My Top 10 Christmas Movies

I’m almost all blogged out for Christmas topics, but I have one more today – my list of awesome Christmas movies. As a movie fan, I can’t get through the season without watching at least half of these…

10. The Nightmare Before Christmas
This is one of those crossover gems that comes in handy right around Hallowe’en, but still has that whole Christmas vibe going on.

9. Ernest Saves Christmas
I haven’t seen this in year’s, but I still remember it fondly – call me crazy, but Jim Varney was hilarious in this.

8. Home Alone
This is a classic, I don’t care what you say. It’s not quite the best at setting the mood, but it’s a lot of fun. I’d also rank Home Alone 2 in with this movie just for kicks.

7. The Santa Clause
Possibly the only time you’ll see me recommend anything with Tim Allen in it, but he makes a good Santa.

6. Elf
Again, Will Farrell tends to annoy me, but as a human raised by elves, he’s pretty awesome. Extra points awarded for the entirely watchable Zooey Deschanel singing and being all cute and stuff, not to mention Bob Newhart!

5. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Chevy Chase is hilarious, and you can’t help but love a film where everything goes worse than your Christmas ever could.

4. Family Man
Nick Cage is one of my favorite actors, and this film just gives me goosebumps from start to finish. Brilliant little movie.

3. A Christmas Carol
I love pretty much any of the Christmas Carol movies, including the musical from 1970 called Scrooge. That said, none quite live up to Alastair Sim‘s utterly classic version.

2. Scrooged
While it may seem funny, if I had to choose between A Christmas Carol and Scrooged, I’d pick Bill Murray‘s version nine times out of ten. “Oh, what is this Frank? Oh, oh, look Frank. It’s a toaster.”

1. It’s a Wonderful Life
And finally, what would Christmas be without It’s a Wonderful Life? Nothing, that’s what. You simply can’t have Christmas without this film – Frank Capra was a great director, but with Jimmy Stewart as his lead, none quite are as infectious as It’s a Wonderful Life.

Honourable mentions go to both the Muppet Christmas Carol and It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, not to mention Miracle on 34th Street, and one of my all-time favourites, One Magic Christmas – a hard to find gem that will likely leave you bawling, but totally in the Christmas spirit.