I love this time of year. And I'm especially partial to the classic holiday movies and shows airing on TV all through December. Just yesterday I watched How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Charlie Brown Christmas, It's a Wonderful Life, and Frosty the Snowman, all thanks to the magic of satellite TV and the DVR. But it's not just the shows from my youth that make me feel all festive and Christmasy. There are a few other movies that make the holiday season for me, as well. And I'm not just talking about the Home Alone movies. No...I'm taking Christmas uptown just a bit.

I'm spending Christmas with John McClain.

When Die Hard originally hit theaters back in 1988, it was a summer blockbuster, but for me, it's a Christmas classic. I mean, what holiday could possibly be complete without blowing up Nakatomi Plaza?

Before he was Professor Snape, Alan Rickman was even more diabolical as the slick Hans Gruber, holding a building full of 80s era yuppies hostage on Christmas Eve. Leave it to Bruce Willis to save the day and deliver Christmas to all. Even now, I find myself humming, "Yipikaye motherfucker," as I bake cookies. And when we're finished watching Die Hard, it's time to pull out Lethal Weapon. Seriously, who doesn't want to find a circa 1985 Mel Gibson under their tree Christmas morning? Sure, the haircut needs to go, but the rest of the package can still pass the test of time. And yeah, I may share the sentiment felt in Danny Glover's signature line, "I'm too old for this shit," far better now than I did back then, but that doesn't take away my enjoyment of the movie. Not one bit.

So while the rest of you may be perfectly content with a little boy and his Red Rider BB gun wreaking havoc on the holidays, I'll be out here dialing it up a notch and looking for plastic explosives, diabolical villains, and hot sweaty guys in my stocking this year.

And sure, I might toss in a few singing rodents while I'm at it. It is Christmas after all.

Until the next time...I'll be dreaming of a hot Christmas.