Nov. 1 marked the first day of Retail Christmas, a two-month, holiday extravaganza in which all Halloween candy was rewrapped in green and red plastic. While wall-to-wall lawn Santas weren’t our cue to throw ourselves into the yuletide festivities, we do accept Thanksgiving as an acceptable kickoff for 24-hour carol radio and TV specials galore. We’d be a bunch of Scrooges not to join in on the fun.
There’s no better way to fend off a coma-inducing meal than settling into a deep sofa groove and flipping on a classic Christmas movie. But in the streaming age, it’s become increasingly difficult to pull up some decent cheer with a click of a button. So to avoid anyone shaking their fist and cursing “O Tannenbaum!” at their Netflix app this season (note: O Tannenbaum is not a swear), we’ve compiled a list of the best Christmas movies currently streaming on major platforms. The jingle hop has begun!
White Christmas deserves the biggest and best screen in your home. Director Michael Curtiz shot the 1954 musical in VistaVision, the high resolution format of its era, and the impact of the decision shows in the modern restoration, a presentation as rich with color and detail as any modern action flick. A huge TV flatters the classic sets and elaborate dance numbers and even though the audio is mono, a nice set of headphones or speakers elevates its classic songs, belted by Christmas music legends Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. One humongous asterisk: the film does away with the explicitly racist blackface number of its predecessor, Holiday Inn, however it still includes an entire routine dedicated to the joys of a minstrel show. Be prepared to explain the horrific context to younger family members and fend off complaints of sensitivity from any ghoulish relatives.
(Excerpt) Read more in: Polygon