December has officially arrived. Of course, this means cold temperatures and snow outside, but it also means it’s the perfect time for indoor holiday movie watching.
If you feel like hitting the warm theaters, two holiday films — “Christmas Eve” and “Krampus” — will hit screens on Friday, December 4.
Produced by longtime television and radio host Larry King, “Christmas Eve” has the potential to be a holiday hit. The film follows the story of six groups of people who are all trapped in elevators during a New York City power outage on December 24. The movie’s various plots contain romance, comedy and an infectious holiday spirit. If that’s not enough for you, the film has a promising cast. The movie features Jon Heder, known for his role in the cult-classic “Napoleon Dynamite,” Sir Patrick Stewart, the face of the wheelchair-bound Professor Xavier from “X-Men” and James Roday, the star of the USA Network series “Psych,” among others.
If a heart-warming comedy isn’t up your alley this holiday season, “Krampus” just might be. Unlike most holiday movies, “Krampus” is a Christmas terror that promises scares. The plot begins with a comedic extended family gathering, but takes a twisted turn when their un-festive attitudes awaken a not-so-mythical Christmas demon: Krampus. Described as Santa Claus’ shadow, the antagonist appears to be a horned goat with bad intentions. The film is only rated PG-13, so the jumpy scenes won’t ruin the holidays forever. Plus, it will be fun to see how Adam Scott — of “Parks and Recreation” comedy fame — does in a horror film.
With the season of giving upon us, splurging on a movie ticket might be out of the question, which is why we have pre-paid video streaming sites like Netflix, HBO Go, Hulu and Amazon Prime.
Classics like “Home Alone” will be available on HBO Go, but for those who need more Bill Murray in their lives, “A Very Murray Christmas” will be available for Netflix streaming on December 4 at midnight. The Netflix original comedy stars its writer Bill Murray, along with an array of famous faces including Amy Poehler, George Clooney, Miley Cyrus, Chris Rock, Rashida Jones, Michael Cera and more.
Also on Netflix this December are several other seasonal movie options including “Love Actually,” Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and the 2004 movie “Christmas with the Kranks,” a comedy starring Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis. “Stuck in Love” is another movie on the site and, although not directly a holiday film, it addresses the struggles of a split family during the holiday season. It also boasts a great cast, including Lily Collins, Logan Lerman, Jennifer Connelly, Nat Wolff and Kristen Bell.
Hulu carries a collection of holiday movies you might have never heard of, like “Holiday Engagement” and “A Snow Globe Christmas.” Additionally, Hulu has a great and easily accessible selection of your favorite holiday-themed TV episodes. The “Hulu for the Holidays” page has seasonal episodes for shows like “Doctor Who,” “Bob’s Burgers,” “The Mindy Project,” “Hey Arnold” and more, all in one place.
If you’re upset about not having a TV or cable to view ABC family’s “25 Days of Christmas,” check out Amazon Prime Instant Video for the short and sweet classics like “Frosty’s Winter Wonderland” and “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” Nothing instills a homey, holiday feeling like childhood classics. The films are less than 60 minutes long and the well-known, catchy songs will have you singing along.
And if none of these movies speak to you, then you can always default on the hour long “Fireplace for Your Home” yule log video. It’s exactly what it sounds like, complete with holiday music and the crackling sounds of fire.