Existence increasingly resembles a subscription model, and the fees keep going up. Rents continue to be way up from just a few years ago, and buying a house now requires some form of supernatural assistance unless there’s a trust fund of some kind in your life. But when times get tough, folks get creative, and an increasing number of people are looking into the RV or Van Life.

While living in an RV full-time can definitely be cheaper than renting an apartment or buying a house, there are still costs involved. First, you have to buy an RV or camper. Then you need to rent space at campsites, which range from free (on federal land, but with zero utilities or amenities) to almost $15,000 a year at commercial campsites.

That’s still cheaper than most rents, but if you’re in a real money crunch you might be able to reduce your housing and utility costs to zero—and maybe make a little money as well. If that sounds pretty good to you, consider looking into camp host positions.

What’s a camp host?

A camp host or park host is the person who manages a campsite at a national or state park or a private campground. When folks arrive in their RVs, the camp host greets them, sets them up at their campsite, and makes sure they’re hooked up to the water, electricity, and other amenities, if any. The host is typically also responsible for a long list of other duties, including:

• Maintenance. The camp host typically does light maintenance work, which usually means cleaning bathrooms and other common areas and doing minor repair work.

• Rule enforcement. Campsites usually have written rules governing what’s allowed, noise levels, and other aspects of camp life. When someone violates those rules or has a complaint, the camp host is expected to deal with the issue.

• Information. The camp host is expected to be knowledgeable about camp life in general and the specific campsite under their care, and to answer campers’ questions. They’re not generally expected to be experts about the park itself, just the campsite.

The camp host lives right there in the campsite. Requirements to be a camp host are generally pretty light: You have to be at least 18 years old, you must own an RV of some sort (the type and size of that RV might limit the campsites you can work at), and pass a basic background check. Beyond that, some outdoor skills and familiarity with RV camping are essential.

Benefits and downsides

If you own an RV and enjoy the nomadic camping lifestyle, a camp host position can be an excellent way to cut back on your expenses because they almost always include free RV parking and hookups at the site. That means you can live rent-free and utility-free for as long as you serve in the role—plus you won’t be paying to gas up your RV on a regular basis.

Most camp host positions are volunteer jobs, meaning that the free rent, hookups, and WiFi are all you get in compensation. But some camp host jobs pay—up to $66,000 a year. Most camp host jobs will pay close to minimum wage, determined either by the state where it’s located or by the current federal minimum wage. You have to commit to a specific term of service, which can vary from just two weeks to a year-round commitment. You can also potentially string together several short-term positions in order to have free rent all year. Even if a camp host job doesn’t pay, it’s still an incredible way to cut expenses and save money.

Of course, there are potential downsides to consider:

• The work can be a bit messy, especially cleaning bathrooms.

• You’re more or less always on duty; if campers have a problem in the middle of the night, you’re the one they’re going to wake up.

• It’s a physical job, and can be a dirty one. You’ll also be expected to work in all kinds of weather.

• Utilities vary by campsite. One big pain point for many people is laundry—some campsites offer laundry facilities as part of the camp host perks, but many do not, so you’ll have to consider how you’re washing your clothes.

If you’ve considered all that and think this might be the perfect way to live cheaply and maybe earn some extra cash as well, how do you get a camp host job?

Finding camp host jobs

Finding a camp host position isn’t that different from finding other types of work. There are several ways to look for these jobs:

• Job boards. Just like any job, you can look for camp hosting positions on sites like Indeed. There are also camper-specific job boards like Kamper Jobs or CoolWorks, and campsite operators like Vista Recreation post hosting jobs needed for their campsites as well.

• Parks. State and National Parks are always looking for volunteer and paid camp hosts. You can find a lot of information by visiting various state park websites, or contacting the National Park Service or Forest Service.

If you’ve decided to pursue a camp host position, there are a few tips to keep in mind:

• Plan ahead. Just because these are volunteer or low-paying positions doesn’t mean you can just stroll in and get one. It can take several months between applying for a camp host job and getting it, so research where you want to live and get started early.

• Be flexible. There are a lot of parks and campsites around the country. If you’re seeking a host job to save some money, be prepared to travel. You might need to line up more than one position if you’re hoping to make this a full-time gig, and moving from one spot to another to keep those free hookups coming can require some logistics.

• Be certain. The RV camping life isn’t for everyone. If you’re new to it and mainly inspired by your anemic bank account, try a trial run as a camp host before you fully commit.

If you already own a camper, hosting offers a potentially cost-free living situation. If you think the camping lifestyle might work for you, it’s definitely worth checking out.

I’ve written a lot about different star-gazing opportunities, from meteor showers to interesting planetary alignments, and I usually suggest finding a dark area for best viewing results. But what does “dark” even mean?

The Bortle Scale and the measurement of darkness

The growing prevalence of light pollution caused by our accursed civilization created the need for amateur astronomers to classify which areas in the nighttime sky are dark enough for good stargazing. Enter the “Bortle Scale.” Created in 2000 by astronomer John E. Bortle, the scale breaks darkness into nine levels—from Class 1, the darkest skies, to Class 9, heavily light-polluted urban areas where you’d be lucky to see the North Star. Put simply, for the best stargazing, you want to be in a place with the lowest Bortle number possible. 

Thankfully, there’s technology that can instantly identify the Bortle number of anywhere on earth. If you’re looking for the nearest, darkest spot, you can check out this Light Pollution Map, enter an address or global coordinates, and identify the amount of light pollution anywhere. Don’t be surprised if it’s challenging to find Zone 3 or lower—about 83 percent of the world’s people live under light-polluted skies. Basically, anywhere with even a small city means light pollution.

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Recommended products:

• Telescope filter

• Red LED headlamp

• Xasteria: Astronomy Weather app

• PuTian Merino Wool Blanket

• Ghirardelli Chocolate Premium Indulgence Hot Cocoa Mix

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Finding the right area to stargaze

A dark night sky isn’t worth anything if you can’t see it, so find somewhere with an unobstructed view of the sky, or at least the part of the sky you want to see. Putting a mountain between you and the city is a great strategy for blocking out light; so is getting to the side of a wilderness area or body of water. Elevation can help too, because you’ll be above the haze, fog, smoke, and smog that can obfuscate your view of the heavens. You don’t necessarily need to travel off themgrid to stargaze, though. There are often spots right off the road—or even big highways—that are suitably dark. It’s not the few small highway lights highway that keep the stars dim; it’s the cumulative effect of all the lights in a city.

Plan around the phase of the moon

A full moon is beautiful, but it will basically blot out dimmer celestial objects; and unlike manmade light pollution, there’s no way you can avoid it except to wait until around a new moon. Clouds will obviously keep you from spotting anything in the sky too, so check the moon phase when you begin planning, and then start checking the weather when you get closer to the days you plan to leave.  

Connect with a local astronomy organization 

Most enthusiasts love to talk shop about their passion, so hook up with a local astronomy club or two to glean their inside knowledge of the best spots nearby to stare at the wonders of the cosmos. They probably have a Facebook page where you can ask questions online, and they probably have regular meet-ups if you’d rather talk to people in person. 

Travel to an even darker place

If you’re planning to travel for longer than one night in search of darker skies, check out the Dark Hotels website. It mashes up the international light pollution map with hotel listings from booking.com and Airbnb’s database. It helps make planning a stargazing trip super easy. 

Visit a Dark Sky park or reserve

If you want to take the guesswork out of stargazing entirely, consider visiting a dark sky park or reserve. These designated nature areas are designed to preserve darkness and provide optimum viewing for planet nerds, and if you visit the website of the International Dark Sky Places program, you’ll find a searchable listing for over 200 spots in 22 countries with “outstanding dark sky conditions and protection practices.”

Book a stay at an astronomy hotel

If you have the cash and like to do your stargazing in style and with as little planning as possible, consider an astro-hotel. Places like the Adero in Scottsdale, AZ provide guests with a dedicated “stargazing lawn” with telescopes and astronomy guides. The Hyatt Maui in Hawaii hosts a nightly “Tour of the Stars” with telescopes on the hotel roof, or you could check out the Northern Lights at the Alaska’s Lodge at Black Rapids. Those are only three of many astro-hotels all over the world.

Make the most of the darkness you have

Maybe you can’t plan a faraway trip to an expensive hotel in an area with a perfect Bortle score, and that’s obviously okay too. Looking up at the sky doesn’t have to be big deal, and the stars are still pretty when you see them from your backyard or fire escape. No matter where you go to stargaze, you can make the most of whatever darkness you have. 

• Set up your telescope one hour before viewing: If you’re using a ‘scope, they say you should give it an hour for the optics adapt to the conditions.

• Bring along a lens filter: If you’re using a telescope or binoculars in an area with light pollution, a filter can cut out a significant amount of glare. 

• Give your eyes a chance to adjust: It takes about a half an hour for your eyes to truly open up to the darkness. Don’t look at your phone or any other source of light during this time, unless your phone is emitting only red light.

• Set your phone to emit only red light: If you’re going to use your phone, you can change the setting to only red light easily (Red light doesn’t kill your night vision like other colors do.) On an iPhone, go to Settings > Accessibility > Display and Text Size > Color Filters. Click “on,” then “Color Tint,” and move both the “intensity” and the “hue” sliders all the way to the right, and, voila, red phone.

• Only use a red flashlight: You can navigate with a red flashlight or headlamp, but it won’t affect your night vision like other colored lights will. It’s also the kind thing to do for anyone else who’s out looking at the stars.

• Keep warm: You can’t go wrong with a wool blanket or two. 

• Bring a friend: Bring a friend and a dog and a mug of hot chocolate. (This might be the most important rule of stargazing).

Living arrangements change, and sometimes we need to prevent someone who has, once had, or may have a key to our home from being able to use it again. In situations like these, we might assume that changing our locks is the only option, but fortunately, that’s not the case. Instead of replacing an entire lock, it’s often possible to get away with simply rekeying it—a process that’s typically cheaper and easier. Here are some examples of when it makes more sense to rekey a lock than replace it.

What’s the difference between rekeying and replacing a lock?

Replacing or changing a lock involves removing the entire existing door lock and hardware and installing a different lock and hardware. It typically costs between $50 and $300, depending on the type of lock, whether you’re installing it yourself or hiring a professional to do it, and the complexity of the labor. Rekeying a lock, on the other hand, is limited to changing the pins inside the lock itself, so its current keys would no longer work, though the lock and hardware remain the same. This can cost as little as $10 or as much as around $160, based on several factors we’ll discuss below.

When does rekeying a lock make more sense than replacing it?

After years of use, some locks wear down, and no longer function properly. In this scenario, replacing it with a new lock is the solution. Similarly, if someone wants to change the look of a door, they may want to remove their current lock and hardware, and install a new set in a different color or finish. But beyond these relatively straightforward examples, homeowners have to decide between rekeying or replacing their lock if they want all current keys to the house to stop working.

Here are a few examples of when it makes more sense to rekey a lock:

• If one of your house keys gets lost or stolen

• If you had a roommate or ex who moved out and you no longer want them to be able to access your home

• If you have multiple exterior doors with different keys from the same brand and you want them to match

• If you purchase a new home and want to put off the expense of changing the locks, but want to make sure any current keys no longer work

Can you rekey your own locks?

Rekeying a lock is typically done in one of three ways:

1. Purchasing a rekeying kit and doing everything yourself

It’s not necessarily a beginner-friendly DIY project, so you’ll need some time and patience, along with a rekeying kit specific to the brand and key type of your current lock (e.g., a specific type of Schlage lock). These kits typically cost $12 to $15, and come with the materials you need to rekey six locks. It’s also possible to get a rekeying kit that can be used on any lock from a particular brand, but those usually go for $70 to $100, and they come with a lot of pieces you won’t end up using.

2. Calling a locksmith to come to your home and rekey your lock

You’ll probably pay between $50 and $160 for the convenience, but there are a few situations where this makes sense—like if security is a concern and you need it done quickly, or if you’re trying to rekey locks that have different manufacturers and you don’t want to buy more than one kit, or you have security concerns.

3. Removing the lock from your door and bringing into a hardware store to have it professionally rekeyed

In most cases, this will work out to be the cheapest and easiest option. Be sure to call ahead to make sure that a particular hardware store offers this service. In the past, I’ve had locks rekeyed at Ace Hardware: It took around 15 minutes, and cost $10 per lock with two keys included.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 2, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) jointly published for public comment the Draft National Strategy for Reducing Food Loss and Waste and Recycling Organics.

Between making our homes more energy efficient, and providing us with a cool breeze, ceiling fans are all the rage here at Lifehacker. We’ve sung the praises of newer bladeless varieties, and why you should reverse their direction during the colder months. Now, we’d like to suggest a relatively inexpensive but game-changing upgrade for your current ceiling fans: installing a remote control.

Some homes have several ceiling fans, so we’ll narrow down our recommendation to ceiling fans in bedrooms, living rooms, and anywhere else you lounge. Who wants the hassle of having to stand up and reach for—then pull down—a chain dangling from above every time they want to adjust the fan or its lights? That’s right: no one.

This is especially true if you wake up in the middle of the night either freezing cold—and need to turn the fan off—or roasting hot, and need to turn it on. All that moving around and stretching to reach the chain will disturb your slumber far more than pressing a few buttons on a remote from the comfort of your bed. If you’re unfamiliar with remote controls for ceiling fans, here’s what to expect in terms of prices, features, and the installation process.

What to consider when buying a ceiling fan remote control

To give you an idea of what’s out there, here are a few examples of highly rated ceiling fan remote controls, and their standout features:

• YukiHalu Universal Ceiling Fan Remote ($15.08): A solid basic option. The receiver is smaller (2x3x1”) than some that come with other remotes, which makes the installation process a bit easier. It also comes with a wall mount for the remote, so you have the option of using it like a switch, and removing it when that’s more convenient. In addition to turning the lights off and on, and controlling the speed of the fan, the remote also has a shut-off timer. A family member has used this remote for four years without problems.

• Humpptom Universal Wifi Ceiling Fan Remote ($30.59): A wifi-enabled remote that can be controlled with your phone, Alexa, Google Assistant, or the Smart Life app. While it doesn’t have a shut-off timer, it does come with a dimming option for compatible light bulbs. 

• Nexete Universal Remote and Wall Switch ($39.97): Comes with both a remote and a wired wall switch, so you can control the fan without having to find the remote. The downside is that the installation process is more complicated. 

Installing a ceiling fan remote control involves basic electrical work, like connecting wires. The overall process is largely the same for most remotes, with slight variations, as noted in the descriptions of the products above.

Tired: “My favorite Christmas movie is Die Hard.”

Wired: “My favorite Christmas movie is Eyes Wide Shut.”

You could be forgiven for finding the now-annual seasonal discourse vis à vis Die Hard’s status as a holiday movie exhausting. What began as a funny bit of trivia has become an ice cold hot take from the “funniest” guy in the office.—there’s even officially licensed, branded merchandise celebrating the film’s Christmas bona fides! Any discussion on the topic is purely academic at this point, and I think we’re all ready to move on.

The real question is, move on to what? Which only-technically-a-holiday-movie movie will emerge as the choice of “actually…” cineasts the internet over? Forgive me for suggesting that Die Hard could ever get old, but there will surely come a day, when you’ll want watch a different so-called Christmas movie. Tastes and seasonal holiday celebrations may vary, but here are 28 reasonable alternatives.

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The Thin Man (1934)

As a not-Christmas movie, The Thin Man is about as festive as they come, with much of the major action set during a boozy holiday party and a subsequent hungover Christmas morning, during which Nick and Nora, two grown adults sans children, open their presents and have the sort of laid-back good time that the day affords only to the childless. Sequels would soon introduce Nick Jr., so this is the last time the Charles family will be able to spend Christmas quite so drunk.

Will it become your next holiday classic? Mix a martini and pop it on every Dec. 24.

Where to stream: Max

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Night of the Hunter (1955)

Actor Charles Laughton’s sole directorial effort finds Robert Mitchum’s creepy and seductive (but mostly creepy) preacher murdering his way through the local spinsters as an occupation, while also believing that he’s on a righteous path. It builds to a Christmas scene, and also a lynch mob, with the strong suggestion that being able to quote from the Bible isn’t even remotely the same thing as having true compassion.

Will it become your next holiday classic? Set up a little tree on your raft as you flee down the river.

Where to stream: Tubi, MGM+, Hoopla, Pluto

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The Apartment (1960)

Set largely between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Billy Wilder’s Best Picture-winner was wildly controversial when it was released—and also managed to score a ton of awards, ushering in a new era in Hollywood filmmaking. Jack Lemmon plays Bud Baxter, an insurance clerk who’s climbed the corporate ladder by loaning out his apartment to higher-ups to use for their extramarital affairs. In the midst of all this, a fraught affection develops between Bud and Shirley MacLaine’s Fran, the office building’s elevator operator, a woman who’s herself been in a loveless, joyless affair with Bud’s boss. As is so often the holiday season in real life, the plot is as dark as it gets for each of them, until a few glimmers of seasonal spirit shine through.

Will it become your next holiday classic? If the similarly grim It’s a Wonderful Life can become a holiday favorite, then there’s no reason The Apartment can’t follow suit. (Like that movie, this one involves themes of suicide, something for viewers sensitive to that type of content to keep in mind.)

Where to stream: MGM+, Fubo

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The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

A soaring, candy-colored musical about young lovers (Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo) separated by circumstance in the titular city. Pretty much every word is sung, in French, and with operatic zeal…but without the highfalutin’ style that implies. The film’s climax arrives on Christmas Eve, but it’s a bittersweet holiday (the movie itself takes place across a little more than a year).

Will it become your next holiday classic? One of the most beautiful films ever made, certainly in terms of its color palette, it also offers romance that’s somehow both realistic and wonderfully melodramatic. So, I’m thinking yes.

Where to stream: Max, The Criterion Channel, Kanopy

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Female Trouble (1974)

Christmas is kickoff for the chaos that unfolds in this twisted John Waters’ classic. When she fails to receive the cha-cha heels she wanted from Santa, juvenile delinquent Dawn Davenport sets off on a lifetime’s worth of troublemaking. It’s one of the most memorable holiday moments in movie history, and a stark lesson about the importance of giving your kids what they really want.

Will it become your next holiday classic? John Waters isn’t for everyone, but for those of us who dream of cha-cha heels come Christmastime, this is 100% a movie that can be watched every year.

Where to stream: Digital rental

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Ordinary People (1980)

Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore star in this Best Picture Oscar-winner about a family’s collapse following the accidental death of their older teenage son. The film’s pivotal scene occurs at Christmas, when the surviving sibling’s resentment at his mother explodes during a family photoshoot.

Will it become your next holiday classic? Worth a watch, but I’m going to say no…unless your family life is so devoid of trauma and drama that you feel the need to live through a tragedy vicariously.

Where to stream: Max

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Brazil (1985)

Christmas goes to hell in the dystopian, but increasingly prescient sci-fi film from Terry Gilliam. A happy family watches Tiny Tim on the telly at the movie’s opening, only for a clerical error to send a SWAT team dropping into their living room. We’re very quickly out of “A Christmas Carol” and into a bureaucratic, capitalist hellscape (aka “life”). Brazil sees characters believing wild things and struggling to distinguish reality from fantasy in a world where elites control the flow of information with ease. Imagine!

Will it become your next holiday classic? It’s probably a little on-the-nose in our present to be any kind of comfort viewing, but it’s certainly worth watching at least once.

Where to stream: Digital rental

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Less Than Zero (1987)

Straight-laced college freshman Clay (Andrew McCarthy) returns to Los Angeles over Christmas vacation to find that his old pals (Jami Gertz, Robert Downey, Jr., and James Spader) are living a very ‘80s lifestyle of sex, drugs, and debauchery. They’re all definitely having a very white Christmas, if you get my drift, but it’s not snow that’s falling in L.A. (It’s cocaine. I’m talking about cocaine.)

Will it become your next holiday classic? This one’s probably generational, but people who lived through the ’80s might enjoy a snort of nostalgia.

Where to stream: Starz

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Die Hard II (1990)

Maybe you’re getting bored watching the first Die Hard over and over and over again, but aren’t looking to stray too far from the “Bruce Willis shoots up terrorists” genre. It’s worth remembering that Die Hard 2 is also a Christmas movie—it’s set on Christmas Eve, two years after the first film. Unlike so many sequels, it’s almost as enjoyable as the first, and it really gets how terrible it is to travel for the holidays, so there’s no reason not to mix things up a bit.

Will it become your next holiday classic? It probably won’t replace the first movie in your yuletide viewing queue, but it’ll at least make for a pleasant (by which I mean loud) double feature.

Where to stream: Hulu

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Batman Returns (1992)

The holiday season in Gotham is about as weird as you’d hope, with a moody penguin-man running for mayor and a seductive leather mama skipping around, robbing jewelry stores and stealing hearts. As Bat-movies go, Returns offers the best blend of the campy sensibilities of old with the psychological, obsessively dark modern Caped Crusader.

Will it become your next holiday classic? The movie’s central Christmas tree lighting action sequence involves a woman thrown from a building, but it’s generally no less violent than Die Hard, and holiday themes persist throughout (mistletoe is deadly if you eat it, you know). It’s probably your best bet if you aim to have a superhero holiday.

Where to stream: Max, Prime Video

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Cronos (1993)

Guillermo del Toro’s brilliant debut sees an elderly antiques dealer and his granddaughter opening up a centuries-old archangel statue to find a scarab that transforms the man into something very like a vampire. It’s set during the holiday season, but the Christmas connections are mostly thematic; death and rebirth, temptation, and potential redemption abound.

Will it become your next holiday classic? Del Toro turns Christmas on its head and challenges orthodoxy, making it a great choice for the holiday-skeptical. All of the director’s movies are highly rewatchable, so I say keep bloody vampire Christmas in your heart, this and every year.

Where to stream: Max, The Criterion Channel

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Star Trek Generations (1994)

How better to spend Christmas than with the ninth or tenth best Star Trek movie? Though the series typically avoids anything to do with religion, Generations finds Captain Picard briefly trapped in the Nexus, an extra-dimensional realm that seduces you by allowing you to live out your fantasies. Picard, it seems, dreams of a large family Christmas with a vaguely old-timey milieu. The result is a bit of a spin on It’s a Wonderful Life, with Jean-Luc witnessing a vision of his what his life might be like if he’d never set out for the stars.

Will it become your next holiday classic? It’s the only one on this list with anything remotely resembling a Christmas theme, but there are better Star Trek movies to watch over and over.

Where to stream: Paramount+

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The Ref (1994)

Stand-up Dennis Leary plays a crook who winds up taking a couple (Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey) hostage when a job goes wrong; the joke’s on him, because the two are at each other’s throats every moment. They’re really the most bitter, hateful people imaginable, and Leary’s robber/hostage-taker winds up as not only the movie’s most likable character, but also the peacemaker, especially after the rest of the family shows up for Christmas Eve dinner. Terrible in-laws? At a holiday meal? Can you imagine?

Will it become your next holiday classic? It’s a bit caustic to make the regular rotation, but it’ll offer a palate-cleansing break from holiday schmaltz.

Where to stream: Hoopla

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Babe (1995)

Babe offers a complex vision of the holiday season best summarized by the line: “Christmas means carnage!” At least, it does for the delightful anthropomorphic animals of Hoggett’s farm. On one level, it’s an entire movie about the title pig learning the dark secret of the season, and then doing whatever he can to charm his way out of the oven.

Will it become your next holiday classic? It’s delightful, but you might want to skip the ham at dinner afterward—Oscar nominee James Cromwell turned vegan during filming.

Where to stream: Starz

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The City of Lost Children (1995)

Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro’s surreal classic involves not just one, but several Santas—most of them pretty scary, honestly, but that’s hardly the point. The film concerns Krank, an elderly being whose inability to dream has made him malicious and cruel; now he kidnaps children and steals their dreams to survive. The father of one of Krank’s victims (Ron Perlman) joins forces with an orphan (Judith Vittet) to rescue the kidnapped children. There’s a strong overarching theme of family, found and otherwise, that cements the holiday feel.

Will it become your next holiday classic? It’s surreal and a little scary in places, but also a lovely fairytale, with warm seasonal themes throughout.

Where to stream: Tubi

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L.A. Confidential (1997)

What could possibly be more festive than a movie that kicks off with a Christmas party? At this particular “Bloody Christmas” shindig, based on real events, a bunch of LAPD officers get drunk and beat up several (mostly Mexican-American) prisoners—the kind of thing that could definitely only happen in the past and that clearly has no present day relevance whatsoever. Bing Crosby’s music is a motif throughout, though, and the entire thing set during the holiday season. Ho ho ho!

Will it become your next holiday classic? It’s as dark as Christmas movies come, but no more violent than Die Hard.

Where to stream: Plex

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End of Days (1999)

Channelling now quaint change-of-millennium anxieties, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s team-up with director Peter Hyams (Timecop) for the story of former NYPD detective Jericho Cane (beat that for an on-the-nose character name) battling Satan (in the guise of Gabriel Byrne) during the holiday season—and if the devil’s baby is born by New Year’s Eve, it will signal the titular end of days. It’s all a little (a lot) silly, but fun a fun way to smooth out the wrinkles in your brain during a sleepy holiday afternoon.

Will it become your next holiday classic? Suffused with Catholic imagery and taking place over the holidays, it could make for a fun Christmas watch—though it probably won’t stand up to repeated viewings.

Where to stream: Digital rental

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Go (1999)

By far the best of the post-Pulp Fiction imitators of the late ‘90s, Go also features the best cast (Taye Diggs, Sarah Polley, Jane Krakowski, Timothy Olyphant, etc.) and the trickiest script, telling the overlapping stories of a holiday drug deal gone wrong. Though there’s not much Christmas spirit on display here (there’s no learning, and none of the characters are even particularly good people), the movie reminds us frequently, and maybe a bit ironically, when this is all going down—the inclusion of a mid-movie Christmas-themed rave serving that purpose particularly well.

Will it become your next holiday classic? If you’re looking for an antidote to all that holiday cheer, then absolutely. (And for the thirsty, shirtless Timothy Olyphant wears a Santa hat.)

Where to stream: Digital rental

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Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

There are an extremely limited number of dreamy, erotic mysteries that simultaneously qualify as Christmas movies—that number might in fact be one, and it’s Eyes Wide Shut. Stanley Kubrick’s swan song begins at a vaguely naughty, adults-only Christmas party and ends with a more conventional bit of holiday shopping with the kids. Those scenes bookend a shadowy stroll through New York in winter and a ritualistic orgy, and so the film really captures every aspect of the season.

Will it become your next holiday classic? You could do worse than to spend the holidays with Kubrick…but maybe wait for the kids to go to bed first.

Where to stream: Showtime

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Cast Away (2000)

The opening scenes play like a textbook version of a Hallmark/Lifetime-style Christmas movie: Tom Hanks’ Chuck Nowland is a workaholic who abandons Christmas dinner in order to deal with a work problem. Only his work problem is in Malaysia, setting the FedEx executive off on a date with destiny in the form of a horrific plane crash and a volleyball named Wilson. Following that aviation disaster, most of the rest of the movie takes place on a deserted island, but “this all could have been avoided if you didn’t go to work on Christmas!” remains the overarching leitmotif.

Will it become your next holiday classic? Nowland’s isolation could seem like a desirable fantasy amid the chaos of a family visit, though nervous air travelers might wish to avoid it altogether.

Where to stream: Digital rental

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The Ice Harvest (2005)

An entirely under-the-radar neo-noir from the late Harold Ramis, The Ice Harvest situates its action on Christmas Eve, a time when only the most interesting people are out and about in the world. John Cusack and Billy Bob Thornton play con men who just ripped off a mobster to the tune of $2 million. All they want to do is get out of town, a goal complicated by an ice storm that’s closed the roads, forcing them to cool their heels while avoiding their pursuers.

Will it become your next holiday classic? It’s a pitch-perfect noir following the cascading, complex events of a harrowing Christmas Eve, so it’s a great contender if you’re looking for something to put your personal holiday chaos in perspective.

Where to stream: Digital rental

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Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

Maybe don’t rob a toy store on Christmas? That’s about as close to a seasonal message you’ll get out of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, but we’re not necessarily here for that. The muted holiday trappings of an LA Christmas are on display, embodied (pardon the pun) in Michelle Monaghan’s tight-fitting Santa suit. Director Shane Black has a whole thing about setting his movies around Christmastime, so you could always pair this one with Iron Man III and settle down to dreams of holidays with Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer. This one is almost certainly Black’s best, though.

Will it become your next holiday classic? As an action alternative to Die Hard with a similarly charismatic leading man, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang might be a perfect substitute.

Where to stream: Digital rental

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The Proposition (2005)

It’s Christmastime in the old west (1880s Australia, actually, but western movie style abounds), and there’s murder in the offing. In this case, it involves a choice given to renegade Charlie Burns (Guy Pearce) by lawman Morris Stanley (Ray Winstone): Burns must either hunt down and kill his older brother, wanted for rape and murder, or his younger brother, already in custody for lesser crimes, will hang. That decision kicks off a contemplative journey through the outback, one drenched in tremendous performances and style, if nary a hint of festive greenery.

Will it become your next holiday classic? It might be a bit too quiet for sleepy Christmas Day viewing, but it deserves a spot somewhere on your holiday watchlist.

Where to stream: Peacock, Tubi, Crackle, The Roku Channel, Freevee, Vudu, Kanopy, Pluto, Plex

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In Bruges (2008)

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson play a pair of not-so-great hitmen lying low in the title city, as ordered by their increasingly volatile boss (Ralph Fiennes). This dark comedy is packed with smart, funny dialogue, and the almost paternal relationship between the two assassins is genuinely charming…as is the Belgian Christmastime setting. Still, it’s a movie about hitmen that kicks off with the killing of a kid in a church, so the laughs are of a very particular kind.

Will it become your next holiday classic? It’s definitely got a well-earned reputation as a cult classic, so I’d say there’s a good chance it’s one you’ll want to return to.

Where to stream: Starz

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Tangerine (2015)

Two trans sex workers (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor) set out across yuletide Los Angeles, on the hunt for Rodriguez’s character’s cheating boyfriend/pimp. There aren’t a ton of queer holiday movies (unless Meet Me in St. Louis counts), and Tangerine compellingly explores a Christmas on the margins. It’s set in sunny LA, so the festive trappings are muted—and for the leads, “family” would hardly mean group photos in cozy sweaters anyway—but it’s Christmas all the same. A haunting, gorgeous rendition of “Toyland” seals the deal.

Will it become your next holiday classic? This could be your queer Die Hard, no question.

Where to stream: Mubi, Fubo, Kanopy, Plex

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Carol (2015)

The chemistry between Rooney Mara’s Therese and Cate Blanchett’s Carol is palpable from the moment their eyes meet across a crowded department store—Therese is working the Christmas rush, while Carol is a glamorous older woman going through a divorce and shopping for her daughter. It’s 1952, and theirs is a love that dare not speak its name, even to one another. The women suffer for their love, but not exclusively; ’tis the season for both heartbreak and romance.

Will it become your next holiday classic? Christmas could always stand to be a little gayer, and this one is already a queer classic.

Where to stream: Netflix

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Call Me By Your Name (2017)

A seasonal romance that culminates in a Hanukkah celebration, Call Me By Your Name’s sweaty Northern Italian setting doesn’t scream winter festivities…but who needs snow, anyway? You just need a peach and a cozy fire in front of which to cry artfully. The ending even involves themes of perseverance and renewal, and is therefore wonderfully thematic.

Will it become your next holiday classic? Armie Hammer’s problematic persona complicates the movie’s reputation, but Call Me By Your Name otherwise makes for a bittersweet holiday romance.

Where to stream: Netflix

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Spencer (2021)

Pablo Larraín’s moody and idiosyncratic biopic breaks almost all of the rules of the genre, to great effect. Kristen Stewart plays Diana, Princess of Wales, spending the Christmas holiday at the royal family’s estate at Sandringham as the tabloids attack from the outside and her own in-laws eat away at her from within the palace. It’s kind of like The Shining, but with too many royals subbing in for all the ghosts.

Will it become your next holiday classic? I’m not sure it’s endlessly rewatchable, but the dreamy vibe is well-suited to a long winter’s night.

Where to stream: Hulu

Cloud storage has changed the way we take care of our data. In the past, you needed to backup and transfer files between devices directly, or else you wouldn’t have them in multiple locations. If you took photos on your iPhone or Android, for example, you’d often want to plug it into your computer to make sure those photos were both backed up and easily accessible for sharing with friends, family, and the internet at large.

The problem is, we’ve changed the way we deal with data these days. If you plug your smartphone into your computer expecting to transfer all the photos and videos you see in your photos app of choice, you might be surprised to find that only a fraction of the images actually make their way to your PC. It’s confusing, considering that media is accessible on the phone: Why can it just be a seamless transfer?

Google Photos makes it confusing to know which images are stored on-device

That’s exactly what happened with Reddit user Spax123, who took to the Google Pixel subreddit with the issue. This user was trying to transfer their late wife’s media library from Google Photos on her Pixel to their PC, but only the photos and videos from roughly the last six months would end up on their computer. There was about four and a half years worth of images that were seemingly trapped on her phone, and wouldn’t even appear when he took at a look at her Google Drive account.

This story has a happy ending, though. Redditor degggendorf correctly guessed the rest of the photos and videos in the library were saved to the cloud: Only a recent snapshot of photos were actually saved on the Pixel itself, while the rest were being shown as previews from the cloud. Google doesn’t make it clear that’s what happening here, which easily leads to confusion: If you see all your photos in one place, you naturally assume they’re, well, all in the same place.

How to download Google Photos images from the cloud

The solution? Simply log into Google Photos’ web app. Here, you can access your entire Google Photos library and choose to download any and all of the images here to another location, such as your computer.

If you were only interested in a handful of specific images to transfer, it’s easy to download them on-device. You can choose the image in question, tap the three dots More button, then choose Download. This will pull the image from the cloud and onto your phone, which will then allow it to transfer when you connect your phone to your computer.