My Not So Typical Holiday Movie List..

The holiday season is filled with so much joy, so much happiness and memories. Not all those memories involve families sitting around a fire telling stories, drinking hot cocoa. Not everyone enjoys the mild mannered happiness that we see everywhere. We don't all have those families that smile and sing during the holidays. I know i don't...or didn't. Things have changed a bit since we started our own family holiday traditions.

I recently posted a note about the classic film Gremlins. In my opinion, it is a holiday classic. This movie really does make me feel the warmth of the holidays. It may not be the typical cheery film for the seasons but a smile and that warm feeling rush to me when it comes on.

There are other films that get me in the holiday spirit just like Gremlins. Don't judge me, we all have our holiday triggers and these are mine.

Edward Scissorhands- Yes , a Tim Burton film is on the list. How could you not get the good feelings when you watch this. The story has that mystical twinkle about it. I remember always sitting in the dark listening to how there was never any snow on Christmas until Edward Scissorhands came to the little suburban town that lay at the foot of his hilltop estate where he was created. He was chased away by terrified tows folk and thought to be killed but in fact, he lives and every year carves ice sculptures that create the snow that the town below enjoys during the holiday season.

Nightmare Before Christmas- Don't judge. Another Tim Burton film. How could you not love this musical. Despite its creepy appeal, this movie touches that first bit of holiday cheer early on Halloween. It works for both holidays. Plus, nothing says welcome to the holidays like a good animated film even if it does have the boogie man stuffing Santa into a sack and holds him prisoner with the help of little demon like children.

Harry Potter- A lot of people don't realize that these films have a part taking place during Christmas which portrays the not so great holidays Harry spent with the Dursleys. Now , away at Hogwarts, Harry is able to fully enjoy and partake in the holiday festivities that he was unaware of before along with the entire wizarding world. It really helps that TV stations start playing the Harry Potter Marathon around both Halloween and Christmas. Another example of a great movie that starts the feels early.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles- This is the most usual one on my list. Of course it captures the hysteria of holiday travel at its best. This movie holds up so well. I cant wait til Meals is old enough to watch it say, why didn't they just use their cell phones? Oh how simple times were...

Hook- Ha! Nothing says holidays like pirates and a flying 40 something year old man. The English manor that the family visits for the holidays gets me in the cheery adventuring mood. This movie always made me wonder how holidays were across the pond. I always loved pirates and most things English, which siphoned into a love for Doctor Who. I find myself more fond of this film as I get older. I'm not sure if its the soundtrack which is the predecessor of John Williams Harry Potter soundtrack or the fact that Robin Williams was always a child at heart. We all .. err, most of us, find room in ourselves to indulge in our inner child during the holiday season and this movie allows us to do this. I still remember having the Peter Pan sword that made clanging sounds when you hit it against things.

Notice that my list did not have such movies like A Christmas Story, Elf, The Polar Express and all those other typical holiday movies. This is not to say that I do not like them. I love most movies that have a holiday theme but they do nothing to get me in the mood. We all have our Holiday Triggers and these are mine.

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