What Are We Watching? Holiday 2024 Edition!
We are ready for belly laughs, wholesome chill evenings, and time to catch-up on movies, old and new! Here is what we are watching, Holiday Edition! Some films will surprise you, and there will definitely be a debate about one or two… Happy Holidays from all of us at Cowboy Bear Ninja, and enjoy!
MICHAEL
I'm not even going to engage the debate as to whether or not DIE HARD is a Christmas movie -- it absolutely is. It's also a more-relevant-than-ever modern western that wrestles with masculinity in crisis. There's so much to love here from the taut, perfectly plotted screenplay to the cool detachment of young Alan Rickman, but the beating heart of the movie is Bruce Willis. In his first star turn, Willis is never not weary, embattled, or covered in blood and bruises...yet still manages to serve up a wry rejoinder to Rickman's "Hans Gruber," as well as to the muscled ubermen who dominated ‘80s action cinema.
RUFUS
My kids really like spy films, so for the holidays, we're watching Harrison Ford as Jack Ryan. The kids are nostalgic for the ‘90s, which I find really funny because they are 6 and 10.
COREY
Rare Exports! I love everything about this dark and funny story of the origins of Santa Claus. And as always, the GREATEST Christmas special of ALL TIME: Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special which we used to watch on an old ripped dvd, but is now gloriously restored from the original 35mm film and free on Youtube: https://youtu.be/NRvtOGLzpvE?si=kD2fBBMQZJNDunBA
ADRIAN
Every year since 1987 our family gathers around the glowing rectangle so we can bliss out to Will Vinton's Claymation Christmas. I don’t know why it’s still so good and/or if anyone else remembers it, or if our bootlegged VHS copy will still play, but one way or another, I guarantee we’ll be watching this over any live action holiday programming, except maybe the Steelers.
MIGUEL
What better way to get into the holiday spirit than with some high stakes catholic theology debates?? Stacked cast, twists and turns, you’ve absolutely got to hand it to the cardinals in the Conclave.
