Special: Top 10 Non-Christmas Movies That Take Place At Christmas

Well readers it's finally December so we're ready to tackle some Christmas lists this holiday season. To check out some past lists of the ilk search the blog for "Christmas" or when you get down to the bottom of this post the tags are listed and if you click on "Christmas" all the posts should come up. Anyways this week we're tackling 10 movies that aren't considered "Christmas Movies" but that take place on Christmas... So here we go.

10. Friday After Next

Finds Craig (Ice Cube) and Day-Day (Mike Epps) back in the old neighborhood where it all began. It's Christmas time and a ghetto Santa Claus breaks into their run-down apartment, stealing all their presents, along with anything else he can stuff into his sack, including the rent money hidden in their stereo speakers. Their only hope to not get evicted before Christmas is to take jobs as security guards at a local mall, where they learn some comic lessons about the true meaning of the holidays.

Best Christmas Quote: "That's right. Got my ass back in the projects. The only place where you get robbed by Santa Claus on Christmas Eve." - Craig Jones

9. Catch Me If You Can

Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) worked as a doctor, a lawyer, and as a co-pilot for a major airline -- all before his 18th birthday. A master of deception, he was also a brilliant forger, whose skill gave him his first real claim to fame: At the age of 17, Frank Abagnale, Jr. became the most successful bank robber in the history of the U.S. FBI Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) makes it his prime mission to capture Frank and bring him to justice, but Frank is always one step ahead of him.

Best Christmas Quote: "Carl? Carl! Merry Christmas! How is it we're always talking on Christmas, Carl? Every Christmas, I'm talking to you!" - Frank Abagnale Jr.

8. Trading Places

Upper-crust executive Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) and down-and-out hustler Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) are the subjects of a bet by successful brokers Mortimer (Don Ameche) and Randolph Duke (Ralph Bellamy). An employee of the Dukes, Winthorpe is framed by the brothers for a crime he didn't commit, with the siblings then installing the street-smart Valentine in his position. When Winthorpe and Valentine uncover the scheme, they set out to turn the tables on the Dukes.

Best Christmas Quote: "Okay, pork belly prices have been dropping all morning, which means that everybody is waiting for it to hit rock bottom, so they can buy low. Which means that the people who own the pork belly contracts are saying, "Hey, we're losing all our damn money, and Christmas is around the corner, and I ain't gonna have no money to buy my son the G.I. Joe with the kung-fu grip! And my wife ain't gonna f... my wife ain't gonna make love to me if I got no money!" So they're panicking right now, they're screaming "SELL! SELL!" to get out before the price keeps dropping. They're panicking out there right now, I can feel it." - Billy Ray Valentine

7. Rocky IV

After reclaiming the boxing championship title, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) plans to retire and live with his wife, Adrian (Talia Shire). However, during an exhibition match, Rocky's friend Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers) is mercilessly beaten to death by hulking Russian newcomer Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren). Rocky vows payback against Drago and flies to Russia to train for a Christmas Day fight. Despite their different training methods, Rocky and Drago both wage a long and intense match.

Best Christmas Quote: "Are you planning to grow reindeer or something? How the heck are you supposed to train here? What a depressing vacation. What about the Rose Bowl game? I hope they have my comics here." - Paulie

6. Prometheus

The discovery of a clue to mankind's origins on Earth leads a team of explorers to the darkest parts of the universe. Two brilliant young scientists lead the expedition. Shaw (Noomi Rapace) hopes that they will meet a race of benevolent, godlike beings who will in some way verify her religious beliefs, while Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) is out to debunk any spiritual notions. However, neither the scientists nor their shipmates are prepared for the unimaginable terrors that await them.

Best Christmas Quote: "No, no, no. It's Christmas, captain, and I want to open my presents." - Charlie Holloway

5. First Blood

Vietnam veteran and drifter John J. Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) wanders into a small Washington town in search of an old friend, but is met with intolerance and brutality by the local sheriff, Will Teasle (Brian Dennehy). When Teasle and his deputies restrain and shave Rambo, he flashes back to his time as a prisoner of war and unleashes his fury on the officers. He narrowly escapes the manhunt, but it will take his former commander (Richard Crenna) to save the hunters from the hunted.

Best Christmas Quote: None. That's right. They make no mention of the holiday but eagle eyed viewers can see Christmas Decorations in various location throughout the movie so put it on and enjoy.

4. Go

Grocery store clerk Simon (Desmond Askew) occasionally sells drugs from his cash register at work, so when soap opera actors Adam (Scott Wolf) and Zack (Jay Mohr) come looking for Ecstasy on a quiet Christmas Eve, they are surprised to find Ronna (Sarah Polley) covering his shift. Desperate for money, Ronna decides to become an impromptu drug dealer, unaware that Adam and Zack are secretly working for obsessed narcotics officer Burke (William Fichtner).

Best Christmas Quote: "They can't evict you on Christmas! Then you'd be ho-ho-homeless!" - Simon Baines

3. Kiss Kiss Band Bang

Two-bit crook Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.) stumbles into an audition for a mystery film while on the run from the cops. Winning the part, he lands in Hollywood, where he's flung into a tangled, murderous conspiracy with his childhood sweetheart, Harmony Lane (Michelle Monaghan), and hard-boiled private eye Perry van Shrike (Val Kilmer). This deadpan, affectionate parody of film noir tropes is named for film critic Pauline Kael's influential 1968 collection of film reviews and essays.

Best Christmas Quote: "Merry Christmas, sorry I fucked you over" - Perry van Shrike

2. Batman Returns

The monstrous Penguin (Danny DeVito), who lives in the sewers beneath Gotham, joins up with wicked shock-headed businessman Max Shreck (Christopher Walken) to topple the Batman (Michael Keaton) once and for all. But when Shreck's timid assistant, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfeiffer), finds out, and Shreck tries to kill her, she is transformed into the sexy Catwoman. She teams up with the Penguin and Shreck to destroy Batman, but sparks fly unexpectedly when she confronts the caped crusader.

Best Christmas Quote: "Two lives left. I think I'll save one for next Christmas. But in the meantime, how about a kiss, Santy Claus?" - Selina Kyle/Catwoman

1. Iron Man 3

Plagued with worry and insomnia since saving New York from destruction, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), now, is more dependent on the suits that give him his Iron Man persona -- so much so that every aspect of his life is affected, including his relationship with Pepper (Gwyneth Paltrow). After a malevolent enemy known as the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) reduces his personal world to rubble, Tony must rely solely on instinct and ingenuity to avenge his losses and protect the people he loves.

Best Christmas Quote: "Pepper, it's me. I've got a lot of apologies to make and not a lot of time, so... first off. I'm so sorry I put you in harm's way. That was selfish and stupid and it won't happen again. Also, it's Christmas time. The rabbit's too big. Done. Sorry. And I'm sorry in advance because... I can't come home yet." - Tony Stark/Iron Man

Special: Top 10 Movies That Take Place In Space

With Interstellar becoming the hot topic of conversation as we do a full swing into awards season had me thinking about movies taking place in outer space and I came to realize there hasn't been a great one in several years... I also learnt I have nearly watched enough space movies so rather than do a Top 10 Movies In space, I thought I'd do a top 5, and follow up with a top 5 Movies In Space I'm Embarrassed To Say I Haven't Seen (or least haven't seen since I hit puberty and knew what a good movie was supposed to be). Onwards we go...

5. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

What more can be said about this film that hasn't already been said? It's probably the most visually striking space film to be released until the turn of the century. It was directed by the masterful Stanley Kubrick and had everything from humour to heroism in the script. It also features a slew of unrecognisable actors that for whatever reason play their parts perfectly. And hey! The sequel isn't atrocious either.

4. Space Jam (1996)

Here's your chance, do your dance at the Space Jam... Alright, alright, alright... Those iconic words... They just fill me with joy. Cause you know when you hear them you are just an hour away from watching Bill Murray take the court alongside Jordan, Bugs and Daffy. I couldv'e picked a number of animated films for this spot, Wall-E is the popular choice, though I tend to favour Treasure Planet and Titan AE myself. There is no denying the fact that despite being critically shat on at the time of it's release has become a cult film for all of us that grew up with it... Hearing you belong on Moron Mountain still stings to this day.

3. Sunshine (2007)

Years before Danny Boyle found Oscar glory with Slumdog Millionaire he created a film that should've been just as successful if not commercially than critically. Although it did have it's fair share of supporters, post-production problems caused the movies release date to be Spring 2007 instead of the original fall 2006 date. Thus Danny Boyle's space epic about a group of scientists going into space to reignite a dying sun was overlooked come award seasons despite striking visuals and a solid cast lead by Cillian Murphy, Chris Evans and Rose Byrne.

2. Dark City (1998)

I can't believe how overlooked this masterpiece is. I still remember the first time I watched it... I was in tenth grade and was handed a burned copy on DVD by a classmate. I never heard of this movie but I figured I'd give it a shot, though I wasn't actually paying attention, I was likely talking to girls on the Internet... What all Tenth graders did in the early 2000's. Something came up and I had to shut the movie off without finishing it. When I went back to watch it I realized I recalled next to nothing about it so I opted to start from the beginning and I'm glad I did because I was completely blown away. If you like stylish action/thrillers with a film noir background this movie is for you. As a sidebar Christopher Nolan used this movie as inspiration for Inception.

1. Star Wars: Episode III - VI (1977 - 2005)

Yup. What can I say? Other than it's really weird they haven't done an Episode I or II yet... Yup... Still waiting on those... Nothing is in existence, the closest we get is that sweet pod racing game for the N64. That had a young Vader in it.

Top 5 Movies That Take Place In Outer Space That I'm Embarrassed To Say I Haven't Seen

5. Iron Sky (2012)

Okay this spot was supposed to go to "The Right Stuff" but moon nazis?? How have I not seen this.

4. Serenity (2005)

I haven't watched Firefly, I don't recall seeing Serenity so yeah... I lose nerd credibility now I guess...

3. Dune (1984)

This is a classic... I get it... But I've never been a Lynch fan, he does so few movies and I didn't particularly enjoy Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive so I'm not exactly gungho to tackle his filmography.

2. Moon (2009)

Now this I have no excuse for... I like Sam Rockwell... Duncan Jones is all the rage right now... I'm not sure why I skipped over it... Hell even NASA likes this movie.

1. Alien/Aliens/Prometheus (1979 - 2012)

Yeah... I'll get to it. Shut up.

Comic Shop Corner: September 2014

September's Donny-Approved Series:

Marvel's Hawkeye Vs. Deadpool

Biggest Storylines:

Dark Horse Comics: Fire And Stone

Dark Horse has 2 miniseries launching this month with the Fire And Stone subtitle, they are Prometheus and Aliens. When the Prometheus never returned from her fateful journey to LV-223, the questions surrounding the origins of man went unanswered. Now a new team of explorers seeks to uncover the dark mystery that holds not only the fate of the original mission, but possibly their own damnation. In Aliens a vicious xenomorph outbreak is happening and terraforming engineer Derrick Russell leads a desperate group of survivors onto a rickety mining vessel. They hope to escape the creatures overrunning their colony -- but they'll face horrors both in space and on the strange planet they crash on. Best of all these series tie in with the Prometheus and Aliens films!

DC Comics: The Future's End

DC Comics will publish 41 stand-alone issues tying into The New 52: Futures End. In each of the one-shots, creators will put DC characters through a prospective five-year time jump that will give a sense for where the heroes might stand in that time. The world of Futures End is already starting to fall apart at its seams in five years, so it's distinctly possible that most of these stories will be pretty dire -- and as it is whenever time travel is involved, there can be some pretty big, surprising and even wacky ideas at play. Plus Booster Gold gets a one-shot! Trapped out of time on a world that defies reason, Booster Gold struggles to escape the fate that has held him and so many forgotten heroes captive!

IDW Publishing: Rot & Ruin

Brand new adventures set in the world of Rot & Ruin! Written by NY Times best-selling author and multiple Bram Stoker award-winner, Jonathan Maberry - writer of the breakout hit V-Wars, this all-new storyline continues events from the award-winning series of novels. In Rot & Ruin: Warrior Smart we meet Benny, Nix, Lilah and Chong as they travel through the Sierra Nevada mountains just one faltering step ahead of zombie hordes and one giant leap behind the plane flying through the sky that set them on their journey of discovery. For those looking for something a little less horror-ry check out G.I. Joe which regroups with a new #1.

Image Comics: God Hates Image Comics


I don't mean that literally... I'm sure God has more important things to do, but with a title like God Hates Astronauts it makes you wonder... RYAN BROWNE’s (THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS, BEDLAM) farcical cult-sensation returns with a new story perfect for new readers! A NASA funded group of arrogant "super people" must stop a rash of farmers that have been using rocket-powered silos to launch themselves into outer space! As these Astro-Farmers fire themselves all over the galaxy, NASA must utilize their every resource (a guy with a ghost-cow head, a bunch of magic bears, and a Chicago cop with robot arms) to avoid an intergalactic incident!

Marvel Comics: Death Of Wolverine

The beginning of the end is now here … THE DEATH OF WOLVERINE!
THREE MONTHS TO DIE, the loss of Wolverine’s healing factor--all led to this, the single most important X-Men event of the decade. Logan has spent over a century being the best there is at what he does...but even the best fade away eventually. Over the years, Logan has been a warrior, a hero, a renegade, a samurai, a teacher—and so much more. But now, the greatest X-Men hero will play a role he’s never played before in this special weekly event brought to you by industry superstars Charles Soule and Steve McNiven. Issues 1 to 4 are released on a weekly basis through September and with Soule and his Marvel exclusive contract in hand this is a can't miss event.

Other Top Titles:

EDGE OF SPIDER-VERSE #1 (OF 5)
Publisher: MARVEL COMICS
Creative Team: (W) Fabrice Sapolsky (A/CA) Richard Isanove
Estimated Release Date*: 9/10/2014
Description: SPIDER-MAN NOIR RETURNS! The Peter Parker of the 1930′s finds himself not only up against Mysterio, but knee-deep in the Spider-Man event of 2014!

NAMES #1 (OF 8)
Publisher: DC COMICS
Creative Team: (W) Peter Milligan (A) Leandro Fernandez (CA) Celia Calle
Estimated Release Date*: 9/3/2014
Description: New York City. Forty-year-old Kevin Walker is a successful trader. He’s incredibly rich. He has a young, sexy wife and a son he adores. He has everything. Until… The mysterious man known as the Surgeon walks into Kevin’s office. He takes a seat and tells Kevin to write a suicide note. Trembling but obedient, Kevin does what the Surgeon says. Then, at a word from this well-dressed figure, Kevin jumps out his window and falls fifty stories to his death. Thus begins THE NAMES, an 8-issue miniseries by writer Peter Milligan (HELLBLAZER, SKREEMER) and artist Leandro Fernandez (Wolverine, Punisher: Max). THE NAMES is a dark, contemporary thriller set in the world of Big Money: hedge funds, leveraged buyouts, market raids, flash crashes. High-end finance that can ruin entire economies, run by a cabal of the world’s richest (and sickest) people. Now, it’s up to Katya Walker – the beautiful and deadly wife of the late Kevin – to take on this hidden power structure and find out who killed her husband, and why. No matter what it takes. No matter who she has to kill. It’s The Wolf of Wall Street meets Kill Bill. And heaven help the 1%.