PHOTO BY OLLIE GRATZINGER

Sure, you could be curled up on the couch — but microwave popcorn just isn’t the same.

While you’ll likely find plenty of holiday favorites and Christmas-themed romances to watch at home this month, there’s something special about traveling over the river and through the woods to the nearest cinema to catch a beloved favorite on the big screen. Plenty of cinemas, from multiplexes to arthouses, revive favorites for the holiday season — and there’s a handful of seasonally appropriate new releases hitting the big screen, too.

Various independent theaters will offer a bevy of holiday programming, including the Lindsay Theater in Sewickley, Row House Cinemas in Lawrenceville and the Oaks Theater in Oakmont. Row House will also wade into the eternal debate over what counts as a Christmas movie this month; from Dec. 6-12, the Lawrenceville theater will show a quartet of debatable choices, with screenings of “Carol,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” “In Bruges” and “The Green Knight.”

Looking for the Grinch or Will Ferrell on the biggest screen possible? There are also a handful of Saturday-night screenings of classics scheduled for the Rangos Giant Cinema at Carnegie Science Center.

So put on your favorite Christmas sweater and choose from this list of 15 holiday movies playing nearby this month.

• The Best Christmas Pageant Ever — In wide release.
• Black Christmas — Playing on Dec. 19 at Row House Lawrenceville.
• A Christmas Story — Playing on Dec. 20, 21 and 22 at the Lindsay Theater.
• Die Hard — Playing from Dec. 13-25 at Row House Lawrenceville.
• Elf — Playing from Dec. 13-26 at the Lindsay Theater. Also playing on Dec. 5 at the Oaks Theater and on Dec. 14 at the Rangos Giant Cinema.
• The Holiday — Playing on Dec. 15 at Row House Lawrenceville.
• Home Alone — Playing from Dec. 13-25 at Row House Lawrenceville and on Dec. 18 at the Oaks Theater.
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) — Playing on Dec. 12 at the Oaks Theater and on Dec. 21 at the Rangos Giant Cinema.
• It’s a Wonderful Life — Playing daily through Dec. 30 at the Jimmy Stewart Museum; from Dec. 13-26 at the Lindsay Theater; from Dec. 14-25 at Row House Lawrenceville; and on Dec. 11 at the Oaks Theater.
• Love Actually — Playing with live accompaniment by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Dec. 19 at Heinz Hall.
• The Muppet Christmas Carol — Playing on Dec. 7 at the Rangos Giant Cinema. Also playing from Dec. 13-25 at Row House Lawrenceville, including a Dec. 21 showing featuring a hot-chocolate bar.
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation — Playing from Dec. 13-26 at the Lindsay Theater. Also playing Dec. 1 and 4 at Chartiers Valley Luxury 14.
• The Polar Express — Playing (in 3D) on select dates through Dec. 24 at the Rangos Giant Cinema. Also playing Dec. 20, 21, 22 and 26 at the Lindsay Theater.
• Red One — In wide release.
• White Christmas — Playing on Dec. 15 and 16 at the Lindsay Theater.