BLOCKBUSTER(R) Finds Movies Are Key Part of America's Holiday Traditions

BLOCKBUSTER(R) Finds Movies Are Key Part of America's Holiday Traditions DALLAS, Dec. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For many, watching a favorite movie is as much a part of setting the holiday mood as putting up the tree or hanging the stockings. A survey by Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE:BBI)(NYSE:BBI.B) found that 61 percent of families watch a particular movie as a part of their holiday traditions. Some families will be complementing their holiday traditions this year thanks to the timely release of such family-friendly films as "Elf," "Shrek 2" and "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." Others will turn to classics they've watched year after year to set the holiday mood. Year in and year out, there are a dozen or so holiday titles that rank as BLOCKBUSTER members' favorites. BLOCKBUSTER's top renting classic holiday movies include the following: HOLIDAY MOVIE TRADITIONS FROM BLOCKBUSTER(R) * "A Charlie Brown Christmas" * "Christmas Story" * "Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas" * "Home Alone" * "It's A Wonderful Life" * "Miracle On 34th Street" (1947) * "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" * "The Nightmare Before Christmas" * "Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer" * "The Santa Clause" * "A Christmas Carol" * "White Christmas" * "The Grinch" "The holidays are steeped in traditions, and Blockbuster has found that watching certain movies is now clearly among seasonal family customs," said Curt Andrews, senior vice president and film category general manager for Blockbuster. "In many homes, the ritual of watching a classic holiday movie has taken on the same kind of meaning that pulling out the ornaments or buying gifts for loved ones has." Some families are drawn to the heartwarming tales found in old-time movies like "Miracle On 34th Street" and "White Christmas." Others look to comedies like "Christmas Story," "Home Alone" and "The Santa Clause" to get the family laughing together. There are kids and kids at heart who have to get their animated classic fix each year from "The Nightmare Before Christmas" or "How The Grinch Stole Christmas." Some films, such as "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "It's A Wonderful Life" did not achieve acclaim on their initial release, but have since become a part of the fabric of American holiday tradition. These and other holiday movie titles can be found for rent on special holiday feature walls at BLOCKBUSTER stores across the country, as well as at blockbuster.com. About BLOCKBUSTER Blockbuster Inc. is a leading global provider of in-home movie and game entertainment, with more than 9,000 stores throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. The company may be accessed worldwide at blockbuster.com. Source: Blockbuster Inc. CONTACT: Holly Vershum of Blockbuster Inc., +1-214-854-3190 Web site: http://www.blockbuster.com/ ------- Profile: International Entertainment