Twelve Hidden Yuletide Gems
Not as well-known in the US as in Great Britain, and especially Scotland, where this gem was filmed in the early 1980s, this gem chronicles one sad, yet silly Christmas in the life of Alan “Dickey” Bird, a recently dumped radio DJ.
Torn after his live-in lover gives him the push, Alan tries to drown his misery in a unique fashion… by getting involved in the ice cream wars of Glasgow, fought between competing vendors!
Amusing, droll, and not sticky-sweet (despite the ice cream), this Christmas cult favorite was directed by Bill Forsyth, a Scottish director (some might say “the” Scottish director) with a devoted fan base from his previous outings, especially bittersweet teen comedy Gregory’s Girl (1982) and Local Hero (1983).
Not as easy to find in the US or Canada, where it only appears on VHS, but film lovers with multi-encoded DVD players can import the UK 20th edition.
While Comfort and Joy features a disc jockey, that more recent star of radio broadcasting, the next holiday film remembers the original golden days of old time radio…
