I’ve been a fan of the works of Max Allan Collins for decades now.
Those of you who missed it (and many did, based entirely on ratings), his singular hitman/assassin creation Quarry was given screen life in a single season aboard the self-titled program on HBO/Max. It was a glorious, glorious time – all eight episodes – and I’m often caught still recommending it to folks whenever I get the chance. It presented a great backstory to the character that has endured an incredible sixteen novels (to date), and it remains a show deserving of greater praise. Otherwise, Collins’ name has long been associated with 2002’s Road To Perdition starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, and Daniel Craig: this Academy Award winning feature film first sprang from Collins’ imagination as a series of graphic novels from DC Comics. And – last but not least – the author picked up stewardship for the works of the late, great writer Mickey Spillane after the Mick passed: I tore through a handful of Spillane’s best in my youth, and it’s good to know that the further adventures of private investigator Mike Hammer were bequeathed to such a responsible and respectful voice.
Naturally, I couldn’t pass up the chance to give Collins’ Blue Christmas a whirl when it was offered up to me via a distributor relationship. I’d heard nothing about the project, advertised as a hard-boiled interpretation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol complete with ghosts, gals, and an unsolved murder. The advertising insert to the DVD slipcase includes a brief essay from Collins, more of a recounting about where the story came from, which was very helpful; and – what with all of us being in the midst of the silly season right now – I thought it appropriate to pony up my two cents on the whole affair.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Chicago 1941. Meet private eye Richard Stone, celebrating at his Christmas Even office party after beating the draft by way of a bribe. He's a disappointment to his secretary and main squeeze, Katie Crocket, whose brother Ben is fighting overseas; and his honest young employee joey Ernest is guilt-ridden over all the divorce-racket keyhole peeping. Worst of all, his equally sleazy partner, Jake Marley, was murdered a year ago tonight and Stone didn't bother solving Jake's ho-ho homicide.”
Textually, Blue Christmas works, but – and I do say this with some conviction – I think it really only works best for fans of the hard-boiled dime novel prose that’s always served as an inspiration to its author and director, Max Allan Collins. Because it’s a loose retelling of A Christmas Carol but set in the early 1940’s universe fueled with gangsters, g-men, and the constant threat of a looming World War, it’s entirely relatable, too, though there’s a bit of slang here and there that might throw the uneducated for a loop. In other words, there isn’t a great deal of room for any big narrative surprises: yes, there’s a strong hint of the classic criminal whodunnit in there, and the limited number of faces in this cast of less than a dozen doesn’t exactly make much room for any big surprises in the last reel.
Where I take issue with Blue is entirely with its aesthetics, which I’ll get to after a synopsis.
Big city P.I. Richard Stone (Rob Merritt) passed on the chance to investigate the murder of his long-time partner Jake Marley (Chris Causey) when he prioritized his efforts on cementing the sole proprietorship of their surviving practice over following the unspoken code of defending and avenging one’s best friend. Now a year later, he’s living the good life; and – on Christmas Eve – he gathers those nearest and dearest to him for the customary celebration. Even though gifts are exchanged and the yuletide seems gay, there are hints that changes to his world are afoot; and – later that night – he’s visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, all imploring him to return to the high road, make peace with those remaining under his employ, and solve that big case he turned a blind eye to only twelve months ago.
Those of you who missed it (and many did, based entirely on ratings), his singular hitman/assassin creation Quarry was given screen life in a single season aboard the self-titled program on HBO/Max. It was a glorious, glorious time – all eight episodes – and I’m often caught still recommending it to folks whenever I get the chance. It presented a great backstory to the character that has endured an incredible sixteen novels (to date), and it remains a show deserving of greater praise. Otherwise, Collins’ name has long been associated with 2002’s Road To Perdition starring Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, and Daniel Craig: this Academy Award winning feature film first sprang from Collins’ imagination as a series of graphic novels from DC Comics. And – last but not least – the author picked up stewardship for the works of the late, great writer Mickey Spillane after the Mick passed: I tore through a handful of Spillane’s best in my youth, and it’s good to know that the further adventures of private investigator Mike Hammer were bequeathed to such a responsible and respectful voice.
Naturally, I couldn’t pass up the chance to give Collins’ Blue Christmas a whirl when it was offered up to me via a distributor relationship. I’d heard nothing about the project, advertised as a hard-boiled interpretation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol complete with ghosts, gals, and an unsolved murder. The advertising insert to the DVD slipcase includes a brief essay from Collins, more of a recounting about where the story came from, which was very helpful; and – what with all of us being in the midst of the silly season right now – I thought it appropriate to pony up my two cents on the whole affair.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“Chicago 1941. Meet private eye Richard Stone, celebrating at his Christmas Even office party after beating the draft by way of a bribe. He's a disappointment to his secretary and main squeeze, Katie Crocket, whose brother Ben is fighting overseas; and his honest young employee joey Ernest is guilt-ridden over all the divorce-racket keyhole peeping. Worst of all, his equally sleazy partner, Jake Marley, was murdered a year ago tonight and Stone didn't bother solving Jake's ho-ho homicide.”
Textually, Blue Christmas works, but – and I do say this with some conviction – I think it really only works best for fans of the hard-boiled dime novel prose that’s always served as an inspiration to its author and director, Max Allan Collins. Because it’s a loose retelling of A Christmas Carol but set in the early 1940’s universe fueled with gangsters, g-men, and the constant threat of a looming World War, it’s entirely relatable, too, though there’s a bit of slang here and there that might throw the uneducated for a loop. In other words, there isn’t a great deal of room for any big narrative surprises: yes, there’s a strong hint of the classic criminal whodunnit in there, and the limited number of faces in this cast of less than a dozen doesn’t exactly make much room for any big surprises in the last reel.
Where I take issue with Blue is entirely with its aesthetics, which I’ll get to after a synopsis.
Big city P.I. Richard Stone (Rob Merritt) passed on the chance to investigate the murder of his long-time partner Jake Marley (Chris Causey) when he prioritized his efforts on cementing the sole proprietorship of their surviving practice over following the unspoken code of defending and avenging one’s best friend. Now a year later, he’s living the good life; and – on Christmas Eve – he gathers those nearest and dearest to him for the customary celebration. Even though gifts are exchanged and the yuletide seems gay, there are hints that changes to his world are afoot; and – later that night – he’s visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, all imploring him to return to the high road, make peace with those remaining under his employ, and solve that big case he turned a blind eye to only twelve months ago.
Of course, the similarities between Dickens’ and Collins’ central idea are as plain as the nose of a face; and – as I stated above – that’s largely why Blue achieves its measure of theatrical respectability. Think of it as a set of good bones around which to throw some bones, blood, and brains; and you get the idea for exactly how this wild holiday ride is meant to begin and end. While there are no surprises there, I was a bit aghast with the fact that all of it was staged much like a community theater production: the entirety of the affair transpires in P.I. Stone’s office, a rather expansive room but still reasonably low budget.
Now before my words rile any of you up, let me be clear: I came from a community theater background, so that’s not intended necessarily as any insult. I understand perfectly the aesthetic that writer and director Collins was going for in this case – given that the bulk of the procedure is tied to a kinda/sorta dreamlike existence between here and wherever, it’s an entirely plausible setting. What I’m trying to suggest is that because of the nature of holiday storytelling and the wide, wide world of hard-boiled criminal fantasies, I disagree with it.
There’s very little chance to amp up the atmosphere, though clever lighting, shadows, and maybe a bit of fog here and there do work wonders. Still, there are some inserts sprinkled across these 80 minutes – exterior sequences set-up the time and place, and some stock photographs here and there are used as entirely frame Stone’s journeys with the ghosts – and these noticeably break the milieu established by the ‘single set’ construct. Were these places captured in photographs hanging on the walls of Stone’s business? If so, then they might make more sense. But because the audience is given no narrative foreshadowing to these few places (and they could’ve), the tone shifts a bit more than I think those of us who watch this stuff closely for artistic reasons expected. Hell, even the inclusion of Bonnie Parker – of Bonnie & Clyde fame – could’ve been explained by having a newspaper headline mounted in the background; and such a suggestion could’ve given Stone a reason to suspect (even more plausibly) that it was all a dream.
Critically, Blue is a nice project. As someone who evaluates art, I realize how it’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of why one aspect was chosen over something else. When a storyteller is using a previously established framework – like Dickens – with which to weave his or her own magical tale, then it becomes increasingly important to distinguish something fresh, new, and innovative in order to avoid being accused to simply ripping off or riffing on what’s come before. I’m not sure Collins and company went far enough to stand on their own two feet; and yet those of us who still cherish what Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Elmore Leonard, James M. Cain, and Mickey Spillane did before are likely to be among those most tickled pink …
… or is that “tickled red and green?” For the holidays?
Blue Christmas (2024) was produced by Dreampost Media. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at MVD Visual Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be respectable throughout: there’s a bit of a jarring after effect to a sequence or two that jump from filming to what I’m assumed are stock photos, but it’s only a few spots so no real worries. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts an audio commentary, some Q&A highlights, and a documentary exploring Collins’ career. It’s a nice package worth opening on Christmas morning, for those who like that sort of thing.
Mildly Recommended … but genre fans of private detectives should definitely check it out.
Like any a holiday yarn, the beating heart of Max Allan Collins’ Blue Christmas is in the right place, but I’ll also admit this is probably going to have limited, niche appeal (at best). It isn’t so much a theatrical experience as it is a single-stage community theatre-style production realized via digital filmmaking; and many might be put off by the exceedingly low production values. (Hey, I’m just bein’ honest.) Still, those who respect hard-boiled storytelling might be intrigued enough to stick with it from start-to-finish … though I’ll always question including – ahem – the King of Rock’n’Roll as the Ghost of Christmas Future. (Yes, yes, yes: it’s explained in the script, but it still feels like forced humor, and audiences deserve better than that.)
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at MVD Visual Entertainment provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Blue Christmas (2024) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
Now before my words rile any of you up, let me be clear: I came from a community theater background, so that’s not intended necessarily as any insult. I understand perfectly the aesthetic that writer and director Collins was going for in this case – given that the bulk of the procedure is tied to a kinda/sorta dreamlike existence between here and wherever, it’s an entirely plausible setting. What I’m trying to suggest is that because of the nature of holiday storytelling and the wide, wide world of hard-boiled criminal fantasies, I disagree with it.
There’s very little chance to amp up the atmosphere, though clever lighting, shadows, and maybe a bit of fog here and there do work wonders. Still, there are some inserts sprinkled across these 80 minutes – exterior sequences set-up the time and place, and some stock photographs here and there are used as entirely frame Stone’s journeys with the ghosts – and these noticeably break the milieu established by the ‘single set’ construct. Were these places captured in photographs hanging on the walls of Stone’s business? If so, then they might make more sense. But because the audience is given no narrative foreshadowing to these few places (and they could’ve), the tone shifts a bit more than I think those of us who watch this stuff closely for artistic reasons expected. Hell, even the inclusion of Bonnie Parker – of Bonnie & Clyde fame – could’ve been explained by having a newspaper headline mounted in the background; and such a suggestion could’ve given Stone a reason to suspect (even more plausibly) that it was all a dream.
Critically, Blue is a nice project. As someone who evaluates art, I realize how it’s easy to get lost in the minutiae of why one aspect was chosen over something else. When a storyteller is using a previously established framework – like Dickens – with which to weave his or her own magical tale, then it becomes increasingly important to distinguish something fresh, new, and innovative in order to avoid being accused to simply ripping off or riffing on what’s come before. I’m not sure Collins and company went far enough to stand on their own two feet; and yet those of us who still cherish what Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Elmore Leonard, James M. Cain, and Mickey Spillane did before are likely to be among those most tickled pink …
… or is that “tickled red and green?” For the holidays?
Blue Christmas (2024) was produced by Dreampost Media. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at MVD Visual Entertainment. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I found the provided sights-and-sounds to be respectable throughout: there’s a bit of a jarring after effect to a sequence or two that jump from filming to what I’m assumed are stock photos, but it’s only a few spots so no real worries. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? The disc boasts an audio commentary, some Q&A highlights, and a documentary exploring Collins’ career. It’s a nice package worth opening on Christmas morning, for those who like that sort of thing.
Mildly Recommended … but genre fans of private detectives should definitely check it out.
Like any a holiday yarn, the beating heart of Max Allan Collins’ Blue Christmas is in the right place, but I’ll also admit this is probably going to have limited, niche appeal (at best). It isn’t so much a theatrical experience as it is a single-stage community theatre-style production realized via digital filmmaking; and many might be put off by the exceedingly low production values. (Hey, I’m just bein’ honest.) Still, those who respect hard-boiled storytelling might be intrigued enough to stick with it from start-to-finish … though I’ll always question including – ahem – the King of Rock’n’Roll as the Ghost of Christmas Future. (Yes, yes, yes: it’s explained in the script, but it still feels like forced humor, and audiences deserve better than that.)
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at MVD Visual Entertainment provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of Blue Christmas (2024) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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