As another festive season rolls into view, Mark Searby picks out another ten movies that are not your usual Christmas films.
Santaman
Santa as a superhero. He is here to clean up the streets and get rid of crime. He is also here to deal with out-of-control kids and a villain who is looking to melt the North Pole because he got a lump of coal from Santa years ago. Only released in 2022, but looking like it was released in 1992, the animation for this film is hideously dated. So bad is it that Santa can barely open his mouth to speak and the kids look like rubber.
Scott of the Antarctic
As the members of the vessel sail towards the Antarctic for their expedition, they celebrate Christmas onboard the ship with a sing-sing and a toasting next to a model ship made of Christmas crackers. As a whole this is a fascinating account about a legendary British explorer and his ill-fated expedition.
Amityville Christmas Vacation
Wally Griswold has won a holiday to Amityville. There he meets a female ghost. Can the spirit of Christmas unite these two opposites? The answer here is: who cares?! This cheap knock-off of both the ‘Amityville’ films and the ‘National Lampoon’ movies is bum-clenchingly bad. Nearly all of it is shot in someone’s home, as in a lived-in house while they shot around them. Amateur acting and lacking any comedy or romance or horror, this is a cheap cash-in/rip-off mix-up movie that has a funny title but nothing else going for it.
Bell, Book and Candle
James Stewart and Kim Novak star in this seasonal rom-com that features witchcraft. Novak plays Gillian, a watch, who casts a spell on a man who lives next door in-order for him to fall in love with her. The only problem is that he is already engaged and actually doesn’t much like Gillian… or at least didn’t until the enchantment spell hits him. A lovely movie that has some genuine chemistry between the two leads. And just wait till you see what a Witch gets for Christmas.
The Real Bedford Falls
How much do you love ‘It’s Wonderful Life’? If the answer is a lot then this is the documentary to watch. It explores the links between Bedford Falls, the fictional town in the film, and Seneca Falls in New York. It showcases the annual ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ festival, something that showcases all the enduring themes of the film. The doc also has interviews with some of the surviving cast members and with Frank Capra’s granddaughter. A nice accompaniment to the Christmas classic.
This Man Is Mine
A British film from 1946 that was originally a hit West End play called ‘A Soldier for Christmas’. This chaotic (in a good way) Christmas comedy is an entertaining watch. A Canadian soldier is sent to stay at the wealthy Ferguson house as punishment. However, he doesn’t bargain for two women in the house both vying for his attention. A sort of rom-com of errors. However, it is Jeanne de Casalis as Mrs Ferguson who gives the stand-out performance – maniacal and eccentric. Also, look out for the house cook who would rather write saucy novels than serve meals.
Boiling Point
Christmas can be a stressful time for many. Not least if you are working in retail. This feature film version of writer/director Philip Barantini’s short film is a tension raising, sweat-inducing, relentless 92 minutes inside a restaurant in the run-up to Christmas. A cracking cast including the phenomenal Stephen Graham bark & bristle at anything that starts to go awry. Supposedly shot in one long take (there are a couple of subtle cuts in there), it’s a film that fills you full of dread. However, it’s an incredible movie and one that you’ll need to decompress after seeing it.
Tuesday, After Christmas
This 2010 film from Romania was selected to play in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ strand of the Cannes Film Festival that year. It follows Paul, a married man with a small child, who is having an affair with his son’s orthodontist Raluca. But soon she demands that he must choose between her and his wife. As the run up to Christmas begins, Paul is kicked out of his by his wife. But they put on hold their arguments until the Tuesday after Christmas. A dark and riveting drama about adultery and the catastrophic effects it has on couples.
Chasing Christmas
The Bureau of Yuletide Affairs run the holiday season to make sure everyone is having a good time. But when the Ghost of Christmas Past is bitter and burnt out he decides to go AWOL while on the job, leaving his target stranded in the past. And that’s just the subplot for this TV movie from 2005. The main story is about a Jack, a man with a Scrooge personality who catches his wife having an affair which leads him to hating Christmas. The first part is pretty run-of-the-mill. But when the story hits the Ghost of Christmas Past losing his way part then it has a darker edge to proceedings. Leslie Jordan kicks up a storm as the Ghost of Christmas Past and Tom Arnold’s grumpiness is entertaining.
Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July
A Rankin/Bass Production that was shot in Japan as a Christmas/Independence Day film (yep, as odd as it sounds). This see’s Rudolph’s nose start to dime. It turns out that long ago an evil wizard placed a curse on Rudolph and now he is back to seek revenge. Plot twists and flashback aplenty can become quite confusing. However, there is something endearing about the fantasy mythology infused in this film. The voice cast is pretty star-studded including Billie Mae Richards (a Rankin/Bass stalwart), Mickey Rooney, Ethel Merman, Shelley Winters, Paul Frees and more. Sadly this was the last Rankin/Bass production to use Rudolph and Frosty. However, it is a delightful movie in the way only Rankin/Bass made them. A timeless puppet & stop-motion movie.
