No Matter What Religion, Nothing Beats a Great Christmas Movie

I would never go a Christmas season without watching It's a Wonderful Life.

I've got it on DVD, but, nope, I have to watch it on TV, with or without commercials, but live, on TV. I don't know why.

I'm not even Christian, but I love Christmas movies. Until they make a great Hanukkah one, or one for Kwanzaa, the great old Christmas movies are just the best viewing this time of year.

I tend to think of Wonderful Life as less Christian and more Zen Buddhist anyway. It teaches one to live for each moment and appreciate what's around them. Also, it has a lot of ties to today with the greedy Mr. Potter, like today's bankers.

Charlie Brown's Christmas has that great antimaterialistic theme, little tree and all.

Santa's not in the Bible and Miracle on 34th Street is a celebration of believe and you can make it so. It also celebrates the love of community.

A Christmas Story has become a big one more recently. Based on the stories of my favorite old radio guy, Jean Shepherd, from his book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash, it's filled with the New York of my parents' time.

Elf and Grinch don't do it for me, but they are new audience favorites. I'm curious if you think they measure up to the old classics.

I'm more in tune with White Christmas because of the music and the cool of Bing Crosby and a bygone era.

What do you like and why?

All we need now is some snow and bad weather to justify sitting at home by the fire and watching them.