Gina Davis and Yvonne Zima in “The Long Kiss Goodnight” (1996), courtesy of New Line Cinema
Now that December is upon us, Christmas movies are flitting across our TV screens in rapid succession. Considering the first night of Hanukkah was yesterday, however, I’m inclined to shout at the television to rein in its reindeer, but this is only half an inclination…After I get all the shouting out of my system, I guiltily proceed to let the holiday-themed marathons play in the background for hours. What can I say? I’m a sucker for Christmas carols and nostalgia. And, few things conjure up vivid childhood memories quite like the sounds of holiday classics. It’s these sounds I crave, though – not the elves, talking snowmen and religious platitudes – so if I were to program a holiday marathon of my own it would look a lot different from the typical classics. Because I like this idea of playing movie emcee so much, I’ve decided to compile a list of flicks that will fill you with holiday nostalgia while entertaining you with compelling stories (sans claymation, miracles and any characters named Santa). Up, up and away we go…