Catching Up with Christmas Movies

Wow, I am REALLY bad at Holidailies.  I knew I wouldn't be posting every day, but I thought I'd do a little better than I have.  But now that all most of the shopping is done, cards and packages mailed, and decorating complete, I'm hoping I'll have a little time to relax a bit and do some blogging.

And some Christmas movie watching, too.  So far, we've only seen a few of them: the Turner Classic Movie channel was showing The Man Who Came to Dinner the other night, and Michael and I both like that one.  And then last night, after we finally got the last gifts in the mail, we watched The Polar Express.  That's become one of my favorites over the years, although I think it's probably not a good movie to start with - a little too melancholy.  But it's a very cute film, and I've managed to hook Michael on it, too.  This year, he even added the Lionel Polar Express model train to our Christmas decorations - he's always wanted a train to go around the Christmas tree, just like the ones he had as a child.

Actually, I guess we started with A Charlie Brown Christmas and The Grinch (the real original animated version with Boris Karloff voicing the Grinch).  Those are obligatory, as far as I'm concerned.  If I don't see those, it isn't Christmas.  But I don't really consider them movies, since they were originally TV shows. 

Generally, I like to start the movie-watching with the Griswolds and their Christmas Vacation - I think it's become my absolute favorite Christmas movie; I can watch it over and over and still fall on the floor, laughing. That's probably next on the schedule.

Aside from those, there are only a few other movies I feel I need to watch every year: It's a Wonderful Life (of course), and A Christmas Story ("You'll shoot your eye out, kid!"), and The Bishop's Wife (Cary Grant makes such a debonair angel).  

It seems to me that's about as many Christmas movies as one should ever really need.  But Michael has a list of must-see holiday films as long as his arm - must be a couple of dozen by now.  So there are plenty to choose from.  He's already a little miffed that we've waited so long to start the viewing, so I guess it's time to pull out those DVDs!