Time to cue up the Five Essential Christmas Movies

Over the next several days, it's time to watch the Five Essential Christmas Movies. These are the five movies that absolutely must be watched every Christmas season. It is not necessary to complete the viewing before Christmas, but all five must be watched. In no particular order, they are:

1. "It's a Wonderful Life." Yeah, it's an easy one. Not technically a Christmas movie -- the themes are universal and timeless -- the crucial events of the movie nonetheless are set at Christmas, and the movie was released Christmas Day, 1946. Donna Reed absolutely never looked better, Jimmy Stewart and Lionel Barrymore are great, and what could easily have been a schmaltzy piece of dreck is so well-done that it is pretty much universally hailed as one of the best movies ever made. Here's a piece:

b. "Miracle on 34th Street," also an easy one. Yeah, it's a true Christmas movie. Edmund Gwenn won an Oscar for his portrayal of Kris Kringle, Maureen O'Hara is stylin' and profilin' and Natalie Wood is great at about 10 years old. The movie's Christmas theme was kept out of the trailer and advanced promotion --it opened June 4, 1947 in New York because studio head Daryl F. Zanuck said more people go to the movies during the summer. Fortunately, great movies shine through. According to Wikipedia, "The house shown at the end of the film is a 1703 square foot single family home built in 1943 at 24 Derby Road, Port Washington, New York. The home looks practically the same as it did in 1947, except that the roof line has been altered by the addition of a window." Gotta do it, every year:

III. "A Christmas Story" is a modern classic. Also a true Christmas movie, the 1983 movie gave us the catch-phrase, "You'll put your eye out!" Not to mention some iconic images, such as the Old Man's prize lamp:

The story of Ralphie Parker's quest for a Red Ryder BB gun is full of hilarious detours and side trips, narrated by Jean Shepherd, whose collection of short stories -- semi-autobiographical, semi-fiction -- serves as the basis for the movie. TBS usually does a 24-hour marathon of the movie sometime Christmas week, usually on Christmas Eve. It is hilarious every single time:

D. This next one launches the debate over what makes a Christmas movie. Is it just a Christmas setting, or does it require a Christmas theme? I have chosen to allow a Christmas setting, which is how the Mel Gibson-Danny Glover cop buddy flick "Lethal Weapon" makes the list. 'Nuff said:

Come on, he's at a Christmas tree lot. Not enough? How about this:

Peace on Earth, baby, good will toward men.

v. OK, No. 5 is set at an office Christmas party, for crying out loud. How could "Die Hard" not be a Christmas movie? The 1988 flick established Bruce Willis as an action hero, Willis having previously been known only for his {really good) comedic role on the TV sit com "Moonlighting." (Yeah, Sybil Shepherd looked really good in that.) Yes, the movie premiered in July, but let us not forget that "Miracle" premiered in June, and no one questions its Christmas movie credentials. Think of Willis' John McClane as Kris Kringle with more firepower, if that helps. He certainly delivers. And people still say "Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker" upon occasion. Alan Rickman is brilliant as Scrooge, I mean, Hans Gruber, the villain.

See? Christmas movie. Look, it's a great flick. This trailer doesn't even really hit all the best parts:

So there is your list. Get to it, people. I expect movie reviews in the comments. Maybe there'll be a quiz later.