It’s come rather quickly, but Christmas is almost upon us.

It’s time to spread some cheer, dig the decorations out of the garage, and deck any halls we can find.

Here at upstart, we like nothing better than curling up on the couch and celebrating the season in the company of some of the finest Christmas movies the cinematic world can offer us.

So starting in December, we’ll be posting reviews of our favourite Christmas movies, and we’ll be asking that you dig deep and contribute a review this holiday season.

What movie fills you with a festive spirit? Christmas movies cover a wide range, including family, animation, comedy, action, and horror. If you’ve got a favourite, we’d like to hear about it.

As a guide, reviews should be at least 400 words long.

You can get in contact with us at contact@upstart.net.au, and you may want to consult our Notes for Contributors page before you get started.

If you want to follow the discussion on Twitter, we’ll be using the #upstartxmas on our Twitter profile.

1. The Santa Clause – With Tim Allen in this family-friendly offering, it’s sure to get you into the festive spirit, says Stephanie Kenéz.

2. Die Hard – This movie is a festive cacophony of expletives and explosions, says Siobhan Argent.

3. Gremlins – A genre-blending film of puppet mayhem and the first to taint the portrayal of Christmas, says Matt Smith.

4. The Nightmare Before Christmas – Definitely not your typical Christmas movie, says Lauren Morton.

5. Joyeux Noël – A more sombre Christmas movie, based on true events, says Mary-Lou Ciampa.

6. Scrooged – A contemporary telling of a Dickens classic, which drives home the true meaning of Christmas, says Meghan Lodwick.

7. Four Holidays – it reminds us familial dysfunction is just another part of Christmas, says Melissa Koutoukidis.