Help me remember this forgotten Christmas movie.

December 10, 2011 9:35 PM

Need help recalling the name of an obscure(?) Christmas movie. It had a boy and a girl who run away to see Santa Claus (in Lapland?) and they get in trouble with Santa and run away to a gingerbread house and (a la Hansel and Gretel) an old lady/witch puts the boy in a cage and tries to fatten him up so she can eat him but they kids push her into the oven (I think). It's all a bit hazy but I think it was from the late 80s, or possibly early 90s.
posted by 1000monkeys to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

Best answer: With the exception of the leader about Santa Claus you've told the exact story of Hansel and Gretel. There was a film done in 1987.

Culd you be conflating things?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:42 PM on December 10, 2011

Here's Hansel and Gretel - the Opera!
I own the DVD and showed it to my music classes recently and the plot (save Santa Claus) is exactly how you described. The father in the movie is sorta santa-esque, and there's The Sandman who has a very long white beard! Apparently, it is popular around christmas!
posted by beloveddoll at 10:35 PM on December 10, 2011

Response by poster: Sorry for the delay, I've been sick and forgot all about this question. I only remembered it because I was just thinking I should post it here and then remembered that I did. Oops.


beloveddoll, thanks for the link but it's definitely not a musical or opera. Although there may have been some singing in it?

tellmenoliesOMG you're right! That's the Hansel and Gretel movie, so I am definitely conflating two different movies. Hmm, now I wonder which Christmas one I'm thinking of. Thanks so much!
posted by 1000monkeys at 1:23 PM on December 14, 2011