Director: Mitchell Kezin | Canada | Documentary | 2014 | 92 mins
Film source: Filmmaker
A hilarious backstage pass into a fascinating underground world of alternative Christmas music. It all began with Nat King Cole’s The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot. As a child, filmmaker Mitchell related to the song’s emotional message about a lonely little boy with an absent father. From there, he realized that Christmas music was broader and more complex than the generic mainstream fare we often hear. He began digging through dusty crates at records stores, looking for the most obscure LPs he could find. Mitchell’s sincere excitement is extremely contagious. Even the biggest haters will gain a new appreciation for seasonal ditties. Starring an eclectic cast of characters – The Flaming Lips, Run DMC, John Waters – plus two dozen amazing & original songs, Jingle Bell Rocks! is a cinematic sleigh ride into the strange and sublime universe of alternative Christmas music. Filmmaker Mitchell Kezin uncovers the stories behind twelve of the most amazing Christmas songs you’ve likely never heard. Equal parts social history, pop culture pilgrimage and revealing character study, Jingle Bell Rocks! confronts the Christmas music mainstream, reinventing the seasonal soundtrack for the 21st century.