Movie #6: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Leave it to Tim Burton to make one of the most original Christmas movies out there. Jack Skellington, Oogie Boogie, and the ghost dog Zero are all great characters. The combination of Halloween and Christmas traditions works great. Remember Jack's first encounter with Christmas town?
This is an absolute holiday must-see, and it bothers me that it has been a few years since I have watched it.
Movie #5: Die Hard
Not only is this one of the best Christmas movies ever made, it is arguably the best action movie ever made. Set in a nearly empty office building on Christmas Eve--save for the Christmas party on the top floor--John McClane has to save his ex-wife and a building full of her co-workers from villain, Hans Gruber. Alan Rickman puts together a flawless performance and Gruber who is every bit the equal of Bruce Willis as McClane.
Movie #4: Home Alone
The movie that made me wish my parents would forget me on their next vacation, and also the launching point that sent Macauley Culkin down the very dark and dangerous path known as child stardom, Home Alone is still wildly entertaining to this day. For as screwed up as he would become later in life Culkin was great as Kevin McCallister, the foil for the Wet Bandits, Harry and Marv (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern). The movie is hilarious, touching, and has aged incredibly well.
Movie #3: It's A Wonderful Life
This one is an old sentimental favorite of mine. It's a Wonderful Life has been somewhat of a Christmas tradition for me for many years. It is a sweet story and Jimmy Stewart is one of the few actors who could pull off the wide swing of emotions that George Bailey goes through during the course of the film.
The ending of this movie might be so well known now as to be cliched, but after watching the whole movie, it still brings a tear to your eye to see George running down the street, kissing his family, then getting all that help from the rest of the town. Some movies never go out of style.
Movie #2: A Christmas Story
It has been a few years since I have watched the whole movie (the wonders of cable television mean that I only end up watching the last 45 minutes of almost every movie I see these days) but there is little doubt that this movie deserves such a high spot on this list.
One thing I do have one lasting memory of the movie:
Movie #1: Christmas Vacation
Could it have been anything else?
Christmas Vacation is hands down my favorite Christmas movie, and probably the funniest of the bunch. It was tough to come up with most of these rankings, but I knew from the very beginning that this would be first. I didn't come across one movie that changed my mind.
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Stay tuned tomorrow for the last installment of songs.
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