Top 10 Christmas movies of all time
1. Bad Santa (2003)
Starring: Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Tony Cox
The Story: Thornton (Thornton) plays a miserable con man who poses as you-know-who to rip off department stores on Christmas Eve, but his ice-covered heart begins to thaw when he reluctantly befriends a troubled kid.
Why it’s a classic: This raunchy, r-rated, mean-spirited dark comedy flies in the face of everything that defines a more traditional Christmas movie, but that’s the beauty of it. And yet despite its incredibly sour tone, the heart of the movie ultimately prevails to make moviegoers feel good in unexpected ways.
2. Scrooged (1988)
Starring: Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe
The Story: Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol gets a contemporary makeover, with Bill Murray playing a ruthless television executive who works his staff to the bone in an effort to increase his network’s ratings.
Why it’s a classic: Though not nearly as dark as Bad Santa, it’s still very funny, and Bill Murray is obviously having a blast playing a modern-day Scrooge who learns the old familiar lesson the hard way.
3. Home Alone (1990)
Starring: Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci
The Story: After accidentally being left behind when his family leaves for a vacation in France, a young boy learns to fend for himself and protect his home from two bumbling burglars.
Why it’s a classic: Think Die Hard for kids. The slapstick humour can be a bit much, but what young boy wouldn’t dream of getting rid of the rest of the family for a few wild and crazy nights during the holidays?
4 The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
The Story: Halloween town resident Jack Skellington puts a little too much “spirit” in the Christmas spirit.
Why it’s a classic: Not only does this delightful feature, produced by Tim Burton, boasts an incredible stop-motion animation, a Grammy-nominated soundtrack and a clever, ingenious, heartwarming story, but you can’t go wrong with a movie that covers two holidays for the price of one.
5. A Christmas Story (1983)
Starring: Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, Melinda Dillion
The Story: A young boy tries to convince his friends, teachers and family that a toy BB gun is the ultimate Christmas gift. You’ll shoot your eye out, kid.
Why it’s a classic: It’s wry, funny, touching, nostalgic and timeless. No wonder cable TV channels run it on a continuous loop for 24 hours on the big day.
6. Jingle all the way (1996)
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rita Wilson, Sinbad
The Story: is an American Christmas comedy film. The plot focuses on two rival fathers, workaholic Howard Langston (Schwarzenegger) and postal worker Myron Larabee (Sinbad), both desperately trying to retrieve a Turbo-Man action figure for their respective sons on a last minute shopping spree on Christmas Eve.
Why it’s a classic: It highlights the commercialism of buying gifts, especially for kids, losing the true meaning of Christmas.
7. Elf (2003)
Starring: Will Ferrell
The Story: Buddy (Will Ferrell) is a really large man who's been raised as an elf at the North Pole. Identity crisis, anyone? Luckily, he discovers himself while working in a New York department store during the holidays.
Why it’s a classic: It basically allows us to live the fantasy of being part of the mythical Christmas world with elfs, reindeer and Father Christmas. There’s an abundance of heart and soul in the way the film cherishes holiday cheer- this is one modern Christmas movie that’s genuinely sweet.
8. Die Hard (1988)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman
The Story: New York City Detective John McClane has just arrived in Los Angeles to spend Christmas with his wife. Unfortunately, it is not going to be a Merry Christmas for everyone. A group of terrorists, led by Hans Gruber is holding everyone in the Nakatomi Plaza building hostage. With no way of anyone getting in or out, it's up to McClane to stop them all.
Why it’s a classic: Die Hard is one of the greatest action movies ever, up there close to my favourite action movie of all time, "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Like Indiana Jones in that film, "Die Hard" had an Everyman cast in the role; McClane, like Indiana Jones, wasn't a larger-than-life muscle bound grotesque: he was a real guy that you cared about, who got hurt, and had real feelings.
9. Deck the Halls (2006)
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Danny DeVito, Kristin Chenoweth
The Story: Two neighbours have it out after one of them decorates his house for the holidays so brightly that it can be seen from space.
Why it’s a classic: A simple story based on competitiveness during the festive period but with a twist of what Christmas really means to both families.
10. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Starring: James Stewart
The Story: Tinged with magical passages, buckets of good will and an alternate plotline with the disturbing kick of a Twilight Zone episode, this tribute to the efforts of a small-town do-gooder (James Stewart, in his most beloved role) cements the idea of Christmas as a time for giving.
Why it’s a classic: It’s a feel good Christmas story which emphasizes the true meaning of of Christmas, a real-tear jerker!