Easter Movies : Aliens, Zombies, and How the Revolution Was Televised

Holidays are weird - all the big ones, anyway. They're all rooted in sex, violence & religion, & they're celebrated with money & food. I love 'em.
Easter is no exception; it may be the freakiest. It certainly has the best candy. But for all its weirdness, it's skimpy in the cinema department... Or are I?
There seems to be 3 kinds of holiday movies. The first kinds are the ones that are directly about the festivities & the day itself (Halloween, Scrooge). The second are where the holiday is just the setting of when the larger story takes place (Die Hard, Jaws). Then there's the third, which can either take dedication, or merely happens by accident. If you watch the same movie at the same time every year, they can become inseparable. I wrap Christmas presents to King of Kong. Jess watches Rushmore when she does our taxes. American Graffiti is a great way to celebrate the first day of summer. There are many. In fact, we've assigned just about every movie to a day or season.
Here, we have our votes for this particularly wacky time of year.


The Jess list

The Secret Garden
One year, for Easter, I got a VHS copy of this film in my Easter basket. More exciting to me than the movie was the sterling silver locket that came with it. I paraded around that day fancying myself as an early 20th century debutante. The film is permanently synonymous with Easter as a result.
Cute side note: after years of reminiscing about this locket I recently happened upon a sealed VHS copy at a flea market, complete with jewelry.

*Even cuter sidenote: While viewing this on DVD four years ago, I proposed to Paul, and he said yes.

Predator
For some reason, Paul and I watch Predator every year around Easter. Probably because we watched it one year and it became some kind of bizarre tradition. Like many films and traditions in the Proulx household.

The Last Temptation of Christ
This is one of my favorite films of all time. Top 100. And what a better time to watch a film about Jesus than on Easter.
Easter. Jesus. Easter. Jesus.

Critters 2
Paul and I are always hunting for holiday-themed horror. Even though Easter is one of your major holidays - Jesus and stuff - there aren't a lot to come by. C2 delivers on so many levels, complete with  Krite egg painting and a giant flesh eating critter ball finale. Great to watch while your painting your own eggs.

Night of the Leepus
Janet Leigh is being chased by giant bunny rabbits.












The Paul list

Black Moon
Talking animals, mythical creatures, a fictional war, psychosexual tension, decadent food. If you're into the creepier subtext of the holiday, this should make perfect sense.

April Morning
TV movie about the battle of Lexington and Concord, based on the novel by Howard Fast. Made for cheap with a few inaccuracies (green leaves in April?), it is, by definition, the perfect time of year for it. And as far as American Revolution movies go, it beats the shit out of The Patriot.

Magical Mystery Tour
Got it for Easter on VHS in '96 or '97, along with the album - cassette tape also. Like Black Moon, it comes with bizarre animal symbolism and lush European countryside.
Plus, the whole "egg man" thing.

Bad Lieutenant
The first time I saw it was in the spring, & I think I kept up with that for a year or two. The religious imagery is pretty thick, and it's not any harder to watch than The Passion, or even Jesus of Nazareth.