Jingle Bell Rocks! (2013) User Reviews

This documentary mostly strikes a chord with me. It was music to my ears.

[ironhorse_iv · 7/10 · 3 January 2021]

Although there was no common repetitive overplayed elevator music here. The motion picture directed by Mitchell Kezin still didn't quite jazz it up enough for me in parts. Some of the songs and artists featured here are not really that obscure. A good example of that would be pianist turn singer Nat King Cole's 'The Little Boy that Santa Claus Forgot' & blues and souls musician Clarence Carter 'Back Door Santa'. While they don't get radio played as often as other tunes. They're still pretty well known that many covers came afterwards like minor celebs like female singer A Girl Named Eddy, Calypso royalty Mighty Sparrow and more well-known groups like hip hop artists RUN-DMC sample them such in the case with their rap song 'Christmas in Hollis'. Those songs were also featured in a few mainstream movies and television shows. Truth be told, I was really hoping for more music that rarely ever gets played anywhere during the holidays. The film only gave us a few like the very heavy anti-war tune from Private Charles Bowens & The Gentlemen from Tigerland called 'Christmas in Vietnam'. You probably will never hear that song ever in a grocery store these days. I do love the semi funny ironic backstory on how that so called patriotic music was produced. Another Cold War era tune was Heather Noel 'Santa Claus came on a Nuclear Missile'. What an odd poorly written surreal poem turn song! It's so abysmal and awkward. I deeply surprised the film didn't showcase more bizarre out-there tunes than this and craze filmmaker John Waters 'Fat Daddy'. I would love to listen to them at least once even if its god awful. While these samples were not really catchy. I felt that Clarence Reid 'Winter Man' & Free Design 'Close Your Mouth: It's Christmas' had mainstream appeal. It sucks, that the songs came out during a time where grand fireplace traditional tunes were the norm. Another would had been Akim & Teddy Vann 'Santa Claus Is A Black Man'. Sad that some people find that child-like lyrics controversial due to its theme. I love everything about it. Might have to seek that vinyl record like how the film capture a niches group of music collectors journey searching shops, yard sales and other places just to find something so rare and make mix tapes from them. Those scenes were so unique. Nonetheless the movie does stray a little too far into a semi unrelated character study therapy in certain sections. Hearing personal stories about father issues and mother homage's sci films kinda don't follow the overall concept that well. Along with the large feature of non-Christmas music playing the background. Despite that, I love that the documentary featured a variety of holiday hits in many different music styles even if one the biggest inputs of them all, country was rarely featured. It's a shame that we didn't get to hear any of those. It's also too bad that disco & techno was not even talk at all. I would have love to see a spotlight from that eras of music. Even more recent tunes are not show in this film in any genre. To add onto that, while the movie is willing to show the cover of foreign Christmas albums; I kinda wish the filmmakers played a few. I really did want them to show what that mysterious Korean singer record sounds like. Also, why couldn't the flick feature any religious songs!? That's really a bummer. Regardless the movie makes great use of quick animation, talking heads interviews and stock historical footage. Seeing that intercut into a juxtaposition of images split screens during certain moments was well edited. That said the film didn't quite inform us how winter imagery, mythical and tradition celebratory can caused songs to be adopted into the holidays nor how the computer age has gain people to a greater access to many types of rare or unique seasonal tunes through the use of online platform such as YouTube and I-tunes; while also hurting the music industry. Still in the end, this documentary was watchable even if parts could had been better. It mostly hit the right notes. 'Jingle Bells Rocks' is certainly deserving to be check out during this or any holiday season.

Giving us hope for the holidays!

[elainelittmann · 29 May 2015]

Having a complicated relationship with Christmas myself, I found this film a lovely emotional journey. Seeing how so many different people respond to the holiday and deal with it in their own deeply personal and quirky ways ... people who love music finding a way to relate to Christmas on their own terms. The music was great, but the way the personal stories were entwined makes it a lot more than a music documentary. You could feel sadness from many of the people in the film, because Christmas can be just as much about what you don't have, what you've lost, what should be there and somehow isn't. It's inspiring to see feel that in others and see the hope and how they all manage to make their Christmas something beautiful.

Delightful and heartwarming little documentary

[jaytee-18148 · 10/10 · 18 December 2021]

Some people will totally get this, whilst others will be left behind. If you are one of the hip ones, jump in Santa's sleigh and go along for a fun ride into some of the most obscure Xmas music of modern times.

Be sure to bring along a handkerchief because before it's all over, you're gonna need it.

JT.

So fun

[hayleyrhawkins · 10/10 · 3 November 2021]

This was a beautiful doc, I wrote down tons of new artists to listen to. If you're a fein for new music and also obsessed with christmas, definitely watch. So much fun!

So chill

[marcus-seiser · 9/10 · 13 December 2020]

Amazing experience, especially since I was tired of all of the "classic" Christmas music.

A proper record collectors dream

[rossmcdee1 · 9/10 · 4 December 2022]

This is a well made, entertaining and sometimes quite moving documentary about a serious record collectors obsessions and motivations.

It has interviews with several interesting musicians and collectors including the bloke from Flaming Lips and Run from Run DMC, and features a lovely performance by Calypso Legend the Mighty Sparrow.

It starts a bit slow and at first, and everyone in it is 'jewish' which becomes strangely distracting, it is even pointed out several times in the first 10 minutes or so! (of course the media is dominated, devised and much of it originated with such families, this is an undeniable fact and well documented) .

Anyways, by about 30 minutes there are so many endearing characters and great tunes its impossible not to enjoy this journey that not only explores some great hidden music of the festive season, but the psychodynamic of obsession and creative expression.

The youthful and joyfull expressions of the older interviewees is heartwarming , as is the genuine love that all concerned have for the power of music and songwriting.

8 and a half/10 up-rated due to low rating (7/10 at time of writing)

Too much director, too little music

[oira79 · 5/10 · 17 June 2014]

There are times when it seems like this documentary about offbeat Christmas music is going to take off. A visit to Run of Run-DMC for an interview about his own hiphop Christmas song is excellent. An interview with a singer who wrote a Christmas song for Miles Davis is fun. John Waters is interviewed, and he's always entertaining.

But ultimately the film is a little disappointing because there isn't quite enough Christmas music that's weird enough. If you listen to alternative radio at Christmas, you've probably heard weirder stuff than this. Though I did like the song about Santa arriving on a nuclear missile.