DAILY DIRT: ‘Love Actually’ and not ‘Elf’ is top holiday movie

After you have perused today’s Daily Dirt, do yourself a favor a look over the last of “Love Actually.” I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 460 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Since it’s officially the Christmas season now, let’s kick it off with the 10 best holiday movies, according to today.com/popculture. (And then I’ll give you my favorite 10):

• 1. “Elf”: Honestly, I wouldn’t care if I never saw this movie again. Ever.
• 2. “Home Alone”: I would have this in the top 50 somewhere, but No. 2?
• 3. “It’s A Wonderful Life”: Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed are marvelous. In fact, so is the entire cast. I don’t think I have ever talked with anyone who doesn’t appreciate this film.
• 4. “Love Actually”: There’s always the argument whether or not this modern-day classic is actually a Christmas movie. It is. Case closed.
• 5. “Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch Stile Christmas”: I don’t care for cartoons, no matter what the season …
• 6. “A Charlie Brown Christmas”: … so that would eliminate this one, too.
• 7. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”: The best Chevy Chase movie ever.
• 8. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”: Another blasted cartoon.
• 9. “Miracle on 34th Street”: It never gets old. Never. Edmund Gwenn is superb.
• 10. “Home Alone 2: Lost in New York”: There should never have been a sequel. 

2. Now, my own personal top 10 films for this time of the year:

• 1. “Love Actually”: It’s just not the Christmas season until I have watched this incredible film at least two or three times. My favorite part? The whole thing, from beginning to end. Hugh Grant should have won an Oscar for his role as the prime minister.
• 2. “It’s A Wonderful Life”: And it’s a wonderful film. Arguably one of the top three movie endings in history, regardless of genre.
• 3. “A Christmas Story”: What would the Christmas season be without at least one viewing of Ralphie and that blasted b-b gun? Darren McGavin’s portrayal of the father is a timeless classic in its own right. 
• 4. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”: Squirrel!!!
• 5. “When Harry Met Sally: On paper, Billy Crystal and pre-plastic surgery Meg Ryan don’t seem like a match. But it works in this great, great movie.
• 6. “Miracle on 34th Street”: This and “It’s A Wonderful Life” would be a perfect back-to-back offering.
• 7. “Die Hard”: We all need a little action to spice up the holidays.
• 8. “Bad Santa”: Billy. Bob. Thornton. Ho! Ho! Ho!
• 9. “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”: Quick! What was John Candy’s name in this movie? If you guessed “Del Griffith,” please accept a cup of complimentary eggnog.
• 10. “Serendipity”: A 2001 tale of star-crossed lovers who tested fate. One of the best John Cusack films that gave us a highly underrated supporting cast.

3. Granted, the Quincy Walmart has irritated me to no end by rarely having more than one or two workers operating its checkout lines (no, I don’t want to check myself out, so don’t even bring that up), but fair is fair.

When I stopped in to do some shopping late Friday afternoon there were cashiers at most of the checkouts. Thank you, Walmart … and was that so difficult to do?

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Why was there never a “Love Actually II”?

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Yes, he went to Walmart on Black Friday.