Let’s discuss five known and unknown holiday films that, to be honest, are of varying quality. Time to play Tinsel or Trash!
The rules are the same: tinsel if something is great, trash if it’s well, um … trash.
Tinsel: Olive the Other Reindeer (1999): When a well-meaning dog believes that she is Santa’s lost reindeer, she springs into action with her best friend to save Christmas and avoid an evil mailman. This special, created by “The Simpsons” auteur Matt Groening, is full of heart, warmth, and an animation style that still holds up today! The message is that no matter what, we all have a purpose in life.
Trash: Eight Crazy Nights (2002): Adam Sandler attempts to make a Hanukkah special for adults who have the minds of teenagers who are still stuck in their “screaming at people on Xbox Live” phase. The jokes are crass, the product placement is insanity with one of the later musical numbers having them singing to you, and the one saving grace is the animation reminiscent of Brad Bird’s “The Iron Giant.”
Shiny Trash: Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (2006): This film offers off-beat fun for the holiday season, it is a heartwarming tale of belief that turns into a Kafkaesque, Bee Movie-style courtroom drama with Santa Claus on trial for attempted manslaughter. We just wrote that sentence and we don’t know how to feel. We had to create a new category because this film is an insanely fun yet flawed time.
Tinsel: Unaccompanied Minors (2006): What happens when a flight full of children gets delayed at the airport? Chaos and fun ensue. From the director of “Bridesmaids,” before he directed it, Paul Feig delivers a solid family comedy that has lots of laughs and evokes the classics of “Home Alone” and “A Christmas Story.”
Santa, Save Us … : Rapsittie Street Kids: Believe in Santa (2002): Just throw lumps of coal at this movie. The animation is terrible, the plot is nonsensical, and the writing has to be some of the most cliches we have ever seen. The only saving grace is having major voice actors such as Paige O’Hara, Jodi Benson, and Mark Hamill!?!?! Look, we are not joking, somehow, this movie aired once with this stacked cast and disappeared into the ether only to return. Is it a curse? Is it a mirage? Is this the spirit of Christmas future giving us a reckoning for our transgressions, we do not know. Watch at your own risk … .
Guillermo Guzman (he/him/they) is a Texas-based nerd who loves talking about video games, autism, and entertainment. Follow him on Instagram: @boofy_booferson and X: @Dimpy_Tenders.
Zipporah Pruitt, (she/her) is an L.A. homegrown journalist, who covers entertainment and culture. Follow her on X and Instagram: @zippzapps.
Edited by Nykeya Woods