OT: Movie thread

[NotOpie]

Watched St. Elmo's Fire last night for the first time. That was... weird.

I'll just say, I'm of the age where when that movie came out there were SO many references culturally to my experience. It was weird then, can't imagine rewatching it now.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I'm not surprised that the Borderlands movie opened to terrible reviews. Nothing about that movie seemed right. The casting choices were odd, the trailers looked awful, and to top it off, they made it a PG-13 movie, which is the exact opposite vibe of the Borderlands game.

Super disappointed, because I love the Borderlands franchise and I think, if done correctly, it could have been a really successful movie, with a real possibility of sequels.

 

[tomdundo]

I'm not surprised that the Borderlands movie opened to terrible reviews. Nothing about that movie seemed right. The casting choices were odd, the trailers looked awful, and to top it off, they made it a PG-13 movie, which is the exact opposite vibe of the Borderlands game.

Super disappointed, because I love the Borderlands franchise and I think, if done correctly, it could have been a really successful movie, with a real possibility of sequels.

It always seemed to me like the person doing the casting didn't even have any experience with the franchise or the characters' personalities.

Not at all surprised it was a total flop. Just seemed cheesy.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

It always seemed to me like the person doing the casting didn't even have any experience with the franchise or the characters' personalities.

Not at all surprised it was a total flop. Just seemed cheesy.

I mean, it's Eli Roth, so expectations shouldn't have been that high to begin with. It seemed like he was trying to make a Guardians of the Galaxy-like film, but without any of the warmth behind it. He ignored the established lore of the franchise and characters in an attempt to make it appeal to a wider audience, and wound up with a movie that appeals to no one.

 

[HisIceness]

Christmas films.

Elf, Christmas Vacation, Santa Clause, Home Alone, It's a Wonderful Life, Die Hard, you know the usual

 

[BadgerCane58]

Christmas films.

Elf, Christmas Vacation, Santa Clause, Home Alone, It's a Wonderful Life, Die Hard, you know the usual

White Christmas, with Vera-Ellen….

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I’ll still argue that both Die Hard and Home Alone are not Christmas movies. They’re movies that take place around Christmas time, but the fact that it’s Christmas has no bearing on the overall plot. Both films could have taken place during the summer and nothing would have changed.

I might be willing to compromise on Home Alone, because at least its release date was around the holiday season. Die Hard was a summer blockbuster that co-opted the Christmas guise

 

[Derailed75]

I’ll still argue that both Die Hard and Home Alone are not Christmas movies. They’re movies that take place around Christmas time, but the fact that it’s Christmas has no bearing on the overall plot. Both films could have taken place during the summer and nothing would have changed.

I might be willing to compromise on Home Alone, because at least its release date was around the holiday season. Die Hard was a summer blockbuster that co-opted the Christmas guise

Said this for years. Also add Carry-on to the list. Decent watch but not a Christmas movie

 

[Unsustainable]

I’ll still argue that both Die Hard and Home Alone are not Christmas movies. They’re movies that take place around Christmas time, but the fact that it’s Christmas has no bearing on the overall plot. Both films could have taken place during the summer and nothing would have changed.

I might be willing to compromise on Home Alone, because at least its release date was around the holiday season. Die Hard was a summer blockbuster that co-opted the Christmas guise

Gremlins?

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Gremlins?

Blasphemous, but never seen it.

 

[bleedgreen]

I’m more of a “if it’s set in Xmas time it’s a Xmas movie” guy. I’d give a nod to Gremlins, Just Friends is a Xmas time movie. I’m fine with Die Hard. I also see how it can be scoffed at to feel this way but I like options.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

Would you consider the first Harry Potter movie be a Christmas movie? A large portion of the film takes place during the Christmas season, and Harry receives important gifts and spends time with what he considers his real family, possibly for the first time of his life. In addition, the film (and its series) are often played in perpetuity around the holiday season.

 

[hblueridgegal]

Christmas films.

Elf, Christmas Vacation, Santa Clause, Home Alone, It's a Wonderful Life, Die Hard, you know the usual

This one’s a witty charmer.
Netflix just added a Season 3 for 2025!

 

[MinJaBen]

I’ll still argue that both Die Hard and Home Alone are not Christmas movies. They’re movies that take place around Christmas time, but the fact that it’s Christmas has no bearing on the overall plot. Both films could have taken place during the summer and nothing would have changed.

I might be willing to compromise on Home Alone, because at least its release date was around the holiday season. Die Hard was a summer blockbuster that co-opted the Christmas guise

It’s a Wonderful Life is also not a Christmas movie. Just because it takes place at Christmas, nothing about it is a Christmas movie except the tree scene at the end. Home Alone has more Christmas content than a Wonderful.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

It’s a Wonderful Life is also not a Christmas movie. Just because it takes place at Christmas, nothing about it is a Christmas movie except the tree scene at the end. Home Alone has more Christmas content than a Wonderful.

I can see that argument, though it could also be argued that his vision of a life where he never existed was a kind of Christmas magic, which would definitely qualify it as a Christmas movie. Though I suppose if the film wasn’t set around Christmas, the angel appearing and using that magic would just be considered divine and not Christmas magic.

I dunno, I feel like It’s a Wonderful Life falls in a very similar category to A Christmas Carol in my mental inventory, so I’d be more likely to call it a Christmas movie.

Personally, I’d feel more comfortable calling both Home Alone and It’s a Wonderful Life both Christmas movies than to call one a Christmas movie and the other not.

 

[HisIceness]

I always attributed It's a Wonderful Life to Christmas because I never saw it any other time. I'm old enough to remember when TNT and TMC and whatnot would only air it in December.

 

[Boom Boom Apathy]

I used to argue it and sometimes even instigate it, but now as I get older and wiser, I think people who complain about Diehard and Home Alone not being a "Christmas Movie" just want something to argue about.

If you don't want to watch it, then don't watch it and exclude it from your Christmas arsenal and don't consider it a Christmas movie.

If families watch those at Christmas and it's part of a Christmas tradition for those families, then it's a Christmas move for them.

It's as simple as that.

 

[skipnjump]

Just finished up watching A Muppet Christmas Carol for the first time. Very cute little movie.

 

[bleedgreen]

Would you consider the first Harry Potter movie be a Christmas movie? A large portion of the film takes place during the Christmas season, and Harry receives important gifts and spends time with what he considers his real family, possibly for the first time of his life. In addition, the film (and its series) are often played in perpetuity around the holiday season.

Well that’s a stretch, with the two movies I mentioned (Gremlins, Just Friends) the majority or the entirety of the plot was around Xmas time. The Harry Potters just pass through the Xmas season as part of their school year. For sure big plot points happen during that time but every movie obviously follows the whole school year so no, I don’t consider the Potter movies Xmas movies.

I would use the holiday as an excuse to blow through the Potter movies with my nephews. We actually talked about it yesterday.

Ps. According to MAX Gremlins is number 7 today!

 

[Blueline Bomber]

I used to argue it and sometimes even instigate it, but now as I get older and wiser, I think people who complain about Diehard and Home Alone not being a "Christmas Movie" just want something to argue about.

If you don't want to watch it, then don't watch it and exclude it from your Christmas arsenal and don't consider it a Christmas movie.

If families watch those at Christmas and it's part of a Christmas tradition for those families, then it's a Christmas move for them.

It's as simple as that.

I don’t think it’s anything to take seriously. It’s simply a debate for the sake of a debate. Kind of like “which direction do you leave your toilet rolls” or “Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?”

 

[bleedgreen]

I don’t think it’s anything to take seriously. It’s simply a debate for the sake of a debate. Kind of like “which direction do you leave your toilet rolls” or “Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?”

100 duck sized horses and I will fight anyone that says otherwise. I am right, you are wrong and you know nothing about ducks.

 

[Blueline Bomber]

100 duck sized horses and I will fight anyone that says otherwise. I am right, you are wrong and you know nothing about ducks.

I believe Bill Nye was asked this question in a Reddit AMA and he said “Their sizes would be disadvantageous for both. A horse-sized duck would collapse under its own weight and 100 duck-sized horses would freeze to death.”

Given that answer, I’d pick single horse-sized duck, because I imagine it’s a faster process to have it collapse under its weight than to wait for 100 duck-size horses to freeze