Move over, Home Alone! There’s no shortage of films to watch over the Christmas season, but there are more movies to add to the queue beyond It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street or A Christmas Story.
Die Hard is the quintessential film that wasn’t considered a Christmas classic at first. However, some fans count the 1988 thriller among their favorite holiday flicks.
In the film, New York City cop John McClane (Bruce Willis) reunites with his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) in Los Angeles at her office’s Christmas Eve party. John must rescue the employees after a gang of terrorists take them hostage.
Die Hard director John McTiernan might not have intended for the action film to become a Christmas classic. Author Larry Taylor detailed McTiernan’s initial intentions for the movie in his book John McTiernan: Rise and Fall of An Action Movie Icon.
“He didn’t consciously make it a Christmas movie, but he made sure to weave certain elements of it into the tapestry of the film,” Taylor explained. “It would keep the holiday season right behind the action, and it would help alleviate some of the stress of the intense action.”
Scroll down to see more Christmas movies that aren’t technically Christmas movies.