Frosty the Snowman (1969)

Happy Birthday! Pretty standard children’s classic, and a holiday staple. Frosty’s animated by a magical hat, goes on some joyrides, then is promptly executed by dawn’s light. But he’ll be back next Christmas day! This idea could easily be turned into a horror movie. Watch it for the memories, to relive some of that lost childhood, or share it with your kids if you got ‘em. Spawned a sequel some 20 years later entitled Frosty Returns (starring John Goodman) which was mostly awful.

4 corn-cob pipes out of 5

A Chipmunk Christmas (1981)

It's not Christmas without high-pitched, sped-up voices. This lovely animated tale finds Alvin giving away his prized Golden Echo Harmonica to a dying child only to find himself in a dilemma when he's asked to perform a solo at Carnegie Hall. He attempts to raise money for himself to buy a new one, much to Dave's dismay (who thinks Alvin is doing it for selfish reasons). It's such a well-meaning story, it's hard to regard it with anything but warmhearted optimism.

4.5 hula-hoops out of 5