1st of December marks the start of run up to Christmas. With darker evenings and colder nights upon us, we turn to Christmas films for that ultimate cosy feeling.
Here are some facts about your favourite holiday films!
Home Alone (1990)-The BB gun effect was hand drawn animation.
Home alone had a budget of roughly 18Million dollars, and with the average film budget in 2025 being 250M-400Million. You can image they had to be very careful with where they spent that money. One area they saved on was the special effects.
The image above showcases the scene of where the BB gun pellet was hand drawn to shoot right into Marv’s face.
Chris Columbus (Director) told Business Insider how “We paid a guy living in his mom’s basement in Chicago $600 to hand paint that BB gun, going straight into Marv’s head.” The drawer painted 6 different frames of the pellet rocketing towards Marv’s head, then blending the frames together to create the hilarious moment we see in the film.
Muppets Christmas Carol (1992)- Michael Cane’s acting.
A much-loved family classic, The Muppets Christmas Carol is a must watch every Christmas season. But did you know that Micheal Cane stated to Brian Henson prior to filming that…
“I will not do anything Muppety, I’m going to play this movie like I’m working with the Royal Shakespear company.” He accepted this role on the condition that it was played in all seriousness. It was an excellent decision as Canes seriousness contrasted with the Muppets humour, helping this film become a genuine adaptation for the classic dickens’ tale, rather than a parody.
The Polar Express (2004)- Man of many talents.
Considered to be one of the first completely full motion body animated, this film is timeless and will get you into the Christmas spirit no matter what the month is. With Tom hanks being the main selling point for this film, you’d think that one role as The Conductor was enough.
Low and behold Tom Hanks not only played The Polar Express Conductor he also played…
- The Hobo
- The Hero Boy (motion capture only, voiced by Daryl Sabara)
- The Father
- Scrooge Puppet
- Santa Claus
Robert Zemeckis (Director) wanted to create an authentic storytelling film, through the eyes of one character, that’s when Hanks was enlisted to play the other roles. Other reasons include filming process being smoother with the production company able to reuse the actor and adding more appeal to the film.