Merry Christmas (and the movie mirror...)

First, warm and happy Christmas wishes to each of you. I hope you have close and fun times with family and friends, and I hope for true peace on earth during these troubled times.

The holiday movie season is also around us, leading to today's pop question:

Kate Winslet or Keira Knightley

I'm less of a fan of The Holiday than of Love Actually, their respective Christmas movies, and have to admit that I would rather share Eierpunsch by the fire with Knightley.

And that, of course, leads in to my totally idiosyncratic ranking of the holiday movies:

Four Christmas Movies I gladly rent:

1. Love Actually An intertwined set of holiday vignettes, with Prime Minister Hugh Grant memorably facing down the US President and wooing winsome Martine McCutcheon. Great soundtrack, and wonderful comic relief from Bill Nighy.
2. A Christmas Story I grew up in Cleveland, and this absolutely captures every aspect of it. From snowsuits to Santa at Higbee's, this really takes me back.
3. White Christmas Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye find love and nostalgia while waiting for snow in Vermont. Vera-Ellen never looked better, and I'm a sucker for the happy ending.
4. A Christmas Carol The 1938 classic version (or, as a guilty pleasure, the 1962 Magoo version that I grew up with.)

Three Christmas Movies that I'll watch if someone else is:

1. The Holiday (Not bad if you ignore Jack Black)
2. A Charlie Brown Christmas (I once played Charlie Brown in our school play of this show, even though I wanted to be Linus)
3. Miracle on 34th Street (Doesn't wear it's age well, but its heart is in the right place)

Christmas Movies that drive me to read a good book:

1. The Polar Express (Creepy and cloying)
2. It's a Wonderful Life (Overrated and depressing)
3. Home Alone (Any of the many: no wonder Macaulay turned out bad)
4. Most Christmas comedies (eg: National Lampoon Christmas; Elf; Bad Santa )
5. Any Christmas Movie horror show
6. Any Christmas Movie created as a merchandising vehicle (eg: Very Merry Muppet Christmas; A SpongeBob Christmas)
7. Any Christmas Movie with Tim Allen (eg: "Santa Clause" 1 through 1000)

(Your thoughts welcome: the web is full of opposing views. See, for example, Reel Reviews)