A Merry GeekTyrant Christmas: Staff Holiday Movie Picks
With the holiday season in full effect and Christmas right around the corner, I took it upon myself to bug the GeekTyrant staff about their favorite holiday movies. While we often spend the year watching and reading up on comic book, fantasy, and sci-fi movies, when December rolls around we make time for some more wholesome holiday classics. And even if they’re not classics, per se, they still put us in the Christmas spirit. And before you get disappointed, none of us chose Die Hard. Admittedly, I considered it, but isn’t that whole thing played out already?
Joey Paur, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief
“I've watched A Christmas Story every year during Christmas for as long as I can remember, and I've never gotten bored or tired of it. Every time I watch it, I still laugh at the wonderfully comedic scenes. Over the years it's connected with me in different ways. When I was growing up as a kid I could relate to Ralphie and his experiences during the holidays. I even wanted a BB gun of my own! And, of course, my parents told me I would shoot my eye out. But now that I'm a father, I am living through what the parents in the story went through! Yeah, the film was set in a different time, but the themes and spirit of it still resonate with the present day. A Christmas Story is just such a wonderfully made film that is filled with the spirit of Christmas. There will never be a Christmas in my life where I do not watch this movie!”
Mily Dunbar, Writer/Editor
"Ebbie is my favorite Christmas movie of all time, even though I know it is not even close to the best. It's a modern (or it was modern in 1995) gender-swapped retelling of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, and it is wonderful and cheesy and I watched it with my mom every year, which makes me love it for nostalgia alone. But really, the thing that makes it so great is watching Susan Lucci, who stars as Elizabeth ‘Ebbie’ Scrooge, treat the not-so-great script like it's Shakespeare. Her genuinely delightful performance gives the clunky, mid-90s Lifetime movie a bit of shine. Lifetime has taken it out of their holiday rotation, but I found it on YouTube and watched a few minutes, and suddenly it feels like Christmas."
Free Reyes, Co-Founder and COO
“Love, Actually is one of those films that seem to always be on TV around the holidays. When I land on it I will always watch it to its end (despite channels editing out most of a storyline). The cast is an amazing ensemble that brings lots of depth to their small part of the larger story. It's such an easy film to watch, and it plays like a highlight reel of multiple good films all skillfully smashed together. It's a must watch, love-letter to love.”
Jessica Fisher, Writer/Editor
“I love the movie National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation because I've been watching it for what feels like my whole life, and it is always funny. I get more of the jokes now as an adult, and my husband and I catch ourselves watching it and quoting it all through the holiday season. Also, if I can get a viewing in while my parents are in town, I get to watch my dad laugh so hard that he cries and can't breathe, which makes the movie all the funnier. It's a total classic that I'm just getting my kids to watch and that I'm so happy to bust out every year. Eddie: ‘You surprised to see us, Clark?’ Clark: ‘Oh, Eddie... If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now.’“
Tommy Williams, Writer
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas is my favorite thing to watch when the holidays roll around every year. It is the best rendition of the classic Dr. Seuss story, and I believe most of that is due to the fact that they didn’t try to fill up 1.5+ hours of a film which leads to a creation of a needless backstory for the Grinch. It’s less than 30 minutes long, and so this TV special is perfect to watch with the whole family and helps us remember one of the true meanings of Christmas. As the Grinch takes away the commercialism of the holiday, he thinks he has stopped the Whos from having their day, but we are then shown that the joy of the season can’t be wrapped in paper and bows because the gifts are really just the cherry on top. Also, the music is fantastic, and no one can sing ‘You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch’ like Thurl Ravenscroft.”
Jason Ashley, Writer
“While not the most conventional of Christmas movies, Gremlins is one of the films I always watch around the holidays. I love just about any movie with monsters or creatures in it (Plus practical effects? Yes, please!), but the holiday backdrop is really what sells this one. From the snow-covered town of Kingston Falls to the gremlin emerging from the Peltzer’s Christmas tree to the decked-out gremlin Christmas carolers, this is the film that gets me excited for the holidays. Now if Gremlins isn’t your idea of a Christmas movie, I’ll add that my runner-up was It’s A Wonderful Life. Just don’t feed that angel after dark.”
With so many great Christmas movies out there, what are your favorites? Let us know in the comments!