Christmas Mountain

I could write a 1000-word diatribe detailing why this movie is so bad but I don't feel like it. just trust me this is bottom of the barrel filmmaking. Bad writing bad directing bad acting bad musical score. Horrible

Cowboys, Christmas, ghosts, human kindness, all in the early 80s: my subconscious could have concocted this just for me. It's Scrooge-esque (Slim Pickens appears a like some gentle Jacob Marley) but our lead guy aint so bad. Good-hearted cowboy sent on a mission to deliver goods by grizzly townsfolk (more like the real Scrooges) to a poor family expecting a baby. They're sheep people but he's a cowboy so never the twain should meet? Thus unfolds a message of harmony between those who are different. 'Little House On The Prairie' feeling of morals and tender emotions (somehow I got wet eyed at his church speech). Carols and folksy Christmas music abounds. Snowy scenes, mellow vibe. Can't think of a more Christmassy western than this.

Christmas Mountain (1981) is a movie I watched on Tubi. The story follows a cattleman down on his luck who is wrongfully accused of a crime and found guilty. The townspeople offer to set him free if he agrees to make a Christmas run up the local mountain to deliver donated supplies to a poor family in need. He accepts and sets out on the journey, eventually meeting a proud family who could use both help and resources.

Directed by Pierre De Moro (Hellhole), the film stars Slim Pickens (Blazing Saddles), Mark Miller (A Walk in the Clouds), Tina Menard (The Nevada), Fran Ryan (Pale Rider), and Barbara Stanger (The Streets of San Francisco).

One surprising element was the unusual "crazy foreigners" conversation, which caught me off guard. The settings and backdrops are beautiful, and I enjoyed the characters' depiction and delivery. The opening dinner scene is particularly strong, as are the dialogue and overall premise. Although the "Cowboy Angel" character didn't quite work for me, I still found the movie enjoyable.

Overall, this is far from a Christmas classic, but it's a unique holiday film. I'd rate it 6/10 and recommend it if you're looking for something a bit different.

Where did they come from. Ending is defenitly an "alter" and a bad one. I enjoyed it through it's flaws. Where did they come from. Ending is defenitly an "alter" and a bad one. I enjoyed it through it's flaws.

One could waste time pointing out the flaws and failings of this film ... the low budget, the uneven acting, the less than perfect village and sets. But in doing so, one would reduce themselves to little better than the towns people in the story. And the story, by Mark Miller of "Savannah Smiles" fame, is everything. It hearkens back to the very heart of Christmas, to kindness, to sharing, to giving --- not of one's surplus, but of one's best -- and attempting to live as the great teacher taught us to live.

This movie is not only heartwarming and uplifting, it awakens, it teaches, it instills in viewers, both young and old, the ageless messages which are all too often forgotten in today's world.

And the real life miracle of this film is that it was lost for over twenty years, and now becomes a treasured gift to anyone lucky enough to discover it. This is a highly recommended family movie to enjoy with young children. A film to pause and contemplate. Barbara Stanger steals every scene she's in. Mark Miller and Slim Pickens are amazing.