It's that time of year isn't it? Do I mean the time of year when you think of your top ten "things" of all time? Do I mean Christmas? Do I mean the time when you most want to settle back and watch a great movie? No! I mean ALL of them!

I've been picking out good movies(*) for you for a while now, so I thought why not get into the swing of things and think about the best Christmas movies ever? It's a big field, and it can be a little predictable, but if I promise not to have It's A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, or White Christmas in the Number 1 spot, will you humour me? I've been a little more scientific than that and the results might be quite a surprise.

10. A Christmas Story
It's 1940 and 9-year-old Ralphie Parker has only one Christmas present on his mind - a Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB air rifle. But everyone he asks tells him he'll shoot his eye out with a gun like that, and meanwhile he has to defend himself against the school bully. Will Ralphie's dream present materialise, or have the scrapes he's got himself into in the run-up to Christmas blown his chances?

9. Bad Santa
Billy Bob Thornton stars as a conman who dresses up as Santa to rob each establishment in local malls across the country, ably assisted by his equally bad elf. This twisted road trip suffers a puncture when they meet a precocious 8-year old who teaches them the true meaning of Christmas.

8. It's A Wonderful Life
I promised it wouldn't be #1 - not that it wouldn't be on the list at all! James Stewart is on fine bumbling despairing form as George Bailey the frustrated businessman who decides to end his life over the loss of an $8,000 loan. In steps trainee angel Clarence, who shows George a vision of what life would have been like in the town of Bedford Falls if he had never been born and proves to him that it really is a wonderful life.

7. A Christmas Carol
For many the quintessential Christmas story, I'm referring here to the 1951 version starring Alastair Sim (which was actually called Scrooge and had "A Christmas Carol" as its subtitle) but the 1984 TV version with George C. Scott is a good substitute. Just in case there's anyone reading who doesn't know the plot (where've you been?) an old miser (Scrooge) who takes pleasure in saving every penny at the expense of his loyal workforce (especially Bob Cratchit) learns some valuable lessons in compassion and humility after three ghostly visits (from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet To Come) on Christmas Eve.

6. The Nightmare Before Christmas
Tim Burton's original story about Jack Skellington, the king of Halloweentown, is adapted by Michael McDowell in this 1993 3-D animated classic that enjoyed the tag line "so real, it's scary!" Bored with celebrating Halloween, Jack discovers Christmas Town and kidnaps Santa Claus so the residents of Halloweentown can have their own Christmas.

5. Lethal Weapon
What? A Christmas movie? Well yes, they're celebrating Christmas at Sergeant Murtaugh's house, and besides it's a great action flick. Some antidote for all the sugar and spice on this list! Mel Gibson, of course, plays Murtaugh's new partner - the young detective Martin Riggs with the suicidal death wish.

4. White Christmas
The second of my promises not to be number 1 appears in fourth place on my list (and is in fact my personal favourite Christmas movie). The final promise - Miracle on 34th Street - didn't make the top ten (it reached #13). Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye star as the successful song-and-dance team who become romantically involved with a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) and team up to save the failing Vermont inn of their former commanding general (played by Dean Jagger). Schmaltzy and sugary, but full of warmth and great tunes and virtually guaranteed to be aired somewhere, sometime over the Christmas period.

3. Gremlins
"Don't ever get him wet. Keep him away from bright light. And the most important thing, the one thing you must never forget: no matter how much he cries, no matter how much he begs ... never, ever feed him after midnight." But Billy Peltzer can't resist the cute Mogwai's pleading - with disastrous results.

2. Home Alone
Macaulay Culkin's breakthrough movie in which he stars as eight year-old Kevin, accidentally left behind while his family flies to France for Christmas, and has to defend his home against some of the most stupid burglars cinema has ever seen. Can't stand it myself, but there's no arguing with the voting!

1. Die Hard
New York cop John McClane is only after one thing - to spend Christmas with his family. There's a small matter of the terrorists holding his wife and a party full of her colleagues hostages in an LA office building, standing between him and his Christmas dinner.

Worth a look:
Just because a film didn't make my "pseudo-scientific" top ten doesn't mean it's not a great Christmas movie, and I always give you options, so here in the "worth a look" section are those I had in my list that didn't quite make it. Here's where I should say "in no particular order."

Blackadder's Christmas Carol
The Muppet Christmas Carol
A Charlie Brown Christmas
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
How The Grinch Stole Christmas
Prancer
Miracle on 34th Street
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

(*)Unlike my "Movie of the Week" slot, there's no guarantee that any of the above films will be on TV this Christmas.