The Thanksgiving feast is over. You’ve just finished scavaging all of those great Black Friday deals online. Still need to pick up some stocking stuffers that won’t break the bank? Tap or click here for 15 great gift ideas.
Now that your holiday shopping event is over, what’s next? It’s the perfect time to bundle up on the couch and do some serious binge-watching.
Don’t have a watchlist ready to go? No worries. We’ve got some fun suggestions to help you get through this long weekend with a smile.
Movies you can’t miss this holiday season
“Planes, Trains and Automobiles”
Now, you can’t stream this holiday classic for free but it’s worth a few bucks if you don’t own a copy. You can rent it from Amazon Prime Video, iTunes or YouTube.
“Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” starring Steve Martin and John Candy, is a classic tale of holiday travel gone bad — perfect for this Thanksgiving week.
If you haven’t seen this movie, check it out. You won’t be disappointed.
“Home for the Holidays”
Here’s another holiday classic that came out in 1995. Can you call a ’90s movie a classic?
Either way, “Home for the Holidays” stars Holly Hunter, Robert Downey Jr and Anne Bancroft. Here’s the premise: After losing her job, making out with her soon-to-be ex-boss and finding out her daughter plans to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend, Claudia has to face spending the holiday with her family.
You can rent this movie on YouTube and Google Play. If you have a premium subscription on Hulu, Starz or Sling TV, you can watch if for free.
Check out the trailer below.
“White Christmas”
This Christmas classic stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney. “White Christmas” was released in 1954 and has been a holiday staple ever since.
It’s about two war buddies who end up falling for two sisters and follow them to a resort owned by their former commanding officer, who is in danger of losing the place.
You can stream “White Christmas” on Netflix.
“How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
The Grinch decides to rob Whoville of Christmas in this updated tale. But a dash of kindness from little Cindy Lou Who and her family may be enough to melt his heart.
This movie was released in 2000 and stars Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen and Jeffrey Tambor. You can stream it on Netflix.
“The Christmas Chronicles”
Siblings Kate and Teddy Pierce hatch a scheme to capture Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. When the plan goes awry, the kids join forces with a somewhat jolly Saint Nick and his loyal elves to save the holiday before it’s too late.
This is a relatively new movie. It came out in 2018 and stars Kurt Russell, Darby Camp and Judah Lewis.
Best of all, if you want more, the sequel just came out on Nov. 18, 2020. Check out the trailer and see what the hype is about.
“The Nightmare Before Christmas”
Here’s another ’90s classic. “The Nightmare Before Christmas” came out in 1993 and takes place between Halloween and Christmas — perfect!
Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas home causes confusion. It’s one of Tim Burton’s better-known films and stars Danny Elfman, Chris Sarandon and Catherine O’Hara.
You can stream it with your Disney+ account.
“Jingle All The Way”
In this 1996 classic, a father vows to get his son a Turbo Man action figure for Christmas; however, every store in town is selling out and he must travel all over town and battle everyone else to try to find one.
It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad and the late great Phil Hartman. You can rent it now on your Amazon Prime account.
If you aren’t in the mood to spend the entire weekend watching holiday-themed movies, keep reading and we’ll give you a few more options.
Great family films to catch
“Big”
After wishing to be made big, a teenage boy wakes the next morning to find himself mysteriously transformed into the body of an adult. It stars Tom Hanks, Elizabeth Perkins and Robert Loggia.
You can rent it on YouTube, iTunes, Google Play and Vudu. You can also find it on Amazon Prime and Disney+.
“The Mandalorian”
Now, this isn’t a movie, but it is one of the hottest streaming series around right now. It takes place in the Star Wars universe and follows the travails of a lone bounty hunter in the galaxy’s outer reaches, far from the authority of the New Republic.
It was created by Jon Favreau and stars Pedro Pascal, Kyle Pacek and Tait Fletcher. Season’s one and two are streaming on Disney+.
Bonus: This one always sparks a debate
“Die Hard” was released in 1988, more than 30 years ago, can you believe it? Anyway, it’s been the cause of many debates around many households for decades.
What’s the issue? Is it a Christmas movie or not?
The plot deals with a New York cop who travels to California to visit his estranged wife during her company’s Christmas party when chaos erupts. German terrorists hold everyone attending the party hostage at Nakatomi Plaza while attempting to crack a safe inside the building.
It’s currently streaming on HBO Max. But it’s such a good flick you might want to buy a copy so you can make it a holiday tradition at your home. Grab the special 30th-anniversary edition on Blue-ray from Amazon.
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