Jalmari Helanders 8 Favourite Christmas Films

Gremlins (1984)

Of course I like Gremlins . It’s quite a scary film but it’s also lots of fun. I saw it several times when I was a child. I haven’t actually seen it in a really, really long time. I just remember the gremlins, all the destruction they make. It's really fun.

Die Hard (1988)

That’s one of my most favourite movies of all time. I really like it. I don’t know whether it was the very first time in action movie history where you have a normal guy who’s not got big muscles – he’s just a normal guy with stupid problems.

You really get into the character, and of course it’s a really good script, lots of fun and really exciting. I’ve seen it like a hundred times.

Its A Wonderful Life (1946)

That’s a very nice movie, I actually haven’t it in maybe 15 years, I should watch that again!

Home Alone (1990)

This is a movie that comes on TV every Christmas. Home Alone part one is a really good Christmas movie. I have a three year old and a six weeks old daughter, they haven’t seen it yet, but my eldest will see it maybe this Christmas.

The Snowman (1982)

Another movie that comes on TV every Christmas. I watch it a lot with my daughter and I really like the song, it’s really nice.

I think it’s a good fantasy, and that could also make for a really scary movie if you wanted to look at it like that. If you had real actors who meet a live snowman, that might be quite scary!

Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

I really like the artwork in this film. That’s a big kind of musical set up, lots of characters and things that are really cool.

Elf (2003)

With Will Ferrell, yes, I saw it a couple of days ago, it came up on TV. It was quite funny. I actually didn’t see the ending of it, but it’s a weird movie of course.

I like a lot of Ferrell’s movie, Talladega Nights ... He’s a funny guy, but not as funny as Ricky Gervais! I really like Ricky Gervais.

Rare Exports (2010)

It always has been a dream of mine to make a feature film, and it’s really nice that when I finally did it, it's become as good a movie as it is now. I’m really happy to have made so much noise with my first big film. I hope people go to see it, also!

And one he doesnt like The Grinch (2000)

The movie with Jim Carrey, I’ve seen it but I didn’t like it. I hate the style of all the sets, they give me nightmares. All the candy bars and things like that, it’s terrifying to me.

What’s the new Jim Carrey Christmas movie, A Christmas Carol ? I want to see that. I watched the trailer with my daughter and she really liked it.