la la, la la la la
December 25th, 2019 at 6:35 PM ^
Why do you hate our freedoms? Why do you hate America?
December 25th, 2019 at 6:37 PM ^
Gameboy? More like butt boy...
December 25th, 2019 at 6:39 PM ^
Is Jerry Maguire a football movie?
December 25th, 2019 at 6:55 PM ^
“There’s your answer, Fishbulb.”
December 25th, 2019 at 6:40 PM ^
December 25th, 2019 at 10:28 PM ^
could be we have found mr. potter's account...
December 25th, 2019 at 6:42 PM ^
This reads like a serial killer’s manifesto.
December 25th, 2019 at 6:42 PM ^
Conversely, if the movie is set in any other day and it does not change the story in anyway, it is not a Christmas movie
John McClane wouldn't leave the "six month backlog of New York scumbags" for any other reason than the true meaning of Christmas:
being with family no matter how much you hate each other
Do you really think he would swallow his pride and face how much more successful his wife is, just to be with his kids, for a 4th of July?
Laughable!
December 25th, 2019 at 6:46 PM ^
Thanks for the great list of Christmas movies! I’ll make sure to watch them next year and let everyone know what Christmas movies we are watching.
It’s going to be the best Christmas ever.
December 25th, 2019 at 6:55 PM ^
Why do people insist on posting things to get relentlessly negged?
December 26th, 2019 at 2:59 AM ^
Drinking game, perhaps??