Top Five Christmas Movies of the '80s

The 1980s were an awesome decade to the be a kid. Growing up, I got to see so many cool movies when they were originally released, and of course I would watch them over and over again (on VHS of course!) at home. The movies that I especially loved the most were the Christmas ones, and the 1980s had some very special and memorable ones. Here is a list of my top five Christmas movies of the 1980s.

1.) A Christmas Story (1983) Starring Peter Billingsley, Darren McGavin, and Melinda Dillon. I think everyone will agree with me that this movie is most deserving of the number one spot on this list, as it has genuinely become a modern day classic. The tale about the little boy named Ralphie who wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas more than anything is as timeless as the days are long. Set in the early 1940s, great attention was paid to the details, from the clothes, cars, music, and of course that spectacular department store! This is actually my favorite Christmas movie of all time, because it embodies all the nostalgia and memories of that childhood dream of getting the ultimate Christmas wish granted.

2.) Santa Claus: The Movie (1985) Starring Dudley Moore, John Lithgow, David Huddleston, and Burgess Meredith. Not to be confused with Tim Allen's 'The Santa Clause' which was released a decade later, this movie is all about the story of Santa Claus, from the beginning hundreds of years ago, up until to the present day (1985). When I think back to Christmases in the 1980s, the one thing that comes into my mind is magic. After all, I was a child in the 80s, and looked forward to a visit from Santa every year (until I was in the 4th grade). This movie captures the magical myth of Santa Claus magnificentally, and the special effects are really spectacular for the time. Note: this movie has a beautiful score by the great Henry Mancini, and the long out-of-print soundtrack is DEFINITELY worth hunting down!

3.) Scrooged (1988) Starring Bill Murray, Karen Allen, John Forsythe, and Carol Kane. Every decade always gives their own unique take on the Dickens classic, and this one works so well for the materialistic, 'yuppy' era. Bill Murray is fabulous as the very believable Scrooge character 'Frank Cross', a cold-hearted TV executive who learns the true meaning of Christmas that magical night when he is visited by some very zany ghosts! Although it wasn't a huge success when it was first released during the 1988 Christmas season, 'Scrooged' has become a definitive cult classic, and a humorous parody of those greedy 1980s!

4.) Babes in Toyland (1986) Starring Drew Barrymore, Keanu Reeves, Richard Mulligan, and Pat Morita. Although most people prefer the Disney classic with Annette Funicello, this one is really entertaining and cute. Drew Barrymore (in one of her last roles as a child star) is adorable as Lisa Piper, an 11 year old girl who is magically transported to Toyland. Although the songs may seem a bit cheesy and the sets and costumes a bit dated, the truth is the filmmakers actually gave this tale a unique spin. I actually remember watching this when it was originally broadcast and really loved the modern day setting contrasted with the 'storybook' aspect. Hey, I was just a kid and was easily entertained!

5.) Gremlins (1984) Starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Polly Holliday, and Corey Feldman. Probably not on most peoples' lists of top holiday classics, this one is actually one of my personal favorite movies to watch around this time of year. 'Gremlins' is to the 80s what 'Nightmare Before Christmas' was to the 90s, a dark comedic movie with horror elements set against a lovely Christmas backdrop. Billy and Kate (Zach Galligan and Phoebe Cates) with Gizmo in tow, must stop a horde of monstrous 'gremlins' from attacking their beloved town on Christmas Eve. The horrific elements intertwined with the festive Christmas setting really works on a lot of levels, and this movie pretty much set the trend of horror movies with a Christmas theme (such as 'Silent Night, Deadly Night and its sequels among others) and a rather spooky Christmas urban legend was immortalized when Kate told the story of how her father, dressed as Santa, died when he broke his neck trying to climb down the chimney on Christmas Eve. Nothing like a little disturbing holiday cheer!

These movies played such a special part in my awesome 1980s childhood and they bring back so many good Christmas memories. I own each and every one of these films on dvd, and really enjoy watching them every year. I think a lot of my fellow 80s kids will agree with me that we got the best of everything! Have a happy and safe holiday season!

Sources:
www.imdb.com
www.wikipedia.com