Alright, guys. I promise that my next post will not be Christmas-related. But you see - today's a special day for me and two of my best friends. It's the start of our annual Christmas Movie EXTRAVAGANZA!
Here's how it works: in late October or early November, we compile a list of all of the Christmas movies we either own or would like to rent. We rank them as Must-See, Nice-To-Have or Optional. We also add two or three new movies to the list every year, and remove the ones that bombed the previous year. Then, I (dork that I am) create a schedule for us. We usually start at the beginning of November and go until December (yes, we have that many movies...).
In the four years we've done this, I've seen a lot of Christmas movies. Click below to see a list of my top ten favourites!
10. A Carol Christmas
Premise:
A spoiled, bitchy TV host (Tori Spelling) gets the Scrooge treatment.
Memorable moment:
The "amazing" special effects when the third ghost appears.
This falls in the so-bad-it's-good category. There's just so much to love about this movie... the over-the-top stage aunt, William Shatner as a scatter-brained Dr. Phil wannabe, and a whole bunch of ridiculous temper tantrums from Carol (Tori Spelling's character).
9. A Boyfriend For Christmas
Premise:
A young girl asks Santa for a boyfriend for Christmas. Twenty years later, a new man enters her life... but he's keeping a secret. Can she forgive him when the truth is revealed?
Memorable moment:
Best fake name ever in a Christmas movie? "Doug... Fir... Wood..."
Again, this one is so cheesy that you (or at least I) just can't help but love it. Despite the somewhat lame premise, it's actually a really cute movie and there are some genuinely funny bits in it.
8. A Christmas Story
Premise:
Set in the 1940's, young Ralphie desperately tries to convince his parents that a Red Rider BB Gun is the best possible gift.
Memorable moment:
The demise of the leg lamp. For that matter - anything involving the leg lamp.
This one's a classic. I actually can't believe that there are still people who haven't seen it. In fact, I had a really hard time picking just one memorable moment. And I know that Flick getting his tongue stuck on the flag pole is the one most people would choose but frankly... that bit kind of grosses me out.
7. Snowglobe
Premise:
Angela finds a world where it's always Christmas... inside her snow globe!
Memorable moment:
Pretty much anything that happens after Doug gets out of the Snowglobe.
When Mere first sent me the synopsis of this movie and asked if we should add it to the list, we were sure it would be a groaner. Yes there are some really cheesy parts, but the movie is actually really enjoyable. Everything that Doug - the guy inside the snow globe - says cracks me up.
6. The Christmas Shoes
Premise:
Based on a book that was based on a song that was inspired by an email forward (so you know it's gotta be a winner), this movie tells the story of a young boy who wants to buy a special pair of shoes for his dying mother, and a self-absorbed lawyer with a strained marriage.
Memorable moment:
Frequent, groan-worthy "heart" puns.
I had never heard of this song or movie until my former roommates were joking around about it one day. Again, it's one of the cheesy ones (and there are definitely some parts that are wayyyy overdone), but I still love it. Fun fact: John Dunsworth (aka Mr. Lahey from Trailer Park Boys) plays the doctor. No wonder that boy's mom is dying...
5. How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Premise:
A hermit enlists the help of his dog to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville. Based on the children's book by Dr. Seuss.
Memorable moment:
I get a little choked up every time the Whos sing Dah Who Dor-Aze.
Another one of the few classics on my list. I remember watching this on TV during the Christmas specials along with Rudolph and Frosty. I have to admit though that I'm not a huge fan of the live action version they did a few (okay, ten) years ago starring Jim Carrey.
4. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Premise:
Clark Griswold and his wacky family celebrate Christmas as only they can: with one outrageous disaster after another.
Memorable moment:
Clark's Christmas Eve rant to his boss.
This is another one that's an old favourite for me. My family and I have watched this every Christmas season for as long as I can remember. I've heard a lot of people say that it's stupid (and yeah, fair enough -it probably is), but I'll always have a spot in my heart for it. Plus, I kind of find people getting hit with things and/or accidentally electrocuted kind of funny.
3. Elf
Premise:
After discovering he's not actually an elf, Buddy goes to New York to find his birth father, where he discovers that the world beyond the North Pole isn't always candy canes and gum drops.
Memorable moment:
A tie between "I love smiling! Smiling's my favourite!" and Buddy putting the star at the top of the tree. Gets. Me. Every. Time.
I'm not generally a huge Will Ferrel fan, but I kind of love him in this. I remember not wanting to watch it the first time with my mom, but being pleasantly surprised by how funny it was. He's oddly believable as a man who thinks he's an elf...
2. The Muppets Christmas Carol
Premise:
Kermit, Miss Piggy, and all your other favourite muppets tell a musical version of A Christmas Carol.
Memorable moment:
Hands down, the song It Feels Like Christmas.
I was so excited when I got this for Christmas last year! I made my parents watch it with me (they'd never seen it!) and I might have sung along with all the songs. They're just so catchy!
1. Love Actually
Premise:
Tells a number of intertwined love stories during the days leading up to Christmas.
Memorable moment:
I guess I can't say "every moment in the movie", huh? So I think it will have to be Joanna's performance of All I Want For Christmas.
This is one of the few Christmas movies that I will watch at any point during the year. I've definitely seen it the most times of any of the movies on this list (and maybe of any movie ever) but I never get sick of it. Good thing, too, because it's the first movie on our list, which means we'll be watching it later this evening!
Since I couldn't fit all of them on one list, here are a few honourable mentions:
- Home Alone
- It's A Wonderful Life
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
- A Charlie Brown Christmas
- The Holiday
What's your favourite Christmas movie? Tell me about it in the comments or on Twitter!
