vampires, spaceships, and fantastical worlds—the tales of L.E. Teetzel

Christmas is my favourite holiday. It always has been. I was extremely fortunate that I have a grandma who loves Christmas too, and she made the holiday an event when I was little, and many of my favourite memories from childhood feature Christmas. We used to go to her house earlier in December for “Little Christmas” where we had dinner and opened one or two little gifts. She used to wake me (and then later, my brother too) up at 5:30am on Christmas morning. She filled up sacks she sewed with our Christmas presents when we were little, with every individual thing wrapped, which made it super fun to unwrap. (Often these were little things and stuff we needed, like shampoo or deodorant, especially as we got older. And stuff like cereal or KD, just so something would make noise when we poked or shook the bag.) I was the only grandchild for the first five years of my life, so you can imagine the shenanigans my grandma and I got up to. Consistently, my grandma made Christmas super special and I hold the holiday close to my heart to this day, despite how the holiday has changed for me over the years.

Because of this, I spend all of December watched Christmas movies and I have many, many favourites that I watch every year. And I’m always looking for new movies to add to my list. A lot of them are cheesy, but this is the time of year I look for cheesy comfort and happy endings more than usual. Some of them are classics. Some of them might not be considered by everyone to be Christmas movies, but I do what I want on my blog. 😋

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How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966/2000/2018)

^{Is this cheating? No. Because I make the rules. I love all these movies equally for different reasons so this one is going to be more of a comparison.}

1. The original 26-minute animation is a classic. When I was little and we would go to my grandma and grandpa’s house for Little Christmas, I would watch this tape my grandma had recorded for me, of all the Christmas specials that were annual traditions, and it started with How The Grinch Stole Christmas. For me, it signals the start of the season, tells me when it’s time to get Christmas Crazy (how we lovingly referred to my grandma when I was young and now how I am referred to as well; my grandma used to wake me and my brother up at 5:00 a.m. on Christmas Day). Boris Karloff’s narration is so familiar and comforting to me. And who doesn’t like “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”? I love both major adaptations of the story, but nothing hits like the classic and not a Christmas has gone by without me watching it. Though it seemed so much longer when I was little. Watching it now is really making me the absurdity of old-school animations like this and Bugs Bunny cartoons. I think when it comes to animation and video games, we’re too obsessed with realism. We need to get back to stylization and focusing on making something fun. Also, somehow, the message of this story is one the world as whole needs to learn again: togetherness and community and love are what’s important.
2. Regardless of the nostalgia connected to the original cartoon, the Jim Carrey version is my favourite. It’s iconic. My brother and I watched it obsessively for years after we had a copy. All winter was Grinch time. I love the world-building they did, how they mirrored the real world in Whoville and made it so much richer. I would love to live in this version of Whoville, honestly. I also love that they preserved the wackiness of the Whos from the cartoons in their appearances and in the shape of the world around them. Also love a lot of the jokes and the more adult aspects that are woven in (in the way of all the best family movies; like, his adoptive mothers are most definitely swingers). And I’m not sure anyone else could play a live-action Grinch, not after Jim Carrey killed it. His performance is what makes the movie (obviously), and it makes me laugh to this day. I quote it all the time, even when it’s not Christmas. This movie is very late-90s/early-00s and there’s some nostalgia wrapped up in that too, because a lot of what I watch from back then seems to have a “just for enjoyment’s sake” element that’s absent in a lot of movies now. Also, Anthony Hopkins is the narrator, which is automatic bonus points. This version really feels like they tried to make a live-action cartoon by keep the look and chaos and impossibilities but doing it with real people. I also think they took the main message an amped it up in this version by having Cindy fight to have the Grinch included.
3. I was pretty skeptical of the latest iteration, but this one turned out to be really fun and Bendynoodle Cucumberpatch—I mean Benedict Cumberbatch—did an excellent job with the Grinch. He kept the spirit while adding some new little things to the Grinch’s character. I also don’t mind that they swapped the narration. They kept the rhyming which gives it a fairy-tale feeling, and they utilized the best parts of animation and made this Whoville extra fantastical and mechanical and wonderful. I also enjoy that the Whos look even less human here; making them hairier not only made them less human in appearance, it also connected the more to the Grinch. I think I was worried they were going to try to recreate the Jim Carrey version in animation, but they very much did their own thing, which is great. And it’s a different style again, but maintains, I think, the same core visual (and narrative) elements. I particularly enjoy the carollers (though I don’t know why they picked a more religious song; wish they hadn’t) and the reindeer subplot. The more modern touches are fun too.

7 stolen Christmas trees out of 10 across the board.

BONUS: A lot of people always ask “why?” when it comes to adaptations, and “was it necessary?” No adaptation is ever necessary, but when creators can add on to the core message or present the same characters and themes in new and different ways that might connect with different people, it’s always worth a shot in my opinion. Adaptations really only become an issue when they’re just heartless grabs for cash or to keep the rights to a certain IP. I don’t find either modern Grinch adaptation heartless and I watch them ever year.

DOUBLE BONUS: A bunch of more religious carols were used, which makes me think some rights things were at work with the music since there’s nothing really religious in the story or this version of it. They do however use the best version of “Jingle Bells.” Brian Setzer’s.

The Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)

1. This movie is perfect and if you don’t like it or don’t think it’s perfect, I’m sorry but you’re wrong.
2. This is also my favourite Michael Caine role, and it’s solely because he plays it so seriously when his supporting cast is almost entirely Muppets. He’s an icon.
3. The scene where Rizzo goes back through gate after the big drama of climbing it is hilarious and makes me laugh every time. Rizzo is kind of my favourite part of this movie, I think. There’s a lot of background and throw-away stuff in this movie that makes me laugh. I love the Muppets.

10 Christmas gooses out of 10.

Klaus (2019)

1. I love this movie so much. It’s gorgeous (literally can’t get over the 2D-made-to-look-like-3D-trying-to-look-2D thing; it’s stunning) with awesome character design, the cast is amazing and the voice acting superb, the story is interesting, and the evolution the characters and setting go through is top-notch. The way the town ends up looking is so cozy. I also love the lengths they go to to include the little girl from the Sámi tribe. I’ve watched this movie at least twice a year since it came out and it’s so so underrated it’s criminal. It should have won all the awards. I really cannot state how much I love this movie.
2. I’m obsessed with the chickens in the post office and the fact that they never really go away. I’m also obsessed with the boat captain. He’s such a shithead.
3. The scene where the kid gets the first toy is so infused with magic and joy—I can’t get over it. This movie is about joy and love and community and the power communication can have, the magic togetherness can create, and I just UGH. I love it so much. And the relationships all develop organically; nothing happens immediately and I love it. This movie is perfection.

10 angry chickens out of 10.

BONUS: My favourite exchange in the movie is Klaus: “What happened?”, Jesper: “Not a word. You just sit there and be all magical and awesome.”

DOUBLE BONUS: Did you know Smeerenburg was a real place? Because I didn’t until this year.

TRIPLE BONUS: JK Simmons voices Klaus and he also plays Santa in Red One, which I haven’t seen yet. It’s a travesty considering Chris Evans is in it, but I’m hoping to see it next week. (Fun side note to this bonus: whenever I can’t remember JK Simmons’s name, he’s just “J. Jonah Jameson.” For a long time that was all I knew him as.)

Let it Snow (2019)

1. I’m not generally a huge fan of anthology-esque movies like this, but I do however like how this one is woven together and I happen to like every individual story except one, but the one I don’t like has the tinfoil lady so it gets a pass too. I think the fact that this is based on a pretty solid book helped a lot. It does suffer from the same curse as all anthologies like this, where each story feels a little shallow, but this movie is cozy and scratches a specific itch in my brain so I really don’t mind. It’s an easy watch that makes me feel happy, and with the except of some Christmas movies, that’s usually what I’m looking for. There are moments I really love and I enjoy the way all stories converge and wrap-up at a weird restaurant party.
2. What pet store sells pigs??? Also, all I can think about is how are they going to take care of that pig? Presumably they live in a city and they’re of age to go to college so I hope that pig doesn’t get left behind.
3. My favourite story is the childhood-friends-to-lovers moment. My favourite character however is the older employee at the (W)affle Town. My favourite random thing is this movie actually looks like it was filmed at winter/during colder weather, rather than filmed in the spring/summer with fake snow.

6 tinfoil hats out of 10.

Jingle Jangle (2020)

1. This movie is just so much fun. It’s bright and colourful and a cute little story about family and the music and dancing is just so full of joy. The story is pretty standard, but the steampunk-y setting and costumes and all the influences from Black cultures really set it apart. It’s got a cute robot, some family-friendly adventure, and the two lead kids are just adorable. This isn’t a movie I usually watch more than once a year, but it’s one I have to include. Also, I love the persistent mail carrier. She knows what she wants. Her song is my favourite in the movie.
2. I really enjoy that there’s just casual magic in this universe and the whole thing is a story being told to reignite the magic in the little girl at the beginning (and in the little boy too). Christmas is about a lot of things to a lot of people, but the magic of it is a big part for me. And this is math-esque magic, which is cool. Also, I love the animation on the little robot dude. There’s a magic in that on its own.
3. One thing I always think of when watching musicals or movies with musical moments is that they hinge entirely on how committed everyone is to their role. If you have even one person who isn’t giving all they can, musicals/musical moments don’t work. And, as far as I can tell, everyone making this movie was having a blast and just going for it, which is why it’s so joyful and fun. Is it cheesy? Incredibly, but it’s still fun to watch, and they don’t shy away from the cheese. That’s another thing: musicals shouldn’t shy away from being over-the-top and cheesy. But that’s just my thought.

6 pairs of steampunk goggles out of 10.

A Castle for Christmas (2021)

1. I am 100% this movie was made for me. Scotland? Writing? Knitting? Christmas? A castle? A+ sign me up I knew I was doomed from the first trailer. I wouldn’t have been caught dead watching a movie like this before I started working at Harlequin, but after being immersed in this style of romance (Harlequin novel/Hallmark movie romance), I found the joy and comfort in these types of stories, and this one just FITS. I don’t even mind that this another author with absolute oodles of money that’s not totally realistic but it’s not totally impossible either. Just not likely.
2. I want a group of friends like the knitters. They’re funny and warm and sassy and ugh—who am I kidding? This whole movie is basically my dream. Cozy Scottish village with awesome, colourful characters, romance at Christmas. Honestly though, I love every single character in this movie so much. Thomas might be at the top of the list though. We love a snarky best friend.
3. I also really love that the main characters are older. They’re older than me, but after working with a lot of romance novels, I enjoy seeing different kinds of romance at different stages of life and with all kinds of characters. And like, I’ll never say no to a grumpy Scot. My thoughts about this movie are not that intelligent but I don’t care—this movie just makes me feel so warm and happy.

7 grumpy Scotsmen out of 10.

BONUS THOUGHT: Take me back to Scotland now please. Like right now. If I had the money, I would have a house in Scotland and one in my hometown. When I was there in October of 2023, I didn’t want to leave. It felt like home to me.

Arthur Christmas (2011)

1. I love the way this looks at tradition vs. the new. Obviously a common topic in Christmas movies since it’s a holiday sort of centred around traditions, but the way this movie approaches it is so fun. I enjoy the idea of Santa Claus being an inherited title (it’s actually one of my favourite Christmas movie tropes), and it makes me so happy when they show a kid questioning things and then provide answers. This movie does such a wonderful job of keeping the magic alive while dealing with ideas like modernization and kids having access to the internet to find answers to any question they want. While this, I think, has taken away from the magic of Santa and Christmas in the real world, it makes me happy to see a movie try to combat that and I wish more did. As a kid who believed in Santa for a very, very long time (and still kind of do in a different way), I’m all for way to enhance the magic.
2. Grandsanta is my favourite part of this movie. But I love Bill Nighy so much and he’s just on-point here. (“You’re a postman with a spaceship!”) mean, everyone is pretty on-point. And I can’t believe how awesome this cast is. James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Imelda Staunton… SO good. I also love Mrs. Claus, just casually girlbossing at the North Pole. And not smacking her absent-minded husband over the head.
3. I feel for Arthur so much. He’s trying so hard to make everyone happy—and just not in his family; all the kids in the world—and no one appreciates it. Or him. Being the only person in my nearby family who loves Christmas so much (my grandma moved to BC), it’s hard when I want to celebrate in a certain way and no one else does. Arthur represents the core of Christmas and I really want to give him a hug. I also like that there isn’t an antagonist beyond the timeline. Steve is the opposite of Arthur, as he is rigid and sure that his way is best and can’t see the value in tradition, but he’s not the bad guy. I also feel really bad for all the reindeer who are just like, sitting in the barn? Waiting? The sheer joy and rightness and beauty of the moment Grandsanta whistles and the reindeer get in gear is just perfect. My favourite part of the movie. This thought it all over the place.

8 ugly Christmas sweaters out of 10.

JINGLE BONUS: I am so making Arthur’s sweater for next Christmas.

CANADIAN BONUS: The fact that they go through Toronto makes me so, so happy. Also the “Santas always come through Canada! No one lives here! It’s nice and quiet!” as they’re crashing through the most populous city in Canada.

ANXIETY DISORDER BONUS: The fact that Arthur is just the most anxious thing and they “do it with worry” makes my anxious, autistic heart so happy.

Violent Night (2021)

1. I can honestly say I never, ever, ever thought I would attracted to Santa. And then they gave David Harbour this role. And he has tattoos. And a dad bod. And a warrior backstory. AND THEN HE PUT HIS HAIR IN A MAN BUN AND KICKED ALL SORTS OF ASS (his hair is always in a bun but he puts it up higher when he finds the sledgehammer and that is my jam right there). That man bun is deadly, okay? I will be taking no questions and providing no answers.
2. This movie is just unabashedly fun and violent and a little crude and I freaking love it. Oddly similar to Arthur Christmas in that Santa is dealing with the way the world has changed and the way kids are nowadays and how it’s at odds with the magic and feelings of Christmas. Or what Christmas is supposed to be. This is another movie about finding the magic again but in a very—very—different way. But instead of a family member reminding Santa about how it should be, this time it’s a child. Trudy is a smart little bad ass, but her belief in Santa and Christmas and magic—and her love for the season, and Santa too—reminds Santa of the way things should be, and shows him that he still matters. Not to mention he gets to kick just so much ass to protect Trudy and her parents, and gets to rediscover himself in the process. Just perfection. I really don’t think anyone but David Harbour could have pulled this off.
3. “Grown-ups have a hard time believing things” UGH RIGHT IN THE HEART. Santa’s dad energy is off the freaking charts. That could also explain why I love this movie so much. I’m a huge sucker for daddy/daughter type relationships. Nobody does “dad” quite like David Harbour.

10 man-buns out of 10.

AND ANOTHER THING: I really, really hope the sequel still happens. I want to see this version of Mrs. Claus (I really really really want to meet his Mrs. Claus) and I want to see Santa kick some more ass. And he better bring that man bun back.

Krampus (2015)

1. When this move came out, I was legit afraid to watch it. There is some seriously scary imagery in this movie (some of which even gets to me today, though I love horror and haven’t had a nightmare from a movie in a long time *knock on wood*), and the whole isolated-apocalypse thing is bone-chilling. Literally. Ha. This version of Krampus really does freak me out though. Good job to everyone who worked on his design and animation.
2. The fact that none of them know the grandma can survive in the shitty weather is hilarious to me. Like… do you even talk to her? I’m guessing not based on how awful the family is but STILL. Listen to your elders, people, especially when they come from the old country and especially when you’re in a horror movie. Just think of how much more prepared they would have been if they knew the story. Maybe they wouldn’t have brought the bag of nightmares inside. (I think the clown thing scares me more than Krampus. Or anything else in the movie. I hate clowns.)
3. I love the animated segment for the grandma’s story/flashback. I love when movies mix styles. I also love the way Grandma says Krampus. Krampoos.

6 demon cookies out of 10.

Black Christmas (1974)

1. I take a particular pride in the fact that this is a Canadian film and is one of my favourite both Christmas movies and slashers (it was filmed in Toronto in several locations I’m familiar with!). There aren’t a lot of Christmas movies that aren’t about the joy and cheer and love of the season—which makes sense, but still needs to be remedied in my opinion—and this one is stellar. It’s creepy and the first-person perspective of the bad guy and the roughness of the filming in general makes it feel all the more real to me. And all the creepier. It doesn’t scare me in the way some other horror movies do, but I think home invasion stories also hit harder for me than a lot of others; home invasion is a very real fear of mine.
2. I love the house mother. I couldn’t imagine having to take care of so many university-aged women back then, let alone now. I wasn’t in a sorority, nor did I spend any time with anyone who was in one or in a fraternity (they’re not as big in Canada), but it seems like a recipe for chaos for me, even if it’s not the level shown in some movies. The fact that the house mother is a foul-mouthed alcoholic is extremely relatable. I feel sorry for her cat, who has to put up with everything too and doesn’t seem too keen on people; also, would have loved to have lived in a big old house like this one with a house mother who had a cat. If sororities were like that, they would have been vastly more appealing to me.
3. The phone calls are so fucking creepy. Especially when bits of conversations only people in the house could have heard are repeated. It’s so freaky. Poor Jess. Especially because she thinks it’s her piece-of-shit boyfriend (I really, really hate him) for a bit. Like, obviously poor everyone who was killed, but I can’t imagine having to live with all those creepy calls happening. Makes a shudder run down my spine.

7 ugly dolls out of 10.

OTHER VERSION BONUS: Unlike the version of the Grinch, I’m unsure how I feel about the other version of this movie. The original is very subdued and quiet and, for lack of a better term, realistic, while the 2006 version tries to flush everything out with backstories and explanations, and while that isn’t bad (I don’t hate this version by any means), it loses a lot of what makes the original so good. This isn’t unique to these movies (I hesitate to call it a franchise), and I think happens with a lot of remakes of old slashers. Also, the 2006 version has someone who shares my name in it and spells it the same and it’s WEIRD. Opening the movie with a murder definitely sets the tone for this one. It gets a 5. I’ll probably still watch it again at some point, but it definitely tries too hard. On the other hand, the 2019 version, doesn’t even feel like the same movie. It’s again, not that bad, but it’s like they took a handful of details from the original and sprinkled them over an entirely different plot. It gets a 5 too, but for entirely different reasons. Though there were some moments I really liked.

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I watch a lot of Christmas movies every year so this is only part one. I’m also going to try to watch some Christmas movies I haven’t seen before, and if you have any suggestions, feel free to shoot them my way!

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