B.O.S.A.H.F.O.W.: Holiday movies

I'm not one for the common holiday movies. Yes I do have a soft spot in my head (yes, I said head) for A Christmas Carol. Back in DenCo some friends and I would go to the play every year, it was honestly great fun. See, I got some culture dammit. And yes "It's a wonderful life" after so long can come off as trite and saccharine. It's a holiday classic for sure, just now a days not so much my cuppa Joe. Then comes what has become a pop culture fave over the years "A Christmas Story" a fine movie in it's own right it just lacks the dirt under the fingernails feel I like.

Don't even get me started on "Santa Clause" or any of the idealized xmas fair that splashes itself across our screens during the silly season.

So what the hell do I like in a holiday movie?

Well dear readers (both of you) I tend to jump on the way back machine to the 80's. I was a teenager during a majority of the 80's and with that bit of info you can see how I'd lean towards that era. Three holiday flicks come to mind the first reminds me to a small degree of my holiday travels back to the A-T-L during this time of year. The hilarious "Planes, Trains and Automobiles"

The next couple let's say are a bit more gritty and to a degree stretches the holiday genre a bit. I ask that you open your minds because well unlike most holiday movies these concern an always male favorite of gun play and large explosions.

That's right the first installment in the Lethal Weapon series. When I was a teenager I liked the flick because frankly it was an action flick unlike anything I had seen before. As I have gotten older I see a deeper context to the movie than what I saw when I was a rotten teenager. Riggs is damaged and even flawed character and to a great degree a lost dirt bag. We see that in the regular cut of the film. In the directors cut we get to see the more lonely side of him. Do yourself a favor and watch the directors cut and you'll see what I mean. The story is one of redemption and acceptance. Although Riggs is a basket case he's accepted by a warm and loving family. Most of the format of holiday movies follow this formula LW1 does this plus there is a bunch of gun play and martial arts.

"Die Hard" is also a story of redemption (a common theme for xmas film) I won't bore you with the plot, we all know it by now and man the film is packed with a fuck ton of action. What more is there to say about such a uber-film? It's about xmas right? Absolutely. There is snow (cocaine) plenty of lights (Ho..ho..ho..now I have a machine gun) and plenty of holiday cheer "ARRGH...I WANT BLOOD!" what more could you ask for in a flick?

Now am I forgetting others? Absolutely. I saw "All is Bright" the other night and found it a worth while rental. Naturally there are childhood faves (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) that are worth watching again and again. There is also "Trading Places" another 80's movie and along the more historical a personal fave "The Crossing". Let's not forget "Scrooged" and "Bad Santa"

For those of us who are not christrans it can be a tough thing to find some holiday entertainment that does not rub our noses into the "reason for the season". Which brings up a fave thing I like to post this time of year: