Hollywood Owes Our Industry!
Most people don’t think about it, but the roof has been an important part of Christmas joy and entertainment for centuries. In the early 1800s, the famous “Twas The Night Before Christmas” poem (actually titled “A Visit from St. Nicholas”) declared “So up to the housetop the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too!” Not long afterwards, “Up on the Housetop” became the second-oldest secular Christmas song (behind only “Jingle Bells”, which was written in 1857).
But rooftop entertainment isn’t relegated to the 1800s or Christmas poems and songs. We’ve noticed your stomping ground has also played a role in some of our favorite Christmas classics from the big screen. So, in a special Holiday Edition Roofer’s Coffee Shop Blog, here’s our top 5 list of Christmas movies that owe a little something to roofers (or maybe should’ve consulted one).
5. The Santa Clause (1994). Talk about a lack of fall protection. One shout from Tim Allen’s character is all it takes for Santa to slip and fall off the roof. Unsafe? Sure. But that kick-started the whole premise of the movie (and a lucrative Christmastime franchise for Tim).
4. Christmas With The Kranks (2004): Tim Allen is at it again. Only this time, he’s the one falling from the roof. His character, Luther, uses some pretty sketchy working methods to try and install a giant Frosty The Snowman on his roof. OSHA would have a field day with this one.
3. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989): What to point out here? The poor (but hilarious) ladder safety? The blissfully unaware (and fascia-damaging) staplegun technique? The lack of proper footwear or safety harness? Well, yes, yes, and yes. But the best, by far, is the giant ice spear that flies out of Clark’s gutter into yuppie neighbors Todd and Margo’s bedroom. Some proper insulation and ventilation could’ve avoided that ice-dam. But then we’d have missed the ever quotable “And why’s the carpet all wet, Todd!?”
2. Elf (2003): No rooftop tomfoolery here. So why the high ranking? Take a look at Buddy before he tramps off to find his dad. While trying to convince Buddy he’s not a Cottonheaded Ninnymuggins, the others list things he’s good at, including changing the batteries in the smoke detectors because he’s so tall. We’d add roofing to that list. Imagine his construction skills AND being tall enough to roof an entire elf house without leaving the ground!
1. Die Hard (1988): First of all, YES it’s a Christmas movie. Second, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better rooftop scene than John McClane taking on terrorists atop Nakatomi Plaza. The whole thing blows up! Fun fact: While not from the roof, actor Alan Rickman was dropped on the count of “two” instead of “three” to get a genuinely terrified reaction for the famous Hans Gruber fall. The actor was told he would be released on the count of three, so his shock was real. This stunt was Rickman’s last shot to film, and he was dropped onto an airbag 40 feet below.
Honorable Mentions: Your handiwork is all over other classics, too. The Grinch spends a significant portion of the Christmas Eve on the roofs of Whoville, sliding, sneaking, and stealing decorations. Susan’s dream house in Miracle on 34th Street? That steep gabled roof is the entire personality of that place. And what about Kevin fleeing onto the roof of the townhouse and ziplining to the garage in Home Alone 2?
It may just be us, but we think roofers have done a lot for holiday cheer over the years, and it’s time it was recognized! Of course, we may be biased. Happy holidays from your friends at Marco.
To learn more about Marco, visit www.MarcoIndustries.com. To contact Marco directly, you can email us here or call 1-800-800-8590.