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Ho! Ho! Ho! A Compendium of Christmas Movies

by | December 28, 2020 | | 2 Comments

While Christmas has passed, many celebrate through Epiphany on January 6. This time of year, I like to play New Age and Celtic Christmas music, bake cookies, decorate the house, trim the tree, and watch Christmas movies.

There are the classic movies like “It’s A Wonderful Life”, “A Charlie Brown Christmas”, and “We’re No Angels” that I watch every year. I also like unusual Christmas movies like “The Ref”, “Joyeux Noël”, and “Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale”. “The Ref” is about a bickering married couple held hostage by a cat burglar over Christmastime. It’s very funny. “Joyeux Noël” is about the World War I Christmas truce. I go into more detail about “Rare Exports” below. Hallmark plays Christmas movies year round, but this time of year they are especially precious – and predictable. There is comfort in predictability, especially during a year that sucked as much as 2020. Here is a drinking game about Hallmark Christmas movies.

Take a drink when a character’s name is related to Christmas (Holly, Nick, Chris, etc.).

Take a drink when a “big city” person is transplanted to a small town.

Take a drink when a newcomer partakes in an old family/town tradition.

Take a drink when you see an ugly sweater or tie.

Finish your drink when it starts snowing on Christmas.

Finish your drink when the Christmas cynic is filled with holiday spirit.

Take a shot when the main charqacters fall in love.

Take a shot when you spot Candace Cameron Bure, Lacey Chabert, or Danica McKellar.

I recognize Bure and Chabert from Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, which take place in sleepy, small towns where there is a murder every other minute, LOL. It’s called the Cabot Cove effect. These small towns are Murder Central. There is sometimes bloodletting to go with your hot cocoa and mistletoe.

I even like Christmas horror movies such as “Dead End” and “Black Christmas”. A new one to me is “Anna and the Apocalypse”, which is a horror musical comedy. It sounds like ridiculous fun. Anna battle zombies during Christmastime. I like a good horror comedy, and this one promises to be one.

My favorite Christmas movies are “Die Hard”, “A Christmas Carol” (starring Alistair Sim), and “Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale”. “Rare Exports” is a recent movie, and it’s incredible. It’s Finnish, and it tells the “true” story of Santa, based on folklore. This isn’t a jolly old elf who goes “ho, ho, ho”. Far from it. I highly recommend it. It makes “best Christmas movie” lists every year.

Here is a list of Christmas movies I recommend. I watch some of them every year, but not all of course because there are only so many hours in the day.

Classics

  1. We’re No Angels
  2. The Bishop’s Wife
  3. Holiday Inn
  4. It’s a Wonderful Life
  5. A Christmas Carol (starring Alistair Sim)
  6. Miracle on 34th Street
  7. White Christmas

Animated

  1. A Charlie Brown Christmas
  2. How The Grinch Stole Christmas
  3. Rankin Bass movies like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Horror

  1. Black Christmas
  2. Dead End
  3. Gremlins
  4. Anna and the Apocalypse
  5. Edward Scissorhands

Other Faves

  1. Die Hard
  2. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
  3. The Man Who Invented Christmas
  4. Home Alone
  5. A Christmas Story
  6. Elf
  7. Bad Santa
  8. Hallmark Christmas Movies – Take Your Pick!
  9. Love Actually
  10. Carol
  11. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
  12. Scrooged
  13. The Santa Claus
  14. The Ref
  15. Joyeux Noël
  16. The Muppet Christmas Carol

Although Christmas has come and gone, it’s not too late to enjoy a little more holiday cheer. I celebrate through Epiphany. That’s when the tree is supposed to come down, supposed being the operative word. Last year, we didn’t take down the tree until May. This year I hope it comes down before Valentine’s Day. LOL So drink a cup of hot cocoa, turn on your TV, and enjoy love and peace during the holiday season. Let’s hope 2021 gets off to a good start and stays that way.

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Elizabeth Black writes in a wide variety of genres including erotica, erotic romance, horror, and dark fiction. She lives on the Massachusetts coast with her husband, son, and her two cats. Her LGBTQ paranormal erotic shifter romance novel “Full Moon Fever” is now available for purchase at Amazon and other book distributors. Her collection of erotic fairy tales, “Happily Ever After: Twisted Versions of Your Favorite Fairy Tales”, is also available at Amazon.

Web site: http://elizabethablack.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethablack

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ElizabethABlack

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/elizabethblack

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/b76GWD

 

 

Falling In Love With Gothic Romance

by | September 28, 2019 | | 2 Comments

It’s been Autumn in the northern hemisphere for a few days. This time of year the temperatures go down and the leaves fall from the trees. Bring out the hot cocoa, apple cider, maple candy, and of course pumpkin everything. And don’t forget the pumpkin spice!

Halloween is at the end of October. I decorate our home with candles, statues, jack o’ lanterns, black cats, and skeletons. I bake pumpkin bread and gingersnaps. Want to make this season extra special? Watch a few gothic romances while you sip your hot mulled cider. Not sure what to watch? Here are a few suggestions.

The Phantom of the Opera – Lon Chaney may have been one of the first to make the role of the Phantom famous, but later versions brought out the true romance of the story. This is a classic tale about an obsessive love. Whether you enjoy the musical or a movie version of the story, this one is well worth a watch. There is even a version starring Charles Dance. Imagine Tywin Lannister as the Phantom. You may find it on Youtube.

Ghost – That scene between Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore at the potter’s wheel is one of the most sensuous and iconic romantic scenes in the movies. Watch this one with someone you love.

Jane Eyre – Some of us read this book in high school and loved it. It is a tale of forbidden romance. There aren’t many lovers as tragic as Jane Eyre and Edward Rochester.

Wuthering Heights – Another high school read. Cathy and Heathcliff are star-crossed lovers. The storyline can be convoluted, especially the intertwining family trees, but it’s well worth the effort.

Rebecca – Daphne du Maurier is the queen of Gothic fiction. Rebecca is a classic tale with a great twist at the end.

Interview With The Vampire – Homo-eroticism at its finest. This movie is brimming with sexual tension. Vampires have long been associated with the erotic as well as with death and fear. Combine the two and you have some powerful storytelling.

The Vampire Lovers – Lesbian undertones for those who enjoy the female variety. This Hammer Films retelling of J. Sheridan LeFanu’s Carmilla has long been a favorite staple of horror lovers, but its sensuality makes it a perfect fit for a romantic and decadent Autumn night.

So wrap yourself and someone you love in a comfy blanket on the couch, kick back, and enjoy the sweet coziness of Gothic romance. Whether the lovers get together in the end or if they are tragically star-crossed, you’ll enjoy cuddling while the plots play out. Make sure there is plenty of mulled cider on hand and enjoy the crisp Fall season.

———

Elizabeth Black writes in a wide variety of genres including erotica, erotic romance, horror, and dark fiction. She lives on the Massachusetts coast with her husband, son, and her three cats. Her story “The Beautiful Move in Curves” appears in “Dangerous Curves Ahead”, an anthology of sexy stories about plus-sized women. Look for it at Amazon.

Web site: http://elizabethablack.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethablack

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ElizabethABlack

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/elizabethblack

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/b76GWD

 

 

Halloween Movies For Romance And Comedy Lovers

by | October 28, 2018 | | 2 Comments

Elizabeth Black writes in a wide variety of genres including erotica, erotic romance, horror, and dark fiction. She lives on the Massachusetts coast with her husband, son, and her two cats.

Web site: http://elizabethablack.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabethablack

Twitter: http://twitter.com/ElizabethABlack

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/elizabethblack

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/b76GWD

___

A Facebook friend of mine made a post where she asked for names of non-scary movies for Halloween. She wanted nothing super scary, no slashers, and no gore. I thought that was the perfect idea for this month’s ERWA post – The Halloween Edition.

I love a good horror movie, but my husband doesn’t so I try to find movies I think he’d like, especially this time of year when I find classics on TV that we both can watch. I also like paranormal romances which are perfect for the Halloween season. We both enjoyed Shaun of the Dead and Army of Darkness which are comedies. Ghost is another favorite and that one is a paranormal romance popular with romance lovers. Romance and paranormal lovers don’t have to feel left out this season just because they don’t like slasher movies and the like. There is plenty out there to enjoy.

Here is a list of Halloween movies for people who don’t like gory movies full of jump scares. There are romances here, some comedies and some black and white classics.

  1. The Nightmare Before Christmas – The King of Christmas wants that holiday to be like Halloween. Animated. Jack, the male lead, also likes Sally, the female lead.
  2. The Witches Of Eastwick – Three women stand up to Jack Nicholson. A fun film.
  3. The Haunting – This is the 1963 black and white movie, not the new Netflix TV series although the series is excellent. The TV series is entitled The Haunting of Hill House so that you don’t get confused. Based on the novel by Shirley Jackson. Could be scary but it’s atmospheric and psychological. Avoid the 1999 remake. It’s abysmal.
  4. The Sixth Sense – Tear jerker of a paranormal.
  5. Practical Magic – A witch movie that is about love and family.
  6. Shaun of the Dead – British laugh out loud zombie comedy.
  7. What We Do In The Shadows – New Zealand laugh out loud vampire comedy.
  8. Young Frankenstein – The ultimate American horror comedy. Frau Blucher! Whinny! LOL
  9. E. T.  – Takes place at Halloween. E. T. phone home!
  10. Gremlins – Don’t get them wet, keep them out of the light, and don’t feed them after midnight. Has a few genuinely scary moments but overall a fantasy with comic elements.
  11. Topper – Constance Bennett and Cary Grant as a married, ghostly couple. Another comedy. Black and white from the 1930s.
  12. Arsenic and Old Lace – Another Cary Grant vehicle. Yet another comedy. Black and white from the 1940s. Based on the play by Joseph Kesselring.
  13. Blithe Spirit – Husband calls back dead wife’s spirit during a séance. He’s since remarried. Hilarity ensues. Yes, another comedy. Black and white from the 1940s and based on the play by Noel Coward.
  14. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir – A lovely paranormal romance. Black and white from the 1940s.
  15. The Innocents – Based on Henry James’s novel The Turn Of The Screw. Very atmospheric, moody, and psychological. Standout performance by Deborah Kerr. Black and white from the 1960s.

So now you have plenty of movies to choose from to watch in the days approaching Halloween and Halloween itself. Whether you want a horror comedy or a black and white classic, there are plenty of movies to watch around Halloween that don’t involve buckets of blood. There is even romance! So pop some popcorn, get the bags of candy ready for the trick or treaters, turn down the lights, and enjoy your movie night.

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