Best, Worst Christmas Movies

From Christmas Specials Wiki

Well since the Wikia staff has decided to have the best and worst Christmas television specials, let's have fun at the old movie theatre or video rental superstore.

What do you think are the best and worst Christmas movies of all time? I'll start with what will be considered the best and worst, and let you, the Wikia Nation Universe, pick some others. Then sometime in 2009, maybe before Thanksgiving and we get closer to that magical season, we'll post the Ten Best and Ten Worst All-Time Christmas movies. To whet those sensory systems, here's some of what will very well be automatically on the Bests and Worsts lists, and some films that border the plateaus therein.

Automatically On The Bests List

• It's A Wonderful Life: Frank Capra's classic post-World War II story automatically enters the list because before Paramount rebought the rights and sold it to NBC several years ago, any station could air it at Christmas, including - ugh - a computer colorized version.
• A Christmas Carol: Any version will do, even the 1951 definitive version Scrooge with Alastair Sim will work. Heck, even Mickey's Christmas Carol and the Bill Murray fronted Scrooged counts well with us.
• Miracle on 34th Street: The original 1947 version with Maureen O'Hara, a young Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwynn in his Oscar-winning role is a high benchmark for Santa Claus films. The John Hughes 1994 version on the other hand was as plastic as an overcharged credit card. And don't get me stared on the 1970's made-for-TV remake with Mr. Cabot from Family Affair and a host of Good Morning America.
• Home Alone and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York: Back when Macauley Caulkin was cute and Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern (NBA Commissioner David Stern's brother) had fun, John Hughes and Chris Columbus made two hilarious movies with slapstick written all over them. For that purpose, we'll put these two together for those reasons. We wish we could say the same for the third and fourth versions, but that's another story.
• A Christmas Story: You know the story: Kid wants a BB gun, and everyone says "You'll shoot you eyes out." A cult classic. Go on, we triple dog dare ya not to make this on the Bests list.
• White Christmas: It's a spinoff from a 1941 film called Holiday Inn in which Irving Berlin's famous song was intorduced by Bing Crosby. Spend Christmas in Vermont with Der Bingle, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen.
• Babes in Toyland (Disney version): It's Tommy and Annette and wooden soldiers. Walt was proud of this version.

Automatically On The Worsts List

• Santa Claus The Movie: From the people who brought you Superman comes this box office flop starring Dudley Moore as an elf.
• Santa Claus Conquers the Martians: Other than the fact this had a young Pia Zadorra, I can't say how much this film was on Mystery Science Theatre 3000.
• Santa Claus: A Mexican flick that has worse and even worse written all over. I mean, who knew that one of St. Nick's neighbors was Merlin the Magician?
• Any slasher movie with a Christmas theme: We'll lump these pieces of coal (pun intended) together with Silent Night, Deadly Night, the two versions of Black Christmas, Bill Goldberg's imfamous Santa Slay film, and the non-Michael Keaton version of Jack Frost.
• Santa With Muscles: The star of this movie: Hulk Hogan. And, because we didn't like it, we have two words for ya: This stinks.
• Santa Who?: Leslie Nielsen went from being a pretty good character actor into a parody of himself since the end of the Naked Gun movies, and this 2000 turkey shows. Surely we are serious, and please don't call me Shirley, either.
• Babes in Toyland (1986): Drew Barrymore (before rehab and after E.T.), a young Keanu Reeves and Pat Morita plus Georgie Porgie with a cameltoe. No wonder WrestleCrap.com pulls this one out every year as one of the worst Christmas films of all time.

Yule Make The Call On These

• The Santa Clause Series and Christmas With The Kranks: Tim Allen became famous first as a sand-up comic, then as the star of Home Improvement. He's done all three Santa Clause films and also did Christmas With the Kranks. Was he nice as Santa and naughty with Jamie Lee Curtis, or vice versa?
• I'll Be Home for Christmas: The middle child in Allen's TV clan on Home Improvement, Jonathon Taylor Thomas, the voice of Young Simba in The Lion King, races to get home for the holidays wearing a glued-on Santa suit. Will this stick to your memories or was it a cheap press-on nail?
• Prancer: It's not often that a reindeer (other than Rudolph) gets their own film. Here's one that spotlights a reineer that might either warm your heart or give you a queezy feeling in the pit of your stomach.
• Jingle All the Way: Based on the madness that was the 1980's "Cabbage Patch Kids" craze and shortages, both Arnold Schwarzenegger (before becoming Governator of California) and Sinbad play desperate consumers surching for an elusive Turbo Man doll. Is it good or was it bad?

Well, there you have some of the overwhelming favorites for both the Best and Worst Christmas films of all time, and now it's time to make your picks. We'll sort them out and have the lists next holiday season.

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