From December 1st until Christmas Eve, here on the LAMB, we’ll be determining what is the BEST Christmas movie of all time. We’ve asked you all which films are the main contenders, and twenty-four of you replied with your choices, which will bauble battle it out for seasonal supremacy. It’s a head-to-head, single elimination tournament, so whichever film wins today moves onto the next round. However, here is not the only place to vote. No, head to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to see the same poll there, and it’ll be the total of all four results that determines the winner.
Today’s tinsel tussle is the second quarter-final, and the decider for the overall winner of the Genre group. There’s been one upset in this group already, with Gremlins defeating the number two seed of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, so let’s see if it can pull another one when it goes up against Die Hard:
Die Hard vs Gremlins
Die Hard, championed by Simon Appleton from Moustache Movie News
‘Tis the season to be jolly, which means lots of tinsel, wrapping paper, empty bank accounts and the same damn Christmas music playing over and over. But it also means we have the perfect excuse to watch Die Hard – the ULTIMATE Christmas movie – as many times as we want.
Now many of you are probably thinking; Die Hard? That’s not a Christmas movie! Well respectfully, you’re wrong. I don’t think Die Hard could get any more Christmassy. For one thing, it’s on TV every December. The story takes place during a party on Christmas Eve. There’s plenty of decorations, trees and music, not to mention the most inventive use of Christmas tape the world has ever seen. Our hero even sends his enemies a heart-warming Christmas message, “Ho-Ho-Ho”. And let’s not forget, McClane pulls off the greatest Christmas miracle in the history of Christmas miracles – saving 30 hostages…and his marriage. Wait, does that make it two miracles? Either way, if all that doesn’t make it a Christmas movie, I don’t know what will.
Granted, Die Hard isn’t warm and fuzzy like most Christmas movies. But who said all Christmas movies have to be warm and fuzzy anyway? With Santa Claus, Frosty the Snowman, Jingle Bells and all that other Christmas stuff in overdrive, wouldn’t you rather watch a tired, pissed off cop run bare-foot around a building on Christmas Eve, killing terrorists? Let’s face it, Die Hard is the definitive action movie, a simple – yet fairly believable – story, with interesting characters, filled with great action set-pieces, shootouts and one-liners…never forget the one-liners! And even after all that, Die Hard still manages to leave you with that Christmassy feeling, every time. Filmmakers have been trying – and mostly failing – to re-capture that magic for 30 years.
Then there’s the underdog himself, John McClane, the fly in the ointment, the monkey in the wrench, the pain in the ass. He’s a man under immense pressure, up against seemingly insurmountable odds, who still manages to find the time to annoy the living shit out of his opponents, and in hilarious ways. Bruce Willis was the perfect choice for this role, he plays McClane in a way that’s not only believable, it’s relatable. McClane isn’t a superhero, or even a super soldier, he’s just an average guy trying to fix his marriage. He wasn’t supposed to be there, he certainly doesn’t want to be there, but he knows he’s the only chance those hostages have. I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes – if that’s the right way to put it – but I love rooting for him every time I watch him fuck up Hans Gruber’s Christmas.
Short of putting up a Christmas tree, we don’t really have any Christmas traditions in my house. In fact, the closest we come is sitting down every Christmas Eve to watch the ULTIMATE Christmas movie…Die Hard.
Gremlins, championed by Rob from MovieRob
When thinking of Christmas movies, so many come to mind, but since I’m the kind of guy who likes to think out of the box, I generally cherish the more obscure ones as opposed to the mainstream ones. Children (and adults) love to get cuddly new fun filled presents during the holiday season and that’s what this film is all about. We get a typical story of a father who is never home and wants to get his son a special gift that will remind him of how much he is loved even when his father is out creating and selling new ideas as his profession of inventor requires. Why not give your son a cuddly creature known as a Mogwai who is so cute and reminds everyone of not just a pet, but a potential new companion. All pets have rules that must be followed so how hard can it be to follow three simple rules that will help make this new pet lots of fun to have around. All you have to do is avoid sunlight, keep him away from water and never let him eat after midnight. Simple? Right? One would think so, but instead we get a very memorable Christmas that the inhabitants of Kingston Falls will never forget. This is such a fun Christmas movie and remains one of the very best.
Which is the better Christmas movie?
Tags: die hard, Gremlins, Moustache Movie News, MovieRob