new to me holiday DVDs (2022 additions)

These days, everyone loves to stream holiday classics. I do, too. There are lots of fun seasonal offerings on a variety of streaming platforms. Watching them is so easy. All you do is hit play and voila! However, those movies don't always stick around. Case in point? Two favourites of mine, Christmas With the Kranks and Just Friends were removed from Netflix fairly recently. I was distraught. For me? It reinforced the importance of physical media. I have always been someone who purchases CDs, TV box sets, and DVDs. I like to own things that matter to me. As great as streaming can be, the catalogue is temporary and can disappear at any moment. That is why my Christmas movie collection (which you can take a peek at here) is so important to me. I find it comforting to know that the seasonal movies I love are always nearby. Saying that...my Christmas movie collection grows every now and again. I have a list of movies that I am on the hunt for and it is not unusual for me to browse discount bins searching for a hidden treasure. Want to take a peek at some new to me holiday DVDs for 2022? Keep reading to check out some of the seasonal movies that I have been able to add to my movie collection this year. 

The Classic Christmas Tales Collection Volume 2. Back in 2018, there was a blog post on the creation of beauty is art. dedicated to my favourite obscure Christmas specials. (You can check that out here.) One was so obscure that I had been unable to find it anywhere to purchase. Since that time, I have checked YouTube, Amazon, Ebay, and even tried to reach out to the company that produced the cartoons. Nothing worked. This year? I once again was checking Ebay for The Classic Christmas Tales Collection Volume 2 and there it was for just $13 CDN. It was a total dream come true. It was immediately ordered and arrived within a week. Now? I am finally able to watch The Tradition of the Christmas Log. (This set also comes with The Legend of the Christmas Tree.) It reminded me of holidays past, when my brother and I would watch every single special aired on YTV or TeleToon. I cannot begin to describe how much it means to finally have this holiday DVD in my collection. 

Hanna-Barbera Christmas Classics Collection. This may sound strange, but every now and then, I add to my wish list of holiday movies. Whenever I hear about a random Christmas movie or special that I haven't seen before...it gets added to the list. Periodically, I look around to see if I can find a copy. Though there are still lots on the list that I can't seem to find, the Hanna-Barbera Christmas Classic Collection managed to check three off my list. This set has The Town Santa Forgot (which I had watched on YouTube many times before it was taken down), A Christmas Story, and Casper's First Christmas. The last two were on my wish list, so this set really was a special find. Though I love pretty much all holiday specials, there is something especially comforting about older Christmas cartoons. I love the animation style and how earnest the storytelling is. 

Festive Follies Collection: 12 Holiday Treasures. Another movie on my wish list was Yogi Bear's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper. I'd heard about it in a random YouTube video about classic holiday specials and really wanted to see it. When I was out and about, I found the Festive Follies Collection, which had Scooby Doo Christmas episodes, Tom and Jerry Christmas episodes, and the Yogi Bear special. It was $12 CDN and seemed like a good way to connect with my inner child. With so many old-school cartoons to watch, there was no doubt that my holiday season would be one to remember. 

Blizzard. There is something to be said for discount holiday movie bins. I was at Walmart buying some seasonal items and stumbled upon one of those giant bins of movies. Though I hate having to dig through it all, it is always exciting when you find something special. In this case, I found three something specials. Each movie was $5 CDN each. The first was Blizzard, because it had a YTV logo (ahh, the memories) and featured some notable names, like Whoopi Goldberg and Christopher Plummer. My expectations were low, but this was surprisingly warm and heartfelt. It was all about the power of friendship and doing what is right instead of what is common. There was lots of magic and some really relatable moments as well. 

Four Christmases. This was another Walmart $5 bin find. I remember seeing Four Christmases a very long time ago. I liked it at the time, but it didn't become part of my holiday traditions for whatever reason. Since it was only $5 and because Reese Witherspoon is excellent, it only made sense to bring this one home and watch it again. I'm glad that I did! I really enjoyed it and found myself liking it much more as an adult. There were some over the top moments, but the main characters were also really relatable at times. It also took a different look at the Christmas experience and the complexity of family dynamics. 

The Swan Princess Christmas. Another movie from my wish list! I actually heard about this movie last year and intended to watch it on a streaming service. Unfortunately, the movie was taken down before I got around to viewing it. The Walmart discount bin saved the day, because I was able to find it for $5 CDN. Again, I wasn't sure what to expect and had somewhat low expectations. Honestly? This was a delight. The movie itself was really good and was something the whole family would enjoy. The best part had to be the music. It was phenomenal. There is actually a soundtrack, but it is super expensive, so that will have to wait. For now? I will enjoy all of the fabulous and festive music included in The Swan Princess Christmas DVD. This was a delightful find. In fact, it was so wonderful that I watched all of the special features on the DVD as well. 

So, there you have it. These are some of the holiday DVDs that have been added to my collection over the last little while. Since I watch Christmas movies all year round (I have a serious obsession with holiday movies and specials) it is always exciting to add a little something that is new to me to the shelf. I have no doubt that these will be watched over and over again. 

Have you seen any of these holiday DVDs? What seasonal movies are on your wish list?