tMF TOP FIVE: My Favorite Christmas Movies

Christmas movies are a tricky genre. There are a truckload of bad ones for every good one and they are only relevant during a certain time of year. This makes it tough to market in theatres and the all important home video scene. That little lesson in economics aside, it gets even trickier if you break down the thought process further. There are movies that are directly about or relating to Christmas (A Christmas Story), the movies that aren’t about Christmas but take place during Christmas (Gremlins) and ones that make you wish Christmas didn’t exist (Christmas with the Kranks). Outside of the theatre you have every family channel on TV crafting some sort of schmaltzy mess about the holiday, beating you over the head with heavy sentiment. Homeless Couple 'A' gets the Christmas wedding they always wanted or Destitute Family 'B' gets presents for their family even if they can’t afford them; all probably starring at least one of the ladies from Cagney Lacey or the mom from Family Ties. And on and on and on. Don’t come after me with your fire and brimstone, I’m not a Grinch – I just don’t like movies that with forced emotion, of any kind; especially when they use Christmas as their crutch. To me, the holiday is about family, pure and simple. Go figure, I guess I’m picky about my Christmas movies too.