Starting the Perfect Christmas Movie Collection

Lisa Miller
There is nothing better than gathering the family together to watch a favorite Christmas movie during the Holidays. Starting a Christmas movie collection is a great way to ensure that your family will have plenty of memories to share this Holiday season. Here are some tips to consider, and a few great Christmas movies to get you started.

Variety of Age Groups

Christmas movies should be fun for the entire family, but adding some variety in your Christmas movie collection is always a good idea. Choose movies that are appropriate for all ages groups, as well as some targeted towards children only and some that are aimed more at adults. Not every age group will get the same experience from a film, so having a good mix is recommended.

Classic and New Movies

Make sure you have a wide range of movies from years past and more current times in your movie collection. Family classics like Miracle on 34th Street will appeal to some family members or guests, while others might not enjoy black and white films at all. Creating a Christmas movie collection that has something for classic movie lovers and modern movie lovers alike is the best bet.

Movies You Can Watch Again and Again

The hallmark of a great family Christmas movie is that you can watch it every single year, and occasionally multiple times in a single holiday season. Choose movies for your Christmas collection that you can watch repeatedly without tiring of. After all, watching Christmas movies with the family is a long-standing tradition, and it should be fun for everyone for years to come.

A Mix of Genres

Christmas movies come from all genres, and you'll want to be sure to include some representatives from them all in your Christmas movie collection. Include comedies, dramas, animated films and even horror films in your collection to ensure that there is always something to entice even the most finicky of movie buffs.

Consider the Format

In creating the perfect Christmas movie collection, you'll want to make sure the films you select will endure. With technology changing all the time, you may wonder what format to purchase your Christmas movies in. Do some research here before making your selection. If you are a gadget-junkie and are already over DVD players, then begin your collection on Blu-ray. Keep in mind that not all Christmas titles are available on this format, and you might not find what you want right away. If you can't imagine giving up your DVD player any time soon, then you might consider sticking with DVDs. Either way, try to keep all of your Christmas movies in one format, so that you can enjoy them all no matter what format you decide on.

Some Films to Get You Started:

How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
Black Christmas (1974)
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
Joyeux Noël (2005)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
The Nightmare before Christmas (1993)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
The Year Without a Santa Claus (1974)

11 Comments

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  • Dave Schrader11/18/2009

    Hey! You missed the one Christmas movie that I own... The Family Man with Nicolas Cage. :)

  • Jennifer Wagner11/14/2009

    Oh, yes! My favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Story. I keep it on the television all day long on Christmas day! ;-)

  • M. M. Rooni11/12/2009

    great list :)

  • Patricia Sheasley Sicilia11/12/2009

    I guess that's a nice list, but how could you leave out "White Christmas," and any version of "A Christmas Carol?" Yes, we should have a Christmas library, I know during the holidays when I'm baking or decorating, it's nice to be able to put "Christmas Vacation" on.

  • Branwen6611/12/2009

    Super suggestions and picks! :)

  • Karen Zakavec11/11/2009

    I love Christmas movies and will start watching our collection the day after Thanksgiving. My all time favorite is It's a Wonderful Life.

  • Diana Roach11/11/2009

    I can't have a Christmas without seeing It's a Wonderful Life. Great article!

  • Missy Jess11/10/2009

    Really good ideas about building a Christmas movie collection - thanks!

  • Catherine Spencer11/10/2009

    Good advice on how to choose good movies! :)

  • Scott Shetler11/10/2009

    I guess digital is the format of the future... though i still use my VCR.

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