History YMMV / SantaClausTheMovie

* RetroactiveRecognition: Anya Claus is played by Creator/JudyCornwell, who would later be best known for playing Daisy in ''Series/KeepingUpAppearances''.

** B.Z.'s ultimate fate is so similar to that of the Chocolate Cartel members in ''Film/{{Wonka}}'' (in both cases [[spoiler: they're sent helplessly floating away after eating too much magical candy]]) that it may be an intentional ShoutOut.

** B.Z.'s ultimate fate is so similar to that of the Chocolate Cartel members in ''Film/{{Wonka}}'' (in both cases [[spoiler: they're sent helplessly floating away after eating too much of magical candy]]) that it may be an intentional ShoutOut.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The film did surprisingly well in England and remains highly popular there to this day, where it's often shown during the holiday season. In a 2019 Random Roles video interview with the AV Club, Creator/JohnLithgow said that this movie "is half of what I'm known for in England", where he's ''still'' approached by fans who grew up with it, thanks primarily to TV airings. In 2023 [=StudioCanal=] even reissued the film in U.K. theaters to show off the 4K restoration they prepped for a new home media release.

* HilariousInHindsight: A lot of this movie's faults comes from its misguided attempts to emulate the formula invented by ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''. Decades later, renowned Franchise/{{Superman}} writer Creator/GrantMorrison would create a [[ComicBook/KlausGrantMorrison version of Santa]] who is partly a SupermanSubstitute. The character's later stories would even shift the setting from an ambiguous medieval era to the modern day.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: If there's a reason why it's a CultClassic rather than a "mainstream" classic, it's because critics saw the approach of copying the exact same narrative structure that was used in the Salkinds' previous ''Film/SupermanTheMovie'' almost to a "T" (including having an Expy of Lex Luthor appear as the BigBad by the mid-point of the film) applied for a '''Santa Claus''' movie and they collectively went "...''what''?"

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The film did surprisingly well in England and remains highly popular there to this day, where it's often shown during the holiday season. In a 2019 Random Roles video interview with the AV Club, Creator/JohnLithgow said that this movie "is half of what I'm known for in England", where he's ''still'' approached by fans who grew up with it (thanks primarily to TV airings).

* MoralEventHorizon: B.Z. crosses it by attempting to flee to Rio with all his money while leaving numerous children to possibly die from his explosive lollipops.

* CoveredUp: Hands up Music/NewEdition fans: How many know that the title track of of their 1985 EP ''Christmas All Over the World'' is actually a cover of the AwardBaitSong from this movie? It doesn't help that unlike that EP, the movie's soundtrack has never had a widely available CD or digital release, so only those who know the movie know much from Sheena Easton's version.

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The ''other'' [[Film/{{Lifeforce}} expensive 1985]] BoxOfficeBomb to be graced by a Music/HenryMancini score.

* HilariousInHindsight:
** Meta example: In 1985, the ProductPlacement for UsefulNotes/McDonalds and Coca-Cola was criticized as excessive, to the point it's discussed in the DVDCommentary (the director arguing that it adds some real world detailing to Joe and Cornelia's first scenes). Three years later, ''Film/MacAndMe'' would show the world just how far ProductPlacement for [=McDonald's=] and Coke (among other products) could be taken...
** A lot of this movie's faults comes from its misguided attempts to emulate the formula invented by ''Film/SupermanTheMovie''. Decades later, renowned Franchise/{{Superman}} writer Creator/GrantMorrison would create a [[ComicBook/KlausGrantMorrison version of Santa]] who is partly a SupermanSubstitute. The character's later stories would even shift the setting from an ambiguous medieval era to the modern day.