In Jingle Bell Rocks!, director Mitchell Kezin delves into the minds of some of the world’s most legendary Christmas music fanatics and hits the road to hang with his holiday heroes – including hip hop legend Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons of RUN-D.M.C., The Flaming Lips’ frontman Wayne Coyne, filmmaker John Waters, bebopper Bob Dorough, L.A. DJ and musicologist Dr. Demento, and Calypso legend The Mighty Sparrow.
In his search for the twelve best, underappreciated Christmas songs ever recorded, Kezin both asks and answers the question, “Why, when Christmas rolls around, are we still stuck cozying up with Bing Crosby under a blanket of snow?”
Equal parts social history, pop culture pilgrimage, and revealing character study, JINGLE BELL ROCKS! follows this motley crew of merry misfits as they confront the Christmas music mainstream, reinventing the seasonal soundtrack for the 21st century.
With rollicking live performances, intimate interviews, and a kaleidoscope of touching and rare archive footage, JINGLE BELL ROCKS! is a cinematic sleigh-ride into the strange and sublime universe of alternative Christmas music.
It’s also a mix-tape of twelve of the weirdest, wildest, most poignant Christmas songs you’ve never heard.
Jingle Bell Rocks!, was released in 2014 by New York-based Oscilloscope Laboratories. It screened in over 30 festivals, enjoyed a theatrical run in 48 states, and garnered a number of awards before being released on DVD & VOD.
Directed by Mitchell Kezin
Featuring Wayne Coyne, Rev. Run (RUN DMC), Bill Adler, John Waters, El Vez, Dr. Demento, Bob Dorough, and more
2014 / Canada / Colour / English / 1.78 widescreen presentation / 5.1 Dolby Surround & Dolby Stereo / 94 minutes
Reviews
“A supremely entertaining, funny and ultimately moving portrait that’s as warm as Christmas and Hanukkah combined.”
Film Corner with Greg Klymkiw
“Every so often I come across a documentary I can only describe as pure delight.”
Top Five Films from the Whistler Film Festival
★★★ THREE STARS from the National Post
“A satisfying, thoughtful romp in the genre, its history and its subculture of aficionados”
The National Post
To find out more, visit the Jingle Bell Rocks! site.