Some of the OK Holiday Movies You’re Paying NYU For
It’s happening. Again. Your roommate is gone and you’re alone with the lights turned off, sitting in front of a dark computer screen. You want to watch something festive, but you’ve seen everything on Netflix and watched all of the Hallmark greats multiple times.
If only there were a way to gain access to a wider variety of titles, you think, one that doesn’t involve a BitTorrent client or shady third-party streaming websites…
Then, it hits you: included in NYU’s ridiculous tuition price is access to a whole lot of obscure streaming websites and media databases. Even though most of these only feature video recordings of stuffy theatre recordings, some of them have movies too. A few even have some holiday titles that are — gasp! — actually watchable, and I’ve sacrificed my Scrooge status to check them out and compile a list of some of the more decent ones.
12:08 East Of Bucharest (Kanopy)
It’s weird — this movie is listed as a “December Holidays” film on Kanopy, but it’s more of a satirical piece about Romanian history than it is anything else. Most of the film’s conversations are centered around the anti-communist uprising in Romania on Dec. 22, 1989, but the film takes place as Christmas approaches and with all of its references to the holiday, it fits the bill. Apart from being a genuinely well-made film, 12:08 East of Bucharest is a great way to get some (Romanian) history in while you get festive.
Joyeux Noël (Alexander Street)
While technically a war film, this movie is again set during the holidays and the season does play into the plot of the film. Joyeux Noël is, even outside its holiday movie status, widely considered to be a good film, so it’s worth watching even if you could care less about feigning a festive spirit (seriously, it even spawned an opera). Gory scenes aside, it’s also just a really pretty film to look at.
Rare Exports: From the Land of the Original Santa Claus (Alexander Street)
I still have no idea what the hell this film is. It’s Finnish and is, naturally, set in Finland as archeologists discover evidence for the existence of Santa Claus. Only that’s uh, not a good thing because Santa Claus is actually evil. Like, he kills people in this film, and the townspeople have to hunt him down to ensure the safety of the local children. Still, it’s a fun time — after all, who doesn’t like horror movies about Christmas?
Pandora’s Box (Kanopy)
Again, not explicitly a holiday film, but part of it takes place during Christmas! Besides that, it’s a silent movie classic, so you have to watch it if you haven’t seen it already; otherwise, how will you impress all of your cool Tisch friends? Also, Louise Brooks’ haircut is an important piece of film history, perhaps more so than the film itself.
Brazil (Digital Campus)
Most of the holiday-slanted scenes in this movie might be explicit criticisms of Christmas consumerism, but if at least one character appears onscreen wearing a Santa Claus costume then it counts, goddammit! This is another film often cited by those new to cinema studies, so now there’s really no excuse not to watch it this holiday season.
It’s a Wonderful Life (Digital Campus)
Is this holiday classic actually a good film? I have no idea; I’ve been forced to watch it too many Christmases to know how I actually feel about it at this point. Still, this is one of those movies you kind of have to watch, if only for every tweed-wearing old person you’ve ever held open a door for.
