The first episode of The Santa Clauses – the continuation of Tim Allen's The Santa Clause movie series – is now available on Disney+, and it seemingly blames millennials for a lack of Christmas spirit. However, there seems to be more of a Christmas spirit than ever, as 2022 sees the release of so many holiday projects, and film buffs are currently enjoying the very worst Christmas movies ever.
There seem to be way more bad Christmas movies than good ones, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Redditors have spoken at length about which bad Christmas films are so much fun to watch, and they range from bottom-of-the-barrel slasher flicks to obscure Michael Shannon comedies about furries.
Christmas With The Kranks (2004)
Dateach01 points to Christmas with the Kranks as the best so-bad-it's-good holiday movie. The Redditor comments, "Is it a bad movie? Yes. Did it get scorching bad reviews? Absolutely. Is the acting subpar given the talent in the movie? 100%. But I can't help but really like this movie."
Christmas with the Kranks is about a couple that decides to go on a cruise for Christmas, which isn't out of the ordinary, but that apparently means ignoring absolutely anything that's even slightly related to Christmas. What makes the film so weird is that the Kranks live in a cultish community that is obsessed with Christmas, which leads to the couple completely falling out with their neighbors. The film is nonsensical, but Jamie Lee Curtis' surprisingly agile action comedy, ridiculous Scrooge-like one-liners, and the typical snowy Chicago backdrop give it that classic Christmas touch.
Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)
Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 is a slasher movie unlike any other, and it's one of the most obvious examples of a cash-in movie. Springfieldmonorail is a reluctant fan of the film, positing, "Part 1 is just boring and sleazy, Part 2 is where the real fun is."
The movie follows brother of Billy, who was the first film's protagonist, as he tries to cope with his parent's murders, which sends him on a killing spree of his own. The film is tonally and narratively all over the place and makes absolutely no sense, but it's still so entertaining. A lot of the film is told in flashbacks, and almost half of the movie is made up of scenes from its predecessor, essentially repackaging the first film with a few new scenes.
Home Alone 3 (1997)
Following the just-as-good-as-the-original sequel, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, none of the original cast returned for the threequel, even though it had a bigger budget and was on a much bigger scale. The movie is essentially about international terrorists, and that's why the family holiday movie is so ridiculous.
Zhymantas thinks Home Alone 3 is so good it's bad, and in fairness, the booby traps are just as entertaining as the original movie, and the large-scale narrative is better than simply repeating the first movie's premise again, which is what Home Alone 2 did. However, some fans genuinely think it's as good as the first Home Alone, and they're not alone, as celebrated film critic Roger Ebert said it was better than the first two films (via Rogerebert.com).
Jack Frost 2 (2000)
This film shouldn't be mistaken for a sequel to the schmaltzy Michael Keaton movie Jack Frost, as the 2000 sequel is a slasher film about a sentient evil snowman. Tinjanurtles is the first to recall the movie, urging everyone to watch it.
The Redditor notes, "If you can find Jack Frost 2, you won't regret it. Killer snowman tries to kill everyone on a resort island. Includes awful awful effects and acting, nudity, amazing kill scenes, oh, it's glorious." In some territories, the movie was packaged with the subtitle Revenge of the Mutant Killer Snowman, and if that doesn't scream "so bad it's good," then not much else does.
Eight Crazy Nights (2002)
Technically, Eight Crazy Nights isn't a Christmas movie at all, as it's about the Jewish holiday Hanukah. But it's still full of traditional things that audiences would generally find in a Christmas film, such as reindeer, Christmas lights, and the shots are filled with reds and greens. And just like most Christmas movies, it follows a man with no interest in the season who find the Christmas (or Hanukah) spirit.
Reddit user Island_Maximum admits that while it's not a good film, they can't help but enjoy it. The Redditor notes, "I both hate and like this movie. On one hand, it's a s****y Adam Sandler movie with too much gross-out jokes. On the other hand, it's extremely well-animated!" However, while fans would kill for sequels to many of Sandler's movies, nobody's asking for Eight Crazy Nights 2.
Babes In Toyland (1986)
RedMapleEnthusiast believes that Babes in Toyland – the remake of the 1961 movie of the same name – is the best so-bad-it's-good holiday move. The Redditor mentions, "The 1986 Babes in Toyland with Keanu Reeves and Drew Barrymore is atrocious but fun." The movie stars Reeves long before he was the action star and Drew Barrymore long before she became the romantic comedy lead, and it's clear that this wasn't exactly a passion project.
The film is about a young girl who wakes up in Toyland, a magical realm, and she must work with the people of Toyland to defeat Barnaby, an evil man who wants to take over the land. The whole thing is like a misguided Christmas version of The Wizard of Oz, but every terrible line and every derivative plot point just makes audiences grow fonder of it.
Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
Santa should have shown up in the Guardians Holiday Special, as the character is a mutant in Marvel comic books. However, the character was the lead in a superhero movie long before the Disney+ one-off special. HutSutRaw reminds users of Santa Claus: The Movie, a so-bad-it's-good popcorn flick from the 80s.
The Redditor comments, "It is bats*** insane. It’s structured like a superhero movie. the first half starts as an origin story, and the second half they throw in a villain played by John Lithgow. Very enjoyable for all the wrong reasons." Lithgow, who plays an evil toy company executive, hams it up in a way that only he can, and his over-the-top theatrical performance keeps viewers turning off the weird and nonsensical movie.
Star Wars Holiday Special (1978)
Cruel1079 thinks Star Wars Holiday Special is so bad it's good, and they recommend that anybody who has access to it should watch it immediately. The Redditor advises, "If you can get a copy of the Star Wars Holiday Special. It’s a favorite of mine and basically one big fever dream." The special follows Han Solo and Chewbacca as they visit Kashyyyk, Chewie's home planet, to celebrate "life day."
While Star Wars fans complain about the way Disney's sequel trilogy played out, a lot of those fans probably never saw 1978's Star Wars Holiday Special. Otherwise, they'd know that it could get a lot worse. The movie is set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and it's bemusing to think that the holiday special is part of the same universe as the dark official follow-up to the seminal 1977 release.
Jingle All The Way (1996)
Roll_20_for_Charisma points to the ultimate so-bad-it's-good Christmas movie, the Arnold Schwarzenegger starring Jingle All the Way. The Redditor comments, "There’s something relatable and enjoyable about a magic-less, gloss-less Christmas movie (except for the last reel) that handles a rather banal stressor of the holiday season. Also, it’s a lot of stupid fun."
The movie follows a father who attempts to track down a sold-out toy for his son, the Turbo Man, and what follows is fights with children and being under the threat of an evil postman with a bomb. Everybody in the movie is materialistic and selfish, and not only is there no moral to the story, but it tells children that being selfish pays off. However, there's never a dull moment, and it's overflowing with hilarious Arnie quotes.
Pottersville (2017)
Though they don't even remember the name, Edmure informs users of the so-bad-it's-good holiday movie Pottersville. The Redditor insightfully sums up the movie, explaining, "Whichever one is the one where Michael Shannon gets drunk and dresses up like bigfoot because his wife turns out to be a furry and Ian McShane hunts him."
Shannon is one of the most unpredictable actors ever, as he could be starring in DCU movies or taking obscure roles in surreal indie projects. Pottersville skews much closer to the latter, as everything the user says is exactly true and not remotely exaggerated. Maynard (Shannon) dresses up as an anthropomorphic animal only to be misidentified as Bigfoot. Pottersville is technically a comedy, but it's only funny unintentionally.