Favorite Christmas Movies and TV Specials
by RdVirus777 | created - 28 Dec 2013 | updated - 01 Feb 2014 | PublicChristmas is my second favorite holiday and every year I watch movies throughout the month and just before Christmas, I watch TV specials. If anyone has any suggestions I would like to hear them. I will be adding to this list each year.
about list
1. Movies are first in no order then shorts and TV Specials in no order
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1. Die Hard (1988)
R | 132 min | Action, Thriller
A New York City police officer tries to save his estranged wife and several others taken hostage by terrorists during a Christmas party at the Nakatomi Plaza in Los Angeles.
Director: John McTiernan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Bonnie Bedelia, Reginald VelJohnson
Votes: 945,849 | Gross: $83.01M
2. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
PG | 130 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
An angel is sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed.
Director: Frank Capra | Stars: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell
Votes: 499,247
3. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
PG | 76 min | Animation, Family, Fantasy
Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion.
Director: Henry Selick | Stars: Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon, Catherine O'Hara, William Hickey
Votes: 375,221 | Gross: $75.08M
4. Arthur Christmas (2011)
PG | 97 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Santa's clumsy son Arthur sets out on a mission with Grandsanta to give out a misplaced present to a young girl in less than two hours on Christmas Day.
Directors: Sarah Smith, Barry Cook | Stars: James McAvoy, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, Hugh Laurie
Votes: 67,112 | Gross: $46.46M
5. Christmas Vacation (1989)
PG-13 | 97 min | Comedy
The Griswold family's plans for a big family Christmas predictably turn into a big disaster.
Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik | Stars: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis, Johnny Galecki
Votes: 220,153 | Gross: $71.32M
6. Bad Santa (2003)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid.
Director: Terry Zwigoff | Stars: Billy Bob Thornton, Bernie Mac, Lauren Graham, John Ritter
Votes: 155,184 | Gross: $60.06M
7. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Not Rated | 96 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
After a divorced New York mother hires a nice old man to play Santa Claus at Macy's, she is startled by his claim to be the genuine article. When his sanity is questioned, a lawyer defends him in court by arguing that he's not mistaken.
Director: George Seaton | Stars: Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Gene Lockhart
Votes: 54,924 | Gross: $2.65M
8. Midnight Clear (2006)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama
Faith Comes in Unexpected Places. Based on the story by the New York Times Best-Selling Author of the Left Behind Series, Jerry B. Jenkins.
Director: Dallas Jenkins | Stars: Stephen Baldwin, K Callan, Kirk B.R. Woller, Mary Thornton
Votes: 856
9. A Christmas Story (1983)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Family
In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.
Director: Bob Clark | Stars: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Scott Schwartz
Votes: 168,631 | Gross: $20.61M
10. Santa Claus: The Movie (1985)
PG | 107 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
The legend of Santa Claus is put in jeopardy when an unscrupulous toy manufacturer attempts to take over Christmas.
Director: Jeannot Szwarc | Stars: Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, David Huddleston, Burgess Meredith
Votes: 15,603 | Gross: $23.72M
11. The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
G | 85 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
The Muppets present their own touching rendition of Charles Dickens' classic tale.
Director: Brian Henson | Stars: Michael Caine, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Jerry Nelson
Votes: 70,651 | Gross: $27.28M
12. Elf (2003)
PG | 97 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
Raised as an oversized elf, Buddy travels from the North Pole to New York City to meet his biological father, Walter Hobbs, who doesn't know he exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit.
Director: Jon Favreau | Stars: Will Ferrell, James Caan, Bob Newhart, Zooey Deschanel
Votes: 310,839 | Gross: $173.40M
13. The Santa Clause (1994)
PG | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
When a man inadvertently makes Santa fall off his roof on Christmas Eve, he finds himself magically recruited to take his place.
Director: John Pasquin | Stars: Tim Allen, Judge Reinhold, Wendy Crewson, Eric Lloyd
Votes: 133,435 | Gross: $144.83M
14. Gremlins (1984)
PG | 106 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A young man inadvertently breaks three important rules concerning his new pet and unleashes a horde of malevolently mischievous monsters on a small town.
Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Hoyt Axton, John Louie
Votes: 247,867 | Gross: $148.17M
15. Rare Exports (2010)
R | 84 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
In the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains, 486 meters deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up. This Christmas everyone will believe in Santa Claus.
Director: Jalmari Helander | Stars: Jorma Tommila, Onni Tommila, Peeter Jakobi, Tommi Korpela
Votes: 32,152 | Gross: $0.26M
16. Black Christmas (1974)
R | 98 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
During their Christmas break, a group of sorority girls are stalked by a stranger.
Director: Bob Clark | Stars: Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea, Margot Kidder, John Saxon
Votes: 48,370 | Gross: $4.05M
17. The Little Match Girl (2004)
10 min | Short, Drama, Fantasy
Director: James Ricker | Stars: Nikki Barnett, Jeremy Webb
Votes: 34
Very sad animated short that can be found on the Little Mermaid DVD or Bluray
18. Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
G | 26 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
The classic Disney animated characters play the roles in this animated retelling of the Charles Dickens masterpiece.
Director: Burny Mattinson | Stars: Alan Young, Wayne Allwine, Hal Smith, Will Ryan
Votes: 15,366 | Gross: $21.00M
19. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965 TV Movie)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
Depressed at the commercialism he sees around him, Charlie Brown tries to find a deeper meaning to Christmas.
Director: Bill Melendez | Stars: Ann Altieri, Chris Doran, Sally Dryer, Bill Melendez
Votes: 44,102
20. I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003 TV Movie)
TV-G | 43 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
Linus and Lucy's younger brother Rerun wants a dog for Christmas, and Snoopy's brother Spike may be the answer.
Directors: Larry Leichliter, Bill Melendez | Stars: Jimmy Bennett, Adam Taylor Gordon, Ashley Rose, Corey Padnos
Votes: 1,692
21. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 26 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
A grumpy hermit hatches a plan to steal Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.
Directors: Chuck Jones, Ben Washam | Stars: Boris Karloff, June Foray, Dal McKennon
Votes: 59,033
22. A Garfield Christmas Special (1987 TV Short)
TV-G | 23 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
Garfield, Jon, and Odie go to Jon's grandmother's house for Christmas, where Garfield finds a present for Grandma.
Directors: Phil Roman, George Singer | Stars: Lorenzo Music, Thom Huge, Gregg Berger, Pat Carroll
Votes: 3,658
23. Prep & Landing (2009 TV Short)
TV-G | 22 min | Animation, Short, Adventure
Wayne gets a new rookie partner, Lanny, after his previous partner got the promotion he wanted. Lanny has to remind Wayne of the Spirit of Christmas and the importance of being an elf in Santa's Prep and Landing elite unit.
Directors: Kevin Deters, Stevie Wermers | Stars: David Foley, Sarah Chalke, Mason Cotton, David DeLuise
Votes: 4,002
24. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964 TV Movie)
TV-G | 47 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A young reindeer Rudolph lives at the North Pole. His father is one of Santa's reindeer and it is expected that Rudolph will eventually be one too. However, he has a feature which is a setback and causes him to be ostracized: his red nose.
Director: Larry Roemer | Stars: Billie Mae Richards, Burl Ives, Larry D. Mann, Paul Soles
Votes: 37,482
25. Frosty the Snowman (1969 TV Short)
TV-G | 25 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
A living snowman and a little girl struggle to elude a greedy magician who is after the snowman's magic hat.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Jackie Vernon, Billy De Wolfe, Jimmy Durante, Paul Frees
Votes: 21,468
26. Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970 TV Movie)
TV-G | 48 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A mailman reveals the origin of Santa Claus.
Directors: Jules Bass, Arthur Rankin Jr. | Stars: Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, Keenan Wynn, Paul Frees
Votes: 17,509
27.
Moral Orel (2005–2009)
Episode:
The Best Christmas Ever
(2005)
TV-MA | 11 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
Moralton on Jesus' birthday...a very special "Moral Orel."
Directors: Scott Adsit, Jay Johnston, Dino Stamatopoulos | Stars: Scott Adsit, Britta Phillips, Carolyn Lawrence, Jay Johnston
Votes: 309
28.
King of the Hill (1997–2010)
Episode:
Hillennium
(1999)
TV-PG | 23 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
As Y2K approaches, everybody fears the approaching millennium, even Dale, who hoards food, Mountain Dew and hamsters in his basement. Only Hank is unaffected by the growing concerns...until there's a propane shortage.
Directors: Tricia Garcia, Klay Hall, John Rice | Stars: Mike Judge, Kathy Najimy, Pamela Adlon, Brittany Murphy
Votes: 434
29.
Beavis and Butt-Head (1993–2011)
Episode:
Beavis and Butt-Head Do Christmas
(1995)
TV-14 | 60 min | Animation, Comedy, Music
Beavis and Butt-head spend Christmas watching music videos, reading letters from viewers and spoof popular Christmas movies into their own hilarious shorts, like: "Huh Huh Humbug" and "It's a Miserable Life".
Directors: Mike Judge, Mike de Seve | Stars: Mike Judge, Tracy Grandstaff, Adam Welsh, Kristofor Brown
Votes: 903
30.
Invader ZIM (2001–2006)
Episode:
The Most Horrible Xmas Ever
(2002)
TV-Y7 | 25 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Zim disguises himself as Santa in order to woo adoring Christmas humans to their doom at the North Pole.
Director: Steve Ressel | Stars: Richard Steven Horvitz, Rikki Simons, Andy Berman, Melissa Fahn
Votes: 212
31.
Tales from the Crypt (1989–1996)
Episode:
And All Through the House
(1989)
Not Rated | 22 min | Comedy, Crime, Fantasy
A greedy woman makes the mistake of murdering her husband while an escaped mental patient dressed in a Santa Claus outfit is on the loose.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: John Kassir, Mary Ellen Trainor, Larry Drake, Marshall Bell
Votes: 2,190
32.
SpongeBob SquarePants (1999– )
Episode:
Christmas Who?
(2000)
TV-Y7 | 24 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
Christmas Who?: Nobody in Bikini Bottom has ever heard of Christmas or Santa Clause until Sandy lets them in on this surface tradition. SpongeBob wants to bring Christmas to Bikini Bottom ... See full summary »
Directors: Walt Dohrn, Paul Tibbitt | Stars: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown
Votes: 1,458
33.
The Twilight Zone (1959–1964)
Episode:
The Night of the Meek
(1960)
TV-PG | 25 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
After a derelict Santa Claus is fired on Christmas Eve, he finds a mysterious bag that gives out presents. With this bag he sets out to fulfill his one wish - to see the less fortunate inherit the bounties of Christmas.
Director: Jack Smight | Stars: Art Carney, John Fiedler, Robert P. Lieb, Val Avery
Votes: 3,613
34.
The Simpsons (1989– )
Episode:
Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire
(1989)
TV-PG | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
Homer is forced to become a department store Santa when Marge spends the family's Christmas savings on removing Bart's tattoo.
Director: David Silverman | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 8,805
35.
The Simpsons (1989– )
Episode:
Miracle on Evergreen Terrace
(1997)
TV-G | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
When Bart accidentally burns down the family's Christmas tree and gifts, he claims that a robber stole everything. As a result, the town gets them a new tree and pitches in to raise funds.
Directors: Jim Reardon, Bob Anderson | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 2,680
36.
The Simpsons (1989– )
Episode:
Grift of the Magi
(1999)
TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
A toy company purchases Springfield Elementary and uses the student body as a focus group for their new Christmas toy Funzo.
Directors: Jim Reardon, Matthew Nastuk | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 2,154
37.
The Simpsons (1989– )
Episode:
Marge Be Not Proud
(1995)
TV-14 | 30 min | Animation, Comedy
Marge's relationship with Bart is strained when he is caught shoplifting before Christmas.
Director: Steven Dean Moore | Stars: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith
Votes: 3,768
38.
South Park (1997– )
Episode:
Woodland Critter Christmas
(2004)
TV-MA | 22 min | Animation, Comedy
Stan helps a group of woodland critters by killing a mountain lion, only to discover that he's helping them give birth to the Antichrist.
Director: Trey Parker | Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Dante Alexander, Adrien Beard
Votes: 5,160
39.
South Park (1997– )
Episode:
Mr. Hankey's Christmas Classics
(1999)
TV-MA | 22 min | Animation, Comedy
Mr. Hankey hosts a collection of Christmas songs sung by South Park characters.
Director: Trey Parker | Stars: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Mary Kay Bergman, Isaac Hayes
Votes: 2,890
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