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Classic Christmas films help make the season bright

MARTINS FERRY — With Christmas vacation just around the corner for many school-aged children, there will be a lot of downtime to fill at home — so why not do it with some classic holiday films and a bowl of popcorn.

There is an abundance of movies to watch these days, with many of them available at the push of a button because of internet-enabled TVs. For those without internet TVs, most classic movies still can be found at retailers, often grouped together on one disk. Most local libraries also carry DVDs including those with Christmas themes.

And if one waits and checks their TV schedule, many flicks are replayed this time of year on network TV or on cable.

Some of the classics include “A Christmas Story,” which is about a kid named “Ralphie” and his quest to get a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas. In many households seeing this film is an annual tradition at Thanksgiving and at Christmas.

Perhaps one of the lesser knowns is “Miracle on 34th Street,” which is about an elderly man who believes he is the real Santa Claus and the people who help him along the way. It was originally shot in black and white, but the colorized version looks just as good. It stars a young Natalie Wood.

Another older classic is “White Christmas,” which is about a group of entertainers who come together to save an old wartime friend’s lodge from ruin. It stars Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and Rosemary Clooney.

One of the most popular holiday films is “It’s a Wonderful Life,” starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. In the movie, Stewart’s character learns that not only is life worth living, but the impact of him never being born from an angel named Clarence who shows him the way.

Some newer films enjoyed by many includes “The Polar Express,” starring Tom Hanks in life-like computer animation. In the movie a young boy goes on a fantastic adventure on the Polar Express train to learn to believe in Santa and the spirit of Christmas again.

In 1989, National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation,” came out and helped many American’s put a new name to a Christmas lights decorating style — Griswold. This movie stars Chevy Chase and is rated PG-13.

In addition to the live action movies, there are dozens of cartoon Christmas movies that children and adults enjoy annually. Some of these include “Frosty the Snowman,” “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Prep and Landing,” “Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” to name a few.

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