Popculturology's Top 10 Christmas Movies and Specials

Christmas is just days away, and with so little time left before the holiday, it's time we turn our attention to a very important issue. No, not buying gifts for your family. And, no, not making tons of Christmas cookies. We're talking about watching Christmas movies and specials. It's time to plop down in front of that 60-inch TV you bought yourself as an early Christmas gift and start catching up on the movies and TV specials that put you in the holiday spirit.

There's a lot of these movies and specials out there, though, with new ones being produced every year. You gotta be careful when it comes to choosing which movies and specials are worth your time. You don't want to waste precious minutes of your life watching Shrek the Halls, do you? I mean, what does "Shrek" even mean when it's used as a verb? (Actually, we don't want to know. It's probably not very Christmasy.) Don't get your stockings in a bunch, though, since Popculturology has you covered. Our writers got together and came up with the Top 10 Christmas Movies and Specials, giving you an easy checklist of what to watch while wrapping presents or drinking way too much holiday ale.

Your journey through Popculturology's Top 10 Christmas Movies and Specials begins after the jump.



10. Mickey's Christmas Carol (1983)
As a kid, I was always partial to the Mickey Mouse version of classic stories, and A Christmas Carol is probably my second favorite Mickey adventure (behind his version of Jack and the Beanstalk). This one really hits on the nostalgia factor for me — I remember being slightly scared by parts, yet totally enthralled with the story.

The iconic Disney mouse introduced me to this classic Charles Dickens tale, and this version always comes to mind when I think of Scrooge, Cratchit, Jacob Marley and Tiny Tim. In fact, I think Mickey should continue remaking Christmas movies, including all the ones on this list. I would pay any ticket price to watch A Mickey Mouse Bad Santa or Mickey’s Christmas Vacation.

One final note, Scrooge McDuck is perfectly cast as Ebeenezer Scrooge, but I really wish he had a Duck Tales-like scene where he jumped into a pool of gold coins. (It really wouldn’t fit the plot, but it’d be very cool.)

— Scott Pukos, contributing writer

9. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (1978)
Without the success of this film, we would never have a single Muppet film. Jim Henson’s first film featured so many types of colorful puppets (hand puppets, marionettes and radio-controlled ones) and large detailed sets, that it was a risky project compared to The Muppet Show, Henson's usual work. When it came to The Muppet Show and Sesame Street, Henson's puppets were always set up on a stand. Acting as a litmus test for a possible Muppet movie, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas was Henson's big experiment.

Even more ambitious than the advanced Muppeteering was the story. Written by Russell Hoban, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is a retelling of O. Henry’s The Gift of the Magi. The story focuses in on Ma and Emmet Otter as they struggle to find money to buy each other a Christmas present. They both try to win the $50 cash prize from the Waterville talent contest.

The characters cover a great range of emotion while still leaving us feeling fulfilled at the end. It truly is an amazing story, with beautiful visuals and fun songs that feature the usual Henson touch. Thanks to the success of this film, Henson made The Muppet Movie two years later.

— Seth Pohorence, contributing writer

8. A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
When it comes to Muppet Christmas specials, it seems like The Muppet Christmas Carol is the one that gets all the attention. Which is funny, since A Muppet Family Christmas is without a doubt the superior Muppet Christmas special, wrapping the entire Jim Henson universe into one holiday classic. The Muppets, residents of Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock characters and even Henson himself make an appearance in A Muppet Family Christmas.

A Muppet Family Christmas focuses on Henson favorites like Kermit and Big Bird, but what makes it so great is that it gives all kinds of Muppets a chance to shine. The Swedish Chef sets his sights on a giant turkey. The Two-Headed Monster (is he — er, they even around anymore?) gets to play Santa in a Christmas pageant. And Kermit’s nephew, Robin, even finds a Fraggle Hole in the farmhouse’s basement.

Sadly, most people have never even seen the full version of A Muppet Family Christmas, as the Henson folks only secured TV rights to many of the songs, leaving VHS and DVD home releases missing entire segments. Yup, if you want to see Fozzie and his snowman sing Sleigh Ride, you’re gonna have to track down someone with a VHS tape from the 1980s.

— Bill Kuchman, editor in chief

7. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
They don’t make Christmas specials like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer anymore, do they? We may know Dasher and Dancer and all of the rest of the gang, but thanks to this special, it’s Rudolph who we know best. Rankin/Bass’ stop-motion version of this Christmas story has become the gold standard when it comes to telling the tale of Rudolph. With the special airing on television every year since 1964, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer isn’t just the longest-running Christmas special — it’s a universal pop culture touchstone.

Could you imagine if they tried to make Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer today? Justin Bieber would probably voice Rudolph, and we’d probably go to the Island of Hip-Hop Toys instead of the Island of Misfit Toys. Let’s all be thankful Rankin/Bass got to Rudolph back in 1964.

Rudolph still holds a special place in pop culture, with Bumble the Abominable Snowman playing a starring role in a recent Windows Phone commercial. While no one envisioned this future back when they were kids watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you can’t really complain if it means another generation will get to help save Christmas right alongside Rudolph.

— Kuchman

6. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
This one is simply loaded with whimsy. Sure, pretty much every item on this list is full of whimsy — after all, that is a huge ingredient for a successful Christmas special. But no one can top Dr. Seuss in that category. This one has humor, emotion and joy … or basically anything you’d want from a Christmas movie.

Having said that, all the credit here doesn’t lie with Seuss’ source material. I rewatched this recently (with a few beverages), and the thing that really stuck with me was the music. You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch is beyond classic. Seriously, I still have this song stuck in my head.

Now, this is the part where I say how awful the Jim Carey version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas is. While Elf was the beginning of Will Ferrell's golden age, The Grinch was the start of a downward spiral for Carrey. (Yes, I know that possibly his best non-Dumb and Dumber movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, came out after The Grinch, but still, this theory works.) This version just doesn’t do Seuss’ creation justice. If it wants to attach the name of a doctor named Seuss to it, then you would need to at least downgrade the doctor. Maybe attribute this one to Proctologist Seuss? I could live with that.

— Pukos

5. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
You don't have to search hard to find this Frank Capra classic on any top Christmas specials list. There’s something to be said about a movie that can truly capture the spirit of Christmas without a Santa Claus, without magical reindeer or  without a man that that seems to have a very serious allergy to the sun. Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey is simply a man who has the potential to be something much greater than what has been laid out in front of him. The movie, however, is about the discovery into what really defines one’s existence. For children, it’s aspirational. For adults, it’s a reminder of the things we tend to overlook. The resentment George Bailey carries for the people around him is not as significant as the resentment people have for Bailey and the life he has built with his family.

Yes, the movie plays heavy on what can be considered clichés in today’s world. It’s also a movie that is best watched sparingly as it helps retain its value. In a season saturated with Christmas movies from both the past and present, there’s certainly no shame in going back to revisit George Bailey and his life in the town of Bedford Falls. Sometimes it’s good to remember that life’s happiness can be found in simplicity. The bar scene in particular, displaying a man who has lost everything, made me a fan of Stewart as an actor. Furthermore, no one can deny his service as a human being coming off WWII to film this movie.

— Anton Ali, contributing writer

4. Elf (2003)
I don’t care what anyone says, Will Ferrell is great. Elf was released during the beginning of Ferrell’s ascent to stardom. It was also the middle of his first three really great starring vehicles (the others being Old School and my personal favorite, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy).

This one clearly aimed to become a Christmas classic, and it has succeeded thanks to a strong plot and an endearingly funny performance by Ferrell. It also pulls off a rare feat of being able to entertain both adults and children. It’s not all Ferrell here either. Elf has a great supporting cast including Bob Newhart, James Caan, Peter Dinklage (long before he was Tyrion Lannister) and Zooey Deschanel. (Quick tangent: Did anyone else think her name was pronounced Zoo-e at some point? Nope, just me. Great.)

While this works perfectly as is, I’ve always wondered how Elf would turn out if they decided to go the Bad Santa route and hold nothing back. Because when you think about it, if someone encountered Buddy the Elf in real life, there would be plenty of profanity involved. And punching too.

— Pukos

3. Home Alone (1990)
John Hughes’ work as a storyteller has been mimicked in the years following his movies, and Home Alone (a movie that spawned four, yes, that’s right, four sequels) is no exception. While Home Alone 5: Holiday Heist ended the franchise with what's probably one of the worst movies since the creation of motion picture, the original Home Alone deserves to be a viewing tradition for many years to come.

You know what this movie is? It’s fun. The characters aren’t complex and the premise is simple. In Kevin’s seemingly overbearing world of annoying siblings and somewhat distracted parents, he suddenly finds himself living the life of an adult. His well-being is now his responsibility. As the new man of the house, Kevin does what needs to be done — he protects it. Kevin seems more natural dealing with screwball criminals Marv and Harry than he does with his grocery shopping. His intelligence as a kid was underestimated, and when watching this movie for the first time as someone who was about the same age as Kevin, it’s relatable (although, it doesn’t really matter how old you are — after shave really does burn). In spite of that, by the end of the movie, the idea of being alone for Christmas really hits him, and Kevin wants nothing more than to fall back into his family structure. If anything is gained by him by the end of the movie, it’s a little more respect.

It looks like the house in Chicago that was used for filming this movie was recently sold for $1.6 million. With that kind of money, let’s hope the new homeowners replaced the talking furnace in the basement.

— Ali

2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
The champion of all animated Christmas specials, A Charlie Brown Christmas is unparalleled when it comes to Christmas classics. While most Christmas specials are about buying gifts or seeing Santa, A Charlie Brown Christmas is, at its core, the story of a boy looking to find a version of Christmas that wasn’t about commercialism. On top of that, the special fully embraces the religious meaning of Christmas, with Linus’ reciting from the Gospel of Luke.

Charles Schulz actually fought CBS over the idea of including a laughtrack, with Schulz refusing to add one to his special. Could you imagine A Charlie Brown Christmas with a laughtrack. Geez, that would be awful. Looks like CBS has been on Team Laughtrack for more than 45 years now.

A Charlie Brown Christmas was the first animated Peanuts special, setting the tone for everything that came after. This one might not have Charlie Brown trying to kick a football, but it established pretty much everything else that we love about Peanuts cartoons — Lucy’s psychiatric booth, the funny way the kids dance and the musical themes. This special’s impact has even crept into the real world, with Charlie Brown Christmas trees popping up on office cubicles and in dorm rooms.

— Kuchman

1. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989)
It doesn’t seem like Christmas without National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Yes, A Christmas Story may be on air all Christmas day, but it’s not really the movie that captures the hopes, dreams and (often sad) execution of the great American family Christmas.

John Hughes penned the screenplay from his short story Christmas '59, which was printed in the Dec. 1980 issue of National Lampoon. Hughes, who essentially made every great 1980s comedy, put the Griswold spin on each small milestone of the Christmas season. Whether it was obtaining a Christmas tree, going holiday shopping or just installing those darn lights, Clark W. Griswold delighted us by being the dorky dad he is. We still love his intentions trying to be the perfect dad, even though we're entertained by his failures.

Chevy Chase, in the role he was born to play, delivers his best version of Clark W. Griswold. The cast is rounded out with great character actors (Julie-Louis Dreyfus as one of Clark's yuppie neighbors, Brian Doyle-Murray as his cheap boss, Randy Quaid back as Cousin Eddie) and well-paced gags and one-liners. This perfect storm of yuletide humor makes every holiday the most "hap-hap-happening since Bing Crosby tapped dance with Danny mother-fucking Kaye."

— Pohorence

Do you agree with Popculturology's Top 10 Christmas Movies and Specials? What'd we forget? What'd we rank too high? Let us know in the comments.