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News » Columns » Total Recall » Total Recall: Overlooked Christmas Gems » Comments

Total Recall: Overlooked Christmas Gems

by Alonso Duralde | Wednesday, Dec. 19 2012

Summary

I grew up in a household that owned four Christmas albums -- Bing Crosby, Andy Williams, Dean Martin, and the Boston Pops. And that was it. So part of what I enjoy about Christmas as an adult is the discovery of the vast thicket of vintage holiday music out there, from Pearl Bailey and Lena Horne to the Ray Conniff Singers and the Three Sons. Same deal with movies; I came of age in the 1970s, the golden era of It's a Wonderful Life being in the public domain and airing all day, every day, throughout the month of December. As I got older (and wrote the book Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas), I was delighted to find that I had as many new buried treasures among Christmas films as I've had with music.

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Comments

Laurent S.

"Tokyo Godfathers" by Satoshi Kon is also a great Christmas movie. I don't know how well-known or overlooked it is, though. (And it is NOT about mobsters�?�)

Dec 21 - 04:22 AM

Dylan P

Gremlins and the Nightmare before Christmas. Most people hate the 2000 live action Grinch for whatever reason but I thought it was awesome.

Dec 21 - 06:36 AM

Harry Bastard

How about Tokyo Godfathers?

Dec 21 - 06:53 AM

Laurent S.

Two people of good taste can't be wrong... But we're already on page 2. I guess Tokyo Godfathers will be overlooked another year ! :-)

Dec 22 - 02:16 AM

Vince Duggan

Rare Exports - new tradition here. (Not for little ones)
Don't forget, Night of the Hunter ends around Christmas.

Dec 21 - 07:00 AM

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...........................

Dec 21 - 07:40 PM

Sofia Alexandra Lantz

Thanks for the reminder. I remember wanting to see Arthur Christmas, but then I sort of forgot all about it. Will try to find it this Christmas instead. :)

Dec 22 - 02:07 AM

Travis Smith

Ernest Saves Christmas....that is all

Dec 22 - 01:53 PM

Hari MhyQxec

crazy you all buddy.

Dec 23 - 12:21 PM

Ian Douglas

The first film that comes to my mind is "We're No Angels" with Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray and Peter Ustinov. A really terrific Christmas movie which is still largely unknown.

Dec 23 - 03:10 PM

Luiz de Souza

I just watched Arthur Christmas because of your comments on it, and I am really glad I did. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun watching a movie. I almost laughed my head off.

Dec 23 - 04:58 PM

adam bomb

Black Christmas 1974.......it's like a time machine that movie, some movies capture the time in which they're filmed, usually without trying, so perfectly that you feel you can jump in the movie and return to a certain time. Black Christmas '74 does this for me for the early-mid seventies...

Dec 23 - 07:01 PM