Where to watch: Disney Plus (US) Disney Plus (UK) Michael Caine alongside arguably his greatest ever co-stars in The Muppet Christmas Carol. It’s now a mainstay on Yuletide playlists, though the 1992 sequel – where Culkin not only finds himself abandoned again, but also runs into the same pair of crooks – pushes credibility one step too far. They would soon be left to regret it, as the story of a kid left home alone at Christmas – and fighting off a pair of incompetent burglars with only his ingenuity and some Looney Tunes-style slapstick to protect him – conquered the box office for 20th Century Fox. The movie that made Macaulay Culkin the most bankable pre-teen star of his generation mined childhood wish fulfillment (and the stuff of parental nightmares) to create a monster festive hit.ĭespite being scripted by ’80s high-school movie legend John Hughes and directed by Goonies writer Chris Columbus, Home Alone was seen as such a gamble that its original studio, Warner Bros, walked away when its comparatively meagre budget grew larger than they were expecting. Where to watch: Starz (US) Disney Plus (UK) Macaulay Culkin had no idea he'd one day become an internet meme. Cynics may claim that the director overplays the schmaltz in an emotional final act, but whether you’re eight, 18 or 80, it’s easy to see why ET was the most lucrative film of all-time until Spielberg’s own Jurassic Park roared into theaters a decade later.įind out how ET compares to the rest of the director's filmography in Steven Spielberg movies ranked. Spielberg’s genius shines through in the way he keeps you completely invested in the friendship between a 10-year-old boy and an extra-terrestrial with a flashlight for a finger. Never has that been more evident than in ET, his modern-day fairytale about a kid who meets an alien accidentally left behind on the outskirts of a small American town. The latter half of Steven Spielberg’s career has been dominated by serious dramas and more grown-up fare but in his earlier days he was the best family movie director out there. Where to watch: Peacock Premium (US) Sky Cinema, Now (UK) There’s a reason Elf instantly found itself on the list of the best Christmas movies alongside the likes of It’s a Wonderful Life, Home Alone and The Muppet Christmas Carol.ĮT and Elliott "phone home" in Steven Spielberg's classic. It’s a winningly offbeat fish-out-of-water tale that combines comedy, romance and plenty of Christmas spirit to create an immensely uplifting festive concoction. Where to watch: Available to rent and/or buy on select platforms, including Apple TV Plus, Amazon and YouTube (US) Sky Go, Now (UK)īefore he launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Iron Man and traveled to a galaxy far, far away with The Mandalorian, Jon Favreau (then arguably best known as Monica's millionaire boyfriend in Friends) made his directorial debut with this festive classic.Ī pre- Anchorman Will Ferrell delivers his most endearing performance as a human who was raised as one of Santa’s elves, and then travels to New York to meet his biological father (a gruff James Caan). You don't need to wait for Christmas to give Elf a rewatch.
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