Riverdance--The Show is a cultural phenomenon that defies criticism for the enthusiastic and leaves everyone else scratching their heads. The wonderfully talented cast, headed by the Riverdance Irish Dance Company, bewitchingly spins (and stomps) its Celtic folk choreography featuring numerous breathless solos by Michael Flatley (since departed) and Jean Butler. The mellifluous ...

Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Starring: Michael Flatley, Jean Butler, Brendán de Gallaí, Eileen Martin, Areleen Ni Bhaoill
Directed By: John McColgan

This semi-remake of Holiday Inn (the first movie in which Irving Berlin's perennial, Oscar-winning holiday anthem was featured) doesn't have much of a story, but what it does have is choice: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, an all-Irving Berlin song score, classy direction by Hollywood vet Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood), VistaVision (the ...

Manufacturer: Paramount
Starring: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger
Directed By: Michael Curtiz

Much closer to Hello, Dolly! than your usual Christmas special, Mrs. Santa Claus joins two distinct genres: holiday family fare and the Broadway musical. This song-studded extravaganza was especially designed for TV by Broadway legend Jerry Herman, whose songs are just as incorrigibly catchy on the small screen as they are on the stage. Herman uses one of his favorite leading ladies ...

Manufacturer: Hallmark
Starring: Angela Lansbury, Michael Jeter, Terrence Mann, Lynsey Bartilson, Bryan Murray
Directed By: Terry Hughes

Manufacturer: Sony
Starring: Michael Jackson, Hakeem Abdul-Samad, Khiry Abdul-Samad, Tajh Abdul-Samad, Brandon Quintin Adams
Directed By: Colin Chilvers, Jerry Kramer, Jim Blashfield

This perennial, Christmas-season favorite from 1942 teamed Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire as entertainers (and rival suitors of Marjorie Reynolds) running an inn that is only open on holidays. It's a great excuse for lots of singing and dancing, seamlessly wrapped in a catchy story, and Astaire's frequent director Mark Sandrich (Top Hat, Shall We Dance?) doesn't let us down. The Irving ...

Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Starring: Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Marjorie Reynolds, Virginia Dale, Walter Abel
Directed By: Mark Sandrich

Tchaikovsky's timeless Yuletide ballet is presented in an all-new movie version with as much eloquence as one would find in a live stage production. Replete with gorgeous costumes and scenery, George Balanchine's production, adapted by Peter Martins, features the New York City Ballet with narration by Kevin Kline. From the moment the Nutcracker prince winds toymaker Drosselmeier's life-sized ...

Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
Starring: Darci Kistler, Damian Woetzel, Kyra Nichols, Bart Robinson Cook, Jessica Lynn Cohen
Directed By: Emile Ardolino

"Mama, when was Santa Claus born? Why doesn't he ever die?" Based on the popular children's book by L. Frank Baum (author of The Wizard of Oz), this 75-minute animated version of The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus provides answers to these and other pressing questions from the 3- to 8-year-old set. As in Baum's book, the quiet, moderately paced video steers clear of Christian ...

Manufacturer: Universal Studios
Starring: Robby Benson, Dixie Carter, Hal Holbrook, Carlos Alazraqui, Jim Cummings
Directed By: Glen Hill

Manufacturer: Sony
Starring: New Kids on the Block

The American Ballet Theater version of the Tchaikovsky classic, a 1977 studio rendition directed by Tony Charmoli, has become a holiday perennial on PBS stations and home video. It's a favorite of parents who want to give their kids the gift of culture--and with good reason. There's a loose fairy tale plot to keep dance neophytes interested, and Boris Aronson's eye-candy production design is a ...

Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
Starring: Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gelsey Kirkland, Alexander Minz, Victor Barbee, Warren Conover
Directed By: Tony Charmoli

It’s an unbelievable Christmas Eve as Barney™, BJ™ and Baby Bop™ take their friends on a musical journey to the North Pole and bring them face to face with Santa Claus! The excitement builds as Santa leads his guests on a once-in-a-lifetime tour of his brightly decorated home. The children discover his antique music box, see amazing displays of hi favorite toys and climb aboard his train ...

Manufacturer: Lyons / Hit Ent.
Starring: Barney