I’m the kind of Christmas person who, as soon as the turkey (well, tofurkey — I come from a house full of vegetarians) is digested, spends the rest of Thanksgiving Day climbing around in the attic, hunting for the Christmas tree and ornament box. But after a few too many viewings, even Tiny Tim’s “God bless us, every one!” stops touching my heart and starts triggering a gag reflex. This Christmas, take a break from the traditional movie lineup and try one of these festive but unconventional films.

**”Die Hard” (1988)**
Nothing says Christmas like a dead guy wearing a shirt painted with, “Now I have a machine gun, Ho-ho-ho.” Seriously, though, it’s a good thing this film is set on Christmas Eve, because it creates an excellent excuse to snuggle up by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate and watch Bruce Willis beat the shit out of Alan Rickman (especially if it’s the only action you’ll get all season). Sprinkled throughout are occasional indicators of the setting, like an appropriately-placed rendition of “Joy to the World,” just to remind you it’s the holiday season.

**”Gremlins” (1984)**
This one is definitely a feel-good flick. As in, feel good it’s not happening to you. What spirals into a war between humans and demonic, Furby-looking creatures begins as a Christmas gift for a little boy. It’s closer to the horror side of the “light horror” genre, so stay away if you’re prone to nightmares. It never fails to freak me out, but I like to pop it in when I think I’m having the worst Christmas ever. I mean, at least the horrendous socks my grandma buys me never ravage the town and murder my teacher.

**”Bridget Jones’s Diary” (2001)**
It’s rare that a romantic comedy is actually clever and interesting, and even though it’s not hard to guess the entire plotline after the first 15 minutes, this film makes for a charming and cozy winter’s night in. Renée Zellweger does an Oscar-worthy job portraying the snarky and hopelessly awkward Bridget, and Colin Firth makes for an adorable Mr. Darcy (an anvil-sized parallel to the classic “Pride and Prejudice”). Holiday spirit peppers the film throughout, including Bridget and Darcy’s first meeting at a Christmas party, where Darcy dons a reindeer sweater. Spoiler: He looks just as cute as you’d expect.

**”Lady and the Tramp” (1955)**
When your little cousins suggest watching “Home Alone” for the seventh time in a row, pull out this gem for a bit of family-friendly variety. The opening and closing scenes are set on Christmas day, and that’s enough to make it a holiday film, right? Regardless, puppy love always warms the heart on a cold day. Make a night out of it by adding “101 Dalmatians” to the lineup, and serve with chicken noodle soup, French bread and apple cider.

**”The Great Escape” (1963)**
There’s really not much to Christmas Day. After the gifts are opened and before dinner begins, there’s this giant lull in which dad goes off to take a nap, older brother calls his girlfriend and kid brother plays quietly with his new toys. What better time to ingest three hours of nonstop WWII adventure goodness? Although it’s not Christmastime in the film, prisoners belt carols at the top of their lungs to mask the sounds of building and tunneling for escape. This is about the only allusion to the holidays, but the film is traditional Christmas fare in England, so you might as well turn on the telly and enjoy it, too!