Movie Review - Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

NOTE: With this review, I'm bringing this Christmas Movie a Day thing to a close for this year (Instead of 31 movies, it'll be the 12 Movies of Christmas, I guess). I'd really like to keep my New Year's resolution to have read a book a week this year and, with four more to go at this point, that won't happen if I continue this little Christmas thing. So, while I'm sure I'll be watching some Christmas movies in the upcoming weeks, it won't be a Movie a Day.

Christmas Movie a Day #12
Miracle on 34th Street (1994 edition)
Starring Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, and Mara Wilson
Directed by Les Mayfield

It's a sign of the times that we'd see a drunken Santa's butt crack in a remake of Miracle on 34th Street. Aaah...nearly 50 years after the original and we've grown so much as a society that we know deem butt cheeks funny. But maybe I'm just cynical...

Nevertheless, this remake moves the story to modern day and replaces Macy's with the make-believe Cole's (one would imagine that Macy's wouldn't shell out the product placement moolah...aahh...cynicism again). Everything else is pretty much the same, except there's a ridiculously unnecessary subplot about a rival store's attempts at a corporate takeover of Cole's (once again...nothing like placing modern-day worries into a sweet, sentimental tale) which manages to add twenty minutes to the plot.

Certainly helping this film revival is Mara Wilson as young Susan. She manages to convey a little more emotion into the character than Natalie Wood (although Wilson does fall into the "too smart for her own good" trap that screenwriters are want to do). On a side note, whatever happened to Mara Wilson? I guess people got tired of her lisp, but I thought she was kinda cute in Mrs. Doubtfire, Matilda, and this...but she hasn't done a thing this decade. Dylan McDermott is also a tad better as the lawyer who helps Kris Kringle get out of his jam. While others like Elizabeth Perkins as Susan's mom and Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle are fine, they don't quite match up to Maureen O'Hara and Edmund Gwenn (particularly Attenborough...although he had a very tough act to follow with the magical Gwenn).

This remake certainly isn't bad, and while I'd choose the original over this one, it still would be worth the watch should it come on tv.

The RyMickey Rating: C+
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 6/10
(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

Movie Review - Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Christmas Movie a Day #11
Miracle on 34th Street
Starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, and Natalie Wood
Directed by George Seaton

I think most people are familiar with the premise behind this one, but just in case you're not, Miracle on 34th Street tells the tale of a young girl named Susan (Natalie Wood) who has been raised by her mother Doris (Maureen O'Hara) to believe in only the "reality" of the world -- imagination is a foolish waste of time. Around Christmastime, Susan is the only girl her age that doesn't believe in Santa Claus, and, although many people disagree with her parenting techniques, Doris refuses to budge. During the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the man who is set to play Santa Claus gets drunk and Doris, who works for Mr. Macy himself, is pressed to find a new Santa. Fortunately, a man named Kris Kringle happens to walk by and jumps at the chance to play Santa. You see, Kris believes that he really is Santa Claus...and he just may be...he simply needs to convince Doris and young Susan.

It's really a great story and all the acting here is top notch, particularly Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle. He won an Academy Award for this role and, while I don't know who else he was up against, I will certainly say that he is darn good here. Maureen O'Hara is also quite winning, as is little Natalie Wood. And it's not just the three main actors here that are great -- every bit character does a great job here.

The nice thing about this movie is that it doesn't focus on young Susan, but instead focuses on the adults' reactions to Kris Kringle -- the notion that adults must let go of childish whimsy and be serious all the time. I'll hold off a bit on speaking more until I watch the remake for tomorrow's Christmas Movie a Day so I can do a little compare and contrast. Suffice it to say, I do enjoy this flick.

The RyMickey Rating: B+
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 8/10
(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

Movie Review - Gremlins (1984)

Christmas Movie a Day #10
Gremlins
Starring Phoebe Cates and Zack Galligan
Directed by Joe Dante

I was a deprived child (apparently) when it came to entertainment in the 80s. I don't know if I've seen a single movie starring a Brat Pack member. People are always shocked when I say I've never seen Ferris Bueller's Day Off. And I was once again told I was crazy when I said I'd never seen Gremlins. Having watched the monster movie for the first time now for this Christmas Movie a Day thing, I must say that I do feel slightly let down that I wasn't able to watch this flick earlier in my life...I may have enjoyed it more then.

Not that it's a bad movie by any means. Found at a Chinese store in some big city's Chinatown, a dad brings home a tiny rodent-like pet to his twenty-something son for Christmas. There were only three rules that needed to be followed, and, unfortunately, his son inadvertently breaks them all, causing this cute little pet to reproduce, creating nastier and more evil versions of itself that wreak havoc across a small town.

I guess my issue with the movie is that I feel like it's unsure of what it wants to be. It seems a little too scary for kids (if I recall, this was one of the movies that helped to usher in the era of the PG-13 rating after parents complained of the PG rating for this flick), but not nearly creepy enough for adults. Still, it certainly kept me interested all the way throughout, I just wish it veered either more kiddie or more adult, because at the moment, it feels like a movie in search of an audience.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed Gremlins quite a bit. There's several well-done scenes (I particularly enjoyed when the mother attacks the gremlins with kitchen equipment) and the gremlin animatronics were quite impressive. And, as a sure sign that I enjoyed it, I may be renting Gremlins 2 in the future (speaking of renting, thanks to Justin for allowing me to keep the movie on the list as I definitely wasn't going to be able to get it via Netflix).

The RyMickey Rating: C+
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 3/10
(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

Movie Review - Santa's Slay (2005)

Christmas Movie a Day #9
Santa's Slay
Starring Bill Goldberg and Emilie de Ravin
Directed by David Steiman

After last year's complete and utter enjoyment of the Christmas horror classic You Better Watch Out (AKA Christmas Evil), I figured why not watch some more silly Christmas nonsense. Recommended by poster Cookie Puss (and, based on my limited knowledge of Cookie Puss's favorite movies, I had an general idea what I was getting myself into), Santa's Slay has a pretty neat premise, but unfortunately is actually too polished of a movie to succeed fully. It's a really awful movie wrapped up in too nice of a package...then again, there is something to be said for a movie that places the Olympic sport of curling front and center as a major plot point.

In case you were unaware, Santa happens to be the son of Satan. In the year 1005, Santa was approached by an angel and the two entered into a bet (this is where the curling thing comes into play). Santa loses and is forced to be kind and good for 1000 years. Cut to 2005 and Santa's through with being nice, enacting revenge on all the kids who have sent him letters over the years.

Sure, it's stupid, but I actually kind of enjoyed the idea behind this flick. Silly, yes, but they actually spent a decent amount of time explaining the backstory (partly done via some nifty claymation-like animation) and, shockingly, it actually made sense. However, when the film shifts to the modern day, it doesn't quite work. The kills aren't as graphic as I'd hope they'd be. The two kids that Santa is chasing are completely underdeveloped (but not underdeveloped enough to fall into the "so bad, it's good" mentality). And the last fifteen minutes of the film were a complete anti-climax. It ended without any type of showdown between the good and bad...quite a disappointment.

Still, it's a silly diversion, with an amusing turn by some pro-wrestler as Santa.

The RyMickey Rating: C-
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 5/10
(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

Movie Review - Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)

Christmas Movie a Day #8
Silent Night, Deadly Night
Starring No One You've Ever Heard Of
Directed by Charles E. Sellier, Jr.

To simply give you an idea of what to expect with this movie, here's an example of a scene that happens towards the end. A teenage girl and guy in various stages of undress are making out on a pool table in the basement of the girl's house on Christmas Eve. The girl's little sister begin to walk downstairs, wanting to stay up and see Santa Claus. The teenage girl, obviously upset that her sex session has been interrupted, yells up to her sister, "If you don't go upstairs to bed, Santa won't come!" To which her boyfriend responds, "Someone else won't either." Suffice it to say, these teens will certainly pay for their sexual deviance.

Sure, this isn't your typical Christmas movie, but it's actually a better-than-average 80s slasher picture with some pretty nifty kills and an actual backstory that makes sense. Plus, you throw in some holiday cheer (or fear...har-dee-har-har) and this was much more enjoyable than I excepted.

It's Christmas Eve 1971 and young five year-old Billy Chapman is driving home with his mom, dad, and baby brother after visiting his grandpa in a mental institution. Along the way, his dad notices a car broken down on the side of the road with a man dressed up as Santa next to it. He decides to stop and help the guy, but is instead gunned down by Santa Claus. Billy happens to escape the car, but while hiding in the bushes, he sees the evil Santa begin to rape his mother before he slits her throat. Cut to three years later -- Billy is eight and living at a Catholic orphanage. However, every Christmas he is still rattled by the awful image that Santa holds for him. It doesn't help that the Mother Superior is constantly punishing and abusing him -- as if the kid didn't have enough mental problems. Ten years pass by and Billy is out of the orphanage and in the real world, but when Christmas comes 'round again, everyone better watch out because Billy is not the clean cut guy he appears to be.

The thing that impressed me most about this movie is that there's actually a plausible reasoning behind why Billy becomes the monster that he is. The film doesn't rush it either...Billy doesn't go on his rampage until the flick's more than half over. While some of the kills were cool (including one involving a stuffed deer), the fact these grisly deaths didn't make up the bulk of the movie absolutely works in the movie's favor.

Sure, the movie's ridiculous, but I've got to say that for what this movie is, it's actually a darn good slasher pic.

The RyMickey Rating: B-
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 7/10
(may seem odd based on the subject matter, but the whole thing's about Christmas!)
(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

Movie Review - Love Actually (2003)

Christmas Movie a Day #7
Love Actually
Starring Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kiera Knightley, and Bill Nighy
Directed by Richard Curtis

I understand that this isn't a perfect movie, but I really can't help but love it. There's just something so charming about this flick that wins me over every single time that I watch it.

Richard Curtis (writer-director of the recent Pirate Radio) crafts a movie full of interweaving tales of romance -- some of which end positively and others of which of conclude less than perfect. With the exception of the tale of the young Englishman who travels to the U.S. to work his British charms on unsuspecting American ladies and the story of the naked body double couple, there's not a bad story in the bunch. Particularly winning are Liam Neeson as a grieving widow dealing with his young stepson's first love and Emma Thompson as a wife who suspects her husband (Alan Rickman) of cheating on her with a hot office colleague. Hugh Grant as the new prime minister is also at his best here. Throw in Colin Firth, Laura Linney, and a hilarious Bill Nighy as an aging rock star and you've got one heckuva cast.

What's particularly enjoyable is that Richard Curtis is able to make many of these stories connect without ever seeming the least bit unbelievable. None of the relationships/interconnections ever seem forced even it's just as simple as a character sitting in the congregation at another character's wedding. That's a difficult task and Curtis was definitely up to it.

Once again, I realize this film isn't perfect, but it's one of my favorites, for sure. A new holiday tradition, perhaps, even if it's not the most "Christmas-y" movie around.

The RyMickey Rating: A-
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 6/10
(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

Movie Review - The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Christmas Movie a Day #6
The Shop Around the Corner
Starring Jimmy Stewart, Margaret Sullavan, and Frank Morgan

Directed by Ernst Lubitsch

I know I've seen this movie before (maybe in my Romantic Comedy Analysis film class in college) and I seem to remember disliking it. I don't know what I was thinking, because this movie is a gem, filled with great performances and a cute story.

Jimmy Stewart is Alfred Kralik, a young man working in Mr. Matuscheck's (The Wizard of Oz's Frank Morgan) gift shop. Unfortunately for Kralik, he doesn't get along with new hire Klara Novak (Margaret Sullavan) -- they're constantly bickering back and forth. Little do Alfred and Klara know that they are, in fact, each other's anonymous pen pals. As they fall in love with each other via letters, they're despising each other in person.

The thing that makes the simple, obvious story work much better than it has any right to is the great performances. Is there anyone more regular-guy charming than Jimmy Stewart? He's the gosh-darn nice everyman and is a pleasure to watch in nearly anything and this is no exception. His wordplay off of Margaret Sullavan is wonderful, and she's a huge part in making it work. Looking at her imdb page, Ms. Sullavan did not become a star and certainly didn't appear in too many films after this one. I wonder why. Surely she's not the most attractive woman to grace the silver screen, but she's not bad on the eyes, and she's quite funny. And add Frank Morgan's lovable mug into the mix and it's quite a trio.

Simple, sweet, and really charming, this flick (while not having much to do with Christmas at all) is definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of Jimmy Stewart (which I know some who are reading this are).

The RyMickey Rating: A-
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 2/10
(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

Movie Review - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)

Christmas Movie a Day #5
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki, Doris Roberts, and Randy Quaid
Directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik

While it certainly has its flaws and it's not the best in the Vacation franchise (that honor goes to the original Vacation with its trip to Wally World), National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is still a Christmas classic. I hadn't seen it in several years and it still holds up.

Clark Griswold (Chase) just wants to have a nice Christmas holiday with the family. Unfortunately, when both sets of in-laws arrive, havoc ensues. A simple premise with lots of nice gags. Let's be honest -- the scene where Clark goes to the lingerie counter and gets incredibly flustered by the buxom employee ("It's nipply out there...could it be any hooter in here?") is a classic comedy bit. I laugh every time I watch that scene...nothing wrong with some cleverly placed sexual innuendo.

The real problem with the movie is that it can't quite sustain itself over the 100 minute running time in terms of humor. It's not that it really lulls at any point, but there are just some bits that don't quite work as well as others...in particular the whole Julia Louis-Dreyfuss yuppie next-door neighbor scenes (they nearly all fall flat).

Still, there's something really "nice" about this movie...the focus on spending time with the family (however chaotic or dysfunctional it may be) is what resonates the most and it's not a bad thing to bring to the forefront during the hectic season.

The RyMickey Rating: B
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 9/10
The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

Movie Review - Christmas in Connecticut (1945)

Christmas Movie a Day #4
Christmas in Connecticut
Starring Barbara Stanwyck and Dennis Morgan
Directed by Peter Godfrey

This flick was certainly innocuous enough, but I couldn't help but think I've seen better versions of a similar premise. Playing somewhat off of a case of mistaken identity, Christmas in Connecticut is pleasant, but, in the end, could have been much funnier than it was.

Elizabeth Lane (Barbara Stanwyck) is a writer for the woman's magazine, Smart Housekeeping. She has crafted a life for her in the pages of the magazine that is very different from her own -- while she actually lives alone in an apartment in the city, her readers (and her publisher, Alexander Yardley) think that she's quite the housewife, living in a beautiful farmhouse in Connecticut, cooking up the most beautiful meals, married to a lovely man named John, and the mother to a beautiful baby. The readership eats it up, including a young nurse who is caring for a recently returned war veteran, Jefferson (Dennis Morgan). Thinking that Jeff is falling for her, but aware that he is not the domesticated type, the young nurse writes a letter to family friend Alexander Yardley asking him to allow Jeff to spend time with Ms. Lane in order to realize that he can become acclimated to "normal" life. Little does the nurse know that Jeff will fall for Ms. Lane and Ms. Lane will fall for Jeff, and much confusion will ensue due to Elizabeth's attempts to fool everyone into thinking she's the ultimate domestic goddess.

It's not that the film is bad by any means, and it's certainly one I'd watch again in the future, but it's just not as good as it could be. The humor could've been amplified and this would've been a much better flick. Barbara Stanwyck, who I'm really only familiar with from the fantastic Double Indemnity, is quite good as the romantic comedic lead. Her co-star, Dennis Morgan, however, is fairly bland, which is maybe why I've never heard of him before. Their chemistry was fine, but I never really bought into their falling in love.

Additionally (and this isn't a factor that affects the overall rating), there's very little "Christmas" about this despite the fact that the holiday gets prominent placement in the title. Yes, it snows and there's a Christmas tree, but there's really nothing holiday-oriented here.

The RyMickey Rating: C
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 3/10

(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

Movie Review - Die Hard (1988)

Christmas Movie a Day #3
Die Hard
Starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, and Carl Winslow (AKA Reginald VelJohnson)
Directed by John McTeirnan

Die Hard's a damn good action flick with only a very tenuous thread to Christmas, so its justification to be on this list can certainly be debated. I mean, it takes place on Christmas Eve and there's a Christmas tune or two that plays, but there's not really much else. But, that's perfectly fine, because winning performances from Bruce Willis and Alan Rickman along with some fun action sequences more than make up for the lack of yuletide joy.

Willis is John McClane, a cop who's visiting his estranged wife for Christmas. He goes to her job at some company located in a high rise building in L.A. Little does anyone know that a group of terrorists headed by Rickman's Hans Gruber is going to take over the building in order to steal millions of dollars of bonds from McClane's wife's boss. Fortunately for McClane, he manages to hide upon the terrorists' arrival and is able to escape onto other levels of the high rise where he can, in turn, wreak havoc on the criminals.

The biggest problem with the flick is that there's not a whole lot of story for its over 120-minute running time. Whittle this flick down to a more manageable 110 minutes and you've got yourself an incredibly taut action thriller. As it stands now, it's not quite perfect. But it's certainly not for a lack of trying. Willis is great -- possibly the best role I've seen him in. He's funny, yet he's got a strong "action guy" charismatic personality. And Rickman eats up the scenery (in a good way) as Hans Gruber.

This one is almost a great action movie, but as it stands now, it's just a really good one.

The RyMickey Rating: B
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 1/10
(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

Movie Review - We're No Angels (1955)

A Christmas Movie a Day #2
We're No Angels
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, and Peter Ustinov
Directed by Michael Curtiz

The premise is simple and drawn out over a very long 105 minutes. Three convicts escape from a prison on Devil Island in France on Christmas Eve and come upon a small French town where they attempt to rob a shopkeeper and his wife and daughter. Little do they know that the family itself is struggling to survive thanks to an overbearing cousin of theirs who owns the store and is making it very difficult for them to make ends meet. The crooks, who were intent on robbing the family blind, instead take it upon themselves to help the family out.

Ugh. Christmas movies are innately sugary sweet, but these crooks, two of whom are convicted murderers, are just too darn nice for their own good. Humphrey Bogart actually comes off the worst of the three. He's the roughest around the edges of the trio and his change to a pleasant demeanor just didn't fly with me. Aldo Ray who plays the charming murderer and Peter Ustinov who plays the charming British murderer fare a little better. The story does none of these crooks favors, however.

There's plenty of better holiday films out there...don't waste your time with this one.

The RyMickey Rating: D
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 2/10
(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

Movie Review - The Merry Gentleman (2009)

Christmas Movie a Day #1
The Merry Gentleman
Starring Michael Keaton and Kelly Macdonald
Directed by Michael Keaton

It's always pleasant to watch a movie that you know next to nothing about and are able to come away from thoroughly engaged and surprised by how much you enjoyed it. That's the case with The Merry Gentleman. Heck, I didn't have a clue that Christmas was even involved in the plot until I watched it (hence the late addition to the CMAD list).

Kate Frazier (the charming Scottish Kelly Macdonald whom I fell in love with after I watched the BBC movie The Girl in the Café a few years ago and furthered my love with No Country for Old Men) is in an abusive marriage and, having had enough, decides to run away to a new city. One evening, she spots a man on a rooftop who appears to be ready to jump and commit suicide. She screams and he slips backwards onto the roof. Little does Kate know that the man, Frank Logan, is actually a hit man who just finished off one of his jobs. Frank seems to become entranced with the lonely Kate and he begins to watch her and eventually runs into her at her apartment where he helps her carry a Christmas tree up a few flights of stairs. A friendship begins to blossom between the two, with Kate unaware of Frank's secret line of work, and Frank unaware that Kate is being pursued romantically by the very police officer assigned to investigate his most recent hit.

The pace is slow in the flick, but it's not the least bit boring. The story is actually quite lovely and almost seems as if it could've been made in the 1940s (minus the sniper rifles and blood splattering on windows). Both Macdonald and Keaton play loners, but their sadness is palpable and resonates throughout the movie. Keaton, in his directorial debut, crafts a pretty nifty movie. There are several shots that are beautiful to view. I was also impressed that the film doesn't shy away from religion. Macdonald's Kate is quite religious and the film takes on faith and spirituality seriously...not in an overbearing way, by any means, but I'm always kind of surprised in this day and age when any movie weaves in religion. (Saying these last few lines may make folks shun the flick...it's seriously not religious or preachy...it's just that the flick has a religious character...that's it...don't make that be a reason not to see the movie).

Still, a pleasant flick (despite the subject matter), and a darn good directorial debut for Keaton.

The RyMickey Rating: B+
The Christmas Spirit Scale: 5/10
(The Christmas Spirit Scale is a totally pointless rating that is simply my feeling about how "Christmas-y" the movie felt to me)

A Christmas Movie a Day Line-Up - REVISED

EDITED on 11/22/09 to add The Merry Gentleman and remove How the Grinch Stole Christmas (because I already know I despise the latter, so why subject myself to watch Jim Carrey ham it up again?)

So, my Christmas Movie a Day task starts next Wednesday and for 31 days, I'll be posting a Christmas movie review a day. Now, there will be certain liberties (two days will be set aside for classic Christmas tv specials rather than movies), but the general idea is there.

Here's the line-up of flicks I'm undertaking (subject to change, of course, mainly based on Netflix availability). I tried to do a wide variety of flicks from all eras, so there's a good mix of old and new. Watch along with me if you'd like...the movies are linked to their imdb page. Those that are starred are movies that I have never seen before, so, as you'll notice, half of them will be new to me.

• **Wed, Nov. 25 - The Merry Gentleman (2009)
  
• **Thurs, Nov. 26 - We're No Angels (1955)
• Fri, Nov. 27 - Die Hard (1988)
• **Sat, Nov. 28 - Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
  
• Sun, Nov. 29 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
• Mon, Nov. 30 - The Shop Around the Corner (1940)
  
• Tues, Dec. 1 - Love, Actually (2003)
  
• **Wed, Dec. 2 - Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984)
  
• **Thurs, Dec. 3 - Santa's Slay (2005)
  
• **Fri, Dec. 4 - Gremlins (1984)
  
• Sat, Dec. 5 - Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
  
• Sun, Dec. 6 - Miracle on 34th Street (1994)
  
• Mon, Dec. 7 - The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
  
• **Tues, Dec. 8 - Joyeux Noël (2005)
  
• **Wed, Dec. 9 - Everybody's Fine (2009)
  
• **Thurs, Dec. 10 - It Happened on 5th Avenue (1945)
  
• Fri, Dec. 11 - TV Medley #1
  
• Sat, Dec. 12 - Scrooged (1988) // Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
• **Sun, Dec. 13 - The Bishop's Wife (1947)
  
• Mon, Dec. 14 - Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
  
• ** Tues, Dec. 15 - A Christmas Carol (1938) // A Christmas Carol (2009)
  
• **Wed, Dec. 16 - The Nativity Story (2006)
  
• **Thurs, Dec. 17 - Four Christmases (2008)
  
• **Fri, Dec. 18 - Holiday Affair (1949)
  
• **Sat, Dec. 19 - A Christmas Tale (2008)
  
• Sun, Dec. 20 - The Polar Express (2004)
  
• **Mon, Dec. 21 - The Ref (1994)
  
• Tues, Dec. 22 - TV Medley #2
  
• Wed, Dec. 23 - Home Alone (1990)
  
• Thurs, Dec. 24 - A Christmas Story (1983)
  
• **Fri, Dec. 25 - It's a Wonderful Life (1946)