It's A Wonderful Life
Christmas is just around the corner, so which films do you need for which moods? Well, if you were to read on, you could find out.
We've split up the film into eight categories, The Traditional One, The Vintage One, The Nostalgic One, The Funny One, The Non-Christmas One, The Alternative One, The Tearjerking One and The One To Avoid. You'll find with any of these you've got the perfect film to relax this Christmas, other than The One To Avoid. No one wants to watch The One To Avoid.
The Traditional One - A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol has appeared in many incarnations throughout the years and it's entirely up to you which one you enjoy, but make sure you see one of them.
There's been adaptations through the years from silent films in the early 1900s through to a 3D Jim Carrey film in 2009. The Muppets have had their way with it and there are television movies, animated movies and live-action movies.
Charles Dicken's tale is synonymous with Christmas and Scrooge is now a way to describe someone who doesn't like Christmas. If you've never seen it or read it, nows your time to do so. Bah, humbug.
The Vintage One - It's a Wonderful Life
It was voted the number one film that people would want to watch on Christmas Day in a poll by freeview.co.uk and it has been solidly acknowledged as one of the best films ever made, but not only that, one of the best Christmas films and one of the most inspirational films ever made.
A compassionate James Stewart finds out what his life might be like if he had never existed thanks to the kind actions of an angel. Even the coldest hearts could be warmed by this classic Christmas movie.
The Nostalgic One - Home Alone
Home Alone is the film that taps into the fear children have of being left alone at Christmas, the fear of a parent leaving their child behind and along with it, ignited the dreams of children wanting to set traps for burglars.
It can only be Home Alone. No child, after seeing this film, can deny they had dreams of setting traps for would-be thieves, but ending up with their parents shouting to tidy up the mess they've made.
The film made a star out of Macaulay Culkin and with that soundtrack by John Williams, you can't help but see Culkin being reunited with his family once again. It's what Christmas is made of.
The Funny One - Elf
Will Ferrell stars as Buddy the Elf, a human who is taken in by the elves and when he grows up, he's sent back to the big wide world to find his father, however, he still keeps his Christmas sensibilities while he's in New York.
So, he puts maple syrup on his spaghetti, he turns a shop Santa's Grotto into a real Santa's Grotto and he spreads Christmas cheer. Whether you're a child or an adult, it just can't fail to raise a titter.
The Non-Christmas One - The Great Escape
The Great Escape might not be about Christmas but The Great Escape being on TV over Christmas isn't any less of a tradition than tinsel, turkey and presents.
The story of the prisoners of Stalag Luft III has become a Christmas staple and came third in a poll in which films people most want to see on Christmas Day.
The Alternative One - Die Hard
Die Hard is one of the greatest action films, it cemented Bruce Willis as one of the top action stars, but not only that, it's also set at Christmas and has all the ingredients for a top Christmas film.
John McClane is away from his family and all he wants is to be re-united with them for the holidays. It's got the happy ending, it's got the Christmas cheer and it's got the Scrooge in the form of Alan Rickman's Hans Gruber. Did we mention it's Die Hard? Do you need an excuse to watch Die Hard?
The Tearjerking One - Miracle On 34th Street
When a store in New York employs a new Santa to take over, all the kids believe he is the real Santa apart from one girl.
Richard Attenborough's Kris Kringle asks Mara Wilson (from Mrs Doubtfire and Matilda) how he can prove he is the real Santa and she replies that if she got a dad, a new house and a baby brother, she could believe.
He is later arrested and in court, they find that the only way he could be released is if they find proof that he is Santa and that Santa is real.
It's up to our little Mara Wilson to show that court exactly why they should believe in him. Try to stop yourself from feeling even a little bit for the young girl.
The One To Avoid - Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
The Santa Clause was a decent Christmas film with Tim Allen playing the man who manages to knock the real Santa unconscious and then in turn becomes Santa.
The Santa Clause 3 stars Tim Allen once again alongside Martin Short, who plays Jack Frost, who tries to ruin Christmas.
Nobody wants to watch a film about Christmas being ruined during the Christmas holidays, but not only that, nobody wants to watch a bad film.
This particular film scooped a massive five nominations at the 2006 Golden Raspberry Awards (the opposite of the Oscars) so make sure that when you choose your Christmas films to watch, that this one is frozen out.
FemaleFirst James Butlin
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