My favoured Christmas viewing each year:
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
A Christmas Carol (1951)
A Christmas Story (1983)
Frosty The Snowman (1969)
The Homecoming (1971)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
The Man Who Saved Christmas (2002)
Miracle On 34th Street (1943)
Prancer (1989)
Remember The Night (1940)
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1970)
Funny thing with Christmas films and TV specials is that, much like Christmas music, I find that in general they really don't make them like they used to. There was a feeling, a sensibility to them thats near totally missing from later productions. Often what we've gotten since strikes me as over-the-tope and too shmaltzy as if the sentiment you're supposed to feel is being wrenched out of you rather than teased.
The Homecoming (1971) is a good example of how it was done. It's about Christmas yet it's charming and nostalgic and funny and touching, all those things you expect, but you're not hit over the head with it. You're not smothered with it. Little since manages that delicate balance. Most of the stuff I've seen over the past couple of decades makes me gag.
These days I no longer need to wait for my favourites to air on TV, more often edited for commercials. Now I can just pop in the DVDs whenever I feel like it and can enjoy them restored, uncut and unedited.
That said there are a few classics I'm not very familiar with I hope to check out:
The Bells Of St. Mary's (1945)
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
Holiday Inn (1942)
White Christmas (1954)
A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
A Christmas Carol (1951)
A Christmas Story (1983)
Frosty The Snowman (1969)
The Homecoming (1971)
How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
It’s A Wonderful Life (1946)
The Man Who Saved Christmas (2002)
Miracle On 34th Street (1943)
Prancer (1989)
Remember The Night (1940)
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964)
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (1970)
Funny thing with Christmas films and TV specials is that, much like Christmas music, I find that in general they really don't make them like they used to. There was a feeling, a sensibility to them thats near totally missing from later productions. Often what we've gotten since strikes me as over-the-tope and too shmaltzy as if the sentiment you're supposed to feel is being wrenched out of you rather than teased.
The Homecoming (1971) is a good example of how it was done. It's about Christmas yet it's charming and nostalgic and funny and touching, all those things you expect, but you're not hit over the head with it. You're not smothered with it. Little since manages that delicate balance. Most of the stuff I've seen over the past couple of decades makes me gag.
These days I no longer need to wait for my favourites to air on TV, more often edited for commercials. Now I can just pop in the DVDs whenever I feel like it and can enjoy them restored, uncut and unedited.
That said there are a few classics I'm not very familiar with I hope to check out:
The Bells Of St. Mary's (1945)
The Bishop's Wife (1947)
Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
Holiday Inn (1942)
White Christmas (1954)
