What's your favorite Christmas comedy?

[red dog 1]

Here are a few of my favorites, just to start things off.

- Trapped in Paradise (1994) stars Nicholas Cage, Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz

- Elf (2003) is about a man raised as an elf at the North Pole and stars Will Ferrell, with help from James Caen & Bob Newhart. (Directed by Jon Favreau)

- Fred Claus (2007) is about Santa's bitter older brother who's forced to move to the North Pole..It stars Vince Vaughn, Paul Giamatti, & Elizabeth Banks.

- Scrooged (1988) stars Bill Murray, Karen Allen and John Forsythe

- A Christmas Story (1983) is based on the anecdotes & short stories of author Jean Shepherd, who gets help from Darren McGavin, Peter Billingsley, and Melinda Dillon.

- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) is about how the Griswalds end up spending Christmas, with Chevy Chase & Beverly D' Angelo

- Home Alone (1990) is a very funny Christmas movie starring Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern.

- Trading Places (1983) has a great cast including Eddie Murphy, Dan Aykroyd, Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche.

- Bad Santa (2003) is a hilarious dark comedy well-directed by Terry Zwigoff and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Bernie Mac and John Ritter.

[FrankfurtCat]

1. A Christmas Story is one, for sure,

and of course National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Home Alone also. Want to watch Trapped in Paradise. Christmas With the Kranks.

[Wounded Bear]

2. Mixed Nuts...

One of Steve Martin's best IMHO.

[FrankfurtCat]

3. That was a good one of his.

Did you ever see "A Simple Twist of Fate"? Steve Martin also wrote the screenplay.

[Wounded Bear]

4. Don't remember that one...

SM is usually so over the top silly that I often avoid his stuff. In Mixed Nuts he was bit more normal.

[FrankfurtCat]

5. It's not what you would normally expect from him.

[red dog 1]

12. Steve Martin has made many films where he isn't "so over the top silly"

Without doing a Google search, (off the top of my head)
Here are three excellent movies he starred in where he didn't play the silly goof like he did in "The Jerk" (one of my favorite comedies, btw)

- Parenthood, directed by Ron Howard, with Rick Moranis, Joaquin Phoenix, Jason Robards, Mary Steenburgen, Keanu Reeves, Martha Plimpton, and Dianne West

-My Blue Heaven, another outstanding comedy he did with Rick Moranis (and Joan Cusack). Martin plays a mob guy in the Witness Protection Program named Vinny.
It's a hilarious movie....well worth renting on Netflix

- Leap Of faith...where he plays a fake faith healer and traveling evangelist who's stuck in a small town because one of his big rigs breaks down.
This excellent film co-stars Debra Winger, Lolita Davidovich & Liam Neeson.

[FrankfurtCat]

21. I really like those, especially Parenthood and My Blue Heaven.

Last edited Wed Dec 21, 2016, 06:51 PM - Edit history (1)

He also did a really sweet one called LA Story, which he also wrote. .
It is described as an "American satirical romantic fantasy comedy-drama film written by and starring Steve Martin, and directed by Mick Jackson."

Music by Enya:

[red dog 1]

29. My Blue Heaven is outstanding, imo

I've probably seen it at least 20 times.

Rick Moranis and Joan Cusack were great in that movie.

I haven't yet seen LA Story.

[FrankfurtCat]

34. I'm looking for a movie to watch with my daughter tonite-I think I've found it!

Joan Cusack is one of the best, if not the best, comedic actresses. She is chameleon-like and so much fun to watch. Love re-watching movies like this!

[red dog 1]

35. Another great Joan Cusack movie is School of Rock

Directed by Richard Linklater and starring Jack Black, with Joan Cusack, Sarah Silverman, and an outstanding cast of kids who are part of "the band" that Black forms while posing as a substitute teacher.

It's a very funny movie that both kids and adults will like.

[mackerel]

38. Based on Silas Marner by George Eliot

[FrankfurtCat]

39. I love Steve Martin's modern interpretation.

He is extremely talented and creative.

[hibbing]

6. Die Hard

If only Roadhouse would have been set during the holidays, that would be a Christmas miracle.

Peace

[red dog 1]

9. Bruce Willis was not the studio's 1st choice to star in Die Hard..

Die Hard was based on Roderick Thorp's 1979 novel, "Nothing Lasts Forever", the sequel to 1968's "The Detective"..which was adapted into a 1968 film of the same name that starred Frank Sinatra....Fox was therefore contractually obligated to offer Sinatra the lead role in Die Hard, but he turned it down.
The studio then pitched the film to Arnold Schwarzenegger as a sequel to his 1985 action film "Commando," he turned it down, as well, and the studio finally and reluctantly offered it to Willis.
(Made for only $28 million, Die Hard grossed over $140 million worldwide)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Hard

Willis also wanted to play Vincent Vega, one of the the lead characters in Pulp Fiction, but was ultimately turned down in favor of John Travolta, so Willis played boxer Butch Coolidge instead.
Interesting note about Pulp Fiction is the fact that the role of hit man Vincent Vega was initially written for Michael Madsen, however, 2 weeks before the script was finished, Madsen passed on the project - opting instead to play the role of Virgil Earp in "Wyatt Earp"
It took years for Tarantino to forgive Madsen.
(From The Daily Beast's "The Secrets of Pulp Fiction&quot

[IrishEyes]

7. I have two.

The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullivan.

The Apartment (1960) Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine.

[red dog 1]

8. I loved The Apartment

I also love Shirley MacLaine....she's 82 and still working as an actor.
(I used to listen to The Don & Mike Radio Show, which was syndicated across the country. - they loved to call up famous people live on the radio and "fool around" with them....I remember them once calling Shirley MacLaine, and she very politely said "Hi Don & Mike..I'm too busy to talk right now"..and Don later said.."You gotta love Shirley MacLaine, we've been calling her every year since we had this show, and she never changes her phone number.&quot

As far as Jack Lemmon...He's one of my favorite actors of all time(along with Walter Matthau & Robert Mitchum)
The Odd Couple might be the best comedy ever made.
(Based of course on Neil Simon's outstanding Broadway play)

I'll put The Shop Around the Corner on my wish list.

[Kashkakat v.2.0]

10. The Christmas story - still LOL after all these yrs - also "It happened on 5th Avenue" - good for

watching w/ your elderly Mom, and its pretty darn funny too!

[Brother Buzz]

11. Bad Santa was well-directed by Terry Zwigoff?

Riddle me this: If Terry Zwigoff is such a great director, why wasn't he asked to direct Bad Santa 2?

Terry should stick with the cello

[red dog 1]

14. Bad Santa WAS well-directed by Terry Zwigoff..

..and the critics loved it as much as fans of Billy Bob Thornton did, including me.

I don't know why Barry Zwigoff wasn't chosen as director of Bad Santa 2.

It wasn't even released until last month, even though Billy Bob Thornton has been talking about a sequel since 2009.

Bad Santa 2 has received generally negative reviews from critics.

On 'Rotten Tomatoes'.the film has an approval rating of 24 percent, based on 107 reviews.
The site's critical consensus reads:
"Loaded up with the same scatological and misanthropic humor as it's predecessor but precious little of it's heart or genuine wit, Bad Santa 2 presents a foulmouthed shadow of Christmas past."

On 'Metacritic,' the film has a score of 38 out of 100, based on 36 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews."

IGN critic Alex Welch gave it a 5 out of 10, writing that it "does little to dispel the notion that most sequels simply aren't necessary."

Vince Mancini for 'Uproxx' said that the sequel "will make one appreciate the original."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Santa_2


The New York Times' film critic Ben Kenigsberg wrote:
"In the hall of fame of ill-tempered comic characters, between wax works of W.C. Fields and Larry David, there ought to be a monument to Billy Bob Thornton's work as Willie, the alcoholic safe-cracker of 'Bad Santa.'
As much as Terry Zwigoff's 2003 film relied on the spectacle of Mr. Thornton soiling himself in a Santa suit, or saying unspeakable things to children, the performance was a master class in timing and sly reaction shots.
Only Mr. Thornton could have played the role.
Now comes a belated sequel, 'Bad Santa 2' directed by Mark Waters, whose pitch meeting seems to have proceeded from two unnecessary questions:
'What if bad Santa wasn't as bad as all that?
And what if he had an estranged mother whose conduct is at least as foul as his?'
Yet, even the profanity has lost it's zing in this cut-rate retread, which mostly prompts admiration for how far Mr. Zwigoff ran with one joke."
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/movies/bad-santa-2-review-billy-bob-thornton.html

[Brother Buzz]

15. I've known Terry for over thirty years

The inside dope: Bad Santa was good despite Terry Zwigoff. Terry should stick to making fine documentaries that are not saddled with shooting schedules and budgets. Documentaries like Louie Bluie and Crumb.



I had a rare opportunity to read and digest an illegal bootleg copy of Howard Armstrong's 'The ABC's Of Pornography', albeit a black and white copy. Good stuff, but unfortunately the chances of it getting published are about zero these days.

[red dog 1]

16. Are you R.Crumb?

[Brother Buzz]

17. No, but he was my neighbor years ago

I never saw his copy of 'The ABC's of Pornography', but he has one. I gather you noticed R. Crumb and Howard Armstrong shared the same preoccupation with certain parts of women's anatomy.

[red dog 1]

23. Have you ever seen "Bad Santa"?

Can you name a single movie critic who thinks it was badly directed?

[Brother Buzz]

25. Uh, yes, and I enjoyed the film

Can you name a single movie critic who thinks it was wonderfully directed? Any actors or production people who were actually on the sets? Do you not find it interesting that Billy Bob Thornton, who has worked with a ton of directors, and even did some sterling directing himself, worked for years pitching the squeal to Bad Santa and never whispered Terry Zwigoff's name once?

[red dog 1]

26. Richard Schickel, Time Magazine,

Christy Lemiere, Associated Press, Matt Soergel, Florida Times-Union and at least 5 other movie critics had praise for Terry Zwigoff.

Do you not find it interesting that Billy Bob Thornton HAD to work for 7 years to "pitch the sequel" in the first place?

Perhaps if he HAD "whispered Terry Zwigoff's name" in his pitches he may have found a studio willing to make Bad Santa 2 a little sooner?

I don't care whether you like Zwigoff or not.

I stand by my original comment:
"Bad Santa WAS well-directed by Terry Zwigoff, in my opinion...period!

(I'm through arguing with you about it).

[TexasBushwhacker]

19. Does he do other things for a living

I was just looking at his filmography. His projects are few and far between.

[Brother Buzz]

20. Well, he plays with the Cheap Suit Serenaders once a year...

and consumes a fair amount of Oxycodone, or so I understand.

[NNadir]

13. Not necessarily my favorites, but I loved Scrooged, (Bill Murray) and Family Man (Nicolas Cage.) n/t

[Initech]

18. Christmas Vacation and Bad Santa for sure.

[red dog 1]

30. 2 excellent choices!

It's been a while since I saw National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation...
I need to see it again.

[Initech]

31. It's $7 on Google Play this week. Definitely worth it!

Have you checked our shitters?

[irisblue]

22. Muppet Christmas Carol

The fence scene gets me every time.

[CTyankee]

24. "Elf" was my fave! i saw it at my daughter's house at Thanksgiving and it was wonderful!

Will Farrell's portrayal brought me to my knees in laughter and genuine delight!

[FrankfurtCat]

27. Ernest Saves Christmas! Can't believe I forgot about this one.

[DawgHouse]

28. Elf makes me laugh out loud no matter how many times I watch it.

[ProfessorGAC]

32. Right Now It's Fred Claus

And then Scrooged, both of which you mentioned.

We have both on DVD so we can dig them out this time of year.

[gratuitous]

33. The Ref

Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey, Christine Baranski, who could ask for anything more?

[ancianita]

36. Home Alone. For the music and family stuff.

[nolabear]

37. I have a ridiculous love for Bad Santa.

BBT's acting is actually exquisite in that you see the exact moment when that little boy breaks through to him. Miracles don't happen in the schlocky sense but you know he sees that little guy.

[pressbox69]

40. We're No Angels

[FrankfurtCat]

41. I'm guessing he knows already because he's dead...

Sorry-I have Death etched on my brain lately.
I kept waiting for a horrified scream-

Those guys sure could act, couldn't they?

[pressbox69]

42. They were giants.

Of course feeling sorry for Basil Rathbone in this was almost as hard as feeling sorry for Trump.