In no particular order…..

1. Gremlins (1984) – Phoebe Cates’ Dad died going down the chimney, the ‘bad’ Gremlins drink up a storm and one ends up in the microwave…. *SPLOOSH*! Brilliant stuff!

2. Home Alone (1990) – I was the kind of kid who wanted to move out so badly, I was born a month early. When I was 6, the house next to ours went up for sale I told my parents they should buy it, move in and I would stay in the ‘old’ house. They didn’t go for it.

3. Elf (2003) – “Don’t tell him what you want, Paul! He’s a fake! You sit on a throne of lies!!!!” & “Thanks Buddy” are two of my favourite lines in any film, ever.

4. Santa Claus – The Movie (1985) – I know now this is a TERRIBLE film but it doesn’t matter. I saw it when I was little and the film-makers promoted the fact that it was the REAL Santa playing himself in the film, so he could have read the phone book and I would have been in rapture. I watch it and I’m a kid for 107 mins. And really hyper afterwards.

5. Die Hard (1988) – It IS a Christmas Movie. It’s the ultimate ‘give of yourself for the benefit of others’ plot! That’s Christmas, baby! And it kicks assssss. “Yippie-ky-ay…Hans Gruber!”

6. Meet Me St. Louis (1944) – ‘Nuff said. If you’re not moved by Judy singing ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’, you don’t deserve to watch it. Take it out of the DVD player and throw yourself off a building because you’re already dead. Yippie-ky-oh wait, that’s ‘Die Hard’….

7. Any Bond Film (1962- Continued) – Once Upon a Time in Ireland, there were 2 channels – RTE 1 & RTE 2. Christmas was a ‘movie-palooza’ and there was ALWAYS a Bond film on, so now, I see a Bond film and immediately I’m wondering where the tree is…

8. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) – Controversial choice. Is it a Christmas film or a Hallowe’en film? Hmmmm, I reckon it’s a hybrid and in this day of lowering your carbon footprint and all, I think it should get a place. Henry Selick never got the credit he deserved for painstakingly directing this masterpiece, cos Tim Burton hogged it all.

9. Trading Places (1983) – Dan Aykroyd; drunk, in a Santa suit. For when you’re tired of all the ’sugary-sweet’ Chrimbo films and need to see Eddie before Disney knocked all the cool out of him. (Also teaches the importance of orange juice in the economy. Good to know.)

10. Edward Scissorhands (1990) – We find out why and how there’s snow. Some people have to live in seclusion so that others may enjoy what’s created out of that loneliness. (Kinda like Santa. And Jesus, but not in a blasphemous way. Thank you, Homer Simpson) Genius. THIS is the one Tim Burton deserves ALL the credit for, with a little left aside for a cutie named J. Depp.

Feel free to say what your faves are. I didn’t include movies like ‘A Christmas Story’, ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ because these films always get mentioned.