It’s hard to believe that December is here already. It felt like only yesterday Brig was gearing up to do our Halloween coverage for the year, yet, here we are.
Christmas is just around the corner and you know what that means: it’s time to pop on a couple of classic holiday flicks and gain a few more pounds. Instead of writing about films like Elf and Home Alone (even though they are great in their own right), I’ve decided to pick a couple of other classics and a wee curve ball to spice up your winter watchlist.
A Muppet Christmas Carol
Almost every year since 2017, I have watched A Muppet Christmas Carol. What started as a yearly tradition among friends has become a necessary part of my Christmas experience.
Being an adaptation of Dickens’ classic tale of greed and the capacity for human growth, A Muppet Christmas Carol injects a much needed change into the centuries old tale. That change being, of course, the Muppets!
If you haven’t watched this absolute gem of a family film, then you’ve never truly engaged with A Christmas Carol. No bah humbugs are to be had when Tiny Tim enters your life.
Die Hard
Die Hard is, at least to me, the ultimate Christmas film. It’s got romance, sleigh bells and an unambiguously evil villain that’s just waiting to be thrown out of a window.
It’s endlessly quotable and there’s not been a year since I was 10 that I’ve missed watching this one. Yippee Ki-Yay, love live John McClane.
Gremlins
Gremlins is another one that I was probably too young to watch when I did. I’ve had the same DVD copy of the film since I was three, acquired when my Dad borrowed it from a friend and never returned it.
There’s no doubt that watching Gremlins when I did started my life long love of all things horror, but in a strange way it also started my love of Christmas.
It’s gory, silly and a practical effects heavy treat for the eyes. There’s no other horror-Christmas film that is as good as Gremlins.
Violent Night
Now for something a little bit more contemporary. Violent Night is far from original. It’s a Die Hard copy that swaps grizzled cop John MacClean for a drunk Nordic Santa Claus. But, thankfully, I love it.
I first watched Violent Night just before I left Uni halls to venture back home for the holidays in 2022. Every year since, I’ve chucked it on if I want a quick dose of violent Santa goodness.
The Snowman
Taking things away from all the gore and violence of the last few picks, The Snowman might just be the greatest feel good Christmas movie.
If you’ve grown up in Scotland, you’ll probably know the animated film best from the yearly Irn-Bru parody adverts that play endlessly during December. But for anyone unfamiliar, The Snowman is a 1982 animated film adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ picture book of the same name.
It’s a comfy classically animated film that ditches a long runtime to instead present a beautiful short story about Christmas magic and youthful joy.
All of these films mean a great deal to me as they all represent parts of my life as I’ve gotten older. As my time with Brig is coming to a close, it felt like the right time to look back.
Get ready for more personal opinions and festive fun this year at Brig, stay tuned for more!
Featured Image Credit: Walt Disney Pictures