From ‘Gremlins’ to ‘Arthur Christmas: Operation Gift’: 10 Christmas Jewels to Enjoy on Streaming Platforms

An hour and a half of splendid cinema. Pure fascination, illusion and magic. “You Live With Illusion” has lit up Christmas for millions since its premiere in the late 1940s, a historic achievement that is fully understood when you return to it. More than a film, a (tremendously) happy place.

Available on: Disney+

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There are films which, more than cinema, are states of mind. And that masterpiece called ‘How beautiful it is to live!’ It is one of the most compelling, exciting and essential examples in the history of the seventh art. Because, no matter how much time passes, and even if the number of views accumulates, we are faced with one of those proposals incapable of aging, dodging the passage of time with the ease that only treasures the unforgettable.

Directed by the best possible version of Frank Capra, a director we should never tire of celebrating more often, “How good it is to live!” He has managed to conquer several generations of viewers over the decades thanks to his untold tons of charm, kindness and illusion. And it is that, no matter how hard it may show during the first few minutes, the smile will eventually shine on our faces when the outcome of this wonderful story comes.

Available on Filmin, Amazon Prime and Apple TV+

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Over time it has become one of the jewels in Tim Burton’s catalogue, despite being directed by the great Henry Selick, the darkest and most original musical tale ever written about Christmas (and Halloween) It continues to be a rewarding cinematic experience for millions of moviegoers who continue to fall in love with Jack Skellington, one of the most unforgettable characters ever created in stop-motion. A contemporary classic that, for many, remains an unmissable film appointment.

Available on Disney+

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Let’s do the math. ‘Plácido’, among many other things, is:

– The best film by Luis García Berlanga, one of the great geniuses in the history of Spanish cinema.

– A Christmas classic full of wit, acidity and humour.

– An essential masterpiece of our cinema.

In short: mandatory.

Available on HBO Max, Movistar and FlixOlé

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First, a reminder that never hurts: Satoshi Kon was (tears) an absolute genius whose filmography should be reviewed frequently, in which we find masterpieces such as, attention, ‘Paprika, detective of dreams’, ‘Millenium Actress’ or ‘Perfect Blue’ , three monuments that continue to take your breath away.

That said, and focusing on ‘Tokyo Godfathers’, his Christmas tribute to another giant, John Ford, we can only add that, despite being a step below the magic trident mentioned above, we are facing a perfect film in its technical part, full of expressiveness and beauty, told with the talent of a master and exciting in its contagious tenderness.

Available on Netflix and Filmin

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When a film with as “simple” a starting point as a policeman’s fight against a group of terrorists inside a skyscraper is capable of becoming an all-time classic of action cinema almost immediately, little else can be added. . It’s one of those cases that happens very occasionally, and even less frequently in this genre, where everything fits together perfectly, where all the scenes are fun and spectacular, vibrant and fast-pacedin which his characters know they are here to stay and in which the hands of the clock literally fly.

‘Die Die’ brought us to the unforgettable Nakatomi Plaza to make us all dream of being John McClane, to make Bruce Willis a Hollywood superstar, to deliver another acting masterclass from Alan Rickman and to reinvent action cinema from the same vertigo of an explosion always embraced by laughter. Without fear, let’s say it out loud once again: ‘Die Hard’ is one of the undisputed masterpieces of the 80s. And a Christmas classic like the top of a pine tree.

Available on Disney+ and Movistar

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‘Arthur Christmas: Operación Regalo’, a delightful adventure starring Santa’s clumsy son, became one of the big surprises of the 2011 film season thanks to a story that combined the best entertainment with the most contagious emotion and sense of rhythm overwhelming. From its spectacular opening to its marvelous conclusion, this Aardman production is an animation proposition capable of thrilling people of all ages., amaze the little ones and win back the older ones for this period of the year to which wonderful films like the one in question enhance and give meaning. So, as tradition dictates, everyone is happy.

Available on AppleTV

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For a servant, The best of all Christmas-themed movie classics. And Tim Burton’s definitive and ultimately unattainable masterpiece. ‘Edward Scissorhands’ is a wonderful story starring one of those characters destined to last in memory. From masterful direction to unforgettable score by Danny Elfman to heartwarming performance by Johnny Depp, here We are talking about capital cinema. It is profoundly beautiful.

Available on Disney+

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Amblin cannot be missing from any self-respecting special on the cinema that has marked several generations of illusion and fascination. Its collection of movies that are a key part of lessons learned in a movie theater is surprisingly large and rich, but if we focus on the terrifying theme, Gizmo and company deserve a section of honor. ‘Gremlins’ was, mind you, produced by Steven Spielberg, written by Chris Columbus and directed by Joe Dante, a dream team that lived up to expectations with a hilarious and irreverent homage to the fantastic genre that has conquered the worldwide entertainment-based box office , fun and (slight) dose of terror. A perfect formula that worked wonders and which, even today, continues to be a point of reference incapable of aging. A party essential at every Christmas.

Available on HBO Max and Movistar

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After the resounding failures of ‘Polar Express’ and ‘Beowulf’, two of the most unpleasant films to watch released in the first decade of the 2000s, Robert Zemeckis tried his luck a third time with the image capture technique in ‘Christmas story’, yet another cinematic reinterpretation of one of Charles Dickens’ masterpieces.

Luckily here things went much better than in the two predecessors, showing a filmmaker in love with the story he was telling, virtuosic, as always, in the visual section and, above all, self-confident, aware of the exalted material in his hand. A great Jim Carrey had just elevated “A Christmas Carol” as the highlight of Zemeckis’ career.

Available on Disney+

And so the “dramedy” was born. Billy Wilder achieved with ‘The Apartment’ what countless directors had been trying for years, to perfectly combine two genres marked by smiles and tears, two elements that have shown that they understand each other better than anyone as long as they are treated with intelligence and delicacy.

Winner of 5 Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director, and built on the shoulders of two unforgettable performances, Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, demonstrating bulletproof chemistry, ‘The Apartment’ is the pinnacle of a director with a record full of triumphs. And it’s the one with sentences like: “I lived like Robinson Crusoe, I was castaway among eight million people until one day I saw your footprints in the sand and found you“; one can only fall exhausted without defenses. And happy with life.

Available on Movistar and Filmin

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