1. Die Hard (1988) - Some might not remember that the movie that launched Bruce Willis' career and poised Alan Rickman as the ultimate bad guy was set during the happiest of holidays, but Die Hard is a Christmas classic if there ever was one. Detective John McClane flies out to reconnect with his wife on Christmas Eve only to find himself trapped in an office building that has been taken over by a team of terrorists trying to steal $640 million in bonds from the company. McClane then spends the rest of the movie kicking so much ass that you almost feel your own butt tingling, but not in a gay way. Watching this movie pretty much makes you want to dropkick Santa in the face yelling "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker!!!" while holding baby Jesus in your arms. If that doesn't get you pumped for Christmas, I don't know what will.Netflix Instant Watch: Yes
2. A Christmas Tale (2008) - Not many films that get a nod for the Palm d'Or at the Cannes set their premise around the Christmas holiday (in fact, this might be the only one), and Arnaud Desplechin's modern family drama certainly deserved it. A family reunites after years of separated strain when they all discover that their mother has leukemia, and soon it becomes an embittered battle between the siblings as to who will be the savior and donate bone marrow to their mother. All of the characters are free and dynamic and never fall under the spell of over-dramatized stereotypes, thanks in combination to the excellent dialogue and acting and the quirky camerawork, which keeps even the most strenuous moments light-hearted and fun to watch. If you think you know French cinema, be sure to check this one out to see all of the little surprises it carries.Netflix Instant Watch: Yes
3. Bad Santa (2003) - The idea of Terry Zwigoff and Billy Bob Thornton getting together to make a Christmas film is too weird to even be a fantasy, yet here we are. The result is about as crude as you would expect it to be - almost to a fault. It's probably best considered as the anti-Christmas movie: there is no 'goodwill' here, only dark humor between many bottles of rum. Despite its effort, though, it never reaches the perfect awkward atmosphere of Ghost World, which is definitely a superior film. Still, Thornton plays his part to perfection and Zwigoff throws off any cliche in his screenplay that his premise throws at him. To those who cling to seasonal joys and get upset when movies don't follow moral queues, the result might be pretty depressing and off-putting. But to everyone else, the sky is the limit, and hell you might even learn a lesson here and there.Netflix Instant Watch: No
4. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) - It always felt strange to me that Kubrick decided to set his final, lust-filled opus during Christmas, but almost every scene is immersed in the season, and hell - why not make it a holiday classic, it's a great movie. A couple struggles over the temptation of infidelity during a fateful night, and whether the allure is real or imagined, they both have to come to terms and define what their bond means. I'm convinced that Tom Cruise took the role because he gets to be with, like, 20 naked ladies throughout the film, but that must have been some motivation because it's probably his best acting just short of Magnolia. And with Kubrick at the helm, every scene is completely absorbing (though the main piano theme might get a bit grinding after a while.) Whether or not you like it, it will certainly mess with your head.Netflix Instant Watch: No
5. Love Actually (2003) - A well-scripted, hilarious Brit rom-com that intertwines multiple storylines sounds like a strange Christmas gift, but Richard Curtis gave us exactly that in the winter of 2003, and Love Actually is truly the best of its kind. It's chalk full of great scenes and characters and chooses to depict love as something imperfect and real rather than the usual idealized fluff. To top it off, it gives us Bill Nighy drunkenly singing a kitschy Christmas tune called "Love Is All Around," which manages to peak the charts and capture all of the dry jollity of the season. Good stuff.Netflix Instant Watch: No
6. Brazil (1985) - Terry Gilliam's masterpiece is like a psychotic blend of 1984 and Monty Python, and the fact that it is set during Christmas is perfectly fitting. At its base level the movie is a commentary on the things that we become slaves to - bureaucracy, fear, vanity and most of all consumerism. Everyone aside from the main character, Sam Lowry, seems to be locked in their own self-congratulating space, appeased by giving into their own selfish desires in the easiest and fastest way possible. When looked at with a cynic's eye, Christmas could be little more than a statement on modern consumer culture; the only way we know to show our friends and family that we love them is by buying things for them. Happy Holidays!Netflix Instant Watch: No
7. Tokyo Godfathers (2003) - A baby abandoned on Christmas Eve is discovered by the most unlikely of families: a homeless trio consisting of a man who has lost his family, a homosexual drag queen who has always longed to be a mother and a girl who has run away from home. As the three search for the baby's (which they nickname Kiyoko) parents, they each reflect on their own misfortunes and abandonment, determined to not let Kiyoko reach the same fate. Brought to us by the masters of mature anime, Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Paprika) and Keiko Nobumoto (Cowboy Bebop), this is a pretty tough watch for a Christmas flick but the plot flows with a spirituality filled with coincidences that can only be described as magical.Netflix Instant Watch: No
8. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) - With all of the chaos and flare of a Guy Ritchie film and the sexy suaveness of a neo-noir mystery, this guilty pleasure of mine is all adrenaline and pops as seamlessly as a pack of firecrackers (oh, not to mention it stars Robert Downey, Jr.) The main character, Harry Lockhart is a thief turned actor turned hapless investigator, and eventually teams up with PI "Gay" Perry (Val Kilmer at his best) to solve a kidnapping case, supposedly to "get in character" for an upcoming role. The quick-witted meta narration by RDJr. really gives the film its edge and the romance subplot between him and his childhood sweetheart is actually pretty fun to watch. Oh, not to mention the whole thing takes place during Christmas. See, it does belong on this list.Netflix Instant Watch: No
9. Christmas on Mars (2008) - Far and away the weirdest Christmas movie I've ever seen, this psychedelic freakout of a film was concocted from the mind of Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips (which is about the only thing that makes sense about it.) Not really a Christmas movie in any traditional sense, the plot is loosely based around a character named Major Syrtis organizing a pageant to celebrate the first Christmas on the newly-colonized Mars. Think of it as a weird fusion of Jodorowski and David Lynch in the backdrop of 2001: A Space Odyssey. A true holiday trip.Netflix Instant Watch: No
10. Black Christmas (1974) - 10 years before he released the perennial A Christmas Story and before he got famous with Porky's, Bob Clark filmed this Canadian cult classic. It was also probably the first Christmas horror film, and came out right when the slasher flick was coming into stride (the same year as The Texas Chainsaw Massacre). The movie focuses on killings that take place in a sorority house where the girls are tormented by mysterious phone calls that consist of muffled moans and screams. One by one the girls start disappearing as the killer, who we find out lurks in the attic, corners them while they're alone... and kills them. It's by no means a great film, and it's the 70s, so the movie handles 'controversial' issues such as sex, alcoholism and abortion with all the tact of a late-night comedian, but it's a fun ride while it lasts, and horror buffs are sure to love it.Netflix Instant Watch: Yes
Not enough for you? Check out Edward Scissorhands, Die Hard 2, Scrooged, Millions and Joyeux Noël
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