Top Ten Classic Holiday DVD Movies 2011

The Original Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town / Frosty the Snowman / Frosty Returns / Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol / Little Drummer Boy / Cricket on the Hearth)

Amazon Price: $14.75 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $29.93

Includes 7 Holiday Favorites: - Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Santa Claus is Comin' to Town - Frosty the Snowman - Frosty Returns - Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol - The Little Drummer Boy - Cricket on the Hearth

A Christmas Story (Full-Screen Edition)

Amazon Price: $5.40 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $19.96

An Excerpt from a Recent Review:

Now, about the really good stuff, the movie. A Christmas Story is that odd film that appeals to a cross-section of viewers who often can't agree on what to watch. Fans of sweet Christmas cheer are happily joined by people with a more jaundiced eye to the holiday. To be sure, the movie leans more to the sweet than the sour, but it has enough edge and good-natured twistedness to please some of our darker Christmas angels too. It conveys a genuinely warm nostalgia and some sharp, sometimes pretense-deflating observations about human nature.

The Legend of Frosty the Snowman Collection: Frosty the Snowman/Frosty Returns/The Legend of Frosty the

Amazon Price: $15.50 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $21.95

The classic cartoon of Frosty the Snowman gets a suburban update in The Legend of Frosty the Snowman. Narrated by a folksy-sounding Burt Reynolds (who also sings the Frosty the Snowman holiday jingle), The Legend... takes us to the rigid small town of Evergreen, which looks like a housing development drawn in a 1990s stylization of 1970s architecture. Run by a cheerful fascist of a mayor named Tinkerton, Evergreen is obsessed with rules--and when a talking snowman arrives, he encourages the town's children to step outside of the lines. The school principal, who feels that Tinkerton isn't strict enough, usurps power; after melting Frosty, he turns Evergreen into a brightly colored Orwellian nightmare. Only Tinkerton's son Tommy, who discovers the true story of Frosty in the catacombs of the public library, can save the day.

Elf (Infinifilm Edition)

Amazon Price: $2.22 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $14.96

Elf is genuinely good. Not just Saturday Night Live-movie good, when the movie has some funny bits but is basically an insult to humanity; Elf is a smartly written, skillfully directed, and deftly acted story of a human being adopted by Christmas elves who returns to the human world to find his father. And because the writing, directing, and acting are all genuinely good, Elf is also genuinely funny. Will Ferrell, as Buddy the adopted elf, is hysterically sincere. James Caan, as his rediscovered father, executes his surly dumbfoundedness with perfect aplomb. Zooey Deschanel, as a department store worker with whom Buddy falls in love, is adorably sardonic.

The Muppet Christmas Carol - Kermit's 50th Anniversary Edition

Amazon Price: $9.37 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $19.99

'

Tis the season for love, laughter, and one of the most cherished stories of all time! Join Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, and all the hilarious Muppets in this merry, magical version of Charles Dickens' classic tale. Academy Award(R) winner Michael Caine (Best Supporting Actor, 2000, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES; 1987, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS) gives a performance that's anything but "bah, humbug!" as greedy, penny-pinching Ebenezer Scrooge. One fateful Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Together with kind, humble Bob Cratchit (Kermit the Frog) and his family, the Spirits open Scrooge's eyes -- and his heart -- to the true meaning of Christmas. Filled with original music and dazzling special effects, this restored and remastered 50th Anniversary Edition of THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL will become a holiday tradition your family will treasure all the days of the year.~~

A Charlie Brown Christmas

Amazon Price: $4.65 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $16.99

A Recent Review:

...there's plenty of amusing stuff too. The pitiful tree...Snoopy's hijinks, etc. It's not laugh out loud funny, of course, but sweet and innocent. These are kids who live in a world without adults...and don't seem to need them either! It's always a nice 22 minute trip down memory lane. Every adult should own this...if only to take minute to journey back to childhood. And kids need to keep seeing this. I'm glad it has remained a classic.

Scrooged

Amazon Price: $0.78 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $14.98

A Recent Review:

Scrooged is an updated twist on Charles Dickens' classic "A Christmas Carol". This film was directed and produced by Richard Donner (known for Lethal Weapon). Donner's vision is what makes this film so GREAT to watch. Music by Danny Elfman is a real treat too! Bill Murray is at his prime in this film. If you enjoy Bill Murray's acting and are a fan of Richard Donner's films, this is a must see to add to your Christmas collection. This film is a part of my Christmas viewing tradition. I watch it every year and I believe you will too once you see it for yourself.

The Polar Express (Full Screen Edition)

by: Chris Van Allsburg

Amazon Price: $4.99 (as of 06/01/2012)

* Released December 2005
* 100 minutes
* 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon from reviewers!

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Special Edition)

Amazon Price: $4.90 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $19.98

A Recent Review:

Man, is this a funny movie. It has taken the place in our DVD collection along side "It's a Wonderful Life," "A Christmas Story," and "A Charlie Brown Christmas." It has all the right elements for the season: humor, a good storyline, and a lot of holiday spirt. And while I'm not a very big fan of Chevy Chase, he's perfect reprising his role as the befuddled Clark Griswold, trying to keep the relative happy during the holidays.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Amazon Price: $9.20 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $32.99

For those who never thought Disney would release a film in which Santa Claus is kidnapped and tortured, well, here it is! The full title is Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, which should give you an idea of the tone of this stop-action animated musical/fantasy/horror/comedy. It is based on characters created by Burton, the former Disney animator best known as the director of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and the first two Batman movies. His benignly scary-funny sensibility dominates the story of Halloweentown resident Jack Skellington (voice by Danny Elfman, who also wrote the songs), who stumbles on a bizarre and fascinating alternative universe called ... Christmastown!

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (Deluxe Edition)

Amazon Price: $7.85 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $19.98

A Recent Review:

Accept no substitutes. The 1966 television adaptation of Dr. Seuss' timeless book How the Grinch Stole Christmas!--about an anti-Santa who tries to heist the holiday only to learn a powerful lesson--is a classic in its own right, and looking better than ever in its 50th Birthday Deluxe Edition. (For those doing the math, the 50 years is counting from the book's 1957 publishing date rather than the show's broadcast date.) The most significant improvement is in the digital transfer, cleaning up fuzz and specks and restoring the proper colors to the program. While the awful earlier DVDs showed the Grinch in a mustard-yellow color, this edition restores his proper green gleam. Special features are mostly ported over from the previous DVD--the Horton Hears a Who program, a featurette on the songs, Phil Hartman's special edition version, pencil tests, etc. minus the commentary track--but there is a new 15-minute featurette, "Dr. Seuss and the Grinch: From Whoville to Hollywood." While it starts out as a fluff piece aimed at the younger set (interviews with kids, some rapping), it does provide some interesting information, including interviews with the widows of Theodore Geisel and Chuck Jones and clips of Geisel and Jones' Private Snafu.

The Santa Clause (Full Screen Special Edition)

Amazon Price: $3.48 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $19.99

Superstar comedian and Golden Globe(R) winner Tim Allen shines bright in Disney's magical, larger-than-life hit comedy that "People" magazine dubbed "The most playfully amusing, inventive cinematic ... fable in several decades!" Now in this all-new special edition DVD release, your entire family can enjoy never-before-seen bonus footage, interactive games, and more, making this original holiday classic a joyful new experience!

Gremlins

Amazon Price: $13.98 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $14.98

A Recent Review:

"This is possibly the cutest movie i have ever seen. any child would love the slapstick comedy and great humor. It gets a little violent at one point but it is short lived. Gizmo is a character you will fall in love with since moment one. A must see family film. "

Santa Baby

Amazon Price: $5.48 (as of 06/01/2012)
List Price: $14.98

Jenny McCarthy and George Wendt star in this heartwarming comedy about Santa Claus' daughter. When Santa Claus (George Wendt) gets too sick to run the toy shop his workaholic daughter Mary (Jenny McCarthy) leaves behind her high-powered job in the city and heads north. Will Mary's new ideas and her relentless drive for efficiency save Christmas or will Christmas need to save her first?