Review: `Minors' a tame holiday tale
113574
How do you defang and declaw caustic standup comic and commentator Lewis Black? Stick him in a PG-rated holiday family movie, then stand back and watch the laughs not pile up.
762340
Any TV film with a cast including Susan Sarandon, Alan Arkin, Penelope Cruz and Robin Williams is worth a look. That certainly goes for "Noel," a multi-stranded holiday yarn that isn't afraid to tug at the heartstrings, but does it in often unexpected ways.
250015
Nearly every year about  this time we get a holiday comedy in which characters celebrate  the season as poorly as possible for 95% of the movie. Then an  epiphany arrives in a nick of time to remind everyone how to  correctly celebrate the spirit of Christmas. Let's call this  the Dysfunctional Christmas Comedy.
668552
Bear with me a moment and take part in a bit of holiday whimsy. Close your eyes and think about Christmases past. What do you see?
551363
After a shaky start, this "Annie" is an elating piece of family theater that deserves to become the mass-entertainment holiday staple it aspires to be.
172930
The great and gloomy Lemony Snicket&#39;s A Series Of Unfortunate Events is going to start a lot of unfortunate discussion about whether it&#39;s too dark for our little holiday moppets.
440874
"Anacondas" has no pretensions and gets its little job done effectively, providing some small-scale laughs and chills for the late summer season.
114151
The distinct voice of a novice screenwriter lifts this heartwarming tale of a teen pregnancy.
20559
Brad SilberlingÂs new movie has nothing to prove, and not all that much to say, but its modesty and good humor make it hard to resist.
720882
Variety - Waters, who claims to have an unironic love of Christmas, has put together a collection of holiday tunes (also titled "A John Waters Christmas" and released by New Line's music division) that combines the tastelessly mawkish with unearthed R&amp;B gems. His 45-minute monologue only mentioned the album in passing; instead, his loosely structured, often hilarious comments touched on holiday shoplifting, memories of Baltimore Christmases past, what presents to buy him (books, including a cookbook written by a serial killer and "Call Me Lumpy," the autobiography of "Leave It To Beaver" sidekick Frank Bank), his favorite holiday movie ("Christmas Evil," which climaxes with a homicidal Claus protected from a mob by a ring of children), and visions of holiday collaborations with producer William Castle (the low-budget frightmeister who specialized in stunts like "The Tingler," where auds were literally shocked out of their seats), leading to Christmas tie-in travesties such as "The Care Bear Massacres" and "I Dismember Rainbow Brite."
441544
Originally published in 1985, Chris Van Allsburgâs ââThe Polar Expressââ is a hushed, haunted little book - a childâs illuminated manuscript set during the dreamy wee hours of Christmas Eve.
761809
While adults may question director Anurag Kashyap's take on mythology or disapprove of Gods conversing in Hinglish, kids might find the action entertaining.
483401
Tired of Tiny Tim? Think Bob Crachit is an oversentimental fool? Not too scared of Christmas Future anymore? Scrooge isn&#39;t the only one dreading another
145385
A novel about conjoined twins just doesn't sound all that appealing. But Lori Lansens' The Girls isn't some freaky sideshow story. It's a tale of kindness, love and the odd things life throws at us, no matter our circumstances.
655257
Yes, the holidays bring millions of chopped-down trees and megawatts of flashing lights. But they don't have to be an environmentalist's worst nightmare.
691616
While audiences go on heist adventurs with Nicolas Cage (in National Treasure) and George Clooney (in Ocean's Twelve), the critics' groups, as usual, are celebrating the holidays with awards for a lot
484073
A semiromantic holiday semicomedy about a struggling actor who puts aside his pride and takes a $100-a-day job as a sidewalk Santa Claus.