A Merry Bruce-mas to All!

Christmas movies are cheesy and sappy. Aside from the rare classic like A CHRISTMAS STORY, ELF, and SCROOGED we usually get the same old story of holiday cheer and goodwill saving the day. LGBT holiday films are no exception. Although there is one special thing that queer films have and that’s a magical, large, jolly, man who has a broad face and a little round belly that shakes when he laughs like a bowlful of jelly. No, not Santa Claus, but the fabulous writer, actor and comedian Bruce Villanch! Bruce appears in countless gay films and here are just three holiday films that will give you a merry Bruce-mas!

SCROOGE AND MARLEY

In this version of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Scrooge (David Pevsner) is the heartless owner of a gay night club laying off and refusing health care to employees on Christmas Eve when he is visited by the three Christmas ghosts who show him the meaning of the holiday. Bruce Villanch plays Fezziwig the flamboyant 1970s gay club owner who brings young Scrooge (the cute Drew Anderson) under his wing with the help of money and drugs only to have crafty Ebenezer run him out of business. Look out for the fierce Ronnie Kroell as The Ghost of Christmas Past who uses magic poppers to spin Scrooge back in time!  Available on DVD and Amazon Instant Video. (scroogeandmarleymovie.com)

WALK A MILE IN MY PRADAS

When macho, construction worker, Tony (Nathaniel Marston) meets his new proudly gay co-worker Steve (Tom Archdeacon) he wastes no time throwing homophobic slurs at him in front of everyone. That is until fate and a magic Christmas ornament step in to teach him a lesson. Two weeks before his wedding, it’s the old magical switch-a-roo when Tony finds that he is suddenly gay, while Steve learns he has mysteriously turned straight. Sure there are tons of straight butch vs. gay queen stereotypes flying, but the guys are cute and it’s all good fun as each guy learns something about the other. And guess who turns out to be the owner of this magical angel Christmas ornament?  Bruce Villanch of course, playing himself! Available on DVD, Netflix, iTunes and Amazon Instant Video.

IT NEARLY WASN’T CHRISTMAS

From 1989, when hair and collars were as over the top as the acting, this made for TV movie has probably the most depressing version of Santa Claus ever seen. Santa (Charles Durning) is fed up with the commercialism and selfishness of Christmas and plans to cancel the holiday completely. Just then he gets a letter from a little girl wishing to be reunited with her father—who is too ashamed to tell his family he is working as shopping mall piano player in L.A. Sad Santa and the sad little girl go on a road trip across the U.S. by bus, truck, and hot air balloon to find her him. Lucky for us this sad pair is joined by, you guessed it, Bruce Villanch! Bruce plays Philpot a large, goofy and Christmas-loving elf that gives Will Ferrell a run for his money. While not technically a queer film, Philpot steals every scene with his North Pole hijinks. Available for streaming on the internet if you know where to look.