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jones08
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Il Natale che quasi non fu (1966)
Classic Christmas Cult film
There are two ways to look at this movie. If you have the ability to look through the eyes of a child, you will see a wonderful, creepy, and oddly-dark-at-times morality tale which takes place during the quintessential Christmas season in the quintessential Christmas town. If you've got any innocence left, you will feel the snap of the cold on Paul Tripp's nose as he hangs garland from the antique street lamps. You'll taste the snow on your tongue as you and your friends run through sepia-toned Dickensian back streets. You'll smell the mold and dust of the frightening haunted house that Mr. Prune calls his home. And if you are viewing as an adult, you will be treated to a classic cult movie that just happens to be set around Christmas. The dubbing is hysterical--you have to laugh at the Italian accents slipping in and out. The acting is all character acting: very broad, yet extremely touching. The cuts and edits are choppy and endearing. The crummy miniatures are priceless. Santa is depressed, his wife is amazing, the dwarfs are creepy, and the sets are quite surreal. This is a cheesy, wonderful, low-rent relic of another time, which also just happens to have a terrific (and arguably underrated) musical score. Relax, go easy on the special effects, and enjoy this movie. This kind of stuff does not happen too often in life.