The 12 Days of Christmas Movies

If you’re a movie buff and are looking for the adventure of watching a different Christmas movie during the 12 Days of Christmas, then this is the list for you! In the spirit of the 12 Days of Christmas you can set your TiVO with a smile with my personal Holiday favorites. Earlier today I solicited help from some of my friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter. (Many of their suggestions ranked near the top of the list. Their names are shown in parentheses.)

With the advent of streaming Internet movies (get it, “advent”?), chances are you can find these movies on Hulu or Netflix. Or if you’re old school, you can pick up these movies from the local Blockbuster store (provided that one still exists in your neighborhood.)

So go ahead and check them out. “Yule” be glad you did.

12. A Christmas Story – Many people love this movie, but it only ranks number 12 on my list. The movie moves a little slow, but the tongue-stuck-on-the-light-pole-gag assures its place on the list. (A Diane Kendrick Frost, Chrissi Jasso favorite.)

11. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation – Squirrel in the Christmas Tree; need I say more? This will add some Jolly to your Holly! (@Glenn_Paules favorite.)

10. Love, Actually – I must have a weakness for romantic comedies. Not only is this a good romantic comedy, there are seven different plots of people falling in love , people reaffirming love, people dealing with love lost. Keep in mind that this movie is not kid friendly. This movie could have the potential to advance a few notches, but is held at the number 10 spot due to the foul language and nudity.

9. Scrooged – This Bill Murray Ebenezer classic will give you lots of laughs. (A Joe Moore favorite.)

8. Shop Around the Corner – This classic is centered around a secret pen-pal relationship between Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. Fifty-eight years later, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan reprise the roles in the 1998 adaptation You’ve Got Mail. (A Janelle Weeden favorite.)

7. While You Were Sleeping – Centered around a misunderstanding, this romantic comedy is about love, family and amnesia, starring Sandra Bullock and Bill Pullman.

6. Home Alone – You gotta love a precocious kid inflicting bodily harm onto Joe Pesci’s character in this modern slapstick classic. Thanks, John Hughes (1950-2009), for the memories. (A Jaime Selvin favorite.)

5. Sleepless in Seattle – “Harses, harses, harses…”; “…and now we’ll sing ‘Jingle Bells’ backwards.” If you’ve seen it, you’ll know to what I am referring.

4. Die Hard – The best Christmas action movie ever. Not only did my college roommates Tim, Anthony and I love this flick, so did Chandler Bing and Joey Tribbiani from the TV show, Friends.

3. Miracle on 34^th Street – The performances by Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn achieve immortality. Shucks, the bubble gum in Kris’s beard makes me squeamish. (A Diane Kendrick Frost, Betty Mason, Sharon Langford favorite.)

2. It’s a Wonderful Life – As a Science Fiction junkie, I’ve always loved alternative time lines. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I think that “Wonderful” is such a great movie. And it’s charming. (A Jaime Selvin, Joe Burglin, Shawn Drawver, Sharon Landford, Winnie Ashwood favorite.)

1. Elf – by far, the best Christmas movie of the decade and one of the best during the past 30 years. With dozens of funny lines—and quotes like, “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?”—one can only laugh at Buddy’s sweet innocence. (A Jaime Selvin, Melena Lambrides, Chrissi Jasso favorite.)

White Christmas – Honorable mention. Although I have never seen this movie, I can’t put it on the official  list—yet. This is a must-see movie for my family and me this season. (A Jaime Selvin, Perry & Jeannie Watson favorite.)

What’s your favorite Christmas song? My next blog will be the 12 Days of Christmas Songs, where I will be featuring the best of the best. Tell me your favorite on http://facebook.com/johnweeden or http://twitter.com/johnweeden.