It's a Wonderful Life is one of my favorite movies. But we usually end up watching in the summer for some reason.

One of my favorite new traditions is watching Bundle of Joy on Christmas Eve morning when it airs on TCM. We caught it one year and have kept watching it every year since; it's such a fun movie. And it's not available on DVD so we can't watch it any other time of the year.

I have seen.....4? 5? different versions of A Christmas Carol, including Scrooge and the Muppets one. There was one I remember liking better than the others but I don't remember which one that was. It's been awhile.

Other holiday favorites include:
Holiday Inn
White Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Miracle on 34th St.
Meet Me in St. Louis (another one we usually watch other times of the year)
The Bishop's Wife

I know It's A Wonderful Life is seen as a Christmas movie but I can't see why. It's a good movie, but to me it just isn't Christmas. The first two Home Alone movies, though just in setting, I think are great. Little Women and While You Were Sleeping are to unofficial Christmas movies in my "book"- I love them both.

Two years ago I saw The Holiday for the first time and absolutely loved it, though I guess it's more the setting here as well.

Miracle on 34th Street, original, I think it's great- not an absolute favorite but definitely a pleasant watch. Rudolph, Frosty, Little Drummer Boy are of course some animated favorites. I grew up with those and own them.

A Charlie Brown Christmas, there is no better animated than this for me. The opening with "Christmastime is Here" and the end with Linus and Luke 2. Terrific!!!

Elf is fun to watch. The Polar Express I think is terrific, I don't know why but I just love it! It has its faults but I don't care, it takes me in every time. I even have the bell in the box

The Grinch,
Animated version is short but great. Jim Carey's is longer and has some funny moments. But to me it misses some of the heart of the shorter one. But I do enjoy both, even though I only own the animated version.

I will finish with A Christmas Carol,
I've seen it done by The Flintstones, like I've seen it done by Mickey Mouse and gang (minus Pluto- oddly enough). first is great and that second, being Disney, is amazing.

2009's Jim Carey version was quite enjoyable, much darker in tone than I was expecting but good. The movie did have some things I just didn't like, but still worth the watch.

I am currently watching the muppet's version for the first time and am enjoying it so far.

I was given Scrooge, 1934, by my girlfriend but we still haven't gotten to see it.

Instantly through Netflix just a few weeks ago i saw the 1984 version for the first time and ABSOLUTELY LOVED it!!! It's without a doubt the best I've seen so far. I was taken in immediately. I can't believe how amazing it was. I will definitely be buying for my own collection!

The Grinch is probably my favorite. I also like watching Christmas specials for the shows I normally watch. And, I don't know if this counts, but I love the Christmas specials on the Food Network Channel.

I'm not sure how you think It's a Wonderful Life isn't a Christmas movie while the Home Alone movies are, narnia1. While it isn't a Christmas movie the way, say, A Charlie Brown Christmas or Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer are, and a large portion of the movie is a flashback, I still think it qualifies. It is more than just a Christmas movie, but it can still fit into the genre.

That is my favorite holiday film, followed by the Alistair Sim A Christmas Carol (the only version worth watching ... I'm not even kidding), and then Holiday Inn. I'd probably put A Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolph as my fourth and fifth.

I'm not sure how you think It's a Wonderful Life isn't a Christmas movie while the Home Alone movies are, narnia1.

Notice that I just said the Home Alone movies, just for the setting. Because true, they aren't Christmas movies either. But the setting is much more Christmas oriented than It's A Wonderful Life IMO-

That's not to say that It's A Wonderful Life isn't a great movie. I like it very much, but it just doesn't fit the season for me.

it just doesn't fit the season for me.

See, I still don't understand this. Could you explain why, please?

See, I still don't understand this. Could you explain why, please?

I think I understand what he's saying. Home Alone is set purposefully around Christmas and much of what happens in it is Christmas related, even if the subject matter isn't very Christmas-like. It's a Wonderful Life is slightly different in that while the main focus of the story is George Bailey dealing with big money/company issues around Christmas the truth is it could have just as easily been around Easter, the 4th of July, or any other number of holidays (or even non-holidays). Ever since I first fell in love with the film when I was a little kid I picked up on this. I'll admit though that it probably wouldn't have worked as well since the Christmas angle in the movie makes it a tad bit more sentimental in a way because George receives two huge gifts; money to pay the bank and more importantly his life.

Thanks Shadowlander, you summed it up better than I could. That's just what I'm saying. To me a Christmas movie has to have at least the setting for most of the movie, Home Alone, or if it's just two scenes or so, at least be long"ish" moments like with Little Women and The Holiday.

The majority of It's A Wonderful Life is flashback, and the beginning and end go lost on me. I focus much more on all the middle. But again, I do enjoy the movie.

I think I can kind of understand how people feel about It's A Wonderful Life not exactly being a Christmas movie. For myself I always seem to associate it with New Year's Eve. However, this is due to the fact that when I was younger, it was a family tradition to watch the aforementioned film on New Year's Eve, and not for Christmas. So I'm not sure if that entirely counts....

My family and I watched the 1945 film Christmas in Connecticut last evening, with Barbara Stanwyck. Has anyone else seen it? Some parts were funny, and I thought the acting was reasonable, but my biggest "issues" were with some parts of the storyline. I'd like to hear other people's opinions on it, though, if anyone has seen it.

I like a nightmare before christmas, there isnt many christmas movies i really like.

I have just seen two lovely short videos on Youtube, and other mods suggested this was a great place to post and share such videos.

A social network Christmas"
http://www.ignitermedia.com/mini-movies/1905/A-Social-Network-Christmas

Children in a NZ church (or school?) present the Christmas story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWq60oyrHVQ

Please post any others that you think others will like...

We watched `Elf`in class the other say. It just makes me laugh so much!

I prefer Holiday Inn to the later remake White Christmas - though I think a few of the other holiday songs seem a bit forced, to fit with the theme of the movie.

Forced, maybe. But classic? Yes. I've always enjoyed Holiday Inn more than White Christmas too.

Some other favorites:
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Frosty the Snowman (there's more that go along with that, I think. Jack Frost maybe? I forgot...)
Elf
It's a Wonderful Life
Any of the Bing Crosby classics

If LWW could be considered a "Christmastime" movie, then that's also a favorite.

Beauty and the Beast (Christmas Special) - one of my favorite Christmas movies because of the music they made and the story is very fun to watch.

Home Alone- It's really entertaining watching this kind of Christmas special movie since it possesses moral lessons, and great family relationship. I really learned a lot like being independent and being careful on what you (or I) wish for.

I forgot the title of the movie where Vince Vaughn stares as Santa's somewhat apprentice, and he kinds of deals with it and tries to fix his life while in the process of being Santa's apprentice. If anybody knows this movie, I would be glad to know the title! Thanks. .

Forced, maybe. But classic? Yes. I've always enjoyed Holiday Inn more than White Christmas too.

Is that check_the_gate I see?? Nice to see you around again!

Ahem.

I've seen Holiday Inn once, I enjoyed it very much, although I think White Christmas is the one I liked a little bit better. But they're pretty close! I have a feeling that I'd better get my family watching all those Christmas movies that we tell ourselves we'll watch or re-watch at Christmas.... only seven days! (And lots of movies. )