Santa Claus: The Movie

Half Santa biography,half modern day tale.When one of Santa'selves goes rogue andjoins up with an evil

toymanufacturer, the bigguy must come to his

rescue.

Submitted by Francine Marie Boylan,

Saint Olaf College

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas

When you grow weary of cute

cartoon Santas and heartwarming

holiday films, pop "The Nightmare

Before Christmas" into the DVD player and enjoy a twisted Christmas movie.

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

Chevy Chase is the perfect antidote to too much holiday schmaltz. Watch

him bungle around for an hour and 37 minutes and you can sit through

three viewings of "It's a Wonderful

Life."

A Charlie Brown Christmas

There's nothing like Charlie Brown --

and his blind love for a sad, little

Christmas tree -- to remind you to look out for the little guy during the holidays.

Holiday InnThis is the movie that

originated the song "White Christmas," which is

probably why we still think of it as a Christmas film. Jilted by his fiance, Bing Crosby gives up show

business to run a farm only to find that farm life isn't as

easy as he thought. He opens Holiday Inn, staging

shows only on national holidays and falls in love with his star. But the man who stole his fiance ( Fred Astaire) threatens to steal his new leading lady too.

The Polar Express

Sure, it's a little creepy that every

character looks like Tom Hanks

(including the young main

character). But the magical movie

about a little boy who lost his faith in

Santa is still required viewing.

A Christmas Carol

True to the book with great

performances, this is the best

telling of Charles Dickens' classic

tale.

Dr. Seuss How The Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

Jim Carrey had great material to work

with when he transposed Dr.

Seuss' classic into a live action movie. But if anyone could take on the over-the-top, greedy, Christmas-hating

Grinch, it was Carrey.

Scrooged

You've got Bill Murray, crazy

1980s greed and Charles Dickens. Really, it couldn't

go wrong.

Frosty the Snowman

The charming cartoon tale of the man of snow who came to

life one day is a required holiday

viewing. And Jimmy Durante's narration

ensures it will be around for years to

come.

Christmas in ConnecticutBarbara Stanwyck is a

newspaper columnist who portrays herself as a happily married

1940s Martha Stewart. But in reality she's a single gal who knows more about shopping for furs than cooking, cleaning and sewing. Trouble starts when

her magazine invites a war hero to spend a

perfect Christmas with her and her perfect

family.

Bad Santa

Billy Bob Thornton is so bad he's good as a department store

Santa with a wandering eye, a foul mouth and a drinking problem. The movie is full of cringe-worthy

moments but Thornton plays his Santa so bad, you can't look away.

Home AloneWe love this movie not just

because of the incredible premise (you forgot your

kid?) or the ingenious burglar proofing (blow torch above the front

door?). We love it because when left on his own

Macaulay Culkin not only danced around in his

underwear and ate junk food -- just like you'd

expect a kid to -- but he also acted like an adult, buying a toothbrush and decorating the house.

The Bishop’s Wife

Loretta Young is a bishop's wife watching

her ambitious husband lose sight of

what matters. Then an angelic Carey Grant steps in and uses a

little magic refresh the bishop's wife and save

her husband from ruin. Don't miss the scene where Carey Grant decorates a

Christmas tree with a few flicks of his wrist.

Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town

It's the E! True Hollywood Story of Santa Claus. How he went from rogue outlaw to beloved toy distributor. How he won the heart of

an initially cold Mrs. Claus. And why he runs around

with all those elves.

This stop-motion animation TV special drags a little, but it's worth it for the

narration by Fred Astaire.

Love Actually

These interlocking stories of love lost and found at Christmastime are pitch perfect. Funny and sad with just the

right amount of schmaltz, they're

enough to make you believe that, at

Christmas at least, love really is all around.

Elf

Buddy the elf is happy, hopped up

on sugar and determined to

connect with his real dad, a cynical James Caan. If you haven't watched Will Ferrell pour

syrup on spaghetti, you haven't had

Christmas.

The Muppet Christmas Carol

The classic Muppets taking on the

classic Christmas tale -- of course it's perfect! And Kermit

was born for the role of Bob Cratchett.

White Christmas

Bing Crosby singing "White Christmas" is the definition of

the holiday season. And this happy, colorful 1950s musical is the

perfect medicine for a holiday season filled with worries

and fears.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Thank goodness for stop motion animation, because Rudolph wouldn't be nearly

as charming in cartoon form. Somehow the jerky

movements and static sets make Hermey the misfit elf, Yukon Conelius the

prospector and the Bumble seem timeless.

And the songs will get stuck in your head (you're humming “Have a Holly

Jolly Christmas” right now, aren't you?)

Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

The uplifting story of a little girl who's cynical about life

and the department store

Santa who teaches her to believe in magic. Favorite scene: Natalie

Wood learning to be a monkey.

The Santa Clause

It's every kid's dream: Dad could be Santa

Claus. All he has to do is push the other Santa off his roof. That perfect

mix of whimsy and mature laughs made

this Tim Allen comedy an annual favorite. Who

can forget Allen desperately trying to

lose weight and shave his fast-growing beard?

It’s a Wonderful Life

Oh, George Bailey! Our hearts break for him

every year as we watch him do the right

thing and only to be knocked down again

and again. If you don't cry at the end -- when George is surrounded

by all the lives he changed -- then you

might need to take up residence with the

Grinch.

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)

Boris Karloff's wonderful narration. Max, the

dog-turned-reindeer. Adorable Cindy Lou

Who. That nasty green Grinch with his too-small heart. And a feel-good message love and eschewing

materialism. How can this NOT be on your

Christmas watch list?

A Christmas Story

If you don't know that phrase, or any of the countless other gems in this off-beat holiday movie, then get thee

to the video store now. Ralphie's

Christmas quest for a Red Rider BB Gun will make you laugh until your funny bone is

sore. Don’t miss the leg lamp and the

bunny suit!