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It’s Gonna be a Dark Christmas

Personal List of Holiday Films

By Iris HarrisPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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It’s Gonna be a Dark Christmas
Photo by Rodion Kutsaev on Unsplash

Happy holidays! As the holiday season falls upon us, we are bombarded by songs, treats and more importantly (at least to film lovers) holiday movies. If you know me in real life, you might say that I am not exactly the “sunshine and rainbows” type of person. Those close to me are fully aware of my dark sense of humor and I am fortunate they are accepting of it. That being said, the end of the year can be beyond my level of appreciation. Nonetheless, I do have a small list I personally deem as my “holiday” films and I am sure I am not the only one who would enjoy this list of films to bless them with holiday cheer (even if the films themselves are not very “cheery”).

Die Hard

One cop versus an unknown amount of terrorist on Christmas Eve

Yes, let me begin with the one film that has been controversial for years. Since it’s release back in the 80’s Die Hard has had filmgoers discussing if it’s a holiday film or not. Even today, there are many people still adamant that it’s not a Christmas movie (in spite of the Director himself claiming it is). Regardless of your stance on this film, to me it’s a holiday film and I have made it a personal tradition to watch this film before I watch any other Christmas movie. For me, I don’t begin to feel “Christmas-y” until I see Hans (Alan Rickman) falling from the Nakatomi building after John McClane (Bruce Willis) uttered his famous line: “Yippee Kai Yay, Mother Fucker.” Watching good ol’ Hans fall is like watching the New York Times Square ball drop at New Years, but instead of ringing in the New Year, Hans rings in my Christmas spirit.

A Long Kiss Goodnight

“Life is Pain, deal with it”

Along the lines of Die Hard like films is this feminist version. Genna Davis plays Samantha/Charly who starts out as a local school teacher with an 8 year old and later discovers she’s a spy who had suffered from amnesia. Similar to Die Hard the setting is Christmas time and there is one Christmas theme story that is used in the film to give it that holiday feel for me. Besides, if anything, you know with Samuel L. Jackson in the film, you can expect plenty of F-bombs to be floating around in the film to decorate your christmas tree with.

Anna and the Apocalypse

Believe it or not: It’s a musical.

What you need to know about me is: I love zombies! Some will love werewolves, vampires, and other creatures of horror, but for me: it’s zombies! If it has zombies, I’m interested and I have watch a wide range of zombie films. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise I would not only watch Anna and the Apocalypse, but also add it to my traditional holiday “watch” list. It’s simply, Anna and her friends have to survive a zombie apocalypse during the Christmas season.

To be honest, I enjoy it for two major reasons: It has zombies and it’s a musical! When Ryan McHenry (screenplay writer) came up with the idea for Zombie Musical I am sure he had people like me in mind. Taking that musical and making it into a holiday film was brilliant and I love it when Anna attempts to knock out the snowman without realizing: it’s a zombie. The film may not be for everyone, but I love it and will continue to watch it every year.

Better Watch Out

This is one babysitting job she should have turned down.

Continuing with holiday horror, I have also added this gem to my list. I came upon this film last year during the heat of the 2020 pandemic. I was exploring iTunes store for a new movie to add to my digital collection. After watching the trailer for this film, I was hooked. If you haven’t seen it yet, there is a crazy plot twist to the film and that was when I knew I had made the right choice with this blind purchase. With all the slashing and deadly jokes in the film, it tickles my funny bone and makes me enjoy the Christmas season that much more (even though it has nothing to do with Christmas itself). If you are not a fan of slasher films, then definitely avoid this budding cult classic.

Scrooged

You know the story, now watch it with Bill Murray as the main character.

Scrooged will also be one of my favorites to enjoy during the holidays. It opens with Santa’s workshop under attack by terrorists. Watching Santa and the elves flock around ammunition and passing out guns in defense breaks away from your traditional cookies and milk. Furthermore, casting Bill Murray as Frank Cross, a cold hearted TV executive, just works! Honestly, Murray’s character’s vision of the trailer for the live showing of “Scrooge” still rings in my head today:

Acid rain…drug addiction…international terrorist. Now, more than ever, it’s important to remember the true meaning of Christmas. Don’t miss “Scrooge.” You life just might depend on it.

Yep, Scrooged is definitely a must watch for people who share my dark sense of humor.

Other Dark Films

Of course there are more than just what I have listed here. I recently rewatched Black Christmas streaming on HBO Max. Another popular classic is The Nightmare Before Christmas. Additionally, there are also all the Christmas themed horror films as well. I do enjoy a good B-Horror movie, I just don’t feel like I’d enjoy it as much as a holiday film (unless it has zombies).

Traditional Classics

I do enjoy other classic and fuzzy feeling Christmas movies. Some of my favorite traditional films are: Home Alone (Ahhhhhh), A Christmas Story (You’ll shoot your eye out), Jingle All the Way (It’s Turboman), Elf (Be sure to carry your small bottle of maple syrup) and It’s a Wonderful Life (he finally got his wings), but until I satisfy my dark sadistic side, I can’t enjoy these classics (or Christmas for that matter). Which leave me wondering: Am I the only one in my circle of friends who has this twist humorous side?

Happy Holidays everyone! Hope you find some films that best suits you.

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About the Creator

Iris Harris

An aspiring novelist. I enjoy writing ghost, horror, and drama. Occassionally, I dabble with some essays. You can find more of my work with the link below:

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