Chill out with these winter wonders
Christmas joy, sadness, fun and terror
Whether it’s Kevin McCallister smashing robbers with paint tins, Buddy the Elf guzzling down soda, spaghetti and syrup or John McClane hanging off the side of a building, everyone has their favourite festive flick.
As a special gift ahead of Santa Claus coming down our chimneys I present to you my top 10 Christmas-flavoured movies to satisfy your appetite for the holiday season.
●Scrooged – Bill Murray has a blast in this more modern take on Dickens’ Christmas Carol. The three ghosts are all great fun, while my bottom lip still quivers during the touching climax.
●Die Hard – Action abounds as Bruce Willis’ everyman hero tackles a tower block taken over by terrorists led by a deliciously devilish Alan Rickman.
●Elf – Will Ferrell was born to play man-child Buddy who finds himself struggling with life in the big city in search of his real dad.
●The Muppet Christmas Carol – Jim Henson’s iconic puppets face up to a never grouchier Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge amid a soundtrack of ridiculously catchy tunes.
●Batman Returns – Michael Keaton’s Caped Crusader faces three of his most formidable foes in Michelle Pfeiffer’s seductive Catwoman, Danny DeVito’s monstrous Penguin and Christopher Walken’s devious Max Shreck.
●Black Christmas (1974) – Forget the remakes, the original is definitely the best. If you like your Christmas tinged with some horror, there is no better viewing, with stricken sorority girls and creepy phone calls combining to strike festive fear into your heart.
●Home Alone – The second film is good too but I’m still plumping for the original. Macaulay Culkin’s face-off with Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern is still as funny – and disturbingly painful – now as it was three decades ago.
●Edward Scissorhands – Johnny Depp and Tim Burton have teamed up to treat us to a few fantastic flicks but never any as magical, enchanting and emotional as this gothic fairytale with a wintry backdrop.
●Inside – Don’t eat any turkey before watching this visceral, gory but engrossing French horror dealing with grief and the horrific aftermath of an unwanted nighttime visitor.
●It’s A Wonderful Life – Enjoying Frank Capra’s classic remains an essential Christmas tradition. James Stewart evokes every possible emotion leading up to a heartwarming finale.
What are your favourite Christmas movies? Pop me an email at ian. bunting@reachplc.com and I will pass on your picks to your fellow readers.