Films of Christmas Past Let's face it: many Christmas movies stink. They're either cheesy family films or animations utterly devoid of imagination. To spice up your holidays, we've compiled a list of alternative Christmas-related DVDs. Die Hard (1988): Bruce Willis is no Santa Claus. But as New York cop John McClane, he displays plenty of admirable qualities as he single-handedly fights a gang of terrorists in a skyscraper to save his wife. As one of the best Christmas action movies made in the past two decades, Die Hard has plenty of gunfire to light up your evening. Directed by John McTiernan. Merry Christmas (1984): A farcical romance about a widower named Baldy who is too shy to express his feelings for his neighbour. It's Hong Kong comedic nonsense at its best. Stars popular comedian and film producer Karl Maka and Canto-pop diva Paula Tsui Siu-fung as lovers. Danny Chan Pak-keung, who died in 1993 at age 35, also starred in the film and contributed the ballad Wait - now a Canto-pop classic - to the movie soundtrack. Clifton Ko directs. Christmas in August (1998): This touching love story paved the way for South Korean movies in Hong Kong. Stars several Korean film idols, including Han Suk-kyu (Shiri) as a man with terminal illness and Shim Eun-ha (Tell Me Something) as his love interest. Directed by Hur Jin-ho, the bittersweet romance presents friendship, love and death in a subtle and heartbreaking manner. Gremlins (1984): They look tiny and cute, but if you feed them after midnight, they transform into ugly, demonic creatures capable of turning your peaceful community into ground zero. Billy receives one of these rare creatures from his father as a Christmas gift and wastes no time in breaking the late night feeding rule. Directed by Joe Dante, this Christmas horror was written by Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter movies. Howl's Moving Castle (2005): If you don't want to queue up to watch Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle is an ideal substitute. Based on a novel by British author Diana Wynne Jones, the well-crafted animation takes you to a thrilling and spooky world of wizards and witches. A heartwarming hotpot of romance, adventure and magic, it was the most sophisticated and vibrant animation to hit screens this year.
