My Top 5 Christmas Films

1.) Die Hard (1988)
Bruce Willis leaping around bare-footed, white-vested, machine gun in tow; what’s not to love? Yippee-kay-yay motherf*ckers!

2.) Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

It’s become tradion that on Christmas Eve my mother and I watch this film. I absolutely love it, probably Vincente Minnelli’s best in my opinion. One of Judy Garland’s finest performances. It’s also worth checking out her rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” on her Christmas Show from 1963 where she sings it to her kids, Joey and Lorna.

3.) It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Sorry for being such a cliché, at least I didn’t put it at #1 like most people though!

4.) White Christmas (1954)

Probably the quintessential Christmas movie. If it’s not on TV over the holidays, it’s just not Christmas. Features the highest-selling Christmas record of all time.

5.) The Family Stone (2005)

Honestly this isn’t as bad as you’re probably thinking it is. In fact, it’s really quite decent. But then again, I’m biased, I love SJP. And Diane Keaton is wonderful too.

Others that I love: Holiday Inn (1942), Die Hard 2 (1990), The Hebrew Hammer (2003), Bad Santa (2003), Scrooged (1988).

My Top 5 Billy Wilder Films

I haven’t seen all of them and there are definitely some I really do need to check out at some point. E.g. Five Graves To Cairo.. (this is #10 on Tarantino’s list of his fave movies!!) But here goes…

1.) Some Like It Hot (1959)

My ultimate feel-good movie. I love how Curtis and Lemon play their roles “straight”, so to speak, as it seems to bring the humour out more than if they were self-aware. Plus Marilyn has never looked more beautiful than in this film. It also has possibly the greatest parting line in a movie ever: "Well nobody's perfect!". Perfection.

2.) Sunset Boulevard (1950) *

Still eerie and haunting to watch. About a once huge silent screen actress whose star has faded with the introduction of sound. Made all the more poignant by Swanson’s own story (in fact, the whole back-story to this film is just fascinating). Brilliant, knowing casting. Shows the cynical and decidedly unglamorous side to Hollywood. Still relevant. Both Swanson and Bette Davis in All About Eve were robbed by Judy Holliday in Born Yesterday for the 1950 Best Actress Oscar.

3.) Double Indemnity (1944)

Film noir co-written by Raymond Chandler and starring the fabulous Barbara Stanwyck as femme fatale, in other words you can’t go wrong.

4.) The Seven Year Itch (1955)

The scene in which Monroe and Ewell are sat at the piano playing Chopsticks (lol!) and he turns into a wannabe Don Juan and exclaims he is going to "kiss her hard and fast" and the look on her face (o.O) before she can say “hey! wait a min..” and they topple backwards on to the floor. Cracks me up every time.

5.) The Apartment

Jack Lemon is the man. ‘nuff said. This film surprised me in that it was much darker than I anticipated but is still labelled as a "romantic comedy".

Films that just missed the cut: The Lost Weekend (1945), Ace in the Hole (1951), Stalag 17 (1953) and Sabrina (1954).

*Just a note to say I think Sunset Blvd. is a better film than Some Like It Hot but I've put them in this order because I personally love my #1 choice.