One more sleep…
Let’s not beat around the bush.
If you’re reading this right now you are fully intent on spending most of your Christmas Eve as Santa himself surely intended, panned out on the couch watching movies.
Without further ado then, for your viewing pleasure this Tuesday, 24 December…
Strange Magic, RTÉ Two, 12.05pm
We’ll level with you, there are far better movies on this list today, so best avoid.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas, UTV, 12.45pm
He’s at it again.
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, TG4, 1.05pm
TG4 can always be relied upon to bring something different to the table and this 1969 Maggie Smith drama won’t disappoint.
A Christmas Carol, Channel 4, 1.10pm
Yet another take on Charles’ Dickens classic, but not a patch on the Muppets version.
Toy Story 3, BBC One, 1.25pm
If you don’t cry at the finale, you are made of stone. OF STONE!
Death on the Nile, Channel 4, 1.45pm
The 1978 mystery was good enough to prompt a Kenneth Branagh remake, which is coming next year.
One Christmas Eve, Virgin Media Two, 2pm
If you’re craving a Christmas movie, stick it on. If not, there are plenty of better options.
Despicable Me 2, RTÉ One, 2.05pm
The second one.
Madeline, RTÉ 2, 2.20pm
One of Frances McDormand’s lesser-known roles, fine Christmas Eve fare for the kids.
Santa Claus: The Movie, UTV, 2.40pm
A lesser-heralded but perfectly acceptable flick about the main man, starring Dudley Moore.
Frozen, BBC One, 3pm
LET IT GO!
Peter Pan, ITV2, 3pm
Nothing wrong with it at all, but probably one of the more forgettable big screen adaptations of the JM Barrie novel.
Home Alone, RTÉ One, 3.50pm and Channel 4, 5.30pm
If you haven’t done your civic duty and watched Home Alone at least once this Christmas, you have two opportunities to do so today.
Ice Age: The Meltdown, Virgin Media One, 4.10pm and E4, 8pm
So good they’re showing it twice on Christmas Eve, although reviews were average at best.
Get Santa, RTÉ Two, 4.25pm
There aren’t too many British movies about the main man, and this is a perfectly fine way to pass the best part of a couple of hours
The LEGO Movie, Sky One, 4.30pm
Great for the kids, arguably even better for the adults.
Elf, UTV, 5.15pm
If you’re not in the Christmas spirit by 5.15pm today, we suggest you turn this on immediately.
Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, TG4, 5.20pm
An all-star voice cast take on the 2012 iteration of the children’s comic book.
Beauty and the Beast, BBC One 5.30pm
The live-action remake had a tough job living up to the original, but it does a pretty good job.
White Christmas, More 4, 5.45pm
Bing Crosby is dreaming of one, but we won’t be getting one in Ireland anyway.
Four Christmases, ITV2, 6.15pm
About three Christmases too many.
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens – RTÉ Two, 6.20pm
The first and probably the best of the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
The Holiday, ITV2, 8pm
If only it could take a holiday from the TV schedule at this point.
Die Hard 4.0, Virgin Media One, 9pm
If you accept how ridiculous it is from the get-go, it’s a pretty enjoyable romp without ever getting close to the quality of the original trilogy.
The Pursuit of Happyness, Virgin Media Two, 9pm
An excellent lead performance by Will Smith elevates this heartwarming picture to solid 7/10 status.
Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Sky One, 9pm
It’s really a Thanksgiving movie more than a Christmas movie, but it’s still an all-time classic.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, E4, 9.45pm
The second part.
The Guard, RTÉ Two, 10.25pm
Brendan Gleeson plays the rude, frequently inappropriate and always hilarious Garda in arguably the greatest film to come out of Ireland in the last decade.
Dirty Dancing, TG4, 11pm
What better way to take you into Christmas Day than by re-watching this 1987 classic?
Great Expectations, BBC Two, 11.15pm
Dial it down to average expectations and you won’t be disappointed.
The Field, RTÉ One, 12.05am
‘Tis my field.
Trainwreck, RTÉ Two, 12.10am
Thoroughly enjoyable Amy Schumer and Bill Hader comedy, with one of the better sporting cameos from LeBron James.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
