…or something.
It’s that time of year again, when we pause to reflect on why one of the most peculiar and capital-“s” Surreal solstice-themed films of all time, Robert Siodmak’s 1944 Christmas Holiday, is such an elusive commodity here in these United States. Have yourself a merry Christmas, be it little or big. And feel free to share your most favored/outré choices of holiday viewing below. As always, thanks much for reading, for support, and for prodding. Be well and see you next year, or sooner, if some irresistible blog urge occurs…
You are too much love you
Nothing says Christmas around these parts like Bad Santa, Life of Brian and How The Grinch Stole Christmas… the Chuck Jones number, not that unholy beast of a Ron Howard flick.
Merry Christmas to you and yours, Glenn.
BLACK CHRISTMAS is a very obvious outré’ choice but I like it very much. It’s creepy as shit. Merry Christmas, all.
I’m a big Durbin fan, and it galls me that I can’t see this darn thing already. Bah, Humbug!
I’ve seen most of my favorite Christmas standbys so much over the years that I can no longer do them annually. So, caught the Rankin-Bass RUDOLPH this year for the first time in a couple of year, but may skip IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (got to see a great print on a big screen a few years ago, and that’s been holding me; will get the Blu some day). BAD SANTA, maybe. It’s been a couple of years. The girlfriend has never seen the original MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, and since that’s streaming on Netflix now, I’m hoping to talk her into it. We recently watched THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER together (she’d never seen that one either, and loved it).
Five reasons Mr. Arkadin will always be my favorite Christmas movie: The beachball tossed around at the party; the line of waiters bringing out the goose liver; Akim Tamiroff whining for said liver; the snow falling around the two German cops; Arkadin at the airport shouting in vain for a ticket.
I really wish THE REF were on TV this week. It should be required by law.
Claire, I just watched THE REF last week!
KISS KISS BANG BANG (which I am now a convert of…I believe, I believe!)
and
IN BRUGES
and
AUNTIE MAME (if only for the Gimbles segment)
Round our way, it’s Bell, Book & Candle, Christmas Holiday, Remember the Night and a Twilight Zone episode called Night of the Meek (with Art Carney as an alcoholic department store Santa!) that are our festive season must-watches. I keep trying to add Mommie Dearest to the list and keep getting voted down.
The divorce court’s recent awarding of several hundred million dollars to Mel Gibson’s ex-wife hasn’t been made into a movie (Christmas or otherwise), but it bloody well should be.
The UK disc of CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY has been an also-ran in my Amazon cart for years now. Someday.…
Auntie Mame!!! Yes, let’s spare a thought for non-Christmas-movies with really great Christmas scenes.
The ending of “Christmas Holiday” is so mood-altering it always makes me think of Rivette’s line about “Voyage to Italy”, “It instantly made every other movie look 10 years older.” Maybe it isn’t *that* revolutionary, but it’s so personal and near visionary that it really stands out from other studio-era endings.