Movies: Necessary for stress reduction after frantic Christmas responsibilities (and a New Year’s Day hangover), or other occasions when a time-killer is essential.
Boxing Day: A great time to get those timeless flicks you’ll watch enough to think you can actually wear out a DVD — on sale.
Why not unite the two? While you’re out bargain hunting today, here are some DVDs you should consider buying for entertainment during stay-cations, rainy weekends, sick days and other times in the year when you may not want to leave your couch.
Holiday
A Christmas Story — The tale of a boy and his desired gift, a BB gun that “will shoot your eye out, kid” is reminiscent of at least one festive mishap we’ve all had.
Comedy
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off — Who hasn’t lived through Bueller vicariously? This is the ultimate goof-off movie for days when going to work makes us feel like Sisyphus pushing that boulder uphill all over again.
Step Brothers —?Even grown-ups need a no-brainer movie occasionally. Mission accomplished as two 40 year-olds act like rude toddlers. Dumb fun not suitable for, well, some adults, to be honest.
Action/Drama
Angels & Demons — The prequel to author Dan Brown’s The DaVinci Code is another church-meets-state thriller starring who-could-hate-him Tom Hanks and made renegade-style by who-could-hate-him director Ron Howard. Who could hate it?
The Dark Knight — Anti-hero central. Batman’s not so cutesy, The Joker is a total badass. Don’t argue.
Horror
Dead Snow —?Innovating on the greats (Evil Dead, Dead Alive), this indie flick turned global success finds teens fighting Nazi zombies in a Norwegian cabin. As hilarious as it is gory.
Family
Up — The name Pixar (Cars, Monsters Inc.) proves this film’s merit alone. But even then, it’s a heart-warming tale involving talking dogs, flying houses and life lessons capable of jerking tears from grumbly dads.
Monsters Vs. Aliens — Boasting both an adorable character in gelatinous dimwit blob B.O.B. and a surprising homage to classic ’50s B flicks, this is an enduring winner.
Television
Pushing Daisies, Season 1 — A baker able to bring the dead back to life for one minute — longer if someone else dies in their place — resuscitates his childhood love. Insanity ensues and yes, it gets weirder. Comedy? Yup. Drama? Certainly. Indelibly interesting? Hot damn!
