Top 10 Christmas Movies of All Time

[ZapRowsdower]

No, it's not a poll (but it could be if you want it to), it's just my personal top 10 picks.

1. Die Hard (1988)

One can argue that it's Christmas enough. The movie takes place at Christmas, and I don't think ANYONE can argue just how awesome it really is.

2. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

How many movies can YOU name that you watch at both Halloween AND Christmas? Not many. Tim Burton does Christmas. 'Nuff said.

3. Love Actually (2003)

If you don't love this movie, you have no heart.

4. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

The beloved American classic that is played on TV every Christmas because it's public domain.

5. A Christmas Story (1983)

"You'll shoot your eye out, kid. Ho, ho, ho..."

6. Christmas Vacation (1989)

One of the funniest takes on Christmas ever.

7. Home Alone (1990)

It's difficult for me not to have this on my top 10. I grew up watching this movie. I saw it in theaters. I saw it several times on video. This movie almost defines Christmas for me.

8. Elf (2003)

A human, raised as an elf, by elves, then set loose in New York City to find his birth father. And this human is played by Will Ferrell. This stuff writes itself.

9. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Christmas is sort of a sub-text to this movie, but I felt the return of Christmas to Narnia was an important plot point in itself. Not to mention all the Biblical undertones the movie carried.

10. Bad Santa (2003)

I know, I know. I'm terrible. It's a tasteless, despicable film. And it's so freakin' hilarious!

So, what do you guys think? I didn't include any shorts to the list, otherwise "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "Mickey's Christmas Carol" would easily top the list. What do YOU watch every Christmas?

[Pulpmariachi]

I don't personally know my list but a lot of the ones you mentioned are up there, actually.

But I don't care if it's a TV Special or not, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is one of the best things ever made, tis the season or not.

I'm also enjoying these videos:

Rare Exports

Rare Exports: Saftey Instructions

[Gabriel]

In no specific order...

Die Hard.

Scrooged.

Home Alone.

The Snowman

Christmas Vacation.

2 bad ones I can't help but did enjoy them when I was younger...

The Santa Clause.

Jingle All The Way.

[Phoenix]

I have a very boring, classic list.

1. Miracle on 34th Street

2. A Christmas Story

3. It's a Wonderful Life

4. Home Alone

5. Scrooged

6. National Lampoon's Xmas Vacation

7. Babes in Toyland (1934) - this is my husband's favorite so it's grown on me

8. White Christmas - i like the music

9. Gremlins - I dunno, I associate this movie with Christmas

10. Elf

Now, if I had ANIMATED on my list, I would include The Grinch, Charlie Brown Xmas, and Garfield Christmas Special (that used to make me actually cry) and Nightmare before Xmas

[Bartwald]

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Gremlins are my personal favourites from the above lists. But I liked the new remake of Black Christmas, too. Really I did. Not so much the original film.

[frankenjohn]

Wow, I think the remake looks like shit.

The original was good but not AMAZING. I mean Halloween was a similar film and so much better.

[Bartwald]

In my opinion it's impossible to even start comparing Halloween (well-acted, suspenseful, creepy) with the original Black Christmas (with no real plot, no conclusion and no interesting characters... exceptt, perhaps, for the Fellatio Cop). The remake is better 'cause it's much more grotesque and over the top.

[Heineken Skywalker]

phoenix said:

Now, if I had ANIMATED on my list, I would include The Grinch, Charlie Brown Xmas, and Garfield Christmas Special (that used to make me actually cry) and Nightmare before Xmas

NIGHTMARE BEFORE X-MAS didn't make your list because it's animated? I mean, it is a full length theatrically released feature so it fits the criteria.

My list would read something like this:

1. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

After the ultimate of Christmas movies I would list, in no particular order, some others I've enjoyed to varying degrees:

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1951 version) aka SCROOGE
CHRISTMAS VACATION (The second funniest "VACATION" movie)
A NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS (Christmas ala Burton. Nice!)
BAD SANTA (Wrong, wrong, wrong, but damn funny too)
ELF (Silly, funny and sweet with some nice nods to the old animated specials we grew up with)
SCROOGED (The best contemporary version of this oft-told tale. Bill Murray is the perfect "modern" Scrooge)
A CHRISTMAS STORY (I'm not as big a fan of this as the cult following it has, but it was okay.)
THE SANTA CLAUSE (Pretty good for a kid's movie)

2 honorable mentions. Not really Christmas movies, but they take place at Christmas so they make my cut:

GREMLINS (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire and Gremlins exploding in your microwave. What's more Christmasy than that?)
DIE HARD (One of the best action movies of the 80's. Ho ho ho and Yippy-ki-yay, motherf***ers!)

Dis-honorable mention:

SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS (1964)
(So bad it has to be seen to be believed)

[ZapRowsdower]

heinekenskywalker said:

phoenix said:

Dis-honorable mention:

SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS (1964)
(So bad it has to be seen to be believed)

That DID make a great episode of MST3K though.

[frankenjohn]

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is great even without MST3K. It's so bad it's good already!

[Quorthon]

Gremlins is a great Christmas movie.

[Sybillness]

I would like to add A MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL. One of my favorite muppet movies!