My Top 10 Favorite Christmas Movies

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Every year, people around the world gather in front of their TVs, big-screen home theaters, or laptops to watch their favorite Christmas movies.

Everyone has their favorite Christmas or Holiday movies; some are perennial choices that appear on Best Of lists every year.

Obvious stuff like "It's a Wonderful Life," "White Christmas," "Miracle on 34th Street," "A Christmas Carol," "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Christmas in Connecticut," "The Bishop's Wife," "The Shop Around the Corner," and of course "A Christmas Story" which is broadcast on cable non-stop for 24 hours between Christmas Eve and Christmas night.

More modern classics like "Scrooged," "The Santa Clause," "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," "Elf," "The Holiday," "Love, Actually," "Home Alone," "Bad Santa," "The Polar Express," "Fred Claus," "Four Christmases," "Jingle All the Way," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," and more, have been added to the must-see yearly viewing list (although I must say, there are many on this list that I absolutely hate).

I'm sharing my 10 favorite Christmas movies here. These are films that I love to watch nearly every year. Some are weird, some are dark and nontraditional, but some are well-known and beloved (I think). Now, despite the style, tone, and subject matter of a few, all of them are Christmas movies, and all of them are entertaining and make me happy every holiday season.

My Top 10 Favorite Christmas Movies

1) THE REF (1994)

My absolute favorite Christmas movie of all time is this smart and funny dark comedy about a thief who takes a family hostage on Christmas Eve until the coast is clear for him to make his getaway. Unfortunately, he kidnaps the most dysfunctional family ever, and chaos ensues when the relatives arrive for an unhealthy holiday dinner.

The incredible cast, led by a hilarious Denis Leary, includes Judy Davis, Kevin Spacey, Glynis Johns, Richard Bright, Christine Baranski, and Adam LeFevre. They all shine under the sharp direction of the late, great Ted Demme and with a brilliant script by Richard LaGravenese and Marie Weiss. I watch this film every year, and I love it more each time I watch it because it's so true and brutally accurate.

2) BLACK CHRISTMAS (1974)

Creepy, moody, terrifying, and very, very Christmassy, this incredible thriller from 1974 (the original, not the terrible remakes) is one of the most influential and imitated horror movies of all time. The simple premise of an unseen killer terrorizing a sorority house full of girls during Christmas is executed perfectly. The result is a deeply and disturbingly scary movie, and I absolutely adore it.

Directed by Bob Clark, who happens to be the same guy who directed "A Christmas Story," and featuring a terrific cast including Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Art Hindle, Andrea Martin, Margot Kidder, and the great John Saxon, this movie will give you nightmares but also get you in the Christmas spirit. A horror classic.

3) THE ICE HARVEST (2005)

This twisted holiday heist-comedy has been criminally underseen and underrated since its very quiet release in 2005. It is brilliantly directed by the late, great Harold Ramis (his best film) and features career-best performances by John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Oliver Platt, Randy Quaid, and Connie Nielsen.

The script by Richard Russo and Robert Benton is perfect, and I mean perfect. It is one of the greatest, smartest, and most efficient screenplays ever written. It is loaded with fantastic dialogue and beautifully constructed plot dynamics, with a breathtaking mix of outrageous dark comedy and plaintive crime drama.

There isn't a Christmas that goes by that I don't watch this little masterpiece.

4) DIE HARD 2 (1990)

Yeah, I chose the sequel over the original. In the past 25 years or so, as the argument of whether "Die Hard" is a Christmas movie or not rages on (it absolutely is, by the way), no one ever mentions the superior sequel, which also takes place on Christmas.

I have always preferred Renny Harlin's insanely entertaining sequel to the original, and I always will. While everyone else on earth is watching John McClane running around barefoot and climbing through the air ducts of Nakatomi Plaza, I'm watching McClane running around Dulles International Airport and ejecting himself from exploding planes. "Die Hard 2 is not only a better Christmas movie than the original, but it's also a better action movie.

5) GREMLINS (1984)

Yeah, you know this one, and you probably watch it during the holidays, too. For good reason...it rules, and it's one of the craziest, darkest, funniest, and coolest Christmas movies ever made.

6) TRADING PLACES (1983)

John Landis' hilarious, sharp, and beautifully cast film covers all of the holidays between Thanksgiving and New Year's, so you can watch it at least three times yearly during the season.

You all know this one too, and you all probably watch it as well, and why not...look at this cast: Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche, Denholm Elliott, and Paul Gleason.

Look, it's a classic. Even though I still don't know what the hell happens during the climactic trading sequence near the end, it's one of my favorite comedies of the 1980s. It is loaded with classic, quotable moments. It's a perfect "R"-rated comedy for the holidays.

7) BATMAN RETURNS (1992)

This was easily my favorite Batman movie until Matt Reeves' "The Batman" was released a couple of years ago, but it still remains one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time. Directed brilliantly by Tim Burton (whose "Edward Scissorhands" is also a great holiday classic), this thing oozes Christmas. It is both visually and thematically rich in the holiday spirit.

Michael Keaton remains the best big-screen Batman of all time, and his remarkable co-stars in this classic, Danny DeVito, Christopher Walken, Michael Gough, Michael Murphy, and the absolutely incredible Michelle Pfeiffer as the best Catwoman of all time, all light up the screen.

"Batman Returns" is a Christmas movie disguised as a superhero movie and a must-see during the holiday season.

8) EYES WIDE SHUT (1999)

Stanley Kubrick's final film is this twisted look at sex and marriage that happens to take place during the Christmas holiday. It is also loaded with Christmas imagery, lights, feeling, and mood, not to mention the full-frontal nudity, sex, drama, weirdos in masks, and murder.

Tom Cruise and a stunningly great Nicole Kidman play a well-to-do married couple whose conversations and nightmares about sex and infidelity result in a jealousy-spurred all-night romp through New York (none of which was shot in New York, by the way) experienced by Cruise.

All of the twisted insanity leads to one of the funniest and most brutal final lines of dialogue (delivered By Kidman) in film history. I love that people try to deeply analyze this film when it's just a simple story of a jealous jagoff experiencing some surreal insanity until he finds out that his wife just really wants to get laid. Merry Christmas.

9) THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT (1996)

Written by Shane Black (who loves to set his action movies during the holidays) and directed by the fabulous Renny Harlin (who also directed number 4 on this very list), this batshit crazy, completely over-the-top action film is about a housewife whose memory returns and she realizes that she is a top government assassin and spy. Explosive, exciting, and bloody insanity ensues.

Geena Davis (who was married to Harlin at the time) gives one of the best performances of her career here. She deftly handles the ridiculous plot twists, the wild shifts in tone, and the very physical action stunts she is required to do. It's a remarkable piece of work by Davis, and teaming her up with Samuel L. Jackson is truly inspired and results in a fabulous partnership.

10) THE HOLDOVERS (2023)

This is at the bottom of the list only because it was released less than a year ago, so it's still new, but I guarantee that 25 years from now, people will be watching this wonderful film every year during the holiday season.

The great Alexander Payne's beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, and incredibly well-acted film has a simple premise: Three outcasts are stuck together at a New England prep school during Christmas break.

The always amazing Paul Giamatti (reuniting with Payne almost 20 years after "Sideways"), Oscar-winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and newcomer Dominic Sessa play the trio of oddballs who confront their problems, overcome much sadness, and learn the real meaning of the holidays.

This is an exceptional piece of work that will stir every emotion you can possibly have and make you laugh, cry, and think. It is, without question, one of the very best Christmas movies ever made.

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15 Sequels Better Than the Original

After I saw the terrific "Alien: Romulus" last week, I began to think about movie sequels that are actually better than the original film.

Now, my thinking gets complicated here (because I am an idiot, and I always make things harder than they should be) and because I actually DON'T think that "Alien: Romulus" is better than the original "Alien."

However, I DO think that it's better than "Aliens," the second film in the series which - bear with me - most people think is better than the original, which got me to thinking about movies that are better than the ori.....oh, hell...you get what I'm trying to say here!

Note, this list isn't restricted to just "Part 2's." There are titles from series that include many sequels and high number counts. In those cases, I include the the very best entry of the series, but it has to be better than the original (again, I'm needlessly complicating things again).

Anyway, I put together a list of "15 Sequels Better Than The Original" and here it is

(in no particular order):

1) DUNE PART 2 (2024)

The best film of 2024 so far (I really can't imagine that another 2024 film will top it), Denis Villeneuve's extraordinary continuation of Frank Herbert's classic novel is filmmaking of the highest order.

When people talk about big budget, action/adventure, tent pole, franchise, Hollywood movies, this is the Gold Standard that every single release in that genre should be compared to.

It's also much more than that, and is one of the finest examples of important cinematic art (on every single level) mixed with commercial sensibility. A masterwork.

2) MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: FALLOUT (2018)

Here's the deal, the "Mission Impossible" film series is amazing. It's a series in which every single entry is great, and they seem to just keep getting better which each release.

As incredible as each film is, this one, the sixth entry in the series, is absolutely the best.

Loaded with brilliantly staged and executed action sequences, jaw-dropping stunts, and enough plot twists to keep you on the edge of your seat, director Christopher McQuarrie's sublime work here is not only exciting on the simplest of levels, it is also a masterclass in the art of filmmaking.

And Tom Cruise is nuts...and I mean that in the best possible way.

3) SPIDER-MAN 2 (2004)

Sam Raimi's insane, extraordinary, and ridiculously entertaining masterpiece is easily one of the best comic book movies ever made (in fact, is was my favorite comic book movie of all time, until a certain film, that appears later on this list, was released in 2017).

It fulfills all of the requirements of a fun, escapist, action-hero epic, while also being an example of a commercial movie in which the director keeps his crazy independent spirit and personality alive.

A stunning piece of work that also contains one of best villain performances of all time by the great Alfred Molina.

4) MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)

Please.

5) STAR TREK 2: THE WRATH OF KHAN (1982)

This might be the granddaddy of the whole "sequel is better than the original" thing.

The first "Star Trek" movie from 1979 was a bit of a disaster and quite a slog to sit through. But, when Nicholas Meyer (who was coming off of the brilliant sci-fi romance "Time After Time") came in and injected life into the proceedings, things changed completely.

The result is a film that is not only a terrific example of great science-fiction, but also manages to be faithful to the spirit of the TV series, while showcasing state-of-the-art special effects and brilliant ideas.

Also, it simply kicks ass, Ricardo Montalban rules, and Shatner has never been more....Shatnery.

6) DOCTOR SLEEP (2019)

It's better than "The Shining." Yeah...I said it. It's better than "The Shining." Yeah...I said it again.

Mike Flanagan's absolutely brilliant adaptation of Stephen King's novel not only manages to stay faithful to the book, it also stays faithful to Kubrick's 1980 film version of "The Shining," which was NOT at all faithful to Stephen King's book.

It's a juggling act of monumental skill, and "Doctor Sleep" is clever, brutally effective, and scary as hell. It is a much more satisfying experience than Kubrick's rather dull, leaden and simplistic take on King's material, material Kubrick completely misunderstood.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the hell out of the sheer goofiness of "The Shining," but "Doctor Sleep" is a thousand times better, explores the themes (specifically about alcoholism) that seemed to completely allude Kubrick.

It also features an incredible, sexy, terrifying performance by the great Rebecca Ferguson that has to be seen to be believed.

7) BATMAN RETURNS (1992)

Tim Burton's follow-up to his 1989 mega-hit is a MUCH better film than the original because it's actually a true "Tim Burton Movie," while the first film was Burton attempting to make an impersonal comic-book film.

"Batman Returns" is loaded with incredible action, scary sequences, gross-out humor, and more.

It is also a GREAT Christmas movie (I watch it every year during the holidays), and a heartbreaking tragedy (the Penguin story line is devastating). The Batman/Bruce Wayne character is much more interesting (Michael Keaton seems much more invested here), and Christopher Walken rules.

But, more than anything else, it is a massive showcase for the unbelievable Michelle Pfeiffer, who is not only extraordinary in the film, but she is, without question, the best Catwoman EVER.

8) DIE HARD 2 (1990)

Yeah, that's right, I think that "Die Hard 2" is better than the original, and I make no apologies for it!

Renny Harlin's magnificently over-the-top-everything-but-the-kitchen-sink sequel starts out as an "11" on the insanity scale of 1 to 10, and never, ever wavers.

The movie takes the "Die Hard" basic premise of wrong guy, in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and launches it into the stratosphere with some of the most creative and beautifully executed action sequences ever filmed.

The performances match the craziness of the script, and Harlin's brilliant direction is the Gold Standard by which most action films should be measured. This is technique of stunning confidence and giddy effectiveness.

It's one of the best action films ever made, filled with excitement, surprises, and brutally funny moments. I LOVE this movie.

9) THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1935)

It's not hyperbole to say that this is simply one of the greatest films ever made.

James Whale's extraordinary follow-up to his extraordinary original "Frankenstein" is a more personal, effective, and emotionally devastating work. It's just breathtaking on every single level, and it makes me cry every single time I watch it.

I also think that it's the best of the Universal Monster classics, and that's saying a lot, since the Universal Monster movies are among the best films ever made.

10) BILL AND TED'S BOGUS JOURNEY (1991)

Funnier, smarter, and much more imaginatively made than the original, this very entertaining sequel has everything you want from a Bill and Ted movie, and more.

Alex Winter and Keanu Reeves (who had an INCREDIBLE 1991, in addition to this, he also appeared in "My Own Private Idaho," and "Point Break" that year.....yeah, WOW) were both awesome, and the addition of William Sadler as Death was pure genius.

Unabashedly entertaining and one of the best sequels of all time.

11) INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984)

The best of the Indiana Jones movies, by far, and one of Spielberg's slickest and most competently made films.

The action sequences are bigger and better, the set-pieces are more imaginative, the disturbingly dark tone is more complex, and the body count is even higher than the first film.

Another treat is that it opens with a truly great musical number, and we'd have to wait another 35 years or so before Spielberg made a proper musical with is amazing version of "West Side Story."

Also, it's the last good film in the series, as the next three entries all sucked.

12) DAWN OF THE DEAD (1979)

George Romero's first sequel to his seminal masterpiece "Night of the Living Dead" is not only a better movie, but it is, without question, the best zombie film ever made.

I won't go on and on about why it's one of the greatest films ever made, but I will say this: Romero was a genius and this is horror at its best and social satire at its finest. It is simply is a work of art that will live forever.

13) EVIL DEAD 2: DEAD BY DAWN (1987)

This is the second Sam Raimi movie on this list. What can I say, the guy likes to top himself.

The original "Evil Dead" is one of the most brutal, terrifying, gross, and effective horror films of all time. It is also a sterling example of independent filmmaking (released long before it was hip to be an independent filmmaker), featuring wonderful, cost-effective technique, combined with grand imagination and style.

This sequel is all of that and more, only A LOT funnier, and more consistent with the work that Raimi would do after this movie was unleashed onto the public.

This is a true classic in the horror genre (the best film of this entire franchise), and a wildly entertaining film that people watch over and over and over again.

It also gave us the true version of the legendary character of Ash Williams, the hapless, hilarious and wondrous dude played by the one and only Bruce Campbell.

A landmark film....seriously.

14) LOGAN (2017)

The best comic book movie ever made, because it's not really a comic book movie.

James Mangold's astonishing continuation of The Wolverine saga is exceedingly clever, dark, complex, exciting, and it plays like modern day Western.

Featuring superlative performances by Hugh Jackman, Dafne Keen, and Patrick Stewart, great action sequences, and a truly heartbreaking, devastatingly effective ending (that, of course, was crapped all over the by the morons who made the unspeakable "Deadpool and Wolverine"), this is commercial filmmaking at its finest.

15) GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH (1990)

Joe Dante's insane, wild, out-of-control sequel to "Gremlins" is better in every possible way to the original (and I love the original). Dante's unapologetic love for all things goofy, silly, and shamelessly cartoonish dominates this film in masterful fashion.

It takes the basic "weird creatures, weird rules" premise from the original, and turns it into a brutal satire of New York, greed, and politics (John Glover is basically playing Donald Trump, back when Trump was just a greedy, moronic real estate tycoon who attempted to ruin New York City, not the entire world).

It is also a proud, rolling, relentless 106 minute live-action "Looney Tunes" cartoon with some of the most ridiculous jokes, gags and deep references ever included in a big budget tent pole sequel.

It's absolute and complete madness... and it absolutely and completely rules.

So, that's my list of 15 sequels (also available on my Letterboxd) that are better than the originals. Check them out and enjoy!

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