Screen Porty's Christmas Classics Countdown!
As the days grow shorter and the fairy lights twinkle, our thoughts at Screen Porty turn to one thing: Christmas movies! There’s nothing quite like settling down, celebrating community and watching a festive film to get into the holiday spirit. We all have our favourites, from the heartwarming drama of It's a Wonderful Life to the slapstick chaos of Home Alone, to the slightly embarrassing Santa Claus: The Movie (on heavy rotation on VHS in Screen Porty’s childhood)
No man is a failure who has friends
The Classic: For many, the ultimate is Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Be careful not to fall asleep five minutes before the ending (as I did soon after the birth of my first child) or you’ll be treated to the bleakest Christmas movie experience ever. It’s a beautifully melancholic film about self-worth and community that, despite the heavy themes, delivers one of the most tear-jerkingly happy endings in cinema. It reminds us all that "no man is a failure who has friends" and has to be watched every year in our household.
I just like to smile
The Modern Family Favourite: Elf (2003) brought a new kind of childlike wonder to the 21st century. Director Jon Favreau has an unerring knack for nailing the tone of family films perfectly (see: Zathura: A Space Adventure and Iron Man) and does the same for Christmas movies here. Buddy the Elf's unbridled enthusiasm for everything Christmas is infectious. It’s a modern masterpiece of pure, unadulterated joy.
The Unofficial Christmas Action Flick: We can't talk about alternative Christmas viewing without mentioning Die Hard (1988). Yes, we're wading into the great debate! Set entirely on Christmas Eve, with an office party, a Santa hat, and Let it Snow playing over the end credits, it has all the hallmarks of a festive action-thriller.
God bless us, everyone
Our Number One: The Muppet Christmas Carol
But here at Screen Porty, if we had to pick just one film to screen, the top spot this year belongs to the wonderfully weird and genuinely moving The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). It has classic Christmas chops (Dickens), a modern twist (Gonzo as Dickens), with action and adventure (“Light the lamp, not the rat!”; “There are two things in this life I hate: heights, and jumping from them.”).
Why this adaptation of Dickens’s classic? Because it's a miracle of filmmaking. Michael Caine plays Ebenezer Scrooge stone-cold-straight, giving arguably his best screen performance, treating Kermit and Miss Piggy as serious co-stars. His commitment grounds the story’s emotion, making Scrooge’s transformation truly poignant.
Yet, it’s the Muppets who bring the signature heart and humour. Gonzo the Great is the perfect narrator, injecting Dickens's original prose with hilarious fourth-wall breaks. In Screen Porty’s second musical in a row, Paul Williams’ catchy-yet-moving songs are simply outstanding and full of genuine Christmas spirit. It’s a film that manages to be both the most faithful adaptation of the book and the funniest, blending Victorian London's gloom with ice- skating penguins.
It’s the film that truly has it all: spectacular songs, genuine scares (the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come still gets watched through parted fingers), and a profound, redemptive message.
What’s your essential festive viewing? Comment below!