‘80s Christmas Movies You Might’ve Forgot
Ho ho how can you get into the ‘80s holiday spirit? Start by watching festive ‘80s Christmas movies. Listed below are ‘80s movies that you might’ve forgot were Christmas movies. We include where they are streaming so you can get into the ‘80s holiday mood faster than Bruce Willis down an empty elevator shaft.
Trading Places (’83)
Eddie Murphy stars in one of his first big screen movies with Dan Aykroyd in this hilarious movie set during December. Several key scenes take place during a Christmas party and on New Year’s Eve.
Christmas movie: Heck ya, who can forget Aykroyd as Santa, smuggling a salmon in his red suit.
Where to watch: Starz, or for rent
Gremlins (’84)
How it’s a Christmas movie: the story starts with a dad trying to find a Christmas gift for his son Billy which turns out to be a gremlin. There is also a reveal that Billy’s girlfriend hates Christmas because of something that happened on Christmas Eve. Those pesky bad gremlins even went Christmas Caroling.
Where to watch: HBO Max, or rent
When Harry Met Sally (‘89)
When Harry Met Sally takes place over a decade so it doesn’t just exist in a holiday story world. But it can be classified as a holiday movie. Director Rob Reiner highlights Christmas time in New York with such perfection you want to hop into the screen and ice skate in Rockefeller Plaza. The end of the movie times with the countdown at New Year’s Eve.
Where to watch: Showtime Anytime, or rent
Die Hard (‘88)
For the past few years, every holiday season social media will start the “Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie” debate. Bruce Willis has chimed in and stated that it’s not a Christmas movie “it’s a Bruce Willis movie.” Who knows if he’s serious or not but what he thinks isn’t too relevant since he didn’t write it, direct it or score the music for it. Because it’s the writing, directing and music that seem to suggest it is a Christmas movie.
The opening scene has Bruce Willis flying out to visit his family on Christmas Eve complete with big teddy bear (no Amazon back then to ship your gifts). Then the whole movie takes place during an office Christmas party, which anyone who has attended one of these things can attest can be pretty brutal. This one made worse when Hans Gruber and pals show up. BTW, who has an office Christmas party on Christmas Eve?
Where to watch: Peacock, Roku Channel, IMDb TV, or rent
Lethal Weapon (‘87)
With all the “Die Hard a Christmas movie’ debate an action movie that came out a year earlier gets overlooked. Lethal Weapon is full of Christmas references. It starts with “Jingle Bell Rock” ends with Elvis’ version of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and has plenty of holiday references in between. Just remember Lethal Weapon when you’re chatting up Die Hard, ok?
Where to watch: HBO Max, or rent