The Best Christmas Movies from the ‘80s

Christmas Vacation

Christmas Vacation is a classic holiday film from 1989 that still holds up. Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo return as Clark and Ellen Griswold but like European Vacation, the children are played by different actors (Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki). Clark is up to his usual antics, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Randy Quaid playing characters who stand in his way of a happy holiday.

Fun fact: It was written by John Hughes

A Christmas Story

This 1983 American Christmas comedy classic is based on Jean Shepherd's semi-autobiographical book from 1966. Set in the 1940s in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana it features Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley), a young boy who is determined to get a Red Ryder BB gun from Santa. Also starring a cranky dad, a sweet mom, a bully and an interesting lamp.

Gremlins

This comedy horror film from 1984 is more a nostalgic watch than a American classic. Zach Galligan receives a strange creature (a mogwai) as a pet for Christmas and all kinds of mayhem ensues.

Scrooged

Scrooged is a 1988 retelling of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol starring Bill Murray as selfish television executive, Frank Cross. It’s your usual Christmas Carol tale but with a Murray-twist.

Die Hard

Bruce Willis took a break from Moonlighting to film Die Hard. He stars as John McClane, a New York City police officer who travels to LA for Christmas only to find himself trapped in an office building with criminals on Christmas Eve. This 1988 action flick is considered to be one of the best of the action movie genre.