If you’re going to make a movie the first you need to learn (beside how to point and shoot a movie camera) is, what is a MacGuffin.

Indiana Jones with the Ark of the Covenant – the macGuffin from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

According to Wikipedia, a MacGuffin (also known as a McGuffin or Maguffin) is “a plot element that catches the viewers’ attention or drives the plot of a work of fiction.” The common wisdom with screenwriters is that a MacGuffin can be almost anything, but many times it’s mysterious or open to interpretation by the audience. All the characters seek it and are after it, it can be a mission, survival, power, a potential threat or maybe something completely unexplained.

MacGuffin’s Make the Movie
MacGuffin’s are common in filmmaking and even game development, especially action flicks. In most movies, a MacGuffin drives the central plot. It’s introduced in the first act, takes a backseat in the second (act as the characters, their motivations and connections) to it are played out and then the MacGuffin may be re-introduced or forgotten entirely as the story evolves.

Learning what a MacGuffin is and its importance is vital to learning digital filmaking. Steven Spielberg is a filmmaker that more than understands the postives and negatives of a good MacGuffin. On the topic of the Macguffin for Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, Spielberg told Entertainment Weekly, “I sympathize with people who didn’t like the MacGuffin (the crystal skull) because I never liked the MacGuffin. George [Lucas] and I had big arguments about the MacGuffin.”

For movie makers, a MacGuffin is just one more tool they need to have in they’re bag of tricks – it’s essential to and now you know what a MacGuffin is.

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He’s been called by some Hollywood a modern day Walt Disney. He believes animation is an art form not a genre and he’s the director of the new film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

Director Brad Bird with Tom Cruise on the set of M:I – Ghost Protocol. The partnership was started when Bird got a text from J.J. Abrams shortly after the release of   The Incredibles that read “Mission?”

Born Phillip Bradley Bird, Bird started training as an animator at the age of 14. Not only is he good friends with John Lasseter, the head of Pixar, in 2007 he was ranked by Entertainment Weekly as #23 on their 50 Smartest People in Hollywood list.

The Young Animator
At the age of 11, Bird was on a tour of the Walt Disney Studios when he announced he would eventually work there. Soon after his tour he started work on a 15-minute short that he submitted to the company. He so impressed the studio, Bird (at the age of 14) would mentor under animator Milt Kahl, one of Walt Disney’s legendary Nine Old Men and continued to follow his dream as he eventually attended the California Institute of the Arts, after he was awarded a scholarship by Disney.

While at Cal Arts, Bird met and became friends with another future animator, Pixar co-founder and director John Lasseter. The two formed a fast friendship which still continues. Bird would go on to adapt and direct the critically acclaimed The Iron Giant for Warner Brothers in 1999, although he’s best known for The Incredibles (2004) and Ratatouille (2007).

Brad Bird at Pixar, behind him are storyboards for Ratatouille.

Bird also directed The Simpsons‘ episodes “Krusty Gets Busted” and “Like Father, Like Clown” – which is appropriate since Krusty The Klown is his favorite Simpsons character. On the subject of animation, Bird is pretty protective, “People keep saying, “The animation genre.” It’s not a genre! A Western is a genre! Animation is an art form, and it can do any genre. You know, it can do a detective film, a cowboy film, a horror film, an R-rated film or a kids’ fairy tale. But it doesn’t do one thing. And, next time I hear, “What’s it like working in the animation genre?” I’m going to punch that person!”

Brad Bird’s latest is Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and the director put his stamp on that movie too - Ethan Hunt’s code number is A113 – a classroom that Bird and Lasseter attended at Cal Arts.

Inspired by Animation
Today Brad Bird is one of Hollywood’s rising stars – and his star is only going to get brighter. For kids who want to learn how to get started in animation and become animators, it’s easy to get inspired. Disney classics are a great starting as well as artist like Mary Blair, or look no further than you’re own local movie theater. Who knows you could be the next Brad Bird.

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We’ve seen it, and in short, it’s awesome. Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt in the new film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol directed by Pixar’s Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, Ratatouille, The Incredibles).

Tom Cruise performed all his own stunts in the film, including the sequence where Ethan Hunt climbs the Burj Khalifa tower – the tallest building in the world.

Eager to prove himself in the live action genre, director Brad Bird takes a worn-out franchise and supercharges it. M:I 4 – Ghost Protocol is a check-your-brain at the door popcorn actioneer – and much like Bird’s first Pixar film The Incredibles, the action is like the Energizer bunny…it keeps going and going…

Making Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol  couldn’t have been easy, it’s obvious that Bird is out to prove himself – and he does. But this film shouldn’t be this good, the Cold War storyline is played out and the star is too. But instead of making a dud, the cast and crew turn out a blockbuster with both visuals and witty dialogue that are constantly assaulting you. But that’s not all, the ensemble cast, including Jeremy Renner (who is being groomed to take over the franchise from Cruise) and Simon Pegg keep Cruise, and the audience, on their toes.

“You’ll be on the outside of the building, I’ll be…on the computer…” Simon Pegg offers comedic relief in M:I – Ghost Protocol.

Old School Action
Like we said the storyline isn’t going to win an Oscar, it’s just there to propel Cruise and Co. through the eye-popping locales and jaw-dropping stunt sequences. The script is written by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec (two former Alias writers) and it does an solid job of keeping your interest. The “mission,” changes as the movie progresses but it doesn’t really make any difference. (Even the villain is forgetful, but don’t get hung up on any of that.) This is a roller coaster ride that plays out like an old James Bond movie.

Thankfully, the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously. To the writers and directors credit, it plays like a comedy at times with the drama being juxtaposed nicely against the jokes. For example, the first major action sequence plays out to “Ain’t That a Kick in The Head” by Dean Martin. Later, Simon Pegg goes in disguise as a Russian army official. It’s fun to watch Renner and Pegg play of each other too, that’s one of the added treats for M:I 4 – Ghost Protocol, a buddy comedy. Equally ridiculous are the film’s gadgets.

Director Brad Bird reviews a shot with Tom Cruise. 

The Amazing Brad Bird & IMAX
Director Brad Bird, is one of the new generation of digital filmmakers – he’s been called one of the smartest people in Hollywood. In M:I 4 – Ghost Protocol, the director keeps the action focused – and loves the IMAX cameras. He does a great job on keeping the story and characters on a straight line too – you never lose interest or your place. Speaking of places, you’ll visit Russia, Dubai and Mumbai and take in the sites in glorious IMAX – provided you see the film in an IMAX theater.

The signature scene where Tom Cruise climbs the world’s tallest building (Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai) is breathtaking and seeing it in any other format in a theater beside IMAX is ridiculous – especially since the film was shot specially using IMAX cameras. (The Batman Dark Knight preview that preceeds it, is equally amazing.)

In the end what could have become a tired, over worked visual effects spy-thriller is an incredibly enjoyable adventure – this is what the movies are all about. And believe it or not, Tom Cruise is still a great action hero, even though he’s pushing 50. Go see this movie – and if the option is available in your area, in IMAX.

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With only a few days left before Christmas, it’s time to kick back and take in some yuletide cheer. In fact, it’s almost become a family tradition to watch a Christmas movie favorite with the family. So while you’re waiting for Santa, check out our picks for the best holiday movies ever.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)

Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) encounters bizarre relatives and more in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

After the success of 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation, a sequel was sure to follow. Christmas Vacation was next in line and it’s possibly the best of the bunch. Chevy Chase (the very first break-out star of Saturday Night Live, and who now appears in NBC’s Community), is the bumbling yet well-meaning family patriarch, Clark Griswold. And all Clark wants for Christmas is a perfect family holiday.

Try as he might — including sheeting the exterior of the house in lights (25,000 of them, enough to strain the local power grid) and even tolerating low-rent, low-luck Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) — Clark’s dreams are smashed to bits at every turn. And that’s where part of the film gets its charm. Look for Johnny Galecki (The Big Bang Theory) as Clark’s son Rusty and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Seinfeld) as Clark’s stuck-up neighbor. With a laugh practically every minute, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is the gift that keeps on giving.

Die Hard (1988)

“Now I know what a TV dinner feels like.” New York detective John McClane (Bruce Willis) finds himself in a tight situation.

New York cop John McClane wants to spend a quiet holiday and reconnect with his estranged wife, the only problem is his wife works in one of Los Angeles’ high-rise office buildings and the building has just been overtaken by terrorists. The terrorist put the building on lock down, unknowingly also locking in John McClane as he arrives at the office to met his wife for the company Christmas party. The rest of the movie plays out like a cat-and-mouse game as McClane starts offing the terrorist one by one.

Per usual, Willis is extremely likeable in the lead role and the movie’s action scenes are intense and well planned. Master thespian Alan Rickman shines as chief bad guy, Hans Gruber. Like Christmas the film returns each year – for a while it seemed that Die Hard was also returning each year, this movie spawned three different sequels (and a fifth rumored to be in the works) and countless knock-offs. Speed for example, starring Keanu Reeves was pitched to studio producers as Die Hard on a bus. But it’s this movie, that set a standard for action movies for years to come.

You think spending the holidays with family is challenging? Stream Die Hard on your iPad and you’ll soon realize that you’re not the only having a tough Christmas.

It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

The Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life, strikes a blow for the common man, represented here by Jimmy Stewart.

Hollywood tends to make movies about larger-than-life subjects, so it’s interesting that one of the best films ever made is based upon the simple notion that it’s okay just to be an average person. It’s a Wonderful Life tracks the trajectory of ordinary citizen George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart), a small-town guy with big-city dreams that never quite materialize.

In his darkest hour, an angel is dispatched from Heaven to render key psychological aid and show him what life—everybody’s lives—would be like if George had never existed in the first place. Director Frank Capra specialized in making films about “average” American characters and It’s a Wonderful Life may shock first-time viewers with its power and depth.

And the “Christmas miracle” that George receives is only miraculous in its timing; his neighbors come to his financial rescue because he’s spent his entire adult life protecting their interests. When the American Film Institute assembled its ranking of the most inspirational American films ever made, this one topped the list.

A Christmas Story (1983)

A time of simple joys – and the neatest BB gun ever manufactured.

Many people become nostalgic during the holidays about Christmases from their youth. Here’s a piece of nostalgia pie that is effective precisely because it doesn’t remember everything too fondly. Still, A Christmas Story gets the details correct, and that’s the main thing that needs to happen in a nostalgia piece. The charming story is set in the 1940s in hardworking Hohman, Indiana, and concerns the Christmas ordeals of Ralphie Parker, a nine-year-old who’s only ambition is to get the hotshot BB gun of his dreams—despite the resistance he meets from a succession of grown-ups opposed to the idea.

Pudgy, bespectacled Peter Billingsley was nobody’s idea of the ultimate kid star, and that makes him even more likeable as the long-suffering Ralphie. Numerous subplots flesh out the movie, including a hilarious one involving Ralphie’s father (played to ranting-and-raving perfection by Darren McGavin) and his obsession with a novelty house lamp shaped like a female leg. The movie perfectly understands the child’s view of Christmas and his single-minded desire to obtain the must-have gift of the season.

Scrooged (1988)

Bill Murray plays TV executive Frank Cross, Hollywood icon Robert Mitchum makes a cameo as his boss. 

A modern take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol starring Bill Murray as the curmudgeonly Francis Xavier “Frank” Cross, a modern-day television network executive who’s loaded with one-liners. While he’s got a fancy New York office and loads of success, he lacks any human warmth or soul.

As the Dickens’ story dictates, the greedy miser has to be shown the error of his ways and reconnect with his sense of humanity. Here, instead of a flying ghost, we’re given a setting-appropriate cab driver who’s able to show Murray a world beyond the hustle and bustle of New York City. Murray built a career playing smug characters who are often vicious with sarcastic put-downs, but he’s never been more hateful or foul than in Scrooged. With an awesome supporting cast and cameos by actor Lee Majors (“The Six Million Dollar Man”), singer Robert Goulet and jazz legend Miles Davis (as a street musician). Scrooged is a movie that ultimately shared the true meaning of Christmas, while laughing all the way.

White Christmas (1954)

Power Couples: (from left to right) Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby and dancer Vera-Ellen. Danny Kaye was the reigning funnyman of the day, while Crosby was a chart-topping crooner. 

Inspired in part by the classic title song sung by Bing Crosby, White Christmas was the  most successful film of 1954. The song went on to become the biggest-selling recording of all time (with more than 50 million copies sold), White Christmas demonstrates that “Glee” wasn’t the first show where characters just suddenly break out into song, and everyone instantly knows all the lyrics.

The movie reflects back on a simpler and more wholesome time period and makes for fine family viewing. The catchy tunes, all written by master American composer Irving Berlin, are some of the most memorable movie songs you’ll ever hear. The film’s direction, by Casablanca director Michael Curtiz, is transparent and effortless. And the singing and dancing (and romancing) by the cast (Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen) couldn’t be more entertaining. Will the big Christmas show be enough to save the retired general’s ski lodge? Will Bing and Rosemary patch up their budding romance before the big finale? Will we hear the title song during the movie’s stirring closing? Will it snow on Christmas Eve? White Christmas is a grand piece of Christmas entertainment, and was the very first film produced in VistaVision, an early widescreen projection process.

Home for the Holidays
Holiday movies are now an understood part of most families’ Christmas traditions. No wonder films are a great way to bring the family together. Be sure to capture the memories with your DSLR camera or other means of digital filmmaking. And don’t forget – take time, to take in one of the Christmas classics above.

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When Tom Cruise who plays Ethan Hunt in the new movie Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, is seen hanging from the side of the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai, he’s really doing his own stunts. The Burj Khalifa tower is the tallest building in the world and it took a production effort almost as big to orchestrate the signature stunt.

Tom Cruise and Director Brad Bird on the set of Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol.

In the movie, Ethan and crew must make their way to a higher floor – and do that from the outside of the building. To scale the glass building, Ethan is outfitted with electronic gloves but it’s all Tom Cruise doing the climbing. For the scene and film, which was shot in IMAX, the cast and crew planned for months:

“The Studio Will Never Allow That.”
Stunt coordinator Gregg Smrz was responsible for overseeing all of the stunts, “People are going to think it’s CG [computer-generated], but it’s not. You have to see it to believe it. When we were in meetings, they said, “Tom’s not going to climb that building. The studio will never allow that.” I said, “Tom’s going to climb the building, I guarantee it.”

For the shot, special mounts had to be made for the 65-millimeter Imax cameras and extreme safety precautions were put in place to ensure nothing fell from the building while shooting.

Even production personnel had to be harnessed to the building – since they had to work in open windows 2,723 feet above the ground. For the actors and crew they were so high above the ground, they felt like they were in an airplane.

“We spent hundreds of hours trying to figure out, how are we going to climb this glass and make it look real. In Prague, we had a [replica] section of the building brought over from Dubai and built it on stage. We knew the temperature of the glass and where the sun was going to be on the day of our filming, and we put 50-foot-tall lights on a rheostat so we could adjust them so it was like the sun.” said Smrz.

Even Tom Cruise, who refused to let stunt doubles take his place, had personal issues dealing with the extreme conditions, “It can get so hot up there that it could burn me, so we had to really play with different kinds of rubber, different kinds of materials with the wardrobe. A sequence like this — even for training as we’re trying to figure how we’re going to do it, it’s pretty intense.”

Rigging the Shot
Tom Peitzman is the co-producer and visual effects producer for Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, explains the Hollywood visual effects work done on the stunt, “The visual effects work we had to do was painting out rigging because Tom was really climbing the building. But there were so many very large cables on Tom, we would actually be replacing the building pieces individually — instead of just painting out the cables.”

Peitzman also explained why the height of the building wasn’t the only problem: “With a mirrored-surface building, it created a reflections nightmare. We had helicopters in our shots, we had crew in our shots, we had all kinds of rigging. There were many times where we would see six reflections of Tom. So if he has four cables on him, we have 24 cables we have to remove.”

Tom Cruise in harness, a mile and a half above Dubai. 

Real Stunts, Real Bruises
In an age of digital filmmaking and visual effects dominating movies, it’s refreshing to see action on film done in-camera. The final shots are breathtaking, and not just for the actors, the onscreen action is amplified by IMAX. All the stunts including one sequence where the actor falls two stories, were all done by Tom. In a climbing harness for literally ten-plus hours a day, the actor never complained.

“I can send you out, but once you’re out, you’re coming back just as hard. [Tom] would impact the building pretty hard.” says Smrz, “I can only imagine how sore he was. But he never complained. He would hang up there for hours. He climbed, I want to say, five days in a row? As far as bruised ribs, there’s just no way around it.”

Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, opens Dec. 21.

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Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are the secret agents of M.I.B. who keep intergalactic scoundrels in check. And they’re back in black – thanks to Sony Studios who revealed the first trailer for M.I.B. 3.

Suited up ready for duty, Agent J and Agent K are back on the case in M.I.B. 3. 

Time Travel & Alien Encounters
The film had been tangled up in script development, but Sony pushed hard to get the film back on track and get the commitment of key stars – mainly Tommy Lee Jones.

In M.I.B. 3, Smith returns to the role of Agent J, J must go back in time to 1969 and save his partner Agent K – who J is told, died 40 years ago. Men in Black 3 marks Will Smith’s first appearance on the big screen since 2008, when he starred in Seven Pounds. The film also stars Josh Brolin as a young Agent K, and Saturday Night Live alumni Bill Hader as Andy Warhol.

It’s an interesting premise, as Tommy Lee Jones has previously commented that he felt too old to return to the role of Agent K. And while Tommy Lee Jones may be getting on in years, M.I.B. as a film franchise (which first hit the screen in 1997) isn’t showing it’s age too bad, just take a look at the trailer:

Will Smith goes back in time in the latest M.I.B. movie.

Men in Black is one of the most anticipated movies of 2012 and promises both eye-popping computer generated visual effects as well as traditional costume effects by makeup legend Rick Baker.

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The sixteenth president of the United States guided the country through one of the most difficult times in American history and now Steven Spielberg is recreating the historical icon in 2012′s Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln, who with the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves, prepares the Gettysburg address. 

Thanks to an insider, we’ve got a first look at the films star, Daniel Day-Lewis as Lincoln (see below). The cast includes Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Lincoln’s son Robert Todd Lincoln, Tommy Lee Jones as Thaddeus Stevens and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln, rumors have also swirled that Harrison Ford may make an uncredited cameo as Lincoln’s V.P., Andrew Johnson.

Team of Rivals
Based on the book Team of Rivals by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, Lincoln will focus on the one-term congressman and poor country lawyer’s rise as an unknown to the seat of the presidency.

The film is also expected to spend time with Lincoln as he struggles to bring the country together as the Civil War and the issue of slavery continue to tear it apart.

The book does an incredible job of providing insight into Lincoln as a person and how he was able to win the office of president even though his rivals were more experienced and better known. Team of Rivals continues to follow the man as he enters the office and must deal with hostile congressmen, incompetent generals and his difficult cabinet – men that he ran against in his bid for presidency.

Spielberg is expected to capture the very essence of the man on film, and if this photograph of Daniel Day-Lewis (who won a Best Actor Oscar for There Will Be Blood) is any indication, it looks like Spielberg is well on his way to making an authentic drama. Day-Lewis is the spitting image of Lincoln:

Character actor Daniel Day-Lewis enjoys lunch between takes on Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln.

Method Actor
As a filmmaker Steven Spielberg has featured Lincoln in previous films, Lincoln’s “Bixby Letter” was used an indirect plot device in Saving Private Ryan, and the Gettysburg Address is recited in the opening scene of Minority Report. Spielberg’s a Lincoln fan – and so is his star.

Daniel Day-Lewis is a serious actor, he prefers to stay in character while filming. In fact our Lincoln insider tells us Day-Lewis has been talking with Lincoln’s trademark mid-western accent since March of this year. On set, he’s called Mr. President or Mr. Lincoln depending on the scenes he’s shooting, and the actors name doesn’t even appear on a call sheet! Young actors can take a cue from Daniel Day-Lewis, if they want to be committed to the craft.

Spielberg definitely won’t have to go to film camp next summer, but you may if you want to be the next Daniel Day-Lewis or Steven Spielberg.

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Frank Darabont has an impressive resume: Not only did he develop the critically acclaimed Walking Dead TV show, he’s also a three-time Oscar nominee, having directed The Green Mile (1999) and The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Recently his script for the fourth Indiana Jones movie surfaced on the Internet.

Writer, producer and director Frank Darabont. 

Reinventing an Icon
Darabont, who previously worked with George Lucas as a script writer on the The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones television show, was hired to write a script in May 2002. The script, called Indiana Jones and the City of Gods, had Indy being pursued by ex-Nazis in the 1950s. For Darabont it would be no easy task to follow Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (a film that many felt effectively wrapped up the franchise) but his script did that, and then some.

Darabont finished his script toward the end of 2003 and presented it to Steven Spielberg. Spielberg, who thought up the story concept for the fourth film, loved the script. George Lucas, however, who created Indiana Jones, didn’t like it.

Spielberg and Lucas had long discussions about the story – both had issue with the 1950s setting, and that it ignored the Cold War. After some additional reflection, Spielberg (who had also received an Oscar for Schindler’s List) decided it would be inappropriate to satirize Nazis in the next Indiana Jones movie. Harrison Ford too, who played Indiana Jones, also felt the franchise had “wore the Nazis out.”

Grab a box of tissues and get ready to cry over what could have been…

Sadly, neither felt Darabont’s script was what they were looking for. Eventually, Lucas took over the script-writing duties and other screen writers came on too, with Russians becoming Indy’s main enemy, although one of Darabont’s story concepts remained: Marion Ravenwood as Indy’s love interest.

Script Writing 101
Fans have badmouthed Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull since it was released, and story elements played a huge part in that – including the scene at the beginning of the movie where Indy saves himself from a nuclear blast by hiding in a refrigerator. Writing for the screen is a craft that takes years to develop, but film camp can provide a great start and learning script writing can be a great asset for beginning filmmakers.

Check out Frank Darabont’s Indiana Jones and the City of the Gods script and see what goes into making the written word come to life on the big screen. It’s a craft that can pay off big; at last count, the Indiana Jones franchise has grossed over a billion dollars.

George Lucas, Harrison Ford and Steven Spielberg on the set of Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull.

The Future of Indiana Jones
So what lies ahead for Indiana Jones? Is a fifth film in the works? Inside sources say yes, that Speilberg and Lucas “have a story that they like and they’re working on it.” As for rumors that Shia LaBeouf will take over the franchise, don’t hold your breath for that one to come true.

In a recent interview with Time magazine when he was asked about passing the proverbial torch (or in this case, hat) to LaBeouf in the next movie, Ford replied, “What are you talking about? It’s mine. I would love to do another Indiana Jones movie. George Lucas is working on an idea now. Shia can get his own hat. I earned that hat.”

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It’s that time again, when holiday movies and TV shows take over the airwaves. And why not gather round the television with the family and zone out on a holiday movie after a platter full of turkey or ham? But before you find yourself in the middle of a stocking-stinker, check out our list for the ten worst holiday/Christmas movies ever:

10. Christmas with the Kranks (2004)

Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis and Dan Aykroyd – Hollywood A-listers that flunk out in this holiday bomb.

When empty-nesters Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis decide to forego the usual Christmas festivities in favor for a luxury cruise, their uptight neighbors (led by Dan Aykroyd) go nuts: they picket the couple’s house, subject them to endless Christmas carols, and worse. At first, the movie seems to be on the Kranks’ side, but by the super-cheesy finale, the point seems to be that you should always conform to your neighbors’ Christmas wishes — regardless of how you may want to celebrate the holidays. What a confused and wrong-headed mess.

9. Reindeer Games (2000)

An actor for a knack for bad movies, Ben Affleck makes our Christmas movie list – twice. In this one, Affleck teams up with a embittered Gary Sinise to knock off an Indian Casino. But when Affleck gets double-crossed he learns…the true meaning of Christmas. At times, its bad in an enjoyable way, but most times its predictable and worn-out holiday fare (with character names like Nick and Rudy – you guessed it, as a nod to Santa and Rudolph). This is a holiday-themed action vehicle that crashes head-on into a brick wall.

8. Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights (2002)

An animated Adam Sandler plays himself, under the character name Davey Stone – a cocky trouble-maker with an attitude and drinking problem. 

Parents expecting to find a cozy holiday cartoon with a message were shocked by the no-holds-barred musical comedy – alongside the bathroom humor are an unbelievable number of product placements (with shouts-out to more than 25 different mall-based retailers) and for what? Because someone thought it might be a good idea to take Sandler’s infamous “Chanukah Song” (the eight days of Hanukkah) and turn it into a holiday movie.

7. Jack Frost (1996)

Visual effects are created in Hollywood – so is the rich tradition of attempting to make scary holiday films. Just check out Black Christmas (1974); Silent Night, Bloody Night (1974); Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984); Christmas Evil (1980); or Don’t Open Till Christmas (1984). But until they make Black Friday, Jack Frost has to take the Christmas cake, with the concept of a slasher…who’s actually a snowman. In this case, a serial killer named Jack Frost is being transported to his execution when a freak collision occurs, involving a truck carrying genetic material. Through his exposure to the body-altering chemicals, Jack Frost morphs into a killer snowman, intent on wreaking bloody revenge on the citizens of Snowmonton. Often described as a “comedy-horror film,” Jack Frost never recovers from its oh-so-stupid premise. Cheap-looking special effects and forgettable performances (including Shannon Elizabeth’s first acting role) helped solidify this movie’s reputation as a true monstrosity.

6. Surviving Christmas (2004)

The second Ben Affleck holiday flick on our list, this film stars Ben as a spoiled millionaire playboy who decides to head home for the holidays after he turns his friends against him. And his friends aren’t the only ones to turn their back on him; Jon Favreau (director of Iron Man & Cowboys & Aliens) was offered the chance to direct but turned it down to make Elf. The studio thought so much of Surviving Christmas as a holiday film they released it around Halloween instead of Christmas. You’d think opposite of James Gandolfini and Christina Applegate, Affleck might be able to find enough funny to bring the holiday hijinks home – but you’d be wrong.

5. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

“Let’s show them how we wreck a beloved holiday classic!” 

In 1957, a great and gentle genius named Ted Geisler (aka Dr. Suess) sat down at his drawing table and created a simple masterpiece, a children’s story about a Scrooge-like creature. In 1966, Warner Brothers animator Chuck Jones turned the film into an animated classic. Nearly 50 years later, that classic cartoon still plays throughout the holiday season, inspiring whole new generations with each viewing. In 2000, director Ron Howard decided to turn it into a big-screen blockbuster, in hopes of squeezing more money out of the Grinch.

The problem though is while a lavish, live-action version of the story – starring Jim Carrey in furry green costume sounds like a no-brainer – the producers and director mess too much with the classic and need to go back to film camp. To fill the two hours, the filmmakers expand whole sections of the story, which don’t seem at all like anything Dr. Seuss would have written in 1957 or for that matter, in 2000. Instead Seuss’ heart-touching rhymes have been replaced with Carrey adlibs and references to pop culture (circa 2000). You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch!

4. Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)

Produced by the same team that brought you Superman, this holiday time-suck stars Dudley Moore as an elf named Patch who with John Lithgow aim to turn Christmas into a mass-produced holiday. The filmmakers worked for months to train real deer to pull a sleigh – if only the same effort went into the rest of the film. It was one of the biggest box-office disasters in the U.S., while it did eventually make back the budget worldwide.

3. Four Christmases (2008)

Will Hollywood ever learn? Another worn out “you must learn the meaning of Christmas” calamity centered around families that don’t want to spend the holidays together – starring Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon.

2. Jack Frost (1998) 

What was meant to be a kids movie turns into a perfect example of how NOT to make a Christmas movie. Michael Keaton stars as Jack Frost, the leader of the Jack Frost Band. They play, you guessed it, Christmas songs. But the film goes off the deep end when Keaton’s character dies in a car crash and is reincarnated as a snowman who must teach his son the true meaning of Christmas. So you can tolerate that? We should also mention that Keaton sings in the movie, and the soundtrack features Christmas songs by 90s pop icons Hanson and The Spice Girls.

1. Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)

Even Martians can’t help getting that old Christmas spirit in Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

Just take a moment and savor that title…Could there be a more colossally idiotic concept for a film? To its credit, the film explores the bizarre-o premise fully: the plot includes Martians actually kidnapping and trying to kill Santa, who is saved by a couple of resourceful Martian kids and some good-hearted, clanking robots. The film (and its no-name cast) is so awful that it routinely gets mentioned among the worst movies ever made of any kind. The film is so bad it even has its own cult of fans (it was featured on Mystery Science Theater) and has even spawned a novel and musical. At one point, Jim Carrey even rumored to be attached to a remake – thankfully, that never materialized.

Coming Attractions: The Best Holiday Movies Ever Made

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They are two of the greatest directors in film history, each the maker of acknowledged movie masterpieces. Both Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese came to prominence during the 1970s, one of cinema’s greatest and most productive decades.

Hugo is director Martin Scorsese’s first film to use 3D.

But both directors are closely identified with the films they made thirty to forty years ago and that presents a small problem. Now each director has to compete with his own legend, and each must prove that he can make new films that are accessible to younger audiences. To that end, each director has a new project that takes advantages of new techniques in digital filmmaking.

Coppola: The Godfather of Cinema                       
Before he was known as a master filmmaker, Francis Ford Coppola was a respected stage director and had directed a couple of films. But that was before 1972 and the release of the movie that would secure his reputation as a giant in cinema. The Godfather created a sensation and became one of the best-loved films of all time, and Coppola hasn’t been out of the public eye since. Along the way he’s made other masterpieces, including the Vietnam war drama,  Apocalypse Now.

From young lion to grand old man of the cinema: Francis Ford Coppola talks about his passion for film at the Toronto Film Festival.

For his latest project, Twixt, Coppola returned to one of his favorite film genres — horror. In the movie, a horror writer (played by Val Kilmer) visits a bizarre town which may or may not be inhabited by vampires. In one amazing scene, director Coppola has star Kilmer engage in a one-on-one conversation with the father of all modern horror, Edgar Allan Poe.

Coppola not only experimented with story elements but the director was also using an iPad for film editing. For example, when Coppola appeared at Comic-Con 2011 to showcase Twixt, he talked about his desire to take the film on the road and present it along with an orchestra — basically directing the film’s performance as a fresh audience experience each time out, even shuffling the order of shots as the mood of the performance struck him.

He told the Comic-Con faithful, “What I’d love to do is go on tour, like a month before the film opened…and go to all the cities myself, with my collaborators, with live music and actually perform the film for each audience uniquely for them — a different version for each audience.” The maestro also put his own unique stamp on using 3D. In Coppola’s case, that meant utilizing the effect selectively and only in certain scenes.

Coppola had seen a recent blockbuster and liked its use of 3D, but didn’t care for keeping on the special glasses throughout. “I enjoyed very much Avatar,” he said, “But I confess that I took the glasses off during much of the movie. And whenever I saw the images start to show that it was going to be 3D, I put them on and saw a wonderful sequence, and then I took them off again.”

Coppola not only paid tribute to early horror writer Edgar Allan Poe in Twixt; the 3D lenses Coppola handed out at Comic-Con 2011 were inset into Poe face masks. 

And although Coppola enjoys 3D, he doesn’t want to use it as a one-trick pony. “How dare anyone think that all movies have up their sleeve is more 3D. Cinema has many more surprises that you and your children will invent, because it’s at the beginning of this expression of image and sound.” While other art forms are thousands of years old, Coppola noted that film is still in its infancy as an art form. “Music and theater are thousands of years old. Cinema’s a baby.”

Scorsese: Genius Moves to the Third Dimension
Among major directors, few are as passionate about the craft of filmmaking as Martin Scorsese. Through landmark films like 1976’s Taxi Driver and 1980’s Raging Bull, Scorsese tackled tough subjects and did it all with a virtuoso’s artistry. His uncompromising vision has led him to a Best Director Oscar (for 2006’s The Departed), as well as other prestigious awards, such as the Cannes Film Festival’s highly prized Palme D’Or for Taxi Driver.

In 2006, Scorsese was presented the Oscar for Best Director for The Departed by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola…the other major American directors who came to prominence during the 1970s. Scorsese’s natural sense of humor was on full display when he asked the presenters to “Check the envelope, please.” (Scorsese had been nominated five previous times before winning.)

Few directors have made more great films than Martin Scorsese, and even fewer have studied film in depth as Scorsese has done.

Now Scorsese is back and with a different type of movie than he’s ever made. Hugo (which opens November 23^rd) is an adventure/puzzle of a movie, and it follows the title character, a resourceful boy trying to unlock a secret left to him by his deceased father. A dazzling visual experience, Hugo is Scorsese’s first foray into making a 3D movie, and he recently talked about embracing the popular technology.

“Most people have stereoscopic vision so why belittle that element of our existence? Why not use it? We’re basically headed for holograms. You have to think that way.” He’s convinced of the screen power of 3D, although combining the technique with Scorsese’s patented perfectionism didn’t lead to quick results. “It really was an enjoyable headache,” the famous director said. “It demands respect. We just kept pushing it to see how far we could go. We would look at a shot and say, ‘What could we do to use the depth?’”

A Fresh Approach to Filmmaking
When Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese were learning film production, the only real source of training (besides on-the-job experience) was offered by film schools. Today, anyone interested in filmmaking can pull out their smartphone and post a video up to their YouTube channel. Still, the professional world of filmmaking demands that you master new technologies; after all, it’s a digital filmmaking world.

Aspiring filmmakers can now study film production and learn how to make a movie at film camp without waiting to be accepted to a full-time film school. Digital Media Academy is a state-of-the-art, critically acclaimed digital media education company that offers personalized instruction from seasoned industry professionals. You’ll also get exposure to the latest film-production techniques and hands-on training in film production and how to use editing software (like Final Cut Pro). Interested in becoming the next Coppola or Scorsese? Learn how from DMA.

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