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When is a christmas movie not a Christmas movie?

yogi1yogi1
in General Movies & TV Posts: 94
I haven't seen any festive discussions going on here, so here's one. There's been a very heated debate at work today over what makes a Christmas movie. I argued that Die hard was no more a Christmas movie than Rambo first blood. Is it enough that a movie is set at that time of year? Or does Christmas need to be central to the plot to qualify?

Comments

  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    When little green monsters start killing people.
  • BeatlesSansEarmuffsBeatlesSansEarmuffs
    Posts: 3,566
    When it's Krampus.
  • CrzChris4CrzChris4
    Posts: 463
    I'd argue that Die Hard is a Christmas movie.

    Die Hard may be an action movie but it does take a look at relationships. The only reason he gets into what happens is due to him wanting to spend the holiday with his wife and kids. Take a look at the scene where McClane is pulling shards of glass out of his feet. He tells Powell that he wants him to tell his wife that he's sorry for everything he did previously that led to their estranged marriage. I love how Christmas bells were inserted into the score as well.

    I think a movie can be considered a "Christmas" movie if it has any undertones that a holiday movie would (relationships, redemption or the general feeling of the holiday).
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Die Hard and Home Alone are my favorite Christmas action movies. ;)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,795
    Die Hard, Die Hard 2, Lethal Weapon, Gremlins... all great fun filled family Christmas flicks!
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,116
    I'd say a Christmas movie is a movie where Christmas is central to its plot and/or its atmosphere and/or its theme. Thus Die Hard is a Christmas while First Blood is not. The latter could as well have been set at any other time of year and indeed in the original novel was set in autumn.

    Cool topic by the way.
  • Last_Rat_StandingLast_Rat_Standing Long Neck Ice Cold Beer Never Broke My Heart
    Posts: 4,588
    So can we consider OHMSS as a Christmas movie?
  • CigaretteLeiterCigaretteLeiter United States
    Posts: 107
    @Last_Rat_Standing I would, it takes place at Christmas, has a Christmas song, and has themes of family (barely)
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,116
    Last_Rat_Standing wrote: »
    So can we consider OHMSS as a Christmas movie?

    Absolutely.
  • mepal1mepal1
    Posts: 1,098
    National Lampoons Christmas Vacation, that's a xmas film i've always enjoyed!
  • LudovicoLudovico
    Posts: 15,116
    CigaretteLeiter wrote: »
    @Last_Rat_Standing I would, it takes place at Christmas, has a Christmas song, and has themes of family (barely)

    It has Christmas themes: gluttony, a sort of census, life and death mixing, etc.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,270
    When it's shown in July.
  • fire_and_icefire_and_ice
    Posts: 6,432
    Lethal Weapon another good Christmas movie, it has a Christmas song :)
  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    edited July 2016 Posts: 4,116
    When is a Christmas movie not a Christmas movie???? When there is a car chase in it. Unfortunately we could never quite define what a car actually is so I guess we can't answer this question either. :o3

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