Holiday movie pick: Gremlins (1984)
Gremlins is a Christmas horror comedy film (if there is such a thing). After getting a Mogwai as a Christmas present, Billy Peltzer (Zach Galligan) breaks all the rules that came delivered with his new pet: No water or food after midnight. Well, it turns out after you break those rules, that cute little Mogwai (named Gizmo) breeds evil green creatures that practically destroy the town of Kingston Falls. 
Directed by creature feature aficionado Joe Dante and produced by Steven Spielberg, Gremlins is one of the more unique holiday films. And even though it wasn't directed by Spielberg, Gremlins has the stamp of his 80s "innocent" style that hasn't aged well. (Other films directed or produced by Spielberg that also have this style include E.T., Twilight Zone: The Movie, The Goonies, Young Sherlock Holmes, Back to the Future, and Innerspace.) Still, when do we get to see green monsters in a Christmas movie?
One interesting connection (at least from a holiday movie perspective) is Gremlins was written by Chris Columbus, who would go on to direct Home Alone.
Best scene: There are many in this film, but I like when the Gremlins sing Christmas carols and then launch Mrs. Deagle on her elevator chair.
And I've always thought the scene where Phoebe Cates tells the story about probably the worst Christmas of all time, was especially macabre:
