Top-15 Christmas film posters

Christmas is coming and I remembered that I haven't posted a single entry about this wonderful holiday, which is widely described in different kind of films. While I was making a new festive header for this blog (by the way, do you like it?) I saw a bunch of great posters for my favourite Christmas films. For this post I tried to choose best of them.

Click to enlarge the poster you like.

1."How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (2000)
Simple and very mysterious poster starring Jim Carrey's green fluffy hand. That broken decoration says more about its main character than the plot.

2."A Christmas Carol" (2009)
This version of Dickens' legendary novel has plenty of good posters, but the German one is my favourite. Dark with bright silhouette of Ebenezer Scrooge made from the Ghost of Christmas Past looks very Gothic and festive as the story itself.

3."Home Alone" (1990)
Screaming Kevin, toasted Harry and ironed Marv are my all time favourite characters. Better those burglars haven't messed with that kid, even if he is home alone.

4."Christmas Vacation" (1989)
Poor Chevy Chase...

5."Jingle All the Way" (1996)
Crazy poster for a crazy film.

6."Scrooged" (1988)
Modern adaptation got a very freaked out Bill Murray on its poster. I like that he gets a light from a ghost.

7."Bad Santa" (2003)
Very bad and very Santa. As its tagline says, "He doesn't care if you're naughty or nice." Lauren Graham definitely is naughty.

8."Elf" (2003)
This one made me laugh so hard. I know it's a bit rude to cut off the head of the main character, but it perfectly shows us what's wrong with him and why he is a very unique elf.

9."Home Alone 2" (1992)
What could be better than New York looking like a huge skating rink?

10."It's a Wonderful Life" (1946)
Happy family, Christmas tree and love - everything good you can find in this film, you can see on this poster.

11."A Garfield Christmas Special" (1987)
Everyone knows that you should keep your pets away from your Christmas tree, and this case isn't an exception.

12."Arthur Christmas" (2011)
They've made a Christmas tree from all main characters. Plus I like its green and red colours.

13."Love Actually" (2003)
All great actors and actresses wrapped together as a one big present for us.

14."Surviving Christmas" (2004)
We know it's a very stressful time of the year, but we love it still. This poster is about those unexpected (unwanted) presents, which can literally kick you off your feet.

15."The Polar Express" (2004)
A magnificent train and a young kid, who is delighted by his future Christmas trip. And the snow falls down slowly... Just perfect.

If I haven't included your favourite one, leave a comment, I'll consider it.

Top-5 movies of the week - 25.11 - 01.12

1."My Week with Marilyn"
This film tells a story about Marilyn Monroe's first visit to the UK, while she was filming "The Prince and the Showgirl" along with Laurence Olivier. They had a very tense relationship, which made their work incredibly complicated. And then one of the most famous women of all times meets Colin Clark, a 23 year-old assistant, who is charming and totally adores her. They spend together one unforgettable week, which brings Marilyn some crazy thoughts about leaving her world and starting a new life here, in England. But there is a catch. She is a newlywed.
Starring Michelle Williams, Kenneth Branagh, Eddie Redmayne, Dominic Cooper with Emma Watson and Judi Dench.
Directed by Simon Curtis.
Trailer.

2."The Artist"
Its trailer just stole my heart. Modern black-and-white film tells us a story of George Valentin, who is a star of silent films. The era of sound comes and it mean the end of his career while all just starts for young extra Peppy Miller. Their destinies cross, but nobody know for how long. I think it's a great way to make a tribute of charming silent films.
Starring Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo.
Directed and written by Michel Hazanavicius.
Trailer.

3."The Muppets"
On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary and Mary from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. (Official website)
Starring Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper.
Directed by James Bobin.
All trailers, clips and other videos you can find on the official Youtube channel.
"The Pig With The Froggy Tattoo" parody trailer.

4."Hugo"
A story of an orphan boy who lives a secret life in the walls of a Paris train station. An eccentric girl Isabelle helps him while he searches for the answer to a mystery linking the father he recently lost, the ill-tempered toy shop owner living below him and a heart shaped lock, seemingly without a key. Based on Brian Selznick's award winning and imaginative New York Times bestseller called "The Invention of Hugo Cabret", this magical tale is Academy Award-winner Martin Scorsese's first film shot in 3D.
Starring Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jude Law.
Directed by Martin Scorsese.
Trailer.

5."Arthur Christmas"
This animated film is going to shows us how the big operation "Christmas" works on the North Pole. The only thing I don't like about it so far - it is a soundtrack.
Directed by Sarah Smith.
And there will be voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton.
Trailer.

Posters - iTunes movie trailers

18 Animated Movies for Oscar 2012

My first post related to the 84rd Academy Awards is about animated films. Official website released this long list of 18 movies, but just 5 of them will be nominated and one will be the owner of the golden statuette.

1."The Adventures of Tintin" ("Приключения Тинтина: Тайна Единорога")
2."Alois Nebel" ("Алоис Небель")
3."Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-wrecked" ("Элвин и бурундуки 3")
4."Arthur Christmas" ("Секретная служба Санта-Клауса")
5."Cars 2" ("Тачки 2")
6."A Cat in Paris" ("Кошачья жизнь")
7."Chico & Rita" ("Чико и Рита")
8."Gnomeo & Juliet" ("Гномео и Джульетта")
9."Happy Feet Two" ("Делай ноги 2")
10."Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil" ("Красная Шапка против зла")
11."Kung Fu Panda 2" ("Кунг-фу Панда 2")
12."Mars Needs Moms" ("Тайна красной планеты")
13."Puss in Boots" ("Кот в сапогах")
14."Rango" ("Ранго")
15."Rio" ("Рио")
16."The Smurfs" ("Смурфики")
17."Winnie the Pooh" ("Медвежонок Винни и его друзья")
18."Wrinkles"("Морщинки")

I haven't seen all of them (partly because some films will be out in cinemas later this year), but I can surely tell, which of them has no chance to become a nominee. I'm sorry for "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-wrecked" and "Cars 2". They aren't the first films of these stories, plus their prequels weren't nominated. On the other hand, "Happy Feet Two" and "Kung Fu Panda 2" could be nominated and even have a good chance to win, because their prequels have already been on the final list.

I doubt that "Arthur Christmas", "Gnomeo & Juliet", "The Smurfs" and "Mars Needs Moms" will make it to the final five, because they aren't critics' favourites.

"Wrinkles", "Chico & Rita", "Alois Nebel", "The Adventures of Tintin" along with "Winnie the Pooh" can be lucky this time, because of being dramatic, mature, directed by Steven Spielberg and for going back to Disney's classics.

The 84th Academy Awards nominations will be announced live on Tuesday, January 24, 2012. And the big event will take place on Sunday, February 26, 2012.

Which film is your favourite among these 18? Which one deserves an Oscar?

"Arthur Christmas" (2011) - Third trailer

I was feeling a bit Christmassy these days, so this new trailer made me even more exited to watch this upcoming animated film. We've already seen at least two promo videos of "Arthur Christmas", but this one I like more. Why? Because of all those Christmas lights, red-and-green colours and Mission Impossible style.

Directed by Sarah Smith. And there will be voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton.

Release dates - November 11, 2011 (UK), November 23, 2011 (USA, France), December 8, 2011 (Russia), December 22, 2011 (Ukraine).

More about "Arthur Christmas" (2011)!

Trailer #3

"Arthur Christmas" (2011) - Trailers

The 3D, CG-animated family comedy "Arthur Christmas", an Aardman production for Sony Pictures Animation, at last reveals the incredible, never-before seen answer to every child's question: 'So how does Santa deliver all those presents in one night?' The answer: Santa's exhilarating, ultra-high-tech operation hidden beneath the North Pole. But at the heart of the film is a story with the ingredients of a Christmas classic - a family in a state of comic dysfunction and an unlikely hero, Arthur, with an urgent mission that must be completed before Christmas morning dawns.(Facebook page)

There will be voices of James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton. And again I'm convinced that the incredible number of British actors were in "Harry Potter" movies, because Jim, Bill and Imelda were there.

P.S. I won't watch it in 3D.

Official movie website.

Release dates - November 11, 2011 (UK), November 23, 2011 (USA, France), December 8, 2011 (Russia), December 22, 2011 (Ukraine).

Trailer #1



Trailer #2