The best and worst Christmas movies

Much like music, presents and dessert treats, Christmas tends to simultaneously bring out both the best and worst in films. The Guide offers this incomplete list of films from each category.

THE BEST

• "It's a Wonderful Life" -- Not only the best Christmas movie, but one of the best films of all time. If you don't cry after "No man is a failure who has friends," you have no soul.

• "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" -- Enough said.

• "Miracle on 34th Street" -- There's no other movie where committing Santa to a mental institution and weenie whistles will warm your heart. Time to believe, people.

•"A Christmas Story" -- It's on all day Christmas Day, and for good reason. The Guide triple dog dares you not to watch it.

• "Die Hard" -- The guns, the broken glass, the blood, the Twinkies smashed all over Reginald VelJohnson's face. That's Christmas.

• "Love Actually" -- Richard Curtis makes movies about life as it should be, not as it is.

• "Home Alone" & "Home Alone 2: Lost in New York" -- There is no reason whatsoever these two should not be included on any list ever made about Christmas movies.

• "Prancer" -- Because if you're a reindeer and you're not Rudolph, you get no respect.

THE WORST

• "Santa Claus Conquers the

Martians" -- Green freaks from outer space kidnap Santa because Mars doesn't have Christmas. (Watch the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" version for best experience.)

• "Ernest Saves Christmas" -- Simply

because it's not "Ernest Goes to Camp."

• "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" --

The Jim Carrey version. Stink. Stank. Stunk.

• "Jingle All the Way" -- Governor or not, Schwarzenegger still owes $6 to anyone who saw this in the theater.

• "The Santa Clause 2" and "The Santa Clause 3" -- The first one is cute. The sequels are awful. There's a scene in the second one where the now-teenage Charlie writes in graffiti "Santa's real," like he's a thug or something.

• "Silent Night, Deadly Night" -- Christmas + axe murderer dressed as Santa Claus = "Silent Night, Deadly Night." This film is

devoid of cheer. Mostly. The lights look nice.