It’s always been strange to me that Christmas and movies seem to go hand-in-hand.  But a lot of others things that have nothing to do with Christmas have been paired up with it too, right?  

Anyway, I’m sort of particular about the movies I watch around Christmas.  It’s sort of like pairing wine with food; sometimes to get the combination with the best mojo, you have to be willing to go against common theories. 

Whether you’re snowed in, have the week off and can’t find anything to do, or are just trying to get away from family, I wanted to give you (in no particular order) my pick of the 5 best movies to watch Christmas week.   

(Be warned:  You’ll need Netflix for some of these, Blockbuster can’t handle this order…)

1–You Only Live Twice - Even stranger than movies and Christmas going hand-in-hand, is James Bond and Christmas going hand-in-hand.  But apparently they do, you can catch a TV marathon of Bond films every year at this time.  If you want Bond, you want Sean Connery, not the knockoffs and retreads that followed him.  He’s at his best in this movie; gotta love a guy who’s got a fold-up helicopter.    

2–Yojimbo - This 1961 Japanese film follows a masterless Samurai who wanders into a town where two clans are locked in a vicious feud.  I always steer clear of subtitled movies, but this one’s worth the trouble.  Darkly humorous and one of a kind; it was remade by Sergio Leone in 1964 as Fistful of Dollars with Clint Eastwood.

3–Harvey - It’s not Miracle on 34th Street, but a movie starring Jimmy Stewart with an imaginary rabbit friend?  I had to know how they pulled off a film with that premise; so I watched it, and it immediately became one of my 10 favorite films ever.   And since it’s Jimmy, you can watch it with kids.

4–Dead Reckoning - Dark, shadowy, mysterious, this movie is everything film noir is supposed to be.  In fact, it’s so film noir it’s almost a spoof of the genre, complete with Humphrey Bogart talking over scenes throughout. 

5–Rumor Has It - Just to prove I have a lighter, more contemporary side, I’ve included this recent Rob Reiner film starring Jennifer Anniston, whose character realizes that The Graduate was based on a true story…. and she’s a product of it.  This is a unique, well done, and underrated movie.

So here’s to cold shrimp, Dick Clark, and shotguns at midnight…  

Enjoy your New Year,

-jef

Tags: movies

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