Forget family gatherings and joyful celebrations -- 'tis the season to go to the movies! But with so many films opening between now and New Year's, how do you know when to spend your money and when to just stay home drinking eggnog and watching Elf? Here's a guide to the more noteworthy releases on the docket, the ones we think are going to be good, or that people will be talking about, or whose titles will come up a lot at the Oscars. (Release dates in many cases are limited, with expansion to follow.)

The Road (Nov. 25). This post-apocalyptic drama about a man and his little boy trudging…

It's that time again. Time to hang the holly, trim the tree, and fill the stockings. So what should all the good little geek boys and girls be looking for under the tree this year? How about these five awesome box sets?

Paul Newman: The Tribute Collection
One of the very best things to see release this year, the Paul Newman Tribute Collection boasts 17 discs with 13 of his best movies on them (the…

Every year, basic cable and network television offer the same slate of holiday classics -- It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, A Christmas Story, plus innumerable TV-movie versions of the old standards, starring C-list sitcom actors. You know the drill. So why not try something a little different this year? Whether your tastes run to the traditional or the offbeat, there's no lack of Christmas…

The holiday season is quickly approaching like a sprinting lion on the African plains, waiting to dig its teeth in my zebra neck. o I thought I'd put a list together of my favorite holiday movies for your consideration when you venture the crowded retail stores Thanksgiving weekend (also see my article on great non-holiday-themed DVD gift ideas, and don't miss my article on not-so-great DVDs for…

Not everyone embraces sugarplums, mistletoe and holly during the holiday season. Some folks even get a wee bit cranky, what with all the crowds, the shopping and the endless carols blasted at us wherever we go. Thankfully, there are some great Christmas movies on DVD for all of us curmudgeons, chock-full of family dysfunction, violence and mayhem:

Die Hard (1988)
One of the great holiday films of…

It's that time of year again -- awaiting the autumn leaves, dusting off the old box of home decorations, and predicting the annual ritual of holiday DVD reissues. And here I am still wearing white after Labor Day.

This year, though, at least three of the major holiday films are returning to home video with more than just a change of their red ribbons. This time Blu-ray…

'Tis the season for made-for-television holiday movies. In addition to the occasional special primetime network presentation, Lifetime, Oxygen, and ABC Family offer practically non-stop holiday movies from Thanksgiving to New Year's day. Maybe the WGA strike means your favorite show is in reruns, or maybe you just need something to turn on on a Saturday afternoon while you wrap presents or bake…

Plenty of cinematic attention has been given to Christmas and Thanksgiving. By now, probably at least three different versions of A Christmas Carol have aired on a TV channel near you, and the Christmas Story marathon is in the offing. As much as I have enjoyed these yuletide chestnuts, the spirit longs for something more . . . more! And I don't just mean movies set on or around a holiday. There…