Category Archives: Christmas Cinema

Movies selected for viewing during the Christmas season.

White Christmas

Posted on December 24, 2014 by Morgan R. Lewis

In 1942, Bing Crosby starred in Mark Sandrich’s Holiday Inn and performed the now-classic Irving Berlin song “White Christmas”. Twelve years later, Paramount would have him star in a film named directly for that song, this time directed by Michael … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Cinema | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rise of the Guardians

Posted on December 23, 2014 by Morgan R. Lewis

A Golden Globe Best Animated Feature nominee in 2012, a reasonably tough year, Rise of the Guardians may not have taken home the award, but it had met with success at the box office. I’d marked it down as one … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Cinema | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Santa’s Magic Toy Bag

Posted on December 22, 2014 by Morgan R. Lewis

While most of the TV specials I’ve reviewed this year have been new offerings, Santa’s Magic Toy Bag is a little bit older — though likely still new to most people. Released in 1983 on Showtime, it wasn’t seen by … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Cinema | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Elf: Buddy’s Musical Christmas

Posted on December 19, 2014 by Morgan R. Lewis

There are a couple of things about the legacy of Elf that have surprised me in the long run. The first is that it has now been a long run; the original film was released in 2003, and I had … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Cinema | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Murray Saved Christmas

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Morgan R. Lewis

Part of me is glad just to see that How Murray Saved Christmas even exists, just because it means another new Christmas special made this year. For a long time, it seemed like there weren’t any being made at all, … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Cinema | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toy Story That Time Forgot

Posted on December 14, 2014 by Morgan R. Lewis

Toy Story is the film that brought Pixar to the attention of most people, and it’s Toy Story that the studio keeps going back to time and again. There have been three films released so far, each receiving a fair … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Cinema | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Fitzwilly

Posted on December 13, 2014 by Morgan R. Lewis

Delbert Mann’s Fitzwilly is a film that came to my attention last year, as one of those seasonal films that doesn’t have any obvious Christmas references in the title. The Dick Van Dyke comedy sounded like a fun film, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Cinema | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Love Affair (1939)

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Morgan R. Lewis

1939 Best Picture Nominee Some titles tell you just about all you need to know about the film’s subject. Nobody is going to mistake Love Affair for a western, or a fantasy film. It wears its heart on its sleeve … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Cinema, Oscarama | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Holiday Inn

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Morgan R. Lewis

Released in 1942, Holiday Inn isn’t precisely a Christmas movie, as the star-spangled poster hints at. In fact, the film covers several major — and minor — calendar holidays, as that is the central conceit of the film. The Holiday … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Cinema | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Favorite Films: Miracle on 34th Street

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Morgan R. Lewis

“I am not in the habit of substituting for spurious Santa Clauses.” It’s almost Christmas, and that means children — and some adults — are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Santa Claus. And while waiting, those people will generally have … Continue reading →

Posted in Christmas Cinema, Favorite Films, Oscarama | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments