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Top 12 Christmas Movies of All Time
It's Christmas time for everyone in the western world...even for us here at Old-Wizard.com. You would think that we would make it a point to make up our own random holidays in contradistinction with the traditional ones, seeing as we tend to choose esoteric games and movies when reviewing and making top 10 lists. With that being said, we do appreciate Christmas and all the auspices that come with it, including the myriad of movies, some good, some bad (every single Tim Allen Christmas movie, and every thing he has ever done in general). In this list, we focus on the Christmas movies we have always loved ever since childhood from the absolute classic of "Charlie Brown Christmas", to the more sophisticated and mellifluous "It's a Wonderful Life". This is the one time of the year for fans of Old-Wizard to witness the small amount of sentimentality and amiableness that we are willing to show to the world. Enjoy it while it lasts, because after this, it's back to acrimony when we make our top 20 worst games of all time list. You may be wishing it was Christmas every day at Old-Wizard!
#12. Frost the Snowman
 What’s a Top Twelve Christmas movie list without this timeless classic about that jolly happy soul, with a corncob pipe, a button nose and two eyes made of coal? This is perhaps not only the best Christmas movie, but perhaps the best movie to ever be based off of a song. Frosty might be a snowman, but he somehow manages to make us all feel like warm fuzzy eggnog. Who can deny how great this story is? The narration is wonderful, with Jimmy Durante putting the audience at ease with his light-hearted voice, which shows us he understands the world differently than the adults in the film. The story is that Professor Hinkle, a terrible magician, actually owns a real magic hat, and accidentally makes the school children's snowman come to life. But he'll stop at nothing to get his windblown hat back from this walking, talking snowman. Even going so far as to lock him into a greenhouse in an attempt to melt him. (He's almost as bad as the school teacher who makes the children go to school the day before Christmas in the heavy snow!) Near the end of the movie, we all find ourselves on the edge of our seat rooting for Frosty in his quest to get to the North Pole, so that he doesn't melt. He may be nothing more than a snowman, but he is undoubtedly the "coolest" character in this movie. He always knew the right thing to say, and how to make the children feel special, and because of that, we'll never forget him.
#11. A Charlie Brown Christmas
 "A Charlie Brown Christmas" was first released in 1965 to a welcoming audience who were in want of Christmas movies that were simple but not perfunctory. This Charlie Brown edition fulfilled these expectations perfectly. A mark of a great movie is its continued success over time. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" starts to air a month before Christmas has even arrived and is replayed two or three times a week. What is it that makes this movie still relevant on such a scale 40 or more years after its original release? To start off, the music is superb and memorable, sticking with you for the rest of your life. Vince Guaraldi created piano concertos on par with the best of the renaissance era. The story line absolutely serves as a protention into the future of how Christmas would be lived out 20 years down the line as Charlie Brown finds himself depressed during the holidays because the lack of meaning he finds in the commercialization of something that is supposed to be transcendent. The dialogues between Lucy and Charlie are always exorbitantly disclosive, availing the raw emotions inside both as Christmas time arrives. And of course, we all remember the ending when all of Charlie's friends fix back up his tree with Snoopy's decorations hitting at the soft spot in all human beings part of the Christmas day. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is simple and sophisticated at the same time. The music, the story, and the characters are all simple but utterly memorable. When you can combine these two virtues in creation of anything, you get timeless art like this movie.
#10. Home Alone
 Home Alone was first released to popular theaters in 1990. It gained massive critical acclaim and widespread popularity that projected its showings way beyond Christmas and even the Christmas season. What was it about Home Alone that made it so successful? Was it the main protagonist (Macaulay Culkin) that made girls go wild with his boyish comportment towards family life? Was it Joe Pesci's character who retained his bad dude image from "Goodfellas"? Or was it the simple story line that drew crowds to the edge of their seats wondering how long a little boy could keep "professional" burglars from doing their job? The later would serve as the most conspicuous reason for the movies success. The plot was very simple but extremely entertaining. The simplicity, while being nuanced in theme, would serve as a catalyst for "Home Alones" legacy. The movie is based on Pesci and Stern chasing Culkin around his own house in hopes of capturing him so they could get to the real business of stealing all the riches from this obvious opulent family. All the ingenious tricks that Culkin's character comes up with from laying micro machines on the ground for the burglars to trip on, to tying an iron to a light switch to smash onto Pesci's face proved to be perfectly devious for a someone only puerile in age. Home Alone 2 and 3 would go on to be especially abominable movies repackaging the same themes in more trite manners, but Home Alone 1 was a memorable Christmas movie that was family friendly while still holding a strong suspense in its own regard.
#9. Scrooged
 When we were deciding which movies would make it onto top 12 Christmas movies list, it was a given that at least one version of the Christmas Carol would make it. But hours were spent debating which one. Would it be the classic 1938 version? Mickey's Christmas Carol? Or, would it be what turned out to be the most difficult omission, which was A Muppet Christmas Carol? Unfortunately, we didn't have room for any of these great movies, as we ultimately decided upon Scrooged, with Bill Murray. As Ghostbusters proved, you can't go wrong when you mix Bill Murray with the supernatural. Add to that a musical score by Danny Elfman, and you have an instant classic. We all know the story, a greedy miser is visited by three ghosts who show him his past, present and future, and ultimately show him the true meaning of Christmas is not how much money you have, but how you use it to better everyone else around you, especially the people you care about. In this incarnation of that classic tale, Bill Murray's character is Francis Xavier "Frank" Cross, a cynical T.V. executive whose concentration on his career has cost him his one true love, Claire Phillips and alienated him from his family. He spends his days ordering around his assistant Grace, making her miss out on having a true life, much like himself. But one Christmas Eve he is visited by three ghosts who show him the error of his ways, and he repents, reuniting with Claire, and learning that there are more important things in life than ratings.
#8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
 Christmas never really starts feeling like Christmas until you watch Rudolph The Red-Nose Reindeer. After watching this heartwarming stop motion classic about Santa’s shiny nosed reindeer, one can’t help but feel festive and inspired. The movie features a classic line up of Christmas characters, such as Sam the Snowman, maybe the only snowman out there cooler than Frosty, and Hermey the misfit elf. You know, the elf Rudolph hangs out with who wants to be dentist but in reality grows up to be Conan O’ Brian, the late night talk show host. Come on, tell me you don’t see the resemblance. Anyway, in addition to being an entertaining Christmas movie, Rudolph taught us some important life lessons. Rudolph, who was relentlessly teased by the other reindeer for his glowing red nose, becomes the hero at the end of the movie when Santa needs a light to guide his magical sleigh through a intense blizzard, demonstrating that our differences are sometimes what makes us special. And that even an aesthetically unpleasing reject can become a hero, if only for a day.
#7 Michael
 Michael is a Christmas movie about the Archangel Michael, played by scientologist John Travolta. Ironies aside, this is a great comedy-fantasy movie about a scruffy Angel and how he performs one last "small miracle". You see, each angel only gets so many visits to earth, and can only perform small miracles while there, and this movie is about Michael and his "one last blast". But of course, while he's here on earth, doing God's work, he wants to take in all of the sights, namely visiting the world's largest ball of twine and the largest non-stick frying pan, as well as engaging in a few battles. He's come back to earth on a bet, to visit Frank Quinlan, a jaded tabloid reporter, and help him to find out what he's searching for in life. Quinlan, and his sidekick, Huey Driscoll, receive a letter from Pansy Milbank in Iowa, who runs the Milk Bottle Motel, and who tells them she has an Angel living with her. They are dispatched to Iowa by their editor Vartan Malt to get a picture of this Angel and hopefully bring him back to Chicago. One catch, if they come back empty-handed, they are fired and Malt keeps Huey's dog Sparky. They are also to take along Dorothy Winters, an "angel expert" and much like the angel story itself, they soon find out she isn't what she seems to be either. All in all, this is a great movie about things not always turning out like you expect them to, and finding out what's really important in life in the process.
#6. The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
 Watching How the Grinch Stole Christmas always makes me want to get into some footed PJs and be a kid on Christmas Eve. It's simply one of the best Christmas specials ever made, and if watching this animated holiday classic doesn't make you grin as big as the Grinch himself, then you're probably about as cuddly as a cactus and as charming as an eel.
Like little Cindy Lou, we watch the Grinch with big eyes and anticipation. He's a mean one, that Mr. Grinch, but somehow we can still intuit some goodness buried beneath the rubbish of his unwashed socks garlic soul and of course, we want to see this goodness come out since happy endings are always pleasant around the holidays. Besides, with a dog like Max, how can Mr. Grinch be all that bad? If anything, we want to see the Grinch better himself and become kinder for Max's sake. Max is too cute a pup to be kicked around by a moldy hearted master, which is precisely why we are moved when the Grinch finally does come to realize the true meaning of Christmas and stops his scheming. It's warm eggnog and roasted chestnuts. And nothing says Christmas spirit like watching the heart of the former king of sinful sots grow three times bigger and lose it's purple spots. #5. It's a Wonderful Life
 What can you say about "It's a Wonderful Life"? It's classic, incandescent and thoroughly pleasing to watch over and over again regardless of its box office failures at the time of its release. The story has been parodied by almost every TV show I can think of, as its perfect for the holiday season. George Bailey is on the cusp of a somber/depressive mood, about to kill himself, only to be saved by a guardian angel in the name of Henry Travers. Henry gives George his wish: To see whether or not it would have been better had he not been born. Together, they go back through the entirety of Bailey's life seeing all the people he affected positively, and just how important his life has been to others whether he knows it or not. We go back to Bailey's childhood where it's revealed to the viewers how he saved his brothers life in a sledding accident. Further into the future we see how happy Bailey made his wife Mary when he proposed to her. When Bailey realizes all he has done for the people he has met throughout his life, he gracefully asks for his life back on the bridge he was about the commit suicide on, keying in the deciduous snow and sparkling sky in the background. The story line broaches at the heart of all viewers who watch it sustaining its popularity into the habitual Christmas season, so much so that movie theaters across the globe will replay it in their theaters so you can see it as the real thing, not just on TV. "It's a Wonderful Life's" belated success has proved once again that some of the best art and creativity in the world requires an age or two to be discovered.
#4. A Christmas Story
 "Christmas Story" is clearly the most overplayed Christmas film of all time, but for good reason. "A Christmas Story" is filled with bawdy and indecent humor at times, and at other times with comedic relief on par with the best comedies in movie history. The amount of memorable scenes in this movie are exorbitant from Flicks tongue getting stuck to a flagpole in the dead of winter, to Ralphies receiving of a little Annie "decoder" toy that was about as amusing as a toy Hess truck. And who can forget when Ralphie shoots his first shot of his BB gun only to have the bullet ricochet off his glasses, convincing him that he "shot his eye out". The acting in "A Christmas Story" was also superb with all characters perfectly cast for average suburbandom; A circumspect loving mother, a sometimes priggish father, and 2 children who would rather act like animals then human beings. All the tragic/comedic moments that fill out "A Christmas Story" serve as a grounding to a holiday that has tendencies for quixotism and consumerism. All families who watch this movie get a sense of relief when they realize they may not be alone in failing to epitomize a perfect holiday for themselves and those they care for, and for that reason, this movie will always stand the test of time.
#3. Elf
 There was no one better to play "Buddy" the elf than Will Ferrell. A misshaped human being who happened to get stuck in Santa's sack one Christmas, "Buddy" would become the odd ball out in the toy factory in the North Pole. All the other elves were small in stature and acute in the engineering of their toys while Buddy was huge (so huge that he had to duck everywhere he went) and dopey, often lagging behind in toy production. The story of "Elf" follows Buddy from the North Pole to New York City in hopes of finding his real father. What a surprise it is to Buddy's father when Buddy visits him in his office, with his elf costume and shoes in tact. An executive tycoon having to show his "underneath's" that his son had some sort of elf mania was difficult beyond all limits. As the story moves along and Buddy and his father start to get to know each other better and eventually Buddy is accepted as a son, adding the appropriate "Christmas Cheer" needed for a sometimes somber story parent/son neglect. Ferrell proves himself once again to be a consummate absurdist actor with such scenes as when he gets angry at the Santa inside the department store he is working for that he knows is a fake. The fight that ensues between the imposter Santa and Ferrell is accentuated in jocularity by Ferrell's conviction in his character. The humour of "Elf" combined with the dovetailing storyline would make it arguably the best Christmas comedy ever made.
#2 Gremlins
 Being a website with a fondness for vicious little monsters, we couldn't help but include Gremlins on our top 12 Christmas movies. Gremlins is another example of how 80's movies continue to dominate anything that has come afterwards. The story is classic. Randall Peltzer is an eccentric inventor from the fictional town of Kingston Falls who is a little frustrated by the setbacks to the "Bathroom Buddy", a sort of swiss army knife for your bathroom. He's selling his wares in Chinatown when he finds a small shop run by an elderly Chinese man. Randall is taken with the old man's pet, a Mogwai, and after some finagling, buys it as a present for his teenage son Billy. But there are three things to remember about a Mogwai: they can't stand bright lights, they must never go near water, and most importantly of all, they must never be fed after midnight. So can you guess what happens next?
Randall names his new pet “Gizmo” and brings him home to his son. Unfortunately Billy’s friend Pete accidentally spills water on Gizmo. This causes him to go into convulsions and instantly multiply, spawning five new Mogwai, who are much more aggressive than Gizmo. Led by Stripe, who has a white Mohawk (an obvious sign of leadership), the new Mogwai manage to steal some food and eat after midnight, and are soon transformed into Gremlins. Even though the Gremlins are puppets, they look about a hundred times better than any computer animated monsters you will see in theaters today. Chaos soon hits this picturesque, snow-covered town as the Gremlins exhibit a complete lack of respect for anything decent: Santa is ambushed, carols are ruined, Christmas trees become traps - not even Johnny Mathis is sacred. Add this to their bad habits - heavy drinking, smoking, gambling, murdering innocent people - and it's easy to see why this movie was such a hit. After the gremlins' rampage is over we get a commentary on western society by the old Chinese shopkeeper, who laments that we aren't ready for the Mogwai....hell we're not even ready for chopsticks. #1 National Lampoons Christmas Vacation
 The National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is hands down the best Christmas movie that has ever been made. I've personally seen this movie well over twenty times and yet, every time I see it on T.V. I'll put down my remote and watch it till the end. The Story follows Clark Griswold as he tries to give his loved ones an old fashioned family Christmas. All Clark wants for his family is for them to have a good time, but as with all the other National Lampoon movies, all he is able to deliver is one misadventure after another. And while his infinitely patient wife is at least understanding and grateful for his loving, if misguided attempts at making this the ideal holiday season for his family, his kids and in-laws are another matter entirely. Ridiculing him at every turn, even going so far as to laugh at him at his darkest hour, when he attempts to illuminate the massive light display he spent all night setting up fail. Clark is the dad we all wish we had, for even though he is rarely able to deliver on his promises, he tries as hard as he can, and really that's all that counts during the Christmas season, isn't it? It's not about some superficially "perfect" father figure who simply buys us whatever we want, and takes us to exotic places for Christmas, where nothing interesting ever happens, and you're ignored the entire time. Its but about the everyday working man, who puts his heart and soul into making sure his family has the best Christmas ever, even if it doesn't always work out the way he wants. After all, it's the thought that counts.
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