BAD SANTA FTW!

probably not a lot of people's favorite but definitely worth noting...

Reindeer Games

come on.... you have to respect one of the many movies where you get to see Charlize Theron's boobies. I can't help but watch the movie all the way through every time it is on. The plot twists after plot twists after plot twists...

DEFF Jingle All The Way

Just Friends is definitely, by far, my favorite christmas movie. It's so quotable and funny. Ryan Reynolds and everyone is great. Love it. Second would have to be Love Actually. Great cast.

Millions, directed by Danny Boyle. The movie plot is basically the standard "found a sack of money" trope but this time it is two young brothers who are holding the bag. The performances by the children, especially Alex Etel's debut as Damian are very affecting. I get emotional just thinking about this movie. And of course it take place at Christmastime.

Love Actually, Gremlins, Family Stone, Serendipity.... um, that's all I got for now..

BAD SANTA
or Die Hard

Movies that I watch during the christmas is A Nightmare Before Christmas, The Christmas with Royle Family and last but not least Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

Now this is one of the highlights in chrstmas movies. A movie that makes your brain feel the same way as your stomach after you eated a huge amout of foods. It´s just a brilliant movie and the theme song gets stuck in the back of the brains like a Paris Hilton song.

I don't know if anyone else remembers this, but i loved the video of Charlie Brown Christmas performed by the cast of Scrubs.

There was a time when I thought all Christmas movies were all about learning lessons and loving your family. Then, one Christmas break, my friend made me watch a back to back featurette at her house of both "Black Christmas" and "Silent Night, Deadly Night." I had no idea that someone was twisted enough to turn such a beautiful holiday and make it all about the gore and horror. It was great. We made it an annual tradition since then to watch them together every Christmas Eve until we eventually moved away from each other. Sure, they aren't that great and the second one is more corny than anything else. But for me they remind of that special friendship I once had until I was 16 and how we went to third bass every Christmas Eve when her parents were at work.

Which reminds me, I also like Christmas related porn.

Muppet Christmas Carol, Michael Caine kicks some ass as Scrouge.
"And know me better man!"

My favorite Christmas movie of all time is Gremlins. I love any movie which undercuts the traditional holiday cheer with something less than magical. Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Black Christmas(original) First Blood and of course Bad Santa all accomplish this. But Gremlins is the best. It is like a spoof of a traditional Christmas movie or TV special. Just look at the opening titles sequence. The town feels so much like a setting from It's a Wonderful Life, and the music is very pleasant and happy sounding, which is contrasted by some of the gruesome things which happen in the movie. Also note the use of the song "Do you hear what I hear?" to create wonderful suspense which has no right to be there. We also get the very random and very awesome speech by the very attractive Phoebe Cates about why she hates Christmas. Gremlins is a wonderful story about the Christmas spirit, and how gifts can turn on you. It also has a gremlin exploding in a microwave.
P.S. I am Jewish myself and would like to note the lack of good Hanukah movies. Eight Crazy Nights does not count.

Jingle all the way. I love the scene where they're racing to the radio station while chanting the reindeers names.

First off what is Christmas without family. The undeniable need to be close to one's family for the holidays is a universal constant. And it is in the film "The Ref" that rips off the top layers of the family dynamic and looks at what's really going on.

Coming from a divorced family, and yet continually dragged to these mindless holiday outings on both sides of my family, the relationship's portrayed in the film seem eerily familiar. For me the film is able to look at ridiculousness of what families try to do to stay together. Often I find myself fantasizing about being the Denis Leary character who constantly points out the compromises and hypocrisies that the family creates simply to act like they're happy.

"The Ref" is a melting pot of the "American Family." They buy gifts, tolerate annual traditions, and smile at the insane ramblings of the elderly members. In a season of giving and happiness we experience greed and miserable brown-nosing.

Thankfully the film turns all that on its head and pokes fun at these twisting concepts to, in the end, give us a up lifting tale that reveals that we all do love each other and wish nothing more but to say a Merry Christmas to all. Just don't be a dick and/or greedy.

At first this will seem like breaking the rules, but stick with me. I have some SHIT XMAS MOVIES for Adam. I already know what you are thinking, "most Christmas movies are shit to begin with." But these shitty films are actually fun to watch. I'm not talking a Deck the Halls or a Christmas with the Kranks. The two unappreciated contemporary classics that I want to recommend are spectacular train wrecks that you will hate to love and love to hate--loving every minute of it.

The first is THE REF starring Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary. This film, filled to the brim with fantastic dialog and wonderful performances, has everything you'd ever want to see in a Christmas flick--except for the basic premise and all of the main characters! The Ref finds Leary, a second rate thief, kidnapping Spacey and his dysfunctional family on Christmas Eve, transitioning between holding them hostage and essentially acting as an impatient counselor unwillingly helping them work through their family drama. Spacey's character is a precursor to his Oscar winning turn in American Beauty. Leary is a rougher version of his old stand-up persona. Spacey and Leary are both type cast with respective types taken to the extreme. That may sound awful, but once you surrender, it is actually wonderful they way they work together. Not much Christmas cheer, but a lot of laughs.

My second film recommendation is even worse AND better for this train wreck reason. TRAPPED IN PARADISE stars Nicolas Cage in what just may be his most over-the-top performance ever! You know you have to see it. Flanked by an annoying Jon Lovitz and ridiculous Dana Carvey (in what is also HIS most over-the-top performance ever), Cage astounds with some of the strangest line readings I have ever heard. On the run from the cops, three brothers (who was the casting director behind Cage, Carvey, and Lovitz?) decide to lay low in the small town of Paradise for the holidays while things blow over. They soon fall in love with the fine people of Paradise and with the town's low security bank vault that just may prompt them to pull one more Christmas heist. Unfortunately, this movie takes a little while to get going, but once it does, it will have you hooked. This film is also especially quotable with two of my favorites being "Pardon my brother, he's mentally retarded" and "There is a three legged dog staring at me" both delivered with just the right unorthodox choices by Cage to make it hilariously head-scratchingly memorable.

My actual favorite Christmas movies are Joyeux Noel, Millions, Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, Home Alone, and Christmas Vacation, but The Ref and Trapped In Paradise are the ones that make it into my DVD player every Christmas without fail and have been known to sneak in at other times of the year as well. Watch them.

In Bruges - hands down. I just love opening "F-bomb" presents delivered by Ralph Finnes, Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleason, a pregnant woman and a drug-idled midget. Is there nothing better than that?

Bad Santa or Badder Santa on dvd with the extra scenes.Billy bob the the shit but so is the whole cast.Man oh man that kid that plays Thurman mermen LOL!

i love christmas, and most movies with a christmas theme make me happy, but i think the home alone movies (first 2) are the best at capturing this feeling for me. There is the materialistic part, with the presents, and the way the city looks in part 2, and the hotel and shopping and the santas on the street. then there is the family part. i always wanted to be part of a big family, but my own family is all broken so there isnt any warmth. The way the family comes together at the end of the movies is awesome. as for my favorite quote: "Merry Christmas ya filthy animal, and a happy new year!" its in home alone, but originally in 'Angels with Dirty Faces' 1938

i love christmas, and most movies with a christmas theme make me happy, but i think the home alone movies (first 2) are the best at capturing this feeling for me. There is the materialistic part, with the presents, and the way the city looks in part 2, and the hotel and shopping and the santas on the street. then there is the family part. i always wanted to be part of a big family, but my own family is all broken so there isnt any warmth. The way the family comes together at the end of the movies is awesome. as for my favorite quote: 'Merry Christmas ya filthy animal, and a happy new year!" its in home alone, but originally in 'Angels with Dirty Faces' 1938

I remember one year, Spike TV aired Jingle All the Way for 24 hours, but hasn't since. I don't know why more stations don't do this. I'm sure ABC could secure Christmas Vacation for 24 hours, or another could get Scrooged.

Favorite Christmas movies are Die Hard, Batman Returns, Nightmare Before Christmas (obviously works in October as well), Christmas Vacation, and Jingle All the Way.

My favorite by far is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation! Clark W. Griswold is the man! I mean, that personalized Chicago Blackhawks "00" jersey is LEGENDARY!!!

"Where do you think you're going? Nobody's leaving. Nobody's walking out on this fun, old-fashioned family Christmas. No, no. We're all in this together. This is a full-blown, four-alarm holiday emergency here. We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny f**king Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of a**holes this side of the nuthouse."

Three movies I could watch over and over (during any time of the year really) in the xmas time are: 1. The Nightmare Before Christmas 2. Elf 3. Christmas Story

Although It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th are classics, I find myself wandering away from the TV when these are on. They just don't capture me like the 80's + xmas movies do. Four Christmases will be my 4th once it is out on DVD. "Welcome to the Octagon!"

Three movies I could watch over and over (during any time of the year really) in the xmas time are: 1. The Nightmare Before Christmas 2. Elf 3. Christmas Story

Although It's A Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th are classics, I find myself wandering away from the TV when these are on. They just don't capture my like the 80's + xmas movies do. Four Christmases will be my 4th once it is out on DVD. "Welcome to the Octagon!"

Lethal Weapon!!!!
Mel Gibson and Gary Busey beating the everliving hell out of each other, in the warm glow of suburban christmas decorations!

Gremlins, Die Hard, Christmas Vacation.

Elf, It's a Wonderful Life and the original Miracle on 34th Street are my classic Christmas movies.

Honorable mentions go to the LOTR Trilogy, since they all came out at Christmas time and they make a great holiday marathon, and the Back to the Future Trilogy for the same latter reason.

You can't beat 24 hours of Christmas Story.

Fanny and Alexander

It provides the existential morality I yearn for around Christmas time.It is also the only Christmas movie I have seen where a kid kills a priest by catching him on fire with his mind.

You gotta go with Die Hard, because nothing says American holiday like corporate office parties that get crashed by greedy terrorists. Who wants overwhelming holiday cheer when you can get ass kicking action from Bruce Willis. Yippee-Ky-Yay.

Batman Returns is both the strangest and best Christmas movie of all time.

"Clueless." Remember the party in the valley? Christmas decorations everywhere. And then she gets mugged.

I'd have to say that "The Santa Clause" is my favorite Christmas movie. It has a clever concept and is forever rewatchable. When I was a child, my sister and I would watch that many times, along with "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" and classic Disney movies. Even though 2 sequels have been made (one of which I've seen), nothing can compare to the the original. Also, "It's a Wonderful Life", "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York", and "Elf" are great Christmas movies.

Home Alone!! No question there... And A Christmas Story, too. I also love that stop motion Rudolph movie, what's it called again? And I used to love National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation but watched it last year and it didn't hold up... Oh how time flies! :)

Does the Twilight Zone marathon count?

The Nightmare Before Christmas

Danny Elfman's music and singing and the joy of excellent stop-motion.

I would have to say Gremlins and of course Santa Clause Conquers the Martians.
Now Gremlins is just a classic "family" film that is fun to revisit no matter how many times you've seen it. Now as for Santa Clause Conquers the Martians well this 60s cult classic is just pretty bad and very cheesy and Adam Quigley should check it out as a shit movie of the week, if he hasn't seen it already. Those would have to be my two classic Christmas movies.

I don't care what anyone says, A Christmas Story is the best holiday movie ever. I remember watching this on TV (before TBS/TNT started their 24 hour marathons mind you) and loved it. This is an excellent film and deserves all it's praise.

The Ref... the ultimate anti-Christmas, Christmas movie! Dennis Leary is freeking hysterical! Seriously, what other Christmas movie is going to have blackmail, theft, dysfunctional family fighting, a drunken Santa and bondage (well... kinda)?

Came here to recognize The Ref as well. I think this was our first clue that there was a heart beneath Denis Leary's acerbic wit. Can't say the movie is a timeless classic, but it is woefully forgotten. RIP Ted Demme. Great cast, including Spacey, Davis and J.K. Simmons, but the problem-child actor was a weak link. Checking IMDB, I didn't realize it was a Simpson/Bruckheimer production; didn't realize they had a Christmas movie under their belt.

Christmas Vacation!! nothing can top the Griswold family christmas! Im still looking around for those reindeer eggnog glasses they were using lol

City of Lost Children anyone? not sure what this says about me but I get warm and fuzzy vibes from it.

and kiss kiss bang bang, bad santa, home alone, die hard, christmas story, emmet otter (good call anthony v)

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT. Watched it again the other night and it gets me every time. "Naughty!" As for A CHRISTMAS STORY, I'll take Bob Clark's original CHRISTMAS EVIL over it any day.

Rocky IV! A fight against a crazy Russian on Christmas Day!

Double Feature: A Christmas Story and Bad Santa. Something about "I want an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle!" and "Yeah baby, Yeah baby, you not gonna shit right for a week!" just make me think about the reason for the season.

I have to say that my favorite christmas movie is A Christmas Tale. I am Jewish but I can so relate to the family in this film. The Vuillard's are very similar to my family because they are so dysfunctional and yet have such a family bond. It is a french comedy and it was released last month. Check it out.

HOME ALONE or DIE HARD .

They're almost like the same movie.

LOVE ACTUALLY

is all around :)

One of my favorite Christmas movie not many people have seen is MIXED NUTS. It's a Nora Ephron film, based on a French farce, starring Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, Liev Schreiber, and Adam Sandler. The movie centers on the employees of a suicide hotline that is being evicted from their residence. People get shot, bodies are hidden, and a transvestite comes over for Christmas. MIXED NUTS is great.

Yes. That was on last night. I was wondering why no one else had mentioned that.