• How the Grinch Stole Christmas 

This live-action adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is a holiday favorite for the whole family. The story follows the Grinch (played by Jim Carrey) and Cindy Lou Who (Taylor Momsen) as they find true Christmas spirit and learn to love the holiday. 

In the town of Whoville, everyone loves Christmas and goes above and beyond to make sure they get all their presents and decorations set. Little Cindy Lou Who has her own doubts about the holiday season. She starts wondering about who the Grinch really is, and why he is hated so much.  Cindy Lou tells the town that they should name him the Holiday Cheermister. The Grinch comes back to town, and drama stirs. This leads him to steal presents, food, and decorations to get back at the town. He realizes that they don’t need materialistic items to enjoy the holiday, and goes down to rejoin the town in celebration. 

This movie had an energetic cast and a dedicated crew. From the makeup to the set, you can tell a lot of work went into the creation of this movie. This movie is entertaining for people of all ages, and has a small lesson built in for the younger audience members. 

• Home Alone

This is a family-friendly holiday movie that could provide entertainment for all ages. 8 year old Kevin gets frustrated with his big family, and wishes he could live alone. His mother lets him go sleep in the attic, and in the morning, Kevin is forgotten at home while his family goes on a trip to Paris. 

Kevin first viewed this as a wish come true, but then this becomes a challenge for him. He has to get groceries on his own, order pizza himself, and manages to build many small machines around the house trying to stop kidnappers. 

The dedication of the cast and crew is evident throughout the movie. The small details on the set stood out throughout the movie and the work of the cast didn’t go unnoticed.

This movie has a lesson and entertainment for younger audience viewers, and humor for older viewers. This movie is easily a family hit and can be enjoyed at the holidays.  

• The Nightmare Before Christmas

This movie follows Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, as he learns about Christmas. He brings Christmas Spirit to the town, and tries to take over the holiday. With all good intentions, he accidentally ruins Christmas for everyone. 

There’s a lot to unpack with this movie. The animations have all the little details people don’t think about. The characters are all funny and add humor and creativity to the storyline.

The soundtrack to the movie really stood out to me. A soundtrack could make or break a movie, and this one definitely made it. The songs are catchy, and the most commonly known one being “This is Halloween”. 

This movie is the perfect combination of Halloween and Christmas, and is suitable to watch during both holiday seasons.