It goes without saying that festive films are one of the best parts of the holiday season. Let’s take a trip down some of the most nostalgic films worth re-watching with a list that dives into our 107-year legacy across Technicolor Creative Studios. Prepare for some feel-good throwbacks…
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
A musical fantasy film utilizing the 3-strip color process by Technicolor. When a tornado rips through Kansas, Dorothy (Judy Garland) and her dog, Toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of Oz and embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard, who can return her to her home and fulfill the others’ wishes.
Gremlins (1984).
A clip of It’s a Wonderful Life appears in this film, but that’s where these two small town holiday-themed stories’ similarities end. Technicolor worked on this Warner Bros. release just as the horror/comedy genre was taking off. Roger Ebert wrote highly of the way it depicted its fairy tale villains and the mysterious part of town where a most special holiday gift is purchased. With Steven Spielberg as executive producer, the award-winning film had been cited among the best of that year.
The Santa Clause (1994)
When a man inadvertently makes Santa fall off his roof on Christmas Eve, he finds himself magically recruited to take his place. Prints by Technicolor.
Matilda (1996)
A girl gifted with a keen intellect and psychic powers uses both to deal with her crude, distant family and free her kind teacher from their sadistic headmistress. Color timing by Technicolor.
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)
On the outskirts of Whoville lives a green, revenge-seeking Grinch who plans to ruin Christmas for all of the citizens of the town but Cindy Lou, a six-year-old girl who believes in the spirit of the festival, sets out to reform him. Post-production sound services by Technicolor.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001)
A Warner Bros. release with visual effects by MPC, motion capture by The Mill, and color by Technicolor. Harry Potter enrolls at Hogwarts, a school of wizardry. As he escapes a dreary life and enters a world of magic, he finds trouble awaiting him.
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)
The motion picture finishing process is done by Technicolor for this Walt Disney Pictures release. Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion.
The Holiday (2006)
Two women troubled with guy-problems swap homes in each other’s countries, where they each meet a local guy and fall in love. Technicolor as digital intermediate for this release by Universal and Columbia Pictures.
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Featured image of Taylor Momsen listening to Jim Carrey in a scene from the film ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’ by Universal/Getty Images.
