Top 10 Christmas Movie List

I must say, creating a Christmas movie list was inspired by Adrian Martinez. There are quite a few Christmas movie classics that people would expect to be on any list that won't be on mine, most likely because I haven't seen them. Nonetheless, this is what I came up with:

10. Die Hard

No one brings the Christmas spirit with more fury and violence than John McClane does. I love it!  

9. It's A Wonderful Life

My conscious got the better of me; since I have seen this Christmas classic, I felt compelled to put it somewhere on the list.

8. Ernest Saves Christmas

Ernest is probably one of the most endearing characters of all time. He needs a statue of some kind, preferably a very large one made of some kind of precious metal. R.I.P. Ernest.

7. Joyeax Noel

A German film set in the trenches of World War I, this movie poignantly portrays how the spirit of Christmas can render war completely absurd. A very powerful movie. 

6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the 1966 original animated version)

Dr. Seuss was a genius. To witness one of the most maniacal villains of Christmas that I knew of as a child be transformed into a quintessential Christmas icon in a matter of only 26 minutes is hope engendering, indeed. 

5. The Muppet Christmas Carol

Jim Henson, who was born on the same day as me, was also a genius. His rendition of "The Christmas Carol" falls nothing short of that. 

4. Home Alone

On his Christmas movie list, Adrian Martinez included Home Alone 2 instead of the original. I don't know what he was thinking. Clearly, the first is superior, even if it's slight. I think for quite a long time, it was a dream of mine to be home alone for christmas, left to fend for myself against some pesky robbers with some narly and totally awesome homemade booby traps. 

3. Elf

This movie pretty much has it all: an overly-sized elf played by Will Ferrell at the peak of his career; talking animated animals; spaghetti eaten with every sweet ingredient imaginable; a two-liter coke bottle downed in less than 15 seconds; a snowball fight to end all snowball fights; Santa's sleigh powered by jet engines; and, of course, Zooey Deschanel and her beautiful voice sealing this movie as a Christmas classic; and much more. 

2. A Charlie Brown Christmas

I don't think I really need to defend this one. As eternal as temporal characters and music can be.

1. The Nightmare Before Christmas

Dark, sinister, morbid and ultimately beautiful. Probably one of the most imaginative movies conceptually I can think of. Sometimes I feel I would prefer Jack Skelington's Christmas over the conventional, somewhat stale, version of Christmas we've all come to know. Not to mention the hauntingly stellar music and the unparalleled clay animation. I can't think of a movie that brings me more delight in the weirdest way, and for that reason it is my #1 pick.