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[Camp Freddie]

As an Englishman, our infamous seminal Christmas movie is "The Great Escape", which achieved a notoriety far beyond Die Hard (at least until recently, when we caught viral memes from the USA).

This is despite the fact that:
1) None of the action occurs at Christmas.
2) The film has only been shown two or three times over the Christmas holidays.

Despite this, the British collectively delude themselves into thinking that this is a Christmas movie and that it is shown on the BBC every year. Even people who dislike the movie accept this and use it to criticise the cheap-arse BBC program planners (i.e. "I bet we get the Queen's speech followed by the fucking Great Escape again")
If Big Brother wanted to convince us that Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia, he needed to add more motorcycle chase scenes to the fake news footage.

If you understand how The Great Escape is the Best British Christmas Movie then you understand all you need to know about the British psyche.

Of course, as an Englishman, none of the above facts change my complete certainty that the best Christmas movies are:

1) The Great Escape
2) Die Hard
3) Some version or other of "A Christmas Carol". Probably the muppets one with Michael Caine.
4) Zulu (Don't Throw, Bloody Snowballs, At Me)

 

[AzureSkies]

As an Englishman, our infamous seminal Christmas movie is "The Great Escape", which achieved a notoriety far beyond Die Hard (at least until recently, when we caught viral memes from the USA).

I grew up in the UK and I've always heard the Die Hard is a Christmas Film jokes over the years. Mainly because we all loved Die Hard.

While I've seen The Great Escape, I honestly feel like you're overselling it a bit here. Of course, I haven't lived in the UK since forever so things may have changed.

I've honestly always associated Christmas with the fantastic Wallace and Gromit shorts more than anything.

 

[Rastafarian42]

it is

 

[Aizen.S.Kennedy]

Yep it is. Way more then die hard actually. Better movie with better lines too.
Come at me.

I still use the line about the heater when ppl are cold in my car.

 

[Gen X]

Geena Davis was such a hottie back in the day. Shame she did that shit Pirates movie and her career plummeted faster than Hans Grubër off the Nakatomi Plaza.

 

[dh4niel]

Sure it can. Haven't seen it in ages.

 

[Jackpot]

I love this film.

 

[GeoramA]

Very underrated film and a great cast. Main villain was really lame though.

 

[TheKingOfPain]

Here in Italy the traditional Christmas movie is Trading Places (Murphy + Aykroyd). Every fucking year. I hate it.

 

[MarkMclovin]

Some lies detected.

 

[Incitemaybe]

Whatever gets more people to appreciate this great action film with Gena Davis.

 

[ClivePwned]

I watched Diehard the other day. It doesn't qualify as a Christmas movie other than that's the time of year when the movie is set. Besides Die Hard 2 is also set on Christmas Eve and no one mentions that either.

But who's to say you can't enjoy Diehard at Christmas?

 

[Zatoth]

It is even called Tödliche Weihnachten (deadly christmas) in Germany.

 

[DeaconKnowledge]

"i'm not talking 'bout the linen.."

 

[Camp Freddie]

I grew up in the UK and I've always heard the Die Hard is a Christmas Film jokes over the years. Mainly because we all loved Die Hard.

While I've seen The Great Escape, I honestly feel like you're overselling it a bit here. Of course, I haven't lived in the UK since forever so things may have changed.

I've honestly always associated Christmas with the fantastic Wallace and Gromit shorts more than anything.

You're right, I am overselling it a lot.

Views changed sometime early in this century. Die Hard took over when the people who liked Zulu and The Great Escape got too old to be writing articles on "classic" Christmas movies.

 

[Enter The 36 Chambers]

Die hard is still played in theatres at Xmas. And it's set in a Xmas party..

This isn't.

Do better next time bubbi

 

[Arthr2ShdsJcksn]

Eyes Wide Shut is legitimately a Chrismas movie. There's either a Christmas tree or lights in almost every scene.

So, I agree with Long Kiss Goodnight as long as I can double feature it with this other Christmas classic.

 

[plagiarize]

Is lethal weapon a Christmas movie then?

Does this make Shane black the greatest chistmas movie director of all time?

Lethal Weapon is way more of a Christmas movie than Die Hard is. WAY more.

I watched it, Brazil, Eyes Wide Shut, and Krampus yesterday.

 

[El-Suave]

Long Kiss Goodnight is great, it blew me away when I discovered it once it came to DVD back in the day.
Although it's not widely regarded as good I also have a big soft spot for Reindeer Games.

 

[TheBear]

This is a Christmas Ass Christmas movie. It's also fucking amazing I applaud you for your efforts.

Brian Cox is incredible. 'The dog has been licking its ass for the past 3 hours..'

 

[Retro]

"You know what happens when you make an assumption, right? You make an ass out of 'u' and 'mption."

Great action flick, very quotable.

 

[Escape Goat]

It is even called Tödliche Weihnachten (deadly christmas) in Germany.

Thank you. This confirms it.

 

[creatchee]

I see zero Christmas quotes such as "now I have a machine gun ho ho ho."

Please provide proof.

What, "Suck my dick - every one of you bastards" doesn't count? Because hearing Geena Davis say that is like Christmas.

 

[Cynar]

Then so is Batman Returns.

Yes. I just discussed this last night. Definitely qualifies.

 

[karmaforgotme]

Speaking of Christmas movies with 'Kiss' in the title, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a better Christmas movie.

 

[jond76]

Great movie and I second your motion!

 

[Octavianus]

Gremlins will always be the best christmas movie.

 

[jond76]

I see some lists in here, and I'm sad that Scrooged isn't on any of them.

 

[Mindwipe]

I see some lists in here, and I'm sad that Scrooged isn't on any of them.

That's because there's not really much debate to be had that a film based on "A Christmas Carol" is a Christmas movie.

 

[Anung]

I watched Diehard the other day. It doesn't qualify as a Christmas movie other than that's the time of year when the movie is set. Besides Die Hard 2 is also set on Christmas Eve and no one mentions that either.

But who's to say you can't enjoy Diehard at Christmas?

Huh? Doesn't qualify? There's more to Die Hard being a Christmas film that just the time of year. It's a story of a man who wants to spend Christmas with his family. It explores themes of redemption (like other Christmas classics It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol). It uses Christmas iconography and the one-liners are Christmas based. They are at a Christmas party and without said party Gruber's plan wouldn't exist.

Removing the Christmas or changing the time of year would impact several aspects of the film. There'd be no film without it being Christmas.

Nobody talks about Die Hard 2 because is shit.

 

[Sephzilla]

Die Hard and Batman Returns qualify as "Christmas movies". Long Kiss Goodnight I don't think actually does, despite taking place on Christmas

Nobody talks about Die Hard 2 because is shit.

I do. Die Hard 2 is great and gets a lot of unnecessary hate. It gets all the flack for being a glorified remake of Die Hard 1, and then people praise Die Hard 3 which is an even bigger Die Hard 1 remake than 2.

 

[DeathyBoy]

Huh? Doesn't qualify? There's more to Die Hard being a Christmas film that just the time of year. It's a story of a man who wants to spend Christmas with his family. It explores themes of redemption (like other Christmas classics It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol). It uses Christmas iconography and the one-liners are Christmas based. They are at a Christmas party and without said party Gruber's plan wouldn't exist.

Removing the Christmas or changing the time of year would impact several aspects of the film. There'd be no film without it being Christmas.

Nobody talks about Die Hard 2 because is shit.

This is true, but it's also true that if it's set at Christmas it IS a Christmas film. Like how is that up for debate?

 

[Tugatrix]

Shane black written, so yeah it's a Christmas movie

 

[Anung]

I do. Die Hard 2 is great and gets a lot of unnecessary hate. It gets all the flack for being a glorified remake of Die Hard 1, and then people praise Die Hard 3 which is an even bigger Die Hard 1 remake than 2.

How so? Die Hard 3 isn't similar to Die Hard 1 at all apart from John McClane being in it and the bad guy being a Gruber.

 

[Sephzilla]

How so? Die Hard 3 isn't similar to Die Hard 1 at all apart from John McClane being in it and the bad guy being a Gruber.

-- John McClane is estranged from his wife again
-- He's a New York cop again
-- Bad guy is a Gruber
-- Gruber has an elaborate plan for vengeance against Nakatomi Corporation McClane
-- McClane gets a black buddy again
-- Surprise! Gruber's plan is actually elaborate bank robbery and the other shit was just a big diversion

The only difference is that it doesn't take place inside one building and instead takes place in all of New York. I also have a slight dislike of Die Hard 3 for a similar reason I dislike Alien 3 - it sort of shits on the character development that the main character went through in the previous two movies. Although "slight dislike" is probably too strong because Die Hard 3 is still really good.

 

[Diablos]

"I'm always frank and earnest with women. Uh, in New York I'm Frank, and Chicago I'm Ernest."

Truly one of the most memorable lines ever.

 

[Violence Jack]

I've always watched it during Christmas time, usually just before I start Lethal Weapon.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Batman Returns imo

 

[Man with Knife]

Nobody talks about Die Hard 2 because is shit.

Die Hard 2 > Die Hard 3

Batman Returns is a Christmas movie too but the plot is such a mess that it almost single-handedly ruins the entire film. I rewatched both Burton Batmans last week and thought I would like Returns better (because of the whole German Expressionism thing), but boy was I wrong. Batman absolutely still holds up, Returns doesn't really (outside of a couple performances).

 

[sixteen-bit]

Die Hard 2 > Die Hard 3

Patently false

 

[Sephzilla]

Die Hard 2 is more fun than Die Hard 3 in my opinion. I also give it props because it's the only Die Hard movie that doesn't revolve around a goddamn robbery

 

[Man with Knife]

Patently false

Winter setting > summer setting
One location > a whole city as location
William Sadler doing naked Tai Chi and Franco fuckin' Nero as a dictator > whatever absurd thing in Die Hard 3

For real though, I get that they had to make things different for the third part (and 20 years ago I liked it better than the second part too), but Die Hard 2 is more entertaining to me and has a better atmosphere. You can tell by the cast alone that it was made by a movie buff too.

 

[Mindwipe]

Man, now I'm gonna have to spend Christmas Eve trying to watch The Long Kiss Goodnight, Batman Returns, Reindeer Games and Scrooged.

 

[Anoregon]

And yet Nightmare Before Christmas is a Halloween movie?

It's both. It's bi-holiday.

 

[Voras]

Does it bother anyone else that the football game the security guard is watching in Die Hard is USC playing Notre Dame on Christmas Eve? No way that game could possibly happen on that day. The regular season ends weeks before that and I can't imagine them putting those two teams in a bowl together, when they often end their season playing each other or at least play their rivalry game pretty close to the end of the season. Nobody wants a rematch in a bowl game. Also it'd have to be a pretty low tier bowl to be on Christmas Eve.

 

[Lashley]

I mean, who cares?

Watch it over Christmas if you like. I watch Die Hard & Lethal Weapon on Christmas Eve each year.

 

[heyf00L]

Don't forget Rocky V. It also takes place during Christmas.

 

[TwoDurans]

A movie counts as a Christmas movie if the plot is directly influenced by the fact that it's Christmas.

Die Hard is a Christmas movie because John wouldn't have been in LA if not for coming to visit his family. Long Kiss Goodnight can be considered one as well because Charlie was rediscovered because she was Mrs. Claus in a parade.

 

[plagiarize]

Did you all know that Die Hard was actually the name of Shane Black's script for the Last Boy Scout, and he agreed to let Joel Silver use it for Die Hard?

Shane Black really is *the* Christmas movie guy.

 

[PhantomZone]

Don't forget Rocky V. It also takes place during Christmas.

As was Rocky IV, at least the fight with Drago was on Christmas day.

My mind is blown and I have more movies to watch!