Unwrap the Magic: Top 8 Jolly Fun Facts About Christmas Movies You Never Knew!

1. The Grinch Dethrones Home Alone

In the festive world of fictional fiascos and feisty, evergreen foes, a green-hearted misanthrope snatched the pecan pie right out of a pigeon-loving kid's hands: "The Grinch," a 2018 animated flick, became the highest-grossing Christmas movie ever by raking in over $526 million worldwide, dethroning "Home Alone" which had jingled all the way to $476 million.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. NBC's Monochromatic Miracle

In an alternate reality where color was never invented, NBC made a brilliant holiday heist, nabbing a monochromatic gem right under our noses: On December 10, 1994, NBC scored exclusive rights to broadcast It's A Wonderful Life in its original black-and-white version after Republic Pictures reasserted their exclusive rights to the film. This savvy move led to a 10.2 rating, an impressive leap from their regular 8.2 Saturday night viewership, and solidified NBC's role as our beloved holiday season hero.
Source => nytimes.com

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3. Love the Coopers' All-Star Cast

What do you get when you toss a bunch of Hollywood heavyweights and a talking St. Bernard into a blender of holiday shenanigans? Glad you asked: Love the Coopers, the 2015 Christmas comedy, flaunts a fierce ensemble cast including Diane Keaton, John Goodman, Ed Helms, Amanda Seyfried, Olivia Wilde, Anthony Mackie, and –wait for it– Steve Martin as the voice of the family's loquacious canine! While critics didn't exactly shower it with "paw-sitive" reviews, it's totally worth some Ho-Ho-Ho's for fans of festive fun!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Jingle All the Way's Toy Frenzy Origins

Parents morphing into ninjas to hunt down holiday toys is as classic as Mom burning the turkey: Jingle All the Way was actually inspired by the real-life chaos around popular Christmas toys in the late '80s and early '90s, such as Cabbage Patch Kids and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, with screenwriter Randy Kornfield and producer Chris Columbus both experiencing the thrilling, brawl-inducing toy chase firsthand. Despite its satirical take on Christmas commercialization and cold reception by critics, it jingled all the way to a worldwide box office of $129 million.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Six Home Alone Movies Exist

Don't stay "Home Alone" without this slice of holiday trivia: There are actually six Home Alone movies in existence, with the most recent one titled Home Sweet Home Alone, joining the festive caravan on Disney+ in 2021! Nonetheless, Macaulay Culkin only braved those pesky intruders in the first two installments, leaving the subsequent bravehearts to be played by different actors and characters.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Santa Claus: The 1898 Silent Film

Long before Rudolph guided Santa's sleigh or elves hovered over conveyor belts in the North Pole, the most magical action this side of Hogwarts had been captured on film – presenting St. Nick's first cinematic endeavor: Santa Claus, a British short silent drama film from 1898, directed by George Albert Smith, featured our favorite gift-giver dropping by a home on Christmas Eve and showcased the marvels of parallel action, cementing its status as a pioneering Christmas-themed film and a testament to early British cinema sophistication.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Polar Express' Animation Revolution

Choo-choo-choose to ride aboard the Polar Express, where motion capture suits are the latest fashion trend and all the clocks are set to party time! In this winter wonderland, you might just catch a glimpse of a time-traveling DeLorean's heart: The Polar Express holds the distinction of being the first feature-length film created entirely using digital capture technology, as noted in the 2006 Guinness Book of World Records. From immortalizing actors' expressions to throwing sneaky tributes to Steven Spielberg and Back to the Future with a frozen clock and a hidden flux capacitor—this film takes animation and pop culture references to a whole new level.
Source => imdb.com

8. A Christmas Story's Mashed Potato Contest

Next time you find yourself knee-deep in a mashed potato mountain, channel your inner "Mommy's Little Piggy" and dive in headfirst: The beloved holiday movie "A Christmas Story" has inspired an annual Mommy's Little Piggy Eating Contest in its writer Jean Shepherd's hometown of Hammond, Indiana, where contestants across multiple age groups must consume a designated amount of mashed potatoes sans hands – just like Ralphie's younger brother Randy did in the film. The event, held for the past eight years, now even includes other contests and animated scenes from the movie.
Source => chicagotribune.com