Classic British Animation: The Snowman

The holidays may be over, but the holiday spirit needn't fade so quickly. Here's a wonderful British animated film called The Snowman that first aired in 1982. Based on the children's book by Raymond Briggs, the movie is introduced by David Bowie. It features the beautiful song Walking in the Air, which I included on my 2009 holiday mix, I Just Can't Wait for Christmas, in a version by the San Francisco band The Hundred Days. The song starts around 15:45, and the accompanying animation is stunning. Enjoy another taste of holiday magic, whatever time of year it is.

A Christmas Horror Show for Boxing Day

Imagine hearing your favorite Christmas carols sung by a choir consisting of Johnny "Bowtie" Barstow, William Hung, Tiny Tim, Regis Philbin and Wing, and imagine they're all singing really loud, with a cameo appearance toward the end by Donald Trump (just like in Regis Philbin's version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer). Well, I think I've found the cinematic equivalent of that train wreck, and it's called Santa Claus, a 1959 film noir by Mexican director Rene Cardona. Although it was apparently conceived as a children's movie, the plot involves a blood feud between Santa Claus and Satan — hardly the sort of thing I'd want my children watching, thanks. What's more, in a contest to determine which of these two characters is more terrifying, I'm inclined to give a slight edge to this film's version of Santa, who appears positively demonic, especially during the first few minutes. He does become slightly more sympathetic in time (with an emphasis on the pathetic), but only after he's chased up a tree by a small dog and appears almost too infirm to climb in and out of his sleigh. If your taste in films leans toward the bizarre and you've got time to kill on Boxing Day, you might give this film a look. But make sure there are no children around. (Thanks to Listener Mindwrecker on WFMU's Beware of the Blog.)

Christmas in the Netherlands

David Sedaris

My friend Susan turned me on to writer and humorist David Sedaris a number of years ago, and I've become a big fan of his insightful observations and dry, self-deprecating wit. Sedaris was initially promoted by radio host Ira Glass, who happened to hear him reading from his diary in a Chicago nightclub. After several appearances on Glass's show, Sedaris was invited to appear on NPR's Morning Edition, where he read from his piece "The SantaLand Diaries," which described his (honest-to-God) stint as a department store elf. The holidays are a recurring theme in Sedaris's work, and his 2008 book Holidays on Ice, also available on CD, is a pure holiday treat. Several years ago, Sedaris published an essay in Esquire titled "Six to Eight Black Men," in which he recounts his conversation with a Dutch tour guide about several holiday traditions in the Netherlands.

An audio version of the essay, read by the author, is available HERE. (Depending on your browser, this may take 10-15 seconds to load.)

Tomorrow, a few thoughts on the two remaining tracks from my 2011 holiday CD.