Christmas movies streaming on Netflix

After suffering through the woefully inadequate selection of Thanksgiving-themed movies, we are finally being rewarded. That's right, I'm talking about Christmas movies! My personal list of favorite holiday movies is really long, so I'll spare you the details, but I did find several of them streaming on Netflix last night. My tastes vary from sentimental Christmas movies to hilarious depictions of the ultimate in family Christmastime dysfunction, but one thing never changes: I can watch most of these over and over, and never tire of them. I thought I'd point out some of your best options, just in case you need a little push to get into the holiday spirit.

And if you don't like Christmas movies, just check out right now. I suggest you might prefer Netflix's streaming Crackling Fireplace or Yule Log Fireplace. Enjoy.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

If you asked me to name just one Christmas movie that I absolutely couldn't do without watching every year, it would be National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I watched it twice this past weekend. I quoted nearly every line. I laughed through the whole movie like it was the first time I'd ever seen it. From the cat getting electrocuted to Cousin Eddie to the ridiculous Griswold Christmas lights, I can't get enough.

My favorite scene, however, is Clark Griswold's tirade about his horrible boss after he gets a one year membership in the Jelly of the Month membership, in lieu of his Christmas bonus check. You know the scene. I see you nodding. "Where's the Tylenol?" Ranting doesn't get any better, or any funnier.

White Christmas

In terms of true Christmas classics, at the moment White Christmas is my favorite one offered on Netflix streaming right now. I opted to watch this one this morning, and it's been a while. I'd forgotten how much I loved it, especially the Irving Berlin songs. Nothing, I mean nothing, drop kicks me into the holiday spirit like Bing Crosby and White Christmas. If you haven't seen this one in a long time, give it a shot. It's worth the time.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

This is my favorite Tim Burton movie, and one of my favorite movies of all time - Christmas or not. I may or may not own an insane amount of merchandise from this film, including dozens of Christmas ornaments I may or may not have collected over the decades. Forget "Jingle Bells," it is not Christmas for me unless I can sing along to "Kidnap the Sandy Claws."

And yay for this one streaming on Netflix! Enjoy it while you can. Ho ho ho.

The Polar Express

In terms of computer-animated Christmas movies, I think my all-time favorite would have to be The Polar Express. This 2004 movie was an instant classic, and Tom Hanks is a marvel in it. My biggest regret is that when it was originally released, I never saw it in IMAX. I know that The Polar Express has returned to some area IMAX theaters this holiday season, but not mine (yet). Visually, this film is simply stunning. I can't imagine how magical it is in IMAX 3D.

Not everyone agrees that The Polar Express is among the best Christmas movies, and that's fine by me. It's not like we don't have a lot of choices. Find what you love, watch it each year and forget what everyone else thinks. I've heard some people tell me they think Polar Express is a little bit creepy. I personally never got that feeling from it, but if you're the parent of a little one, just watch it first to see what you think.

Other Options

Saving Santa, Jack Frost, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas, Charlie Brown's Christmas Tales and I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown, Jingle All the Way, Nutcracker: The Motion Picture, I'll Be Home for Christmas and of course, Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans, I'm including the classic Santa Claus Conquers the Martians just for you.

And yes, I love a lot of other Christmas movies that aren't currently streaming on Netflix: Scrooged, Elf, A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, The Bells of St. Mary's and Miracle on 34th Street come to mind immediately. At least all of these are playing a lot on regular TV. I'm just so spoiled now with streaming that I loathe the idea of fast forwarding through the commercials.

What's your favorite Christmas movie ever? Do you tend to love the sentimental classics, or the outrageously funny comedies more?

Photos courtesy of Listal.com and Moviefone.com