Have a DVR? Cancel Netflix.

I don't have Netflix.

But I do have at least a half dozen movies ready to watch at all times ... all at the press of a button.

Once every week or two I browse the movie channels that come with my cable plan-- AMC, TCM and IFC are usually the best, but even Comedy Central and the Disney Channel play some good flicks once in awhile. Then I DVR anything and everything that looks interesting.

Then when I'm in the mood for a movie, or my husband and I want to kick back on the weekends, we always have a large selection no matter what our mood.

The selection of movies is surprisingly large on these channels. Admittedly, you're not going to find many recently released selections like you would on HBO and Showtime, but you'll greatly increase your knowledge of classic movies. Jack Lemmon has become one of my favorite actors of all time because of my propensity to record his movies, and I'm slowly making my way through all of Woody Allen's works.

So cancel your Netflix subscription. Spend your extra cash on popcorn instead.

Free Outdoor Movies Under the Stars

A movie under the stars. What more could you ask for?

Stars, for one. And maybe a more comfortable seat. But other than that, free outdoor movie screenings are just about perfect.

I dragged my husband to my first New York City free movie screening last week. It was my birthday, and he couldn't say no. We got to Hudson River Park's Pier 54 at about 6:30 p.m., two hours before the scheduled start of "Vicky Christina Barcelona." We had no problem finding a spot up front for our blanket and picnic supper. It wasn't long, however, before the majority of the pier was packed with Woody Allen-loving bargain hunters.

New York offers many free outdoor movie spots. The most well-known is probably the Bryant Park Summer Film Festival on Monday nights, but About.com lists a slew of others.

I didn't look up into the sky after the movie started, but I suspect the only stars you'll see are on the big screen. Not quite the meaning of a movie under the stars, but it'll have to do.

The Sound of Music: 1965 Best Picture

Item: The Sound of Music

Price: $14.99

Where to Buy: Amazon

Review: One of the most thrilling moments of my life? Boarding the van for a "Sound of Music" tour in Salzburg, Austria. Rare was the trivia that our tour guide imparted that I didn't already know.

"The Sound of Music" has been one of my favorite movies since around junior high. I even went through a phase when I watched the three-hour flick nearly every Wednesday night for several months while my parents and sister went to town and I had the house to myself.

While I don't watch it nearly every week nowadays, I do manage to squeeze in a viewing every year or two. I'll be the first to admit that some of the songs are more than a bit cheesy (The hills are alive? C'mon.), but I still can't resist the romance, the optimism and Maria's good nature. The movie was one of the major reasons I studied German in high school and eventually majored in it in college.

"The Sound of Music" not only makes a great gift for any woman who like movie musicals, but also it is a perfect introduction to classic movies for the young and uninitiated.

Oh, and the least magical moment of that "Sound of Music" tour? Walking into *the* church where Maria and Captain von Trapp married in the film and seeing a real wedding in progress-- while some Shania Twain song in German was being piped through the speakers. I never imagined that you solved a problem like Maria with Shania Twain.

Image from: Amazon

You Can't Take It With You: 1938 Best Picture

Item: You Can't Take It With You

Price: $14.94

Where to Buy: Amazon

Review: "You Can't Take It With You" is one of those movies you'll love, but afterward you'll have a hard time explaining why.

It's funny, but not in the same way award-winning movies are today. Much of the humor in "You Can't Take It With You" comes from the events, not from the dialogue.

Yeah, some of the dialogue is clever, too. But the hilarity comes from the presentation, not just the lines. In fact, I was just reading some of the "memorable quotes" on IMDB, and they all seemed distinctly less hilarious that they did when I watched the film. But that won't make me erase the film from my stockpile of movies I've saved on the DVR.

In any case, you'll always look like a film connoisseur when you give the gift of Jimmy Stewart. And "You Can't Take It With You" is one of the best.

Image from: Amazon

The Apartment: 1960 Best Picture

Item: The Apartment

Price: $10.99

Where to Buy: Amazon

Review: As a child of the '80s and '90s, I was first introduced to Jack Lemmon in "Grumpy Old Men." I wasn't inspired to further explore his career.

That all changed in the last year, and "The Apartment" is the biggest reason that Jack Lemmon is now one of my favorite actors.

The Academy Awards will be presented this Sunday, Feb. 22, so this week I will highlight my favorite "Best Pictures" that would make thoughtful, thrifty gifts for the film fiends in your life.

"The Apartment" stars Lemmon as C.C. Baxter, a bachelor businessman who gets ahead by lending his apartment to two-timin' bosses. It all falls apart when his crush, a lovely elevator operator played by Shirley MacLaine, tries to commit suicide in C.C.'s apartment while having an affair with his boss.

Extramarital affairs and attempted suicide are rarely the ingredients for a comedy du jour, but this film and its clever, witty, funny dialogue holds up even today.

Impress your movie-loving friend even more by pairing this movie with "Irma La Douce," another Lemmon-MacLaine flick.

Directed by Billy Wilder, "The Apartment" is a classic movie gift for the serious film aficionado and casual movie buff alike.

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Painted Veil Soundtrack

Item: The Painted Veil soundtrack

Price: $14.99

Where to Buy: Amazon

Review: The Painted Veil is one of my favorite movies, and I love the soundtrack just as much as the film. Listen to the online samples and it won't take you long to find out why the haunting melodies are a permanent part of my playlist.

Whether you're out for a jog, relaxing during a morning commute or trying to fall asleep, The Painted Veil soundtrack is your best companion. This is a perfect treat for anyone who loves classical books (the movie is based on the tome by W. Somerset Maugham), classical music, or both.

You don't have to take my word for it. The soundtrack won composer Alexandre Desplat the 2007 Golden Globe for Best Original Score-Motion Picture.

Image from: Amazon