Unless you've been stuck at the North Pole for the past 60 years, chances are most of these titles look familiar. Nevertheless, here are my DVD picks for a little variety this holiday season: some classics that will please pretty much everyone, and some alternative choices for the Grinch in all of us.
It's a Wonderful Life - back in 1946, Frank Capra directed Jimmy Stewart in this quintessential Christmas tale of love, hope, and redemption. Oh, and it happens to be considered one of the best films of all time. But if black and white isn't your thing, try Die Hard's generous use of red - and we're not just talking Santa hats here. Bruce Willis is no Jimmy, but he has his own brand of equally entertaining holiday cheer. Either one transcends the "seasonal genre" with their satisfactory conclusions.
The Muppet Christmas Carol - colorful, funny, with great songs - who needs on-location locales when you have Kermit and Miss Piggy? Along the same lines comes Scrooged, a suitable alternative if the Muppet's sentimentality tastes a little too cheesy. Bill Murray's hilarious 1980s romp through Dickens' tale still feels heartfelt, though its eclectic cast of characters lends itself to the open-minded viewer.
A Christmas Story explores the innocence of Christmas, while The Nightmare Before Christmas very gently perverts it. Both were (and still are) big hits, but Tim Burton's spin on holiday commercialization appeals to anyone's oddball inner-self. Save the first for late-night cable, but invite your friends over for cookies and Jack Skellington's freaky season's greetings.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is an animated classic, starring a misguided grump that learns, by the end, the meaning behind the decorations. Billy Bob's Bad Santa is no one's definition of "holiday cheer," so after the younger siblings hit the sack, plop it in for some amusing amoral festivities.
Miracle on 34th Street and Love Actually probably appeal to likeminded individuals - just at different maturity levels. Miracle may be a staple of Christmas-time, but if you want a little less Santa and more lovin', hit up Actually's multicultural love-fest. As long you can handle its obsession with happy endings, even those who usually say "bah humbug" might go "aww."
Want something more old school? You could try the usual suspects like White Christmas or A Charlie Brown Christmas, but I'd recommend Holiday Inn for your dose of Bing Crosby, and Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town for some retro animated good times.
To avoid: Jingle All the Way (may induce seizure), Home Alone's sequels, and pretty much any other Christmas movie that came out in the past two years.
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