12 movies to help you survive the holidays
When you need a break from all the joy and merry-making, try out one of these anti-cheer flicks. These are our DVD choices, sure to take your mind off all the carols and kindness.
AP/Larry Crowe

Scrooged, 1988
Bill Murray’s dead-pan performance as a smarmy TV exec working on a 'Christmas Carol' adaptation is a dark take on the Dickens classic.
Paramount Pictures

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, 1989
No matter how wild your family gets during a holiday party, their antics will pale next to those of the Griswold family and their relatives in this Chevy Chase classic.
Warner Bros. Pictures

The Nightmare Before Christmas, 1993
The king of Halloweentown gets bored of his scaring tactics and decides to kidnap Santa and celebrate Christmas in his own macabre way.
Walt Disney Video

The Ref, 1994
A suburban couple on the verge of divorce are held hostage on Christmas Eve by a thief who doesn't realize the level of emotional problems he's going to have to deal with.
Walt Disney Video

Bad Santa, 2003
A miserable crook poses as Santa and robs department stores on Christmas Eve. With his well-worn mug and well-used expletives, Billy Bob Thornton's Santa is the opposite of cute and cuddly.
Dimension Films

Lethal Weapon, 1987
A slightly crazy cop and his 'family man' partner must take care of a drug smuggling ring and learn to trust each other. And it all ends with Christmas dinner.
Warner Bros. Pictures

Die Hard, 1988
A grizzled New York cop must single-handedly take down a band of terrorists who have taken everyone at an office Christmas party, including his wife, hostage.
20th Century Fox

Gremlins, 1984
A cute pet given as a gift soon leads to miniature green monsters wreaking havoc on a small town. This is why you should never give a pet for Christmas.
Warner Bros. Pictures

L.A. Confidential, 1997
Set in 1950s Los Angeles, three cops must try to avoid corruption while solving crimes. There's even a scene with Christmas decor destruction!
Warner Bros. Pictures

Santa's Slay, 2005
It turns out Santa isn't so cute and cuddly after all. He's actually a demon who lost a bet. Now that he's paid his dues, he's back to punishing those on the naughty list, with as much blood and gore as possible. Oh, and it stars a former wrestler.
Lions Gate Films

Silent Night, Deadly Night, 1984
A boy who witnessed the murder of his parents at Christmas by a man clad as Santa goes on his own red-suited, axe-wielding killing spree.
TriStar Pictures

Trapped in Paradise, 1994
A plan to rob a bank on Christmas Eve is foiled by the kindness of the townsfolk. And the three bumbling brothers just can't seem to escape with the loot ahead of an impending snowstorm.
20th Century Fox