HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #6

#6. Love Actually (2003)

Life is not a fairy tale; it's filled with good times and bad. When times get tough, people usually turn to those they love for support. As Hugh Grant states in this movie, "If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion that love actually is all around."

Love Actually portrays the different lives of a group of couples in the weeks before Christmas. As depicted in the movie some relationships endure, others struggle throughout. Some miss out on their chance with others and some find comfort where they least expect it.

Love Actually is witty, entertaining and has you falling in love with most of the richly scripted and developed characters. If you're looking for a movie where everyone lives happily ever after, this may not be the film for you. But if you're looking to watch a romantic comedy that has a bit more truth to it than most, sit back, relax and fall in love with this engaging work of art.

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #7

#7. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

A tagline for this film read: "Capture the spirit of Christmas with this timeless classic!"

This is a film that truly represents Christmas and the spirit of believing. The film depicts a man who tries to convince the public that he is the true Santa Claus.

This movie teaches us that sometimes you don't have to see something to know it's truly there. The truth should already be in your heart.

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #8

#8. Home Alone (1990)

In this classic holiday movie, Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left behind by his family when they leave to go on vacation for Christmas. Kevin loves the idea of being at home alone until he is faced with defending it against two idiotic burglars.

This is one of the first films I saw in the movie theater so it holds a special place in my heart. Funny and touching, this movie is a treat for people of all ages.

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #9

#9. Elf (2003)

This hilarious comedy surrounds Buddy (Will Ferrell), a man raised as an elf at the North Pole. After learning the truth that he is not an elf, he journeys to the United States in search of his true identity.

If you're feeling down during the holiday season, this is the movie to watch! Entertaining for children and adult audiences alike, Elf brings out the spirit of family and the holidays.

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #10

#10. The Holiday (2006)

In this romantic comedy, two women swap homes in each other's countries for Christmas with the hope that they can recover from their recent break ups. While on 'vacation', they each meet a local guy and sparks start to fly.

Aside from the gorgeous cast that keeps you rooting for them, this movie is full of hope; hope that there is someone special out there for everyone. The film also teaches us to value ourselves and not settle until we have found the one we're meant to be with.

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #11

#11. The Family Stone (2005)

In this holiday movie, Everett Stone (Dermot Mulroney) brings his prim and proper girlfriend Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) home to meet his over-the-top, outlandish family.

What I find most engaging about this film are the relationships between the family members. This movie is a refreshing look at the relatable ups and downs that families go through. Although they may have their differences, the love they share for one another provides the curative elixir to heal the wounds that surface in every day life.

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #12

#12. The Family Man (2000)

In every man’s life, he comes to a fork in the road and must make a decision as to which path he takes.

What if you were able to have a glimpse of the path you didn’t take and realized how truly fulfilling your life could have been?

Jack Campbell (Nicholas Cage) is a successful investment broker working and living in New York City. On Christmas Eve, while shopping in a convenience store, a shopper (Don Cheadle) pulls a gun on the cashier. Jack diffuses the situation and persuades him to put the gun away. Jack and the gunman exit the store together and start talking. Towards the end of their conversation, Jack tries to convince the gunman that he needs professional help. The man laughs in his face and then asks Jack what more he needs out of his own life. Jack’s response is simply, “I got everything I need.” In this life, perhaps, but a new dawn will allow Jack a glimpse of the path he didn’t choose.

Jack wakes up the next day to find himself sleeping next to his college girlfriend, Kate (Tea Leoni), in a house he doesn’t recognize, with children he has never seen before. Startled, he leaves the house and drives back into the city. Lack of recognition at his apartment building and place of business add to his frustration. He then runs into the gunman from the previous night who, in angelic fashion, explains he has granted Jack a glimpse of the life he left behind.

What transpires is an education not found in business school or the boardroom; it’s the lesson learned as a family man.

Check out the movie trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #13

#13. The Santa Clause (1994)

In this family friendly film, divorcee Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), a hard working businessman, is scheduled to spend time with his son Charlie on Christmas Eve. When Charlie arrives at his home, Scott is disturbed to learn that his ex (Wendy Crewson) and her new husband (Judge Reinhold) are in the process of trying to tell Charlie that Santa does not exist. On that very night, the real Santa Claus falls off Scott's roof and he finds himself magically recruited to take his place. What happens after that is a year filled with Scott getting ready for his big debut as the new gift giver in town.

Check out a trailer for the movie below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #14

#14. The Nutcracker

The Nutcracker is a must see during the holiday season! Whether you go see it at the theater or watch one of the many movies that have been made, this beloved classical ballet never fails to impress. So if you're thinking that you don't have enough holiday spirit yet, tune in to the tale of the little girl who falls asleep on Christmas Eve and finds herself immersed in a world filled with toys that have come alive!

Brittany Murphy Dies at 32

Brittany Murphy, the actress who starred in films such as Clueless, Girl Interrupted, Uptown Girls and 8 Mile, has passed away. The Los Angeles Police Department is in the process of investigating her death. She is survived by her husband, screenwriter Simon Monjack. They were married in 2007.

GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS!!!

GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINATIONS ARE IN!!!

This year's recipient of the Cecil B. Demille Award is Martin Scorsese

The movies nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama are:

Avatar
Lightstorm Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox

The Hurt Locker
Voltage Pictures, Summit Entertainment

Inglourious Basterds
The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures/A Band Apart/Zehnte Babelsberg GmbH Production; The Weinstein Company/Universal Pictures

Precious: Based on the Novel Push By Sapphire

A Lee Daniels Entertainment / Smokewood Entertainment Group Production; Lionsgate

Up In The Air

Paramount Pictures

*** To view the rest of the nominations, visit the Official Website of the Annual Golden Globe Awards at www.goldenglobes.org ***

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #15

#15. Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

This remake of the cartoon version about the strange creature determined to steal Christmas is a must see movie during the holiday season. With a cast that includes Jim Carrey as the Grinch, this film directed by Ron Howard will make you feel as though you’ve stepped into another world – Whoville to be exact. With the enormous sets and eye-popping special effects, prepare to go on a journey of self discovery with the Grinch, as he realizes that maybe, he has more Christmas spirit than he thought!

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #16

#16. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Meet Me in St. Louis surrounds the Smith family as they prepare to move from their St. Louis home to New York City. Although the film doesn’t entirely surround the holiday season, it is in this movie that the famed song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” made its debut.

Directed by Vincente Minnelli, the cast of this classic includes Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien, Mary Astor and Tom Drake.

Check out a clip below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #17

#17. All I Want For Christmas (1991)

In this Christmas Season comedy, Hallie and Ethan O’Fallon (Thora Birch and Ethan Embry) are two kids growing up in New York City. Their parents, Catherine (Harley Jane Kozak) and Michael (Jamey Sheridan) recently got divorced and the kids have spent the past year shuffling between homes. For Christmas, Hallie and Ethan decide to attempt to get their parents back together. With a little help from Santa, friends, some mice and an ice cream truck, Hallie and Ethan embark on a hilarious journey to try and get their family back together.

***While watching this family friendly film, keep an eye out for Lauren Bacall, as she plays the role of the children’s grandmother, Lillian Brooks.

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #18

#18. While You Were Sleeping (1995)

In this romantic comedy, Lucy Moderatz (Sandra Bullock) is a kind, lonely subway token seller who longs for someone to share her life with. She develops a crush on a handsome commuter named Peter (Peter Gallagher) who passes her booth every day.

As she doesn't have a family to spend the holiday with, Lucy's boss puts her on the schedule to work during Christmas. While working her shift, she notices Peter get mugged and pushed onto the train tracks. Lucy jumps onto the tracks, saves him and takes him to the hospital where the doctors conclude that Peter has slipped into a coma and she ends up being mistaken as his fiance.

When his family arrives at the hospital and hears the news that Peter is engaged, they quickly embrace Lucy. All of them, that is, except for Peter's brother Jack (Bill Pullman), who is not convinced that Lucy is telling the truth.

One of the messages of this film is that things have a way of working out in the end. Your dreams may not always come true... sometimes real life turns out even better.

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #19

#19. Trading Places (1983)

This wildly entertaining comedy will have you laughing for hours! Brothers Mortimer (Don Ameche) and Randolph Duke (Ralph Bellamy) are commodity brokers with more money than they know what to do with. On occasion, to pass the time, they enjoy a friendly bet.

Randolph bets Mortimer that they can take a common criminal and make him a successful businessman in their company. In turn, they decide to frame one of their own brokers, for crimes he didn’t commit, to see how he fares living on the streets without any connections.

With an outstanding cast including Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Lee Curtis, Trading Places teaches a valuable lesson. At the end of the day, we’re all human and everyone should be treated with the same level of respect, no matter what your stature.

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN! #20

#20. Look Who's Talking Now! (1993)

This family friendly flick is my favorite of the Look Who's Talking series. Mollie and James Ubriacco (Kirstie Alley and John Travolta) are still together and raising kids Mikey (David Gallagher) and Julie (Tabitha Lupien) in the city. All is well until two new additions arrive; pet dogs Rocks (Voice of Danny Devito) and Daphne (Voice of Diane Keaton). Tensions continue to rise when Mollie loses her job and James starts a career as a private pilot working for the lonely and sexy Samantha (Lysette Anthony).

Throughout the holiday season, James finds himself spending more time on airplanes than with his family. As time passes, it becomes apparent that Samantha is interested in more than just business. When she fools James into taking her on a phony business trip and lures him to a cabin in the middle of nowhere on Christmas Eve, he is determined to get home to his family. Will he make it home in time for Christmas? Or will his family end up finding him? This film has enough fun and excitement for moms, dads, kids of all ages and animals everywhere!

Check out the trailer below:

HOLIDAY MOVIE COUNTDOWN!

Throughout the month of December, I will be writing about my top 20 favorite holiday movies! Stay tuned...

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz Joins Cast of Chicago!

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz has joined the Broadway cast of Chicago, playing the role of Roxie Hart. No stranger to the stage, Simpson-Wentz has already played the merry murderess in London!

If you want to see Ashlee Simpson-Wentz in this Tony Award winning musical, hurry and get your tickets now! She will only be performing from November 30th - February 7, 2010.