12 Days of Christmas Movies

The Holidays are upon us, and with that comes all of the standard classic holiday films. Who can celebrate the season without an obligatory viewing of It’s A Wonderful Life, or White Christmas? And then there’s the original, classic black and white Miracle on34th Street? (stay as far away from the awful ‘90's remake as possible.). Not to mention any one of a dozen different incarnations of Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol  (Mickey Mouse, George C. Scott  and even Jim Carrey fair well, but NOBODY beats The Muppets), or, for the alternative crowd, The Nightmare Before Christmas. And for me, spending Christmas Eve with A Christmas Story has become a must.

Even in recent years, we’ve seen a couple of stellar new additions to the list: Jon Faveau’s Elf, with Will Ferrell giving easily his best and most charming film performance, has become a new Holiday classic, as has Robert Zemeckis’ The Polar Express. So the list of yuletide standards is growing. But if you are looking for something a little less obvious, I present to you our gift of twelve days worth of viewing that offer an alternative to the traditional Christmas fare.

1. DIE HARD
Bruce Willis stars as John McClane, an N.Y.P.D. Detective who is spending Christmas in L.A. visiting his estranged wife Holly (Bonnie Bedelia) and children. When he meets Holly at her office Christmas party in the towering Nakatomi plaza, a group of uninvited guests show up. A terrorist unit, lead by Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman), takes over the building, holding everyone hostage, except for John, who manages to go unnoticed and wage a one man war against the terrorists. The film that set the standard for action in the ‘90's, and moved Bruce Willis from a second banana tv actor to a name-above-the-title movie star. Director John McTiernan (The Hunt for Red October) uses the Christmas setting to set the perfect ironic tone for this intense, claustrophobic thrill ride. And for me, the holiday is not complete without at least one viewing of this ultra violent yuletide bash. You’ll never hear Let it Snow again without thinking of this movie.

2. JOYEUX NOEL
On Christmas Eve, the Scots and French lead a combined assault on the German trenches in France. But everything changes when the Scots begin to sing Christmas songs, accompanied by bagpipes, and then the Germans respond by singing, too, and a single German  exits his trench with a small Christmas tree singing "Adeste Fideles."  He leaves the tree in the middle of no-man's-land. The French, German, and Scottish officers meet and agree on a cease-fire for the evening. The various soldiers meet and wish each other "Joyeux Noël","Frohe Weihnachten" and "Merry Christmas." They exchange chocolate, champagne, and photographs of loved ones.

This touching true story is made all the more poignant and real by the choice to present each Army speaking entirely in their native language, with english subtitles. If you want an unforgettable Christmas movie like none other, this is a must see that will touch your heart and broaden your mind.

3. LITTLE WOMEN
Louisa May Alcott’s timeless tale of the March girls, Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy, (Trini Alvarado, Winona Ryder, Claire Danes and Kirsten Dunst) and their struggle to stay alive and stay together during harsh times. The first half of the story winds down with an extended sequence that is full of Christmas spirit and warmth, reminding us that love, family and happiness are all that really matters, and that we are never really poor as long as we have each other. And then in the second half, Jo rips Batman’s heart out and stomps on it while it’s still beating, and Beth dies. A classic film for all ages.

4. EDWARD SCISSORHANDS
The first pairing of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp is arguably Burton’s most personal film, and still one of his best. Set against the backdrop of Christmas in Southern California, the sequence where Edward’s ice sculpting creates the feeling of falling snow is one of the greatest Christmas moments on film, and who could resist Alan Arkin stapling quilt batting to the roof while singing I Saw Three Ships?

5. DIE HARD 2
By all rights this sequel shouldn’t work at all, but the skillfully directed action and suspense makes up for the suspension of disbelief required to accept the idea that this guy not only finds himself in more or less the same situation twice, but once again on Christmas Eve. The holiday setting is even more pronounced this time, with a snow storm adding to John McClane’s woes as mercenaries seize control of Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. McClane must brave the blizzard of potato flakes and kill a lot of bad guys before the circling airliners, one of which is carrying his wife, start running out of fuel. The dialogue is a lot cheesier, and it takes no less than three lead villains to make up for the absence of Alan Rickman, but William Sadler fares very nicely as an Ollie North wannabe. Director Renny Harlin established himself as an exciting new talent with this one, until he sank an entire studio with the disastrous Cutthroat Island.

6. GREMLINS
Joe Dante’s comic creature feature not only includes Christmas music and snow, but a monologue about Santa Claus falling down a chimney that traumatized a generation. The sequence where the little green devils gather in the town’s small movie theater to view Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs is memorably silly, and if you can’t figure out what to do with that blender or microwave you were given last Christmas, this film offers a few helpful tips.

7. BATMAN RETURNS
Tim Burton’s wildly uneven second entry in the Caped Crusader saga veers from brilliance to utter failure, but the moments that work (particularly those involving Michelle Pfieffer’s memorable portrayal of Catwoman) make it worth a look. And Christmas in Gotham City is a unique holiday treat.

8. SANTA CLAUS CONQUERS THE MARTIANS
Martian children (including a young Pia Zadora) have become unhappy watching Earth programs showing Christmas cheer among humans, so a group of Martians travel to the North pole and kidnap Santa. Santa defeats the evil Voldar and brings happiness to mars. Available in Wal Mart bargain bins everywhere, this movie is like a car accident: horrible, but you just can’t look away.

9. LETHAL WEAPON
Mel Gibson and Danny Glover create holiday magic in this prototypical buddy cop flick, which begins with a rousing version of Jingle Bell Rock under the opening credits, followed by a topless, coked out blonde plummeting to her death. It’s festive fun for the whole family!

10. MISERY
James Caan is forced to spend the holidays with his "number one fan" (Oscar winner Kathy Bates) in this Stephen King thriller. Great performances and loads of tension make this one a winner.

11. YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES
You’ll never carve your Christmas bird again without feeling a bit of trepidation after watching the opening scene of this underrated ‘80's adventure, which mixes Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Executive Producer Steven Spielberg and Director Barry Levinson (Rain Man) tanked at the box office with this speculative tale of a young Holmes and Watson meeting as teenagers at a School for boys, and solving their first case, set against the backdrop of Christmas in London. Great fun, though a bit scary for younger viewers.

12. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN
Steven Spielberg’s classic caper story, chronicling the exploits of Frank Abagnale, Jr, the forger and master impersonator who became the youngest person ever to make the F.B.I.’s 10 Most Wanted list, features Leonardo DiCaprio as Abagnale calling his pursuer, Agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks) every Christmas Eve, simply because he has no one else to call, until finally Hanratty does catch him in a small French town on the night before Christmas.

So when you’re ready for a break from all of that shopping and the endless parade of family get-togethers and lame work parties, stretch out in front of the fire with your favorite hot beverage, and Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.