Christmas movies

I've recently kinda won the prize of my home being the headquarters for my family's holiday celebrations.

That's something I can deal with, as it's a lot of fun to have my family here enjoying themselves. When my partner and I moved here to be closer to them, their being in my home for holidays was a prime consideration.

Please follow me below the jump...

I'd really like to know what are your favorite Christmas movies.

When I say Christmas movie, it doesn't mean that the movie has to be or should be about Christmas. The idea is more to play an unforgettable movie that we will always associate with Christmas.

This year, I was hoping to make the nieces and nephew watch some old musicals like the Wizard of OZ and the Sound of Music. But alas, I got the more recent Hairspray video from Netflix last week. Now I'm thinking that might be the perfect video for the kids to watch as it teaches that being different is something to celebrate.

I'd really like to hear what movies you like to watch during 'tis the Season.

•  Christmas alms?

  by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:54:31 PM PDT

•  Die Hard (the original)

  Just kidding.

  by Trix on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:54:46 PM PDT

  •  Ha!

    Actually, I meant to add that one to the poll! It's a great Christmas movie in a creepy, Bruce Willis kind of way.

    by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:55:53 PM PDT

  •  The Original Is Still....

    ....The best action movie ever made.

    Hans: Mr. Mystery Guest? Are you still there?

    John: Yeah, I'm still here. Unless you wanna open the front door for me.

    Hans: Uh, no I'm afraid not. But you have me at a loss. You know my name but who are you? Just another American who saw too many movies as a child? Another orphan of a bankrupt culture who thinks he's John Wayne? Rambo? Marshall Dillon?

    John: Was always kinda' partial to Roy Rogers actually. I really dig those sequined shirts.

    Hans: Do you really think you have a chance against us, Mister Cowboy?

    John: Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker.

    by Rimjob on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:31:17 PM PDT

    •  As I was reading that...

      I was hearing the character's voices in my head.

      Weird.

      :-)

      by Trix on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:32:19 PM PDT

•  A Christmas Story

  guffaws never end

  by begone on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:55:29 PM PDT

  •  Another good one I missed.

    I am so embarrassed to admit that I have never seen all of that move.

    But I do know that there were a bb gun, Chinese food, and a flagpole involved.

    I really need to see it.

    by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:57:51 PM PDT

    •  GASP!

      And you call yourself an American!

      by Pariah Dog on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 06:19:49 AM PDT

  •  Plus, that leg lamp is available in all sizes

    now

    by begone on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:58:10 PM PDT

    •  Fun movie....

      I laugh every time I see the flagpole scene (I even laugh when I think about it, ha!).
      Sweet movie....

      by Lilyvt on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:17:38 PM PDT

    •  The Leg Lamp

      [After Mother breaks the Old Man's Major Award, and he is unsuccessful at repairing it]

      Narrator: "With as much dignity as he could muster, the Old Man gathered up the sad remains of his shattered Major Award. Later that night, alone in the backyard, he buried it next to the garage. Now I could never be sure, but I thought that I heard the sound of "Taps" being played. Gently."

      by Rimjob on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:34:06 PM PDT

  •  "You'll shoot yer eye out kid!"

    by Rex Manning on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 11:07:33 PM PDT

  •  Black Christmas

    Nine years before A Christmas Story the same director made this interesting "The Serial Killer on the Phone is in the House" horror flick. One of the reasons for its near cult-status is the number of unknown actors in this film who later achieved stardom. A fine addition to the "Xmas Sux" sub-genre.

    by LaFajita on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 04:26:22 AM PDT

•  Bad Santa is good...

  though it doesn't neccessarily make me think of Christmas.

  by Trix on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:56:32 PM PDT

  •  Should I fix you some sandwiches?

    by als10 on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:58:36 PM PDT

  •  I really liked Bad Santa

    It reminded me of many of my dysfunctional clients...but in a good way. <g>

    by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:58:42 PM PDT

  •  Bad Santa

    such a good movie.

    by astraea on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:02:02 PM PDT

  •  It's for NIECES AND NEPHEWS!!

    He needs movies he can show that will let his family allow the kids to still come to his house after the holidays.  Let's get with the program.  :)

    by CeeusBeeus on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:09:49 PM PDT

    •  Thanks. n/t

      by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:11:22 PM PDT

    •  Well...

      maybe Billy wants to be the cool uncle.

      ;-)

      by Trix on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:12:03 PM PDT

      •  Ha!

        Thanksgiving was so much fun when my niece brought her new boyfriend over for dessert.

        The new guy got to meet her gay uncle, his partner, and be forced to watch Krish, and odd movie from India that had a lot of singing and dancing in Hindi.

        I can only imagine what he told his parents...

        But I'm thinking that I AM the cool uncle..<G>

        by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:16:02 PM PDT

        •  LOL :) n/t

          by Trix on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:16:35 PM PDT

        •  Oh - you are 2kool for skool!!!!!

          by CeeusBeeus on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:16:59 PM PDT

      •  There's cool and then there's

        "ok - does my brother hate my kids," cool?  :)

        snark

        by CeeusBeeus on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:16:19 PM PDT

  •  Bad Santa...Lauren Graham

    MMmmmmmmmmm

    by Ernest T Bass on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 11:41:36 PM PDT

•  I love "Scrooged" starring Bill Murray :) n/t

  by Trix on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:57:55 PM PDT

  •  Me too!

    I love that movie.

    Although the end is super cheese.

    by als10 on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:59:05 PM PDT

    •  Yup...

      It's almost satirical in its level of cheesiness.

      :-)

      by Trix on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:00:42 PM PDT

  •  Ah!

    I remember seeing Scrooged in a theater in Tegucigalpa. I laughed my ass off, but the Hondurans in the audience seemed to not get the sense of humor that was VERY American.

    by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:00:52 PM PDT

•  I go back a few weeks to Thanksgiving

  but I'll watch Planes, Trains and Automobiles anytime it comes on cable. Kind of a modern-day Wonderful Life, learn a lesson and all that.

  by Mother Mags on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 09:58:35 PM PDT

  •  Planes, Trains & Automobiles...

    is one of those movies I'll watch whenever it's on TV.

    :-)

    by Trix on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:05:54 PM PDT

•  National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

  Not the funniest movie ever, but its a movie I always seem to catch around this time.

  by als10 on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:00:19 PM PDT

  •  It's a Christmas movie... I'll give you that

    and it's most definitely not the funniest movie ever... barely in the top 3 funniest movies in the Vacation series, in fact.

    :-)

    by Trix on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:04:42 PM PDT

    •  Well yeah

      There's no way you can get more unfunny than Vegas Vacation.

      Scratch that, I just remembered Delta Farce

      But in the realm of Vacation movies, VV was the worst.

      by als10 on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:23:22 PM PDT

•  Miracle on 34th Street

  is another great Christmas Film.  The 1947 version not the remake.

  http://www.imdb.com/...

  by Pam from Calif on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:01:15 PM PDT

  •  Great call! n/t

    by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:02:11 PM PDT

•  movies

  on the general theme of dysfunctional families around the holidays:

  Home for the Holidays

  The Rep

  by astraea on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:04:56 PM PDT

  •  Nah--the best "dysfunctional family at Christmas"

    movie of all time--or at least so far--is The Lion in Winter. My family watches it every year, ho ho ho.

    by LandOLincoln on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 02:11:19 AM PDT

•  TV

  I still love the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ("I want to be a dentist!").

  by astraea on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:07:14 PM PDT

  •  Two classics...

    Why is it that we Democrats relate so well to the Island of Misfit toys?

    by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:12:33 PM PDT

  •  I still like

    the Peanuts Christmas special.

    That poor little sad tree almost makes me cry.

    by SadTexan on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:26:58 PM PDT

•  The Nightmare Before Christmas...

  Lots of fun, great visuals, and it's a musical to boot!

  by gatorbot on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:12:46 PM PDT

•  Ok- bear with me...

  The Waltons - tv pilot, starring Patricia Neal.  OMG talk about sentimental, and all around great movie.  For contemporary movies, I like your pick of Elf.

  But, the holiday movie in our household is, drum roll, please:

  BEST IN SHOW by Christopher Guest, of This is Spinal Tap fame.

  by CeeusBeeus on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:14:12 PM PDT

  •  Ah!!

    That's exactly what I was getting at.

    Non-Christmas movies to been seen around Christmas time. Best in Show sounds like a good one for the holidays here.

    by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:17:46 PM PDT

    •  Best in Show is hysterical

      if you haven't seen it.  It's about the dog show world.  OMGosh, I'm about to start quoting....

      by CeeusBeeus on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:19:25 PM PDT

      •  Yeah, I love Best in Show!

        I'm always happy to see Parker Posey show up anywhere.

        by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:20:58 PM PDT

        •  I love Parker, but I'm a Jennifer Cooley

          kinda girl.  :)

          by CeeusBeeus on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:30:11 PM PDT

  •  I LOVE that movie

    Best in Show!
    (And Spinal Tap too of course.)

    And yes, I liked that sappy crying Waltons one too.
    I love a good cry. Sniffle.

    by Panda on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:19:30 PM PDT

  •  Get out one of those pepperonis

    I just want to hold onto it.

    by als10 on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:26:47 PM PDT

    •  Ha! Love it! n/t

      by CeeusBeeus on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:31:52 PM PDT

•  The Bells of St. Mary's

  I like the old ones:
  The Bishop's Wife
  Christmas in Connecticut
  Miracle on 34th Street
  It's a Wonderful Life

  All pure fantasy...

  by Panda on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:15:58 PM PDT

  •  I ADORE "The Bishop's Wife"

    I have "The Preacher's Wife" soundtrack (ho-hum, but it is Whitney).

    But, OMGoodness... I love me some Cary Grant, David Niven and the ever gorgeous Loretta Young.  Who had by the way, an illegitimate daughter with Tyrone Power (or so the gossip goes.)

    by CeeusBeeus on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:25:03 PM PDT

    •  Anything with Cary Grant :)

      And he's been in a lot of them. Hepburn/Grant was another good combo.
      Loretta's daughter was said to be Clark Gable's, I think. The spittin' image. I also understand that the daughter inherited Clark's ears and Loretta used to make her wear bonnets until she had them surgically altered. (The ears, not the bonnets.) Gable was married, Loretta wasn't, she was Catholic so she said she'd adopted a little girl. Or did I imagine it or dream it or see it in a movie. ;)

      by Panda on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:46:15 PM PDT

      •  I recall that Loretta was Catholic

        and said her daughter was her sister's, or something like that.  I also recall that the father was married.  I don't know why I thought Tyrone, but you're right (without DNA testing) that Gable is thought to be her bio father.

        Can you imagine living a lie like that?  Sad.

        by CeeusBeeus on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:51:20 PM PDT

        •  That's what "religion"

          has done to many people. Loretta was actually quite brave to keep her own daughter.
          Catholicism in Ireland ruined many lives. I was conceived in Dublin, born in London, my parents hid the fact that I existed (from most) for almost two years; my father would have lost his scholarship to medical school. "The church" runs the schools, my mother's father, sister, brother, all taught in Irish schools and would have lost their jobs over the "scandal" and "sin" of my parents marrying outside the church and *gasp* procreating. Many women gave their babies up to the nuns. Not my mother...she left the country rather than do that.
          I was a very big child for my "age". Hahahaa.

          by Panda on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 11:04:47 PM PDT

      •  I had

        never heard that. Interesting.

        Of course, that's not my area of Hollywierd lore. I lean a little more to the macabre. Just a little.

        by Dave925 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:08:15 AM PDT

        •  I found a pic

          
          And a story
          Judy Lewis

          

          by Panda on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:18:06 AM PDT

          •  Damn

            It's the Clarkster's Kid!

            Looks like the Walls of Jericho did indeed come down.

            by Dave925 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 08:31:30 AM PDT

•  Ernest Saves Christmas

  and Scrooge with Mr.McGoo too

  by hobo on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:18:24 PM PDT

  •  Man, the Mr. Magoo

    Christmas Carol?

    I grew up w/it.

    Where did it go?

    by BillyZoom on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:19:40 PM PDT

    •  It's etched in our minds

      by hobo on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:43:18 PM PDT

  •  Ernest saves Xmas turned me into an Ernest fan.

    I realized he was a comic genius in the same category as Don Knotts and Jerry Lewis. Goofy, dumb and silly, yet brilliant and very likeable. I still love the upside down rain deer with no explanation for it, some of the gags made no sense-- I dig that.

    by doinaheckuvanutjob on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 05:05:10 AM PDT

•  "Home Alone"

  I'm a sap....yeah, yeah, but I liked it. :)

  by Panda on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:21:31 PM PDT

•  A Christmas Story

  

  by Rimjob on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:27:09 PM PDT

  •  Of course!

    How could I forget that one!
    You'll shoot your eye out!

    by Panda on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:47:34 PM PDT

  •  "Meatloaf, beat loaf...

    ..I hate meatloaf!"

    by Rex Manning on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 11:11:33 PM PDT

•  O/T

  Does anybody remember a Christmas story (book for young readers) called "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever"?

  For some reason I've been thinking lately of books from my childhood.  Maybe we could have a diary about such memories someday.  For the moment, here are a few titles:

  The Pushcart War
  The Mouse and the Motorcycle
  The Great Brain
  Alfred Hitchcock and the Three Investigators

  Anybody else have memories to share?

  (Sorry if this strays too far....)

  by SadTexan on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:29:51 PM PDT

  •  I remember it!

    I don't remember much of it, but the image of the family putting the baby to bed in a dresser drawer has stuck with me.

    by Cathy Willey on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 07:40:34 AM PDT

•  Movies

  are good. I'm a sucker for love stories. Christmas nowadays isn't Christmas without Love Actually.

  Home Alone has always been one of my favorites, or Home Alone 2, since I'm from New York.

  I enjoy National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, Christmas With The Kranks, A Christmas Story, and of course Holiday Inn.

  Last year, I added Deck The Halls to the list because it reminds me of my dad and my neighbors in their decorating races when I was a kid in the late 80's in Queens.

  but my Christmas isn't complete until I see A Charlie Brown Christmas and How The Grinch Stole Christmas

  by nrafter530 on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:31:07 PM PDT

  •  This is the problem with DVD's

    growing up - my family anticipated, and put on the calendar "The Grinch" and "Charlie Brown" specials.  Now, it's not so special and we can choose when we watch them.  Before, it was a production...something the family "did together".  That doesn't mean the shows still aren't great, but the, I don't know, specialness, is somehow lost.  Anyway, I'm a Grinch/CB girl.  (My pumpkin this year was carved as a bunch of rocks in homage to CB "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown").

    by CeeusBeeus on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:39:09 PM PDT

    •  Exactly, it was on ONCE and if you missed it

      you felt like Charlie Brown missing the football that Lucy has yanked away.  So the whole family kept track of date and time of broadcast.

      And I would agree that Grinch and CB are it for Christmas.  

      Now the pumpkin carved as a bunch of rocks... of course you know that that will have to be posted somewhere when a photo is available...

      by dash888 on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:54:35 PM PDT

•  The Ref with Dennis Leary

  I laugh out loud every single time I watch this christmas-time tale.

  My favorite quote from the movie is

  Connie Chasseur: Who would catch a criminal, and then let him go free?

  Mary Chasseur: Republicans.

  by Angie in WA State on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:44:21 PM PDT

  •   "your husband ain't dead lady, he's hiding"

    the most disfunctional christmas film ever, and funniest.

    by kuvasz on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:53:05 AM PDT

•  Make it a stocking stuffed double feature!

  Start off with a classic, while the attention spans are virile... say Christmas in Connecticut (eh, speaking of virility, Barbara Stanwyck, anyone?)

  Then run a cartoon to split the bill.  A Charlie Brown Christmas fits nicely, and if you're not watching yourself, you can at least turn it up to hear the classic Vince Guaraldi score.

  Finish with A Christmas Story.  Know, from this point on, that you will probably never have to buy a BB gun as a present.  The kids will laugh.  You could even turn them on to reading Jean Shepherd.

  And as an encore, for any kid who's not sacked out at this point, or sugar-crashed from too much fudge, or cookies, or an errant dip into an adult's eggnog...

  Roll Bad Santa.

  by dash888 on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:47:11 PM PDT

•  The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

  The tagline to Wes Anderson's film:

  Family Isn't a Word... It's a Sentence.

  by jhutson on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:52:57 PM PDT

  •  What was the condition...

    ...Bill Murray discovered in one of his patients?

    I watched the movie with my girlfriend and when Murray was describing the condition we both laughed so hard we cried.

    by Rex Manning on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 11:13:08 PM PDT

    •  What kind of side effects can be expected?

      What kind of side effects can be expected?

      Well, there are a number of possibilities. Severe nausea and dizziness are standard. A certain percentage of patients may also experience seizure.

      You mean, like flopping around on the floor and everything?

      In some cases.

      by jhutson on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 07:02:19 AM PDT

•  Watching one right now, actually...

  Rocky IV.

  What?  Half the movie takes place in Russia near Christmas -

  Paulie: [at Rocky's rented home in a snowy part of Russia] Are you planning to grow reindeer or something? How the heck are you supposed to train here? What a depressing vacation. What about the Rose Bowl game? I hope they have my comics here.

  And how about this (!) for Christmas Spirit -

  Rocky: I guess what I'm trying to say is, if I can change, and you can change, everybody can change!

  :)

  by Hardhat Democrat on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 10:59:08 PM PDT

  •  Can't rec. but I like your style. :)

    by CeeusBeeus on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 11:08:49 PM PDT

    •  Well I can.

      I rec'd yours.

      :)

      by Hardhat Democrat on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 11:15:58 PM PDT

•  Polar Express

  That movie will become the classic movie for the kids of today.

  In fact, I reckon the sequence of classic movie/show for each generation might look something like this:

  o It's a Wonderful Life - tie with Miracle on 34th Street (1940s)

  o 1950s?

  o How the Grinch Stole Christmas ... tied with Charlie Brown Christmas (1960s)

  o 1970s?

  o A Christmas Story (1980s)

  o The Santa Clause (Tim Allen)(1990s)

  o The Polar Express (2000s)

  Also, wasn't Heidi (Shirley Temple) regularly broadcast around Christmas? There's a movie you rarely see anymore.

  by sawgrass727 on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 11:12:02 PM PDT

  •  I second The Polar Express

    its a v. special kind of film/animation

    never seen anything like this one - perfection

    by FelisRufus on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:00:17 AM PDT

•  "Hunting Father Christmas"

  by Rex Manning on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 11:18:42 PM PDT

  •  Oh my god

    ...scary AND funny. Very clever. Definitely not for the nieces and nephews, though...not a bit warm and fuzzy.

    by Panda on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:38:23 AM PDT

    •  The second part is even more grim:

      Rare Exports part 2

      by Rex Manning on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:54:15 AM PDT

      •  "Contains Disturbing Material"

        at the beginning...and yet I watched. And now I'm disturbed. YIKES! The Land of the Midnight Sun has produced some brilliant imaginations.

        by Panda on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 01:11:02 AM PDT

  •  From the land of "Talvisota"

    This movie comes from the same country that brought us Talvisota, maybe the grimmest war film you will ever see. Talk about "Santa ate his reindeer"...

    by LaFajita on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 04:38:54 AM PDT

    •  I hadn't heard of that one.

      Thanks.

      by Rex Manning on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 10:02:53 AM PDT

      •  "Winter War"

        This is the title you will see in English.

        Since "enjoy" might not be the right word here, if you do see it, try to respect the honesty of this film.

        by LaFajita on Wed Dec 05, 2007 at 04:16:52 AM PDT

•  Clearly, you all don't know a good Xmas movie

  ...when you see one.

  The best?

  The Muppet Christmas Carol.  

  If you have any combination of child and adult in you, it will continue to delight you year after year.  The Muppet jokes aimed at adults rather than kids...Michael Caine as Scrooge...the combination of boisterous and eerie spirits.  

  I'm not kidding - it's very good.  One of my family's favorites.

  by Ernest T Bass on Mon Dec 03, 2007 at 11:49:23 PM PDT

  •  The original

    Muppet Family Christmas , is absolutely hysterical, however the DVD and VHS have scenes cut out of them because of use copyright laws (permissions for broadcast of music is not the same as permissions to put that broadcast on tape or DVD).  

    This thread reminded me of one of my sister's favorites from when she was a kid, Prancer.  Another choice would be Jack Frost, which is a kinda sappy holiday movie.

    ABC Family runs all sorts of bizarre old Christmas shows and movies all December (as part of their 25 Days of Christmas) you just set up the VCR or DVR and record the ones you like.  I like many of the old Rankin/Bass Christmas specials.

    by pgm 01 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 01:38:19 AM PDT

  •  You want Muppets? I'll show you Muppets.

    John Denver and the Muppets: A Christmas Together....okay, maybe my age is showing a bit. But the musical performances have stuck with me for 30 years now.

    Or Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas, a lovely ottery adaptation of "The Gift of the Magi".

    by Cathy Willey on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 07:47:22 AM PDT

•  A Christmas Story is on my list.

  My parents are from Mexico and are natuarlized citizens, but they love this movie.  I own it and I take home to my parents every Christmas.  We also watch the 24 hour marathon on TNT.  I think the most tender and touching scene in the movie is when Ralphie gets his gun.  His dad is all excited and you can see him reliving his childhood.  My parents were like that every Christmas, they would sit there and tell us of there childhood Christmas holidays.

  by El barragas on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:15:30 AM PDT

•  It's a Wonderful Life.

  Fuck the banks.

  by cjallen on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 12:32:15 AM PDT

•  Our family favorites include

  More recently, The Ref and Love, Actually, plus classics:

  Two great Barbara Stanwyck films, Christmas in Connecticut and Remember the Night. If you've never seen these, give them a try, they are both fabulous.

  A Christmas Story
  White Christmas (very sappy but fun)
  Meet Me in St. Louis (cannot resist Judy Garland singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas")

  Have a great time!

  by lulu57 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 02:58:53 AM PDT

•  Miracle on 34th St.

  It's not the Christmas season until I've seen that again each year.

  by rb608 on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 03:29:30 AM PDT

•  Moonstruck

  In my top 3 Xmas movies--next is "Weekend at Bernies" which we screen before the visiting multitudes every year (and we never fail to fall on the floor laughing at the scene where Bernie is dragged through the harbor and hits the buoys as he goes), and last Raising Arizona", although I also have to add "The Purple Rose of Cairo".

  by historys mysteries on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 04:07:01 AM PDT

•  We're No Angels

  with Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, and Peter Ustinov.

  and Miracle on 34th Street - the one with Edmund Gwenn.

  also love the TV specials Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer and How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

  by Debbie in ME on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 04:38:17 AM PDT

•  2 words.

  Clark Griswold!

  by lying mcliar on Tue Dec 04, 2007 at 05:22:40 AM PDT