Christmas is a time of caring and sharing, which goes for holiday movies. But what do you do if you’re in a mood for something a little less “ho-ho-ho” and a bit more “boom-bang-blam” yet still retaining that Christmas theme?
Here are some X-mas movies for real macho men! You heard me. No girls allowed!
1. Gremlins (1984)
Searching for that one perfect present for his son, the future inventor stumbles upon an eerie antique shop in Chinatown, where he finds a cute little Mogwai — the most adorable creature he has ever seen. But when eventually, lil’ Gizmo accidentally gets sprayed with water, five more furballs pop out of him. And before even people start realizing what’s going on, a gang of naughty gremlins is already turning the small town into real hell. Oh, and yeah, the movie takes place on Christmas, of course!
2. Trading Places (1983)
If you don’t think that Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy are a hilarious comedic duo, all you need to do to change your mind is watch this brilliant comedy. A successful broker and a street hustler become the subjects of a brutal bet between two company owners. Basically, the rich guy becomes poor, and the poor guy is now a millionaire, hence the title of the movie. What really shines here are the dialogues and the jokes. By the way, Trading Places has become a Christmas classic in Italy, where it airs every year on December 24th.
3. Die Hard (1988)
Nobody does an office Christmas party like Hans Grueber and his boys. Of course, taking the entire building hostage might mean that there’s a guy on the outside who would not love that idea. Look, we all know who John McLain is and why this movie is a national treasure, so let’s not beat around the bush and rewatch this Christmas hit once again! Do it for Alan Rickman and the best movie line ever written — “Now I have a machine gun. Ho-ho-ho!”
4. Rocky IV (1985)
The first Rocky was a simple underdog story and his road to becoming a boxing champ. The fourth installment, however, is entirely different in that it’s pretty much the same. To cut a long story short, Rocky flies to the USSR, beats up Ivan Drago after a few tries, and in the end, wishes his son a Merry Christmas. At least, that’s what we think he said. Sometimes it’s hard to tell with Rocky.
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
One of the creepiest and most visually impressive stop motion animations in the history of cinema is Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Funny enough, the fans of this dark comedy are divided into two camps: those who think it’s a Halloween movie and those who think it’s a Christmas movie. To be fair, it’s both, and I don’t care what others think. It’s freaky enough to give kids a scare or two and cheery enough to make you tear up when Jack becomes Santa.
6. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
And we’re going straight to another Tim Burton hit — Edward Scissorhands. A lonely old scientist created a human being, but did not have time to finish it and died. The man he created ended up with no hands, so instead, he slapped on some scissors for fingers and went out to meet the neighbors since he’s been locked up in an abandoned house in complete solitude. On that day, he meets a lovely girl who sees past his strange appearance and is able to appreciate his good heart.
7. Bad Santa (2003)
Willie, played by Billy Bob Thornton, is an unusual Santa Claus. Once a year at Christmas, he and his partner, Tony Cox, rob department stores. In addition, he has served time in prison, has been married more than once, and is now a horny drunkard. He’s a really rude and intolerant Santa, but there is a boy who still believes in him, so Wille will have to make some changes in his life to accommodate the little guy.
8. Jingle All the Way (1996)
Howard Langston, played by Arnie Schwarzenneger, is so preoccupied with his business, he pays little attention to his own family, especially his son, who wants for Christmas only one thing — a super popular action figure. In a desperate attempt to rise in his son’s eyes, he decides to find the Turboman toy without realizing there’s only one of them left, and he’s not the only bad father out there seeking redemption.
