Christmas Day is a big day for movies.  I know this because after many giant family get-togethers on Christmas day, we sometimes like to carry the fun on over into the evening by heading out to the local movie theater.  Surprisingly, it’s pretty crowded and seems like a lot of other people enjoy this tradition as well.

So if you’re planning on hitting the theater this holiday, here’s what you can expect to be opening this Christmas Day 2007:

• Alien vs. Predator: Requiem - The bestial baddies go disgusting-toe-to-disgusting-toe in this follow-up to the sci-fi smash Alien vs. Predator.
• The Great Debaters - Oscar winner Denzel Washington directs and stars in this drama set in the segregated South. Washington plays a debate coach who takes a Texas college team from obscurity to a showdown with Harvard’s renowned students.
• The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep - The story begins when Angus, a young Scottish boy, finds an enchanted egg. Taking it home, he soon finds himself face-to-face with an amazing creature: the mythical “water horse” of Scottish lore. Angus begins a journey of discovery, facing his greatest fears and risking his life to protect a secret that would give birth to a legend.

In addition to these wide releases, there are also a few Christmas Day limited release films include Persepolis (NYC), The Bucket List (NYC/LA), and Imaginary Witness: Hollywood and the Holocaust (NYC).

If none of the new releases strike your fancy, you’ve also got your choice of this week’s newly released films, which include: Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Charlie Wilson’s War, P.S. I Love You, and National Treasure: Book of Secrets.