Displaying items by tag: Royal Flash

Most film columnists start writing their Christmas pieces around August, churning out their memories of It’s a Wonderful Life (which is a story in itself – this generation has no idea that the film was considered an oddity and a flop until Jimmy Stewart mentioned it on The Tonight Show and, as it was in the public domain and available for cheap airings, it has since been considered a “classic”) and other routine movies that just happen to tell a Christmas like story.  Movies like Miracle on 34th Street and Christmas in Connecticut still hold up and there are others I’m sure that do as well, but few movies that are singularly about Christmas float my boat.  I’ve seen them a million times and most are creaky.  Here are my favorite Christmas movies, a list my successful and thoughtful brother calls Christmas Movies for People Who Aren’t Enamored with Christmas Movies.  [Read on here…]

Morning, folks!

Criterion has just announced their March Dual Format BD/DVD release slate, and here’s what’s coming: David Gordon Green’s George Washington (Cat #152 – due 3/11), Errol Morris’ A Brief History of Time (Cat #699 – 3/18), Akira Kurosawa’s The Hidden Fortress (Cat #116 – 3/18), Paul Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty (Cat #702 – 3/25), Ingmar Bergman’s Persona (Cat #701 – 3/25) and Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor’s The Freshman (Cat #703 – 3/25).  [Read on here…]