Blogmas day 11 – Chillin’ with the Christmas movies

Posted on December 11, 2016 by mrsmurfinscountrylife

Hello my little popcorn elves.

The weather outside is frightful. But the fire is so delightful.

I’ve got a basket of crochet and a cup of tea. Let’s put on a Christmas movie.

This is a small selection of the many Christmas movies we have collected over the years. I think most families have favourites that become part of our Christmas rituals and memories.

I thought I would run down some of my top picks for Christmas and tell you what it is that I love about them.

The first one is likely on your list too, but I am not going to pick a particular version. It really isn’t Christmas until you have watched some version of “A Christmas Carol”. Everyone has done this story from the old classic black and whites to the Muppets and I really don’t have a preference. In fact I will happily watch several versions. It is a story so recognized that it has become an icon of the season. I don’t actually own a copy of the Muppets one and I am thinking I need to get it.

My second choice is also a pair of movies. For me, at some point I have to curl up with –

“The Holiday” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGBl5FxOrUQ and

“Love Actually” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eCb8w8SRAk

They may be two of the most romantic moves ever; the fact that they are both set at Christmas puts them both over the top for movie enjoyment. Full disclosure I have Love Actually on as I write this. I am glad that both of story lines in The Holiday turn out happy (sorry if that is a spoiler…but seriously why haven’t you watched that movie before?) but I still stop and feel a bit sad for Sarah from Love Actually and I hope she and Karl finally got together in the New Year.

Each of the stories holds a place in my heart. I love how they are intertwined. There are so many great actors in both of these movies. I think I enjoy them more every year. Bill Nighy I bloody love you.

As a side note – this year of all years I think Billy Bob Thornton as the American President is going to seem extra creepy.

The next choice is my favourite animated Christmas film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tk-WZSqIGQ

Arthur Christmas, You might notice a strong leaning towards British films and themes here. I am an unapologetic Anglophile. This is a lovely story about family and duty and tradition. Made by the Aardman Animations who also make the Wallace and Gromit movies (also my favourites) The Elf Bryony is one of the many high points of this story. The animation is beautiful, there is a scene with Toronto in it, and of course Bill Nighy is in it…and sings again.

Honourable mention to the short films by Raymond Briggs. We first fell in love with his stories in book form but the little moives bring them to life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhRc6JhpZhw

My final choice (though this is not a complete list) is our all time favourite Christmas movie – Bernard and the Genie.

Never heard of it? I’m not surprised. it was a British made for TV movie that came out in 1991 and we discovered it a few years later and taped it off TV. That was our only copy until Young Murfin found a VHS copy in a junk store. We have lived in fear of it breaking or wearing out until I finally ordered a DVD copy last year.

But I just found the whole thing on You tube! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8qwZcycfoI

Go watch it now!

This movie is a huge portion of our Christmas traditions. We all watch together a day or two before Christmas and we say key lines out loud together. It is a quirky story of a guy (the wonderful – but very young Alan Cumming) who has a run of very bad luck but then discovers a lamp with a Genie (Lenny Henry) and their adventures together tun his life around. Great story, quirky characters and Rowan Atkinson is spectacular as the bad guy. I can’t tell you how much I love this movie.

Well I’m off to enjoy the rest of Love Actually don’t forget the popcorn!