How is Christmas less than two weeks away? Sure did sneak up on us fast! And no, I’m not ready and no, I’m not done with Christmas shopping – is anyone?! Wrapping is my most-unfavorite task too so I always procrastinate but whoever invented the gift bag hopefully retired early and is living on an island somewhere. The best way to wrap, always! Our house is all decorated inside and out with a lot of help from my hubby and daughter so we did manage to conquer that!
Since we’re closing in on the big day, here are some of my favorite flicks and they aren’t the typical traditional movies. I watch all the usual suspects like Christmas Vacation, Elf, A Christmas Story, Home Alone, The Grinch, etc too but always try to squeeze these in. Pretty much any streaming service you use has a special “Holiday” category so these likely are there…or you can pop in the DVDs old school style like I do with a few of them too.
Die Hard – No matter what Bruce says or anyone else for that matter, it sure as shit is a Christmas movie and one of my favorites! I love it and this year I’m saving it until December 24 to watch since it takes place on Christmas Eve. Also, isn’t it crazy that they had their company Christmas party on Christmas Eve?! This movie is so nostalgic for me. My pop and I always watched it and the many sequels too but the original is just priceless. So many excellent lines and that Bruce runs around the entire movie barefoot is legendary in itself. The great Alan Rickman was also hands down the best villain. He’s so missed! What an actor. Fun Fact: I have a Die Hard Christmas tree. That’s how big a fan I am and how certain I am that is is a Christmas movie!
Daddy’s Home 2 – I was ecstatic when our nearly-18-year-old daughter agreed to watch some Christmas movies with us on Sunday night and she picked this awesome flick. Even though it’s a sequel, I think it rivals the original. The cast is fantastic. So much great comedy and craziness. It’s excellent!
Just Friends – I, like millions of others, am a huge Ryan Reynolds fan. This movie is a ton of fun and seeing Ryan in a fat suit likely has to be as memorable for him as it is for fans watching this movie. Hilarious!
A Bad Moms Christmas – Another sequel that I feel rivals the original. Man, the cast is so great!! Love all the ladies and it’s hilarious from start to finish. Can Kathryn Hahn just be in any and everything?!
Four Christmases – Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon together and trying to avoid their families for Christmas is pretty excellent. Their families are all full of amazing actors. It’s just a great, great comedy!
Surviving Christmas – Ben Affleck buys a family for Christmas so he’s not alone – it’s just FANTASTIC. The legendary James Gandolfini and Catherine O’Hara star too…and Christina Applegate! Love it so much. Ridiculous but awesome concept and a cast that can’t be missed.
Scrooged – Bill Murray. Period. Just watch. It’s epic. The best take on A Christmas Carol ever.
Have you seen Wicked yet?! OMG – what a movie! It was an experience and everyone in our theater was too busy smiling from ear to ear and crying tears of joy to sing along, abiding by the MANY notices across the web to not ruin the wonderful singing on screen with any singing in the shower type antics. I have heard there will be sing-along showings for anyone who’s interested so check your local theaters.
As a huge fan of the Broadway show, this movie checked off all the fandom’s boxes. Take your family and friends and see it this holiday season. It’s just fantastic. Now, the long wait until November 2025 to see Part 2!
Quick related story: my bestie and I saw Idina Menzel on her tour a few years back and she was excellent. BUT, there were a group of teenagers who belted out every and I mean EVERY song she sang, especially all her Wicked and Frozen hits. As a fan of singing at concerts, I get it BUT maybe tone it down just a smidge. They were so loud it overpowered even her singing from the stage. So yeah, PSA to everyone seeing Wicked, be kind to your fellow movie goers and keep the karaoking for the car. The soundtrack is awesome so you’re gonna wanna fire it up!
Alrighty then, typed in a very Ace Ventura-worthy tone – here goes with some other recos. Remember, if you want more, give me a follow on the Gram.
Favorite TV Shows
Landman – A new Taylor Sheridan show debuted last weekend and Billy Bob Thornton stars. It’s all about the oil business which is as cut-throat and crazy as you can imagine with Texas as a backdrop. The first couple episodes are now on Paramount+ and they sometimes show up on the Paramount Network channel, if you have that within your cable or satellite package. I think his shows are on Peacock too occasionally. Anyway, find it STAT and watch – it’s fun. If you’re a fan of Billy, check out Goliath on Prime Video too. Four seasons of great, GREAT TV. He definitely knows how to lead a show.
Cobra Kai – It’s back for part two of its sixth and final season and ready for you to binge all five episodes. Of everything I watch, this show is by far the most nostalgic. For any Gen Xers who watched The Karate Kid over and over like I did, man, seeing this crew back again has been a real treat. AND, I loved that so many others like me dug it too, allowing it to run for six whole seasons. Gold star for Netflix too for stretching out this final season into three parts. The final five episodes will drop sometime in 2025. Fun Fact: Ralph Macchio turned 63 on November 4! How’s that for making you feel really old?! AND, he just got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on November 20, the 2,796th! There are sooo many! Daniel LaRusso sure has come a long way. Such a solid and genuinely nice dude!
The Day of the Jackal – In the late 90s, there was a great movie with Bruce Willis and Richard Gere called The Jackal. That’s basically what now lives on Peacock in the form of a new 10-episode show but reimagined…and starring Eddie Redmayne. It’s got a very James Bond feel about it, right from the opening credits. It’s fantastic. There are quite a few episodes already and more to come into December. I like to picture Eddie telling his agent that he’s done playing characters like his role in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter or no more Stephen Hawking-type roles either and that he wanted to play a real badass. Throw all the other scripts out! Yes, yes, I know, I know I’ve been typecast as all those characters but they need to see the real me. And fun fact: he nails this badass role! Enjoy and hot off the presses – the show was just greenlit for Season 2! Really glad everyone is loving it as much as I am.
Finding Mr. Christmas – As a big Hallmark Channel fan, I recently subscribed to the new Hallmark+ and it includes special programming not always available on the regular Hallmark Channel like this fun reality show. I don’t watch a lot of reality TV because I watch so many other shows but because this involved the Hallmark folks, I had to give it a shot. It’s been really fun and lots of good eye candy too! And, the winner gets to star in a Hallmark movie! Only six episodes total, all but the final episode able to be binged now.
Favorite Movies
I had a double-feature of two of Netflix’s new Hallmark-esque holiday flicks and the best part, I made my hubby watch them with me. He’s a good sport and half-watches while he’s busy playing computer games. ‘Tis the season for cheesy holiday movies and I say the more the merrier! Love it all sooooo much! P.S. If you haven’t experienced the Hallmark Christmas Movie Drinking Game, you need to stop reading this and Google it. There are different variations but the point is, it gets you in the spirit while the spirits are flowing! My bestie and I really just play it as an excuse to drink…but we really don’t need an excuse! To date, I haven’t fallen into my Christmas tree BUT there’s always this year! Squad goals.
Hot Frosty – Lacey Chabert, Gretchen from Mean Girls and the star of many, MANY Hallmark Christmas movies, stars in this super-cute flick where the magic of the season brings a snowman to life. Lots of fun Easter eggs throughout for pop culture fanatics too.
The Merry Gentlemen – An all-male Christmas revue performs with the goal to save a small town theater from closing down. Chad Michael Murray still looks good.
With Thanksgiving in a couple days, our tradition is to watch a few movies and TV shows to mark the holiday. Planes, Trains and Automobiles is always on the watch list BUT my very favorite and most underrated Thanksgiving flick is Home for the Holidays. Miss Jodie Foster directed it and Holly Hunter stars, along with Robert Downey Jr. and so many other great cast members. It’s a five-star drama-dy!
In recent years, after my daughter became as big of a Friends fan as me, we started watching all the Thanksgiving episodes. Every season but one has an episode for a total of nine. You can watch them in any order but here’s a list. Lots of laughs!
Last on our list is always A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. There’s not a holiday celebrated at our house without watching a Peanuts special. This one is really cute and makes you realize that as long as you’re all together, it doesn’t really matter what you’re eating for the Thanksgiving feast!
Hope y’all gobble ‘til you wobble! Cheers to the holidays!
From Rushia With Love 