iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Ride shotgun with Santa, tossing presents into chimneys around the world. This game also comes with a Christmas countdown clock, and festive holiday music to get you in the mood…to mute the sound.
TOP 10 CHRISTMAS MOVIES OF ALL TIME
Best Buy Exclusive
Making a list and checking it twice
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The best holiday-themed movies transcend the season, rewarding viewers even in the dog days of summer. In fact, a blistering August day might be the second-best time to watch a classic movie that evokes snow and Santa. The best time, of course, is right about now. So we decided to take a crack at ranking our favorites (which isn’t easy because there are over 100 to choose from). We’re mostly skipping movies that happen to be set during the holidays but whose plots are somewhat less than Christmasy (think “Die Hard” or “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”). Enjoy!
Scrooged (1988)
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If you were to separate Bill Murray’s career into two eras – wacky Bill and curmudgeonly Bill – “Scrooged” is where you might find the dividing line. In this loose update of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” Murray develops a Scrooge-like persona perfect for the “greed is good” ‘80s, playing a TV executive who eventually sees the error of his mean ways thanks to a motley cast of ghosts that includes David “Buster Poindexter” Johansen. (That’s Hot! Hot! Hot!) The highly eccentric cast also includes Robert Mitchum, Robert Goulet, and Jamie (Corporal Klinger) Farr. Buy it now!
Home Alone (1990)
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It’s every parent’s nightmare, and every kid’s secret fantasy: Not just being left home alone while the family is away, but ingeniously saving the house from bad guys in the process. Macauley Culkin became a household name by playing Kevin, an eight-year-old who comes up with ever-more creative ways to foil a pair of burglars (Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci) intent on burglarizing his house while his folks and siblings are spending Christmas in France. The moral: Crime doesn’t pay, especially on Christmas Eve. Buy it now!
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989)
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The third installment in the misadventures of the Griswold clan finds them dealing with holiday calamities that most of us can relate to: bizarre visiting relatives, endless strings of lights that won’t light, and REALLY dry turkey. The key to the movie’s charm is Chevy Chase’s obnoxious but good-hearted enthusiasm in creating an old-fashioned holiday for his family. And, watch for Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Elaine from “Seinfeld”) as the Griswolds’ disdainful neighbor. Buy it now!
Elf (2003)
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What if a human was raised as one of Santa’s elves at the North Pole, then let loose in America? Now, there’s a concept – one that could have easily gone to pieces in the hands of anyone but Will Ferrell. The former SNL-er has a knack for bringing a sweet spirit to even the silliest roles, and he’s at his childlike best in “Elf” – with an able assist from a supporting cast that includes Ed Asner, Zooey Deschanel, and the immortal Bob Newhart as Papa Elf. Buy it now!
Holiday Inn (1942)
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You’ve heard of a little tune called “White Christmas”? It had its debut in this charming musical about a pair of crooners (Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire) who vie for the affections of Marjorie Reynolds while playing an engagement at a winter resort that’s only open during the holiday season. Yeah, it doesn’t sound like a great business plan to us, either. But whatever – the music, not the story, is the key here: Like “Be Careful, It’s My Heart,” “Happy Holidays,” and more. If you’ve got a choice between this and the color 1954 remake “White Christmas,” go with the original. Buy it now!
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1992)
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A good many of Tim Burton’s fanciful creations have the giddy innocence that fills the best holiday memories. This one goes the extra mile by incorporating a holiday theme. Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, stumbles on a change of atmosphere in nearby Christmas Town. After using his ghoulish wiles to concoct a plot against Santa, Jack decides…well, you’ll just have to see. With its use of stop-motion animation (a la “The Fantastic Mr. Fox”), “The Nightmare Before Christmas” has a handcrafted charm missing from many of today’s CGI-animated offerings. Buy it now!
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
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Remember the old “Superman” tagline – “You Will Believe a Man Can Fly”? Well, if Edmund Gwenn doesn’t make you think that maybe, just maybe, there might be something to all this Santa Claus business, then nobody will. Gwenn’s Kris Kringle not only overcomes the skepticism of a young girl (a beyond-adorable Natalie Wood), but also gives a gentle lecture on materialism and holiday craziness that we could all stand to hear once a year. But it now!
A Christmas Carol (1951)
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Dickens’ timeless tale has been made and remade in numerous worthy ways, but never has there been a more grotesque, pathetic Ebenezer Scrooge than the one played by Alastair Sim. Not unlike the aforementioned Grinch, though, you can all but see old Scrooge’s heart grow – all it takes is getting scared out of his miserly wits by a few Christmas ghosts. This adaptation is made all the more notable by its pervasive “Britishness” – Dickens was understood by nobody better than his own countrymen. Buy it now!
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
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“It’s a Wonderful Life” is the Trojan horse that brings the dark side of Christmas into millions of homes every year. We all mist up over the film’s finale, with Zuzu’s petals, angel-evoking bells, and George Bailey being proclaimed the richest man in town. But up until then, don’t forget, it’s the story of a miserable man beaten down by life and driven to the brink of suicide. Watching as the residents of Bedford Falls come to his rescue can turn the most hardened cynic into cranberry jelly. Buy it now!
A Christmas Story (1983)
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Even if the criterion for greatest holiday movie was only how many catch phrases it’s generated, “A Christmas Story” might still finish on top: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” “I triple-dog dare you!” “Fra-JEE-lay…” Underneath the slapstick and jokes is a warm but unvarnished look at the frenzy that Christmas creates in children, and how, if you’re lucky, the holiday will show you what’s really important in life. You know, things like being careful not to use the F-word in front of your parents. But it now!
THE END?
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We can hear you shouting all the way from here: What about “The Santa Clause”? “Babes in Toyland”? “Bad Santa”? Mystery Science Theater 3000’s rendition of “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”? Worthy contenders all. (Note: If you're despairing over the absence of the Grinch or Charlie Brown, keep in mind that they belong on the list of the best holiday TV specials - another list for another time.) So heat up the cocoa, put on your favorite slippers, and prepare for some holiday movie magic. Or, throw that hot cocoa against the wall in a fit of rage and tell us how wrong we got things wrong.
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APPY HOLIDAYS
Santa's Run
Christmas Countdown
Android
Got Christmas on the brain? This festive app counts you down to the big day. It even tells you how many “sleeps” separate you from Santa. (Sorry, kids, naps don’t count.)
Is It Christmas?
Android, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Need the answer? Ask Bob Geldof. Or, download this app. It knows all. And by all, we mean one very specific thing that you already know.
Christmas Tree Live Wallpaper
Android
Boy, we wish decorating was this easy. Put up that tree without lifting a finger. Well, one finger. Unless you use your nose. Like we did. We got some strange looks on the bus.
Snow Globe Maker
iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
No glass blowing skills required. Customize your winter wonderland with penguins, snowmen, hot cocoa and more. Make it, shake it, then share it with your Facebook friends.
Serving Sizer Recipe Converter
iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Super size your recipes (and possibly your relatives) with this handy app. Does the dish you’re preparing serve four, but you’re serving forty? This beauty does all that math. Stupid fractions.
Mixology
iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Get drink recipes for mixing that holiday cheer. You must be at least 17 years old to download this app, which is odd, because the legal drinking age is 21.
Super Dreidel
iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Super…Dreidel. This app puts a 21st-century spin (Get it? Spin?) on the traditional Hanukkah game. You can even play in something called “Vegas Mode.” We’re intrigued.
Dr. Seuss Camera - The Grinch Edition
iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Want to become the mean Mr. Grinch? With Dr. Seuss Camera, it’s surely a cinch! Make your own “Grinchmas” card, email it to a friend. But this app’s not free, two bucks you must spend.
Best Buy
Android, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
It’s like a store in your pocket (without the restroom). Browse and buy. Plus, it works great in actual stores, too! Just scan mobile codes on our price tags and you get more info about the product.
Calorie Counter by MyNetDiary
Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
Watching your weight during the holidays? Good luck with that. But if luck’s not enough, maybe this diet app will help. (By the way, it does WAY MORE than just count calories.)
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