Daytripper

"The Apartment" was listed as one of the best Christmas movies of all-time on Rotten Tomatoes. I had never seen it before and watched it for the first time tonight. Great film, clever dialogue. It's a little too dark to be considered "a Christmas movie" IMO. And it was kind of edgy too for it's time. Jack Lemmon's married male co-workers using him and his apartment to hook up with women. A lot of partying going on too (in the office, bars, etc). There were very few scenes where someone wasn't holding a cocktail. I did a little research after watching it and didn't realize many considered it to be such a holiday classic. What are your thoughts?

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-e...-a8086416.html

https://www.theguardian.com/film/fil...-the-apartment

https://lwlies.com/articles/the-apar...ristmas-movie/

A Shroud of Thoughts: Why The Apartment (1960) is a Christmas Movie

https://www.thedailybeast.com/billy-...-holiday-movie

dex14

Never considered it a holiday a movie.

ddrknghtrtns

"The Man Who Came To Dinner" is my personal favorite holiday movie.

Daytripper

Damn. That's two older movies in a row I haven't seen. Will watch that soon!

TheBigDave

The Thin Man is a great Christmas movie.

E Unit

Die Hard is more of a Christmas movie than The Apartment.

Nick Danger

Eyes Wide Shut is my favorite Christmas movie.

Seriously, people really do consider Die Hard a Christmas movie because it takes place in late December. That seems weird to me.

E Unit

Maybe it's because of all the Christmas decorations. And the Christmas party at Nakatomi. And McClane writing "Ho Ho Ho" on a dead man. And the Christmas decorations everywhere. And Al wearing a Santa hat. And using the song Let It Snow.

Nick Danger

I read all those reviews. I still don't buy that it's a Christmas movie. The Apartment is about abuse and despair, with a tiny ray of sunshine where two little people make a connection. It has little to do with divine joy.

I suppose that for people who think Christmas is about the contrast between drunken office parties and private loneliness it's a Christmas movie. There is an urban myth that suicides are up during Christmas. When I was depressed and suicidal, it wasn't associated with any brief holiday.

dex14

I once went to one of those Jason Reitman live reads of this script. The cast included: Paul Rudd, Emma Stone, James Woods, Tom Cavanagh, David Wain, Jason Sudeikis, Greta Gerwig, and Carla Buono.

Great stuff.

Nick Danger

Die Hard takes place during Christmas. It's not a Christmas movie. You could take Die Hard's plot of defeating terrorists who've taken over a skyscraper and move it to Memorial Day with a minimal number of changes. You couldn't do that with Miracle on 34th Street.

E Unit

You have an incredibly limited view of what a Christmas movie is. Besides, Eyes Wide Shut? You proved my point with that example.

Nick Danger

Sorry, I was being sarcastic when I said Eyes Wide Shut. But even that movie has important themes of forgiveness and redemption. Die Hard is about shooting bad guys.

dex14

There is an old thread regarding the Die Hard debate (and Lethal Weapon) which would be more appropriate to have that convo: https://forum.dvdtalk.com/movie-talk...as-movies.html

OldBoy

the greatest X-mas movies begin and ends with either A Christmas Story or It's A Wonderful Life. certainly giving the edge to IAWL. that's all. those are the biggest and best imo. everything else just pales, by far, in comparison...

GoldenJCJ

^ Which is funny considering It’s a Wonderful Life should barely register as a Christmas movie. With the exception of the last 30 minutes of the movie, and the fact that it fell into the public domain and was endlessly broadcast on TV during the holidays. Hell, children of the 90s were conditioned to consider it a Christmas movie.

People either love or hate A Christmas Story. Despite the fact that I can’t stand the movie, I would certainly rank it higher than It’s a Wonderful Life as a Christmas movie.

Personally, I’d enjoy A Christmas Story A LOT more if they got rid of those dreadful daydreams by Ralphie. I get that the movie is about a little boy and his imagination but...ugh, do those scenes kill the movie for me!

dex14

Is the intent of the OP to debate what the best Christmas movie of all time is or if The Apartment should be considered one? It seemed like the latter.

inri222

Eyes Wide Shut

And I’m not being sarcastic.

Toddarino

Gremlins.

I’ve never considered the Apartment a Christmas movie, but maybe I’ll do a re-evaluation.

Paul_SD

While a key plot point happens on Christmas, It's been a prime New Years movie for me, for a while now, for it's ending.

Another movie that made a big impression on me when watched at the end of the year/at the start of the new year was The Swimmer. A bit of a downer, but sometimes it helps to start the new year with a splash of cold water in the face.

Count Dooku

Then the thread would just be people posting "No" and moving on.

Ash Ketchum

I like THE APARTMENT a lot, but I wouldn't call it the greatest Christmas film ever. That would be THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT, of course.

"Is your stocking full or are you just glad to see me?"

davidlynchfan

Gotta give “Christmas Evil” a shout out too. That movie was just whacky fun.

slybone

Anybody that wants to see a wacky Christmas movie needs to watch “Who Slew Auntie Roo”. It’s currently on Amazon Prime if you’re a subscriber.

Crocker Jarmen

Today is the day Marion Crane stole $40,000. The investigation into her disappearance seems to occur over the next week or two, meaning Norman is unmasked just a couple days before Christmas, so I'm claiming Psycho as a Christmas movie

Supposedly, the movie only became set during Christmas in post-production, because the background footage they shot for the rear-projection driving scenes had Christmas decorations in them.

Also, I just realized that December 11th 1960 is a Sunday, so Psycho more likely takes place in 1959.