|
Christmastime and the holiday season are many things. It’s a time for happiness, joy, self-reflection, and growth--and usually a little too much sugar but that’s what time off is for. But all those sweeping and wonderous emotions often come packed like a snowball with a flurry of stress, sleep deprivation, and not nearly enough time for rest. This has been a busy year, and that’s beginning to become an evergreen statement for us all, collectively as a world. And so it’s important that everyone remember to take some time away for you and the people that are important to you. But just because you’re going to be surrounded by others, or maybe by yourself, doesn’t mean you can keep it festive while you’re resting. Make some space for quiet this holiday season, not just for reflection and introspection, but for yourself with the sound of a crackling fire to soothe you. HBO Max, Netflix, and Shudder all make it easy to celebrate the things you love with some creative and interesting yule logs ready to stream whenever you're ready. Yule be sure to log these too, as we’ve carefully selected just a few of the best across the many that are available. And we’ve got the most fun and probably weirdest surprise from HBO Max’s Adult Swim Yule Log up first and ready to burn. And a nice, festive fire always pairs nicely with pixelated cheer, so when you’re done burning one over here, check out GameSpot’s got a list of snowy, seasonal games too. And if things feel too happy, you can always invite Krampus and more over from our list of holiday horror.
1. Adult Swim Yule Log
Perhaps the weirdest entry on this list but most definitely the only one with a plot. That’s right, the Adult Swim Yule Log had a lot of time in the kitchen with the energy of Too Many Cooks. That last part isn’t part of the metaphor. Adult Swim Yule Log was put together from the people that made Too Many Cooks, an Adult Swim fever dream sensation from the mid 2010s. Taking place in front of and within the room of the fireplace, Adult Swim Yule Log (aka The Fireplace) has a full story with dialogue, characters, and actors. Whether or not it becomes a recurring holiday favorite for the streaming age remains to be seen but one thing is for sure: Adult Swim Yule Log is creative and weird, but ambitious if nothing else. Be sure to check it out on HBO Max this holiday season, if for no reason to see what you think of what must be the first of its kind.
2. Game of Thrones Fireplace
Game of Thrones Fireplace contains an almost violent and intimidating fireplace, complete with a crackling fire and wiggly dragon egg. This must be what it’s like to sit inside of a house or tavern inside of the show. The Game of Thrones Fireplace lasts for over three hours, so it’ll burn long into the night without you or guests needing to add anymore logs. And so you don't have to, we did skip to the end though and can confirm the wiggly dragon egg does not hatch. What a missed opportunity.
3. Calcifer Yule Log
Fans of Studio Ghibli will be delighted to let Calcifer, the wisecracking, cute fire demon into their homes this holiday season. The magical fire is what powers the tall, magical, and moving castle in Studio Ghibli’s classic, Howl’s Moving Castle. There are a few different views in this feature, pulled straight from the film, for better or worse. Some segments work really well, with Calcifer burning brightly and silently, with a fire crackling sound playing underneath. But there are several minutes of footage where Calcifer is talking to a character offscreen and it’s just awkwardly muted. It’s a curious decision when there’s plenty of footage shown that works better, that is shown as well. It’s still cute and functions just fine. The editing curiously feels sloppy and like a YouTube fan edit, instead of something officially available on HBO Max.
4. Rick and Morty: Yule Log
Perfect for fans of the show looking to unwind with some classic moments, and it’s even got the classic meta humor of Rick and Morty. The crackling feature has both Rick and Morty sitting in chairs and facing their very own Yule Log fire, burning brightly, as the two enjoy some fan-favorite moments on a TV mounted above. The only dialogue you’ll hear is the occasional grunt or burp from Rick but that doesn’t mean fans won’t enjoy some laughs. The silent montage of Rick and Morty commercials and moments feature all kinds of memorable parts, including Ants-in-my-Eyes Johnson, making this some Christmas cheer for everyone. Except Ants-in-my-Eyes Johnson. HBO Max has a wizard one too, but that fire has burnt others and is best avoided.
5. A Very Ghoul Log Christmas
Whenever all your cool friends all get back to the party, you know after that random walk they all just took at the same time, you can put on A Very Ghoul Log Christmas. That way everyone can settle in and find their footing while remembering the reason for the season. A Very Ghoul Log Christmas is festive, fun, and probably one of the most comforting things you can find on Shudder. And if you want to keep things festive and spooky, be sure to check out 8 Holiday Horror Movies To Terrify You During The Christmas Season.
6. The Witcher Fireplace
The Witcher Fireplace has the same kind of vibe as the Game of Thrones fireplace, with old iron burning long into the night, except it skips the boring dragon egg that doesn’t hatch and trades it for music from The Witcher TV series, which is also available on Netflix. You’ll still hear plenty of crackling from the fire but the original music from the series helps add atmosphere and almost tavern-like vibe to the feature. The fire should also help keep the hearts of Witcher fans warm alongside thenew PS5/Xbox Series update, which was recently released for free to owners of The Witch III: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red’s critically-acclaimed masterpiece.
7. Fireplace for your Home: Classic Edition (2015)
Fireplace for your Home keeps it simple and there’s nothing wrong with that. If you’re looking for a classic, standard fire, without having to lift a finger, except to reach for the remote, it’s perfect. Rick, Morty, and boring eggs that definitely could have hatched after three hours and ten minutes of wiggling are cool but nothing can compete with a classic, Christmas fire. The Classic Edition contains original wood but Netflix has lovers of Birchwood covered too, with Fireplace for your Home: Birchwood Edition. Either way, you’re still going to want to have a blanket though since none of these fires are warm. Certainly not warm enough to hatch a dragon egg.
|
