Concrete Opinions...: just hear those sleigh bells ringing...(part 1)

My favorite time of the year has arrived!

As long as I can remember, I have always loved the Christmas holiday season. I love the decorations, the music, the movies, the food...even the shopping. In an attempt to spread holiday joy, i've prepared some lists of my favorite holiday songs and movies that are sure to put anyone in the holiday spirit. I'll start with movies because you'll need more time to fit all of these in by the 25th.

(disclaimer: you'll probably notice that I haven't picked any of the classic christmas movies, such as It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th St, A Christmas Story, etc. Reason being, this is a list of my favorites and they are not my favorites. They are great movies and if this list was top 15 or 20, they may have been included. Also, I grew up on a majority of the movies below, so I consider them my own classics.)

My Favorite Christmas/Holiday Movies

10. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

This movie actually takes place during Thanksgiving, but it's a great one to begin with.

9. The Family Stone

8. pretty much all of the Rankin/Bass tv specials (e.g. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, etc)

7. Muppet Christmas Carrol

Muppets, Michael Caine, Charles Dickens, and musical numbers...what's not to love?

6. Elf
Will Ferrel in a "pretty" costume, the best coffee in the world, Zooey Deschanel singing "Baby It's Cold Outside", and one of my favorite movie quotes, "i'm in love, i'm in love, and i don't care who knows it!". Great movie.

5. Home Alone

Buzz, you're girlfriend...Woof!

4. Tim Burton's: The Nightmare Before Christmas

I saw this at the theater when it first came out for my birthday and I still know most of the songs by heart. I remember after seeing this, my friends and I kept imagining all the possible holiday combinations they could do for sequels. I absolutely love this movie and always look forward for Halloween and Christmas time at Disneyland when Nightmare takes over the haunted mansion.

3. Love Actually

This is one of my all time favorite movies. I love the stories, characters, and actors/actresses. Richard Curtis is one of my favorite writers/directors and i'll see anything he does. Also, Craig Armstrong's score is fantastic.

Bill Nighy as the aging rock and roll legend, Billy Mack, gives us an unforgettable performance and steals the show with this instant Christmas classic, "Christmas is All Around Us"...even though it is a "festering turn of a record".

2. Edward Scissorhands

If you haven't already noticed, I have been including the trailers for all of these movies. For Edward, I have included my favorite scene, The Ice Dance. Also, I almost chose this as my favorite Christmas movie, probably because it is my favorite movie. However, since this movie does not take place during Christmas the entire time, I decided it wasn't fair to make it #1.

1. National Lampoons: Christmas Vacation

Hands down my favorite Christmas movie (and Vacation movie). If any of you come from big families that get together for the holidays, you will relate to this movie. The entire cast is fantastic, but who really "steals the show" are Nicholas Guest and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the Griswolds yuppy neighbors Todd and Margo Chester.