Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Kevin Wilson
There’s a reason I didn’t write about Thanksgiving movies. “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” begins and ends the conversation.
Christmas movies? The conversation never ends. I’ll limit myself to my three wise movies for every Christmas season.
link Kevin Wilson
Before we start, one qualifier: The mere inclusion of Christmas does not make a Christmas movie. “Lethal Weapon” and “Rocky IV” both take place during the season, but do not qualify as Christmas movies because the events were not dependent on the Christmas season. Rocky could have fought whenever, and it would have been a prime event. Riggs gave Murtaugh the Christmas gift of a bullet he nearly committed suicide with, but that could have been a birthday gift. Further, “Just Friends” easily could have happened during a spring break.
And now, my must-watch Christmas movies of each season:
“Scrooged:” Bill Murray plays a heartless television executive, orchestrating a live performance of “A Christmas Carol” on Christmas Eve because ratings, ratings, ratings.
He experiences his own version of the story, as he sees his past, present and potential future with his selfish ways.
It may not be the best Christmas movie, but a movie list without Bill Murray isn’t a great movie list.
“Die Hard:” This is why the qualifier matters. I have two friends who are siblings, who will get into a shouting match over whether this is a Christmas movie. The original, and its sequel, give us the proper contrast.
Both movies take place during Christmas Eve. The original “Die Hard” features terrorists taking over Nakatomi Plaza. Their plan requires hostages who are there at night (a Christmas party) and a skeleton crew of private security and first responders (because it’s Christmas).
Their plan is foiled by a New York cop named John McClaine, who was only there visiting his family for Christmas.
“Die Hard 2” only requires terrorists strike the airport during a busy travel weekend.
A 2013 Buzzfeed article argued that it’s wrong to say “Die Hard” is your favorite Christmas movie, because it’s smug and unoriginal. The justification? A collection of Twitter posts from people saying “Die Hard” is their favorite Christmas movie.
And this, Buzzfeed, is why you’re the eggnog of the Internet — enjoyable for the first 30 seconds, nauseating thereafter unless booze is involved.
But “Die Hard” isn’t my favorite Christmas movie, even though I’ve watched it annually since buying the DVD in 2000. That belongs to …
“The Ref:” Starring Denis Leary and a not yet famous Kevin Spacey, “The Ref” follows a home burglar whose Christmas Eve robbery backfires, and the hi-jinks when he picks the absolute worst family to take hostage while he lays low.
The best lines are usually saved for Leary, and my favorite line that I can print is, “Your husband ain’t dead, lady. He’s hiding.”
So that’s my trinity of Christmas movies. But, because the conversation never ends, try:
“Love Actually:” A great movie, but I can’t see Liam Neeson beyond his “Taken” character. I see him in an office building answering a phone and I’m still thinking, “Oooh, some bad guys are about to die.”
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation:” You can hear the song now, can’t you? And if you don’t know who the Cousin Eddie in your family is, it’s you.
“Home Alone:” Yes, cell phones invalidate this movie now. And yes, smarter robbers could have neutralized a kid quickly. But I never get sick of Joe Pesci getting hit by things.
Kevin Wilson is a deputy editor for Clovis Media Inc. Make his a wonderful life by questioning his favorite Christmas movies:
