Unit 9: Characteristics and Contexts in Media and Communication - Task 1: Researching the Hallmark Channel and Analysing Christmas Films

The Hallmark Channel

For our next assignment, we were asked to create a Hallmark Channel style 'made-for-television' Christmas film. As I'm not very familiar with the channel and their films, I first needed to conduct some research on the Hallmark channel and brand, learning about the history and context of the channel, their style of Christmas programming they release and how it's become a successful Christmas staple. The channel has many specifics when it comes to the films they develop, produce and distribute on their channel, creating their own genre of films that makes their channel and brand instantly recognisable.

I first started my research by looking at the Hallmark Channel's history, particularly what influenced their style of programming and how it has developed the channel's progress and success. The Hallmark Channel is a subscription television cable channel, based in the United States, that was rebranded (after many different media companies owned and sold the channel/network) and relaunched on the 5th August 2001. Once the channel was rebranded, new original programming such as television series, mini-series and made-for-television films, which included two original Christmas films, were released throughout the end of 2001. The new, original Christmas films Hallmark released were very different to their style of Christmas films now, this is because when the channel rebranded as the Hallmark Channel, from the Odyssey Network, the films developed and produced by the former channel, and company, created less successful and darker Christmas films than what we see from the channel today. The made-for-television Christmas films released under the rebranding were 'A Town Without Christmas' (16th December 2001) and 'The Sons of Mistletoe' (19th December 2001). 

These were both very dark films, in terms of the light-hearted, family-friendly Christmas films the channel produces and distributes now as:

• 'A Town Without Christmas' was about a young boy who goes missing after writing a letter to Santa that he wishes he no longer exists as he doesn't want to cause any difficulties in his parents' divorce. As the young boy's parents are concerned for their son's safety, jumping to the conclusion their son may take his own life, the town's locals help the distraught parents to find the missing boy. The story then centres around some of the locals in search of the boy such as a struggling writer, a big-city reporter and a mysterious, elderly gentleman (who, in fact, is a disguised angel). 

• 'The Sons of Mistletoe' was about an unsympathetic and selfish businesswoman who threatens to shut down a boys foster home during the Christmas period when she has returned to her hometown to settle her recently deceased father's assets.

It's understandable that the Hallmark Channel wouldn't create Christmas films like these anymore, though I'm sure the character's all have their own happily ever after's in the end, these are still very dark films with mature themes that may cause distress to audiences, especially young children who the channel aims a lot of its content towards. 

Of course, once the newly rebranded channel was able to create its own content and original series and films, the success of the channel started to take off. Although, it wasn't until 2006 when the channel released an original Christmas film called 'The Christmas Card', which set a new high rating (over four million households tuned in on the release of the film) for the channel. The film was about a soldier serving in Afghanistan who reads an anonymous Christmas card sent by a woman from California, US. As he is so moved by the card, once his duty in Afghanistan is finished, he returns to America and starts his romantic journey to find the lady who wrote the Christmas card. This film was very much the starting point to developing Hallmark's trademark style and genre of films, as the film had an exceeding number of viewers and a great response from audiences. As the Hallmark Channel (both the media company and production company) saw the success and potential of the original Christmas film market, in 2007, additional producers were added as providers when the channel increased the number of new and original films by 50% (as in 2007, they produced and released twenty films and, in 2008, they added an additional ten original films to be made, releasing thirty films a year later).  

As Hallmark started to progress in the Christmas film market on the channel, on the 28th November 2009, an original made-for-television Christmas film titled 'The National Tree' (starring '80s icon Andrew McCarthy) was the debut film that introduced and launched its first ever annual 'Countdown to Christmas' seasonal programming event. 'Countdown to Christmas' is the channel's most popular seasonal programming event, drawing in floods of viewers to watch brand new, original Christmas films, specials and original holiday-themed programming on the build-up to Christmas. The annual programming event starts from the final weekend in October, all the way through November and December and finishes on the 1st January. While the channel's first Christmas film, 'The Christmas Secret' (also known as 'Flight of the Reindeer) was originally aired in 2000, before the rebranding when the channel was known as the Odyssey Network, the channel was now developing and improving it's new style and genre of original Christmas films, which would become recognisable staples for the channel and become an annual Christmas tradition for many households. 

I had already learnt in lesson, when my teacher, Kelly, originally set the brief for the project about Hallmark's annual 'Countdown to Christmas' event. I learnt that the channel has their very own "Christmas TV ratings system" with such ratings as "F for Family" and "J for Joy" which are used to advise viewers the amount of Christmas spirit and festiveness that will be presented within the extensive collection and variety of films they release throughout the build-up to Christmas.

As 'Countdown to Christmas' has grown year by year on the Hallmark Channel, the channel has been able to successfully create and add more Christmas-themed events for die hard Christmas lovers. For example, in 2012, the network held a "Christmas in July" event where they aired repeats of their past original Christmas films, this event was held on the channel as a marketing scheme to launch Hallmark's Cards' upcoming Christmas ornaments collection. Speaking of Hallmark Cards, in 2014, the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Cards collaborated on a Christmas movie together named 'Northpole', this was the first film the companies created together and it was released during 'Countdown to Christmas'. 

Throughout the 2017 Christmas period, the Hallmark Channel had created and released thirty-three original Christmas films, which was five more films that were released during the holiday season the previous year. The Hallmark Channel has a whopping one hundred and thirty-six original Christmas-themed films in its collection of films. 

Surprisingly, in 2018, the Hallmark Channel teamed up with Sirius XM (an American radio station) to create and launch the "Hallmark Radio Channel". The new radio channel was introduced as a Christmas music channel hosted by talent from the Hallmark Channel and featured behind-the-scenes segments that marketed and coincided with the 'Countdown to Christmas' event on the Hallmark Channel. 

The Hallmark Channel held the 10th anniversary of the annual 'Countdown to Christmas' in 2019, and in honour of the event, the channel announced they would air many of their original Christmas films every Friday night, known as Friday "Movie Night", throughout the year.

The Hallmark Channel has always found new and exciting ways of enticing audiences to their platform, for example, on the 19th December 2015, an original Hallmark Christmas film was released titled 'A Christmas Melody' directed by and starring singer-songwriter, Mariah Carey. Carey later hosted the one-hour musical Christmas special 'Mariah Carey's Merriest Christmas', which became the channel's most-viewed show on the platform. Mariah Carey has now become a staple during the Christmas season due to the release and popularity of her hit holiday single 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' (1994), and as the Hallmark Channel's main success derives from their original Christmas films, they would, of course, bring along the "Queen of Christmas" to liven up the festivities during their 'Countdown to Christmas' event. 

After researching the history and context of the Hallmark Channel's successful development and growth of their platform and the styles and genres of content they distribute, I then started to research the generic tropes that are usually involved and highlighted throughout Hallmark's Christmas films. Specifically, reviewing the typical narratives required to create a standard Hallmark Christmas film. 

A popular trope in each and every Hallmark Channel Christmas film is that the leading character is an ambitious and hardworking woman, who works in the big-city, but returns to her hometown (usually a small, quaint and suburban town with a cute sounding name) after her seemingly perfect life takes a turn. The turning point in the protagonist's life is either occurs when she doesn't get the promotion from work she wanted, and worked really hard for, or is unexpectedly fired from the job she is amazing at, or the turn in the characters life can is caused by her marriage, or relationship, suddenly ending, leaving her heartbroken and devastated. Although, she is going through a very rough and troubling time in her life, during her recovery and journey of healing, she realises that she never should have left her hometown in the first place and never should have chased her dreams and fulfilled her future career. This causes the protagonist to choose between a successful career and her family, or love (if the protagonist has met the man of her dreams and wants to live the rest of her life with him). I believe this is a sexist and outdated stereotype and trope in Hallmark films as women shouldn't have to choose between a career or their family, the lead character (any woman, in general) should be able to have both in her life. I understand that Hallmark is a family-oriented channel but the message they are trying to bring across, particularly, to women is very insulting. So, the leading lady is going to choose family over her career in every time, as she has been influenced to believe choosing her career, a job she has worker her whole life for, over her family is the wrong decision. I believe this is a big issue the channel needs to improve on as it misrepresents women and as a cliche and usual trope on the Hallmark Channel, it is quite worrying they are still able to continue using this sexist trope in their films. This is especially worrying as the channel's films are targeted to families, which may include young girls and if they are being presented with a lack of representation, or given false information, this can be troubling as they may believe they are unable to fulfil both roles, a mother and a working woman, in their future lives.

Another trope that is, sometimes, presented in Hallmark Christmas films, is the protagonist's (usually a leading lady, as I previously mentioned before) lack of Christmas spirit on the build-up to the festive holiday. As the channel prides itself on the success of its Christmas films, having a character who doesn't care for Christmas is off-limits. When this becomes a problem, not only for the leading lady but for the people that care for her, the small-town local's band together to get the protagonist into the Christmas spirit. 

In some Hallmark Christmas films, the plot may centre around, either a family home or business (for example, the town's central factory or a family's department shop), in jeopardy, due to financial issues. Luckily, a big business or company comes to save the day by taking an interest to invest in the family home or business. Although, the family, or person/people, struggling financially thinks they are getting help, when actually the company wants to take the home or business away for corporate gain. To accomplish and finalise the job, the company sends one of their main men to the small-town, usually a selfish yet handsome leading man, to enable the takeover. In true Hallmark fashion, the egocentric businessman is in awe of the small-town, which results in the family home or business untouched. Again, in true Hallmark fashion, the inconsiderate businessman has changed his mind as he, of course, has fallen in love with a local woman who has shown him the true meaning of love, and of course Christmas.

One of the biggest and most used tropes in the channel's Christmas films is the entire population of the small-town come together to organise and celebrate the town's big, annual Christmas event, traditional to the town (for example, tree lightings, concerts, parades, baking competitions, etc.). This is an event that brings everyone (family, friends, lovers, enemies, etc.) together and have to get along with one another, whether they like it or not. In Hallmark's films, these big Christmas events are involved in the narrative as a build-up to the most pivotal moments of the story, where the town is saved by the spirit of Christmas, or the protagonist and their love interest finally confess their love to one another. 

Of course, one of the biggest tropes that, I'm sure, is consisted in every Hallmark Christmas film is a love story between the protagonist (particularly a woman) and their love interest. Romances in the channel's variety of films can evolve in many different ways, for example:

• The leading lady has a horrible boyfriend/husband at the beginning of the film. The character is usually an attractive yet selfish and ignorant man who only cares for his job and doesn't want to commit to his relationship with the protagonist. This leads into the woman going back to her hometown, or travelling through a quaint town on her way to see her horrible partner, and meets the most perfect man who makes her realise she has made a mistake and breaks up with her current partner. 

• The leading lady is secretly in love with her best friend. Very similar to the horrible partner plot, the protagonist is in a relationship with someone who is evidently not right for her. It's only once family and friends of the protagonist and best friend (love interest) tell them they are perfect for one another that they decide to become a romantic couple. This pivotal moment is usually declared at the big Christmas event towards the end of the film.

Throughout the film, there are many key factors and elements towards the romance between the protagonist and their love interest, for example:

• The initial meeting, also known as a meet-cute. There always needs to be a first encounter between the protagonist and their future significant other that becomes the main premise of the film. This meeting allows audiences to understand that they will be following these characters journey to love throughout the film, as the meeting is usually very distinctive, whether that be the way they interact with one another or the twinkly, Christmas music playing in the background.

• A candid, heart-to-heart moment. This is a moment where the protagonist and their love interest have a very deep and personal discussion with one another, usually about something upsetting in their life (for example, a memory of a loved one or the devastating loss of their former partner, or even their life goals, dreams and ambitions). This moment allows the two to become more invested in one another's lives as they completely let their guard down and feel comfortable to speak about something private that they probably haven't told the people already in their lives. 

Of course, at the end of the film, after everything the couple have been through, maybe there was a misunderstanding (a complication that arises and causes implications, strains and fractures in the love interests growing relationship) along the way or they have been hiding their feelings from each other, they finally get together and live happily ever after. Well, what we hope is a happily ever after.

Another trope that is used frequently in Hallmark's Christmas films, being the main message Hallmark likes to remind audiences, is that Christmas isn't just about gifts, it's about love, friends and family. As I mentioned before, many of Hallmark's films follow a character who obsesses over their career, until they come back home and realise that life (Christmas, in particular) isn't only about their career, the most important aspect of life, and Christmas, is love and family, which is something the workaholic lead takes for granted and needs to be reminded. This is probably one of my favourite tropes I've learnt about throughout my research on Hallmark's Christmas films as I think many people forget that Christmas is really about spending time with your loved ones, and personally, family is very important to me. As Hallmark is a family-oriented channel whose main goal is to spread joy and festivity throughout households, it is also important for the channel to highlight and spread their message of the significance of family, and love, to remind audiences to be grateful and appreciative of the people in their lives.

A fantastical trope the Hallmark Channel significantly incorporates in the premises of some of its Christmas is the fairy tale about falling in love with royalty (this trope was particularly popular in 2018 after the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle). The film usually follows the protagonist, a small-town girl, who falls in love with a sophisticated, charming (possibly with a posh, Southern England accent) and well-mannered man. Once the leading lady has learnt more about the man and meets his family, who mysteriously hold a lot of power, she finally finds out he is secretly a prince. Once she learns of his royalty, the outcome of the film is the leading lady is then whisked away from her small-town life, marries her prince, becomes part of the royal family and lives happily ever after. 

Finally, one of the last tropes Hallmark likes to involve in their Christmas films to heighten the spirit of Christmas is, of course, the interference of Santa, or his elves, in the protagonist's life. In Hallmark's films, problems arise and become out of hand for the protagonist, whether it be a single mother struggling to raise her children's Christmas spirit, someone who has lost complete faith in the festive holiday, or a couple who are going through a rough patch in their relationship. What's amazing about Hallmark's films is how Santa just so happens to be in a little town in America/Canada, that no one has ever heard of, the right place at the right time. As soon as Father Christmas learns of the trials and tribulations in these character's lives, he is able to magically fix all their problems and save Christmas. There have also been variations of this type of story in Hallmark's films where the magical being, in question, doesn't have to be Santa, but possibly an alternative (for example, one of his little helpers) or form (for example, a mysterious elderly gentleman or an angel) of the big man in red.

After finishing all my research on the history of the Hallmark Channel's success, it's collection of made-for-television Christmas films and the typical tropes included, I then did research on two differing Christmas films (not from the Hallmark Channel) to understand the codes and conventions of a classical or unique Christmas film (from the plot of the film to its visual style). 

Analysis of Two Christmas Films

Before choosing two differing Christmas films to analyse, I first needed to understand what comprises and defines a 'Christmas film'. As Christmas isn't a distinct genre, the definition of a Christmas film is up for interpretation. Although, Christmas films don't have definite codes and conventions, there are certainly some key aspects and elements that should be included to, at least, create a sense of Christmas. For example, setting is one of the key elements that should certainly be involved in a Christmas film, as it allows audiences to understand the time of year (season or holiday) and the situations and events that may arise throughout the premise of the film. 

As for the genre of a Christmas film, everyone has their own opinion on what these films should largely centre around, which people typically associate, the joy and amusement of the festive period. Although Christmas is usually a time for happiness and being with your loved ones, the holiday can also highlight darker themes that many wouldn't particularly associate with the holiday, such as loneliness, disbelief and dysfunction in a household. Many themes, whether they be positive or negative, can be involved in the central narrative of a Christmas film of any genre (comedy, romance, fantasy, horror, etc.). Speaking of the central narrative, the most important element of a Christmas film is how they involve Christmas within its storytelling, to express and convey the meaning of the holiday. Christmas in storytelling, and in general, is used to create some sort of emotive response through the specific and intended tone (for example, the general tone of the film could be high-spirited or it could be upsetting) throughout the film. 

Keeping in mind what I had learnt about what makes a Christmas film a Christmas film, being that it is based on the audience's opinion of Christmas and whether the film relates to their views on the holiday, I then thought about what I personally think defines a Christmas film. In my opinion, a film can only be classed as a Christmas film when the entire film is set around the Christmas period (doesn't necessarily have to continuously highlight that it's Christmas, as long as there is a Christmassy setting and, at least, briefly mentions Christmas as, in reality, not everyone's lives revolve around Christmas) or on the build-up to Christmas. I also think a film can only be labelled a Christmas film when there is a resolution at the end of the film, particularly when it is a happy ending for, almost, everyone involved as Christmas is still meant to be a joyous time, no matter the circumstance. There always has to be some way for everyone to have their own happy Christmas.

The two differing Christmas films I have chosen to analyse are 'Home Alone' (1990) and 'Gremlins' (1984).

'Home Alone' (1990)

• Director: Chris Columbus
• Scriptwriter and Producer: John Hughes ('Hughes Entertainment')
• Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern and Catherine O'Hara
• Distributor: '20th Century Fox'
• Release Dates: 10th November 1990 (Chicago, as the film is set in the city) and 16th November 1990 (USA)

'Gremlins' (1984)

• Director: Joe Dante
• Producer: Michael Finnell
• Scriptwriter: Chris Columbus
• Starring: Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates
• Production Companies: 'Warner Bros.' and 'Amblin Entertainment' (Steven Spielberg was the film's executive producer)
• Distributor: 'Warner Bros.'
• Release Date: 8th June 1984 (one of the reasons why people argue 'Gremlins' isn't a Christmas film)

The two films are very different to one another, with the only link being filmmaker, Chris Columbus, was involved, and credited, on both films. Columbus wrote the screenplay for 'Gremlins', inspired by the loft in his home (at the time of writing) which was infested by a horde of mice that he could constantly hear scurrying around. Columbus then wrote a spec script, 'speculative script' (a screenplay that hasn't been commissioned, as of yet), to show his writing abilities to potential buyers, which Steven Spielberg took an interest in and bought (made the decision to be the executive producer on the film). Columbus then went on to direct 'Home Alone' (his third directorial feature) a few years later, hired by the late filmmaker, John Hughes (1950-2009), after leaving another Christmas film Hughes wrote and produced, 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation' (1989), after having difficulties with actor and comedian, Chevy Chase. Christopher Columbus is now an esteemed filmmaker, working on classic films such as 'The Goonies' (1985), 'Home Alone: Lost in New York' (1992), 'Mrs. Doubtfire' (1993), and the first two films in the 'Harry Potter' franchise (2001-2011). 

Apart from Columbus being the only link between the two films, they are very different to one another, particularly in their approach to Christmas. 

The big difference between these two films is their narratives, which includes the journeys the characters go on, the situations that arise and, of course, the messages and meanings of Christmas communicated (especially towards the end of each film). 

'Home Alone' is a family comedy about an eight-year-old boy, named Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin), who is accidentally left behind when his family go on a trip to Paris, France for the Christmas holidays, leaving Kevin home alone (hence the title of the film). Whilst Kevin's mother, Kate (Catherine O'Hara), is trying to get back home, in Chicago, problems arise when Kevin mustn't only be able to provide and fend for himself, he must also protect himself when burglars, Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern), also known as the 'Wet Bandits', have their eyes on the McCallister's family home. 

Although the premise of the film sounds quite dark, it is very much a sentimental story about a young boy, that being Kevin, learning why family is very important and discovering the true meaning of Christmas (all while getting up to mischief and trying to get rid of burglars by setting up dangerous and violent traps around his home). 

The film begins the night before the McCallister's flight to Paris, France, as the whole family rushes around their home to have everything prepared and packed, ready to leave first thing in the morning. However, things take a turn when Kevin is constantly being ignored, asked by his mother to pack his own suitcase (which he is unable to do), and attacks his older brother, Buzz (Devin Ratray), after he is teased and told he has eaten all the plain, cheese pizza (ordered especially for Kevin). Chaos ensues as the abrupt fight causes a mess in the kitchen, which also foreshadows the situation that is about to unfold when Kevins father, Peter (John Heard, 1946-2017), accidentally throws away Kevin's plane ticket when he wipes all of the mess of the kitchen island and into the bin. 

After the commotion, Kevin is frowned upon by his entire family and is forced to spend the night on "the third floor", also known as the loft. Kevin's mother tells him to think about his actions, causing Kevin to get defensive and say something he will regret later on. Kevin tells his mother he never wants to see her or his family ever again which, of course, saddens Kate. After he has stormed upstairs, he then lays on the bed and wishes his family would disappear. 

Kevin's Christmas wish certainly comes true when there is a power outage during the night, causing Kate and Pete's alarm clock to reset, causing the entire family to sleep in later than originally intended. When the McCallister's finally wake up, the family rush around to get ready and quickly dash to the airport. When the McCallister's miraculously make it to their flight on-time, but they have forgotten one vital thing... Kevin! 

Once Kevin wakes up, he is confused as he searches the house for his family. Unable to locate them, he then comes to the realisation that he wished his family would disappear (which is just a coincidental mistake due to the power outage the night before). Kevin then starts to think about the nasty comments made about him by his family members and is delighted they are gone. 

Kevin is then able to fool around his home as all his family are gone and there is no authority to tell him what to do. This causes the young boy to take up mischievous activities, such as:

• Raiding and destroying Buzz's bedroom.

• Eating junk food and watching mature films ('Angels with Filthy Souls', the, fake, classic gangster film everyone 'Home Alone' fan wants to watch).

• Sledging down the stairs and out of the front door of his home.

• Pranking the 'Little Nero's Pizza' delivery guy. 

After his time of fun, he then starts to realise he is in real danger being all alone in his home. Scared that his next door neighbour, Old Man Marley (Roberts Blossom, 1924-2011), might murder him after Buzz told him a rumour about the elderly gentleman, the rumour being Marley is a serial killer who murdered his entire family. Although he is frightened of the elderly man, he is the least of Kevin's worries. Burglars, Harry and Marv, also known as the 'Wet Bandits' have their sights on the McCallister family home after breaking into neighbouring homes around the Chicago area. Harry and Marv believe the McCallister's have gone away for the Christmas holidays, as at the beginning of the film, Harry was impersonating a police officer, warning the McCallister's that many homes are in danger of being broken into during the Christmas season, when Harry is actually scoping out the home to see what goods the McCallister's possess. Kevin has a near-death experience when he is almost ran over by Harry and Marv's van, due to Kevin not concentrating after a run in with Marley and stealing a toothbrush from a local shop, as well as Harry not paying attention to the road when he has an argument with Marv. Harry berates Kevin and tells him to be careful and flashes him a smile, but Kevin instantly recognises the felon when he sees his gold tooth, causing Kevin to panic and walk, then run, away. Harry soon realises Kevin lives in the McCallister home and now believes that the McCallister's didn't go away for the holidays.

It is then that Kevin matures, immediately, and takes every precaution to protect his home and keep the burglars away. Kevin pretends his family are still home by creating a fake party in the front room, as well as scaring Marv away when he plays 'Angels with Filthy Souls' on his TV and setting off firecrackers (pretending they are gunshots).

Although Kevin does his best to keep the 'Wet Bandits' away, it isn't enough when Harry believes Kevin is home alone and plans to rob the home on Christmas Eve.

It is in the second and final acts of the film where the meaning of Christmas, as well as aspects and elements that would be associated with the holiday, start to be presented and displayed in the film. 

The first example is, of course, Kate's journey from Paris to Chicago throughout the film. Although it is arguable, she is a bad mother for forgetting one of her own children when she travels to an entirely different country, you can't say she is a bad mother for doing everything she can to get back to him, and making sure he is safe, throughout one of the busiest seasons for travel. After having trouble getting flights straight to Chicago, she gets the only flight closest to home, and the only one to the US from France. Though, a problem emerges when she lands in Scranton, Pennsylvania when she is unable to book a flight to Chicago and reprimands the man at the front desk when she is unable to accept the refusal of a plane ticket. As she argues with the airline employee, she is then overheard by Gus Polinski (John Candy, 1950-1994), the "Polka King of the Midwest", who tells her him and his band are having the same struggles and just hired a van to Milwaukee, offering Kate a lift to Chicago on their way. Kate accepts his generous offer and has to endure listening to the polka band rehearsing the entire way home. As it gets late and the band are relaxing, Kate has a heart-to-heart moment with Gus, talking about her guilt and shame, as well as labelling herself as a "bad mother". Although, Gus is able to cheer her up, of sorts, and tells her that he never gets to see his family often as he is constantly on the road with his band. The conversation then becomes quite dark when he talks about leaving one of his children at a funeral parlour (scarring the poor child as he was left with a deceased body for an entire day), obviously Kate is disturbed by the story and asks Gus to stop speaking about it, but I'm sure she didn't think she was that much of a bad parent anymore after Gus' 'reassuring' story. Although the journey takes a bit of a turn after Gus' dark story, it is still a sweet and sentimental moment of giving and receiving help during the festive period. 

Another example, to reassure audiences that this is indeed a Christmas film, is when Kevin goes to find the local Santa to grant a wish. Firstly, when he goes to find Santa, it is late on Christmas Eve and one of 'Santa's elves' is locking up his 'workshop', ready to go home. Kevin asks where he is as he has an urgent message to give to him, where he is then directed to a man mouthing off about getting a parking ticket and smoking a cigarette. Kevin shouts after him, asking if he is able to speak to him, but he first states that the man is not the real Santa but, in fact, works for the big man in red. This is to remind that even though Kevin is a very intellectual young boy and very mature for his age, he is still only a child as he still believes that Santa is real. After his claim, he then tells 'Santa's messenger' that he doesn't want any gifts this year, only asking and wishing to have his family back as he now starts to realise how much he misses them and regrets 'making them disappear'. Of course, the Santa impersonator is confused but is charmed by Kevin's message to Santa, and as a gift he gives him a couple of Tic Tac's (as he has run out of candy canes). Again, as I stated before, Kevin is only a child but we can now see his character arc shine, showing his growth and maturity in the past few days, being able to do things for himself (for example, he did his own shopping for resources, even knew how to use discounts on various items, and washing his own clothes, using a washing machine) and finally coming to the realisation that family is important and he needs them to help him grow even more, as well as having their love and support (especially after a traumatic event like being left home alone).

Another moment to highlight and present the meaning and spirit of Christmas is the church scene, where Kevin befriends Old Man Marley. This moment in the film happens right after the scene where Kevin has spoken to the Santa impersonator, asking him to ask the 'real Santa' if he could bring back his family for Christmas. As Kevin is on his way home, he makes a quick stop at the local church and watches a choir performing. Whilst he listens to the choir, he then spots Old Man Marley in the church, also watching the performance. Kevin is, of course, frightened because as soon as Marley recognises Kevin, he gets up from his seat and walks over to him, asking if he can sit with Kevin. As he sits, he tells Kevin that he doesn't need to be afraid as the rumours being spread around town (that he is a serial killer) are false. Marley then tells Kevin that he is watching the choir as his granddaughter is performing and it's the only time he gets to see her, as him and his son don't speak or see each other anymore. He also tells Kevin church is the best place to go to when you're feeling bad about yourself, as he is all alone for the holidays. Kevin is able to relate to Marley as he is also alone, telling him how he has annoyed his family and said some things to them or behind their backs that he regrets and feels guilty about. They both then talk about the importance of family, even if you don't get along with them from time to time and you may hurt them as they may hurt you, no matter what age you are. The film highlights how families can be complicated but, as Marley says, "deep down you always love them". Kevin then suggests that Marley should try and reconcile with his son, as it's the holidays and you never know when you're going to see your family again. This is a beautiful and sentimental, heart-to-heart moment in the film as Kevin, an eight-year-old boy, and Marley, an elderly man, can relate to one another on a deeply personal level, showing that anyone can feel lonely during the holidays. The film also shows that it doesn't matter what age you are, any problem is relatable and loneliness and friendship is universal.

A few hours after Kevin and Marley's meeting, Kevin is now in danger as the comical and violent booby traps he setup around his home were unable to stop the 'Wet Bandits' from catching up to him. Now in his neighbours' home, that Harry and Marv previously robbed, he is trapped by the burglars who taunt him and threaten to kill him. Luckily, before anything happens to Kevin, Old Man Marley shows up and knocks out Harry and Marv with his trusty snow shovel, getting Kevin down from the hook on the back of the door and taking him home. If Marley and Kevin hadn't spoken to each other previously, befriending one another, goodness knows what would have happened to Kevin. The film presents that Christmas is all about helping those in need and that one small yet meaningful interaction can create a powerful friendship and can even save your life.

A few honourable traps Kevin devised

Scene where Old Man Marley saves Kevin

Lastly, one of the most poignant moments of the entire film is the ending. There are a lot of moments in this final scene that create an emotive and sentimental story that shows the true spirit and meaning of Christmas. First, is that Kevin is now safe and the 'Wet Bandits' were caught by the police, allowing Kevin to have a good night's sleep and ready for Christmas Day. On Christmas morning, Kevin wakes up and rushes down the stairs to see if Santa was able to grant his wish, getting his family back. Although, he is quickly disappointed as there is nobody home. This quickly changes as soon as his mother, Kate, arrives after her long trip from Scranton, surprising Kevin. Of course, Kate feels a huge wave of relief as she sees Kevin is safe and sound, as well as the house ship shape (Kevin quickly cleaning the large amount of mess he and the burglars made the night before). Kate is happy she is now reunited with her son, but soon becomes upset when she tells Kevin the rest of the family were unable to make it. Although, as it's Christmas, the rest of the family arrive, telling Kate they were able to get a direct flight from Paris to Chicago and, again, is everyone is relieved that Kevin is safe and that the whole family are reunited. Kevin decides to keep the events of the night before a secret as I doubt he would want to worry his family that he was in danger, so everyone then leaves to unpack their bags, leaving Kevin alone in the entrance of their home.

It is then Kevin looks suspiciously out of one of the large windows in the living room, as he walks over to it, the scene then cuts to Kevin's father, Peter, finding Harry's golden tooth that was knocked-out when Kevin hit him in the face with a paint can. Peter thinks it might be his, but is mainly confused where it has come from but doesn't question it anymore. Back to Kevin, when he gets to the window, he can now see his neighbour and saviour, Marley, with his estranged son and daughter-in-law as he takes his granddaughter into his arms and hugs her. Marley then looks towards the window where Kevin is stood and waves at him, which the audiences can make out as a gesture of thanks. Kevin then waves back at Marley, overwhelmed that he has also reunited with his family and won't be spending Christmas Day on his own. Of course, this is a comedy film so the moment has to be ruined by Buzz shouting at Kevin, questioning what happened to his room, but on the whole it is a very touching and emotional moment between the two as they got their Christmas wishes, to be reunited with their own families. 

Based on the plot alone, 'Home Alone' is very much a Christmas film packed full of iconic and comedic moments, emotional and heart-warming moments, as well as danger and violence.

As for the film 'Gremlins', it is very different in its narrative, and tone, compared to 'Home Alone', with many arguing that it is not a Christmas film.

'Gremlins' is a dark comedy horror (already doesn't sound Christmassy) about a young man, named Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan), who receives an early Christmas gift from his father, Randall 'Rand' Peltzer (Hoyt Axton, 1938-1999), who is a struggling inventor. The gift in question is a peculiar and cute looking creature known as a mogwai (meaning 'devil' in Cantonese), which Randall found in an antique shop on his visits to Chinatown in New York, US. Fascinated by the creature, Randall asks the owner of the shop, Mr. Wing (Keye Luke, 1904-1991), if he could buy the creature to give to his son as gift for Christmas, but Mr. Wing refuses and tells Randall that there is a lot of responsibility to take care of a mogwai (more responsibility than your average pet, in fact). Mr Wing's grandson (John Louie) can't afford to lose the money Randall has offered, $200, as him and his grandfather have been struggling financially. So, Mr. Wing's grandson secretly sells the mogwai to Randall and warns him that he must remember three significant rules:

1. Keep the mogwai out of bright light, especially sunlight as it will kill the creature

2. Keep the mogwai away from water, it mustn't get wet.

3. The most important rule - Never feed the mogwai after midnight ("no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs").

When we first meet Billy, he is having a rough day as he is late for work (the local bank, 'Kingston Falls Bank'), due to his car breaking down because of the snowy conditions, this causes him to have to make his way to work on-foot, along with his dog, Barney. When he gets to work, he is taunted by one of his obnoxious employees, Gerald Hopkins (Judge Reinhold), on his tardiness. This is where we also first meet Billy's love interest, Kate Beringer (Phoebe Cates), who works alongside Billy at the bank. To make a bad day even worse, Billy's horrible neighbour and Kingston Falls (the town) very own Grinch, Mrs. Deagle (Polly Holliday), pays a visit to Billy whilst he's working to berate him about Barney, the dog. She accuses Barney of breaking her snowman ornament at the front of her house and threatens Billy if he is unable to control his dog, she will take him to the kennel and have him put down. As she threatens to murder Billy's beloved pet, Barney then attacks Mrs. Deagle in the middle of the bank, causing a commotion. After the attack, Billy is now in trouble with his boss and is insulted by Mrs. Deagle. Billy's day does get a little bit better after his awful time at the office when he goes to the local bar and finds that Kate works there. After a drink, or two, he then offers to walk Kate home, where he asks her what she's doing for Christmas. This interaction, at first, doesn't go well as she says she doesn't like Christmas (which we will find out why later on), this causes Billy to tease her and ask questions which she refuses to tell him and becomes upset. Billy apologises and asks her out on a date which, luckily, she accepts. Billy then arrives home in high-spirits and is even more thrilled when his dad comes back home, after his trip to New York, where he is then gifted his new pet that Randall has decided to call, Gizmo.

Billy and Gizmo quickly become great friends, with Billy teaching Gizmo how to play music and watching films together, but problems arise very quickly. The following day, Billy's friend, Pete Fountaine (Corey Feldman), delivers a Christmas tree to the Peltzer family home (as he works at the local Christmas tree farm). Billy is now excited to show Pete his new pet, he takes him up to his bedroom to meet Gizmo, but when Pete goes to hold Gizmo, he accidentally knocks over one of Billy's jars full of paintbrushes and water and causes Gizmo to get wet. Billy and Peter start to panic as Gizmo is affected by the water that was spilt on him, causing him to spawn five new mogwais. Billy and Pete are shocked by the new batch of mogwais, as well as confused about the biology of a mogwai as water, somehow, causes the creature to generate new mogwais. As Pete then wanted a mogwai after being introduced to Gizmo, he goes to pick up one of the newly born mogwais, particularly the one with a stripe on its head (which is then named Stripe), but as he goes to pick it up it tries to bite him. They then realise the mogwais are not like Gizmo, as Gizmo now looks frightened and upset about the creatures (knowing they will be up to no good and go against the rules). 

As Billy is interested in the biology of the mogwais and wants to learn more about them; he decides to go to his former science teacher, Mr. Hanson (Glynn Turman), to research and conduct some experiments on a mogwai. Billy brings one of the new mogwais to Mr. Hanson and shows him how they are able to spawn more mogwais, allowing Mr. Hanson to keep the new mogwai to research on, but now there is a problem as Billy didn't tell Mr. Hanson about the three important rules and so, on the night, things start to take a turn for both Billy and Mr. Hanson. At the Peltzer household, the mogwais are now becoming troublesome as they open all of the Christmas gifts under the Christmas tree and tie up Barney in Christmas string light at the front of their home, causing the poor dog to almost freeze to death. Later on, the mogwais become restless, whining and crying, as they are still hungry. As Billy becomes concerned, he checks the time on his bedside clock to check if it isn't past midnight to feed the mogwais. The time on the clock reads there's still half an hour left until it's midnight, Billy decides to go to the kitchen and get food for the mogwais, but Gizmo refuses to eat anything. Meanwhile Billy feeds the mischievous mogwais, at the local school, Mr. Hanson decides to call it a night on his research, but he accidentally leaves his half-eaten sandwich out, which the caged mogwai is able to get a hold of.

The following morning, Billy wakes up to quite the surprise when he sees that the mogwais have now formed themselves inside cocoons. Billy becomes confused as his mother, Lynn Peltzer (Frances Lee McCain), asks how this could have happened if he fed them before midnight, causing Billy to check his clock and finding out that the mogwais had tricked him into feeding them by cutting the power cable. As Billy is now worried about the mogwais, he goes to Mr. Hanson and finds the mogwai he has been conducting research on has also formed itself into a cocoon. Shortly after the discovery, the cocoons then hatch and instead of the cute, little mogwais reappearing, we find that they have formed into grotesque, troublesome, reptilian creatures, known as 'gremlins'. We get to see what these new creatures can do, when Mr. Hanson discovers the cocoon has hatched and tries to befriend the newly formed creature, but sadly, he is brutally murdered by the monster. 

Whilst at the Peltzer home, Billy's mother, Lynn, is the only person at home, apart from Gizmo (who is being tortured by the gremlins in Billy's room), as Billy is at the school (finding Mr. Hanson's dead body and being attacked by the pesky gremlin) and Randall is away at a convention trying to sell another one of his problematic inventions. As Lynn starts to hear a commotion from upstairs, she goes to check on the state of the cocoons (first taking her kitchen knife with her for safety) and discovers that they have now hatched. She then gets a frantic call from Billy telling her the mogwais/gremlins have hatched and that she needs to get out of the house, but before he can finish warning her one of the gremlins cuts the telephone wire. The gremlins then start to mess with Lynn by playing Christmas music, throwing things at her and finally attacking her when she makes her way back to the kitchen. 

Lynn is, indeed, one of the true heroes of the film as she is able to take on these creatures on her own, finding different ways to kill them and protect herself. It is only until she gets to the living room when she struggles as one of the gremlins is hidden in the Christmas tree and jumps on Lynn when she least expects it. Struggling to get out of the grasps of the gremlin, Billy is able to rescue her by decapitating the gremlin and throwing its head in the fireplace. Unfortunately, the only gremlin able to escape is the rebellious Stripe. It is now Billy and Gizmo's mission to find the pesky gremlin before he causes anymore havoc.

Of course, when Billy finally catches up to Stripe, he finds he is hiding at the local swimming pool. When Billy almost catches him, Stripe then jumps into the swimming pool and spawns a bigger and greater new batch of gremlins to rampage and destroy the town of Kingston Falls.

The gremlins cause mass hysteria throughout the entire town, attacking and, in some cases, murdering the residents of Kingston Falls. The gremlins wreak havoc by:

• Attacking Billy's next-door neighbours, Murray (Dick Miller, 1928-2019) and Sheila Futterman (Jackie Joseph), with Murray's own snowplow (luckily, they do survive as they return in the sequel 'Gremlins 2: The New Batch' (1990)). 

• Pretending to be carol singers and murdering Mrs. Deagle by increasing the speed on her stairlift, causing her to be launched out of one of the windows of her home.

• Ransacking the local bar and attacking Kate whilst she's trying to escape.

From the plot of the film, so far, it doesn't sound like it would be a Christmas film, whatsoever, and I can understand why some may argue the film isn't a holiday classic. Although, when you look deeper into the narrative of the film, even past the dark tone, there are actually elements presented throughout the film that could, or definitely are, associated with Christmas (and possibly aspects people associate with Christmas films). 

The first example, and the most prevalent throughout the film, is the film takes place at Christmastime. Although the film doesn't specifically or continuously talk about the Christmas holidays, the audience is constantly reminded that it's Christmas based on the setting of the film. Christmas is represented through the weather, as every scene in an exterior setting is always covered with a thick layer of snow, as well as the set design and props seen and used throughout the film (even if they are used as a dangerous and violent weapon).

Another reason 'Gremlins' is, in fact, a Christmas film and presents it is a Christmas film is that the plot of the film is centred around a Christmas gift. At the beginning of the film, after we are introduced to Billy (the protagonist), his father, Randall, arrives home after his trip to New York and brings back Billy a Christmas gift. Randall allows Billy to open it early, as it is only a few days before Christmas and because there is a living, breathing creature inside. Billy is, of course, surprised and shocked by the gift, as he has received an unknown species of pet, what we now know as a mogwai. Billy and the mogwai we now know as Gizmo, quickly become friends and Billy tries to do everything he can to take care of the adorable creature, remembering the three important rules. However, Billy is unable to stick to the rules as in the first hour of receiving Gizmo, he accidentally flashes a bright light in Gizmo's face, causing him to fall off Billy's desk and injure himself as he falls into a bin. 

Although this was only a small mistake, the care of Gizmo takes a quick turn for the worse as the following day Billys friend, Pete, meets Gizmo and accidentally knocks a jar of water over him, causing to spawn more mogwais who are bad compared to the good nature of Gizmo. Billy then has six mogwais to take care of, which isn't a good sign as it was a struggle for him take care of just one mogwai. Then, of course, everything goes downhill very quickly when he feeds the new, mischievous batch of mogwais after midnight, although he didn't know it was midnight as he was tricked by the mogwais. Although, again, this was an accident, this results in a big mistake that causes mass hysteria and destruction throughout his entire hometown, causing some Christmas carnage and risking and taking many people's lives. Even though, this may not sound Christmassy or even show any signs of Christmas, it is certainly a story that is revolved around Christmas as it highlights that classic phrase that always appears around the Christmas period: "A pet is for life, not just for Christmas". Christmas is usually a time where people ask for and receive new pets, particularly a dog, but some don't realise the responsibility an owner must have when taking care of their pets after the holidays. Although, 'Gremlins' is set a few days before Christmas and shows the build-up to the holiday, as well as gremlins being fictional creatures, the film presents the carnage and chaos created by one single Christmas gift, making it a Christmas film from the onset of the film. 

Another example, and reason, as to why 'Gremlins' is a Christmas film, based on the plot alone, is that there is a villain, particularly a Christmas villain, who tries to destroy and takeover the town. The antagonist of the film is Stripe, the troublemaking gremlin with distinctive white stripe on his head, who is the most villainous out of all the gremlins. He creates a large army of gremlins to rampage the town of Kingston Falls, creating chaos and disaster. The reason he isn't just your average villain but, in fact, a Christmas villain is because he tries to ruin Christmas for everyone by destroying the festive spirit of Christmas for all residents of Kingston Falls, especially when all the destructive behaviour and events occur on the night before Christmas. Originally it seemed that Mrs. Deagle would be a bit of bother at the beginning of the film, the real Grinch of the film is indeed Stripe as he doesn't care for the citizens of the town and he, especially, doesn't care for their Christmas celebrations. Stripe won't let anything get in his way or stop his army from growing, especially not his worse enemies, Billy and Gizmo.

One of the main aspects of the film that relates to Christmas, as well as creating an underlying message throughout the film on the meaning of Christmas, is the theme of love and friendship. From the beginning of the film, when we see Billy arrive to his job at Kingston Falls Bank late and we are introduced to the character, Kate, we know immediately that she is Billy's love interest. Billy is a true gentleman to Kate, as he offers to walk her back home after her shift at the local bar is finished. Even though Billy upsets her when he asks her why she doesn't like Christmas, as well as slightly teasing her, it isn't too much of a problem when he apologises and asks her out on a date, which she accepts. 

After this encounter between the two, we don't see Kate again until the destruction of the gremlins occurs, seeing that she was working at the local bar when the rampage began. As she believes her life is in danger, as well as becoming annoyed by the disruption of the gremlins in the bar, she escapes by flashing a polaroid camera light at the gremlins that are in the way of her escape route. Once she makes her way out of the bar and onto the chaotic streets of Kingston Falls, she runs into Billy and Gizmo and follows them into the Kingston Falls Bank to hide from the gremlins. Once they are inside the bank, Kate claims that she has another reason to hate Christmas, making Billy, again, question what the first reason is. Kate finally tells Billy, as well as the audience, the real reason why she hates Christmas and, trust me, it is a very dark and traumatic reason that pretty much ruins the spirit of Christmas. The story is a personal tragedy from her past: when she was nine-years-old, her father disappeared on Christmas Eve without a trace and he didn't return the following day to celebrate Christmas with her and her mother. A few days after Christmas, and still no sign of her father, Kate was cold and decided to light a fire, but when she lit it, she noticed a strange smell. Her mother then called the fire brigade to find out what was inside the chimney and what they pulled out was very unpleasant... The smell came from her deceased father's body. They find him dressed in a Santa costume along with a sack full of gifts, wanting to surprise Kate and her mother, but, unfortunately, he slipped and broke his neck. The part of this story I find the most unsettling is the slight joke Kate tries to make at the end to, somehow, lighten the now very depressing mood by saying 'and that's how I found out there was no Santa Claus'. 

Of course, when 'Gremlins' was first released in 1984, this scene didn't go unnoticed in the film as many found the story to be the most disturbing and traumatising part of the entire film, as well as telling children (as originally this film was intended for everyone in the family) that Santa doesn't exist. This particular scene in the film was one of the reasons why the American PG-13 rating was created as many complained and criticised that this was scene was traumatising and scarring for children (another scene, earlier on, also contributed to the new rating when a gremlin was blown up in a microwave). Before the film was released, Spielberg and many of the studio executives disapproved of the scene and wanted it cut out of the film, but Director, Joe Dante, insisted it stay in the film as it represented the film, as well as representing the comedy horror genre. Even though I very much find the scene disturbing, it is also necessary to the story as this is a, sort of, heart-to-heart moment between Billy and Kate, as Kate felt comfortable with Billy to finally let her guard down and tell her deeply personal and upsetting story to him. People will also argue this isn't Christmassy as it shows the negativity of Christmas, as well as entirely killing the Christmas spirit, but the blossoming love story between Billy and Kate is caused by this distressing story and love and support is important, especially, during the Christmas holidays.

Kate's story about her reason for hating Christmas starts at the timeframe of 1:33

After their deep and depressing conversation, they realise that the street is now quiet and there is no sight of gremlins anywhere. As they search the town, they find that all the gremlins have gone to the local cinema to watch a screening of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves'. Billy and Kate see this as an opportunity to kill all the gremlins, as they are engrossed in the film. The only problem that arises, also what they don't realise until they are too late, is the antagonist, Stripe, has left the theatre to find some more sweets at the local shop across the street. Billy and Kate find a way to the back of the theatre and set of an explosion that kills all of the gremlins, but as soon as they escape the theatre, they find Stripe got away and is now hiding in the shop. As they make their way into the shop, Billy tells Kate it is too risky and tells her to take Gizmo whilst he goes and finds Stripe. Before he leaves, unsure if he will make it out alive, Billy kisses Kate and then goes to find and defeat Stripe. This is now a true Christmas tale as Billy and Kate finally express and conceal their love for one another, even when they are both uncertain if they'll see each other again, they both convey and illustrate that love is important, no matter what the situation, or holiday, is. 

The theme of friendship is also presented in this particular scene when Gizmo decides to risk his life to save Billy and, of course, Kingston Falls. When Billy is in grave danger, as Stripe has tried to kill Billy with a chainsaw and shoot him with an (actual) gun, Gizmo comes to the rescue when he finds a toy car and makes his way to Billy and Stripe. Billy is now running out of time to stop Stripe from doing any more damage as he has found a water fountain and has already started to spawning process. Luckily, before anymore gremlins are created, Gizmo finds a way to get to one of the skylights. Before Stripe is able to shoot him, Gizmo opens the skylight, emitting sunlight into the shop and, more importantly, killing Stripe. This is a very heroic act as Gizmo sacrificed himself (he could have been shot or exposed to the sunlight) to save Billy's life, showing that he has grown to love Billy and accepts his as a friend (even if he did almost accidentally destroy his hometown). This also presents Gizmo's good nature and bravery, as in the beginning he was terrified of everyone and everything, as he had (I'm guessing) never left Mr. Wing's antique shop, so, for him to be in a brand-new environment he doesn't understand is very terrifying. Though, Gizmo finally conquers his fears of, not only the new home he has but, the gremlins and is able to help his best friend finally defeat the most villainous of the batch. This, again, highlights the importance of friendship, especially around the Christmas holidays as Billy's gift was, after-all, very useful and ended up saving the town (probably not Christmas).

Lastly, the final example to show why 'Gremlins' is a Christmas is the emotional final scene of the film. Now that Billy's whole family is back together, including Kate, the film should end there and be a, somewhat, happily ever after. Unfortunately, alongside the film being a comedy, it is also a horror and in many horror films, there aren't many happy endings. Whilst Billy and his family are recovering, Mr. Wing has now arrived at the Peltzer family home to retrieve Gizmo. Of course, Billy is saddened by the turn of events as he doesn't want Gizmo to go, but his dad decides it is for the best as it was his fault for taking Gizmo without Mr. Wing's consent, as well as it being his fault his hometown was destroyed. Mr. Wing is furious and berates the Peltzer's for their carelessness and irresponsibility's to listen to the rules and take care of Gizmo, as well as telling them they are not ready to own and care for a mogwai. Before Mr. Wing leaves, Gizmo asks him if he can say one final thing to Billy, probably the most heart-warming, yet, heart-breaking moment of the entire film. Gizmo says, "bye, Billy", causing not only Billy, but the audience's hearts to crumble. As Gizmo has rarely spoken throughout the film, only saying certain words or making cute sounding noises and singing, his goodbye is very sincere and sentimental as he is also genuinely upset, he must leave his new friend and he may never see him again. This is a pure moment where we see Gizmo express his feelings for Billy, as he has now become attached to the young man, again, displaying the theme of love and friendship throughout the film. 

Of course, this is also a comedy film so the moment is slightly ruined when Randall tries giving Mr. Wing one of his new inventions, which is a smokeless ash tray, as an apology for what he has done. Mr. Wing accepts the gift, as well as telling Peltzer he recognised the product as he had stopped at a petrol station where another man was trying to sell him the same product, as Randall had stopped there, previously, on his way back home from the convention and sold the invention to the man. As Mr. Wing leaves with Gizmo, the family watch him walk away on the front porch of their home, with emotional music playing over the scene. Although, this heartfelt moment is also ruined when a voiceover of Randall starts to play over the scene, saying if you have one of your home appliances has technical fault, just before you call a repairman, check the entirety of your home because "you never can tell, there might just be a gremlin in your house"... Then the credits roll. Of course, the film is again highlighting that although it is, indeed, a horror film and there has to be a resolution, as well as an ominous ending that'll scare audiences. Other than the terrifying and bleak ending, there was still a resolution to all the problems as Gizmo needed to be taken away from Billy so that he could keep them safe from more danger and mistakes and, actually, creating some sort of happy ending for everyone. 

Although, 'Gremlins' doesn't seem much of a Christmas film, due to the dark premise and tone of the plot, it is actually very much a Christmas film, because of the Christmas aspects and elements I have explained that are conveyed throughout the narrative of the film. 

'Home Alone' and 'Gremlins' are two different films with contrasting stories and subject matters, I believe they are both Christmas films as they both convey the true meaning of Christmas, which is the importance of love, friends and family, having many heartwarming moments throughout the film to signify the messages of each story. I learnt that Christmas films are a specific genre of film, that Christmas is merely a theme and plot device to convey different messages and meanings through a particular genre of film (for example, comedy, horror, romance, action, etc.). I also learnt that Christmas films are subjective, meaning that people have their own personal thoughts and opinions on what the definition of a Christmas film, for example, I believe 'Gremlins' is a Christmas based on my own opinions that I highlighted before, yet many people would disagree with me and argue it isn't. Christmas films can be of any genre and still present the themes of Christmas, whatever the story or style of filmmaking.