DVD: Ten Thousand Points of Light Brightens Up the Holiday Documentary Season

One of the unique facets of Christmas, American-style, is that every neighborhood has at least one house where the people do the holiday up big, hanging up thousands of lights and filling their yards with Santa, snowmen, and Nativity scenes. In Los Angeles, people drive from miles around to see the house that has eight replicas of Michelangelo's David wearing Santa caps on a lawn that's been covered with cotton batting, and for years in Atlanta, folks trooped out to Stone Mountain to see the Townsends' annual shrine to both Christmas and Elvis.

The Townsends are the subject of the 1990 documentary Ten Thousand Points of Light, which Dust-to-Digital has just released in a 20th anniversary DVD edition. Director George King takes a refreshingly non-condescending look at this family and what drives them to decorate every square inch of their house and to invite strangers to come in and take a look. (Graceland's Christmastime decorations were a huge influence, natch.) It's a uniquely American brand of seasonal fervor, and the Townsends turn out to be endearing and articulate ambassadors.

The DVD also includes a commentary track, as well as recent interviews with several family members. If you've worked your way through all those What's With That Crazy Christmas House? specials on cable, Ten Thousand Points of Light is a smart and affecting examination of holiday décor taken to the ultimate level.