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Cinematical Seven: Dramas with Inappropriate Christmas Settings

13 December 2009 5:02 PM, PST | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

Movies set at Christmastime have been a long tradition; who can resist all that great imagery, lights, snow, Santa Claus, Christmas trees, wrapped presents, candy, stockings, etc.? (It even looks good in black-and-white.) But for every It's a Wonderful Life, there have been other movies with decidedly darker dealings, sometimes set directly in contrast with the bright holiday season.

1. 'R Xmas (2001)

Combine the words "Abel Ferrara" and "Christmas" in the same sentence and you're bound to come up with a heartwarming holiday tale like this one. A well-to-do wealthy Latin American couple (Lillo Brancato Jr. and Drea de Matteo) spends the days before Christmas trying to track down the hottest new doll for their daughter (Lisa Valens) as well as packaging and selling a shipment of heroin. They're just your typical, happy New York family, until the husband is kidnapped. Ice-t plays the kidnapper. 'R Xmas is very poorly regarded »

- Jeffrey M. Anderson

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What I Watched, What You Watched: Installment #21

13 December 2009 2:19 AM, PST | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

On top of everything below I recently received the Mel Brooks Collection on Blu-ray and watched a pair of Brooks's films I hadn't seen yet (Twelve Chairs and Silent Movie). The set contains seven more films, all on Blu-ray as well as six all-new featurettes exclusive to Blu-ray (such as, Silent Movie has a trivia track as well as a new 24-minute featurette focusing on silent films and how they inspired the movie). Also included are Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety, History of the World - Part I, To Be or Not To Be, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. I will have a full review of the complete set as soon as I can and hopefully before it's released this Tuesday. Stay tuned for that, but for now let's have a look at what else I watched and then hear from you!

Federico Fellini's 8½ (1963) Quick Thoughts: »

- Brad Brevet

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What's On Tonight: Ice Twisters, It's A Wonderful Life, Graham Norton Show

12 December 2009 9:24 AM, PST | AOL - TVSquad | See recent AOL - TVSquad news »

At 7, Syfy has the movie Ice Twisters, then the movie Annihilation Earth. At 8, CBS has Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, followed by The Flight Before Christmas and a new 48 Hours Mystery. NBC has It's A Wonderful Life at 8. Fox has a new Cops at 8. Hgtv has Sandra Lee Celebrates: Season of Surprise at 8. Espn has the 2009 Heisman Trophy Presentation, followed by a new 30 For 30. Also at 8: Hallmark has the movie Christmas in Canaan. At 8:30, Nickelodeon has a new True Jackson, VP, then a new episode of The Troop. At 9, Fox has a new America's Most Wanted. CNBC has a new Suze Orman Show at 9. Animal Planet has a new Dogs 101 at 9. There's a new Secret Saturdays on Cartoon Network at 9. At 9:30, Biography has a new Ghostly Adventures, followed by a new Celebrity Ghost Stories. At 10, BBC America has a new Graham Norton Show. At 11, Fox has a new Wanda Sykes Show. »

- Bob Sassone

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Holiday Movies: What's on Tonight? (12/12/09)

11 December 2009 6:06 PM, PST | Reelzchannel.com | See recent ReelzChannel news »

The Little Drummer Boy (O Holy Night)

ABC Family, 7 Am Et

An orphan drummer boy, who hates humanity, finds his life changed when he meets three wise men traveling to Bethlehem.

It's a Wonderful Life (Classic Cheer)

NBC, 8 Pm Et

Ruined by a miser (Lionel Barrymore) on Christmas Eve, a suicidal family man (James Stewart) sees life anew thanks to his guardian angel.

Christmas Town (Family Dramedy)

Ion West, 8 Pm Et

A woman (Nicole de Boer) discovers the spirit of Christmas while visiting her estranged father in a town that is decked out for the holidays.

What else is showing this season? See the complete Holiday TV Movie Guide: The 12 Flavors of Christmas.

And if you're wondering what to buy the movie lovers on your shopping list, check out our Holiday Gifts store.

Next Showing:

Link | Posted 12/12/2009 by reelz

Lionel Barrymore | Nicole de Boer | James Stewart | The Little Drummer Boy »

- reelz reelz

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UK cinemas enjoy £1bn boomtime with 3D renaissance

11 December 2009 8:01 AM, PST | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »

• £1bn box office revenues as attendances go past 142m

• Mass escapism and 3D blockbusters help boost sales

"It's a wonderful life!"

This is not a phrase uttered too often during this downturn unless, that is, you happen to own a cinema.

Restaurants and retailers are counting the cost of the recession but cinema has enjoyed rather a different year. In fact, mass escapism and a surge in 3D blockbusters have put UK box offices on course for record takings of £1bn in 2009.

It has been a year of big hits and next week's release of Avatar, James Cameron's 3D spectacular, is set to see 2009 go out with a bang.

Hard-up consumers have opted for nights at the cinema over costlier meals at restaurants and have flocked to big releases such as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Star Trek as well as less expected hits like Slumdog Millionaire. »

- Katie Allen

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/Filmcast Ep. 79 - The Road (Guests: Tyler and David from Battleship Pretension)

9 December 2009 7:36 PM, PST | Slash Film | See recent Slash Film news »

This week, Dave Chen, Devindra Hardawar and Adam Quigley chat about the themes in Capra's It's a Wonderful Life and Anderson's There Will Be Blood, discuss the mediocrity of Everybody's Fine, and recall the great camera work in Il Divo (and its amazing trailer). Special guests Tyler Smith and David Bax join us from the Battleship Pretension podcast. You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(At)gmail(Dot)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. Join us next Monday at 9 Pm Est / 6 Pm Pst at Slashfilm's live page as we review  Invictus. Download or Play Now in your Browser: [audio:http://media.libsyn.com/media/slashfilmcast/Slashfilmcastep79.mp3] Subscribe to the /Filmcast: Shownotes Introduction (00:28) Tyler Smith from the Battleship Pretension Podcast What We've Been Watching David Chen (02:00): Munich Tyler (06:24): Up in the Air, It's a Wonderful Life Devindra (18:30): Il Divo Adam (21:25): Everybody's Fine News Discussion (26:26) Details »

- David Chen

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Think Nasty: 10 Christmas Villains We Love

9 December 2009 4:56 AM, PST | Reelzchannel.com | See recent ReelzChannel news »

Why is it that some curmudgeonly, cold-hearted scoundrel always has a leading role in the best Christmas movies — even the ones crafted for children? Do we really require some naughty with our nice?

Considering the popular rapscallions that made our list of 10 Christmas Villains We Love — each with his own noted brand of evil and heartless quote — it would seem that it's just not Christmas without a villain.

And if you want to see these villains in action, check out our Holiday TV Movie Guide: The 12 Flavors of Christmas.

Next Showing:

Link | Posted 12/9/2009 by reelz

It's a Wonderful Life | How the Grinch Stole Christmas! | Frosty the Snowman | Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer | Santa Claus Is Coming to Town | Scrooged | Miracle on 34th Street | A Christmas Carol | A Christmas Story »

- reelz reelz

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Jonathan Coe on Comfort And Joy

5 December 2009 4:10 PM, PST | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »

Bill Forsyth, 1984

Whenever I contemplate the career of Bill Forsyth, I realise I'm getting old. It's more than a quarter of a century since he was considered one of the great new hopes of British cinema, but to me, the sudden flowering of his oblique, wilful talent still seems like one of the more recent miracles of film history.

After the cult success of his Glaswegian caper comedy That Sinking Feeling (just issued on DVD in an insulting format – with a dubbed soundtrack for American audiences), Forsyth hit the big time with his second feature, Gregory's Girl. I watch this film whenever it comes on TV – every two or three years, I suppose – and it never disappoints. The bittersweet experience of adolescent love is expertly captured, but more than that there is an unstoppable flow of comic invention: even the smallest characterisations are quirkily memorable, every scene crackles with good lines. »

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Christmas TV movies have lost their special glitter | Jason Solomons

5 December 2009 4:09 PM, PST | The Guardian - TV News | See recent The Guardian - TV News news »

A festive treat has become tired repeats or cartoons. Jason Solomons suggests it should now be a season for Fellini or Renoir

Forget about Christmas movies with snow and tinsel and grumpy fathers learning lessons. Those have their place, and no doubt we'll have our fill of them, good and bad, over the coming month, from Elf to Scrooged, from The Muppet Christmas Carol to Miracle on 34th Street.

What worries me is the lack of new classics. Growing up, my favourite Christmas movies were never the ones actually about Christmas. Rather, it was the season of Billy Wilder and Fred Astaire, a time for The Great Escape and The Towering Inferno, for The Poseidon Adventure and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. In short, Christmas was when you learned about film, its rich history and capacity to thrill and unite. 

It was when I watched films with my dad »

- Jason Solomons

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Rudolph the Ratings Bully beats ABC, NBC, and Fox

3 December 2009 2:28 PM, PST | AOL - TVSquad | See recent AOL - TVSquad news »

This is the kind of TV ratings news that warms my heart: last night's airing of Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer on CBS was the most-watched show of the entire night on any of the other networks, including Christmas in Rockefeller Center, So You Think You Can Dance, The Middle, The Grammy Nominations Concert, and Glee.

The Rankin/Bass Christmas special with the dentist elf and random misfit toys grabbed an impressive 10.7 million viewers.

That's pretty good for a 45 year-old animated special that we've all seen 97 times (and probably own on DVD), no? There's something amazingly comforting about that: the same Christmas specials (Rudolph, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, It's A Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas, etc) are pulled out every single year and we still watch them. It's the sort of television comfort food that we can't resist.

 

Filed under: Animation, Ratings, Reality-Free

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- Bob Sassone

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Danny Dyer falls into parallel world and lives 7Lives

2 December 2009 2:35 PM, PST | QuietEarth.us | See recent QuietEarth news »

Danny Dyer's been in quite a bit of television and film, the most recent of which I've seen is City Rats which I loved, and now he's headlining what's being touted as a modern day It's a Wonderful Life. Currently in production, 7Lives sounds quite fascinating but the promo reel we have for the film shows nothing of the "parallel world" that the unhappily married Tom falls into.

A disgruntled married man called Tom who believes that life has got something better to offer him. On his way home one night he gets attacked and falls into a parallel world where he lives 6 other lives including a Rock-Star, A homeless person and the 'hoody' that attacked him. In order to get home he must face some of his deepest fears and desires. Will he make it home or is the grass greener on the other side?

Promo reel after the break. »

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What's your favourite film to watch at Christmas?

1 December 2009 4:06 AM, PST | The Guardian - Film News | See recent The Guardian - Film News news »

We need to fill the Christmas Eve spot on our film advent calendar. And that's where you come in …

Today we're launching our guardian.co.uk/film advent calendar, in which our writers pick which film they'd most like to snuggle down in front of after the Queen's speech.

But what would be your top choice? A surefire yuletide hit, like It's a Wonderful Life? Or a misanthropic classic, like Bad Santa?

Write us no more than 50 words on your choice and why you think it's perfect for the festive season and you could have pride of place on 24 December. Comments will be open until 8am on December 23, so be sure to check back on Christmas Eve to see if your choice made the final cut. Our own writers have already picked their choices, so I'm afraid if yours clashes with one of theirs, it probably won't be selected - so think outside the giftbox. »

- Catherine Shoard

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Your Thanksgiving TV marathon guide: Saturday

28 November 2009 5:00 AM, PST | EW.com - PopWatch | See recent EW.com - PopWatch news »

It's as much of an annual tradition as turkey, football, and awkward family dynamics -- the Thanksgiving weekend TV marathon. With Thursday and Friday behind you, why not head to the fridge, get some leftovers, and settle in to that nice groove in the sofa. And look, we've already done the hard part for you. Here's our guide to the best marathon programming for Saturday, Nov. 28. *After two days of stuffing and mashed potatoes, nothing fits, right? Well, feel better about yourself by tuning in to Tlc's What Not to Wear marathon? Sure, those pants may be a little snug »

- Chris Nashawaty

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Shrek 4 Looms Closer

25 November 2009 8:43 AM, PST | LatinoReview | See recent LatinoReview news »

The bad news? Shrek Forever After is well on its way. The good news? It promises to be the last Shrek film made. After pumping the Shrek franchise for two sequels, the third film, Shrek Forever After will hit theaters this May with a trailer premiering next month ahead of Avatar to drum up interest. Unlike the other films in the series, this Shrek will be brought to audiences in 3D, and will focus on what life would have been like for the characters had Shrek never existed in the first place. If the plot sunds like a big take-off of It's a Wonderful Life, that's because it blatantly is. But as the third sequel to what was originally a smart and original movie in 2001, who can expect otherwise? The big thing to look out for in Shrek Forever After is the new characters and stars who have joined the cast. »

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Last "Shrek" Film To Hit Theaters In 3-D

25 November 2009 8:01 AM, PST | icelebz.com | See recent iCelebz news »

The fourth film in the "Shrek" franchise is also going to be the last. "Shrek Forever After" will hit theaters in 2010 and will also be the first time a "Shrek" film will be seen in 3-D.

"Shrek Forever After" is scheduled to hit theaters May 21st, 2010, with the first sneak peek showing in front of "Avatar" when it premieres on December 18th. Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz are all back as the voices of the titular character, Donkey, and Princess Fiona.

In the new film, "Shrek" meets "It's A Wonderful Life" when Shrek strikes a deal with wee Rumpelstiltskin for things to go back to the way things used to be when he was a fearsome ogre and not a magnet for fairytale creatures and a domesticated father of three. But when Shrek sees his life as if he had never existed, he tries to overturn the pact. »

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First Image And Plot Details From Shrek Forever After

25 November 2009 6:48 AM, PST | cinemablend.com | See recent Cinema Blend news »

Remember when the writers of your favorite sitcom would plainly run out of ideas and construct an entire episode around some weird gimmick. "What if we had never met?" "What if I had never been born?" Apparently it can happen in movie franchises too. USA Today has a first look today at Shrek Forever After, and it turns out that the green ogre's last film-- hopefully!-- will be more like It's A Wonderful Life In Far Far Away. As explained by director Mike Mitchell, the film opens with Shrek having lost everything that used to make him scary-- his roar."It used to send villagers running away in terror. Now they run to him and ask him to sign their pitchforks and torches." Shrek teams up with Rumpelstiltskin in a deal that goes awry, and he winds up see what the world would look like without him-- Donkey is »

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First Pic from Shrek Forever After!

25 November 2009 5:09 AM, PST | TotalFilm | See recent TotalFilm news »

  Whether you were delirious or dismayed to discover yet more Shrek sequels were in production, chances are the ugly-Ogre-that-could will still rule the box office come opening weekend, and you'll likely be seeing it. The next installment is titled Shrek Forever After - get it? As in 4-ever - as in this is the fourth Shrek... Anyway, along with the below picture, courtesy of Collider, which shows Shrek and the mischevious munchikin Rumplestiltskin, new plot details have emerged, and it all sounds a little It's A Wonderful Life....

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- Dan Goodswen

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Shrek Forever After Pics Online

25 November 2009 12:25 AM, PST | EmpireOnline | See recent EmpireOnline news »

USA Today have the first images from the fourth, and apparently, final big screen Shrek movie, Shrek Forever After. To be honest, they're not all that scintillating. Of greater interest though, are the newspaper's quotes from director Mike Mitchell on new plot points and characters.The basic story has not changed - Shrek (Mike Myers) has lost his moj- sorry, roar, and finds himself in the company of slippery deal-maker, Rumplestiltskin (Walt Dohrn - not, you'll note, Paul McCartney; don't believe everything you read on IMDb). The grumpy green one is conned into a deal where by finding out what would happened if he never existed, he finds himself in a skewed, It's A Wonderful Life-gone wrong parallel universe where Donkey (Eddie Murphy) pulls a cart, Puss In Boots (Antonio Banderas) is fat and lazy, Rumplestiltskin is king, and, as promised - no-one knows who Shrek is.Click the »

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First Photo from Shrek Forever After and a Storyline Update

25 November 2009 12:13 AM, PST | firstshowing.net | See recent FirstShowing.net news »

That photo you see above is the "very first" official photo from DreamWorks Animation's Shrek Forever After. USA Today has a new first look article today debuting the photo as well as some new information on the franchise. Let's get the most important news out of the way first. Shrek Forever After is, sadly, the final film in the Shrek franchise (although I'm sure it'll still continue with straight-to-dvd spin-offs and sequels). "All that was loved about Shrek in the first film is brought to the final film," promises Bill Damaschke, head of creative production at DreamWorks. And as for the story, here's the new description from USA Today. The premise is the Brothers Grimm meet It's a Wonderful Life: After rescuing a princess, getting hitched and fathering triplets, Shrek is feeling over-domesticated. "He has lost his roar," says director Mike Mitchell (Sky High, Deuce Bigelow: Male Gigolo »

- Alex Billington

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MovieWeb's 2009 DVD Holiday Gift Guide

24 November 2009 5:51 AM, PST | MovieWeb | See recent MovieWeb news »

Black Friday is approaching, fellow readers. No, I'm not talking about some sort of economic free-fall or any apocalyptic event that we might see in 2012. I'm talking about the shopper's paradise/nightmare that is the day after Thanksgiving, where all the hot holiday items are paraded about with slashed prices galore. While this day does wonders for your pocketbook, it takes a toll on your sanity with malls full of shoppers packed in like sardines, scurrying to complete their lists. We all know how trying these times are, so we here at MovieWeb are trying to make it a little easier on our readers. No, we won't be selling Blu-ray players for under $100, but we are compiling a tidy little list of our own complete with our top DVD buys of the season. Below you'll find a comprehensive guide to all of the hot titles that will be on the shelves this season, »

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2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

1-20 of 45 articles from 2009   « Prev | Next »

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