Category: Holiday Films

Action/Adventure/Heist · Holiday Films

Batman Returns

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image: Batman Returns, 1992

If you haven’t heard yet, it’s hell here. Never in my wildest nightmare did I think America would one day resemble Gotham City in Batman Returns (Disc/Download), but here we are. Gross billionaires have purchased even grosser politicians to do their evil bidding, “heroes” are kind of useless, and women have been pushed to their breaking point. Like Selina Kyle, we’re all going a little feral.

Batman Returns has always been my favorite Batman movie, for a lot of reasons. Tim Burton sets a perfectly campy tone, capturing the spirit of the earlier comic book and television show while still incorporating his signature brand of the macabre. Michael Keaton is my favorite actor to wear the cape, but in this film he’s met his true match in Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. They’ve both got secrets, which means they’re both holding back pieces of themselves. It’s an equal playing field that Batman’s never experienced before or since. Then there’s Danny DeVito as The Penguin, a character that seemed too weird to exist, until he did. By the year 2025, it’s not absurd to think that the general population would rally behind a rotund, sweaty, cartoon villain with childhood trauma and weird stuff going on with his hands. All it takes is fear mongering, and a lot of money from a corporate overlord who doesn’t care how much damage he’s inflicting on the planet, or its people.

Michelle Pfeiffer may have been responsible for a lot of unrealistic body goals in the mid-1990s with her skintight Catwoman suit, but she’s also responsible for a lot of little girls (me) thinking they could grow up and have a fabulous pink apartment full of kitschy knickknacks and neon signs. And if the mood strikes, there’s always a can of black spray paint to shake things up. While watching Batman Returns, toast the greatest female action hero with this Kitty Highball.

Kitty Highball

2 oz red wine

¾ oz ginger syrup (I used Liber & Co.)

½ oz lime juice

Soda water to top

Lime wheel (garnish)

Fill a Collins glass with ice and set aside. Combine wine, ginger syrup, and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into prepared glass. Top with soda water and stir gently. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Gotham City looks great at the holidays, and it’s fun to experience Burton’s giant set pieces, such as exploding presents, enormous Christmas trees full of clown assassins, and snow-covered parks where Penguin feels right at home. It’s a movie that gets more and more relevant with time, but I hope it won’t stay that way forever. I’m ready for Batman Returns to go back to being a fantasy instead of a documentary. Cheers!

Classic Films · Comedies · Holiday Films · Uncategorized

We’re No Angels

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image: We’re No Angels, 1955

If you want to get me excited to watch a movie, all you have to do is tack on VistaVision before the opening credits. Paul Thomas Anderson has been bringing the format back into the zeitgeist with his 2025 release One Battle After Another, but there are so many classic films that benefited from its vivid colors and wide aspect ratio. One of these is the 1955 Christmas movie, We’re No Angels (Disc/Download), starring Humphrey Bogart, Peter Ustinov, and Aldo Ray as a trio of escaped convicts on Devil’s Island.

I confess, I had to look up Devil’s Island on a map to see what kind of setting we were dealing with. Turns out, it’s solidly in what I like to call “Rum Country”, off the coast of French Guiana in the Atlantic ocean. In 1895, our three main characters escape from the island’s penal colony and take refuge in a general store. They convince the manager to let them fix the roof, with the intention of robbing him blind. But then, they get sucked into the manager’s family affairs, soon realizing they enjoy selling unnecessary junk to customers, cooking a (stolen) Christmas dinner, and menacing some evil relatives. But the true MVP of this movie is Adolphe the snake, who has no lines, but is the most integral to the plot. An honorary “fourth angel”, he’s judge, jury, and executioner all in one.

Because of the film’s tropical setting, I’m inclined to make a Tiki cocktail. There’s a great scene of a woman buying a bottle of Chartreuse for her Christmas celebration, and if you can find some these days, that’s reason enough to throw a party. While watching We’re No Angels, I recommend drinking A.C. Davidge’s 1949 classic, the Palm Breeze.

Palm Breeze

½ oz lime juice

½ oz dark Jamaican rum

½ oz white crème de cacao

¾ oz yellow Chartreuse

1 tsp grenadine

Gummy snake (suggested garnish)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a gummy snake.

It’s fun to watch these tough guys get into the holiday spirit on a tropical island, and for that reason, I think We’re No Angels would make a great double feature with Donovan’s Reef. Just remember to keep the rum flowing and watch your wallet…  

Cheers!

Dramas · Holiday Films

Babygirl

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Image: Babygirl, 2024

The last time I did a Dystopian Christmas series was in 2017, and back then, I featured the Stanley Kubrick film Eyes Wide Shut. I thought this would be the end of my anti-holly jolly picks, until (supposedly) seventy-seven million Americans decided they wanted Dystopia: The Sequel! So, in the spirit of “you asked for it”, I’m watching a Christmas movie for these darkest of times: Babygirl (Disc/Download).

I’ve always thought of Babygirl as the spiritual follow-up to Eyes Wide Shut. Both films take place at Christmas, both star Nicole Kidman, and both fall into the “psycho-sexual thriller” genre. But where Eyes Wide Shut features Tom Cruise gallivanting to orgies and basement jazz bars while Nicole stays home wrapping gifts, in Babygirl the tables are turned. Here, she finally gets to explore the phrase, “If you men only knew…”

As robotics exec Romy Mathis, Kidman plays a woman who seemingly has it all. Great job, two kids, a devoted husband (played by Antonio Banderas), and a fabulous selection of cashmere coats. But still, it’s not enough. She longs to explore her sexual kinks, and she does so with the hot new office intern (Harris Dickinson). I see echoes of Belle du Jour as Romy puts herself in debasing, risky situations, addicted to her secrets and powerless to stop. One can’t help but be enthralled by the chemistry Romy shares with her younger lover, but also by the tension of waiting for it all to implode.

In one particularly interesting scene, Romy shows up to the office happy hour where her paramour sends over a glass of milk. I prefer to mix that milk with some other ingredients, so while watching Babygirl, I recommend drinking the classic Tiki staple, a Rum Cow.

Rum Cow

1 oz dark Jamaican rum

½ oz simple syrup

1 ½ oz milk

Pinch of grated nutmeg

Fill a shaker 1/3 full with ice, then add rum, simple syrup, and milk. Shake to chill, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Dust with grated nutmeg.

Babygirl definitely isn’t for everyone, but if you’re the type of person who likes psychologically fraught tales about adult relationships, you’ll probably enjoy this. Even if you’re only here for the cashmere coats and Harris Dickinson’s hotel striptease, it’ll be worth your time. Cheers!

Holiday Films

Champagne Problems

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image: Champagne Problems, 2025

Holiday movie season is upon us, which deserves a toast with whatever you can afford. Thanks to tariffs, it may not be Champagne, but even if it’s just your finest bottle of Trader Joe’s Blanc d’ Blanc, everyone deserves to taste the stars. On that note, I couldn’t think of a better movie to kick things off than the new Netflix release Champagne Problems.

First, I want to welcome Minka Kelly to the Christmas Movie Universe. Her Friday Night Lights co-star Aimeé Teegarden has been riding this seasonal train for a few years now, and it’s about time she had another Dillon, TX resident out there with her. In Champagne Problems, Minka plays V.I.B.P. (Very Important Business Person) Sydney Price, who travels to Paris with the intent to purchase a champagne company. But before the Big Meeting™ happens, her flaky sister encourages her to have one magical night in the city. She quickly meets-cute with a charming French guy in the most charming French bookstore, and they end up sharing a Before Sunrise evening together. However, at the Big Meeting™, guess who walks in- the charming French guy she just slept with!! It turns out he’s heir to a Champagne fortune, and now she’s got to go to his family’s chateau to compete against other V.I.B.P.s to win the company. This competition includes:

  • Eating a smorgasbord of French cheeses
  • Trimming the vines
  • Snuggling with the cutest dog alive
  • Fixing a vintage Citroën (in true holiday movie fashion, she is not just a businesswoman; she’s also an amateur mechanic!)

Obviously, the best beverage pairing for this movie is Champagne. You could certainly open a nice bottle and call it a day, but I wanted to challenge myself to come up with a sparkling cocktail worthy of Minka’s debut. While watching Champagne Problems, I recommend drinking this American in Paris cocktail.

American in Paris

1 oz St. Germain

½ oz Cocchi Americano

3 dashes orange bitters

3-4 oz Champagne or sparkling wine

Lemon twist and romemary (garnish)

In a cocktail shaker, combine St. Germain, Cocchi Americano, and bitters with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into a coupe. Top with Champagne, then garnish with a twist of lemon and sprig of rosemary. (Optional: dust Rosemary with powdered sugar to mimic “snow”)

This movie checks a lot of boxes for me, including international travel, alcohol, attractive actors, and the aforementioned cute dog. If you only watch one streaming/TV holiday movie this year (although, why would you ever stop at just one???), make it Champagne Problems. Cheers!

Holiday Films

The Holdovers

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image credit: The Holdovers, 2023

It’s rare for me to consider a twenty-first century holiday flick an instant classic, but the second I saw the vintage title cards of The Holdovers (Disc/Download), I knew I would be watching this film every December, without fail, for the rest of my life. Move over Carol, The Holiday, and Love Actually; there’s a new tradition in my house.

Set during Christmas 1970, The Holdovers reunites director Alexander Payne with his Sideways muse Paul Giamatti. The comparisons to that movie are inevitable because once again, Giamatti plays a teacher who has failed to live up to his full potential. He spews intelligent insults, drinks a lot, and is extremely awkward with women. However, pairing him with a teenage boy (Dominic Sessa) instead of a fully grown man who acts like a teenage boy brings a new layer to the his performance. He’s a protector instead of a sidekick. And to the cook who’s forced to stay over with him and the boy at an abandoned New England boarding school over Christmas: friend and ally. Da’Vine Joy Randolph rightly won the Best Supporting Actress for her role as the grieving mother who just lost her only child to the Vietnam War, and seeing her bring so much nuance to this performance is watching a master at work. She makes it look easy, when it was probably anything but. Really, the whole movie could be described this way. If you told me this film was actually made in 1970, I would believe you because the cinematography, the production design, the soundtrack, and the costumes are all seamless. There is nothing that hints at the year 2023, and nothing to indicate the level of work it must have taken to achieve this kind of authenticity. Because of that, we can just sit back and enjoy a movie that already feels like it’s been part of our lives for the last fifty years.

My favorite scene in The Holdovers involves our three principal characters in the parking lot of a Boston restaurant, enjoying Cherries Jubilee “to go”. If you’re familiar with the dessert, then you know it’s prepared tableside, with cherries and brandy lit on fire, then spooned over ice cream. This cocktail uses that cherry flavor while also referencing the giant bottle of Cognac stolen from the headmaster’s office. If you’ve gotta go, go big. While watching The Holdovers, I recommend drinking a Vanderbilt cocktail.

Vanderbilt

1 1/2 oz Cognac

1/2 oz Cherry Heering Liqueur

1/8 oz Simple Syrup

2 dashes Angostura Bitters

Brandied cherry, lemon twist (garnish)

Stir ingredients together in a mixing tin with ice, then strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a brandied cherry and lemon twist.

Of course, you could always opt for a bottle of Miller Highlife (it is the champagne of beers), however I prefer to bring a little class to this party. After all, it’s a very fancy boarding school full of very fancy people who may or may not have learned some valuable knowledge in exchange for their pricey tuition. Entre nous, I’m pretty sure the biggest lessons happened outside the classroom. Cheers! 

Holiday Films

A Biltmore Christmas

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Image credit: A Biltmore Christmas, 2023

Time travel romance and Classic Hollywood are two surefire ways to get me interested in a story, but add a location that transports me back to a glorious summer vacation, and I’m officially hooked. I thought I couldn’t love any television holiday movie as much as I love The Spirit of Christmas, but then A Biltmore Christmas (Disc/Download) came along. At this point, it’s a tie.

Fans of the Cary Grant/Loretta Young/David Niven classic The Bishop’s Wife will probably recognize the fictional movie-within-the-movie our main character Lucy has been hired to reboot, in this case titled His Merry Wife! The lead actor in this 1940s holiday classic has Big Cary Grant Energy, and his character plays an angel sent down to earth to help his late wife find love again. Lucy doesn’t like the saccharine ending of the original film, but the studio doesn’t like the jaded tone of her new script, so they send her to the Biltmore Estate during the holiday season to find some inspiration. Once there, she tips over an hourglass and time travels to 1947, smack dab into the shooting of His Merry Wife! Masquerading as an extra, then an emissary from the studio, Lucy soon falls for actor Jack Huston (confusingly, not the Jack Huston, just… a fictional actor with the same name as a member of the Huston acting + filmmaking dynasty??). Jack doesn’t question her references to the Criterion and TCM, while Lucy’s surprisingly adept at sprinkling a few “bub”s and “old sport”s into their conversations. Unfortunately, she’s only there on a temporary Hourglass Time Travel Visa, and he’s scheduled to die in 1948. It’ll take a Christmas Miracle to work this one out!

One of the things that made my visit to North Carolina so special last summer was sampling the local products. I had the forethought to bring home a bottle of Biltmore Estate® Blanc de Noir, as well as a gin infused with rose petals grown in the Biltmore’s conservatory rose garden (from Chemist Spirits). If you’re looking to support some businesses in the hard-hit Western North Carolina region this holiday season, both companies ship! To celebrate A Biltmore Christmas, I recommend mixing up a Biltmore Sparkler.

Biltmore Sparkler

2 oz Chemist Spirits Biltmore Conservatory Rose Gin

¾ oz Lemon Juice

¾ oz Cinnamon Syrup

4 oz Biltmore Estate® Sparkling Wine

Dried lemon wheel (garnish)

Combine gin, lemon juice, and cinnamon syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into a coupe glass. Top with sparkling wine, then garnish with a dried lemon wheel.

This drink is similar to a French ’75, but the addition of cinnamon syrup makes it feel particularly festive. Like Lucy, I enjoy taking a classic and putting a new twist on it! If you’re a fan of Somewhere in Time, if you’ve ever imagined what it would be like to sing a holiday duet with Cary Grant, or even if you just enjoy a super-random appearance by Star Trek’s Jonathan Frakes, give yourself the gift of A Biltmore Christmas this year. Cheers!

Holiday Films

Hot Frosty

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image Credit: Hot Frosty, 2024

After a rough November, I’m ready to laugh again. Somehow, the Netflix gods knew exactly what I needed and delivered in the form of the delightful holiday flick Hot Frosty. Starring Lacey Chabert as a widowed small-town diner owner, and Dustin Milligan as a snowman come to life, this movie exudes all the innocent charm of the Jimmy Stewart classic Harvey… if Jimmy was totally shredded and shirtless for half the movie.

Why do I like this one so much? Well, in addition to Dustin’s abs, I also related to the snowman’s problems with temperature regulation. After the hottest fall on record in Texas, I felt this line in my bones: “He has extreme heat sensitivities! He’s not going to make it till the 26th!!!” Am I… a snow woman? Do I need to start munching on ice cubes to stay cool? Become a streaker? Happily, he and I both found partners who are understanding about our heat sensitivities and don’t force us to submit to uncomfortable situations. They want us to “lay low”. They recognize that we’re indoor kids, and we’d be better off watching cooking shows in a cold house than sweating in a crowded diner. To this end, the best thing about Hot Frosty is the way it shows a romance where people are simply nice to each other. They take care of each other. No fake dating, no lies, no triangles, no second chances—just straight-up kindness. And boy, couldn’t we all do with a bit of that right now.

Being as heat intolerant as a snowman, I can tell you that frozen beverages are the only way to survive. Jack Snowman makes a mean eggnog, so why not make it frozen? After all, it’s still ridiculously hot in many parts of the country, and I’m pretty sure my winter coat won’t see the light of day in 2025. While watching Hot Frosty, I recommend drinking a Frozen Eggnog.

Frozen Eggnog

2 cups Store-bought Eggnog

½ cup Half-and-Half

½ tsp Nutmeg

2 oz Brandy

2 oz Dark Rum

1 cup Ice

Star Anise + Grated Nutmeg (garnish)

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth, then pour into a chilled glass. Garnish with a dusting of nutmeg, and star anise.*

*Note: If you’re lucky enough to own a Cuisinart Soft Serve Machine (as I do), I recommend blending the ingredients first, then pour into the machine. Let it churn for 10 minutes, then dispense. This gives the drink a much better consistency than straight out of the blender.

I admit, I was skeptical when I first learned the premise of this movie; it sounded too corny to be believed. And yet, it does make me believe in the power of love and community. If you enjoy Ted Lasso and Schitt’s Creek, you’ll probably like Hot Frosty for the same reasons. And if you’re just there for the abs, well, you won’t be disappointed. Cheers!

Holiday Films

The Preacher’s Wife

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Image credit: The Preacher’s Wife, 1996

It takes a special kind of movie star to step into the shoes of Cary Grant, particularly when those shoes are made for a charming angel in The Bishop’s Wife. Happily, Denzel Washington decided to try them on for size, and to me, it’s a perfect fit. Penny Marshall’s The Preacher’s Wife (Disc/Download) is the rare update on a classic that feels every bit as delightful as the original, and for that I’m grateful. If you thought nobody could make a modern movie about faith seem both poignant and funny, Denzel is here to make you a believer.

I wasn’t an enormous Whitney Houston fan before watching the biopic Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance With Somebody, but this 2022 under-appreciated gem has converted me. The sheer number of hits this woman had in her brief lifetime is staggering, and although she didn’t act in many movies, The Preacher’s Wife was tailored to Whitney’s specific talents. Playing a gospel singer in her husband’s church choir, she’s certainly magnetic in the role of Julia, but then she does the torch song “I Believe in You and Me”, and both Dudley the Angel and every single audience member watching this movie falls instantly in love with her. As with the original, the best scenes are the ones with Julia and Dudley, though Courtney B. Vance does a perfectly fine update on the David Niven role of a tortured clergyman. However, the reason I watch this movie isn’t because I want to see if a preacher will find his faith again; I want to see if an angel will give up everything for love. Or if instead, this impossible love will stay impossible.

Because this is an old-fashioned story about faith and love at Christmas, it seems appropriate to watch it with an Old Fashioned! This one uses gingerbread syrup, and it’s so good that I wish Dudley would use his special touch to keep my glass full all season long.  While watching The Preacher’s Wife, I recommend drinking a Gingerbread Old Fashioned.

Gingerbread Old Fashioned

2 oz Bourbon

½ oz Gingerbread Simple Syrup

2-3 dashes orange bitters

Orange twist (garnish)

Cinnamon Stick (garnish)

Prepare glass by filling with one large ice cube or ball. Pour in bourbon, gingerbread syrup, and bitters. Stir to combine and chill. Garnish with an orange twist, and a cinnamon stick (I used Trader Joe’s rock sugar-dipped Cinnamon Swizzle Sticks).

I’d also like to give a shout-out to the film debut of Lionel Richie, who pops up as the owner of “Jazzies”, site of Julia and Dudley’s unofficial date. Julia’s husband gets jealous when they return from the outing (which he practically forced them into), and I want to scream at him, “What did you expect?? It’s Jazzies! And it’s DENZEL! Of course she had a great time!” This Christmas, believe in miracles, believe in Denzel, and above all, believe in the power of an old-fashioned love story. Cheers!  

Classic Films · Holiday Films

Bachelor Mother

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image credit: Bachelor Mother, 1939

Anyone who has read my book knows that I harbor deep fantasies of spending New Year’s Eve with David Niven. Always the life of the party, you know you’re in for a good time with this cheeky sophisticate. Lucky for us, if we time it just right, we’re able to ring in the New Year with Niv by watching him in the delightful classic holiday film Bachelor Mother (Disc/Download)!

This is one of those wonderful pictures like The Shop Around the Corner, or Christmas in Connecticut, that’s still able to resonate with modern audiences due to its sparkling script and screwball antics. Ginger Rogers is a terrific comedienne, playing a New York shopgirl who’s just been handed a pink slip for her temporary holiday gig in the toy section of a big department store. Devastated, she’s on her way home when she sees a baby left on the steps of an orphanage. She takes it inside out of the cold, and the employees mistake her for the baby’s mother. Despite her protests, they manage to find out where she works and convince her boss (David Niven) to keep her employed even after the holidays so she can support herself and the baby. Hijinx ensue as she tries again and again to give the baby back, but eventually she’s forced to accept this situation and make the best of it. Meanwhile, Niv (beginning the movie as a rich playboy) starts to develop a fondness for this woman, and their obvious chemistry at a swanky NYE party makes him realize he’s falling for her.

If you’re hoping for some iconic Ginger Rogers moves, then you’re in luck because she puts on quite the show in a dance contest at the Pink Slipper. An ironic name, given that she’s just been handed a pink slip and needs the prize money to make up for that lost paycheck! Since I happen to love pink cocktails and gimlets, let’s combine the two. While watching Bachelor Mother, I recommend drinking a Pink Slipper.

Pink Slipper

2 oz Gin (I used Tanqueray Rangpur Lime)

1 oz Cranberry Juice

1 oz Lime Juice

1 oz Simple Syrup

Fresh cranberries (garnish)

Combine all liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a glass. Garnish with fresh cranberries.

Clocking in at less than ninety-minutes, this is the perfect movie to watch when you need a little break over the holidays, but don’t have a ton of time. With its tinker toys and screwball comedy, this delightful rom-com will leave you feeling downright giddy. Cheers!

Holiday Films

A Merry Scottish Christmas

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Image credit: A Merry Scottish Christmas, Hallmark, 2023

I’m going to try not to turn this into a Party of Five appreciation post… and I’m going to fail miserably. You see, A Merry Scottish Christmas was made for those of us who still harbor a deep love for this ’90s television show and those plucky Salinger siblings. I don’t even care that this is blatant stunt casting because part of me always wanted reassurance that Bailey and Claudia would grow into happy, functioning adults. Now, here is the proof: they’re totally fine, and they’ve just inherited a Scottish castle!

Before you make the mistake of thinking two Salingers (Scott Wolf and Lacey Chabert) are now playing love interests, rest assured they are STILL siblings, albeit estranged ones. Brad is married to a thoroughly boring woman he is reluctant to impregnate, while his sister Lindsay is an overworked general practitioner. Although they’ve grown apart, Brad and Lindsay agree to reunite at their mother’s castle in Scotland, one she’d kept secret from them throughout their childhood. Now, they must decide if they’re willing to step in and help her run it, or if the family should sell. Lindsay has a romance with a charming Scottish property manager, while Brad and his boring wife reconnect over a Highland Fling, resulting in what is sure to be an extremely boring baby. It should have been named Owen, but sadly, nobody asked me.

Because this is a Hallmark movie, I was not expecting much alcohol. However, whisky tastings and boozy nights at the village bar suggest that the channel has gone to the dark side. Finally! Also, in a great PoF nod, the bar is called Salinger’s, and it’s staffed by a man named Charlie! Although there are a couple of festive cocktails imbibed here, I went with the one that utilizes the country’s main export, Scotch. While watching A Merry Scottish Christmas, I recommend drinking a Highland Snowball.

Highland Snowball

¾ cup Eggnog

1 ½ oz Scotch Whisky

½ oz Butterscotch Schnapps

Nutmeg + honey (garnish)

Star Anise

Prepare glass by dipping an edge in honey, then lightly in ground nutmeg. Set aside. Combine eggnog, schnapps, and scotch in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into prepared glass. Top with star anise.

With a manor that resembles something out of Downton Abbey, morning bagpipes, and cozy tartan blankets beside crackling fires, this movie is just the relaxing holiday watch I needed. The stakes are low (to castle or not to castle?), and the acting is remarkably decent. The most important thing I learned? That I will still watch Bailey and Claudia in just about anything… as long as they never play lovers. Cheers!