Movies you may not realize are holiday films

This holiday season, CBC has an all-star lineup of classic films to keep your spirits bright. But, while there's no doubt of their festive quality, some of you may be growing tired of rewatching the same flicks year after year.

Luckily, there are a bunch of great films out there that are perfect for seasonal viewing — you just may never have realized they were holiday-themed! We're thinking along the lines of Die Hard, which still polarizes the world when it comes to whether or not it's a true holiday movie, but famously takes place on Christmas Eve.

You'll find that if you use that same (somewhat looser) criteria, there's suddenly a whole new list of holiday films to watch this year. Here are seven of our favourites.

Batman Returns

You definitely remember Michael Keaton as Batman, Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman and Danny DeVito as the Penguin, but you may have forgotten that this Tim Burton classic takes place during Christmas. Most notably, and true to Burton's style, Gotham's Christmas decorations are all done up with a distinctly gothic flare. Moreover, the plot itself is a biting inversion of traditional family-centric Christmas films: Batman, Catwoman and the Penguin have all been abandoned or orphaned by theirs. It also includes the amazing line: "Mistletoe can be deadly, if you eat it."

Edward Scissorhands

Okay, so Tim Burton has some issues with Christmas. Similar to the characters in Batman Returns, Edward is an ostracized orphan, taken in by a reluctantly loving family in a less-than-kind California neighbourhood. Not only does the climax of the film take place at Christmastime, but the pivotal moment when Edward creates snow (via rapid-speed ice sculpting) that falls on the barren backyard is one of the most magical holiday visuals in film history. Any movie that uses snow creation as a symbolic moment should definitely be included in the holiday canon.

An American Tail

There's plenty of Hanukkah-themed cinema to be viewed and one such classic is An American Tail, a 1986 animated film that chronicles the journey of Fievel Mousekewitz and his family from the Ukraine to the United States. Not only does the film open on the Mousekewitz family celebrating Hanukkah, but the rest of the film draws upon historical elements of Jewish persecution and the struggles those of Hebrew faith faced while seeking freedom. It's a family film that's heavy on moral meaning, making it a well-rounded holiday choice.

Gremlins

If you remember Gremlins as a family movie, you're probably thinking of its more lighthearted sequel. The original film is a twisted tale, blending elements of dark comedy and horror against the backdrop of the holiday season. When a father is scrambling to find a Christmas present for his son, he stumbles upon an adorable creature (voiced by Howie Mandel) that comes with very specific warnings. Naturally, those warnings go unheeded in this cautionary, buyer-beware Christmas tale that manages to be both adorable and terrifying.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

This fun action-meets-buddy comedy follows Robert Downey Jr. as a bumbling burglar on the lam in L.A. who stumbles into the world of acting, mysteries and even more crime. At times violent, vulgar and sexy (but always with a wink and a smile), the story takes place during the holiday season — and that's definitely not unintentional. With tinsel set pieces and Santa hats popping up in the most ironic of places, it's a holiday movie by way of knowingly not being a holiday movie, and that's entirely the point.

Brazil

If you want more ironic holiday symbolism, Brazil might be the film for you. Set in a dystopian future where consumerism is corrupt, bureaucracy is rampant and machines are everywhere (sound familiar?), the film follows one man's quest to find the girl in his dreams and break out of the society that tries to control him. Setting the film during the holiday season allowed the filmmakers to create a stark contrast, showing how humanity can be at its most cruel and cold during the season that should be anything but.

Rocky IV

Play the entirety of the Rocky saga in your head and you probably won't recall many holiday moments. Think about Rocky IV, the one where Rocky fights Ivan Drago in the Soviet Union, and you'll likely recall even fewer. But consider that the climactic fight takes place on Christmas Day, and that Rocky ends his triumphant victory speech by wishing a Merry Christmas to his son, who is watching at home by the tree. The previously hostile crowd and Soviet leaders are so overcome by Rocky's plea for peace and brotherhood that even they rise to their feet in applause. If an unintelligible Christmas toast recited by a well-oiled man doesn't capture the true spirit of the holidays, then nothing else will.