Christmas

Hello All

I am about to go on holidays for 10 days and so this will be the last post for the year. I thought that I would use this post to look at great Christmas films that you and your family may want to enjoy over the Christmas/New Year season. In Australia the heat of the day usually requires people to move indoors and relax which allows for some quality movie time.

Our Christmas movie viewing would usually consist of at least one film that was sure to agitate my dad and have him pontificate about the injustices of the world. My mum called a halt to our bringing such films into the house after we brought home both Hotel Rwanda and The Insider one year as it was more than obvious we had done so purely for the purpose of having our dad entertain us with his longwinded speeches.

For those looking for more orthodox Christmas viewing, the following films are definitely worth a watch:

Bad Santa - Billy Bob Thornton is brilliant in this film. Time has not dented its appeal in anyway. Probably not one for small children.

Die Hard - one of the greatest action films of all time - if there is a big screen, it is definitely worth a watch.

It's a Wonderful Life - this is a beautiful classic that is generally shown on free to air around Christmas each year. Definitely worth a watch.

Scrooge - This version with Albert Finney is great viewing and is faithful to the Dickens novel, A Christmas Carol.

Scrooged - for the Bill Murray fans out there, this one is a good watch. It is a little dated now but he is great in this film.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas - this adaptation of the Dr Seuss book is really well done. Jim Carrey makes a great Grinch. A nice family film.

The Polar Express - this is a beautifully animated film and is very faithful to the book. It is a nice family film.

Love Actually - for those looking for a romantic Christmas film, this one is ok. Some nice performances.

The Nightmare Before Christmas - I enjoyed this animated film it is worth a watch. The story is a little kooky but it works.

Trading Places - A timeless comedy that also tends to make an appearance on free to air TV around this time of year. Quality cast, great script, wonderful viewing.

A Christmas Tale - this French film will appear to those who enjoy a quality family drama. It has a great cast and is quite realistic.

Black Christmas - for those that like horror/slasher movies, this one is worth a watch. Go for the original 1974 version over the 2006 remake. It is much scarier.

Eastern Promises - for those who like movies that operate on many levels, this David Cronenberg film is for you. It has a wonderful cast and is quite violent in parts and deserving of the R rating. That said, it is wonderful viewing.

Rare Exports - this Finnish film is a wonderful offbeat low budget watch. Without going into detail, all I will say is if you like offbeat films, this one is for you. Get your hands on a copy and watch it.

There are tons of other Christmas films out there but this is just a list to get you started. If there are any films that you like to watch at Christmas, let me know in the comments below.

I'll be back in 2014.