New week, new recommendations #51 - Holiday flicks
Recommendation list - Hanna C. Nes
Finals season is over and it’s finally time to snuggle up with a hot cocoa, mulled cider or maybe knock back some heavily spiked eggnog. In the mood for a cozy holiday movie? Stressed out by Fanny & Alexander’s 312 minute runtime or sick of Love Actually? From some yuletide melancholy to Christmas chaos to a cheeky lil’ NYE kiss, we got you covered ;)
Copyright: Castle Rock Entertainment / Photo: IMDb.
When Harry Met Sally (YouTube, Viaplay, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, 1989)
There are people who consider When Harry Met Sally to be an autumn film. There are people who consider it to be a Christmas film. Both are wrong and must be corrected for their misguided judgement.
The 1989 romcom, penned by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner, is the ultimate New Years film, with many of its most important moments happening at the stroke of midnight. Over the course of several years, we follow the unlikely friendship of Harry and Sally as they go through heartbreaks, divorce and many knit sweaters.
I’ve had a raging crush on the cynical, sad-sap Billy Crystal in this ever since I first saw the film 15-viewings or so ago. If you’re stuck in a will-they-or-won’t-they friendship, maybe watch this together over the holiday (it works).
Copyright: Hughes Entertainment / Photo: IMDb.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (YouTube, Viaplay, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime, 1989)
Another hit from 1989, this Chevy Chase vehicle is a total who’s who, featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a young Johnny Galecki (from The Big Bang Theory) and Juliette Lewis.
Clark Griswold is adamant that his family will have the best Christmas ever, but alas, their odd extended family and a grouchy boss have other things in mind. A poolside dream sequence, eggnog and plenty of turtleneck dickies (before the Lokka girlies made them cool again)…what more could you want!? My mother hates this movie because Chase is “mugging” in every scene, but goddammit this film is so funny. “Merry Christmas. Shitter was full.”
Copyright: Warner Bros. / Photo: IMDb.
Christmas in Connecticut (YouTube, Apple+, 1945)
Any Barbara Stanwyck “Stans”? Connoisseurs of slapstick, mishap and mayhem style comedy? War hero Jefferson has one wish for the holidays: to spend Christmas dinner with popular food writer Elizabeth Lane’s family.
What he doesn’t know is that Lane’s prowess in the kitchen and wholesome All-American family is actually the fabrication of a single, working gal in the big city (who doesn’t even know how to boil pasta).
In order to make sure her cover isn’t blown, Lane commits to hosting the coziest Christmas celebration - complete with a decoy baby and fake husband until she realizes that this war hero is… kinda cute. If you’re a fan of It’s a Wonderful Life or The Bishop’s Wife, this one’s for ya.
Copyright: The Mirisch Company / Photo: IMDb.
The Apartment (YouTube, Apple TV+, 1960)
If you’re more of a melancholy winter type, Billy Wilder’s The Apartment is for you.
This Best Picture winner is a tender, bittersweet tale about two lonely people in the bleak New York winter. Insurance clerk C. C. Baxter makes his way up the corporate ladder by loaning out his apartment for his superiors to conduct their extramarital affairs in (worst airbnb ever).
Everything gets complicated when he falls for the elevator operator gal who may be in a finicky situation of her own. Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine are wonderful in this 1960 classic. Be warned: the trailer is deceptively cheery and you will never be able to get the theme song out of your head.
Copyright: Videocraft International / Photo: IMDb.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (Platekompaniet, 1964)
It wouldn’t be the holiday season without some kooky 1960s stop-motion. From the mid-60s to mid-70s, these TV specials were the shit, but we gotta all agree that this 1964 animated staple takes the cake.
Follow Rudolph as he goes from bullied underdog to the coolest reindeer ever! It’s adorable! Elf derived so many of its North Pole aesthetics from it! There’s even a song about dentistry! You can watch it on YouTube here.