1. Gremlins
While most Xmas movie lists make some room for It’s a Wonderful Life our number one spot is occupied by a film that took as it’s inspiration the town from that film; Bedford Falls creating it’s own idyllic Christmas tableau in Kingston falls, and then unleashing a horde of tiny evil green monsters loose on it.
Taking place on Christmas eve, the events of Gremlins are, once again, set in motion by the holiday itself (Billy’s dad buys him the Mogwai for Christmas) but Gremlins goes out of its way to avoid or destroy any sense of warm Christmas fuzziness climaxing in the wholesale destruction of the town and Phoebe Cates’ horrific Santa speech about what happened to her father (spoilers it doesn’t end well for anyone).
In many ways Gremlins is the Anti-Christmas movie,but it’s hilariously funny and clever as well as being dark and scary too. All this and the shy geek ends up saving the town, and that’s why it occupies the top spot on our list!
