Widely regarded as the best movie about the Christmas experience from a kid's perspective, this movie about a boy named Ralphie and his desire for a Red Ryder BB gun was not an immediate success. It became a cult classic in large part due to constant basic cable airtime and its charming, universal observations about childhood and family dynamics.

This film masterfully incorporates Christmas as a backdrop for its comedic tale of greed and social manipulation. Trading Places features what are perhaps the finest comedic performances by either Dan Aykroyd or Eddie Murphy in a feature film, which is, no doubt, a lofty distinction. The characters of Randolph and Mortimer Duke (played by late greats Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche), who also appeared in the film's sort-of-sequel, Coming to America, are arguably the funniest capitalist buffoons ever captured on film.

Another 80s gem, Die Hard is one of the pillars of the action movie canon. Featuring breakthrough performances by Bruce Willis and the sublime Alan Rickman as Hans Gruber, this movie makes up for its lack of holiday cheer with nonstop action and suspense. The film spawned three sequels, though none of them have come close to capturing the urgency or ultra-violence of the original.

For some reason, the early-mid 1980s set a lot of great films around Christmas, and Gremlins is among the best from any era. This innovative and weird science fiction tale about a boy, his pet mogwai, and the importance of following rules was a huge box office success - grossing more than ten times its budget - and spawned a sequel in 1990. Strangely, despite its Christmas setting, this film was released mid-summer, on the same day as fellow 80s classic Ghostbusters.

The Nightmare Before Christmas is the best of all animated Christmas films. This Tim Burton-produced musical, best known for its groundbreaking visuals and animation style, was a box-office hit and its popularity has only grown over time, elevating it to classic status.

Originally a major box-office disappointment, It's a Wonderful Life has now become one of the bedrock Christmas institutions in American popular culture. This film, incorporating elements of the Scrooge story, focuses on one suicidal man and his ultimate epiphany that he has touched many lives in a positive way. This is a genuinely classic movie and is one of the old films you'll see flipping through the channels that remains relevant and worthwhile today.

The best of writer Richard Curtis' romantic comedies, Love Actually is a serious yet funny take on relationships and the importance of love. The ensemble cast is practically a who's who of British romantic comedies, featuring Hugh Grant, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson and Keira Knightley, along with the more versatile Liam Neeson and Alan Rickman, but it's Bill Nighy's turn as ridiculous pop star Billy Mack that stands out from the rest.

This comedic 1980s adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol has aged amazingly well given the fact that its premise - that a live, big-network version of the Scrooge story could be a must-see TV event - has been rendered implausible by the changing times. This film's dark comic style still provides big laughs - most notably from Bill Murray - but doesn't overshadow the heart of gold inside.

This is the film that affirmed Will Ferrell as a Hollywood leading man. A genuinely funny fish-out-of-water comedy, this is one of the few recent Christmas comedies that actually delivered the goods. This film was also now-Iron Man director Jon Favreau's first turn at the helm of a big-budget picture and one of Zooey Deschanel's first lead performances.

Starring Alastair Sim as the eponymous main character, this 1951 adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol (the film's title for its US release) is the definitive film version of the classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge. Though reception was lukewarm upon its original release, this film attained classic status through its annual airings on television, most notably on PBS in America. Sim's Scrooge is the one that immediately comes to mind for most when trying to picture the miserly cautionary character.

They don't make them much ruder or cruder than this story about an alcoholic lowlife who uses his position as a mall Santa to conduct Christmastime heists. This comedy succeeds due to the brilliance of the cast, including Billy Bob Thornton, John Ritter, the late Bernie Mac, and an amazing performance by a 10-year-old Brett Kelly as The Kid. This is a love-it-or-hate it film, and The Top 13 can't resist its cynical charms.

Certainly the career-defining film for star Macauley Culkin, Home Alone was a worldwide commercial juggernaut in 1990, remaining #1 at the box office for 12 straight weeks, well past the end of the Christmas season. By the time its run finished, it was the third-highest grossing movie of all time. While clearly targeted for children and full of slapstick comedy, this movie endures because of the performances of its fine cast of actors, including Joe Pesci and Catherine O'Hara.

As we noted in ranking this film first in The Top 13 Slasher Films, this movie is arguably the first modern slasher film and established many genre trademarks. The decision to use Christmas as the setting was both unsettling and revolutionary, given the subsequent trends of basing slasher movies around holidays. This film is a cult classic and is probably one of the least festive movies you could flip to this holiday season.