I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite Christmas movie, but I rewatched Night of the Comet during the pandemic and the desolate wide shots of DTLA with Christmas decorations in the windows really hit home. (As did the general theme of the movie.)
I love White Christmas and found both Spirited and Red One to be new additions that I really enjoy.
Wexford Carol is my all-time favorite Christmas carol, and Straight No Chaser has some really fun songs on their album Christmas Cheers if you are looking for something peppier.
We recommend One Magic Christmas Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton (as the guardian angel!). It’s a little dark and a little gritty, but a wonderful story.
My daughter and I just watched the Muppet Christmas Carol again last night, and she was right, it is awesome. Now I've got to watch the family one, can't believe I haven't seen it. Every year I try to coerce someone in my house to watch my old favorite, Desk Set (Hepburn & Tracy) but I've had very little success with that. Thank you so much for the mixtape! I feel bad I didn't get you anything :)
Screenwriter's "obsession" with incorporating Christmas in his movies is pretty great. i.e. Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss- Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, and even some of The Nice Guys
As far as music, the SalSoul Orchestra has a fun Christmas Album and Kenny Burrell's is a go-to every year.
It was this quasi-anonymous site I worked on where a fella I know named Lance wrote all these reviews and I uploaded them. It’s such a great site I like pulling it out every Christmas — still a bunch of stuff I haven’t watched
Thx for the wonderful mixtape! I love A Jazzy Christmas and collected Xmas ghost stories and British mysteries from the 1920s. Muppet movies and Holiday Inn are my favorites. Looking forward to your new book and another year of terrific Substacks!
Love these! We trim our tree every year while watching Holiday Inn, and nothing beats Alister Sim’s A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve. As for music, I recorded a Christmas album during the pandemic called Comfort & Joy— An Acoustic Christmas which was inspired by a Friday post you wrote about Jeff Tweedy’s book “How to Write One Song.” (For which I will always be grateful!) If anyone wants to hear it: https://open.spotify.com/album/4igRspdGb5lAT2jpdlkoSp?si=tyt8Vo5qTNKv1iGQVea74A
Throwing out there that I think 45 minutes might be the absolutely ideal playlist length!? Maybe itty bitty but just right... forces you to be super selective in the songs you choose, plus short enough to realistically listen to end-to-end without it becoming background music.
two recent movie finds we adore: "It Happened on 5th Avenue" about a bum squatting in a multimillionaire's house joined by some folks down on their luck — joined later by the millionaire's daughter, wife, and the fellow himself (in disguise) — likely have to buy it (we did) but simply great.
and "Angels Sing" — the perfect Austin Christmas movie, written by Turk Pipkin, directed by Tim McCandliess (Secondhand Lions), with a parade of Austin musicians, Willie and Kris Kristofferson. Lyle Lovett has some great bits as a somewhat nutty neighbor
As for music, "Little Drummer Boy" by the Harry Simeone Chorale is my lifelong favorite. It was released when I was 12, and it has captivated me ever since. The simplicity of the boy's gift, the drums, and the angelic voices bring me to tears still. 😊
I was in my early 30s when a friend invited me over for dinner and a movie, "It's a Wonderful Life." I'd never even heard of it before. It survived an unremarkable launch in 1946. Its US copyright expired in 1974 following a lack of renewal, and it entered the public domain, allowing it to be broadcast without licensing or royalty fees. That led it to becoming a beloved classic. I fell in love with it. I watch it every year to turn on Christmas joy and magic for me. This year's viewing was especially poignant because I watched it on the Eastman Museum's Dryden Theater big screen in the original black and white. The original is stored in their archives when it's not in use.
It's also special to me because it includes references to Rochester NY (where I live) and Elmira in our Southern Tier. It's rumored that Frank Capra visited Seneca Falls, NY (an hour from my home) in 1945, and it was his inspiration for creating Bedford Falls. Even though no one knows if that's true, the town celebrates the movie every year and has even built a museum for it. The actress who played Zuzu came to the grand opening and cut the ribbon.
In another personal coincidence, a couple years ago I researched the movie's filming locations. The scene where the Martinis first enter their brand-new home was filmed in a real construction site of residential homes about 30 minutes outside of LA. The house still stands today. We have family currently living on the same side of the street about 3 blocks north of it.
"The Muppet Christmas Carol" is one of my favorites and I think by far the BEST version of any of the A Christmas Carol movies, for children and adults! I will die on this hill.
If I might be so bold as to link myself, I’m proud of the sad Christmas bop I wrote a few years ago. https://youtu.be/swdXmQQ-O0U?si=oTLW3c07vQPWNBek
I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite Christmas movie, but I rewatched Night of the Comet during the pandemic and the desolate wide shots of DTLA with Christmas decorations in the windows really hit home. (As did the general theme of the movie.)
I love White Christmas and found both Spirited and Red One to be new additions that I really enjoy.
Wexford Carol is my all-time favorite Christmas carol, and Straight No Chaser has some really fun songs on their album Christmas Cheers if you are looking for something peppier.
We recommend One Magic Christmas Mary Steenburgen and Harry Dean Stanton (as the guardian angel!). It’s a little dark and a little gritty, but a wonderful story.
My daughter and I just watched the Muppet Christmas Carol again last night, and she was right, it is awesome. Now I've got to watch the family one, can't believe I haven't seen it. Every year I try to coerce someone in my house to watch my old favorite, Desk Set (Hepburn & Tracy) but I've had very little success with that. Thank you so much for the mixtape! I feel bad I didn't get you anything :)
Subscribing is a big gift to me!! :)
Wow, I finally now know what the "scary ghost stories" from "Most Wonderful Time of the Year" was referencing! 😅
Yes! It’s a whole thing
Screenwriter's "obsession" with incorporating Christmas in his movies is pretty great. i.e. Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss- Bang Bang, Iron Man 3, and even some of The Nice Guys
As far as music, the SalSoul Orchestra has a fun Christmas Album and Kenny Burrell's is a go-to every year.
I didn’t realize that was Shane Black’s thing — and that he was Hawkins in Predator!!!
The Christmas Movie a Day Tumblr is a revelation. Do you know who the author is? I can’t find a name…
Ps great post! I’ve been struggling with the unreliable Spotify Christmas mixes.
It was this quasi-anonymous site I worked on where a fella I know named Lance wrote all these reviews and I uploaded them. It’s such a great site I like pulling it out every Christmas — still a bunch of stuff I haven’t watched
So if I were to quote it who should be named as the author?
I think you could just say “Lance” or just link to the site?
(Also, shout out to Shop Around the Corner as a wonderful Christmas movie.)
Such a great mix tape. Thank you. Don’t forget about Pink Martini and Jeff Hamilton Trio. Check out Ocho Kandelikas (https://music.apple.com/us/album/ocho-kandelikas/1280781541?i=1280782049) and It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. (https://music.apple.com/us/album/its-the-most-wonderful-time-of-the-year/1588688698?i=1588689339)
Thx for the wonderful mixtape! I love A Jazzy Christmas and collected Xmas ghost stories and British mysteries from the 1920s. Muppet movies and Holiday Inn are my favorites. Looking forward to your new book and another year of terrific Substacks!
Love these! We trim our tree every year while watching Holiday Inn, and nothing beats Alister Sim’s A Christmas Carol on Christmas Eve. As for music, I recorded a Christmas album during the pandemic called Comfort & Joy— An Acoustic Christmas which was inspired by a Friday post you wrote about Jeff Tweedy’s book “How to Write One Song.” (For which I will always be grateful!) If anyone wants to hear it: https://open.spotify.com/album/4igRspdGb5lAT2jpdlkoSp?si=tyt8Vo5qTNKv1iGQVea74A
Throwing out there that I think 45 minutes might be the absolutely ideal playlist length!? Maybe itty bitty but just right... forces you to be super selective in the songs you choose, plus short enough to realistically listen to end-to-end without it becoming background music.
I think you’re probably right! I do enjoy a constraint, which is why I do the actual cassette
two recent movie finds we adore: "It Happened on 5th Avenue" about a bum squatting in a multimillionaire's house joined by some folks down on their luck — joined later by the millionaire's daughter, wife, and the fellow himself (in disguise) — likely have to buy it (we did) but simply great.
and "Angels Sing" — the perfect Austin Christmas movie, written by Turk Pipkin, directed by Tim McCandliess (Secondhand Lions), with a parade of Austin musicians, Willie and Kris Kristofferson. Lyle Lovett has some great bits as a somewhat nutty neighbor
As for music, "Little Drummer Boy" by the Harry Simeone Chorale is my lifelong favorite. It was released when I was 12, and it has captivated me ever since. The simplicity of the boy's gift, the drums, and the angelic voices bring me to tears still. 😊
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ag4_Z6DsTsc
I was in my early 30s when a friend invited me over for dinner and a movie, "It's a Wonderful Life." I'd never even heard of it before. It survived an unremarkable launch in 1946. Its US copyright expired in 1974 following a lack of renewal, and it entered the public domain, allowing it to be broadcast without licensing or royalty fees. That led it to becoming a beloved classic. I fell in love with it. I watch it every year to turn on Christmas joy and magic for me. This year's viewing was especially poignant because I watched it on the Eastman Museum's Dryden Theater big screen in the original black and white. The original is stored in their archives when it's not in use.
It's also special to me because it includes references to Rochester NY (where I live) and Elmira in our Southern Tier. It's rumored that Frank Capra visited Seneca Falls, NY (an hour from my home) in 1945, and it was his inspiration for creating Bedford Falls. Even though no one knows if that's true, the town celebrates the movie every year and has even built a museum for it. The actress who played Zuzu came to the grand opening and cut the ribbon.
In another personal coincidence, a couple years ago I researched the movie's filming locations. The scene where the Martinis first enter their brand-new home was filmed in a real construction site of residential homes about 30 minutes outside of LA. The house still stands today. We have family currently living on the same side of the street about 3 blocks north of it.
Thanks for reminding me of the Muppet Family Christmas. I loved it when my daughter was little, then lost track of it. It’s on the list for tonight.
"The Muppet Christmas Carol" is one of my favorites and I think by far the BEST version of any of the A Christmas Carol movies, for children and adults! I will die on this hill.
I’m on that hill with you. We just watched it!