4 Alternative Christmas Movies to Watch This Holiday Season

Christmas time is a time when families come together, people buy gifts, and movie buffs watch their favorite holiday movies. Growing up we used to always watch the classic Christmas movies like It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and a Christmas Story. That was before the cable companies decided to start playing them on a continuous loop. This article is for those who love kicking back with hot cocoa to watch Christmas themed entertainment but are burnt out on the traditional holiday movies. In this article I’ll be writing about 4 entertaining movies that have a Christmas connection and where you can go to watch them.

Die Hard is the most exciting, action packed Christmas movie ever. After Hans Gruber and his team of terrorists seize control of the Nakatomi Building on Christmas Eve, it is up to John McClain, a tough new york cop, to foil their plans and save his wife whom the terrorists are holding hostage. While it doesn’t feature Santa Claus or elves or Rudolf, it does contain several examples of what makes Christmas such a magical time. There is a Christmas miracle when Hans Gruber and his crew are able to open the building’s vault after the FBI cuts the building's power. There is the unconditional love between John and Holly McClain. Finally their is the spirtuality when John McClain prays to God to save his life before he jumps off the roof. And everyone loves hearing Alan Rickman utter those famous words "Now I have a machine gun, Ho, Ho, Ho."

Die Hard can be rented at Amazon, Playstation, iTunes, YouTube, GooglePlay, and Vudu for as low as $2.99.

For most Rocky fans, this is the best Rocky movie ever. Rocky fighting ”the Russian” Ivan Drago is the best fight scene of all the Rockys. The training scenes are excellent as well. So what is the Christmas connection? There are several. Rocky trains for the fight in cold and snowy Siberia. He pulls sleds like Rudolf and grows a long beard like Santa Claus. He even climbs mountains and yokes horses like a loyal elf (OK, that was a stretch). The fight with Drago takes place on Christmas. Finally, Rocky wishes his son a Merry Christmas.

Rocky IV is currently streaming on Roku, Vudu, and Sony Crackle. It can be rented on Amazon, Playstation, iTunes, YouTube, GooglePlay, and Vudu for as low as $2.99.

Eddie Murphy did his best work in early to middle 1980s. Trading Places is one of how one of his greatest performances. In this movie Eddie Murphy plays Billy Ray Valentine, a con man working the streets of Philadelphia during the Christmas season. After accidentally running in to Dan Aykroyd’s Russel Winthorp he is wrongly arrested for trying to steal Winthorp’s briefcase. After witnessing the incident the Duke brothers played by Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy decide to conduct a psychological experiment where they bring Valentine into their world of wealth and power while ruining the life of Winthorp. The writing and the acting and the overall chemistry among the cast is top notch.

Trading Places can currently be rented on Amazon, YouTube, GooglePlay, and PlayStation for as low as $2.99.

Mel Gibson was at the height of his popularity with the release of Lethal Weapon in 1987. Lethal Weapon kicked off the buddy cop comedy genre that influenced a ton of imitators. The movie takes place over the Christmas season as Martin Riggs (Gibson) and Seargent Murtaugh (Danny Glover) investigate a drug ring. There is a Christmas scene where Riggs chases and apprehends a bad guy in a Christmas tree lot. The movie also casts light on how the holidays can bring about depression in some people. This movie also demonstrates the importance of being part of a family whether it is your wife and kids, your extended relatives, or you close friends and partners.

Lethal Weapon is currently streaming on Sony Crackle and can be rented on Playstation, iTunes, YouTube, GooglePlay, Fandango Now, and Vudu for as low as $2.99.

Hope you all get a chance to enjoy these movies. Please let me know what you think and also send me your favorite alternative Christmas films. I love hearing from fellow movie enthusiasts.