QUT Library has a wealth of Christmas movies, books and TV shows to get you into the festive mood. We have asked some our librarians what their all time favourite Christmas movies and books were. Here is what Tom thinks!
Arthur Christmas (2011) Available on EduTV via Informit (QUT log in required)
This is the movie that is currently in my ‘must see’ Christmas movie rotation list, and absolutely love showing it to friends that have never seen it before. Arthur Christmas is a 3D animated film by Aardman Animations (the same folks who brought us Wallace and Gromit) that portrays the legacy of Santa Clause as a very real, and very secret, family business with the title of ‘Santa’ being handed down from father to son for centuries. The humour is wonderfully British and ranges from the very silly to some darker adult jokes, whilch leads to some great scenes such as an army of elves questioning the existence of children, and a European Union-esque security alliance scrambling predator drones when they mistake Santa’s sleigh as an invading alien spaceship. The characters are voiced by all of your favourite English actors including James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Bill Nighy, Jim Broadbent and Imelda Staunton. In the end this movie is about family, the spirit of Christmas, keeping tradition, breaking tradition, and wrapping presents with only three bits of tape.
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The Snowman (1982) Available to borrow from QUT Library
The Snowman holds a very special place in my childhood, as my family would watch it every Christmas Eve, in the dark, with only the coloured glow of our Christmas tree to light up the room. It is a gorgeous, animated short film, based on the picture book by Raymond Briggs, which tells the story of a small boy who builds a snowman that comes to life at the stroke of midnight. They go on a series of small adventures including a magical flight to the North Pole, where they meet Father Christmas at a party full of other living snowmen. Remarkably, the film is completely wordless and relies on music and animation to tell its story. It never fails to bring a tear to my eye, especially during the enchanting song “Walking In The Air”, and the tale’s sad and bittersweet ending. It won a BAFTA and an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. Here is a trailer for one of the more recent sequals to The Snowman, The Snowman & The Snow Dog.
We have even more to recommend so keep an eye out for more blogs with Christmas cheer!
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