Every Christmas, families all over the world sit down to such classics as It's A Wonderful Life, Home Alone or The Santa Clause. Some families even sit down to Jingle All The Way. This Christmas, I thought I'd bring a bit of chaos to festive TV time with a list of alternative seasonal flicks...er, well, at least every movie takes place during Christmas. So if you're tired of seeing Tim Allen in a fat suit annually, read on!
By the way, this list is in no particular order!
DIE HARD (1988)
By the way, this list is in no particular order!
DIE HARD (1988)
Nearly everyone has seen it, but for those uninitiated in the most badassical film since the beginning of man, this is what a real Christmas movie is. Bruce Willis stars as the legendary John McClane, a cop whose visiting his wife in downtown LA when her building is taken over by the villainous Hans Gruber and his gang of thugs. So instead of sitting down to a delicious meal of turkey and roast potatoes, McClane's gotta chow down on a nasty plate of terrorism! Die Hard has got it all; explosions, machine guns, blood, a foul-mouthed hero and the best Christmas song there is; Christmas In Hollis by Run DMC. Give it a spin this year!
GREMLINS (1984)
An absolute blast, this one. Executive Producer Steven Spielberg and Joe Dante team up to bring you a tale of little green creatures invading a town after a teenage boy accidentally breaks the cardinal rule of the Gremlins; no food after Midnight. I completely missed this as a kid and only caught it when I was 15 or so, but it instantly became a favourite of mine. Watching Gremlins throw old women out of a window on their stair-lift is what Christmas is all about, right?
BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)
Every have a Christmas when that pesky serial killer down the road won't stop calling your house and hanging up? Yeah, neither have I, but the Sorority House in Black Christmas has! Widely considered to be the original Slasher movie, this one is great for people who aren't too into the jolly festivities. It's creepy, atmospheric and altogether memorable. Kick back in your new knitted Christmas jumper and watch the ensuing carnage!
LETHAL WEAPON (1987)
Who can forget the introduction to Mel Gibson's Martin Riggs? Busting a couple of Drug dealers while deceptively pretending to buy some Cocaine and a Christmas tree. Lethal Weapon is an action genre classic, introducing the world to the dynamic duo of Riggs and Murtaugh. The sequels never managed to top this entry, but they're worth a try too. Like Die Hard, even though the films don't center on Christmas, they carry that warm festive feeling in one hand...and a .45 pistol in the other!
SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT 2 (1987)
In terms of cinematic quality, this puppy is bottom of the barrel. But in terms of absolute hilarity and maniacally fun nonsense, it's the Citizen Kane. The plot is basically a young man, Ricky is released from a mental hospital after witnessing his killer brother's death. He then in turn becomes a killer. Maybe it's a family thing? Some people may also recognize this flick from the highly viewed YouTube clip, where Ricky randomly shoots a guy on the street while screaming 'Garbage Day!'. Yup, that's Silent Night, Deadly Night 2.
All of these flicks are entertaining, fun and Christmass-y in some way, shape or form, so this year instead of Jack Frost, look for one of these!
