Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema (Cinema and Society) [Hardcover]

Mark Connelly (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2001 | ISBN-10: 1860643973 | ISBN-13: 978-1860643972

Whether we love or hate it, Christmas has always played a special role in the cinema, and Christmas movies like "It’s a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle on 34th Street" have a special place in popular affections. They almost constitute a mini-cinematic genre. So what does Christmas in the movies mean to societies across the Anglo-Saxon and European world and what does it have to say about them? The contributors to this book take a good look at popular Christmas films, decoding the messages they convey about preoccupations and attitudes internationally and about the different societies that produce them.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Connelly is Reuters Lecturer in Media and Propaganda History at the University of Kent, U.K.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (January 6, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860643973
• ISBN-13: 978-1860643972
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,338,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting thoughts on festive films, November 17, 2011

By 

LuvzFilmz - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema (Cinema and Society) (Hardcover)

This is an interesting and at times penetrating analysis of the Christmas movie genre from a selection of academics and film scholars. It has to be commended due to the fact that although Christmas cinema inevitably leads to discussions of well-known American and (occasionally) British movies, this volume draws in an examination of several lesser-known European films as well. Alongside chapters on the all-time classics like "It's a Wonderful Life" and the many adaptations of "A Christmas Carol", there are also sections about festive cinematic rareties like "The Cheaters" and "The Holly and The Ivy". Although some heavyweight themes are discussed at times, the book never becomes too bogged down in terminology, and topics such as the depiction of Santa Claus in films over the years frequently make for fascinating reading. Admittedly it's not quite as breezy as some other books on the same subject, but if you're looking for a serious treatment of a worldwide media phenomenon then this book is well worth seeking out.

4.0 out of 5 stars You've watched the films...now read the book!, September 27, 2010

By 

Debra from Hull (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema (Cinema and Society) (Hardcover)

This book covers many chapters including
1. Movie Adaptations of 'A Christmas Carol'
2. A Hollywood Carol's Wonderful Life'
3. Hollywood and the Second World War
4. Wartime Christmas in Britain
5. Crisis at Christmas
6. Santa Claus: the Movie
7. Christmas in the Horror Film
8. The Depiction of Christmas in Modern Hollywood Films
9/10/11. Christmas in French/Russian/Spanish Cinema.

With the exception of Kim Newman, an expert on horror films, all the contributors are university lecturers in the UK. With that in mind it's not a coffee-table type of book. These are serious discussions about Christmas in films and are very interesting. Although not a 'film buff' I found the writing no problem - not too wordy. Just don't expect an encyclopaedia of film and you won't be disappointed.

One of the best chapters focussed on 'It's A Wonderful Life'. It was very interesting to find that only in the last 30 years has become the symbol of Christmas, in the US at least. And it was all down to the licence not being renewed in the 1970s and going into the public domain. This meant that TV channels could show it for nothing! And did!

3 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected - Where are the images??", April 14, 2006

By 

Barbara Pfeiffer (Hoboken, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Christmas at the Movies: Images of Christmas in American, British and European Cinema (Cinema and Society) (Hardcover)

Okay - probably my bad for not really reading through the description in-depth but this is NOT a book of images of Christmas in the movies - it's more a discussion of those movies. There are limited photos of course -- but not what you would expect from a book with this title. I sent it back before reading because I was interested in more of a photo book so I can't judge the overall content but do want other potential buyers to know what the book is really about.