(1989) Starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Juliette Lewis and Randy Quaid. Out of all the National Lampoon movies, this one is by far my favorite. I don't know what it is exactly about this film that makes me love it so much..oh wait, yes I do. It's hysterical! It's a Murphy's law family holiday, at it's finest. We all have had those relatives that show up in a Winnebago - okay, maybe not. However, there are in-laws that take over your house, holiday lights that you work so hard on appear to not work and we all have over cooked a turkey, right? Now this movie isn't all jokes and giggles. Here's one of my favorite scenes. Enjoy.
(1994) Starring Denis Leary, Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis. Another one of those great finds upon renting a DVD one day over a decade ago. The Ref may be one of the funniest movies with it's quick wit and the family dramas that are forced to come to light. Denis Leary is a thief who stumbles upon a family in deep crisis and he ends up fixing the family on Christmas Eve just so he can escape the police. Now Denis Leary and Kevin Spacey are two actors who can spew the most intelligent insults that still make you laugh. The dialogue in this film was brilliant. Here is one scene to prove my point. (Warning: profanity).
(1988) Starring Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman and Bonnie Bedelia. Now you are probably wondering why I put this on my list. Well, it does take place during Christmas vacation when John McClane comes home to his wife in LA only to run into a terrorist attack. That's pure Christmas cheer, isn't it? Okay, this may not be the most Christmas-y movie on my list but I love it just the same. It's funny, action packed and it hosts some decent one-liners. Plus, it introduced Alan Rickman to us Yanks (thank you). Watch the trailer for Die Hard and remember how great this film was and try not to laugh at how they used to make trailers.To Be Continued....
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(2003) Starring Will Ferrell, James Cann, Zooey Daschanel and Bob Newhart. This film came out of nowhere, and I was sort of skeptical when I heard Jon Favreau directed movie this movie. Now I like Favreau as a director, but at that point in his career he wasn't particularly known as a director. I knew of him from Swingers and 'Friends' only. So I did not see it in the theatre but ended up renting it later. Upon first viewing, I fell in love with Elf, the character (a.k.a. Will Ferrell) and this film. I believe I even watched it again right after I finished it and have watched it every year since. (Yes, I own this one.) The story was original, charming and funny - very funny. If you have not seen this one, put it on your queue. Kids and adults will love this family tale. Here's a link to a 
(2003) This hosts an ensemble cast. Here are just a few of the actors: Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, and Keira Knightley. Again, like Elf, I am pretty sure I didn't see this in the movie theatre but once I rented it, it quickly leapt on to my top 10 - I mean 11 - Christmas movie list. I actually watch this movie several times a year because it's not only about the holidays but the varying degrees of love. There are several tales interwoven together in Love Actually - some happy, some not and some that are just there for you to ponder. Just as complicated as love is in real life, Love Actually tackles the complexities of love so that everyone who sees this movie can relate to one or more of the story-lines.... My 
