Just for Kids

• Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas-Disney’s biggest stars shine in a magical, heartwarming movie sure to become a holiday classic! Mickey, Minnie, and their famous friends Goofy, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto gather to reminisce about love, magic, and surprises in three wonder-filled stories of Christmas past. My boys were 6 and 4 when this movie came out. We still watch it every year!
• Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas-Find out who’s been naughty and who’s been nice in this spectacular all-new Christmas celebration. Santa Claus joins Mickey, Minnie, and all their pals in an original movie about discovering the true joys of Christmas.
• Barney: Night Before Christmas – The Movie-Spend the most wonderful time of the year with your favorite purple pal in this “dino-mite” Christmas classic. Join Barney and friends as they take a musical journey to the North Pole where they are greeted as special guests at Santa’s Workshop. This movie was a favorite of my kids years ago and we still sing some of the songs while baking Christmas cookies!
• Arthur: Arthur’s Perfect Christmas-Everyone’s favorite aardvark gives kids a new spin on seasonal traditions this one-hour special showing children many ways to celebrate “the holidays.” Plans are underway in Elwood City for the best holidays ever as Arthur D.W. their family and friends make preparations for perfect gifts perfect parties and perfect family traditions for Christmas Hanukkah Kwanzaa and even “Baxter Day” (Buster and his mom’s special celebration). The only problem is just like in real life perfection is hard to attain and things start to fall apart. This is a fun movie, with great music. We used it in our homeschooling to introduce winter holidays from other cultures.

For the Whole Family

1. A Charlie Brown Christmas 50th Anniversary: Deluxe Edition-This is the quintessential family Christmas special.
2. Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas-Every who down in Who-ville likes Christmas a lot, but the Grinch who lived just north of Who-ville did NOT! So the cuddly as a cactus Grinch (with termites in his smile and garlic in his soul) tries to wipe out Christmas for the cheerful Who-villains, only to discover: maybe Christmas, he thought doesn’t come from as store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more!
3. The Year Without a Santa Claus -This is my favorite Rankin-Bass Christmas special-who doesn’t love Heat Miser and his brother?
4. The Original Christmas Classics Gift Set-Do you remember when…Santa asked Rudolph to guide his sleigh, Frosty magically came to life on Christmas Eve, and Kris Kringle became Santa Claus?  I have written about this set multiple times over the years. This is a must-own, must watch set of classic family Christmas movies.
5. The Santa Clause: 3 Movie Collection-See how it all began with Disney’s original classic, and hop on Santa’s sleigh for an exciting ride filled with belly laughs and family fun. Christmas gets a little nuttier when Scott Calvin unknowingly inherits the role of the legendary St. Nick. His ordinary life snowballs into a hysterical series of outrageous events as he fills out his Santa suit, meets the future Mrs. Claus and faces his ultimate test against the mischievous Jack Frost. Personally, I love 1 & 2 and have little use for 3 but the collector in me thinks everyone should have the trilogy.
6. The Muppet Christmas Carol-One of my favorite versions of the Dickens classic.
7. The Polar Express-A new Christmas classic!

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For the Tweens, Teens and Adults

1. It’s A Wonderful Life (Two-Disc Collector’s Set)-George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all – and it’s Christmas! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for all of his good deeds over the years. Will Clarence be able to convince George to return to his family and forget suicide? The purist in me says, watch the black and white version! IMHO this is the best Christmas movie ever made!
2. Elf -The new Christmas classic is a must-see every year. “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?”
3. Miracle on 34th Street-Six year old Susan has doubts childhood’s most enduring miracle Santa Clause. Her mother told her the “secret” about Santa a long time ago, so Susan doesn’t expect to receive the most important gifts on her Christmas list. But after meeting a special department store Santa who’s convinced he’s the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all – something to believe in. Another black and white classic!
4. Unaccompanied Minors-While this may not be a Christmas Classic, it is a fun Christmas themed movie that I think your tweens and teens will enjoy.
5. Home Alone-Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) has become the man of the house, overnight! Accidentally left behind when his family rushes off on a Christmas vacation, Kevin gets busy decorating the house for the holidays. But he’s not decking the halls with tinsel and holly. Two bumbling burglars are trying to break in, and Kevin’s rigging a bewildering battery of booby traps to welcome them! Laugh out loud funny!
6. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (Special Edition)-The undisputed gem of the National Lampoon ‘Vacation’ series, the plot can be summed up very simply: idealistic family man Clark Griswold wants to host the perfect old-fashioned fun family Christmas. As all of us idealistic family men have discovered, there is no such thing as a perfect holiday, and that just about sums it up. The appeal of this film is that we can all relate to the disasters that holidays can become, regardless of how well-meaning we are and how hard we work to achieve them. I haven’t watched this movie in years, I need to see it again.
7. White Christmas (Diamond Anniversary Edition)-I recently watched this movie for the first time ever. The cast was amazing but I found the story a bit slow. The fact that the same musical numbers were re-hashed several times made it a bit boring and redundant to me.
8. A Christmas Story: 30th Anniversary (BD/ DVD) -Personally I am not a fan of this movie BUT I know a lot of people are so…I am including it in the list.

Did I miss your favorite movie? I know I left some out-even some of my favorites because this post was just getting too long! Let me know in the comments which movies I missed or even which ones on this list are your favorites.

The post The Ultimate List of Must-See Christmas Movies appeared first on The Mom Maven.

About the White Christmas Diamond Anniversary Blu-ray Combo Pack

Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS Blu-ray will be presented in 1080p high definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Restored Mono DTS-HD Master Audio, French Mono Dolby Digital, Spanish Mono Dolby Digital and Portuguese Mono Dolby Digital, as well as English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles. The DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, English Restored Mono, French Mono and Spanish Mono, as well as English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack includes the following:

Disc 1 (Blu-ray):

• Feature film in high definition
• Feature film with optional Sing-Along Subtitle Track—NEW!
• Commentary by Rosemary Clooney
• Classic Holiday Moments—NEW!
  o “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby on December 1, 1976
  o “White Christmas” by Bing Crosby featuring Michael Bublé on December 10, 2012
  o “Silent Night” by Bing Crosby on December 12, 1948
  o “Jingle Bells” by Danny Kaye and Nat King Cole on December 25, 1963
  o Danny Kaye reads from A Christmas Carol on December 22, 1965
•  Assignment Children—NEW!
  o With introduction by Michael Bublé
• Backstage Stories from White Christmas—The production boasted the #1 and #3 box office stars of its time and the director of Casablanca. It featured the most popular song in American history and became the highest-ranking film at the box office in 1954. From little-known production details to behind-the-scenes trivia, this segment offers insights about the timeless holiday classic.
• Bing Crosby: Christmas Crooner—Crosby’s family members offer personal memories of the film and discuss the crooner’s Yuletide connection. The piece also includes film historians sharing rare stories about Crosby and White Christmas and a visit to Crosby’s hometown of Spokane, Washington.
• Danny Kaye: Joy to the World—Some people only know him as the silver screen’s ‘court jester,’ but Danny Kaye was a true humanitarian who helped children around the world as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. This moving tribute sheds light on the multi-talented actor, who won two honorary Academy Awards®, including the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and spread joy beyond the Hollywood spotlight.
• Irving Berlin’s White Christmas—Many people don’t know all of the lyrics to the most popular Christmas song of all time or that Irving Berlin wrote it while sitting poolside at an Arizona Resort. This fascinating feature sheds light on the genesis and enduring popularity of the best-selling single in American history.
• Rosemary’s Old Kentucky Home—Take a tour of Rosemary Clooney’s home in Augusta, Kentucky, which has become a historical landmark.
• White Christmas: From Page to Stage— The legacy of White Christmas continues with a hit Broadway musical, nominated for two Tony awards.
• White Christmas: A Look Back with Rosemary Clooney
• White Christmas Photo Galleries—NEW! Including-Rehearsals, Behind-the-Scenes, Filming, and Publicity Shots.
• Two Theatrical Trailers

Disc 2 (DVD):

• Feature Film in Standard Definition
• Commentary by Rosemary Clooney

Disc 3 (DVD):

• Same special features listed above in standard definition with the exception of the optional sing-along subtitle track

Bonus Music CD

1. Winter Wonderland – Rosemary Clooney
2. Deck the Halls/Away in a Manger/O, Little Town of Bethlehem/The First Noel – Bing Crosby
3. Waltz Around the Christmas Tree – Danny Kaye
4. Marshmallow World – Bing Crosby & Ella Fitzgerald
5.  The Christmas Song – Rosemary Clooney
6. Just What I Wanted For Christmas – Bing Crosby
7.  Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Rosemary Clooney
8. Jingle Bells – Danny Kaye & Peggy Lee
9. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer – Bing Crosby & Judy Garland
10.  Home For The Holidays – Rosemary Clooney
11. Some Children See Him – Danny Kaye
12. The Night Before Christmas – Bing Crosby

The film will also be available as a Diamond Anniversary Edition two-disc DVD set with Discs 2 & 3 above.

About the Charitable Donation

In honor of the 60th anniversaries of White Christmas and Danny Kaye’s appointment as UNICEF’s first Goodwill Ambassador, The Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation and Paramount Pictures are proud to make a combined $100,000 donation to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF* to support UNICEF’s lifesaving work for children around the world. As UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador, Danny Kaye traveled to numerous countries in 1954 to see the work of the organization firsthand and appeared in and narrated a documentary entitled Assignment Children about his experience, which is included in the new Blu-ray Combo Pack along with a new introduction by Michael Bublé. Danny Kaye received an Honorary Academy Award® in 1955 for his work on this extraordinary documentary, as well as for his unique talents, his service to the Academy, the motion picture industry, and the American people.

Mom Maven’s Thoughts

I am so excited to watch the movie, the bonus features and listen to the CD. I was raised on classic Christmas music, my dad has such a large collection he starts playing it on October 1 of each year and he seldom gets to listen to it all even once through by New Year’s! I hope you are as excited as I am! What is your favorite Christmas movie? Let me know in the comments.

The post Celebrate 60 Years of White Christmas appeared first on The Mom Maven.

This December, the Tampa Theatre will deck its historic halls with a month-long celebration of holiday films, concerts, theatre tours and special presentations that highlight the season in ways from family-friendly to far-out, traditional to up-tempo.

Holiday Classics Movie Series

When you come to the Tampa Theatre, you’re not just coming for a movie – you’re coming for an experience. One of the most popular of those experiences for guests is the opportunity see a beloved holiday favorite on the big screen and sing along to Christmas carols with the Mighty Wurlitzer before each show in the unmatched elegance of the city’s historic movie palace.

The Muppet Christmas Carol 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 2
The Muppet characters tell their version of the classic tale of an old and bitter miser’s redemption on Christmas Eve. Immediately before the film, Mrs. Claus herself will make a special appearance for an interactive story time and presentation of “The 12 Days of Christmas” with the children in the audience.

White Christmas 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9
A successful song-and-dance duo become romantically involved with a sister act and team up to save a failing Vermont inn.

Miracle on 34th Street 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16
When a kind, elderly man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing.

It’s A Wonderful Life 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22, 3 p.m. Sunday Dec. 23
An angel helps a compassionate but despairingly frustrated businessman by showing what life would have been like if he never existed.

Tickets for the Holiday Classics Movie Series are $9 for adults, $7 for children, seniors, military and Tampa Theatre members at the box office, or online at TampaTheatre.org ($2 convenience fee applies)

New Releases: Anna Karenina and Rare Exports

Opening Friday, Nov. 30, Anna Karenina is already being called an automatic contender for the Best Picture OSCAR. The bold, theatrical new presentation of the epic love story is the vision of acclaimed director Joe Wright, adapted from Leo Tolstoy’s great novel by Academy Award winner Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love). The film marks the third collaboration of the director with Academy Award-nominated actress Keira Knightley and producers Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner and Paul Webster, following their award-winning box office successes Price & Prejudice and Atonement. The film also stars Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The film will run throughout December, and showtimes are available online at TampaTheatre.org

On the darker end of the holiday spectrum, Rare Exports is billed as “A film for those who think they don’t believe in Santa Claus anymore.” Based on award-winning shorts by Finnish director Jalmari Helander, the film focuses on a group of local reindeer herders whose Christmas is disturbed when archaeological excavations on the mountain uncover the source of the original Santa Claus myth. Rather than a “jolly old elf,” however, they find a supernatural being who instead of rewarding good children, punishes the naughty. Roger Ebert called it “an original, daring, carefully crafted film,” but far from family-friendly, this late-night special feature is more geared toward monster-movie fans. Showtimes are 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7 and Saturday, Dec. 8.
Tickets for each of these films are $10 for adults, $8 for children, seniors, military and Tampa Theatre members at the box office, located at 711 N. Franklin Street in downtown Tampa.

Rockapella

On Thursday, Dec. 20, the Tampa Theatre will host the return “A Rockapella Holiday” at 7:30 p.m. Known as the kings of contemporary a cappella music, this five-man powerhouse of vocal talent sweeps through sold-out venues across the country year-round, but Rockapella’s holiday show is one not to miss. With a style that adds a smooth edge to the season’s warm heart, Rockapella’s music ranges from unexpected reworkings of familiar standards to brand-new originals destined to be classics. Audiences of this annual favorite can expect to be tickled and touched by a performance like no other.

Tickets are $35 for adults and $26 for children at the box office, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or online at TampaTheatre.org ($2.50 convenience fee applies)

Tour the Tampa Theatre

Where does the Mighty Wurlitzer organ go when the movie starts? Why are there stuffed peacocks perched around the proscenium? (And, for that matter, what is a “proscenium” anyway? Learn the Theatre’s secrets, stories, art and architecture with a “balcony to backstage” tour of the historic movie palace. The 90-minute tour will kick off in the lobby at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 22. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2 for children ages 2 to 12. Tampa Theatre members are free.

A catapult for the imagination since 1926, the Tampa Theatre is a symbol of our city’s glorious past and bright future. Tampa Theatre is a passionately protected landmark and one of America’s best-preserved examples of grand movie palace architecture. The Tampa Theatre Foundation’s mission is to preserve the Tampa Theatre as a dynamic cultural institution.

If you live in or are visiting the Tampa Bay area and have never visited the Tampa Theatre, you are missing a big treat. I visited the theatre several times when I was attending college in Tampa and I cannot wait to get a chance to go back.

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