![]() Part of why I wrote the book was to draw attention to movies that people might not know about, whether it’s a romantic comedy like Remember the Night, Some Girls or It Happened on Fifth Avenue or a tear-jerker like I’ll Be Seeing You or a terrific family movie like Pranceror Unaccompanied Minors. Is there a Christmas movie that you feel is underrated? How about one that you feel is overrated? The best Christmas movies are the ones that push our emotional buttons about what we feel about the season while also standing up to repeated viewings year after year after year. So much of the way we celebrate the holiday is tied into longstanding traditions: the foods we make every year, the songs we listen to, the stories we re-tell, the family rituals. What do you think it is that make Christmas movies so intrinsic to the holiday season unlike other holidays which don’t have as many titles dedicated to them? The people who watch Die Hard every December do so for different reasons than the people who watch White Christmas (not that you can’t watch both, of course). ![]() I think different viewers have their own take-away from the movies they choose to watch each Christmas, whether it’s nostalgia or redemption or the affirmation of familial bonds. What did you feel make some of these movies a traditional 'holiday classic’ (like ’ It’s a Wonderful Life’ and ’ A Christmas Story’) rather than just a Christmas movie? The inspiration came from listicles that I’d been writing as far back as the late 1980s, of “alternate” or “unusual” Christmas movies, and since I’m a huge fan of both movies and Christmas, it seemed like a fun project to tackle. Thanks! I surveyed my friends for suggestions, and Dave Cobb came up with that one. What inspired you to write ’ Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas’? (Great title btw!) We sat down with Alonso to discuss his book as well as his thoughts on what makes certain films ‘holiday classics’, and what his own Christmas viewing traditions are. Duralde knows and loves film is an understatement! He has written for outlets such as MovieLine, Salon, and HitFix and has appeared in documentaries on TCM, IFC and Starz and on radio programs like Press Play on KCRW (a public radio station in Santa Monica, CA). He regularly appears on What the Flick?!, part of the Young Turks Network on YouTube, and serves as the senior programmer for OutFest Film Festival in Los Angeles, is a pre-screener for the Sundance Film Festival and is a consultant for the USA Film Festival in Dallas. ![]() Not only is Alonso the author of this and 101 Must-See Movies for Gay Men, but he is also the film critic for The Wrap/Reuters and co-hosts the fabulous movie podcast Linoleum Knife with Dave White (who is also a prominent film critic, for ). Not that they don’t play a significant role in the book because they do! Duralde delves into the best and worst big screen Christmas offerings and takes the reader beyond the known classics such as It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story. Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas (published in 2010 from Limelight Editions) is just that, the ultimate guide to holiday films as Mr. Author and Film Critic Alonso Duralde loves the movies and he loves Christmas, so who better to write the ultimate guide for holiday films than him. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |