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Bah Humbug: 10 Best Anti-Christmas Movies
Tired of all the forced happiness and relentless cheer that accompanies the holiday season? You know the routine—those annoying Christmas tunes that play 24/7 (starting, of course, the day after Halloween), the well-meaning but saccharine TV specials and, of course, the sappy “feel good” holiday movies that flood the theaters this time of year?
Trust us, we feel your pain. If you’re in the mood for something a little darker and edgier than the usual holiday fare, MM has the perfect cure for your Christmas woes. Here are 10 alternative holiday movies perfect for releasing your inner Scrooge.
Tales from the Crypt (1972)
directed by Freddie Francis
The first and best segment of this anthology of five horror tales, based on classic EC Comics stories, is a perfect way to start off your anti-holiday movie marathon. “All Through The House” is a wicked little black comedy set on Christmas Eve and starring Joan Collins. In the tale, Collins, who has just murdered her wealthy husband, must ward off an insane asylum escapee as he attempts to break into her house dressed as Santa Claus. The constant, cheery Christmas songs playing on a radio in the background are a perfect contrast to the murder and mayhem in the segment. With its tense atmosphere and clever ending, “All Through The House” is a darkly satisfying twist on the tradition of Santa entering people’s houses and delivering presents on Christmas Eve.
Black Christmas (1974)
directed by Bob Clark
Black Christmas is widely recognized as the granddaddy of slasher movies, a subgenre that would become wildly popular four years later with the release of John Carpenter’s iconic Halloween. Many of the stylistic touches utilized by Carpenter originated here, such as long tracking shots from the killer’s point of view. The movie revolves around a sorority house that starts receiving disturbing phone calls from a deranged killer during Christmas break. By the time the girls realize the calls are coming from inside the house, the body count has already started to rise. The eclectic cast includes Olivia Hussey, Margot Kidder, Keir Dullea and John Saxon. With its eerie renditions of perennial Christmas songs like “Silent Night,” its solemn winter atmosphere and chilling, ambiguous ending, Black Christmas is perfect to watch on a cold, quiet December night. (Ironically, Clark would return to the holiday nearly 10 years later to direct the universally loved classic A Christmas Story.)
Gremlins (1984)
directed by Joe Dante
This dark comedy for kids (and adults) deals with the pesky, mischievous monsters of the title, which wreak havoc on a small town during Christmas season (although, oddly enough, the movie was originally released in June). While the movie provides a cavalcade of creatures to entertain the kids, especially the adorable Gizmo (voiced by Howie Mandel before his current game show gig), Dante’s anarchic humor gives the movie an offbeat, unpredictable edge (it was one of the films that inspired the MPAA to create the PG-13 rating, although it received a tame PG). Especially noteworthy is the sequence in which the gremlins are hatched in the young hero’s house, while his blissfully unaware mother bakes Christmas cookies and hums along to the easy-listening version of “Do You Hear What I Hear?” by Johnny Mathis. Like Tales From The Crypt, the syrupy music is a perfect counterpoint to the horrific events going on upstairs. Also noteworthy is Phoebe Cates’ weirdly funny monologue about a horrific Christmas experience—her father dressing up as Santa and dying after getting stuck in the family’s chimney—that forever ruined the holiday for her.
Scrooged (1988)
directed by Richard Donner
Although dismissed by many critics during its initial theatrical run, this darkly funny, contemporary take on the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol has developed something of a cult following over the years. Bill Murray stars as Ebenezer, er, Frank Cross, a cold-blooded and selfish TV network president who despises the Christmas season and is visited, as in the classic novel, by three ghosts who aim to change his ways. Despite its upbeat ending, the tone of Scrooged is refreshingly more mean-spirited and irreverent than the previous adaptations of Dickens’ classic tale. The result is a memorably quirky, original spin that breathes new life into the iconic story.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik
The third outing in the Griswold family saga finds the accident-prone clan getting ready for a big family Christmas, which of course, quickly turns into one disaster after another. Leading the way is the patriarch of the family, naïve yet lovable buffoon Clark (Chevy Chase), who’s determined to make the Griswold Christmas the best it can be, even as the chaos and destruction unfold. One of the reasons Christmas Vacation has remained a perennial favorite is because it doesn’t sugarcoat things—such as having to deal with an army of annoying relatives—the way most other “heartwarming” holiday movies do.
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COMMENTS | POST A COMMENT 
- Comment by Jay Sherman on 3/10/09 at 9:17 pm
As a child and young adult, I was forced to celebrate Christmas. I have become very resentful about this, and I haven’t celebrated it for years. I hated it all; the annoying relatives, the stress, the over commercialization, and yes, I even hated recieving gifts. I’m also an atheist to boot. What with all the people in the world who view this dreadful holiday as a goo-caked, wonderful, magic time of year, it is quite refreshing to see an anti Christmas site =D
- Comment by David Hollingsworth on 12/16/11 at 4:10 pm
These are great films that are so unlike your typical holiday fare. They are dark, violent, and great for people who are in a really bad mood, especially around Christmas time. Great list.
- Comment by James on 12/23/11 at 2:06 pm
National Lampoons Christmas Vacation is my all time favorite. There are many others that fit that xmas picture but that one steals the show.
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