Christmas; a holiday that embraces togetherness, love, and optimism in a way that has made adults and young alike await it’s grand arrival at the fall of each year for many, many years. Among all of it’s ceremonial festivities; the building of the tree, the cooking and consumption of christmas dinner, and the exchange of gifts, cinema has silently remained a tradition of the season which has inspired such unity spanning generations. Who doesn't after all, recall fond memories of viewing ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ (1966), or ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1947), or ‘Home Alone (1996), at that wonderful time of year, when the TV would suddenly explode with a wide variety of seasonal content? This writer does, but those films tend to get old…quickly. That being said, here is a selection of the top 5 Alternative Christmas Films that you should consider celebrating with this year.
5. A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas
While a franchise about a stoner comedy double act isn't the most obvious choice for consideration of a christmas special, ‘A Very Harold and Kumar Christmas’ is one of the few comedies I've seen in recent years that effortlessly combines charming sweetness with flat out, puerile grossness. It’s an added bonus that the film happens to be set around Christmas, which gives me a valid excuse to put it on this list.
The film tells the story (if you can call it that) of Harold and Kumar, two best buddies who find themselves in unlikely situations, all for our enjoyment. While inherently episodic, their Cheech and Chong inspired antics are perfectly staged for comic timing in this sequel to their hits ‘Harold and Kumar go to White Castle’ and ‘Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay’. If those titles amused you any way, believe me, this film is assuredly for you.
4. Bad Santa
‘Bad Santa’ is another film like ‘Harold and Kumar’ that juxtaposes sweet natured sentiment with broadly raunchy adult humour to produce a hilarious and heartwarming story that remains rough enough around the edges to also take seriously as a drama. Billy Bob Thornton is a marvel in the titular role as a professional thief who disguises himself as Santa Claus to rob shopping malls. That is until everything goes wrong and he finds himself stuck with a boy who believes he’s the real santa. The black humour of the film is perfectly executed, the acting is great, and the jokes offer us insight into his character rather than opting for gags for the sake of laughs. The late, great Bernie Mac, is also brilliant in a supporting role as a security chief.
3. Lethal Weapon
This 80’s buddy cop action classic may be the most abstract member of this list, as the references to Christmas in the film aren’t really drawn to our attention that much. However it all goes to show how well the film actually works within it’s own genre, and more importantly, how easy it is to be engrossed by it. Mel Gibson and Danny Glover are the two polar opposite police detectives who have to learn to work together in order to stop a gang of drug smugglers execute their plans. By today’s standards, this plot may sound generic. But Shane Black’s slick script is packed with memorable quotes and quirky dialogue exchanges that are greatly lacking in modern Hollywood action films. This script brings great energy to the overall product, and works well with it’s stars.
2. The Ref
Perhaps the most unappreciated film on this list, ‘The Ref’ is a home invasion crime comedy about a cat burglar (Denis Leary) invading the home of a simple middle class family during the holidays, as, for breaking into a mansion safe to steal jewels, he’s been forced to go on the run. He takes the family hostage, but in the manner of many comedies, roles are reversed and the captives prove to be the most lethal. While pitch black in it’s humour, the film has an unusually moral outcome in which Denis Leary’s character learns a lot from the family, almost as much as they do from him. For the record, if i'm at all making this sound cliche, the film itself may surprise you.
- Die Hard
‘Die Hard’ for many people is a film to be religiously watched at Christmas time. I am one of these people, but, I chose include it on this list because many people still flat out refuse to consider it a Christmas film. Purely, because tonally, it is gritty and shallow in it’s execution. Sure, it doesn't have christmas lights, tree’s, sing-a-longs or a sentimental outcome, but the film is above all else, about a man who’d be willing to do anything to get back to his family. Even if it means stacking up countless dead bodies and painting the screen with blood to make it happen. It is this gritty shell, that surrounds a much warmer center, that makes ‘Die Hard’, for my money, an absolute must.
by Michael Miller
