A Christmas Story? It’s a Wonderful Life? Miracle of on 34th street? C’mon, we can do better than that.
Every year, I have a pseudo-tradition to watch at least one “Christmas” film that others would consider — atypical. Or strange at the very least. Last year was Rare Exports, and the Year before that Die Hard 2. Can you guess what was the year before that? Yep, just Die Hard.
This year I’ve been trying to think up what was going to be my unconventional flick this holiday season, and I think I’ve finally decided: Batman Returns.
So yeah, maybe not the best Batman film ever (or even the best Michael Keaton Batman film), but I’ve always loved the Batman Returns. Part of this has to do with the fact that I was absolutely obsessed with the Batman Returns video game when I was kid. I mean, check it out:
As a kid, I don’t think I really understood why Tim Burton decided to put Christmastime as the backdrop to this dark and dreary superhero film. But maybe that’s the genius of it because the juxtaposition of Christmas lights, presents filled with bombs, and all the falling snow is still stuck in my head to this day.
Does Batman Returns really have anything to do with Christmas? Not really, but it takes place during the holidays, so that’s good enough for me. Thoughts?