For many, Christmas can’t be celebrated until after Thanksgiving. But, for others, a select elite few, Christmas is a spirit that you want to live in year-round. Sadly, society doesn’t accept the fact that sometimes you want to watch Elf in July.
Luckily, there is a handful of Christmastime Cinema that you can watch at any point in the year without an ounce of judgment from others. And surprisingly, these movies are not all just Die Hard repeated ten times!
Gremlins
Gremlins is one of the most Christmassy non-Christmas movies ever made. This Spielbergian adventure involves a teenage boy who is gifted a pet Mogwai for Christmas. But, as many know, there are certain rules you have to follow when caring for a Mogwai, or else they turn into evil green Gremlins.
The film is full of madcap setpieces involving Gremlins terrorizing this small town during Christmas. One of the most iconic moments comes when a gang of Gremlins performs some Christmas Carols outside in the snow. You can get away with this one, just don’t hum along with these little devils too loud.
Die Hard
Okay, this one had to at least be mentioned. For an action movie that many claim to be anything but a Christmas movie, it certainly has a ton of Christmas jokes and references in it. Seriously, there is so much Christmas stuff in this movie.
But, since its primarily an action flick set in Los Angeles, you can get away with watching this one at any time of year. You could probably even find it playing on TV at any time of year anyway, which should be permission enough.
Miracle on 34th Street
This option certainly is a little risky, as the core premise is all about Santa Claus. This classic of old Hollywood a Macy’s Santa Claus who claims to be the real deal, and is put on trial for his fantastical claims.
At the very least, you can start watching this or any remake of Miracle on 34th Street anytime after November 1st. The entire opening act takes place on Thanksgiving and the days after. So, in all honesty, it doubles as a Thanksgiving movie.
The Harry Potter Films
There are few places that could host a better Christmas party than Hogwarts. Nearly every Harry Potter movie at least has a mention of Christmas, leading to a fantastically magical holiday experience for Harry and friends.
For many, Harry Potter is a quintessential Christmastime tradition. We all wish that Mrs. Weasley was real so that she could send us our own Weasley sweater. Luckily, you can watch harry potter at any time of year, and get that little taste of Christmas magic to boot.
It’s A Wonderful Life
There are few Christmas movies as beloved as It’s A Wonderful Life. It is a classic of both the holidays and film history, remaining the quintessential film of Frank Capra and Hollywood nice guy James Stewart.
But, for all the Christmas viewings, it’s still a movie who spends most of its runtime never once mentioning or showing the holiday. A majority of the film is focused on just telling the life of George Bailey and only ends on Christmas Eve. So, why not give it a try and watch this one early, who could blame you?
Batman Returns
Tim Burton’s followup to his first outing with the Caped Crusader is one of the weirdest and darkest interpretations of Batman ever put to screen. The performances from both Danny Devito as The Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman have gone down as some of the best in the history of Comic Book movies.
For all its superhero action though, it also counts as a Christmas movie. The entire film takes place during Christmastime and the set design won’t let you forget it. So, when you’re hoping for a bit more Batman this Christmas, why not go for Batman Returns?
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Tim Burton and Herny Sellick’s A Nightmare Before Christmas stands in the awkward position of not only being the brainchild of two distinctly creative powerhouses but also doubling as a Halloween and Christmas movie. Because of this, most people watch this one as early as September.
But, if Hot Topic can sell its Jack Skellington merch year-round, who’s to say you can’t enjoy this spooky Christmas Classic the same way? This is one that also doubles as a Disney classic, one which you can find represented in the Disney Parks all the time.
Meet Me In St. Louis
Meet Me in St. Louis, like It’s A Wonderful Life, is not solely set during Christmas. Set during a whole year leading up to the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, this film follows the story of four sisters navigating the ups and downs of life.
During the Christmas portion of the film, Judy Garland performs the classic Christmas tune Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. It is one of the most beautiful versions of the song, and one that is a Christmas tradition for many households. But, because of its time frame, you can enjoy it anytime you want (but Christmastime feels that much more special).
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn is famous for two things: a shockingly racist Abe Lincoln number that everyone should fast forward through, and the first instance of Bing Crosby singing White Christmas. Apart from the unfortunate Lincoln sequence, the film is full of great musical numbers over the entire calendar year.
Because it has musical scenes stretching from the fourth of July to Easter, you can get away with watching this one on nearly any major holiday. Plus, you don’t need it to be Christmas to enjoy Bing Crosby’s voice and Fred Astaire’s dancing.
Edward Scissorhands
Tim Burton obviously has a thing for Christmas, and it might not be super positive. Edward Scissorhands sets its finale in the suburban world of Christmas. Plastic Santa’s and twinkling lights surround Burton’s most lovable Frankenstein as he carves beautiful ice sculptures.
For a movie as weird as this, it does hit a magical Christmas feeling with the combination of Burton’s filmmaking and Danny Elfman’s score. You can watch this one during any Burton marathon year-round, but it also fits perfectly in with your Christmas movie marathon too.
