Enjoy a recycled post from 2017. Happy Festivus.
This ain't your Grandma's list of holiday movies, so don't expect to see the typical It's A Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story at the top of this list. While those are both charming enough movies, they are a bit outdated.
A Christmas Story is certainly one of my favorite traditional movies to watch on Christmas Day, what with 24 hour marathons and all. But it's ultimately a film about a kid getting a gun for Christmas. And we totally prefer The Vandals' take on that story.
It's A Wonderful Life certainly has a great meaning. It's a story about a man with a wife and four kids who suddenly faces criminal charges and decides suicide is the best way for his wife and kids to carry on without him... wait a second, that's a TERRIBLE story! Ok, ok... maybe I'm simplifying it a bit. It is ultimately a story about the main character changing his views on life and realizing how his life touches those around him. I'm still very surprised that corporate Hollywood hasn't tried to milk this cash cow with a remake by now. The film could probably benefit from a modernized perspective.
But I digress. On with the top 5 list!
#5 - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Two words to describe this film: Danny Elfman. Ok and Tim Burton too. Quite possibly the best soundtrack ever for a Christmas Movie.
#4 - Gremlins (1984) - Little green reptilian creatures torment a small town during the holidays. Not too much different from your typical Christmas Eve with the family, right!?
Read our review of Gremlins; here
#3 - Home Alone - (1990) A (rich) kid gets left behind on the holidays and protects his home from crooks in clever and hilarious ways. Does anyone know what his parents supposedly did for a living to afford such a large house and flights for so many kids? Cough *mob boss* cough cough...
#2 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) - Watching this movie is a yearly holiday tradition in my household. A fumbling idiot trying to survive the holidays while struggling to give his family a Christmas to remember, which also happens to be another holiday tradition in my household.
#1 - Bad Santa (2003) - My personal favorite and a highly under-rated holiday film. A crude and vulgar con artist turns his life around and discovers a new found purpose in life after helping a kid overcome his bully problem. Probably not a good choice to watch with the family, unless your Granny is spry.
Read our review of Bad Santa; here
Read our movie reviews: here
A Christmas Story is certainly one of my favorite traditional movies to watch on Christmas Day, what with 24 hour marathons and all. But it's ultimately a film about a kid getting a gun for Christmas. And we totally prefer The Vandals' take on that story.
It's A Wonderful Life certainly has a great meaning. It's a story about a man with a wife and four kids who suddenly faces criminal charges and decides suicide is the best way for his wife and kids to carry on without him... wait a second, that's a TERRIBLE story! Ok, ok... maybe I'm simplifying it a bit. It is ultimately a story about the main character changing his views on life and realizing how his life touches those around him. I'm still very surprised that corporate Hollywood hasn't tried to milk this cash cow with a remake by now. The film could probably benefit from a modernized perspective.
But I digress. On with the top 5 list!
#5 - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - Two words to describe this film: Danny Elfman. Ok and Tim Burton too. Quite possibly the best soundtrack ever for a Christmas Movie.
#4 - Gremlins (1984) - Little green reptilian creatures torment a small town during the holidays. Not too much different from your typical Christmas Eve with the family, right!?
Read our review of Gremlins; here
#3 - Home Alone - (1990) A (rich) kid gets left behind on the holidays and protects his home from crooks in clever and hilarious ways. Does anyone know what his parents supposedly did for a living to afford such a large house and flights for so many kids? Cough *mob boss* cough cough...
#2 - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) - Watching this movie is a yearly holiday tradition in my household. A fumbling idiot trying to survive the holidays while struggling to give his family a Christmas to remember, which also happens to be another holiday tradition in my household.
#1 - Bad Santa (2003) - My personal favorite and a highly under-rated holiday film. A crude and vulgar con artist turns his life around and discovers a new found purpose in life after helping a kid overcome his bully problem. Probably not a good choice to watch with the family, unless your Granny is spry.
Read our review of Bad Santa; here
Read our movie reviews: here