Plot: Finds Craig (Ice Cube) and Day-Day (Mike Epps) back in the old neighborhood where it all began. It’s Christmas time and a ghetto Santa Claus breaks into their run-down apartment, stealing all their presents, along with anything else he can stuff into his sack, including the rent money hidden in their stereo speakers. Their only hope to not get evicted before Christmas is to take jobs as security guards at a local mall, where they learn some comic lessons about the true meaning of the holidays.

KBZ’s Take: Not a film for kids, Next Friday is a Raunchy, Stoner Comedy for adults only. While the film isn’t as funny as the original Friday (1995), it adds some hilarious elements to the franchise including a ghetto Santa robber, a landlady who steals their dope and a pimp named Money Mike who runs a store called “Pimps and Hoes”. You won’t find universal Christmas themes of love, forgiveness and acceptance in this film, but you will laugh quite a bit.

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Plot: Frank Cross is a wildly successful television executive whose cold ambition and curmudgeonly nature has driven away the love of his life. But after firing staff member Eliot Loudermilk on Christmas Eve, Frank is visited by a series of ghosts who give him a chance to re-evaluate his actions and right the wrongs of his past.

KBZ’s Take: There are numerous adaptations of Charles Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” but Scrooged is one of its darkest and funniest. It has developed into a cult classic around Christmas time for its cynical themes and appeal to more modern audiences. However, it still brings the laughs with Frank Cross who has become one of Bill Murray’s most enduring characters.

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Plot: When young Buddy falls into Santa’s gift sack on Christmas Eve, he’s transported back to the North Pole and raised as a toy-making elf by Santa’s helpers. But as he grows into adulthood, he can’t shake the nagging feeling that he doesn’t belong. Buddy vows to visit Manhattan and find his real dad, a workaholic publisher.

KBZ’s Take: Elf has evolved into a Christmas classic based on the Fish Out of Water comedy of Will Ferrell’s buddy. His performance as the ‘adult human who thinks he’s an elf’ is one of the funniest Christmas themes that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.

Where to Stream / Buy: https://amzn.to/3Pdjmjg

Plot: Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister makes the most of the situation after his family unwittingly leaves him behind when they go on Christmas vacation. But when a pair of bungling burglars set their sights on Kevin’s house, the plucky kid stands ready to defend his territory. By planting booby traps galore, adorably mischievous Kevin stands his ground as his frantic mother attempts to race home before Christmas Day.

KBZ’s Take: Another film that has evolved into a classic Christmas film over the last 30 years, Home Alone has all the elements of a classic holiday comedy. There’s the large hectic family during Christmas time, the bumbling burglars and the ingenious Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) who becomes a MacGyver-type hero celebrated by kids from around the world. Like some other Christmas classic films that are on heavy TV rotation during the holiday, it’s a good chance you’ll catch Home Alone playing at some point.

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Plot: It’s Christmastime, and the Griswolds are preparing for a family seasonal celebration. But things never run smoothly for Clark, his wife Ellen, and their two kids. Clark’s continual bad luck is worsened by his obnoxious family guests, but he manages to keep going, knowing that his Christmas bonus is due soon.

KBZ’s Take: Another film that’s considered a Christmas classic, Christmas Vacation often varies in placement among Top 10 lists with some even listing it as #1. While it is a great comedy film and Christmas film, it’s not as funny as the original Vacation (1983) or one of the franchise’s other sequels in Vegas Vacation (1997). But the film does embrace the Christmas spirit even if you don’t catch the ongoing joke of new actors always playing the Griswald siblings Audrey and Rusty.

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Plot: A miserable conman and his partner pose as Santa and his Little Helper to rob department stores on Christmas Eve. But they run into problems when the conman befriends a troubled kid.

KBZ’s Take: This is the best anti-Christmas film you’ll find and definitely the Raunchiest on our list. The film is a Christmas classic but often for people that hate celebrating the holiday or want more adult-type humor for their Christmas viewing fare. This film is not for kids and features many hard R-rated scenes, but does ultimately embrace a Christmas theme in its own twisted way.

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Plot: The comic mishaps and adventures of a young boy named Ralph, trying to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect Christmas gift for the 1940’s.

KBZ’s Take: If you’re under the age of 40, there’s a good chance you’ve seen A Christmas Story multiple times. Though it was released in 1983, it quickly became a Christmas staple as many television stations in the U.S. aired the film continually during Christmas Day. As for the film itself, it’s a fun family comedy with many classic characters and moments. It’s also a time capsule into an era that younger generations can learn from and appreciate.

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Plot: A snobbish investor and a wily street con-artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.

KBZ’s Take: Another R-rated comedy on our list, Trading Places isn’t your typical Christmas film or comedy. While it’s set around Christmas time, the film is much more about the Fish Out of Water comedic situations of Bill Ray and Winthorpe. While the film doesn’t feature many (if at all) traditional Christmas themes, it’s still considered a classic Christmas film and one of the funniest.

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Plot: While visiting his hometown during Christmas, a man comes face-to-face with his old high school crush whom he was best friends with – a woman whose rejection of him turned him into a ferocious womanizer.

KBZ’s Take: We know this is a bold choice for #2 on our list considering all the great Christmas comedies that have come before it but hear us out for our reasons we’re listing the film so high. For starters, it’s a PG-13 comedy that most ages can watch and will enjoy (except for very young children). Second, it blends themes of Family Reunions with Fish Out of Water comedy. Third, it’s a hilarious film with one of Ryan Reynolds’ best performances. Joining Reynolds are Amy Smart, Anna Faris, Chris Klein and Christopher Marquette (as the very, very funny younger brother). Fourth, while the film is a comedy, it has a heart and message about true friendships, love and being yourself.

Additional Lists: Top Christmas & Holiday Movies You’ve Never Seen #2

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Plot: In suburban Chicago during the late 1980’s, ten-year-old Jake Doyle embarks on a herculean quest to get the latest and greatest video game system for Christmas.

KBZ’s Take: This film is the new A Christmas Story (1983) and will likely play in heavy rotation for future holiday seasons. Admittedly, this film ranks #1 due to recency bias and age, decade and location nostalgia of KBZ members. It also features many of the same themes of the older Christmas classic – Nintendo instead of a BB Gun, a school bully, etc. However, where it becomes its own holiday classic is with the film’s underlying message about an unexpected gift that can generate true happiness. The father and son dynamic is another subtle theme of the movie that features both comedic and heartwarming scenes from the father played by Steve Zhan.

While A Christmas Story (1983) recently came out with its own updated sequel in A Christmas Story Christmas (2022), it just didn’t feel like the original classic film or a film that would supplant the original as a classic Christmas tale. However, 8-Bit Christmas does feel like that lightning in a bottle that taps into the nostalgia of a new generation that will be part of your family’s Christmas for years to come.

Additional Lists: Top Christmas & Holiday Movies You’ve Never Seen #1

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