Best Christmas Movie Posters

by Helen Earnshaw | 3 December 2015

It is that time of year again when new festive films are set to hit the big screen and we settle down in front of the TV to watch old favourites.

Krampus

This week's cinema releases have a very festive feel as Krampus, Christmas With The Coopers, and The Night Before are all set to hit the big screen and get us in the mood for Christmas.

We take a look back at some of the best Christmas films and their unforgettable posters.

- Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

There is no film that gets me more in the mood for Christmas than the 1994 version of Miracle on 34th Street and there is no actor that was destined to play St Nick more than Richard Attenborough.

And it is Attenborough who takes centre stage in this great poster for the film. There is something very atmospheric about this poster and plays on the idea of a miracle.

It is also great to see Attenborough dressed as a normal man - rather than as Father Christmas in the other poster for this film.

- The Polar Express (2004)

Hard to believe that The Polar Express is a movie that is now over a decade old - yes, it was 2004 when the film hit the film for the very first time.

Directed by Robert Zemeckis and boasting the voice talents of double Oscar winner Tom Hanks, The Polar Express takes audiences on a magical ride to the North Pole meet Father Christmas.

The Polar Express is a movie about friendship and the spirit of Christmas and this movie really captures the sense of adventure that we all feel at the beginning of this film. The Polar Express was the first all-digital capture film and is one of the most beautiful looking Christmas movies.

- Elf (2003)

Elf is one of the most loved Christmas movies of recent years and saw Will Ferrell takes on the central role of Buddy, a man raised as an elf at the North Pole. He has his life turned upside down when he is sent to America to find himself and his family.

The movie saw Jon Favreau in the director's chair for what was only the second big screen feature film of his career.

The Elf poster is quite a simple one and plays on the ridiculous idea that buddy could think that he is an elf.

- Bad Santa (2004)

Bad Santa is another Christmas movie that is a lot of fun and was released back in 2004. The movie sees Billy Bob Thornton take on the role of Willie, a con-man who plans to rob a department story on Christmas Eve.

Bad Santa flips the idea that Father Christmas should be a figure of goodness at this time of year and it is a terrific black comedy that is unlike any other film in this genre.

The Bad Santa poster immediately suggests that you are in for mischief and mayhem and is nothing like the festive films that we have come to expect at this time of year.

- Arthur Christmas (2011)

When it comes to Christmas movies, Arthur Christmas is one of the movies that I loved the most - it really is a terrific family watch that is touching as well as a lot of fun.

The movie follows Arthur, the youngest son of Father Christmas, who sets out on a mission to get a present to a young girl who was missed on Christmas Eve. It is a wonderful film about the spirit of Christmas and the importance of family.

This great set of posters brings together the Claus family; the current Santa Claus, the previous, Santa Claus, the man who wants to replace his father as Santa Claus, the Arthur - who never had any desire to be Santa Claus at all.

- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1994)

If you want a ghoulish take on Christmas than The Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect film - it is as terrific a watch today as it was twenty-one years ago.

Directed by Henry Selick and based on a story by Tim Burton, the film follows Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town who discovers Christmas Town and tries to celebrate the holiday and tries to take over.

There were a whole host of terrific posters for the release of this film, but this one does remains the most iconic. There is a ghoulish and dark nature to it and it really captures the stop-motion animation style of the film.