Holiday Movies for Kids (Continued) 

By Martha Brockenbrough
MSN Cinemama

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Special: "The Night Before Christmas ... and More Classic Holiday Tales"

For a slow, gentle rendition of a classic Christmas poem, Scholastic's "The Night Before Christmas ... and More Classic Holiday Tales" is a nice choice for younger kids. It has seven stories in all, including nods to other winter holidays and cultures.

"In the Month of Kislev," for example, animates a story about Hanukkah. Children from a family too poor to cook its own holiday latkes smell the ones frying at a rich man's home. He accuses them of stealing the smell of his dinner.

"Seven Candles for Kwanzaa," meanwhile, tells a bit of the history of Kwanzaa, which runs Dec. 26 through Jan. 1 and celebrates African heritage and values.

The DVD has four more stories: "Too Many Tamales," "Max's Christmas," "Morris's Disappearing Bag" and "The Little Drummer Boy."

The MSRP is $14.95.

Special: "Pucca: Secret Samurai Santa"

At first blush, ninjas and Santa have nothing to do with each other. That wouldn't change even if there were such a thing as second and third blush.

But who cares, because Pucca makes it work with "Secret Samurai Santa," a collection of 10 short, animated stories about the little girl who's madly in love with a ninja-in-training.

Santa makes recurring appearances in lots of these videos, but he takes a bigger role in this holiday collection, teaming up with a villain to steal Christmas cookies, among other things.

Kids love these cartoons because they're full of quick, zany action and occasional "pantsing" episodes (don't worry -- no actual bits appear on-screen). Adults love them because the humor is so deliciously surreal.

Truthfully, it has nothing to do with the holiday spirit, but if it gives a whole family a case of the giggles, it can't be bad.

The MSRP is $14.99.

Special: "Elf"

It's rated PG for some crude humor, and isn't exactly the most wholesome holiday movie on the block, but there's something about Will Ferrell that makes this movie about a human raised among elves feel like a naughty treat.

Ferrell's elf, Buddy, goes in search of his father (the well-cast James Caan) in New York. Comic misunderstandings occur. But, as is essential in a holiday movie, jaded cynics find hope restored. I don't know what makes me happy to watch this movie again this year, but I have a feeling that theme is part of it.

This one might be fun to watch when the kids are in bed, then Mom and Dad can settle down to watch Ferrell in "Stranger Than Fiction," a completely underappreciated movie about a man who finds himself living inside an author's story, which may or may not have a happy ending. It's a delight, and just the thing to bring warmth to a cold winter's night.

The MSRP for "Elf" on Blu-ray is $29.99.

Classics You Shouldn't Overlook

"Peanuts Holiday Collection": Digitally remastered and repackaged this year to include the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas specials, this $45 collection is missing just one nostalgia bonbon: commercials for Dolly Madison Zingers.

"The Original Christmas Classics" and "Christmas Television Favorites": The main strength of the "original" version is the inclusion of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town." (I am less of a "Frosty" fan, and I have no time for any "Frosty" sequels.) The other, however, has "The Year Without a Santa Claus," featuring songs by the Heat Miser and Snow Miser. The excellence of these characters cannot be overstated. And of course, the inclusion of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" (narrated by Boris Karloff) makes this a collection worth having. Though these sets retail for about $40 each, you can generally find them for less. Had I dreamed of such things as a child, I would have looked forward to the future with unbridled glee.

Martha Brockenbrough is author of "Things That Make Us [Sic]," a guide to funny bad grammar, published by St. Martin's press. She also blogs about family life for Cozi.com and writes an educational humor column for Encarta. Check out her web site.  

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