With only a few short weeks left until Christmas is here again, the malls have started filling and kids have started scrambling for ways to make sure they find themselves on Santa Claus' "nice list." In other words, December's holiday stress is about to reach it's annual peak. Thankfully, Hollywood has been working for generations to ensure no one is ever without a holiday movie to help them through the pressures brought on by the season. Enjoy a stroll down this festive "winter wonderland" to discover some of the most successful holiday films of the past 30 years and perhaps find some little-known gems along the way!

10. 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'

Debate has raged on since this Tim Burton classic was released more than 25 years ago -- is it a Halloween movie or better suited for Christmas? It would seem acclaimed conductor John Mauceri is firmly on Team Christmas, as he led a full orchestra and choir in a live performance of Danny Elfman's music on December 7, 2017.

Originally shown in theaters in 1993, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" remains a top-ranked holiday favorite on review site RottenTomatoes, with a "Fresh" rating of 95 percent.

9. 'A Christmas Carol: The Musical'

Based on a stage production of Charles Dickens' classic tale that ran for 10 holiday seasons at New York's Madison Square Garden, this Hallmark Entertainment production contains just the right amount of joy and camp to make this version endearing.

Starring Kelsey Grammer as Ebenezer Scrooge, the familiar miser who learns the error of his ways, it is the visits from the Ghosts of Christmases Past and Present, (played by "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt"s Jane Krakowski and "The Flash"s Jesse L. Martin, respectively,) that make this movie a cut above other recent versions.

8. 'Arthur Christmas'

With an all-star cast of British actors, "Arthur Christmas" was substantially more popular at the box office overseas than it was in America.

But don't let that scare you off of taking a look at this highly praised cartoon about the holidays, family dynamics, and a bit of the politics Santa must endure when trying to get all of those gifts out in our modern world.

7. 'Die Hard'

Another title that occasionally makes film fans question if it is it, in fact, a holiday movie, an overwhelmingly growing number of people seem to think it is the holiday movie. With an adjusted RottenTomatoes score of 97 percent, it is also important to note that this is the movie that first brought classically-trained actor Alan Rickman to the attention of American audiences, after more than a decade of U.K.

stage and screen work.

Also important to note: fan-inspired Christmas tree ornaments are real. And they are awesome.

6. 'Elf'

There are plenty of people who don't appreciate the comedic stylings of Will Ferrell. But even most of them will tell you that this recent classic can put a holiday smile on their face. It's maybe hyper and over-the-top, but there is as much joy as there is sugar in this one. And to the "Elf" haters, just be happy Ferrell kiboshed the idea of a sequel a few years back.

5. 'Krampus'

When this horror-comedy debuted in 2015, it brought the idea of the Eastern European Krampus folklore to a new, American generation.

A hell-beast stealing poorly behaved children from their beds ahead of Christmas seems to be just macabre enough to have established fairly solid home media sales for this low-budget independent movie.

4. 'The Muppet Christmas Carol'

British actor Michael Caine may have started acting for the screen in the 1950s, but fans of a certain generation likely know him best for his appearance alongside Kermit the Frog's Bob Cratchit in 1992's "The Muppet Christmas Carol." Though dated by today's standards of CGI and motion capture animation, there is something endlessly heartwarming about this 1st full-length feature after the passing of Muppets' creator Jim Henson.

3. 'Bad Santa'

This is one holiday comedy to skip watching with the family. Upon its release in 2003, the Walt Disney company was the subject of a scathing editorial in the Washington Times for allowing its subsidiary, Miramax, to produce "such a disgusting movie." However, Billy Bob Thornton was nominated for a Golden Globe award for his starring role and the movie developed a cult following on DVD.

2. 'Love Actually'

This is a Christmas movie with plenty of faults, (and hundreds, if not thousands of blog posts dedicated to pointing them all out,) but it continues to be a favorite among film fans.

When a charity-inspired short sequel was released earlier this year, its trailer actually broke the internet, some 15 years after the original movie's 2003 release. With multiple storylines to follow, the odds are good there will be something for every viewer to connect with; and Emma Thompson deserved an award or two for portraying the crumbling wife of a cheating Alan Rickman.

1. 'Home Alone'

Chances are, no one expected "Home Alone" to become the massive Christmas classic we now know it to be, but modern readers may not remember just how popular this movie was when it was released.

Written by John Hughes, (best known for 1980s classics "The Breakfast Club" and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off"), and costing only $18 million to make, "Home Alone" brought in more than $476 million at the worldwide box office! A 10-year-old Macaulay Culkin was even nominated for a Golden Globe award for his performance in the movie.

Did your favorite recent holiday classic get left off the list? Drop a message in the comments below!
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