If anyone recognized my avatar of silent film star Clara Bow, they'd guess I like old movies. My favorite Christmas ones are: "Remember the Night," with Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray "The Shop Around the Corner," with Jimmy Stewart What's yours?
I usually get stuck watching It's a Wonderful Life as it is the wife's favorite. They are all getting old to me, but Christmas Vacation and A Christmas Story are ones I can tolerate. I have to say @Andrea Lindsey I haven't watched either of the ones you mentioned.
Another Die Hard fan here. I'm going to feel sad about Bruce Willis' decline when I watch this year. "Welcome to the pahty, pal!"
I'm the same way. They're all shopworn, even A Christmas Story. I do like A Christmas Carol (Alastair Sim version.) For some reason, that never gets old. I guess I'm a sucker for tales of redemption.
Yes Bruce is a wonderful actor. I've watched movies that I wouldn't normally watch because he is in them and those can stay on the store shelves.
I'm tired of those, too, Don, but if you have TCM, I just saw their schedule and starting December 19, 8 p.m., through Christmas Day there will be 76 Christmas Movies. I expect some of them are just movies that take place around Christmas, but they still put me in the mood.
I've only seen a few Christmas movies. Maybe 8, and all old ones. I'll pick The Shop Around the Corner (1940) Christmas in Connecticut (1945) (I like any movie with S.Z. Sakall)
I found the two you mentioned on Amazon Prime last night @Andrea Lindsey so perhaps I will view them when I have the time.
Have you seen Tenth Avenue Angel (1948) starring 11 year old Margaret O'Brien as Flavia Mills? It's a little very corny, but who can resist a Depression-era Christmas movie with a little girl named "Flavia" in it? WIKI page.
I may have seen that one long ago. Some short scenes on YouTube look familiar. More likely just parts while channel surfing.
What it lacks in substance is made up for with schmaltz. I miss the days when these movies were played on TV at this time of year. I'm not really a "RomCom" kinda guy, and that seems to be all that modern Hollywood has to offer for Christmas.
TCM counts The Apartment (1960), with Shirley MacLaine, Jack Lemmon, Fred MacMurray, as a Christmas movie. Like you said, probably just because it's around Christmas/New Years. I watched it again today. It's a very good movie. Fred MacMurray doesn't seem right in that part, but he pulled it off well.