Favorite Holiday Movies / Specials

With the holiday season being here, and the need for a degree of festivity festering in my soul, I wanted to open up a bit and talk about one of the more memorble parts of the season. Movies and TV specials that managed to stick with us. Hopefully, we'll all get a moment to relive happy moments of nostalgia, or perhaps introduce more people to lost gems.

To get us started, we have this little bit of festive insanity from Canada known as:

George and the Christmas Star.

There's something to be said about a movie that combines christmas with sci-fi, objects that could've come right out of Monty Python, and an intergalactic gang of bikers. Written by, directed by, and produced by Gerald Potterton (yeah, the Lead Director for the first Heavy Metal made a Christmas cartoon.), the movie stars the Titular George who is attempting to enjoy a rather lovely Christmas at home, but is having some issues with his tree. To be more precise, he's rather unsatisfied with his tree topper. After attempting a number of other objects, George decides what he needs isn't just any star for his tree. Oh no, he wants THE star. The star that's burning brightest in the sky. I'm actually quite certain it's the star of Bethlehem. Objective in mind George goes out to his garage and, in an act that would make Mac Guiver himself fume in jealous rage, George builds the greatest spaceship ever made.

Along the way he meets up with some rather odd individuals ranging from Ralph, a singing robot who built a hotel in a black hole, robot mounties in a horse shaped space ship, the aforementioned space biker gang, Space Pirates and their prisoner a lovely young lady astronaut named Barbara, and Santa Claus with 8 tiny robot reindeer. Eventually, and against all known laws of science, George does manage to get his star but he doesn't get to keep it for very long before it escapes back into the sky. Bummed at first, George soon realizes it wasn't the star he was needing, but people other than his cat to spend the holiday with. So, with his standard paper star topper, George and his new friends just hang out happily as the movie ends.

Two things have always stood out for me with this movie: For one the various objects and designs are just inspired. Most of the ships and machines could've come right out of a Monty Python sketch if their art design is any indicator. From George's ship to the Biker gang's bikes they all stand out from just how different in design they are, and they all look freaking FANTASTIC!

Secondly, there's the music. Now, the score itself it rather nice, with a heavy use of synthesizers but used to make rather calm and soothing songs. But what really stand out are Ralph's musical numbers. Both songs were written by Paul Anka, a rather famous individual who should be making some Canadian Tropers stand up to take notice, and are easily some of the best parts in the movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZ3BiD2jCCM&list=PL8FA400DF1CD7DED4&index=27

All in all, this is a rather delightfully weird, yet rather heartwarming movie that really needs some more notice in my book. Sadly however, it's proven to be VERY hard to find outside of the VHS format. If you can find it I'd recommend you check it out.

edited 14th Dec '13 12:51:58 AM by Metalix

Christmas comes to Pacland. It holds everything right about my childhood in one package. Go to Hell, Ghostly adventures.

And cue Shop Soldier in 3...2...1...

I'm going to avoid the super-supreme set, though A Charlie Brown Christmas is a no-brainer, a tradition I was proud to pass to my little niece when I got her the book of it I loved as a child when such specials were once-a-year-and-that's-it.

So in the more obscure category, I nominate 1971's A Christmas Carol short, produced by Chuck Jones and voiced by one of the greatest screen Scrooges, Alistair Sim. It is at points actually scary, and sumptuously animated. The best of the adaptations have varying strengths ; I think this one comes very close to placing you in Christmas of 1843. The sequence set to various people singing parts of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' is just moving.

The stop-motion version of The Little Drummer Boy is probably the favorite from my childhood.

From recent times, there's Arthur Christmas and The Guardians Of Childhood (Ok it was about multiple holidays, but Santa and Jack Frost were the main stars.)

Rugrats Passover, Rugrats Hannukah, All Charlie Brown Specials, A Very Special Family Guy Freakin' Christmas, A Santa Experience, Babies In Toyland, Christmas Who?, All American Dad Christmas Specials.

edited 15th Dec '13 6:03:44 AM by anonymous1224

If I had to give an answer, it'd be Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol.

It's one of the best adaptations of the Dickens story I have ever seen, and has some great songs - including one that's probably the saddest song ever written for a cartoon, where young Scrooge sings about how he's all alone in the world. It is impossible to hear it without tearing up a little.

Oh, and "Son of Stimpy." Say what you will about John K., anybody who can produce something tearjerking about Stimpy looking for his fart is a genius.

edited 15th Dec '13 6:09:25 AM by Aldo930

A Wish For Wings That Work. Berkley Breathed drops Opus in Christmas.

I really liked "Arnold's Christmas". May have had even more Tear Jerkers than "Helga on the Couch." Plus it was nice to see a Mr. Hyunh episode.

Seconding Arthur Christmas, the newest traditional Christmas movie in my family.

The Pinky And The Brain Christmas Special is not only an incredibly heartfelt episode but also supplied a good deal of Character Development between the two leads. The letter scene is one of Western Animation's greatest Tearjerkers.

Also such a thread couldn't go without mentioning How The Grinch Stole Christmas (the Chuck Jones special primarily, though I think I'm among the few that thought the live action version had good qualities).

edited 15th Dec '13 1:40:32 PM by Psi001

I have to agree... In fact, I may have to see it again right now.

I'm one of the few who thinks that the live action Cat in the Hat was better than the live action Grinch... But then, Jim Carrey and Mike Myers will never compare to Boris Karloff and Allan Sherman.

I've yet to see the live action Cat In The Hat, I remember being kinda underwelmed by the cartoon however (Chuck Jones was clever in getting Ravencroft to just sing through the Grinch's antics than having the cast stop to break into musical constantly). The Grinch Grinches The Cat In The Hat however, was pretty good.

Also, while not on the same level as "Son of Stimpy", I remember Stimpy's attachment to the scooter in "Scooter For Yaksmas" being rather cute. Both specials really liked to put the poor guy through the works didn't they?

edited 15th Dec '13 2:10:24 PM by Psi001

The Seuss specials, on the whole, are better than the movies. Where the Cat in the Hat movie just had dirty jokes, the Grinch completely changed the moral of the story. In my book, it's a far more grievous sin...

The Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat was pretty fun. (And has a very unwieldy name.) The Big-Lipped Alligator Moment in the restaurant is the part I remember best...

I haven't seen "A Scooter for Yaksmas." Although I have a copy of the R&S Christmas album somewhere.

edited 15th Dec '13 2:52:20 PM by Aldo930

The live action Grinch That Stole Christmas adaptation. Funniest Christmas movie ever, IMHO.

I'll always have a special place in my heart for the He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special. Even though I only watch it these days to joke about it. Skeletor discovering the Christmas spirit will always be hilarious.

HERESY!

But seriously...

Anybody know about Frosty Returns? It's stupid, it's dumb, but it has the great Brian Doyle-Murray rapping! I watch that special just for that alone... Hilarious.

BLASPHEMER!◊

I don't know why, but The Gruffalo is only seen during the winter times, and I FUCKIN' LOVE the visuals. It's like a Dr.Suess story, but it's not Dr.Suess!

Charlie Brown.

Growing up, I used to love watching the only Hanna Barbera Christmas movies, specifically the Flintstones Christmas Carol and the Yogi Bear movie.

Charlie Brown of course!

It's anime, but it definitely has to be Tokyo Godfathers.

Charlie Brown Christmas is amazing, yes. But considering that it was just a bunch of strips strung together, It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown is pretty good too.

I also love Robbie the Reindeer, preferably the original British version, Olive the Other Reindeer, and the Garfield Christmas special.

I've always thought I Want A Dog For Christmas, Charlie Brown was also pretty good, and that was also based directly on a bunch of strips cut together into an animated special. More coherent, too.

I'm going to cast another vote for Arthur Christmas. It was pretty nice. Another special I quite like is the Garfield one. It's about the celebration of Christmas, which is very pleasant to see in and of itself.

edited 18th Dec '13 10:53:14 AM by lewattoo

It's not animated or technically about Christmas, but I love "Refrigerator Day" from Dinosaurs (the Henson Productions show).

I've seen Small One, but it's just too sad to watch every year. Great animation though. Others I like are Mickey's Christmas Carol, Charlie Brown Christmas, A Wish for Wings that Work, and Rankin Bass' Santa Claus is Coming to Town.

And Banjothe Woodpile Cat is kinda sorta a Christmas special. Apparently it was reworked into one at the last minute in an effort to get more channels to air it.

Say what you will, But The Night B 4 Christmas will always have aplace in my heart. It has everything: Black versions of holiday figures, A dog/doe cross-species couple, Greedy asians... Ok, this special was racist as fuck!

I really liked Noel when I was young.

It's about a talking ornament that is apparently blessed because the guy who made him cried and a tear dropped into the ornament. Anyway, I always refer to those big round ornaments as "Noels" because of this special/movie.

Chances are you don't know it, it's kind of obscure.

edited 20th Dec '13 10:17:38 PM by Smasher