I’m a sucker for a good Christmas action movie. And, if you ask Samuel L. Jackson, he knows exactly which flick he’d pick for the GOAT Christmas movie, and I bet you won’t be surprised to find out it stars one of his own iconic characters. For the Avengers alum’s money, the greatest movie of the holiday season is The Long Kiss Goodnight, and honestly, I couldn’t agree more.
Taking to his Instagram, the Nick Fury actor shared a delightful fan art portraying his down-on-his-luck private investigator character from the Renny Harlin-directed thriller. Alongside him is Geena Davis’ formidable blonde bombshell assassin “Charly,” complete with the fitting tagline, “Merry Christmas Muhfukka.” Jackson doesn’t mince words in his caption:
THE BEST CHRISTMAS MOVIE EVER!! THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT!!
The Star Wars franchise veteran didn’t stop there in promoting his work and the movie. He also posted the image to his Instagram feed with the following caption:
This beats All those Lifetime Christmas flicks!!!
I can’t agree more with Mr. Jackson. I’m more of a fan of Hallmark’s Christmas movies, anyhow. Sure, The Long Kiss Goodnight might not technically be a Christmas movie, but like so many Shane Black-penned flicks, they’re on a holiday theme and are best watched around the Yuletide season.
For those who don’t know, The Long Kiss Goodnight is an action-packed adventure about Samantha Caine (Geena Davis), a suburban mom with amnesia, and the most badass schoolteachers whom you do not want to piss off. Caine undergoes a Christmas-time identity crisis as her forgotten past as a government assassin resurfaces. Caine teams up with detective Mitch Hennessey (Samuel L. Jackson) to fend off new and old enemies in the thrilling flick.
Jackson has expressed his fondness for the character Mitch Hennessey, even indicating an interest in revisiting the role. His enthusiasm remains undiminished, even recalling a daring on-set stunt during an appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show earlier this year. When asked about the “craziest” sequence he’s been part of onscreen, Jackson swiftly pointed to a scene in the 1996 action-mystery film. In the sequence in question, he and Geena Davis fired a machine gun at an icy lake and plunged into the freezing water. The Pulp Fiction icon recalled:
It was minus 37 degrees that day. They cut a hole in the ice… the ice was about four, five feet high… and they put a hot tub in it to make sure we didn’t float away because there was a current in the lake… They had to break the ice because it would freeze over between shots, and we would get in. (The stunt team) told us to count to five, and we would come up. Then we’d crawl across the ice, and they’d put us in a hot tub while they looked at the replay.
The scene is quite intense, making catching up on the movie worthwhile if you haven’t already. Geena Davis shared the same sentiment, recalling the scene during her appearance on The Late Late Show with James Corden. From her description, it seems even more terrifying.
What do you think? Do you agree with the Snakes on a Plane star? Does The Long Kiss Goodnight belong in the pantheon of best Christmas movies? It’s a debate that will go on forever.
Make sure to check out our schedule of 2024 movie releases to plan your next trip to the theaters in the new year.