Top Ten Favorite Holiday Films...

So it’s that time of year again — the air is crisp and cool. With the well wishing about to commence to one another on the street, I wanted to muster up some of my favorite Holiday films. As a disclaimer, not all of my films are centered around the idea of Christmas. Some are, of course, but others are just films that happened to take place during that particular holiday. Before the list commences I have a number of honorable mentions: Home Alone, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Bad Santa and Batman Returns.

10. Edward Scissorhands
This gem from the early ‘90s was director Tim Burton’s first film that set him apart. But this story about an outsider being brought in and accepted by a loving family cemented his career and that of star Johnny Depp. The movie itself has vivid images of winter that still resonate with modern audiences. It may not be the best constructed film, or even the best written film. But when Halloween has long since passed and Christmas is quickly approaching, Edward Scissorhands may be playing on my TV.

9. Muppet Christmas Carol
All that the new iteration of A Christmas Carol by Robert Zemeckis makes me want to do is watch this fantastic film from my childhood. I haven’t seen it in a couple of years, but I will be watching it in the next couple of days, as soon as I can find it in my pile of movies.

8. A Christmas Story
I know it may be cliché, but this film really does embody the perfect Christmas/Holiday film. It’s about growing up, family, and the spirit of Christmas. Sure, it’s a little sappy, but there is a reason it plays on a loop every Christmas day.

7. Trading Places
This is when Eddie Murphy was still in his prime. It almost makes me sad when I watch this movie and I start to think of how great Eddie Murphy once was, before he was relegated to children films and his super low-brow comedy that he does now. When he and Dan Akroyd were on film together, it was comedic magic. (I know that sounded really lame, but it’s true.) And this film just happens to take place during Christmas. It really doesn’t send home any type of heart warming yuletide message... and I like that.
6. The Ref
In the early ‘90s before Se7en and Usual Suspects, this is how I was introduced to Kevin Spacey. He was perfect as an uptight husband in the rich suburbs. This was a starring vehicle for Dennis Leary who played a criminal on the run who takes a rich couple hostage. Hilarity ensues.

5. Scrooged
Bill Murray + Christmas Carol + ‘80s Debauchery = My favorite Charles Dickens adaptation on film.

4. A Nightmare Before Christmas
This movie isn’t just a great movie for the season. It’s great year round and really showed how stop motion filmmaking can make such a huge impact on an audience. It really is a great film. It’s just really depressing that Disney is milking it so much every year.

3. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Oh, the Griswold clan, we went with them on two vacations before we saw how they spent the holidays. It was a disaster in many respects, but Rex is finally going to get his pool. Now that is what the holidays are all about... thinking about summer.

2. Gremlins
Gizmo is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. I still want a mogwai. But when it comes to a Christmas monologue, Phoebe Cates’ morbid take on Christmas, and how it affected her family, is amazing. Sure did color me a vivid picture and made me greatly appreciate my uneventful Christmases with my family.

1.Die Hard
John McClain just wanted to go to L.A. to visit his estranged wife and kids but ends up being stuck in an office building with no shoes and fighting back and killing nameless eastern Europeans. If that doesn’t scream Christmas, then you are not American. Die Hard is a seminal piece of film history. It reinvigorated action films so people now get behind the underdog or average joe like John McClain. I love this movie, and I always watch it as close to Christmas as possible.

Also if you want a great Christmas special, rent the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Christmas. It’s one of the rudest and funniest comedies on TV. I love it!