I saw it in the cinema in 1990 at the Commodre Cinema Aberystwyth.I think it was late spring or even summer when I saw it. Big fan of the other vacation movies so had to see it on the big screen👍
My veteran projectionist friend says he must have imagined showing it at Cannon Above Bar, Southampton in Screen: 2 on a Kinoton DP75 and ST270 platter using Dolby CP50 with Phillips OMA 6 amplifiers.
@ Yes, it was released after Christmas so Warner UK wanted to semi-hide the fact it was a Christmas movie. Hence why they changed Chevy’s Santa costume to a winter clothes on the poster. Similar thing happened with Trapped in Paradise.
@@VideoTasties No worries, I just checked with him and it was shown in Southampton in the January following the US release (which tracks with the release date on Winter Holiday's BBFC page; 11/01/90). It was released to only (approx) 50 cinemas. I think it may have been only one or two prints that had to tour the country, so it had regional release dates spanning Jan to late Spring/early Summer!
I remember the rental release well. This film had one of the strongest Macrovision I had ever encountered. Seriously. Had to rent about 5 times to try and break it.
That meme(?) you found online at the end is wrong and very misleading. The big clue is in the UK quad poster you showed throughout that had the alternate title. Type "Winter Holiday" into BBFC and you'll find a classification dated 30th March 1990 for a UK cinema release. For some reason, the BBFC website gave the film an individual listing based on the original UK title. So Christmas Vacation did get a UK cinema release and proving the "straight to video" claim false.
The BBFC website used to be useful. Used to be. Doesn’t even list the cut times any more which were I think a meagre two seconds for this one to get rid of Clark’s raging f-bomb.
Seems rather odd that it never got a full UK release in 1989. BBFC probably thought releasing a Xmas movie in March/April 1990 would be a lost leader in terms of Box Office returns. In the '80s, the UK had to wait on average 4-6 months after the US release for most Hollywood films. Thankfully, Home Alone was released in UK in December 1990 and was a massive hit. Chevy who?!
It’s weird they didn’t just wait until Christmas 90 to release it. We got luckily with delays sometimes. Ghostbusters 2 came out December 89 (I saw that as a six year old) so it’s new year Christmas time setting works. Die Hard was December 88 also and Gremlins December 84. Both of them summer US releases. Adventures in Babysitting being called A Night On the Town over here is odd one.
National Lampoons European Vacation was not released in UK cinemas either. It was the VHS boom era and it would be more profitable to release it straight to video than endure the costs of marketing for a theatrical release. There are plenty of US classic 80s films that did not get a UK theatrical release like Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer and Summer School.
European Vacation did get a UK cinema release. It takes you 30 secs to learn this. What's with the lack of research people refuse to do these days? So much misinformation.
@@andykaufmoon I'm not the one spewing utter shite like "European Vacation never got a UK cinema release". 30 secs of a basic Google search, it's not a frightening prospect.
@@michaelmyers3709 Yeah, Christina was the only person trying in that shit fest. I've only seen clips of that Cousin Eddie spin-off... clips were enough.
That's crazy. Christmas Vacation is arguably the best movie in the franchise. And it is very rare that the third installment is the best
People are saying it was a quick release in april 1990 as Winter Holiday which is maybe why it's not remembered
100%
It was released in late nov 89 i think as i showed it at my local cinema....
'It's people that make the difference, little people...like you.' Always loved that line from Brian Doyle-Murray after he gets kidnapped and shamed.
I saw it in the cinema in 1990 at the Commodre Cinema Aberystwyth.I think it was late spring or even summer when I saw it. Big fan of the other vacation movies so had to see it on the big screen👍
My old hangout, odd that I missed it
I saw it in the Regal Cinema in Oswestry 1990. Would have been before May because that's when I moved away after finishing my exams.
It was on at the cinema in Telford I went to watch it 4 times 1990 in the uk so you are wrong
@@chinafox1949 thanks
@@lmackreath78 was it called by the alternative name?
I saw it in Cheswick Theater in PA when it was released in 1989. 🎄
Is that in the US?
@ yes
My veteran projectionist friend says he must have imagined showing it at Cannon Above Bar, Southampton in Screen: 2 on a Kinoton DP75 and ST270 platter using Dolby CP50 with Phillips OMA 6 amplifiers.
Was it called Winter Holiday there?
@ Yes, it was released after Christmas so Warner UK wanted to semi-hide the fact it was a Christmas movie. Hence why they changed Chevy’s Santa costume to a winter clothes on the poster. Similar thing happened with Trapped in Paradise.
@danpalmer5451 thanks 👍
@@VideoTasties No worries, I just checked with him and it was shown in Southampton in the January following the US release (which tracks with the release date on Winter Holiday's BBFC page; 11/01/90). It was released to only (approx) 50 cinemas. I think it may have been only one or two prints that had to tour the country, so it had regional release dates spanning Jan to late Spring/early Summer!
@danpalmer5451 cheers that print is probably worth a bit now
I remember the rental release well.
This film had one of the strongest Macrovision I had ever encountered.
Seriously. Had to rent about 5 times to try and break it.
dialling 999 now
Could have just bought it
@@VideoTasties 😂
@@michaelmyers3709 I did in the end - when it came out for sale.
And then on dvd
And Blu-ray.
And now 4K.
That meme(?) you found online at the end is wrong and very misleading. The big clue is in the UK quad poster you showed throughout that had the alternate title. Type "Winter Holiday" into BBFC and you'll find a classification dated 30th March 1990 for a UK cinema release. For some reason, the BBFC website gave the film an individual listing based on the original UK title. So Christmas Vacation did get a UK cinema release and proving the "straight to video" claim false.
Thanks
The BBFC website used to be useful. Used to be. Doesn’t even list the cut times any more which were I think a meagre two seconds for this one to get rid of Clark’s raging f-bomb.
I seem ro recall it was called Winter Vacation before the VHS release.
@@gberreta4058 probably why I missed it if it was renamed
Seems rather odd that it never got a full UK release in 1989. BBFC probably thought releasing a Xmas movie in March/April 1990 would be a lost leader in terms of Box Office returns. In the '80s, the UK had to wait on average 4-6 months after the US release for most Hollywood films. Thankfully, Home Alone was released in UK in December 1990 and was a massive hit. Chevy who?!
Yesh odd that release a proper christmas move in april
I’m pretty sure it did I recall seeing the movie poster outside the cinema in Hull
Was it as winter holiday?
It’s weird they didn’t just wait until Christmas 90 to release it. We got luckily with delays sometimes. Ghostbusters 2 came out December 89 (I saw that as a six year old) so it’s new year Christmas time setting works. Die Hard was December 88 also and Gremlins December 84. Both of them summer US releases. Adventures in Babysitting being called A Night On the Town over here is odd one.
I think Die Hard came out in Feb 89 but many films waited for a suitable release date as there was such big delay in the uk
I don't know what is more weird... that it may have gone straight to video or that it got a cinema release in April. I give up at this point.
too soon a release and they just thought a rental in December would do better
@@VideoTasties I rented it and agree it would have done better when rentals were high.
i shown the film back in the 90s when i was a projectionist ,,,
was it called Winter Holiday and came out in April?
@@VideoTasties no National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation ,
November 1990 we had it on screen 3 ,,for a bit , unit four cinemas .
It wasn't released in 1990 in cinemas atl. I should know as was 15 and into film a lot during this time.
Thanks
Margaret Thatcher wasnt impressed.
I knew it was her fault
Imagine calling it winter holiday like an evil child snatcher or something. Christ is King
I guess they renamed it as it came out in April but the whole film is about Christmas
National Lampoons European Vacation was not released in UK cinemas either.
It was the VHS boom era and it would be more profitable to release it straight to video than endure the costs of marketing for a theatrical release.
There are plenty of US classic 80s films that did not get a UK theatrical release like Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer and Summer School.
I remember the others but was sure European Vacation was in cinemas
European Vacation did get a UK cinema release. It takes you 30 secs to learn this. What's with the lack of research people refuse to do these days? So much misinformation.
@@nighttimevideo
Why do I need to do research when I lived in that era and was very aware of what was released in the cinema at that period of time.
@@andykaufmoon I'm not the one spewing utter shite like "European Vacation never got a UK cinema release". 30 secs of a basic Google search, it's not a frightening prospect.
@@nighttimevideo
Wow, you need to grow up massively
Probably because you all don't like American comedy. Idk
they have always been popular here, it maybe it was because it couldn't be released here in december
I always found the Vacation films a bit weird. Never really understood why people like them. They just got worse with each instalment.
I grew up with the first 3 but I watch them as there are no new comedies
Because they’re awesome.
Well, except for Vegas.
@@michaelmyers3709 And the shitty (literally in one scene) 2015 reboot.
And Eddie’s Island Adventure of whatever it’s called. Only good thing about the remake was Christina Applegate.
@@michaelmyers3709 Yeah, Christina was the only person trying in that shit fest. I've only seen clips of that Cousin Eddie spin-off... clips were enough.