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WATCH: 10 classic Christmas movies to get you through the holidays

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Couple watching movie. (Photo: Getty/Gallo Images)
Couple watching movie. (Photo: Getty/Gallo Images)

Cape Town - Finally you have a bit of free time to watch a movie or two. Here’s our choice of classic Christmas films from over the years.

1. It's A Wonderful Life 

Sure, it’s in black and white and more than 70 years old, but this classic just becomes better with time and is possibly the greatest Christmas movie ever made.

Hollywood icon James Stewart plays George Bailey, a small-town banker who has many problems. But just as he’s about to commit suicide, an angel appears to remind him how much he means to his family and community.

A believable, moving cornerstone of Tinseltown’s golden age.

2. Love Actually

A decade after it was released this romantic comedy with its understated British humour and star-studded cast is still every bit as enjoyable.

The story follows a number of characters all in different phases of their lives who have to deal with love, family and relationships over the Christmas period.

It’s light and refreshing, though some scenes aren’t suitable for young children.

3. Home Alone

This fun-filled comedy made Macaulay Culkin a child star. It’s about a young boy whose family accidentally leaves him behind when they go off on holiday. When two burglars target the house, he becomes their worst nightmare.

 Enjoyable and suitable for the whole family.

4. Die Hard

This one’s for action fans. A young Bruce Willis plays a policeman who finds himself at a Christmas party in a high-rise building when the owners are targeted by German terrorists.

Bruce made the role of John McClane iconic and the movie became a franchise.

It’s packed with action and peppered with dry one-liners.

5. Miracle on 34th Street

A man claiming to be Santa Clause has to prove it in court.

This is one of the first movies to protest the commercialisation of Christmas and reminds one of the child-like wonder traditionally associated with this time of year. It’s sweet without being cheesy.

6. Elf

This film succeeds because of funnyman Will Ferrell, whose wonderful performance put him on the movie map 15 years ago.

A man who grew up at the North Pole is convinced he’s an elf and travels to the big city to find his biological father.

It’s quite silly but funny enough on many levels so the whole family can enjoy it.

7. While You Were Sleeping

Sandra Bullock, who was just starting to make it in Hollywood, delivers a touching performance in this movie.

Her character saves a man’s life and is then mistaken for the man’s fiancée. While he’s in a coma, she develops feelings for his brother.

8. Bad Santa

Billy Bob Thornton plays a conman who dresses up as Santa Claus to swindle money from kids and department stores over Christmas. He swears, drinks like a fish and suffers from depression, but an unlikely friendship with a little boy gives him fresh hope.

Surely one of the blackest Christmas comedies ever and definitely not suitable for kids, but worth watching if you like something unconventional.

9. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang

Robert Downey Jnr plays a thief who accidentally ends up at a movie audition while fleeing from the police. This takes him to Hollywood where he pretends to be a detective. In the process he becomes tangled up in a murder plot over Christmas . . .

It’s probably writer and director Shane Black’s best-known crime comedy. There’s not a lot of action and it’s filled with funny moments.

10. The Family Stone

A man brings his super-conservative girlfriend home for the holidays to meet his quirky, off-beat family – with hilarious results. A special treat for fans of Sarah Jessica Parker and Diane Keaton.

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