Now that Thanksgiving is out of the way it is really time to get in the holiday spirit, and there is no better way to do that than watching Christmas movies! As someone who grew up watching every Bing Crosby & Perry Como Christmas special on television, I can spend every weekend watching a holiday movie. 

I know everyone else in America loves the traditional “Miracle of 34th Street” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”  but neither has ever been a fave of mine, especially after Ted Turner colourized “Miracle“.  There are so many wonderful specials (for the Geeks of the world, did you know there was a Star Wars Holiday special ) and movies from which to choose I just find others to suit my fancy better.

Movifone has their list of the Top 25 Best Christmas movies but there is an even better list from Progressive Boink of the 100 Best Christmas Movies & Specials that includes great recaps and the best moments from each one.  They even included a McDonald’s Christmas Commercial on their list.

For me, nothing comes close to the Rankin/Bass Animated Classics, so much so, they deserve their own category. The songs are still a joy and I can’t help but smile with glee every time I see the movies.

Rankin/Bass Classics

Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey
Twas the Night Before Christmas
The Little Drummer Boy
A Year Without a Santa Claus
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Frosty the Snowman
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town 

Other Holiday Favourites (Netflix Links)

Olive The Other Reindeer
A Child’s Christmas In Wales
The Santa Clause
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
Scrooged
Die Hard
Babes in Toyland
The Muppet Christmas Carol
Home Alone
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Christmas in Connecticut
A Christmas Story
Prancer
Elf
The Nutcracker Suite American Ballet Theatre
Gremlins
The Bishop’s Wife
Bells of St. Mary’s
Holiday Inn
Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas
White Christmas

ABC’s Family Channel is currently running their 25 Days of Christmas with holiday movies every day from now until Christmas.  Lifetime is also running their annual FaLaLaLaLifetime Holiday Movie marathon. And if that wasn’t enough for you the Hallmark Channel  has their Countdown to Christmas for your viewing pleasure.   The broadcast networks have already aired the annual broadcasts of the Grinch, Charlie Brown and Rudolph, but of course you can always rent the DVDs now or download them from your computer.

And if you are ready to start celebrating Hanukkah there are, unfortunately, skant few Jewish themed movies for this holiday season, but you can check out the Rugrats Hanukkah special or Eight Crazy Nights.

Now that is is finally winter in the Twin Cities, what better way to spend the evenings curled up with a hot cocoa or egg nog and a holiday movie ?  What is your favourite?

Looking for something to do tonight? Head to the Walker Art Center Cinema tonight at 7p for what sounds like a pretty unique perspective on the implications of modernism. Huh? Let them describe it:

Based in Amsterdam and founded in 1997 by Marieke Stolk, Erwin Brinkers, and Danny van den Dungen, Experimental Jetset has been consistently reinterpreting the implications of modernism, often from the perspective of a youth-based counterculture. The studio is perhaps best known to U.S. audiences from their appearance in the documentary Helvetica (2007), and their dogmatic use of that typeface has become a defining aspect of their work and has influenced new generations of graphic designers. Experimental Jetset’s iconic print work explores ways in which we are both shaped by and help shape our material environment. Projects for cultural clients include collaborations with the Amsterdam Stedelijk Museum, Purple Institute, Centre Pompidou, Colette, Dutch Post Group, Réunion des Musées Nationaux, Le Cent Quatre, De Theatercompagnie, and 2K/Gingham, which released their iconic John&Paul&Ringo&George T-shirt design. The studio’s work has been exhibited in galleries across the world, and in 2007 New York’s Museum of Modern Art acquired a large selection of their projects for inclusion in its permanent collection. Since 2000, members of Experimental Jetset have been teaching at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam.

This lecture will be webcast live and archived on the Walker Channel (channel.walkerart.org).

Learn more about the Walker, view the event details, or check out their other events.