The big day is finally here which means there’s really only one thing to say in this intro; Merry Christmas!
However, I’m a yapper so I’m going to be saying more, naturally. I’m one of the biggest fans of Christmas films and it’s actually quite rare that I find one I dislike. I’m all for admitting a film is a little trashy and rubbish, but I love Christmas films for this exact reason. This is basically me justifying the fact that over the next few years, this post will most likely consist of Netflix original Christmas films. Not this year though, we have a couple of classics.
The Santa Clause (1994)
This is my most recent watch on this list and is what I would call a classic. What makes this film so great is the fact that it is a trilogy and I love every film. I am at an age now though where I realise some parts of this entire trilogy are quite dated and potentially offensive. Which I would say is showing its age but the series they released a few years ago also had some insensitive content.
However, I remember watching the third one on Christmas Day when I was younger and ever since it’s become a favourite of mine. Basically, I love a lot of Christmas films purely because they hold a lot of nostalgia. I’d say the third film is the best one, it’s the most magical and if I remember correctly, is the one that spends the most time in the North Pole.
Synopsis: Divorced dad Scott has custody of his son on Christmas Eve. After he accidentally kills a man in a Santa suit, they are magically transported to the North Pole, where an elf explains that Scott must take Santa’s place before the next Christmas arrives. Scott thinks he’s dreaming, but over the next several months he gains weight and grows an inexplicably white beard. Maybe that night at the North Pole wasn’t a dream after all — and maybe Scott has a lot of work to do.
Elf (2003)
Elf seems to be one of those marmite Christmas films. Everyone either absolutely adores this film or cannot stand it. I personally feel like I’m somewhere in the middle, but the middle that leans more towards loving it. If that makes sense? It’s a film I’ll happily watch every year but it’s not the holy grail of Christmas films. That belongs to How The Grinch Stole Christmas, which I talked about in last year’s post.
The best thing about Elf for me, is New York at Christmas. What a beautiful place to spend the festive season. I’m sure people that actually live there don’t feel that way though. The setting is so important to me when it comes to making a Christmas film great. Which is probably why I like so many of the trashy Netflix ones.
I actually bought the DVD of this a couple of years ago from a charity shop because I didn’t know when it would be on tv and it wasn’t available on any streaming services at the time. I’m yet to use said DVD though as who really uses them anymore? I do have a decent sized DVD collection though.
Synopsis: Buddy was accidentally transported to the North Pole as a toddler and raised to adulthood among Santa’s elves. Unable to shake the feeling that he doesn’t fit in, the adult Buddy travels to New York, in full elf uniform, in search of his real father. As it happens, this is Walter Hobbs, a cynical businessman. After a DNA test proves this, Walter reluctantly attempts to start a relationship with the childlike Buddy with increasingly chaotic results.
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