The Electric Lantern Festival is currently open for submissions in feature films, shorts, drama, documentary, animation and music video.
The deadline is 3rd June 2013, so no time to waste. For more information go to our Submissions page.
Hey look, it’s the new Electric Lantern Festival, and they are looking for short films!
Okay, I admit it. I rather like Christmas. Its not a popular thing to say these days. Particularly when you’re an atheist and a curmudgeon like me. But I do. I really like Christmas.
Christmas films are not really highly regarded by any true cinema fan. But i think some have been needlessly over looked. Here are a few of my favs.
Its A Wonderful Life
Now, everyone should have seen this film and also should have liked it. It is a true classic. Its the Christmas film that even Christmas haters can like. If you are going to watch any of the films on this list it should be this one.
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
This is the 3rd Vacation film staring Chevy Chase as the head of the Griswold family, and to my mind it is the best. Its a well structured chamber piece which perfectly increases the tension with every plot point. Then like a card house, it collapses.
Elf
Basically Crocodile Dundee but with an ELF. Its pretty funny. Zooey Deschanel is rather cute. And its a very sweet film.
Fred Claus
I think this film was rather poorly received on its release. But I’d like to stand up for it. Its very funny and has an ace cast. Including Kevin Spacey, Paul Giamatti and Rachael Weiss. I love their depiction of Santa as a nervous wreck. Its worth watching the film for the “siblings anonymous” scene alone.
Muppet’s Christmas Carol
There are a million versions of a Christmas Carol to chose from, but the Muppet’s version is the best. And if you can over look the fact that the characters are played by felt animals it is the closest to the book too.
There are other films that I could add to this list too. Like “Mixed Nuts”, “Bad Santa” or the Jim Carrey version of “A Christmas Carol” but I thought I’d highlight just a few that are worth watching.
Do watch them
Merry Christmas.
