Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 942nd Edition

Welcome to the 942nd edition of my series.  I hope everyone is having a good holiday season however celebrated.  My 49ers are hanging on by a thread for playoff eligibility and my fantasy team is not doing well.  I'm still moving on with my day to day life.  I will shut up not and get on with my selections.

Tokyo! (2008):  This movie has three different short films and there are some Christmas references including carols sung in Japanese.  Leos Carax, Michel Gondry, and Boon Joon Ho directed each of the three short films.  The shorts are INTERIOR DESIGN, MERDE, and SHAKING TOKYO which all obviously happen in Tokyo.  Each story has rather dark elements to it and I think my favorite one was MERDE.  Ayako Fujitani, Ryo Kase, Ayami Ito, Nao Omori, Satoshi Tsumabaki, Shunji Awai, Yoshiyuki Morishita, Soji Arai, Denis Lavant, Jean-Francois Balmer, Renji Ishibashi, Kyusaka Shimada, Julie Dreyfus, Edith Le Merdy, Andree Damant, Yu Aoi, Teruyaki Kagawa, Naoto Takenaka, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Yutaka Matsushige, and many others co-star in this anthology series.  This may not be for everyone.  To those that love the Japanese cinema, it would be a good one to watch.  I would suggest checking out the plots for each of the three movies.  This is available to watch on Pluto TV, Freevee, and Tubi.

Red One (2024):  I suppose this is the holiday blockbuster for the year.  Jake Kasdan directed this holiday action film where Santa Claus, played by OZ alum J.K. Simmons, is kidnapped on Christmas Eve.  Santa's Head of Security Callum Drift, played by former WWE champion Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, is charged with rescuing him.  He gets some help from bounty hunter Jack O'Malley, Callum's own director Zoe, played by Lucy Liu, polar bear Agent Garcia, voiced by Reinaldo Faberlle, and some other unexpected help.  Bonnie Hunt, Kristofer Hivju, Kiernan Shipka, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Wesley Kimmel, Nick Kroll, Wyatt Hunt, Clayton Cooper, Lanz Duffy, Marc Evan Jackson, Makana David, Samantha Benson, and many others co-star in this film.  When I first saw this trailer, I was pretty well sold.  Between the Rock, the polar bear, my own celebrity crush Lucy Liu, and even the full-size Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em robots.  I believe this is the perfect holiday action movie in which no one can dispute the status of holiday movie.  With DIE HARD, I do consider a holiday film, but I know many feel that is not the case.  For me, this was endless fun and a bit of an adrenaline rush.

Good Time (2017):  This appears to take place around Christmas as there is a Christmas tree in the movie but no real talk about it.  Josh and Benny Safdie directed this crime film that takes place in New York City's underworld.  Robert Pattinson stars as Connie Nikas who includes his developmentally disabled brother Nick, played by director Benny Safdie, in a robbery that is botched and Nick gets arrested.  This leads Connie into an odyssey into the New York Underworld as he looks to free Nick from prison where just about everything goes wrong.  Jennifer Jason Leigh, Buddy Duress, Taliah Webster, Barkhad Abdi, Necro, Eric Paykert, and many others co-star in this film.  I suppose this would be referred to as a "character study".  Pattinson gives a good performance and is what lead to Matt Reeves casting him in THE BATMAN.  This is a very dark film with a lot of interesting characters to go along with Connie's odyssey around the city.  This is available to watch on Max.  

A Christmas Dream (1946):  This is my holiday short for the which comes from Czechoslovakia.  Borivoj and Karel Zeman directed this stop-motion animated short film.  A little girl gets some new presents prompting her to put aside the old doll and play with new dolls.  She has a dream where the toys come to life and wreak havoc.  This is an interesting enough watch and it is very strange like most Czechoslovakian films I have seen.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, Max, and Tubi.

The Milky Way (1936):  Now I pay homage to Boxing Day which comes on December 26th.  Leo McCarey, Ray McCarey, and Norman Z. McLeod directed this boxing comedy.  Harold Lloyd stars as timid milkman Burleigh Sullivan somehow manages to knock out the champion in a brawl.  People see publicity in Burleigh and put him in a series of fixed fights which is to lead up into humiliation.  Adolphe Menjou, Verree Teasdale, Helen Mack, William Gargan, George Barbier, Dorothy Wilson, Lionel Stander, Charles Lane, Marjorie Gateson, and many others co-star in this comedy.  Lloyd has been pretty underrated through the years.  He is regarded as one of the best silent film comedians of all time and he made a very successful transition into the world of "talkies" like this one.  Lloyd does some really good physical gags in this film in the fight scenes.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel, Fandor, Tubi, Pluto TV, Fawesome, and MGM +.  

Scrooge (1970):  Ronald Neame directed this musical retelling of the Dickens classic and the music was written by Leslie Bricusse.  Albert Finney stars as the miser Ebenezer Scrooge in this musical version.  We all know the story, Scrooge is very stingy and maybe greedy.  He is visited by the ghost of his business partner Jacob Marley, played by Alec Guinness, now in chains who warns Scrooge he must change or he'll end up in a bigger chain.  Ghosts from the past, the present, and future come down and show Scrooge events from his life including what may happen to his employer Bob Cratchit, played by David Collings.  Edith Evans, Kenneth More, Laurence Naismith, Michael Medwin, Anton Rodgers, Suzanne Neve, Frances Cuka, and many others.  This has some really good music numbers in my opinion.  I also thought Finney captured the essence of Scrooge very well.  This is available to watch on MGM +, Paramount +, Plex, and Pluto TV.

An American Pickle (2020):  There is some Jewish emphasis including the main character Herschel so I suppose this could play to Hannukah.  Brandon Trost directed this comedy and was based on a 2013 short story called SELL OUT which was written by Simon Rich.  Seth Rogan stars as Herschel Greenbaum who is an immigrant working in a pickle factory.  An accident happens where Herschel falls into a vat of brine and becomes preserved.  He wakes up 100 years later in modern-day Brooklyn and stays with his great-grandson Ben, also played by Rogan, while trying to adjust to the modern era.  Sarah Snook, Molly Evensen, Eliot Glazer, Kalen Allen, Kevin O'Rourke, Sean Whalen, Geoffrey Cantor, Carol Leifer, Jorma Taccone, Marsha Stephanie Blake, and many others co-star in this comedy.  This is a lot different than other Seth Rogan comedies and the first he has produced that did not get an R rating.  There is a lot of comedy to it but has almost as much drama in this study of people whose generations are way apart from each other.

North By Northwest (1959):  This is not exactly a holiday film but it is on the Criterion Channel as part of "Hitchcock for the Holidays" so there is that.  Alfred Hitchcock directed this classic film which was written by Ernest Lehman.  Cary Grant stars as advertising man Roger Thornhill but is soon mistaken for a spy named George Kaplan and he is framed for murder.  Now on the run from the authorities, he meets beautiful blonde Eve Kendall, played by Eva Marie Saint, who helps Roger evade the authorities.  Now he must evade the authorities and those who try to kill him while now knowing who to trust when no one is as they seem including Eve.  James Mason, Jessie Royce Landis, Leo G. Carroll, Josephine Hutchinson, Philip Ober, Martin Landau, Adam Williams, Edward Platt, Robert Ellenstein, and many others co-star in this film.  This uses Hitchcock's favorite theme of mistaken identity.  This movie has some very iconic scenes and one of the best climaxes of all time in film which involves an action scene on top of Mt. Rushmore.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel and Tubi

Black Christmas (1974):  Having watched the 2006 remake, I decided to revisit the original.  Bob Clark directed this classic holiday slasher.  This takes place around a sorority during Christmas break where one of the sisters has disappeared and they are getting strange and anonymous calls putting a concern on them.  Olivia Hussey stars as Jess who is now pregnant and considering an abortion.  John Saxon co-stars as the cop who is investigating the calls.  Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, Marian Waldman, Andrea Martin, James Edmond, Doug McGrath, Art Hindle, Lynne Griffin, Michael Rapport, Leslie Carlson, Martha Gibson, and many others co-star in this film.  This is one of the best and most underrated slasher films of all time.  The 2006 version emphasizes the gore factor a lot more and while this is less gory, it still has its creepy feel to it from the atmospheric scenes.  This would be a good double feature to go along with A CHRISTMAS STORY which was also directed by Clark.  This is available to watch on AMC +, Prime, Peacock, Fandor, Fawesome, Tubi, the Roku Channel, Shout! Factory TV, and Screambox.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...Spring (2003):  I end the week with this Korean film and I suppose this can be associated with Bodhi Day which was on the 8th of December.  Kim Ki-Duk directed and wrote this Korean film.  A Buddhist master raises a young boy to grow up in wisdom and compassion through endless exercises.  The boy grows up and while learning many lessons, some things he had to learn on own.  Oh Yeong-Su, Jong-Ho Kim, Kim Young-min, and many others co-star in this film.  It is hard to really explain this movie any further but the less known, the better.  I think this would qualify as a "character study" and a bit of coming of age.  This is a rather moving film but can get a bit dark at times.  Sometimes the Buddhist master would use some extreme measures to teach the boy.  This does have some very beautiful scenery and is a beautiful film.  

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for another edition of "The Holiday Corner".  Tell me what you like and dislike and I will return in a couple weeks for my last one of the year before 2025 starts which so far includes Michelle Yeoh, Lauren Bacall, Christopher Walken, Peter Sellers, Bing Crosby, and many others.

THE HOLIDAY CORNER

These selections mostly equate to Christmas with one being for Boxing Day.

Carol for Another Christmas (1964):  This is part one of a Peter Sellers trilogy.  Joseph L. Mankiewics directed this variation of the Dickens classic which was written by Rod Serling.  Sterling Hayden stars as the Scrooge-like Daniel Grudge who is a wealthy industrialist still reeling over the loss of his son in WWII.  Like Scrooge, Daniel is visited by ghosts of the past, present, and future who hope to give him more perspective.  Ben Gazzara, Percy Rodriguez, Steve Lawrence, Eva Marie Saint, James Shigeta, Pat Hingle, Robert Shaw, Peter Sellers, and Britt Ekland co-star in this tv movie.  I always say this is Serling's TWILIGHT ZONE CHRISTMAS CAROL.  It does have quite the cast with Sellers really shining in the future scene.  I have always been a Sterling Hayden fan so that helps a lot.  If you want a different version of the Dickens classic, I would say this is worth a look.  This is available to watch on Max.  

Black Christmas (2006):  Glen Morgan directed and co-wrote this remake of the 1974 classic horror film.  Like the original, this centers around a sorority house where the sorority sisters are getting killed one by one.  This version ups the gore factor and has a different backstory of the history of the house before it became a sorority house.  Andrea Martin from the original co-stars as house mother Ms. Mac.  Michelle Trachtenberg, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Lacey Chabert, Katie Cassidy, Kristen Cloke, Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, Karin Konoval, and many others co-star in this remake.  This does not beat the original by any means but has its own direction.  I will also say that I love the array of girls in the sorority house.  This is available to watch on Freevee, Tubi, Fawesome, the Roku Channel, and Tribeca Shortlist.

The Heart of Christmas (2011):  Last week, I featured FULL HOUSE alum Jodie Sweetin in a Hallmark movie.  This week, I feature her FH sister Candace Cameron Bure who plays the overworked mother Megan Walsh.  She struggles to make ends meet which a lot of times results in her not being able to be there for her kids.  She learns of a family celebrating Christmas on Halloween and is given a card for a blog to read.  Jeanne Neilson and Eric Jay Beck star as parents whose two-year-old son Dax, played by twins Christopher and Nicholas Shone, has been diagnosed with leukemia.  Dendrie Taylor, Erin Bethea, George Newbern, Burgess Jenkins, Karl T. Wright, and many others co-star in this movie.  This is based on a true story and keep in mind it was produced by a company called God and Country Entertainment.  This was a pretty heartwarming movie that emphasizes the importance of family.  This is available to watch on Freevee, Plex, and the Roku Channel.

A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992):  I know, another version of the Dickens classic!  Well, this one has the Muppets so where can we go wrong?  Brian Henson directed this film with the musical numbers written by Paul Williams.  Michael Caine stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in this adaptation of the story.  Kermit and Miss Piggy are Bob Cratchit and his wife who I don't think is named.  Gonzo narrates the story as Charles Dickens with Rizzo the Rat helping him out and Gonzo might be the best portrayal of Dickens.  Dave Goehlz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, David Rudman, Karen Prell, Jessica Fox, Steven Mackintosh, Robin Weaver, Raymond Coulthard, and many others co-star and provide their voices to this wonderful adaptation.  Caine was perfect as the miser and has said it is one of his favorite roles.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.

Hellboy 2:  The Golden Army (2008):  This superhero sequel has a Christmas sequence in the beginning in a flashback scene between Professor Broom, reprised by William Hurt, and Hellboy when he was just a little boy.  Guillermo Del Toro returns to direct this sequel where a prince of the mythical world starts a rebellion to rule the Earth.  Hellboy, reprised by Ron Perlman, must stop him from locating the all-powerful Golden Army.  Abe Sapien, played by Doug Jones, and Liz, played by Selma Blair join him in his fight.  John Alexander, James Dodd, Seth MacFarlane, Luke Goss, Anna Walton, Jeffrey Tambor, Brian Steele, Roy Dotrice, and many others co-star in this superhero film.  I enjoyed this more than the original film.  This has some good action but it also has a good amount of drama like the relationship between Hellboy and Liz.  In the original, David Hyde Pierce voiced Abe Sapien but in this one Jones gets to voice the character he plays and does a great job.  In addition to Abe Sapien, Jones also plays the roles of Chamberlain and Angel of Death.  This is available to watch on Max.

Creed II (2018):  This is another selection for Boxing Day on the 26th of December so this counts as a holiday movie, at least in my own warped mind.  Steven Caple Jr. directed this sequel to the CREED franchise.  Michael B. Jordan reprises his role of Adonis Creed who is now a champion and still being trained by Rocky Balboa, reprised by Sylvester Stallone.  Adonis gets a new sort of challenge in the way of Viktor Drago, played by real-life boxer Florian Munteanu, whose father and manager is Ivan Drago, reprised by Dolph Lundgren.  Probably needless to say that Ivan Drago is the man who killed Adonis's father Apollo in the ring and was defeated by Rocky in ROCKY IV.  Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Russell Hornsby, Wood Harris, Milo Ventimiglia, Robbie Jones, Andre Ward, Brigitte Nielsen, Jacob Duran, and many others co-star in this sequel.  This is kind of a spinoff of ROCKY IV where Ivan is trying to get respect again in his homeland and does what he can to get his son to bring the name back to glory.  I feel it also has shades of ROCKY III in it as well.  I guess I'm a sucker for nostalgia and closure it can bring to the characters.  

Shaun Berk's 10 Movie Recommendations- 941st Edition

Welcome to the 941st Edition of my series.  I hope everyone has had a good holiday however celebrated.  I know I have a lot to be thankful for in my life.  I also hope everyone has a good holiday month with all the holidays there are to celebrate this month.  I'll be having a lot of holiday selections and there will still be some non-holiday ones.  There will also be some holiday selections that might be pushing it a bit so just continue to read to understand what I am talking about.  I will shut up now and get on with my selections for the month.

Snatch (2000):  This movie is partly centered around Boxing and Boxing Day is the 26th so this is a holiday movie.  Guy Ritchie wrote and directed this crime comedy.  This movie centers around unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, very amateur robbers, and so-called Jewish jewelers all in pursuit of a priceless stolen diamond.  Everything that can go wrote goes very wrong in this violent crime comedy.  Brad Pitt co-stars as boxer Mickey O'Neil who has a hard time bringing himself to go down as planned.  He might be the standout in this film with his very interesting voice.  Jason Stathan, Stephen Graham, Ade, William Beck, Andy Beckwith, Ewen Bremner, Nicola Collins, Charles Cork, Sorcha Cusack, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina, Jason Flemyng, Adam Fogerty, Alan Ford, Robbie Gee, Goldie, Sid Hoare, and many others co-star in this crime comedy.  There is quite a bit going on for me to really explain this movie any further.  Each group has their own funny problems in this heist film.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

Kundun (1997):  The holiday I selected here is Bodhi day which is December 8th and it celebrates Buddhist traditions.  Martin Scorsese directed this biopic on the 14th Dalai Lama and was written by Melissa Mathison.  This shows the Lama being appointed at a very early age and having to learn of his calling.  This takes place between the years of 1937-1959 when the Dalai Lama must deal with Chinese communists invading their country of Tibet where he is forced to flee the country.  Tenzin Thuthob Tasarong, Gyurme Tethong, Tulku Jamyang Kunga Tenzin, and Tenzin Yeshi Paichang all play the Dalai Lama at different ages.  This was quite a project that Scorsese took upon and did what he could for authenticity and attention to detail.  Much of the cast were relatives of the Dalai Lama.  This has gone a bit under the radar through the years but was quite the cinematic achievement.  This is available to watch on Youtube.

A Christmas Story Christmas (2022):  Clay Kaytis directed this follow-up to the 1983 classic A CHRISTMAS STORY.  Peter Billingsley reprises his role of Ralph Parker who is now a grown-up living in Chicago as a struggling writer and is married with two children.  Erinn Hayes co-stars as Ralph's wife Sandy and River Drosche and Julianna Layne play his children.  Ralph returns to his old hometown having learned about his father's death and tries to follow in his father's footsteps to bring the "perfect" Christmas to his kids.  While there, he is also given the task of writing his father's obituary which proves to be a big struggle.  Julie Hagerty, Scott Schwartz, RD Robb, Ian Porter, Sam Parks, Davis Murphy, Zack Ward, Ian Petrella, Derek Morse, Henry Miller, and many others co-star in this holiday film.  Much of the original cast reprise their roles besides Ralph's mother who was originally played by Melinda Dillon but she declined so the role went to Julie Hagerty.  This movie should not be that good but is very good in my opinion.  This pays great tribute to the original while also making this stand on its own.  Ralph is still having some great fantasies even in his adult life.  This is available to watch on Max.  

A Christmas Carol (1910):  This is my silent short film for the week which is a very early version of the Dickens classic.  Marc McDermott stars as Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by the three ghosts which we all know the basic story.  This was made in the very early days of cinema and was produced by Thomas Edison like much of the movies in this era.  This is pretty interesting to watch for historical purposes and manages to cover quite a bit of ground in only 11 minutes.  This is available to watch on Tubi.

A Real Young Girl (1976):  Catherine Breillat wrote and directed this very provocative French film.  Charlotte Alexandra stars as the sulky adolescent Alice who returns home from boarding school for summer break.  She becomes very curious exploring her own sexuality going between the lines of fantasy and reality.  If I describe this movie too much, I could get another red flag but the movie is Unrated so a step above R if that says anything.  Hiram Keller, Rita Maiden, Shirley Stoler, and many others co-star in this film.  The actress Alexandra portrays a 14-year-old kid but she was 20 years of age at this time so there was no child exploitation in this movie.  This movie did not get released until 1999 partly due to the censors and partly due to the studio going bankrupt.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Scandal (1950):  This does partly take place during the holidays in Japan and have a couple Christmas carols.  Akira Kurasawa directed and co-wrote this film that takes a look into how far the media should go.  Toshiro Mifune stars as painter Ichiro who meets famous singer Miyako, played by Shirley Yamaguchi.  A tabloid manages to get a photo of them and writes a very scandalous story.  Ichiro decides to take them to court and hires attorney Otokichi Hiruto, played by Takashi Shimura, who agrees to work pro bono for them while dealing with his own issues.  Yoko Katsuragi, Noriko Sengoku, Eitaro Ozawa, and many others co-star in this film.  At first, I thought this was heading toward romantic comedy but that was far from being the case.  This is a much lighter film for Kurasawa and the character played by Mifune.  This is a very underrated Kurasawa film and is very enjoyable.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

Showgirls (1995):  There is a little bit of a Christmas element to this film.  I guess I'm walking a rather thin line this week with my selection A REAL YOUNG GIRL and now this one.  Paul Verhoeven directed this movie which was written by Joe Eszternas.  SAVED BY THE BELL alum Elizabeth Berkley grows up and becomes a drifter named Nomi Malone who makes her way to Vegas.  She stars out at a strip bar and when she meets headliner showgirl Cristal Connors, played by Gina Gershon, she manages to join them.  Nomi and Cristal have a love/hate relationship and Nomi wants her spot.  Kyle McLachlan, Glenn Plummer, Robert Davi, Alan Richins, Gina Ravera, Lin Tucci, Greg Travis, Al Ruscio, Patrick Bristow, William Shockley, Michelle Johnston, Dewey Weber, Rena Riffel, and many others co-star in this Vegas film.  When this first came out, it was the worst movie ever made.  It won a lot of Razzies for that year.  As time has went on, it has been forgiven and has become a cult film.  This was supposed to catapult Berkley to stardom but that did not quite go on as planned.  This is essentially a voyage of the sleazy world known as Vegas and holds nothing back.  Keep in mind, this is rated NC-17 so it might be best to watch this when the children are gone or are asleep.  This is available to watch on Tubi and Pluto TV.

They Drive By Night (1940):  Who would go from an Elizabeth Berkley movie to a Humphrey Bogart movie?  I guess that is me.  Raoul Walsh directed this Film Noir which is based on the novel by A.I. Bezzerides.  George Raft and Humphrey Bogart star as truck-driving brothers Joe and Paul Fabrini who struggle to with corrupt businessmen and get into some trouble along the way including a murder rap.  Ann Sheridan, Ida Lupino, Gale Page, Alan Hale, Roscoe Karns, John Litel, George Tobias, and many others co-star in this film.  This was before Bogart would become a big star and had billing under Raft.  I feel if I go on further, I'll be giving away too much.  It is a very compelling film with Raft and Bogart doing well as brothers just barely scraping by.  This is available to watch on the Criterion Channel.

The Christmas Tree (1969):  This does have a Christmas tree in it but there is far more to it than just some Christmas tree.  Terence Young directed this French film which is based on the novel by Michel Bataille.  William Holden stars as Laurent Segur, whose son Pascal, played by Brook Fuller, is contaminated from a nuclear weapon that was in a crashed plane they witnessed.  Pascal has months to live so Laurent does what he can to make them the best months of his life with the help of his girlfriend Catherine, played by Virna Lisi.  Bourvil, Madeleine Damien, Mario Feliciani, Friedrich Von Ledebur, Georges Douking, and many others co-star in this film.  This is quite the tearjerker that may not be easy to watch sometimes.  It is a very moving film though on making the most of your lives and living everyday like it is your last as it very well may be.  This is available to watch on Tubi and Flex.

The Equalizer 2 (2018):  Antoine Fuqua directed this action sequel which is based on the tv series of the same name.  Denzel Washington reprises his role of Robert McCall who seems like a simple man loving books and being a Lyft driver.  He is actually a retired CIA Black Ops operative to acts as a vigilante when he feels it is necessary.  A longtime friend of his gets murdered and the one-man army investigates seeking vengeance on those involved.  Pedro Pascal, Ashton Sanders, Orson Bean, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Jonathan Scarfe, Sakina Jaffrey, Kazy Tauginas, and many others co-star in this action film.  This is Washington's first sequel and it was quite a bit of fun.  In the first one, he helps a young woman who he believes needs help and in this one, someone he loves is murdered.  This didn't win any Oscars but still a really good watch and good sequel.  This is available to watch on Hulu.

Well, that is it for this week but continue on for my segment "The Holiday Corner" which I will have in all the December editions.  Stay tuned for my return in the next couple weeks which so far includes the Rock, Robert Pattinson, Harold Lloyd, and many others.

THE HOLIDAY CORNER

This will consist of mostly movies and tv specials that are holiday oriented in some way or other.  I will be featuring this segment in all my December editions.  I don't really know how many I will have of each one so just get your holidays going I suppose.

Home Alone (1990):  This is one of the more popular holiday movies out there and was a childhood favorite of mine.  Chris Columbus directed this holiday comedy which was written by John Hughes.  Macauley Culkin stars as the 8 year old Kevin McCallister whose family is preparing to go to Paris for Christmas.  The night before they leave, Kevin gets into some trouble and due to some misunderstanding, they leave without him.  Kevin is left to fend for himself and excited to be home all by himself.  He soon learns that he must deal with a couple burglars in his neighborhood in Harry and Marv, played by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, and the burglars underestimate Kevin.  John Heard, Catherine O'Hara, Roberts Blossom, Angela Goethals, Devin Ratray, Gerry Bamman, Hillary Wolf, John Candy, Larry Hankin, Michael C. Maronna, Kristin Minter, Diana Rein, Kieran Culkin, Senta Moses, and many others co-star in this holiday classic.  I have come to believe that Kevin McCallister would grow up to become Jigsaw.  There are lots of iconic moments in this holiday movie.  John Williams wrote the music score which I was not aware of until I watched this recently.  One thing I was thinking is why they never did the movie within a movie of ANGELS WITH FILTHY SOULS.  This is available to watch on Disney Plus.  

Shazam! (2019):  I think we can legit call this a superhero holiday film on the lines with BATMAN RETURNS.  The beginning takes place on Christmas and the later years also happen around the holidays.  Asher Angel stars as foster kid Billy Batson who has an encounter with a wizard, played by Djimou Hounsou, and gains new superhero powers.  Billy learns when saying "Shazam" that he becomes a superheroed adult, played by Zachary Levi, with powers.  With the help of his foster brother Freddy, played by Jack Dylan Grazer, he learns of his powers and must prepare for battle against mad scientist Dr. Sivana, played by Mark Strong.  Adam Brody, Faithe Herman, Meagan Good, Grace Caroline Currey, Michelle Borth, Ian Chen, Ross Butler, Jovan Armand, D.J. Cotrona, Marta Milans, Cooper Andrews, Ethan Pugiotto, John Glover, and many others co-star in this superhero movie.  I think this is more oriented to the younger crowd and is a lot of fun.  I also felt it is about a foster family trying to make it and working together.  This is available to watch on Max.

Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Special (2017):  This may take place on Valentine's Day but it starts out with Santa Claus enlisting the help of Michael Bolton.  Santa tells Michael that the elves got carried away making way too many toys but not there are not enough children.  Michael must put on a telethon to help get more babies conceived.  This has quite the cast including Sarah Shahi, Adam Scott, Matthew Kimbrough, Grey Griffin, Brooke Shields, Janeane Garofalo, Louis Anderson, Sinbad, Bob Saget, Sarah Silverman, Randall Park, Kenny G., Andy Samberg, Fred Armisen, Colton Dunn, Jorma Taccone, and many others.  Michael holds is own among all the other comedians in the special.  I grew up hating Michael Bolton and now I am a fan.  He does a great job mostly parodying himself and has a lot of music numbers that include a piano version of JACK SPARROW which is my favorite part.  This is available to watch on Netflix and I'll be watching again in February.  

Finding Santa (2017):  Now I target the Hallmark crowd with this Hallmark holiday movie.  David Winning directed this Hallmark holiday that takes place in a small town which I know that is a big surprise.  FULL HOUSE alum Jodie Sweetin stars as parade organizer Grace Long whose Santa Tom White, played by Jay Brazeau, breaks his arm and now needs a replacement.  The ideal replacement would be Jay's son Ben, played by Eric Winter but he does not want to do it which prompts Grace to take a trip to the big city in hopes of talking him into it.  Katey Hoffman, Dolores Drake, Ava Telek, Billy Wickman, Laura Mitchell, Karen Holness, Ian Rozylo, Karen Kruper, Mike Cavers, John Prowse, Devon Alexander, and many others co-star in this Hallmark movie.  Okay, I think from the description, we all know what will happen.  I don't think anyone watches Hallmark for the suspense.  I believe this is the first time I have featured Sweetin and I wanted to feature something with her in it.  This is a feel-good movie for the holidays.  This is available to watch on Hallmark Movies Now, Peacock, Tubi, and Pluto TV.

Creed (2015):  This is a holiday film in a sense as the day after Christmas is Boxing Day which some people tell me it has nothing to do with the sport of boxing.  However, in my warped mind it is all about the sport of boxing so this counts per my own blog rules.  Ryan Coogler directed this boxing film that is also part of the ROCKY universe.  Michael B. Jordan stars as Adonis Johnson who is the illegitimate son of the late Apollo Creed and would like to follow in his father's footsteps.  Johnson seeks out Rocky Balboa, reprised by Sylvester Stallone, and asks him to mentor him.  Rocky reluctantly agrees to train Johnson and gets him a big fight.  Tessa Thompson, Phylicia Rashad, Andre Ward, Tony Bellow, Ritchie Coster, Jacob "Stitch" Duran, Graham McTavish, Malik Bazille, Gabe Rosado, Wood Harris, Rupal Pujara, Brian Anthony Wilson, and many others co-star in this film.  This was a great continuation from the saga where Rocky becomes a mentor for a change and takes in Adonis like his own family.  This is available to watch on Max and don't forget about Boxing Day.

Anna and the Apocalypse (2017):  I end with this horror musical comedy zombie movie, possibly the best musical comedy zombie movie of all time.  John McPhail directed this musical and the lyrics were written by Roddy Hart and Tommy Reilly.  Ella Hunt stars as small-town British girl Anna who is still in high school but nearing the end.  As Anna and her friends expect to just have a typical day at school but then a zombie apocalypse starts.  Malcolm Cumming, Sarah Swire, Christopher Leveaux, Marli Siu, Ben Wiggins, Mark Benton, Paul Kaye, Euan Bennet, Ruth McGhie, Kirsty Strain, and many others co-star in this musical.  To those that hate the Hallmark oriented movies, this could be a good alternative.  This takes place during the holiday, there are fun musical numbers, and there are zombies.  This is available to watch on AMC +, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, and Tubi.