Since this is the season for giving, we here at The Film Stage have decided to give all of you a very special list (and, yes, we checked it twice). We have compiled our 10 favorite holiday films, in no particular order.

A Christmas Carol (all versions)

A Christmas Carol (1908), Scrooge (1913), It’s Never Too Late (1953), Scrooged (1988), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), A Christmas Carol (2009), is just 6 of the 21 film adaptations of this classic story. There’s a reason it has been adapted so many times. The story is timeless. Everyone knows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and what it means to be a good person and, more importantly, what it means to realize you have the capacity to be one. This story has, and will forever exist in the world of film: Robert Zemeckis will not be the last person to adapt it.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

This 1946 classic starring James Stewart in his hay day is considered by many to be the epitome of Christmas films. A story of love, success, failure, family, friends, and wealth. The message of the film is quite clear by the end “wealth is not measured in money but in life.” Overall a great film that paved the way for many of the films on this very list.

Die Hard (1988)

What says Christmas more than AK-47s and some C4? Well, a lot of things. But that doesn’t change the power that Die Hard has during the holiday season. John McClane would have shot Scrooge to shreds if he didn’t save Tiny Tim’s life. And why? Because he’s the man in the wrong place at the right time. Yippee ki-yay, motherfucker.

A Christmas Story (1983)

This classic Christmas tale takes everything that is right about the holidays (love, family, friends) and strips it away and gets down to what Christmas is really about… presents. In this case, an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time. A must-watch film for all holiday lovers, especially if you like some edgy egg nog and oo-la-la Leg Lamps.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

Widely considered one of the better National Lampoon films, Christmas Vacation is a true holiday comedy, capturing the manic stress of family gatherings and the absurd lengths we go to, to have what we’re told is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. That’s what this film’s about: Clark Griswold wants to have the perfect Christmas. And though it all goes wrong (as so many Christmases do), it’s the thought that counts

Home Alone (1990)

I’ll admit it, there are times I wake up and wish I was taking on Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as well. Home Alone is the perfect visualization of what would happen if an eight-year-old was left to fend for himself in a big house during a big holiday season. He would go wild and then realize that he really, really missed his family – it’s the equivalent of running away, except he’s the one who stays put. Now, would most eight-year-olds be nearly as inventive as Kevin McCallister? Probably not, but that doesn’t change the true mass appeal that this film has.

Gremlins (1984)

Gizmo is arguably the cutest imaginary character ever put to film; just too adorable to hate. And that’s pretty much my take on Gremlins. A must watch on the holidays, thank you Mr. Spielberg.

Love Actually (2003)

Meshing two of the more heartwarming sub-genres around (rom-coms and Christmas movies), Richard Curtis’ is at once whimsical and somber, but certainly never boring. There’s funny, charming performances by Bill Nighy and Hugh Grant, touching performances by Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, and Colin Firth being a somber romantic. As over-bloated as Christmas dinner and as sweet as the hot chocolate served after. Enjoy the feast.

White Christmas (1954)

There is no question movies like this aren’t made anymore. After all, when was the last time you saw a Christmas-themed musical comedy romance in theaters? Starring crooner Bing Crosby as Bob Wallace as the leader of a duet who, with the help of two singing sisters, helps save a holiday inn from closing, this film’s heart is as pure as white snow. The perfect cure for a long year of work.

Bad Santa (2003)

Much like A Christmas Story (and nothing like White Christmas), Bad Santa is all about adding a little (or in the case a lot) edge to the holiday film. While a lot of people hate on Billy Bob Thornton for one thing or another, no one can deny this is one of the few things he did right. The reason for that is simple: Thornton seems to be playing himself in a Santa costume.

What do you think of this list? What are some of your holiday favorites?

Walt Disney Pictures | USA | 96 min.

Robert Zemeckis’ take on A Christmas Carol is a story that has been told a countless number of times to a point of tiresome. With that said, this is actually a refreshing take on the material and works in the end. While this isn’t a new christmas classic and doesn’t live up to its fullest potential, it remains as a highly enjoyable ghost story.

On Christmas Eve, Ebenezer Scrooge  (Jim Carrey) gets a nice visit from the ghost of his ex-partner Jacob Marley, who’s there to warn him about a few more not human who’ll be visiting him. Scrooge is a man who despises christmas, is annoyed by most people and treats most people around him with very little respect. He has no christmas spirit and will soon find out why thats a bad thing. His dead partner warns him that he will be visited by three ghosts of the past, present, and future. He’s taken on a trip that teaches him the true joys of christmas. Scrooge is taken to his past experiences of christmas, sees how his acquaintances spend Christmas and even gets a look into his dark future.

It’s almost pointless to describe the plot since it’s so ingrained into pop culture by now. Again, Zemeckis hasn’t done anything particularly new with the story but thankfully keeps it fresh. The first act of the film, however, doesn’t start the film off on a good note. The tiresome set up of Scrooge being an old crank has especially grown tired and weary. It’s slow and is filled with the same old exposition. Where the story picks up is exactly when Scrooge is visited by Jacob Marley. It becomes an adventure of sorts where one sees Scrooge’s natural transformation into cheerfulness. The second act is where Scrooge truly starts to grasp his effect on people and his selflessness. Nothing about it comes off contrived nor too sappy. The last act is where the film truly shines. When the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come shows up to show Scrooge his future it becomes more darker and even carries some emotional weight. It puts the cherry on the top of Scrooge’s ultimate life change.

Zemeckis once again brings a classic tale to the big screen and, of course, with his motion capture technology. With each film Zemeckis seems to be improving upon the beautiful wonders of mo-cap, but it’s not quite there yet. One flaw to be found is the supporting character’s facial design. While Scrooge contains incredibly detailed facial features, a few of the supporting characters look more so like video game characters, most notably Tiny Tim and Scrooge’s nephew. That’s the true flaw to be found in this overall beautifully lush-looking film. Zemeckis fills the screen with plenty of fantastic sweeping shots and a color-popping aesthetic. At times this a true visual marvel to behold with Scrooge’s wonderfully detailed facial expressions to a few tremendously composed shots.

Carrey ends up delivering an excellent performance that ranks amongst the best Scrooges ever to grace the screen. Early on he’s mean spirited, dark, and yet carries a sympathy to him. He’s immediately an involving character that’s easy to care for. Another aspect worth noting is that Carrey keeps his slapstick humor to a low. While his comedic shtick pops up here and there, he actually earns the laughs a long with his character’s happy ending. His performances as all the ghost are also praise worthy especially the Ghost of Christmas Present, who’s last scene is the film’s pinnacle moment of greatness. Most of the supporting characters are played by some of today’s best working actors such as Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and even Bob Hoskins. Out of the three, Oldman fares best. He brings an instant likability to Bob Cratchit with his softness and well natured personality, illustrating this acting veteran’s versatility. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Firth and Hoskins. Neither of them feature genuine character arcs and contain inexpressive facial designs.

This is spin on A Christmas Carol is a very good journey thats instantly worth taking. It doesn’t take as many liberties with the story as it should, but only a few aspects of this same old story fall flat. After the somewhat dull first act, A Christmas Carol becomes an instantly involving christmas tale. Zemeckis (for the most part) brings visual gravitas to the screen, Carrey delivers more than noteworthy performances, and the film actually earns most of it’s sentimental moments.

8 out of 10

What did you think of A Christmas Carol?

November is packed to the brim with films to check out in theaters. Fifteen is a record-high for the list. From a Fantastic adventure to a cracked-out Cage to a bleak Road, there is something for everyone. Check out the list below.

See:

15. 2012 (Emmerich, Nov. 13th)

Synopsis: An academic researcher leads a group of people in a fight to counteract the apocalyptic events that were predicted by the ancient Mayan calendar.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: The two hour and thirty-eight minute runtime may be a bit excessive, but Roland Emmerich’s latest destruction vehicle is about as ultimate as it gets, begging to be seen in a theater.

14. The Young Victoria (Vallee, Nov. 13th)

Synopsis: A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria’s rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Early festival reviews regard Blunt’s performance as one of the best of her career. If period romances are your thing, this isn’t one to miss.

13. Pirate Radio (Curtis, Nov. 13th)

Synopsis: A 1960’s comedy about an illegal radio station run by a band of rogue DJs on a ship in the middle of Britain’s North Sea. By defying the tastes and laws of the ruling government, the disc jockeys hooked their listeners on pop music and its attendant ideas of love and free will.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: A light, enjoyable ride with an entertaining cast and a fantastic soundtrack. It isn’t quite as memorable as Love Actually, Richard Curtis’ previous project, but Pirate Radio (previously known as The Boat That Rocked) has enough crowd-pleasing moments to be worthy of a watch.

12. Red Cliff (Woo, Nov. 20th)

Synopsis: Set during the end of China’s Han Dynasty, two rivaling warlords make a pact to turn their respective armies against a power hungry general bent on taking over their kingdoms.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: The US release of John Woo’s epic is getting trimmed down from 280 minutes to 148 (changes here). Both cuts have received positive reviews and are a supposed “return to form” for the director.

11. The Box (Kelly, Nov. 6th)

Synopsis: A young couple is gifted with a mysterious box that promises them a handsome windfall with deadly consequences.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Donnie Darko and Southland Tales director Richard Kelly is headed mainstream with this ’70’s sci-fi/thriller throwback. Reviews have been mixed, but after his previous work this is bound to be at least interesting.

10. The Princess and the Frog (Clements + Musker, Nov. 25th)

Synopsis: A fairy tale centered on a young girl named Princess Tiana who lives in New Orleans’ French Quarter during the Jazz Age.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Disney returns to 2D from the people that brought us Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and Treasure Planet. The film isn’t getting a wide release until early December, but those in NY and LA should check this out as soon as possible.

9. Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (Herzog, Nov. 20th)

Synopsis: Terence McDonagh (Cage) is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: I had the pleasure of seeing Herzog’s wild ride at the Toronto International Film Festival. Cage delivers a wildly eccentric performance, only heightened by the extravagant amount of drugs pumping through his system throughout the entire film.

8. Ninja Assassin (McTeigue, Nov. 25th)

Synopsis: Raizo (Rain) is a rogue ninja who comes to the aid of Mika Coretti (Harris), a Berlin-based Interpol agent who has linked the shadowy Ozunu Clan, a secret society of assassins who trained Raizo, to a series of murders. Most dangerous to them both is Takeshi (Yune), Raizo’s former ally and the assassin leading the charge of Ozunu killers to Berlin.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: From James McTeigue, the man behind V For Vendetta, comes all that style with little substance. Early reports and the trailer suggest you are getting exactly what the title promises.

7. The Messenger (Moverman, Nov. 20th)

Synopsis: A soldier (Foster) struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer (Morton).

Trailer

Why You Should See It: From the co-writer of I’m Not There, comes another Iraq war story. This one looks more in the quality of The Hurt Locker, with award worthy performances from Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson.

6. Broken Embraces (Almodovar, Nov. 20th)

Synopsis: Blind screenwriter Harry Caine (Homar) reveals the secrets of his past to a young associate, from his former life as a filmmaker working under his given name, to the accident which claimed his sight and led to a break-up with Lena (Cruz), a now-famous actress who lives in a gilded cage with her wealthy older partner.

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Why You Should See It: This isn’t as off kilter or extraordinary as Almodovar’s other works, but with visuals as stunning as the performances this is an engaging drama a step above the rest.

5. A Christmas Carol (Zemeckis, Nov. 6th)

Synopsis: An animated retelling of the Charles Dickens novel about Ebenezer Scrooge (Carrey), a Victorian-era miser who is taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: The new Zemeckis motion-capture project still looks a bit creepy, but it fits perfectly with a story like this. This should also prove to be a worthy prep before Avatar revolutionizes the 3D field next month.

4. The Men Who Stare at Goats (Heslov, Nov. 6th)

Synopsis: In Iraq, reporter Bob Wilton (McGregor) meets Lyn Cassady (Clooney), whose seemingly wild claim – that he’s a member of the U.S. Army’s First Earth Battalion, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions – causes Wilton to join Cassady’s hunt for the battalion’s founder, whose gone missing.

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Why You Should See It: From the team behind Good Night, and Good Luck comes a twisted, silly political satire. The change of pace from the serious war films will be welcomed by many.

3. Fantastic Mr. Fox (Anderson, Nov. 20th)

Synopsis: Angry farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with a sly fox, look to get rid of their opponent and his family. Based on the book by Roald Dahl.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: Wes Anderson’s first take on animation has been met with peculiar allegations, but his style looks like it hasn’t changed and all the stuff white people love is still intact. Searchlight is marketing it as a family film so I wonder if its success will be similar to Where The Wild Things Are. Both films don’t seem like sweeping crowd-pleasers, but his fans are sure to find solace in this new project.

2. Precious: Based On The Novel Push by Sapphire (Daniels, Nov. 6th)

Synopsis: In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen (Sidibe) who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.

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Why You Should See It: The first film to grab the top prize at the Sundance Film Festival AND the Toronto International Film Festival. Backed by Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, there is quite a large amount of Oscar buzz, specifically related to Mo’Nique’ s remarkable performance.

1. The Road (Hillcoat, Nov. 25th)

Synopsis: A father (Mortensen) and son (Smit-McPhee) walk for months across a ravaged, post-apocalyptic landscape in search of civilization.

Trailer

Why You Should See It: In release turmoil for awhile, we are finally getting John Hillcoat’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. I saw this at TIFF and it is bleak: uncomfortably, depressingly bleak. If one can handle it, they are bound to discover one of the best films of the year. All the performances are top-notch and the production design is something to behold.

Check out the next page to see what to avoid this month.