The holiday season is upon us, which means it's time for the annual list of unconventional holiday fare, films (and the occasional TV show) that provide an alternative to the usual "Christmas Story"/"It's a Wonderful Life"/"Elf" fest. The rules remain the same: Each selection in the line-up is either set during the holiday season or includes at least one crucial yuletide scene, and all are available on DVD.
If you disagree with this list -- or last year's, or the one from the year before -- please feel free to air all your Festivus grievances during an online discussion today at noon, where we'll debate all manner of seasonal cinema and home viewing delights.
Two final notes: If you're still shopping for presents, don't forget to consult our DVD gift guide. And if you want to immediately dig into some seriously retro holiday viewing, do yourself a favor and visit the totally awesome BetaMaXmas. Just prepare to watch your office productivity slide right down the drain. Now on with the Christmas countdown.
"The Godfather" (1972)
The cheer of the holiday season belies the violence and vengeance during several key scenes in Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece, including the murder of Luca Brasi and the subsequent attempted assassination of Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando). Truly, what better way to celebrate Christmas than with a little cannoli?
"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001)
This is hardly the best entry in the movie series based on J.K. Rowling's beloved books. But much of the imagery -- including the warm glow of the decked holiday halls at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry -- make this worth revisiting, especially if you're looking for something non-Rankin-Bass-related to watch with the kids.
"The Savages" (2007)
Golden garlands and pictures of Santa spruce up the surroundings at Valley View, the nursing home where Laura Linney and Philip Seymour Hoffman choose to deposit their dad in this keenly observed, somewhat overlooked indie drama. Wait a minute, Chaney. You're recommending that we watch a movie about nursing homes at Christmas? Absolutely. Because not only does this one partially take place during the month of December, it also paints one of the more realistic (and often funny) on-screen portraits of a family that I've seen in recent years. And family is what the holidays are all about, isn't it?
"The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1942)
Film critic Ann Hornaday sang the praises of this gem during a recent online discussion. And it really is as wickedly delightful as she says. With a convincingly cranky turn by Monty Woolley and equally fine work from Bette Davis, this story of an arrogant writer holed up in a suburban Ohio home during the holidays delivers a much-appreciated dose of classic Christmas tartness. If you neglect to rent the DVD, Turner Classics Movies plans to air it on Christmas Eve afternoon, so set your DVR.
"American Psycho" (2000)
For those dark, twisted individuals who have ingested too much "Bad Santa" but don't want to stoop to the level of "Silent Night, Deadly Night," there is this blackest of black comedies, which boasts a holiday party scene in which Reese Witherspoon wishes everyone a "merry Xmas" while holding a potbellied pig in her arms. Honestly, does anyone say "Have a holly, jolly Christmas" with more cheesy, sleazy menace than Christian Bale? Watch this clip and decide for yourself.
"Sex and the City: The Movie" (2008)
One of this year's most delicious fluffy pleasures, the big screen version of the Carrie Bradshaw Show includes a touching New Year's Eve montage set to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne," as recorded by the Scottish duo The Cast. Hey, you can do worse on a holiday-season movie night than to down a couple of Candy Cane Cosmos with Manhattan's favorite female foursome. (See the montage, and try not to feel like a dork if you tear up, here.)
"The Office" -- American and UK episodes
I like to throw a TV curveball into the proceedings once in a while. Which is why I suggest building your own "Office" holiday party, consisting of the two-part, Christmas-centric final episode of the British "Office," followed by a double feature of American "Office" episodes: season two's "Christmas Party" (two words: Yankee swap!) and season three's hilarious one-hour "A Benihana Christmas." And yes, the Nagasakes are on me.
"One True Thing" (1998)
What would Christmas be without a straight-up tearjerker? Really, the tears don't get jerked much harder than in this adaptation of Anna Quindlen's weepy novel about a magazine writer (Renee Zellweger) forced to care for her terminally ill mother (Meryl Streep). When the whole family goes to a community Christmas caroling event, and Streep sings gamely along despite her frailty, just try to contain the verklemptness. Can't be done.
"Annie Hall" (1977)
The incongruity of spending Christmas in sunny L.A. was never conveyed more wryly than it is in Woody Allen's Academy Award-winning Best Picture. If you've never seen this influential romantic comedy, prepare for one of the best holiday gifts you could possibly give yourself.
"Eyes Wide Shut" (1999)
Stanley Kubrick's final film suffered from the tremendous Tom Cruise/Nicole Kidman hype that surrounded it. Watch it now and you may be hypnotized by this lurid tale of a husband and wife confronting the darker sides of their natures in the midst of the innocence and peace of the holiday season.
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If you missed Don Cheadle in "Traitor," you can catch it when it arrives on DVD today. For more DVD-viewing options, peruse this full list of the week's debuts.
Steve Coogan is a theatrical riot in "Hamlet 2" on DVD next Tuesday. For a full calendar of what's coming in the weeks ahead, click here.
