’Tis the season for Christmas movies, and I’m not talking about the romantic schlock Hallmark and Lifetime are putting out.
I mean “Die Hard.”
Yes, “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie. Don’t @ me. It starts at a Christmas party, John McClane writes “ho ho ho” on a dead guy’s sweater, he uses holiday wrapping paper labels to stick the gun to his back when he goes to confront Hans and it has a happy ending, not unlike “It’s a Wonderful Life.” CHRISTMAS MOVIE.
Yippee-ki-yay, motherf—-er!
In that spirit, here’s a trivia quiz about my Top 10 Christmas movies.
1. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
My brother actually has a big ball of tangled lights as part of his annual holiday display.
The Vacation series is known for recasting Clark and Ellen Griswold’s two children, Audrey and Rusty, in each installment. Name the two actors who play the parts in “Christmas Vacation.”
2. Die Hard
I watch it every single year while I’m putting up my tree, and it never gets old.
Hans murders Joseph Takagi early in the film when the executive won’t give up the vault security codes. What corporation does Takagi work for?
3. A Muppet Christmas Carol
This is the best Christmas Carol, thanks to the presence of Gonzo and Rizzo as narrators. “Light the lamp, not the rat!”
In the Dickens novella, Scrooge is visited by his deceased business partner Jacob Marley. In this version, he’s visited by Jacob and his brother, Robert, who are played by which Muppet duo?
4. It’s a Wonderful Life
My dad’s favorite Christmas movie: Of course it makes my list.
When Clarence shows George Bailey what life would be like if he actually never had been born, what name does his hometown have instead of Bedford Falls?
5. Love, Actually
Calm down, haters. No matter how many think pieces I read about how problematic this movie is, I love it. And Bill Nighy is a genius.
Expecting a necklace, Karen (Emma Thompson) opens what gift from her husband, Harry (Alan Rickman) and realizes his potential infidelity?
6. Elf
Will Ferrell is so charming in this movie, it almost makes you believe in Santa again.
At what department store, famous for being the setting of “Miracle on 34th Street,” does Buddy get a job in 2003, despite the fact that in real life it had been closed since 1987?
7. A Christmas Story
An icon that I’ve seen probably 75 times, thanks to those TBS 24-hour marathons.
Which of Ralphie’s friends accepts a triple dog dare to stick his tongue to the frozen flagpole and gets stuck?
8. Scrooged
Skip “A Very Murray Christmas.” Rewatch this “Christmas Carol” adaptation for your sardonic Bill Murray Christmas fix.
What Broadway, film and television comedienne plays the Ghost of Christmas Present with a baby voice and a monster temper?
9. The Nightmare Before Christmas
My Halloween wreath features Jack Skellington. So does my Christmas one.
What’s the name of Jack Skellington’s sidekick, his faithful ghost dog with a jack -o’-lantern nose?
10. Reindeer Games
Oh, it’s so bad, it’s good. Double cross after double cross and all the Frankenheimer action goodness. Merry Christmas!
Rudy (Ben Affleck) gets tricked into helping Ashley (Charlize Theron) and Gabriel (Gary Sinise) with a plot to rob what while dressed as Santas?
Answers up after the trailer for “The Muppet Christmas Carol.” We live in a world where Oscar-winner Michael Caine once gave his all against a cast of puppet co-stars, and for that we should all be thankful.
Answers:
- Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki
- Nakatomi
- Statler and Waldorf
- Pottersville
- Joni Mitchell CD
- Gimbels
- Flick
- Carol Kane
- Zero
- A casino
Like top 10 trivia? Check out my trivia about the best Halloween movies!