9 Un-Orthodox Christmas Movies To Liven Up Your Holiday

2. Batman Returns (1992)

Christopher Nolan's trilogy of Batman flicks has dominated the way we think about Gotham City and the Dark Knight for eight years. There's nothing wrong with that; Nolan's films are expertly made & they deserve all the attention they get. However, a negative side-effect of all this is that Tim Burton's contributions to the Batman canon have been overlooked. Sure, they're weird and twisted in plot and style, but Burton's style actually does justice to the tone Bob Kane originally created. Both of Burton's flicks are great, but the best of the two is 1992's Batman Returns. It was heavily criticized upon release, but, in this author's humble opinion, there has been no Batman film that has captured the feel of the comics better than this one. It's also a great Christmas flick. Batman Returns' main character isn't so much Batman as it is The Penguin (Danny DeVito), a deformed man who was rejected at birth by his parents. He teams up with corrupt millionaire Max Schreck (Christopher Walken) to carry out what amounts to a basic revenge scheme, revolving around the Penguin's plans to drown every first-born son in Gotham in the city's sewers. Meanwhile, Schreck murders his well-meaning assistant, Selina Kyle (Michelle Pfieffer), who is resurrected as the Catwoman. Batman soon finds himself battling both the Penguin and the Catwoman, while his alter ego, Bruce Wayne, pursues a relationship with Ms. Kyle. All the action takes place during Gotham City's Christmas celebrations. Two major plot events take place during tree-lighting ceremonies, both of which the Penguin interrupts. The Penguin announces the details of his revenge scheme after crashing Schreck's Christmas party. Finally, to top it all off, the final scene depicts Alfred Pennyworth and Bruce Wayne wishing each other a merry Christmas. How much more holiday cheer could you want?