In today’s episode, we enjoy Skenbart or “IIlusive Tracks” a black and white Swedish film set in 1945. It is a comedy, thriller, drama and love story, all wrapped up in one, along with those common elements you expect in a Christmas film – murder, adultery, and violence.  Plus, if you can believe it, it’s really, really funny.  Join the boys are we travel with the hopelessly idealistic Gunnar, a failed author who quit his job to escape on a train for Berlin.  He sees excitement and opportunity and wants to rebuild the city after World War II, but instead leaves chaos in his wake.

On the train leaving from Stockholm is an eccentric crew – a Catholic doctor who wants to kill his wife, a gay man who hates men, a hapless soldier on the wrong train, and some hard-drinking nuns with religious doubts and a motley group of Baltic refugees.  Now this is a holiday party!

Even with the hilarity, Mark and Bob still find time to celebrate a true Swedish Christmas, with an authentic smorgasbord washed down with a couple mugs of Julmust.  They also set a giant straw Yule goat on fire and enjoy their annual viewing of Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul, all while waiting for Jultomten to arrive.  To top it off, they swing to the silken tones of the dashing former model and Eurovision winner Måns Zelmerlöw and his 2010 cover of “Tomten, jag vill ha en riktig jul”.  With all this laughter, adventure, and generosity, can it get any more festive, fans?

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/festivefans?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

4F Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QIjYWNP1TS0hC2OFeBXqO?si=8791632a966d4f53

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

We are still in our post-St. Patrick’s Day reverie so the Festive Fans decide to head off to enjoy the Emerald Isle.  Mark is excited to celebrate the locale of his favorite film The Quiet Man and the home to three of his great-grandparents.  He is our resident leprechaun so he gets to present the Irish movie Kisses.  And no, it’s not about that famous blarney stone.  This film follows a young boy and girl who run away from their violent homelife at Christmastime. Although still young, they share a hardness in their eyes and cussing in their mouths, so it is not your typical holiday film.

It begins in black and white. Their lives are rendered in sad, bleak tones, which later turn to color when they escape to Dublin. They encounter musicians, street walkers, con artists and thugs, and yet the mood is still whimsical.  It has a vague hint of Christmas spirit about it — and these young teens deserve a touch of festive Irish magic in their lives, if only for a short time.

We explore some holiday customs like the killing of the wren, the Christmas morning polar swim, and Shloer, a special seasonal drink.  There is also “Women’s Christmas” or “Little Christmas” on the Epiphany, where it’s a girls’ night out with a suggestion of magic in the air.  We debate St. Patrick’s over St. Joseph’s Day.  Plus, we enjoy a song called Christmas the Way I Remember  by the High Kings.  It is part of the new era of folk music, modern but still  reflective and insightful like the traditional ballads.  Mark caps it off his family’s Christmas blessing.  It’s an episode that is all so very Irish.  Sláinte!

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/festivefans?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

4F Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QIjYWNP1TS0hC2OFeBXqO?si=8791632a966d4f53

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

This reminds us of when we reviewed a film from Turkey in November, now February is Black History month in the States and we just happen to be covering our first film on the African continent.  Today we travel to Lagos, Nigeria for an entertaining Christmas rom com that features all of the classic Hallmark movie tropes – boys meeting and losing girls, misunderstandings, maternal meddling, corporate greed, and a best friend crush.  Plus, there is the annual holiday festival that teaches everyone about love, kindness and the meaning of Christmas.

While a seeming cliche, “A Naija Christmas” has a bit more heft.  It is festive and heart-warming to watch three brothers compete to fulfill their Mother’s wish to see her sons married.  However, the real Christmas present is being introduced to a different, more genuine side of Nigeria.  There are no money-seeking Nigerian princes or corrupt warlords here, but three familiar young men who tease, argue, and fight like brothers do, but also look out for and take care of each other.  They have their normal struggles at work, with their girlfriends, and taking care of their aging Mama.  These are real-life scenarios that all can viewers relate to, butnwe are also treated to the honest cultural issues of class, gender and faith found in Nigeria.

We also explore local customs like Detty December, Christmas rice, and knockouts and fireworks on Christmas Eve.  We meet the Nigerian Father Christmas, who gives out his gifts by hand or by throwing them into the air instead of delivering them at night.  Last, we enjoy the song “Y’ello Christmas” by Nigerian-born Moelogo because the color yellow in Africa represents happiness, harmony and culture.

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/festivefans?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

4F Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QIjYWNP1TS0hC2OFeBXqO?si=8791632a966d4f53

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

Vincent Van Gogh’s classic painting “Starry Night” has, through the years, inspired poets, musicians, and now another gem — this episode’s holiday film from Taiwan.  Mark describes it as the “best film we have reviewed” so far.   It is a heartfelt story based on an illustrated novel, and the film shares the artful imagination of both the painter and the author with its stunning visuals.  The genuine emotional content of the story sparks a discussion between the boys on what elements make for a good Christmas movie.  Although Taiwan is a majority Buddhist and Taoist country, “Starry, Starry Night” creates true Christmas “feels” while dealing with painful issues like bullying, divorce, and death.  However, despite its heavy themes, the movie and its young actors shine as brightly as the night sky that inspires them. The film also includes some fantasy elements that provide for a welcome escape from their unhappy reality.  In addition, we learn about Taiwan’s dazzling Banqiao District with its high-powered projections, digital Christmas trees, and giant Lego Santa.  Plus, we discuss the Dongzhi Festival, celebrated on the winter solstice (December 22), with its sticky rice animals and nine-layer cakes that are offered as a ceremonial sacrifice to honor deceased ancestors.  Join us on a sentimental journey to a land that, like this movie, is colorful, charming, and a bit magical.

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/festivefans?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

4F Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QIjYWNP1TS0hC2OFeBXqO?si=8791632a966d4f53

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

Merry Christmas to all of our Festive Fans!  The boys celebrate Christmas today by considering the uplifting Ukrainian song and the movie Carol of the Bells or “Schedryk”.  The story takes place in the years preceding and during World War II and features three different families who are living as neighbors in a large house.  They are different nationalities and religions, and all experience death, violence and inhumanity.  It may seem like an odd choice for the holiday, but at its heart, it is a story about humanity, sacrifice, and kindness. What better message at Christmas than one about always having hope and finding light in the darkest of times, which was true then and is still true today.  Our effort this December was to feature Russia and Ukraine to highlight the spirit of brotherhood and unity that naturally exists in this region and throughout the world.  Our Christmas wish for the new year is for peace in the Ukraine and all of the areas across the globe currently under siege.  We can live as the families do at the beginning of the movie – each culturally unique but still sharing and enjoying our diverse music, food and traditions.  There is a healing power in joy, and so today embrace this simple, but compelling message:  glory to God in the highest and on earth  peace, good will toward men.

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/festivefans?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

4F Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QIjYWNP1TS0hC2OFeBXqO?si=8791632a966d4f53

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

In today’s episode we explore how true Americans celebrate Christmas – the Native Americans.  Yes, we make a visit to the American Indian nation, as a Thanksgiving Day salute to the indigenous people who saved the Pilgrim butts and got a big thank you dinner and European delicacies like smallpox and kidnapping. When we first learned to say Merry Christmas in the language of the Mi’Kmaw tribe during our Quebec episode, we wondered aloud if there was a Christmas movie featuring native people and we found a delightful one.  We thought it appropriate for this weekend to kick off the holiday season with a lighthearted romp at a Utah ski resort, that includes all of your favorite rom-com tropes:  convenient coincidences, obvious misunderstandings, and a beautiful snow-filled festive setting.  Sit back, turn off Yellowstone, and enjoy a cheery movie filled native people and without the stereotypical portrayal of casinos and substance abuse.   Merry Christmas!

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Linktree:
https://linktr.ee/festivefans?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

4F Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QIjYWNP1TS0hC2OFeBXqO?si=8791632a966d4f53

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848

4F Flair Shop (Festive Fans Merchandise)
https://festivefanflair.myspreadshop.com/

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Festive Foreign Film Fans Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QIjYWNP1TS0hC2OFeBXqO?si=8791632a966d4f53

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848
X:
@FestiveFilmFans
Instagram:
@festivefans

Boo!  It’s spooky season for our Christmas podcast.  This episode we have Pastorela, and it is devilishly good.  It is the appropriate holiday film for October as it features demons, an exorcism, and an epic battle of Good versus Evil.  What more could you want from a film that plays like a Halloween-Christmas crossover event, let alone the corruption, sex and swearing?  All that’s missing is an enema.  Merry Christmas!  Plus, we discover Mexico’s famous Christmas beer – Noche Buena, discuss Pastorelas and Posadas (and no, you don’t eat them), and we learn (and sing) about the famous decorated branches from Veracruz.  And, to make sure we provide you with enough shopping days, Bob mentions his December birthday.  It’s a Trick and a Treat!

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Festive Foreign Film Fans Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QIjYWNP1TS0hC2OFeBXqO?si=8791632a966d4f53

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848
X:
@FestiveFilmFans
Instagram:
@festivefans

You need to Czech out our latest episode.  It’s heavenly!  We review the 2005 Czech film Andĕl Pánĕ and it is a hellish good time.  This festive fairy tale features Patronel, a bumbling angel; his boss God; and, a handy squad of versatile Saints, all on call.  Also, we meet Patronel’s satanic guide Urias, who observes the escalating chaos with a knowing wink and a devilsh grin.  If that is not enough entertainment, we explore other celestial celebrities such as Jezisek, Baby Jesus who flies through the window on Christmas Eve to bring gifts to the Czech children.  Also, Mikulus, the patron saint who visits Czech homes to judge the children’s behavior, accompanied by two familiar friends – an angel and a devil.  Finally, all of this is capped off by Czech singer Ewa Farna and her 2017 holiday hit “Vánoce na míru” meaning  “Christmas in Peace”.  Even after five years, it hit the top of the charts again in 2022.  So don’t miss out on all the fun – it’s like a giant birthday party for Jesus in heaven!

Email Address:
festivefans@gmail.com

Festive Foreign Film Fans Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2QIjYWNP1TS0hC2OFeBXqO?si=8791632a966d4f53

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092522416848
X:
@FestiveFilmFans