10 Great Christmas/Holiday Flicks
I know people are going to disagree with this one, that is the way these things work. I make a list and you dig out five better titles that I missed. However, in the holiday spirit, this is my list so if you don't like it...bah, humbug!
Click on or scroll down for more info on each of the titles:
Dr. Suess - The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,
A Christmas Story,
Planes, Trains and Automobiles,
It's A Wonderful Life,
The Nightmare Before Christmas,
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,
A Christmas Carol,
A Miracle On 34th Street,
Scrooged,
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer
1. Dr. Suess - The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (1966):
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DVDEmpire (US$) |
| Dr. Seuss - The Grinch Who Stole Christmas/Horton Hears A Who |
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Creepy green guy with a heart too small for his body finds Christmas joy after ruining everyone elses.
Not the one with Jim Carrey but the one we all grew up with. A perfect meshing of talents from all come into sharp focus in this cartoon. Dr. Seuss at his vicious best, Chuck Jones churning out crazed images perfectly suited to the demented text and Boris Karloff doing a note perfect narration. This is one that can be watched over and over, even on Christmas day when you logy from too much egg-nog.
Special Features Include:
Songs in the Key of Grinch - Interviews with composer Albert Hague and vocalist Thurl Ravenscroft
Jump to Musical Selections
TNT's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Special Edition
Pencil sketches of The Grinch and Horton
Commentary with animator Phil Roman and June Foray, voice of Cindy Lou Who.
Video: Standard 1.33:1
Audio:
English: Dolby Digital Mono [CC]
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
2. A Christmas Story:
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| A Christmas Story |
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All Ralphy wants is his Red Ryder BB Gun with a compass in the stock, but will he get his Christmas wish?
We all know the catch-phrase 'you'll shoot your eye out!' but it still surprises me when I come across someone who has never seen this classic. I will then try to force the individual to watch it so I can enjoy the movie vicariously once more through them. This film has so much humor and seems so eerily accurate that one forgets it takes place back in the 30's. Perhaps the toys have changed, but being a kid, when it comes down to it, hasn't.
Special Features Include:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Theatrical Trailer
Video: Standard 1.33:1
Audio:
English: Dolby Digital Mono [CC]
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
French: Dolby Digital Mono
3. Planes, Trains And Automobiles
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DVDEmpire (US$) |
| Planes, Trains And Automobiles |
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Sure, I realize this is a thanksgiving flick but the crux of the story comes down to a man (Steve Martin) who tries to get home to his family for the holiday. In his adventures he gets saddled with the company of the worst human in the world (John Candy). Then the worst man turns out to be the better of the two. Pretty simplistic morality tale but the comedy between Martin and Candy is one that should never be forgotten. Besides, most people can relate to trying to get through the crowds to get anywhere at anytime.
No Special features to speak of on this disc, at least it is in widescreen!
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 (Anamorphic)
Audio: English: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
4. It's A Wonderful Life:
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| It's A Wonderful Life |
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Considered the best Christmas flick ever made it is hard to believe it originally tanked at the box-office. When the TV generation discovered it years later it became a main stay and still attracts large audiences each year. I love the tale of a man who gets the chance to see what his life would be like if he was never born. Also, for those who have seen the film year in and year out, take another look and spot Carl 'Alfalfa' Switzer as the boy who opens the pool under the dance floor on George Bailey. Frank Capra made several classics but this is the one that I always come back to.
Special Features Include:
Interactive Menus
Exclusive Documentary
Tribute to Frank Capra
THX Certified
Video: Standard 1.33:1
Audio:
English: Dolby Digital Mono [CC]
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
French: Dolby Digital Mono
5. The Nightmare Before Christmas:
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DVDEmpire (US$) |
| The Nightmare Before Christmas (Special Edition) |
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A Nightmare Before Christmas is not for everyone. A musical animated feature about the King Of Halloween being discontent in life and while searching to expand his horizons discovers Christmas Town. Jack Skellington then decides to take over the holiday and give 'Sandy Claws' a holiday of his own. A gorgeous film to look at and for once I like the songs in an animated feature. None of this happy go lucky crap you see time and time again from Disney...though I am a sucker for Aladdin. The disc has some great little features on the making of it and some deleted sequences worth checking out.
Special Features Include:
Deleted Scenes and Animated Sequences
Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Making Of The Film
Storyboard-To-Film Comparison
Still Frame Gallery Of Concept Art And Character Designs (Over 450 Images)
Audio Commentary by Director Henry Selick
Original Theatrical Trailers and Posters
Tim Burton's Earlier Films: Vincent - Tim Burton's Directorial Debut
Frankenweenie - The Uncut Version Never Before Available
Video: Widescreen 1.66:1
Audio:
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
English: DTS 5.1 [CC]
French: Dolby Digital Stereo
6. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation:
Title |
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DVDEmpire (US$) |
| National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation |
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There were four vacation movies made and only two can be watched over and over again. The first is still the best in my mind...a family vacation to Wally World where nothing ever goes right. The second, European Vacation was alright, but the third, Christmas Vacation was a great success. Why do the Griswald's have to go anywhere when true mayhem is right in their own household? It's also a reminder every year that Julia Louis Dreyfuss can play more than Elaine on Seinfeld. Here she plays a nasty yuppie neighbour to Clark who loathes him.
Not much in the way of Special Features:
Interactive Menus
Production Notes
Scene Access
4 Theatrical Trailer
Video: Standard 1.33:1
Audio:
English: Dolby Digital Surround [CC]
Spanish: Dolby Digital Mono
FRENCH: Dolby Digital Mono
7. A Christmas Carol (1951):
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| A Christmas Carol (50th Anniversary Edition) (1951) |
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Dicken's classic has been done over and over and over. By every sitcom that needs an idea for a Christmas episode to my number nine choice with Bill Murray (Scrooged). However, nobody ever played the role like Alistair Simm's in this definitive version. Now restored and released on DVD with an introduction by Patrick Macnee. This one I prefer watching on my own after everybody has slipped off to sleep on Christmas Day. A perfect realization of the horrors that man can be capable of on a small scale and what may befall us if we are not careful.
Special Features include:
Interactive Menus
Chapter Search
Biographies
Production Notes
Introduction by Patrick Macnee
Technicolor Cartoon Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer
Video: Standard 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo
8. A Miracle On 34th Street:
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DVDEmpire (US$) |
| A Miracle on 34th Street (1947) |
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Another Christmas classic, this one starring a very young Natalie Wood. Is the Macy's Santa the real thing? Well, maybe, maybe not, and in the end does it matter? Not really...and the courtroom sequences arguing over Kris Kringle are worth the sit down and watch time - anytime. This is the only version you should consider owning and get it in black and white. If you must buy it colorized, then turn down the colour on your TV.
Special Features are lacking on this disc: Interactive Menu Screens, Theatrical Trailer, Scene Selections.
Video: Standard 1.33:1
Audio:
English: Dolby Digital Mono [CC]
French: Dolby Digital Mono
9. Scrooged:
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DVDEmpire (US$) |
| Scrooged |
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Frank Cross (Bill Murray) is trying to run a live version of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve. The only problem is he's being visited by three ghosts as well and one of them has a real tendency to smack him around with a toaster. A great parody of 90's greed crossed with Dicken's classic. Bill Murray is hysterical in this flick and if you think it is a poor addition to this list, then I have to take you off mine.
Special Features are lacking on this disc:
Interactive Menus
Scene Selection
Theatrical Trailer
Video: Widescreen 1.85:1 (Anamorphic)
Audio:
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 [CC]
English: Dolby Digital Surround [CC]
French: Dolby Digital Surround
10. Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer:
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Amazon (US$) |
DVDEmpire (US$) |
| Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (1964) |
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I wanted to add all of the animated cartoons here...from Frosty the Snowman to Charlie Brown's Christmas (I love that little pathetic tree of Chuck's) but eventually went with this stop motion cartoon (like Nightmare Before Christmas). Besides, any cartoon that has an elf who pupts teeth on dolls because he truly wants to be a dentist has it's mentality in the right place...just to the left of sane.
Special Features Include:
Interactive Menus
Instant Chapter Access
Interactive Rudolph Trivia Game
"Fame and Fortune" Song
Original TV Promo
Other Golden Book Titles
Help Children Learn To Read With ReadSpeak Patented Action Captions
Video: Standard 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo [CC]
Copyright© November 2001 DVDwolf.com
Copyright© Staffwriter: Rob Paul
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