'Tis the season! 'Tis the spirit of the holidays! Flakes and Fruitcakes is the movie review section for movies focusing on that holiday timeframe between late November and the end of December...from Thanksgiving thru Hanukkah, Christmas and the coming of the New Year.

Watch one of the movies below and release your holiday "feel good" spirit...or let loose your inner scrooge. No matter the time of year, you can regain that youthful, childlike exuberance of the holiday season...or if you'd prefer, maybe just relate to the darker side of overdone decorations, screaming children, sold-out toys, burnt-out Santa's and other random seasonal madness.

Happy Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year's and anything else I missed in between, too...even if it's more like the middle of March or September when you're watching any of these!

3.5 Licks

2003

In comparison to Bad Santa, Scrooge was a pansy and Clark Griswold was tame. However, Billy Bob as the washed-up, has-been manic Bad Santa? Well, he becomes that Santa you all wish you had by the end of this movie. Language is a bit vulgar at times, but it's the holidays...haven't we all felt like saying "*$%# you!" instead of "Merry Christmas!" at least a few dozen times during the season?!

It's not your cookie cutter, "feel good" holiday movie. This is for all you burnt-out, frazzled, fruitcake-hating adults who need a movie with the kind of holiday spirit that's real, dark and lives somewhere inside that bottle of liquor or case of beer you just opened.

As for Santa, even a bad one? The good news is...he doesn't just come once a year, and Lauren Graham's character gets more than her share of special deliveries!

3 Licks

A Christmas Carol is such a well-loved story that numerous movies have been made based on the tale throughout the years, even some with  variations such as a female Scrooge named Ebbie. In any case, if you find yourself visited by ghosts and it's Christmas time, listen to their message well...especially if your name happens to be "Scrooge" and you know a boy referred to as Tiny Tim!

3 Licks

Please note that if you, like Scrooge, find yourself visited by ghosts around Christmas time, they're probably trying to tell you something, so pay attention. Don't be a Scrooge. Give out holiday bonuses...the bigger the better (especially if I happen to work for you someday *grin*)! Oh, yeah, and buy a turkey or ham for some family down on their luck. Buy some toys for children less fortunate. Share your time and talents. Smile...and enjoy the holidays! Maybe if you do all of that before the ghosts visit you, you won't need a restraining order for them, as you will likely never meet them!

3 Licks

1983

A Christmas Story is a cute, nostalgic film. Not only do you witness a child's exuberance, frustrations and views, but you also have the fond reflections of a narrator making you remember back to your own childhood and what it was like to be a child at Christmas.

P.S. Don't shoot your eye out...or anyone else's!

3.5 Licks

2004

Friends, co-workers and neighbors just don't understand, and everyone tries to get them into the holiday spirit somehow. All the Kranks have to do is just survive --- and maybe try to get a tan --- before it's cruise time. That is, until their daughter calls with some last minute "surprise" news that she's coming home for Christmas and can't wait to see the decorations and enjoy the annual holiday party! Then, the Kranks go through a mad rush trying to pull everything together, including a party with friends and neighbors who they've managed to upset over that whole "skipping Christmas" lunacy!

Hilarious movie about something many of us have thought of doing, even if only in a moment of extreme seasonal frustration and weariness..."skipping Christmas." But like the Kranks, it probably wouldn't work out for us either.

Watching Christmas with the Kranks will lift your spirits, knowing you're not alone in your holiday angst. And yes, even you can enjoy the season, although...a cruise would be nice, too!

2 Licks

2003

Elf is an entertaining, free-spirited holiday movie that doesn't try too hard to be more than what it is. It's fun for the family, even if it isn't "dashing through the snow, on a one-horse open sleigh" or reinventing the holiday movie genre as we know it. You'll survive the holidays whether or not you see this movie...but should you see it, you'll probably wish you could be that naive and carefree...and that all it took was sugar and syrup!

P.S. If you're an overgrown real-life elf, you might want to leave the elf-suit and pointy-toed shoes at home. Also, try to conceal those pointy elf-like ears. Even during the holidays, that look usually only works on drunk people. Sorry, but I heard that from a little elf I know.

2 Licks

2000

Would've. Could've. Should've. What if...? All questions we wonder from time to time, yet most of us don't have some bizarre version of an angel, ghost or spirit guide (deftly played by Don Cheadle) showing up to pester us into finding out how differently things could be if only we had or if only we hadn't.

Nicolas Cage is the pondering man, and Tea Leoni is the woman he'd once loved, the one he had let get away. At first, Cage naturally prefers the single, successful life he's been leading, but maybe life as a married man with kids has its benefits, too, even if his job is less than desirable and he looks like a soccer mom because he drives a *gasp* minivan.

The Family Man is an entertaining comedic Christmas movie, with a predictable message, but it's a formula that works well at the holidays when even the Grinch has an enormous heart, warmed with the spirit of the holiday season! However, I would still recommend the classic It's a Wonderful Life over this movie, as...well, that one's a true classic that seems to have been around almost as long as Christmas. (Close enough. Christmas and that movie have probably been around longer than you!)

4 Licks

1990

However, reality sets in and being "home alone" isn't just fun and games after all. Kevin begins to worry and miss his family, and on top of that...a pair of bumbling yet determined crooks try to break in. Kevin must defend the house, as there's no one else to do it.  Here's where the hilarity ensues. Never before had a child been so ingenious nor did one scheme so well. With all of Kevin's masterful plans, you're sure he's related to MacGuyver (if you're familiar with the TV series)!

Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are great as the bumbling crooks, and Culkin is such a cute kid in this film. No matter what they seem to try, the crooks' efforts are thwarted time and again by a little kid with more wits and smarts than the two of them combined. Home Alone's story is a unique concept that hadn't been told before. Who knew a kid could outwit two thieves and do it in such style or to such extent as he'd gone?!

Earnote: Of course, had this been real life, social services would've been visiting his parents. Forgetting a child and letting one so young home alone for as long as Kevin was?! Bad parenting! You lose your turn, your children, and...you must go back to start!

3 Licks

1992

The same bumbling crooks are back, and once they spot Kevin, they're out for vengeance. Kevin outsmarts them time and again, as well as some suspicious hotel staff.

If you have young kids, make sure they watch both this movie and the first Home Alone. That way, if you ever leave them home alone accidentally, maybe they'll be prepared to be the hero of the day, just like Kevin!

4.5 Licks

1995

Like most families, the one in Home for the Holidays is far from perfect, but in every family, no matter how dysfunctional or disjointed...there is love at the heart of it. And that love is the main reason so many make the effort and put themselves through all the stress, the inconvenience and the hassles that going "home" for the holidays can be.

It's easy to relate to the family in it, as we've all felt like one of them before or been through similar situations with our own families. Both Hunter and Downey, Jr. are great to watch in this movie, along with the rest of the cast. There is a great amount of comedy in family gatherings and the varied personalities therein, and Home for the Holidays captures it well!

Watch this before you go "home" for the holidays, and maybe it will make your own holidays a little easier to survive. It's only a few days and they are family, after all..."just float." You can do it!

4 Licks

2000

Carrey's Grinch was so great that he almost made me wish I lived in Whoville. That is, so long as I wouldn't have Cindy Lou Who's hair. Talk about bad hair days! Poor Cindy Lou!

The hair, the makeup! You have to feel sorry for those poor Who's, as they could all use some serious makeovers and plastic surgery. They won't be winning any beauty pageants or modeling contracts, but they sure are nice people. Just go easy on the spiked eggnog if you're ever in Whoville, or you could end up wondering "who" is in your bed and you'd be right.

No matter your age, this is a wonderful holiday movie, and you'll probably find you enjoy it even more than the original animated special.

4 Licks

1946

This is a great concept and story that truly encourages you to find your own holiday spirit and realize the joys of life. No matter how bad things may seem, there's always hope and no matter where you live or how big or small you feel your life is, you've touched more lives than you realize and you do make a difference, much like George Bailey.

Help an angel get his/her wings....watch the movie, and the next time you hear a bell ring, you'll know an angel just got his or her wings!

1 Lick

1996

Schwarzenegger plays a father desperate to find the one toy or action figure his child wants most. He figures that by finding that one item, he can make up for all the times he's disappointed or otherwise let his child down. Sure, Christmas can bring miracles, but a single toy or item will only placate a child for so long. As a man and father, he should know that...silly man!

That aside, his quest for that toy is fraught with obstacles, problems and other parents on that exact same quest...all competing to find the most coveted toy of that holiday season. There are funny moments throughout the film, and many a frazzled parent could probably relate to the desperate toy search...but hopefully, most start their search a little earlier than Christmas Eve.

3 Licks

An old man claims to be Kris Kringle/Santa. Is he crazy? Should he be locked up as a threat to himself or society? Or maybe, just maybe...could he be Santa, and can he and the children who believe in him teach us all a lesson?

Whatever the case...Santa, if you're listening, my wish list is in the mail. Don't forget...it's black leather and red lace, but if you get confused, I guess red leather and black lace would work, too! And yes, like last year, I'll leave the liquor cabinet open and the truffles on the table!

2 Licks

(By the way, Santa...I still believe. And if it's okay, I'd like to add something to this year's wish list. Would it be too much to ask for a major jackpot-winning lottery ticket? Please?)

3 Licks

1994

The casting, especially Steve Martin and Madeline Kahn, makes this strange story and group of misfit characters "work" somehow. And if you're into edgier, oddball comedies, the humor in this one will appeal to you!

5 Licks 

1989

Cutting down your own Christmas tree? Competing with the Johnsons and the Smith-Joneses for the best decorative holiday lighting display? Spending money you don't have yet? Expecting a houseful of curmudgeonly relatives and in-laws with issues, bunions and preconceived notions on how you or yours will never measure up?

Look no further, Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold is the man of season! The Griswolds are no over-achieving superheroes, but they can save your holidays...or at least provide you laughs, entertainment and a little peace of mind amongst all the seasonal madness, helping you cultivate your own holiday spirit! Plus, you might even find a new use for that "non-nutritive cereal varnish" you've always wondered about! Just don't try that at home, especially after you've had 3 or 4 spiked eggnogs!

2.5 Licks

1994

Midway through the movie, Leary's character is probably wishing he could just shoot them, but he's a cat burglar, not a murderer.

Spacey and Davis are great as the troubled couple. Makes you wonder if they've done this before...in real life, as a married couple...with each other!

2.5 Licks

1985

Predictable, but still enjoyable movie. Kids will enjoy the movie more so than adults, unless you first saw the movie when you were a child, too. Or, unless you have an odd obsession with strange little elves and corny lines.

If I have to say so "my elf," Dudley Moore is perfect as an enthusiastic, well-meaning but slightly naive elf.

4 Licks

1994

Watch this movie, and you'll not only find the holiday spirit, but also your inner child...that part of you that always loved the holidays and looked forward to things like sleigh bells, reindeer, fairytales, Santa, the Easter bunny, tooth fairy......As hectic and difficult as the Christmas holidays may be, there's still a lot of beauty and magic in the air. Remember that, or call out to your inner child and you will!

There's a lot more to Santa and to "being" Santa than any of us probably ever thought, as Tim Allen's character Scott Calvin finds out. Santa isn't just a Claus...he also HAS a "clause." So, if you ever happen to find a Santa suit with a note instructing you to wear it, and that the reindeer would handle things from there...don't believe it. You might have agreed to the "clause," not just the Claus.

Then again, men, if a woman instructs you to wear the suit, just do it. She might make it worth your while, especially if there's some "clause" about her driving your "sleigh." *whistles innocently*

3.5 Licks

2002

Now that Tim Allen's Scott Calvin has been Santa for a number of years, he finds out there's more to "the Santa clause"......he has to get married! (Go figure. The writer of that clause must have been some "old money" rich man on his deathbed so mean and miserly he would disinherit his own --- possibly otherwise wonderful --- children if not married by a certain age!) On top of having to find himself a wife, Scott/Santa also finds out his son is on the naughty list. *gasp*

It's trouble at and beyond the North Pole, but have every confidence --- Santa will prevail and Christmas will go on as previously scheduled! (Oh, and of course...there will be at least one more sequel.)

2 Licks

1988

This movie has its funny moments, but is not one of the standouts of the holiday movie genre. It does, however, get 2 Licks for having modernized an old tale so many have heard or seen before again and again. Murray's character is a bit rougher around the edges than the Scrooge of old. (It probably came with the job...and the fame...and the salary that  the Scrooge of old wouldn't have even thought possible!)

2 Licks 

2004

Like the fictional movie family, I could've survived this movie better had Ben Affleck's character offered me $250,000 to spend time with him...or at least to watch the movie. I might have even sung a carol or two with him for that price. Oh, alright, I admit it. I would've even dressed up as an elf, complete with antlers and hokey plastic Christmas tree earrings and pins, braided my hair with tinsel, plastered on a candy-cane grin and played Santa's helper...all for the "bargain" price of...250k!

Earnote: Thankfully, J-Lo wasn't in this movie with him, because then no amount of money would've cut it. Not even for the poor, tortured family he convinces to be his for the holidays!

3 Licks

1983

The bet is about circumstance and opportunity. Can you turn an uneducated con man into a thriving, elite, successful businessman...just by giving him opportunity, means and the right environment? And if you take a successful, elitist executive from his environment, throwing him out onto the street...how will that sudden loss, lack of means, appearance, environment and desperation effect him?

The subjects "trading places," are the successful Louis Winthorpe III (Dan Aykroyd) and the down-on-his-luck Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy). It's an interesting experiment that gets even better once you add in the supporting cast, including a kind-hearted hooker (played well by Jamie Lee Curtis). Eventually, the subjects are bound to find out about the bet in which their lives are merely just a game to the old codgers played by Ameche and Bellamy. And once Valentine and Winthorpe know, just what will they do and how will things turn out?!

Wonderful movie and cast, and though it's not hugely known as a holiday movie, it is appropriate in this category. Trading Places is an unusual holiday movie with lots of laughs even amidst the sad truths it may contain.

2.75 Licks

1954

They do, after all, throw in some clever and fun lines and scenes, like Crosby and Kaye singing and dancing (dressed as girls) to a song called "Sisters," which they had seen the sister duo in the film (played by Clooney and Vera-Ellen) perform.

As for sentimentality and reverie...the performances of "Snow" and "White Christmas" are breathtaking and will likely warm your heart. By the end of the movie, there's snow, romance, love...and the kind of sentiment and endearment for which we all long for at the holidays, if not secretly all throughout the year.