Holiday Movie Advent Calendar

Ugly sweaters. Secret Santa gifts. Tree lightings. That inedible fruitcake your sweet Aunt Gladys sends without fail. These are some of the time-honored markers announcing the holiday season is upon us. But for us film-lovin’ folks at the Chronicle, what gets us most merry is revisiting, or newly discovering, the movies and TV offerings inspired by the holidays. In the spirit of this season of giving, we’re unveiling a new viewing recommendation every day from December 1 through 25, from black-and-white classics to black comedies, blood-spattered ho-ho-horror and yuletide-special TV episodes.

Holiday Viewing: <i>Black Christmas</i>
Black Christmas
The giving season can be murder in the original slasher

Dec. 2, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>A Christmas Tale</i>
A Christmas Tale
Turns out Christmas dinner is just as fraught in French

Dec. 3, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>The Dead</i>
The Dead
The shadow of Christmas past hangs long over Huston's classic

Dec. 4, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Elf</i>
Elf
One for the whole family

Dec. 5, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>The Lion in Winter</i>
The Lion in Winter
It’s 1183 … but squabbling with the family is timeless

Dec. 6, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Krampus</i>
Krampus
How to avoid being dragged away on Krampusnacht

Dec. 7, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Gremlins</i>
Gremlins
Classic black comedy has the blues

Dec. 8, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale</i>
Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale
Some Santas belong on the naughty list

Dec. 9, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>The Best Man Holiday</i>
The Best Man Holiday
Bust a gut laughing, or cry your guts out: You get it both ways

Dec. 10, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Doctor Who</i> at Christmas
Doctor Who
Which are the best (and worst) of the BBC classic's Xmas specials?

Dec. 11, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>The Spirit of Christmas</i>
The Spirit of Christmas
A ridiculous delight in the Hallmark movie pantheon

Dec. 12, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>White Christmas</i>
White Christmas
The one we can't seem to quit

Dec. 13, 2017

Holiday Viewing: TV Christmas Episodes
TV Christmas Episodes
Celebrate the season in Sunnydale, the Oval Office, and more

Dec. 14, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Bad Santa</i>
Bad Santa
Foul-mouthed fun for the holidays

Dec. 15, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Diner</i>
Diner
Or how I fell in love with Mickey Rourke

Dec. 16, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Downton Abbey</i> Christmas Specials
Downton Abbey Christmas Specials
We rank the holidays with the Crawley family

Dec. 17, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Remember the Night</i>
Remember the Night
The key to a merry Christmas is a shoplifter in the house

Dec. 18, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Eyes Wide Shut</i>
Eyes Wide Shut
Stanley Kubrick’s lovely holiday tale of marriage and orgies

Dec. 19, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>The Gospel According to St. Matthew</i>
The Gospel According to St. Matthew
“The most sublime Texts ever written”

Dec. 20, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>The Nightmare Before Christmas</i>
The Nightmare Before Christmas
A holiday hybrid for outcasts

Dec. 21, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Christmas in Connecticut</i>
Christmas in Connecticut
It's a wonderful lie

Dec. 22, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>Silent Night, Deadly Night</i>
Silent Night, Deadly Night
When your Christmas nightmares come true

Dec. 23, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>A Christmas Carol</i>
A Christmas Carol
In this season of giving, who is the best Scrooge?

Dec. 24, 2017

Holiday Viewing: <i>The Thin Man</i>
The Thin Man
A merry, blotto Christmas (mind the dead body in the bedroom)

Dec. 25, 2017

The Unsubtle Art of Self-Promotion, Plus Unconventional Holiday Movies
The Unsubtle Art of Self-Promotion, Plus Unconventional Holiday Movies
LISTEN: The Austin Chronicle Show on KOOP Community Radio

Dec. 3, 2021

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