6 classic Christmas movies

Captain Obvious here with a special message: Christmas is fast approaching!
Aside from what seems like an unending stream of online Christmas content, it also means Christmas movie marathons! Get on some fuzzy slippers, plug in the lights on your tree, settle down with some eggnog (add rum for adults only) and cozy up for some Christmas classics.

In honour of all those Christmas movie marathons that are about to happen, I’m counting down my six all-time favourite Christmas movies in no particular order.

1 -  It’s a Wonderful Life

Like me, Ian Morse, it's an oldie but a goodie (how can you disagree?) This has everything you need in a great Christmas movie and despite it being released in 1946, it still tugs at the heartstrings.
You have heroics as George Baily (played by James Stewart) not only saves his brother’s life at the expense of his hearing in one ear; but also the lives of an entire family. He dreams of leaving dreary old Bedford Falls only to be pulled back time and time again.
Personally I don’t know what his problem is; he has a beautiful and witty wife in Mary to go along with the 2.5 kids that really makes the American Dream. Sure he is constantly strapped for cash and living paycheck to paycheck but that’s because he puts everyone else first and dammit that’s what the holidays are all about! Plus, did I mention there are angels? George contemplates suicide only to be saved by Clarence an angel in search of his wings; spoiler alert…..he gets them.

2 -  Love Actually

This is really more about quantity over quality, which is how some people like to live their lives; who am I to argue with them? Even though Rotten Tomatoes has this rated at 63%, it really has it all; love, laughs, tears and of course a weird six degrees of separation theme to it that will be copied in countless rom coms moving forward from 2003. Cue a montage of He’s Just Not That Into You, Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve.
Like chicken fingers on Sushi restaurant menu, sometimes you’ve simply gotta give the people what they want.

3 - The Santa Clause

This movie comes straight out of ’94, which was a good year for film overall (Shawshank Redemption, Forrest Gump, Speed, Pulp Fiction.) For arguments sake, we are going to pretend they didn’t make three of these and focus on the original.
Tim Allen makes his big screen debut in this, coming in hot off of his small screen hit Home Improvement and much like in his sitcom, he catches a serious “L” early when he accidentally murders Santa, only to turn it into a serious “W” that even Wu-Tang would be proud of.
Allen becomes Santa Claus and with the help of his trusty elf Bernard, he somehow becomes the best damn Santa ever, but also wins over his ex-wife and son in the process.  
Pretty not that bad, Tim. Pretty not that bad at all.

4 -  The Grinch

 This one is only rated 53% on Rotten Tomatoes (what do they know, anyway?) so I’ll give you two fine reasons as to why you should add this to your “frequently watched at Christmas” rotation.

First, Jim Carrey is amazing! would watch him read a phone book.
Second, it’s my girlfriend's (who is intelligent, engaging, lovely, talented, driven and outrageously wonderful …she’s more outrageously wonderful than all of JEM and the Holograms combined) most quoted movie of all time…of all time! Specifically “hate, hate, hate, double hate…LOATHE ENTIRLY” generally directed at yours truly.
In all seriousness this movie is a Christmas staple and Carrey is actually phenomenal. If you’ve never watched before, you’re welcome to watch it with my lovely girlfriend and I at our place anytime.

5 -  Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Another classic that’s been with us since 1964. With everything made out of clay, it only adds to the allure of this movie.
Rudolph has the unfortunate experience of learning that if you are different, (if you have a red nose or something) you should be treated differently than everyone else. Not cool, other reindeer. Not cool. Luckily Rudy and his awesome red nose was there to save the day.
On the plus side, it teaches kids to strive to achieve their dreams, like Hermey the Elf who wants to be a dentist. I truly believe a clay elf can become a dentist after watching this movie and you should too. Rudolph is a classic from my childhood… I vividly remember my parents drinking eggnog spiked with rum while laughing at me for being scared of the abominable snowman.  Whatever; I have better hair than he does and a nicer smile…but I still get the heebie geebies when I see him.

6 -  Home Alone

The original and not that monstrosity of follow up movies in the franchise.
Home Alone2 caught a rating of 27% on Rotten Tomatoes and arguably spurned Macaulay Culkin into his drug-induced spiral that he only recently surfaced from. Glad you’re back ,Richie Rich…personally, I’mstill waiting on that sequel. 
Seriously though, who doesn’t love watching an 8 year old outsmarting grown criminals? This move has idiocy, wit and John Candy, which makes it a great movie. It also leaves you asking one important question: what does Kevin’s father do for work to afford not only that house but a trip to Paris for like 12 people?

He isn’t a writer; I can tell you that.