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"It's a Wonderful Life" is one of the best Christmas movies of all time -- a fantastic, poignant movie that doubles as a great indictment of rampant capitalism. Though Frank Capra never expected this movie to be that popular, it has become an integral part of the holiday season for many American homes throughout December, as well as a staple of classic cinema in general.

The movie follows James Stewart's idealistic George Bailey, a man who hates the idea of living in his small hometown doing nothing but serving the community ... and yet, at every turn, he puts his own ambitions on the back burner in favor of helping others, his dreams constantly winding up on hold as incident after incident sends him on a different path than he imagined. But when he falls on hard times and the crushing fist of capitalism threatens to destroy his life's work,...

9-1-1 season 8 has seen firefighter Eddie Diaz struggle to adjust to life without his son, Christopher, but his heartbreak was actually foreshadowed two seasons earlier. For years, his relationship with Christopher has been crucial to Eddie's story, as well as his happiness. Unfortunately, numerous events that have unfolded in recent times have greatly upset Eddie's way of life, leaving him without custody of Christopher.

Eddie's current drama officially started in 911's season 7 finale, when his choices came to a head. Long grieving his deceased wife, Eddie embarked on an emotional affair with somebody who looked just like her. Unfortunately for him, both his parents and his son, Christopher (Gavin McHugh), found them together after a cathartic exchange. This understandably led to confusion and Eddie's parents suggested that Christopher come and live with them for a while, an offer which the teenager quickly opted to take them up on. Seeds of this turn,...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. To keep up with our latest features, sign up for the Weekly Edit newsletter and follow us @mubinotebook on Twitter and Instagram.Dear readers: We are pleased to share the first Rushes roundup of 2025, with big plans for how this feature will develop throughout the year. Among our ambitions is to better represent the film culture everywhere our readers live. Please help us do so by submitting screenings, series, talks, and other events for our listings consideration. Many thanks! –Ed.NEWSIt’s a Wonderful Life.This holiday season, fans of Frank Capra’s Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) were outraged to discover that Amazon Prime streams an abridged version of the film that cuts almost 25 minutes from the original, including the entire “Pottersville” sequence: what Bedford Falls would look like if George Bailey had never been born. Prime also...

Mash's Wayne Rogers exited the show early and went on to front his own medical comedy - a hit show that was quickly ruined by a disastrous firing. Wayne Rogers left Mash after season three, largely due to his role being gradually reduced. When the star signed on, the sitcom was intended as a two-hander focused on Rogers' Trapper John and Alan Alda's Hawkeye. When it became clear Alda was the breakout star, the writers focused their attention on him, while Trapper increasingly became the sidekick.

Following the shock death of Henry Blake in Mash's season 3 finale, Rogers decided to leave before the fourth series. Compared to many of the actors who exited Mash during its run, Rogers did quite well in the years that followed, including fronting the detective series City of Angels and appearing in gender-flipped It's a Wonderful Life remake It Happened One Christmas in...

The holiday season is now coming to an end, and for anyone missing the festivities, there are several K-drama shows that can help make the transition to the new year a little smoother. Not only do K-dramas like Winter Sonata and That Winter, the Wind Blows take place over winter, but many also include little holiday moments or decorations. Many of these are also feel-good K-dramas, even leaning into the romance element of the series when that is the focus of the show.

Romances are not the only K-dramas that can help if viewers miss the holidays. Family-focused K-dramas are also great places to start to keep the season going. If someone is looking for a show to fill the void of the passing holiday season, these cozy K-dramas are the perfect place to start.

The One And Only (2021) This Murder Mystery Takes Place In The Winter

Following the stories of three separate women,...

This past holiday season, we shared some unconventional Christmas movie recommendations, like The Silent Partner, Anna and the Apocalypse, The Ref, and my own recommendation, Trancers. But even though I love Trancers and also watch Anna and the Apocalypse every December, my two favorite Christmas movies are not unconventional choices at all: every December 25th, I watch A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation. Very common choices. Someone else with very common choice for their favorite Christmas movie is filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, who revealed to BFI that his holiday favorite is It’s a Wonderful Life.

Directed by Frank Capra, who crafted the screenplay with Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, and Jo Swerling, the 1946 classic It’s a Wonderful Life was based on the short story The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern (which was loosely based on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol) . Here’s the synopsis: George Bailey has so many...

Tim Allen returns to the world of sitcoms with Shifting Gears, a new show from creators Mike and Julie Thacker Scully and showrunner Michelle Nader. In the series, a widower and car workshop owner named Matt (Allen) takes in his estranged daughter Riley (Kay Dennings) and her two kids (Maxwell Simkins and Barrett Margolis). The show also features Sean William Scott and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell as workers at Matt’s auto shop.

Allen is, of course, a sitcom legend. The actor and comedian led Home Improvement, a sitcom based on his own stand-up comedy material, from 1991 to 1999. The role even won Allen a Golden Globe award. Allen’s next sitcom, Last Man Standing, ran for even longer, beginning in 2011 and ending in 2021 after 194 episodes. In addition to his TV roles, Allen has starred in truly beloved movies and franchises including Toy Story (Allen recently gave an optimistic Toy Story 5 update) and The Santa Clause.

Following The Film Stage’s collective top 50 films of 2024, as part of our year-end coverage, our contributors are sharing their personal top 10 lists.

I’ve often measured the progress of my year by the movies I’ve seen. From the trashy B-movies in ‘dumpuary’ to the summer blockbuster and, eventually, the onslaught of ‘prestige fare’ and an overwhelming amount of screeners in December, movies have been a marker of time. I know, for example, that Halloween is coming up when my wife puts on Practical Magic or that Christmas is close when I make my yearly trip to Boston to see It’s a Wonderful Life with close friends. The same goes for my yearly panic when top-tens are due and I realize I have a pile of screeners begging for my attention.

This year was different. My time was less measured by the things I watched than what happened in...

Clint Eastwood's 2024 movie with a 93% Rotten Tomatoes score, but was buried in theaters, has become a streaming success. Eastwood made his acting debut back in 1955, but broke through with a lead role in the Western series Rawhide and rose to fame in Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy of spaghetti Westerns during the 1960s. Eastwood became known for much more than Westerns during the 1970s and 1980s, starring as the antihero cop Harry Callahan in five Dirty Harry movies and playing against type in the comedies Every Which Way But Loose and Any Which Way You Can.

In addition to his iconic onscreen roles, Eastwood is just as famous as a filmmaker, making his directorial debut in 1971 with the indie film, Play Misty For Me. Over the years, while a two-time Oscar nominee for acting, Eastwood won Best Director for his 1992 Western Unforgiven and his 2004 boxing drama Million Dollar Baby,...

The 1980s were a strange time for American cinema. The bleakness of 1970s cinema was falling out of vogue, and several members of the "film school generation" of filmmakers — the ones that broke out in the '70s — began turning to more complex, effects-based pictures that received giant studio budgets. Fantasy and sci-fi were big business in the '80s (largely thanks to the success of "Star Wars" in 1977), and the decade's most popular movies tended to be kid-friendly adventure films. The fantasy films of the 1980s left a deep mark on the Gen-x kids that saw them and, to this day, lists of the Best Films of the '80s tend to boast genre films like "Back to the Future," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," "The Terminator," "Die Hard," "The Thing," et al.

Coming hand-in-hand with the rising tide of commercial fantasy, however, was a powerful, punk-rock, anti-conservative streak.

New Year’s Eve is finally here, and there’s no better way to kick it off than to watch a feel-good movie with your loved ones. Entering 2025, you want to feel hopeful, warm, and inspired, so whether you intend to have some quiet time or a blast with your friends and family, a great movie can really elevate the experience.

Wil and Jaden Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness | Columbia Pictures

But it’s such a drag to go on Netflix and browse through thousands of options for God knows how long. So, save yourself some time and go through this curated list of movies that would be perfect to stream this New Year, trust us!

5. Klaus: a heartwarming animation for the holidays Klaus | Netflix

Klaus is a stunning animated film that chronicles the origins of Santa Claus. Even though Christmas is gone, the spirit of the festival...

Over the years, some great movies have been made against the backdrop of Christmas that fans love to revisit year after year. While most of these movies are either critically acclaimed or box office blockbusters, some failed to resonate with audiences and critics when they were released but have since gone on to become cult classics. Will Smith’s Collateral Beauty is one such film.

Collateral Beauty (2016) | Credit: Warner Bros.

The film is based on Will Smith’s character, Howard Inlet. A pretty successful advertising executive, Howard ends up being seriously depressed after his daughter’s death, feeling as if there was no life left in him. Retreating from life, putting his and his company’s life in jeopardy, he ends up writing letters to Love, Time, and Death.

However, one thing leads to another, and he ends up meeting the three entities, ultimately realizing life is worth living despite the loss and heartbreak.

These child actors starred in iconic films – here's what they're up to now.Iniversal Studios, 20th Century Fox;new Line CinemaDaniel Tay – 'Elf'Daniel Tay starred in 2003's 'Elf' alongside Will Ferrell.Warner Bros. Entertainment; Mega

Daniel Tay was 11 when he acted opposite Will Ferrell in 2003's Elf as Buddy's half-brother, Michael Hobbs. But after making American Splendor (2003) and Doogal (2006), he quit acting to take a drastically different path.

He graduated from Yale in 2014 with a degree in economics and became an Sat tutor and bilingual editor. Now 32, Tay volunteers at a New York hospital and still has an agent in case he's called on to make a comeback.

Eric Lloyd – 'The Santa Clause'Eric Lloyd portrayed Charlie Calvin's role in the 1994 hit 'The Santa Claus' and its two sequels.Youtube;Mega

From age eight to 20, Eric Lloyd played Charlie Calvin in 1994's The Santa Clause and its two sequels.

Adam McKay got candid about where he thinks Wicked will be in a few years.

The director and producer took to X (formerly Twitter) earlier this week to share his thoughts about Jon M. Chu’s record-breaking musical adaptation and how he doesn’t think it’ll be received as well down the line.

“On a pure storytelling level Wicked Part 1 is right up there as one of the most radical big studio Hollywood movies ever made,” he wrote in his first post, adding, “I know Part 2 swings back to the center a bit but Part 1 is nakedly about radicalization in the face of careerism, fascism, propaganda.”

He noted a few other movies that come to mind when he thinks of “radical” projects: Bridge on the River Kwai, The Sound of Music, the Searchers, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Hunger Games and Citizen Kane. He also mentioned The Best Years of Our Lives,...

On Friday nights (and holidays!), IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.

For December 2024, we’re celebrating the end of the year with a stocking full of Strange Holiday TV Specials and Seasonal Midnight Movies.

First, read the Bait: a weird and wonderful pick from any time in film. Then, try the Bite: a breakdown of the movie’s ending, impact, and any other spoilers you’d want.

The Bait: This Christmas, Give Yourself the Gift of Zero Irony

When “Last Christmas” hit theaters shortly before the pandemic, critics roasted the holiday rom com at such high heat they made “chestnuts on an open fire” sound chilly. That’s a shame, but maybe the best thing that could have happened to Universal’s all-time ode to cinematic whiplash. Five years later, it’s a new cult classic in the making — perfect for midnight,...

In many ways, an ending can make or break a movie. Think about a film like 2000’s “Pay it Forward,” a schmaltzy, sentimental drama about a child who inspires others to put good deeds out into the world with no expectation of anything coming back their way. In the hands of director Mimi Leder and led by strong performances from Haley Joel Osmont and Helen Hunt, the film manages to serve its purpose and tell a compelling story about being of service to others, all of which is undercut in its conclusion when Osmont’s 12 year-old character is stabbed to death at school. It’s a horrible, traumatic wrap-up for a film that otherwise preaches goodness, like having George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life” fall into a manhole as he was running through Bedford Falls to reunite with his family.

For some films, their entire structure is built around the ending,...

Guillermo del Toro has given an insightful explanation as to why the 1946 classic is his favorite Christmas movie. With the holidays coming to a crescendo, there’s no better companion than the holiday flicks that capture the essence of this time of year. Christmas films have become their own genre, providing audiences with movies set during the holidays, whether it’s a rom-com, a coming-of-age story, a simple drama, or even a horror flick. Throughout the years, there hasn't been any genre touched by Christmas, resulting in some truly imaginative and ultimately iconic stories.

The Home Alone franchise lectured audiences on the importance of family during Christmas, sugarcoating the lesson with hilarious hijinks and booby traps set up by a boy who’s been accidentally left behind by his family on the holiday. For those who craved an intimate, more emotionally complex affair, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara provide powerful...

Disney’s “Mufasa: The Lion King” roared to the top of the U.K.-Ireland box office in its debut weekend with £4.4 million ($5.5 million), according to numbers from Comscore through Dec. 23.

As the holiday season reaches its peak, Universal’s “Wicked” continues to enchant in its fifth frame, conjuring £2.5 million for a robust £48.2 million running total. Disney’s “Moana 2” sailed to third place with £2 million, pushing its four-week cume to £29.7 million.

Studiocanal’s “Paddington in Peru” remained steady in fourth, adding £653,489 in its seventh weekend for a £31.3 million total. Paramount’s “Gladiator II” rounded out the top five with £497,569, reaching £29.6 million after six weeks.

In sixth place, Black Bear’s “Conclave” collected £331,308 for a £4.9 million total, while Trafalgar Releasing’s “Ivanov/Wright The Nutcracker” Royal Opera House ballet presentation earned £227,082 in seventh. Sony’s “Kraven the Hunter” collected £171,942 in eighth position for a total of £1.2 million, while Park Circus...

There’s still plenty of time to fully get in the Christmas spirit. Whether this be through holiday favorite films like Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas or with newer hits like The Holiday and Last Christmas, many options — cable and streaming — exist to watch festive films and TV shows.

Below find a list of classic Christmas movie titles by alphabetical order and where they are streaming or airing on cable this season. Further down, a list of holiday-themed television show episodes is outlined, and various networks’ offerings for Christmas will be sprinkled throughout.

Where To Watch Christmas Movies:

A Charlie Brown Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas is available to stream via Apple TV+.

Related: Deadline’s 50 Classic Holiday Movies Gallery: From ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ And ‘A Christmas Story’ To ‘Die Hard’ And ‘The Holiday’

A Christmas Story & A Christmas Story Christmas

Bob Clark’s hit film starring Peter Billingsley,...

For most of each year, Karolyn Grimes leads the sort of quiet, family-centric life that one might expect any retired 84-year-old grandmother to lead — but come December, that all changes. Indeed, when The Hollywood Reporter connected with her by telephone last week, the Seattle resident was, for the 22nd time, being celebrated at a festival in Seneca Falls, New York, and she would soon be rushing off to Detroit, where she would be a guest of honor at a similar gathering. Christmas was coming, and like Santa Claus, she had many places to go and people to see before the 25th.

That’s because 78 years ago, at the age of six, Grimes spent two weeks on the set of Frank Capra’s film It’s a Wonderful Life playing Zuzu Bailey, the daughter of Jimmy Stewart’s George and Donna Reed’s Mary — and in so doing, totally unbeknownst to her,...

While it might not seem very Christmas-y, Robert Eggers’ horror remake “Nosferatu” does partly take place at Christmas, which is a very unhappy holiday for all involved. And since the movie opened on Dec. 25, you can also spend your own Christmas break watching it.

Naturally, horror and holidays go together like, well… The Grinch and the town of Whoville. Here’s a few of the better genre offerings with maximum — and frightfully merry — mayhem.

Plus, there’s no end of killer Santa movies, including “Violent Night” with David Harbour and one where a robotic Santa run amok, if those are more to your liking. But for now, check out our list, below:

Olivia Hussey in “Black Christmas” (Credit: Warner Bros.) Black Christmas (1974)

Bob Clark’s still-shocking slasher takes place at a sorority house over the holidays where a creepy guy keeps calling… before he begins killing. Olivia Hussey, Karen Allen...

Merry Christmas Eve!

There will be a Christmas Eve Midnight Mass led by Pope Francis airing on NBC tonight starting at 11:30 p.m. Et until 1 a.m. Et.

NBC News will air the special broadcast from Vatican City in Italy. There will be an English translation voiceover as well. In 2023, Father Manuel Dorantes from St. Mary of the Lake-Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Chicago provided English commentary for viewers.

Keep reading to find out more…

You can also stream the ceremony on the Vatican’s YouTube channel.

The Sistine Chapel Choir will provide the music for the mass, which traditionally begins with “Noel.”

The Vatican’s Christmas tree in front of St. Peter’s Basilica will also be on display for the Midnight Mass, as has been tradition since 1982, begun by Pope John Paul II.

On Christmas Day (December 25), the Pope will deliver his traditional “Urbi et Orbi...

Every town has its own Christmas traditions, and in South Park, Colorado, it’s Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo rubbing shit all over the place as he spreads holiday cheer. It began with him defecating on pretty much every square inch of Kyle’s bathroom back in December of 1997, and the tradition has continued ever since.

I re-watched all seven episodes of South Park where Mr. Hankey appears for more than a cameo, and then ranked them by exactly how much he shits on the town. Honestly, it was just about the most festive thing I could think of.

7 ‘A Very Crappy Christmas,’ Season 4, Episode 17

This episode introduces Mr. Hankey’s family. But despite Mr. Hankey having a fairly large supporting role, he doesn’t get poop on much of anything. That said, “A Very Crappy Christmas” does contain the “The Circle of Life” parody “The Circle of Poo,” which...

Take a look at these Christmas cuties and their lives now.Movieclips/YouTube; Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers/YouTubeDaniel Tay – 'Elf'Warner Bros. Entertainment/YouTube; Mega

Daniel Tay was 11 when he acted opposite Will Ferrell in 2003's Elf as Buddy's half-brother, Michael Hobbs. But after making American Splendor (2003) and Doogal (2006), he quit acting to take a drastically different path.

He graduated from Yale in 2014 with a degree in economics and became an Sat tutor and bilingual editor. Now 32, Tay volunteers at a New York hospital and still has an agent in case he's called on to make a comeback!

Eric Lloyd – 'The Santa Clause'Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers/YouTube; Mega

From age 8 to 20, Eric Lloyd played Charlie Calvin in 1994's The Santa Clause and its two sequels.

Since then, the 38-year-old has added comedian, musician and producer to his résumé, and starred in the 2018 movie The Onyx of Wall Street. He partnered with...

Adam McKay is applauding just how “radical” Jon M. Chu’s musical adaptation “Wicked” is.

The director tweeted that “Wicked,” which is only one half of Chu’s two-part vision, is one of the biggest swings in Hollywood. McKay explained that “Wicked” is “nakedly about radicalization in the face of careerism, fascism, [and] propaganda,” which feels especially poignant in America today.

“On a pure storytelling level, ‘Wicked Part 1’ is right up there as one of the most radical big studio Hollywood movies ever made,” McKay wrote. “I know ‘Part 2’ swings back to the center a bit but ‘Part 1’ is nakedly about radicalization in the face of careerism, fascism, [and] propaganda.”

He continued, “What’s really striking about ‘Wicked Part 1’ is that it’s coming out Now when America has never been more right wing and propagandized. And yes, I know the theatrical production and the book are much older so part of...

Don’t stress out trying to find your favorites – we’ve got them all right here!

Streaming is hard sometimes, especially when it comes to finding all those feel-good holiday movies you want to binge for the rest of the week. You won’t really find one streamer that has all of the big Christmas movies in one place; rather, they are quite spread out across the board.

We’ve scoured through endless lists of Christmas content to find all of the best streamers where you’ll find all of your favorite flicks. From “Home Alone” to “Elf” and everything in between. Here’s where you can stream the best Christmas movies in 2024.

Where to stream the best Christmas movies

Disney+: Chock-full of Christmas content this year, with greats like “Home Alone”, “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” and “The Santa Clause” series.

Hulu: A great option for Christmas movies this year,...

Christmas Eve is that night that we would all love to get an early night, but it’s impossible. The kids are too excited for Santa, and that means parents are up late waiting for them to go to bed. So, you’ll want to know what’s on the TV schedule tonight, Tuesday, Dec. 24.

The good news is broadcast TV networks still have something to watch throughout the night. Now you’ll just need to decide whether you want a rerun, a Christmas movie, or a game show.

The Price Is Right at Night, It’s a Wonderful Life, and more

Sadly, it’s not Die Hard but there is a great Christmas movie airing on NBC tonight. It’s a Wonderful Life gets another primetime slot, and tonight is the perfect night for it. After all, the story takes place on Christmas Eve. This is one of those...

When it comes to Christmas classics, images of snowy landscapes, heartwarming reunions, and festive miracles often come to mind. While Western audiences often treasure films like It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol, the world of anime has its own unsung masterpiece in Satoshi Kon’s Tokyo Godfathers, which was released in 2003.

Tokyo Godfathers | Credit: Studio Madhouse

Set on the premise of Christmas Eve in Tokyo, this film goes beyond conventional holiday storytelling. Unlike the fantastical works of Hayao Miyazaki, which often transport viewers to magical realms, Tokyo Godfathers is grounded in the raw reality of urban life and human struggle. But still, it stands out as an essential Christmas classic; not because of its dazzling animation or whimsical worlds, but due to its deep exploration of family, redemption, and the human spirit.

Tokyo Godfathers: Subverting and reinventing Christmas themes

Set on the theme of Christmas Eve, Tokyo Godfathers...

Paul McCartney has written a classic Christmas song, and now he’s hoping to write music for one of the most beloved holiday movies. McCartney explained that a theater producer reached out to him about possibly collaborating on a musical version of It’s a Wonderful Life. McCartney has been working on the project for years, but he said he hopes to see it come to the stage soon.

Paul McCartney has plans to write music for a Christmas film

In 2016, theater producer Bill Kenwright reached out to McCartney about a musical version of It’s a Wonderful Life. McCartney was uncertain at first, but the idea began to grow on him.

“Like many of these things, this all started with an email,” McCartney told The Guardian in 2019. “Bill had asked if it was something I might be up for. Writing a musical is not something that had ever really appealed to me,...

The holidays are upon us, so you'd expect the major streaming services' top titles to be yuletide classics that the whole family can enjoy. This is hilariously not the case, however, and it's either a sign of broadening tastes or coarsening sensibilities.

I'm not going to take issue with viewers getting into the Christmas spirit by watching such violent delights as "Die Hard," "Silent Night, Deadly Night" or any of the Shane Black classics set around the holiday. I might just plop down and run a marathon of "Lethal Weapon," "The Last Boy Scout," "The Long Kiss Goodnight," and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" myself on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is when you bust out "It's a Wonderful Life" (a remarkably dark movie itself) or any one of the adaptations of "A Christmas Carol."

But if FlixPatrol's report on the most popular movies currently streaming on Max is to be believed,...

When the bells ring on Christmas Eve, you can bet many celebrants will imagine a chorus of angels getting their wings. Such is the impact of It’s a Wonderful Life, a once-forgotten movie that was not a success in its time but has become the most wonderful of holiday TV traditions. Confession: I once stayed home from school after seeing a daytime listing, which turned out to be in error, that the then-obscure film was being shown. Ironically, not long after, Wonderful Life went into the public domain when its copyright accidentally lapsed and was hard to miss. Everett Collection Frequent showings through the 1980s on hundreds of local stations restored the film’s reputation as a classic worthy of repeated viewings. Once NBC secured exclusive TV rights in 1994, the heartwarming 1946 sleeper earned its annual spot as a Christmas Eve family must-see. Frank Capra, the Oscar-winning director known for his...

Every year, It’s A Wonderful Life stirs up a range of emotions. My heart breaks as George Bailey has to put his dreams on hold time and time again, and gets as crushed as he is by the weight and frustration of it all. However, it’s all made worthwhile by the beautiful, uplifting spirit that it finds throughout.

By the time of It’s A Wonderful Life’s ending and Harry declaring his brother “the richest man in town,” I’m guaranteed to be crying happy tears. It’s a perfect classic Christmas movie, and watching it on Christmas Eve at my local theater is one of my favorite traditions, as it is for so many. “Merry Christmas, movie house,” indeed!

Among the joy, sadness, romance, and frustration, though, is anger. It may not be an emotion commonly associated with It’s A Wonderful Life, but said ire is an important part of it,...

Ho ho ho, ’tis the Holiday season, and Christmas is nigh upon us. Also, high time that people stop talking like this. Christmas is most fondly defined with the usage of words like “tis” and “twas”, and talking about things like Santa and egg nog. Surely the world has moved past that? There are plenty of other ways to keep the old Christmas traditions alive. One of them is through cinema. The magic of moviemaking has always enthralled, and ever since It’s a Wonderful Life was released, people have religiously watched movies about Christmas with their families. Anything around the subject catches your fancy; we have got you covered. Let us define your Christmas with this list of the best Christmas movies you can stream on everyone’s favorite Ott platform Disney Netflix. Happy reading!

1. Klaus (2019)

The Christmas spirit is most gleefully captured in Klaus’ plot, which is the textbook...

’Twas the weekend before Christmas… With the holiday season upon us, many of us are starting to revisit some of our of Christmas favourites. I actually went to see a 4K re-release of the original Black Christmas last night here in Montreal. There’s something comforting upon returning to our old favourites every year, whether they be traditional Christmas classics, or perhaps something a little more modern, like Die Hard, which, despite many claiming otherwise, has totally established itself as a Christmas classic over the years.

Whatever the case, there are certainly Loads of Christmas movies, with everything from old-time classics like It’s A Wonderful Life or some of the many versions of A Christmas Carol (the Alistair Sim version is the best Imo), or something like Love Actually, which is virtually inescapable at this time of the year.

With that in mind, we’d love to figure out just...

Some cliche somewhere said that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ This has proven to be the case for me and especially when it comes to fan art. I have always sought out great fan art and have wanted to share it with as many people as possible. “Awesome Art We’ve Found Around The Net” is the outlet for that passion. In this column, I will showcase the kick-ass artwork of some great artists, with the hopes that these artists get the attention they deserve. That’s the aim. If you have any questions or comments, or even suggestions of art or other great artists, feel free to contact me at any time at theodorebond@joblo.com.

Black Christmas by Mark Gibeault

Die Hard by Forsaken Folklore

Gremlins by Saniose

The Grinch by Ronyzon

Home Alone by Syh

It’s A Wonderful Life by Paul Butcher

The Muppets Christmas...

The holidays are here and many are going to start spending time with their families this weekend!

As Christmas day approaches and you have down time, there is so much to watch, including hundreds of Christmas and holiday movies.

But, if you’re a little tired of those or want something different, there are several unconventional Christmas movies that are an absolute must watch.

While we love watching Home Alone, Elf, and It’s A Wonderful Life over and over again, but we also like to give the unconventional holiday movies a little love too.

The Harry Potter movies (which feature a lot of Christmas scenes), and maybe Iron Man 3, might come to your mind first.

JustJared.com has gathered up more 10 more unconventional Christmas movies for you to consider this holiday season, and where to watch them!

Click inside to check out the 10 Unconventional Christmas Movies You Should Be Watching at Christmas…...

While The Big Bang Theory’s Missy story was never entirely upbeat, Young Sheldon made its saddest twist way worse. By Young Sheldon’s finale, Sheldon’s sister Missy had become just as important a character in the spinoff as her twin brother. Missy might not have been a child prodigy like Sheldon, but she was a bright, funny, and engaging character in her own right. Unfortunately, Missy’s adult self rarely interacted with The Big Bang Theory’s cast of characters, and when she did, the original show’s rare updates on her personal life were less than hopeful.

Related The Big Bang Theory’s New Spinoff Needs To Fix One Ending Mistake

The Big Bang Theory's new spinoff needs to pick up where the original show left off when it comes to one main character's infamously divisive ending.

The Big Bang Theory revealed that Missy’s personal...

After spending the '80s and early '90s becoming the pre-eminent action star of his generation and feuding with Sylvester Stallone over the title, Arnold Schwarzenegger spent the latter half of the '90s trying to prove he could front charming family-friendly fare -- and wouldn't you know it, he could. Of course, a man who hailed from a small Austrian township and conquered bodybuilding, married a Kennedy, became a movie star, and launched a successful career in U.S. politics was never really going to struggle with something as trivial as a career rebrand. So, '90s kids were treated to all manner of surprisingly decent family comedy, from "Kindergarten Cop" to the Christmas favorite "Jingle All the Way."

Don't let that 20% score on Rotten Tomatoes score fool you: "Jingle All the Way" not only had kids of my generation enraptured, it also had something for the adults,...

Joey King is supporting a cause close to her heart.

The 25-year-old actress participated in a live read of the classic movie It’s a Wonderful Life on Saturday (December 14) at the Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank, Calif.

The event supported the Ed Asner Family Center, an organization whose mission is to foster acceptance and enrichment for those striving for wholeness in all aspects of life. Through a diverse range of mental health services and innovative, interactive programs, the Center proudly employs autistic self-advocates as camp counselors, educators, and assistants.

“I have family members who have autism. People with autism are just so incredible, and this foundation just uplifts that,” Joey told Extra.

Also participating in the live read were members of the SpongeBob SquarePants original cast, including Tom Kenny.

Fyi: Joey is wearing FRANKIE4 loafers.

Although it has an ignominious reputation, Adam Sandler’s holiday movie Eight Crazy Nights is nowhere near as bad as critics claimed. In 2002, it truly seemed as if Adam Sandler could do no wrong. After a successful star-making run on Saturday Night Live, Sandler starred in a string of hit ‘90s comedies that elevated him the Hollywood A-list. Billy Madison, Happy Gilmore, The Waterboy, and Big Daddy were all huge hits, while 1998’s The Wedding Singer proved that Sandler could also anchor a sweet rom-com. This era featured some of Sandler’s best characters and made his box office gold.

Related Every Adam Sandler Movie His Family Members Appear In (& Who They Play)

Comedy star Adam Sandler has a habit of casting friends and family in his movies. Here's a guide to every time his family members appear.

However, the failure of 2000’s Little Nicky should have been a sign for Sandler.

Frank Capra is one of a handful of directors, like Alfred Hitchcock, John Ford, and Steven Spielberg, whose name practically signifies its own genre, and like those directors, his body of work is far more complex and varied than the broad strokes by which he’s often defined. Capra tends to be thought of in one of two ways: as either the light, breezy director of handsomely crafted comedies like “Platinum Blonde,” “It Happened One Night,” and “You Can’t Take it With You,” or as the inspirational chronicler of American values and politics who made “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town,” and “It’s a Wonderful Life.”

Both characterizations are true, but they only scratch the surface of Capra’s breadth. His full range is on glorious display in what is unquestionably the physical media event of the season, Sony’s release of the “Frank Capra at Columbia” collection.

We would certainly love more episodes of Night Court. The Melissa Rauch-led series has been a great revival of the classic, and it’s gets funnier with each episode. There is some bad news for fans, though.

The episode that aired on Tuesday, Dec. 17 was the last of 2024. Yes, we’ve only had four episodes of the season so far, and the show is already heading on its winter break. There is a lot of good news to follow, though.

Why is Night Court on a break?

If you’ve watched broadcast shows for some time, you’ll know that this break is normal. We tend to see shows go off the air in late-November or early-December for the Christmas and New Year period. Some networks do push their fall and winter finales into this week before Christmas if the schedules allow.

The linear ratings take a dip this time of year.

Welcome to IndieWire After Dark, where we pick a new theme for our midnight movie programming every month!

Join us on Friday nights (and special occasions!) to explore some of the strangest fringe films available at any hour in the Streaming Age.

The lights are twinkling and the temperature is dropping. But in December 2024, the merry-making vibes are distinctly and resolutely… off. Lean into that discomfort with some Holiday Midnight Movie (and TV!) Madness as we celebrate a weird year.

After several particularly stressful months in current events, the pre-Christmas season feels oddly foreboding. That might be a welcome reprieve for those of us who are usually glum during the holidays (just me?), but the blues can sneak up on anyone. Whether you’re battling a bickering family or dealing with loneliness, weirdo cinema has the power to fight your funk with more funk.

When in doubt, clown it out!

Making a successful movie in Hollywood is a challenging feat for even the best filmmakers. Then again, sometimes even the greatest cinematic endeavors get overlooked as a result of circumstances beyond their control. For every surefire hit like "Jurassic Park," "The Avengers," and "The Dark Knight," there exists a handful of pictures moviegoers ignore before discovering them years, even decades, after their initial release.

Classics like "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Office Space" failed miserably at the box office but eventually became beloved cinematic treasures after hitting home video and cable. Others, like "Hocus Pocus," steadily accrued a devoted fan base over time, while "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" fell flat on its face but quickly reworked itself into a campy treat audiences could participate in, leading to prolonged success.

While there are too many belated hits to list in this article, we've compiled a handful of our favorite movies that...

Jump back to Christmas Eve, 2023. I was feeling a bit of a case of the old “Bah Humbugs”, and while flipping through my various streaming services, I was thrilled to see that PlutoTV has a 24 hour channel dedicated to perhaps the greatest Christmas movie of all time, It’s a Wonderful Life. Within seconds of tuning in, I realized that something very, very wrong was happening with this version of the movie.

Indeed, not since old man Potter stole $8000 from Uncle Billy and the Savings & Loan has poor George Bailey had to deal with so much misfortune on Christmas Eve. What was wrong with it? Simple – the version of It’s a Wonderful Life streaming on the service has an alternate score. Indeed, Dimitri Tiomkin’s classic score has been replaced by a new score that sounds like it was lifted out of a Hallmark holiday movie. No, scratch that. That...

Although there is no shortage of Christmas movies out there, very few of them end up lasting a long time in the public consciousness. The last movie to truly prove itself long-term was the 2003 comedy "Elf," which is up there on most people's rewatch list every time the holidays come around. For the most part, though, our favorite Christmas movies are the older ones, like "Home Alone" (1990), "A Christmas Story" (1983), "A Christmas Carol" (1951), or "Miracle on 34th Street" (1947).

Before all of those was "It's a Wonderful Life," which came out in 1946 and is now considered the absolute best film the Christmas genre has to offer. With a score of 8.6 out of 10 on IMDb, the movie is ranked 21st among the site's top movies ever. In 2024, at least, nobody's got a bad thing to say about the film. It's a heartwarming story about a guy who learns to value the wonderful life he has,...

The man behind some of the most colorful and whimsical movies of the 21st century has picked out his favorite Christmas movie of all time, and -- surprise, surprise -- it's one of the best Technicolor films (and MGM musicals) of the 20th century. Wes Anderson was surveyed by the British Film Institute this week alongside filmmakers like Luca Guadagnino, Alice Rohrwacher, and Guillermo del Toro, with all of them picking their single most-loved holiday season movie.

The list includes popular favorites like "It's A Wonderful Life" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" alongside more unexpected picks, like "The Godfather Part III" and the '60s neo-noir "Blast of Silence." Anderson, however, went with "Meet Me in St. Louis," which he calls his "favorite musical ever made." The 1944 Vincente Minnelli film pulled from a series of short stories to bring us a portrait of the Missourian Smith family, specifically spotlighting a...

A great Christmas movie will not only make the grade for the test of time, but it can become a beloved part of a person’s life. Ask 15 people which is their favorite holiday film, and you may get 15 different titles. Our photo gallery above focuses on the 15 titles we believe are the best of all time. Scroll through the gallery, read our descriptions, and debate with us the order, ranked best to worst, and which ones you think are missing.

SEETop 20 Greatest Christmas TV Episodes, Ranked Worst to Best

Our list is led off by the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring James Stewart, a film that was deemed a box office bomb when it was first released. It was the relentless airings on television over the past few decades that made it a favorite for many families. Stewart is also featured in the lesser-known but still wonderful “The Shop Around the Corner.

Any examination of It's A Wonderful Life isn't complete without acknowledging the fact that contemporary reviews were far from universally positive, and that it made Rko Films a loss of more than $500k. Derided by some for its sentimentality and simplistic ideas, Frank Capra's masterpiece has grown in stature and appreciation in the decades since its release to such an extent that that context appears entirely baffling. You can't force good taste, I guess.

Endlessly replayed at Christmas over the years, It's A Wonderful Life is returning to cinemas once more almost 80 years after its release, as if anyone needed any excuse to watch it again. It has earned its place as one of the greatest ever Christmas movies, despite Capra never really aspiring to that specific achievement. He wanted it to be a celebration of life, and he succeeded in a way that he could surely never have predicted.

A great Christmas movie will not only make the grade for the test of time, but it can become a beloved part of a person’s life. Ask 15 people which is their favorite holiday film, and you may get 15 different titles. Our photo gallery focuses on the 15 titles we believe are the best of all time. Scroll through the gallery, read our descriptions, and debate with us the order, ranked best to worst, and which ones you think are missing.

Our list is led off by the classic “It’s a Wonderful Life” starring James Stewart, a film that was deemed a box office bomb when it was first released. It was the relentless airings on television over the past few decades that made it a favorite for many families. Stewart is also featured in the lesser-known but still wonderful “The Shop Around the Corner.” While that movie is uplifting, other...