Christmas Past - Vintage Holiday Films
Christmas doesn't come any more old-fashioned than in this inspired  collection of vintage holiday films from the silent era. Amidst the melodramas (D.W.  Griffith's 1909 "A Trap for Santa Claus") and comedies (the "amateur" detective lark  "The Adventure of the Wrong Santa Claus") are some delicious Christmas treats. The  1925 "Santa Claus" combines magical images of Santa's workshop elves with thrilling  documentary footage of icy Alaskan landscapes and herds of wild arctic creatures, and  the 1910 "A Christmas Carol" condenses the Dickens classic into 10 minutes by layering  all the ghosts and memories into one brief but visually imaginative scene. The delightful  "A Winter Straw Ride" (1906) transforms into a snowball free-for-all to celebrate the  giddy antics of adults reverting to childhood innocence. Al Kryszak's new, melancholy  score for strings and harp is often lovely but out of place amidst the cheer and holiday  celebration of the films.--Sean Axmaker