Eight Must See Christmas Movies
I’m sure many of you are at work right now staring at the clock. You’re just waiting to get out early to beat the Christmas traffic. You can’t wait to get home, sit in front of the fire, have that big family dinner, cozy up in front of the fireplace and watch movies until Christmas day. Am I right? Actually no. It’s only Dec 2nd but it’s never too early to think about Christmas!
Hell I’m Jewish and I love the holiday. And as we do every year, Unreality is prepping you for some of the best movies that will most likely be on your television during that special time.
I’m sure you know most of these but here are eight picks for Christmas movie entertainment….
A Christmas Story
No Christmas would ever be complete without a 24 hr Christmas Story marathon. I’m pretty sure I don’t need to tell you this. Let’s see now. The movie was made in 1983 which means it’s closing in on 30 years. Do you think that in 30 years they’ll still be airing it for 24 hours during the Christmas Holiday? I sure as hell hope so. What I find so fascinating is that every year I do in fact tune in at least 3-5 times a day to watch certain scenes.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Many people argue that the first movie is the best. I happen to prefer this one over all of the other “Vacation” movies. I don’t know why I just do. I think Eddie is at his best in this one, “Merry Christmas! Shitter was full!” Plus I just like that there were more characters than the previous movies. It’s just an all around classic and a must see for me.
Scrooged
What holiday would be complete without a little bit of Bill Murray to make you feel happy? It’s a great feel good movie and awesome play on A Christmas Carol. I particularly like the fact that Buster Poindexter is the Ghost of Christmas past and the dude from Dynasty plays Bill Murray’s old boss. You got Carol Kane and hell even Bill Murray’s brothers are in the film. Just all around good times.
It’s a Wonderful Life
Speaking of this movie. Come on. It’s a given and if I need any explanation here then many of you have problems.
Bad Santa
Honest I could watch this movie at any time of year. It really doesn’t matter. Honestly it might be in my top 10 funniest movies of all time. I know that’s a bold statement but Billy Bob as an alcoholic, depressed, store robbing Santa is one of the greatest characters ever created. Plus the little overweight kid with the red hair is easily one of my favorite supporting characters of all time. “It’s a wooden pickle.”
Elf
Any of you Will Ferrell fans out there have to love this movie. Just seeing him happy all the time is funny enough. Plus Jon Favreau directed this movie which really was his start to having an extremely successful directing career.
Home Alone
To this day I still love watching this movie. Sure it gets a little dumber the older you get but it’s still a classic and I still tune in whenever it’s on.
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
I’m talking about the claymation version from the 60s. This made for TV movie was absolutely awesome and even in this technological age it still holds up. Yeah it’s only an hour but it counts.
You missed The Ref…
I don’t see Die Hard on this list.
love actually?
I agree where is Die Hard?
Good call guys. Is it really a Christmas movie? I mean yeah it takes place during a Christmas party but it’s an action movie. However, I will say it’s a great movie to watch during the holidays.
evlclown knows where it’s at. The Ref is one of the best Christmas movies evar! Dennis Leary and Kevin Spacey? Legendary!
This list definitely needed Die Hard.
home alone ftw.
die hard is a movie you watch around christmas time. it’s not a christmas movie though.
i always look forward to the james bond marathons they run too.
I love most of the stop-motion animation Christmas specials. My favorite isn’t Rudolph though. It’s The Year Without a Santa Claus.
Bigred13..
I totally agree with you. Rudolph gets all the claymation love, but “The Year Without a Santa Claus” is by far my favorite of the claymation classics.
Both Love Actually and Die Hard need to be here. I’ve never seen It’s a wonderful life, so I’ll be checking that one out
I disagree with the possibility of a Die Hard inclusion. It may take place on Christmas, but it is not a Christmas movie like the ones in the list. You all know that. Everybody tries to throw Die Hard into these lists, but it could have easily taken place at a New Years Eve party and have the exact same effect. The fact that it was Christmas time was not central enough to the plot to consider it a Christmas movie. It is a bit like how ABC family plays the Harry Potter movies for 25 days of Christmas because most of them have a 2 minute scene including a “happy Christmas,” out of a two hour film.
Anyway, I would include A Muppet’s Christmas Carol on my list. It has been a staple for my home since it came out. I guess it is nostalgia more than anything, but I can’t imagine a Christmas without watching it.
Well, Die Hard should be on every list. It’s Fucking Die Hard
DIE HARD
I disagree with elf.. well ok its’ a christmas movie but i hated it so I don’t think it’s a ‘must see’
everything else yea sure.
hmmm what about frosty? or is that too short to be considered a full xmas ‘movie’?
I also suggest nightmare before xmas 😛 it’s a halloween AND christmas movie (also it highlights an era when tim burton wasn’t washed up)
Gonna have to agree with everyone else, die Hard needs to be on there.
Bill Murray’s brother is also in Christmas Vacation – he’s Clark’s boss (in the blue pyjamas). I guess he doesn’t have the animosity with Chevy that Bill does!
I would replace Elf with Jingle All The Way
I hate it David Johansen is only known for being Buster Poindexter, I mean doesn’t anybody listen to the New York Dolls?
Very nice article. I like your list but I would add Holiday Inn and The Santa Clause to the list. Good stuff, though.
Here are our member’s favorite Christmas Movies at Rankography.com
If you’re going to include Die Hard on a list like this, you might as well include Gremlins.
What about Emmit Otter’s Jug Band Christmas?
rudolph isn’t claymation. it’s stop-motion. this may seem nitpicky but every year, people start talking about their favourite “claymation” christmas classics, and there isn’t a bit of clay in any of them. annoying pet peeve.
I was gonna name “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”, but then I remembered it’s actually a thanksgiving movie. Anyway, I still think it fits into the christmas holidays as well.
And yeah, “Love Actually” is actually missing. My personal must-see (I do watch it every year around cristmas).
Not necessarily a bad list. But personally speaking, six of the eight films are movies I never want to see again. A Christmas Story, National Lampoon Christmas Vacation, Scrooged, Bad Santa, Elf and Home Alone are all movies that either a) were not funny/amusing or b) were painful to watch the first time (much less the 40 some-odd times they’ll be shown on television this year.) I’m almost to the point of placing It’s A Wonderful Life onto the avoid list simply because I’m tired of it being showed over and over again, just leaving Rudolph as the only surviving piece of cinema worth it.
I also notice none of the excellent versions of “A Christmas Carol” are listed, either Alastair Sim’s interpretation nor the scene-chewing version by George C. Scott (which is in my mind the best adaptation.) Not to mention the version by Patrick Stewart who also did a good turn as Mr. Scrooge.
the goonies
I can’t believe ‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ with the peanuts gang didn’t make this list.
where the fuck is the muppets christmas? fuck you list maker.
That list was missing some of the true classics. Last year I made a playlist that had Frosty the Snowman, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Garfield Christmas, The Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol as well as Christmas Story. This year I’ll have to add It’s a Wonderful Life to the list 🙂
What about Die Hard? the greatest christmas film ever made
TalG quote “A Christmas Story, National Lampoon Christmas Vacation, Scrooged, Bad Santa, Elf and Home Alone are all movies that either a) were not funny/amusing or b) were painful to watch the first time”
[Blink] [Blink]
My head is spinning.
You have GOT to be a troll. No one person can dislike ALL of those movies. I’d have a hard time finding one person that didn’t like ONE of those movies…. Maybe my grandmother + Bad Santa.
I would LOVE to get inside your head for research purposes – what you think is humor…..
Nightmare Before Christmas for great justice.
Garrett –
No, I am not a troll. I do like good cinema, but many of the films I listed I simply don’t find funny. Funny for me is more along the lines of verbal wordplay from the old screwball comedies in the 30’s and 40’s, or situational comedies from the 60’s. Gross-out humor is not funny to me, which is why a lot of modern ‘comedies’ don’t strike me as worth watching. In other cases, I’ve seen the films so many times that the appeal has totally worn off and instead I’d prefer to see a blank screen instead of the TBS marathon of “A Christmas Story”.
I’m old school when it comes to humor. Give me Jack Benny or The Marx Bros. over Will Ferrill or Jim Carrey. I’ll take the verbal battles of Carey Grant and Katerine Hepburn over most of today’s comedic couples.
Your list is right what I would have named, just hard to choose only 8!!! Like you, 3 of my very favorites are Elf, It’s a Wonderful Life, and Scrooged. Love Actually is also great.
How could the leave out”Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas”?
Need to add Silent Night, Deadly Night and the original Black Christmas.
You forgot a few more good ones I think are definitely worth buying to watch: Christmas Story (Jim Carey), Polar Express, Christmas with the Kranks and Deck the Halls. Love those movies as well.
Die Hard isn’t a freaking Xmas movie. Why do people say otherwise? I guess if you put a christmas tree in Texas Chainsaw Massacre, then it would become a must see holiday film for families.
ELF, yes! For those who don’t love Elf, you have a black, black soul and I have no time for you. Gets better and better everytime I see it.
I’m finding it really hard to find new christmas movies each year. I liked The Bishop’s Wife when I was young. Might try that again.