# Cinepanettone

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Series of Italian Christmas comedy films

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The ***cinepanettoni*** (sing.: ***cinepanettone***) are a series of [farcical](/source/Farce) [comedy](/source/Comedy_film) films, one or two of which are typically released annually in Italy during the Christmas period. The films were originally produced by [Aurelio De Laurentiis](/source/Aurelio_De_Laurentiis)' [Filmauro](/source/Filmauro) studio.[1]

## Etymology

Starting in 1983, a number of farcical or comic movies were released every year around Christmas time in Italy, and were known as *cinepanettoni*, a [portmanteau](/source/Blend_word) of [Italian](/source/Italian_language): *cine* for "[cinema](/source/Filmmaking)", and *[panettone](/source/Panettone)* is a type of sweet bread traditionally eaten at Christmas.

## The saga of *cinepanettoni*

These films are usually focused on the holidays of stereotypical Italians: bungling, affluent and presumptuous members of the middle class who visit famous, glamorous or exotic places. Films were set, for example, in the [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands) (*Merry Christmas*, 2001), [Egypt](/source/Egypt) (*Christmas in Egypt* – *Natale sul Nilo*, 2002), [India](/source/India) (*Christmas in India* – *Natale in India*, 2003), [America](/source/United_States) (*Christmas in [Miami](/source/Miami)*, 2005, or *Christmas in [New York](/source/New_York_City)*, 2006), and [Cortina d'Ampezzo](/source/Cortina_d'Ampezzo) (*Christmas holidays in Cortina* – *Vacanze di Natale a Cortina*, 2011). Directors included [Carlo Vanzina](/source/Carlo_Vanzina), [Enrico Oldoini](/source/Enrico_Oldoini), and [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti).[2] Many of the screenplays are not related to the Christmas season, other than those set in Italy.

The protagonists (almost always [Massimo Boldi](/source/Massimo_Boldi) and [Christian De Sica](/source/Christian_De_Sica)) joined by other comic couples ([Sabrina Ferilli](/source/Sabrina_Ferilli), [Ricky Memphis](/source/Ricky_Memphis), [Biagio Izzo](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Biagio_Izzo&action=edit&redlink=1), [Alberto Sordi](/source/Alberto_Sordi), [Claudio Bisio](/source/Claudio_Bisio), [Alessandro Gassmann](/source/Alessandro_Gassmann), [Michelle Hunziker](/source/Michelle_Hunziker), [Ezio Greggio](/source/Ezio_Greggio)) and international guests ([Danny DeVito](/source/Danny_DeVito), [Luke Perry](/source/Luke_Perry), [Ronn Moss](/source/Ronn_Moss)) find themselves struggling with their holidays and the various messes that combine abroad. The children of these characters will often be the only ones able to solve the complicated situations created by their own fathers, who do nothing but get entangled in intrigues with the underworld or love affairs.

## Reception

Italian critics[*[who?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Words_to_watch#Unsupported_attributions)*] have often considered such films of little ethical or educational value, because they contain large amounts of vulgar language, and characters being bad examples to younger viewers. In many storylines characters played by De Sica and Boldi, mature and elderly people, loom too large on the scene, preventing younger actors from making a mark in the films. Other critics have noted that this line of films, including the authors, actors and directors, are a reflection of the era and the power of [Silvio Berlusconi](/source/Silvio_Berlusconi), and the ideals of his supporters.[3]

Despite their poor critical reception, by 2002 the films had grossed 700 billion [lire](/source/Italian_lira) ($350 million).[1]

## Filmography of *cinepanettoni*

- *[Vacanze di Natale](/source/Vacanze_di_Natale)* ("Christmas Holidays"), directed by [Carlo Vanzina](/source/Carlo_Vanzina) (1983), [Italy](/source/Italy)

- *[Vacanze di Natale '90](/source/Vacanze_di_Natale_'90)* ("Christmas holidays of 1990"), directed by [Enrico Oldoini](/source/Enrico_Oldoini) (1990), [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland)

- *[Vacanze di Natale '91](/source/Vacanze_di_Natale_'91)* ("Christmas holidays of 1991"), directed by [Enrico Oldoini](/source/Enrico_Oldoini) (1991), [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland)

- *[Vacanze di Natale '95](/source/Vacanze_di_Natale_'95)* ("Christmas holidays of 1995"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (1995), [United States](/source/United_States)

- *[Vacanze di Natale 2000](/source/Vacanze_di_Natale_2000)* ("Christmas holidays of 2000"), directed by [Carlo Vanzina](/source/Carlo_Vanzina) (1999 – celebrating the 3rd millennium), [Italy](/source/Italy)

- *[Merry Christmas](/source/Merry_Christmas_(2001_film))*, directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2001), [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands)

- *[Natale sul Nilo](/source/Natale_sul_Nilo)* ("Christmas on the Nile"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2002), [Egypt](/source/Egypt)

- *[Natale in India](/source/Natale_in_India)* ("Christmas in India"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2003), [India](/source/India)

- *[Christmas in Love](/source/Christmas_in_Love)*, directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2004), [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland)

- *[Natale a Miami](/source/Natale_a_Miami)* ("Christmas in [Miami](/source/Miami)"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2005), [United States](/source/United_States)

- *[Natale a New York](/source/Natale_a_New_York)* ("Christmas in [New York](/source/New_York_City)"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2006), [United States](/source/United_States)

- *[Natale in crociera](/source/Natale_in_crociera)* ("Christmas on cruise"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2007), [Dominican Republic](/source/Dominican_Republic)

- *[Natale a Rio](/source/Natale_a_Rio)* ("Christmas in [Rio](/source/Rio_de_Janeiro)"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2008), [Brazil](/source/Brazil)

- *[Natale a Beverly Hills](/source/Natale_a_Beverly_Hills)* ("Christmas in [Beverly Hills](/source/Beverly_Hills)"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2009), [United States](/source/United_States)

- *[Natale in Sudafrica](/source/Natale_in_Sudafrica)* ("Christmas in [South Africa](/source/South_Africa)"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2010), [South Africa](/source/South_Africa)

- *[Vacanze di Natale a Cortina](/source/Vacanze_di_Natale_a_Cortina)* ("Christmas holidays in [Cortina](/source/Cortina_d'Ampezzo)"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2011), [Italy](/source/Italy)

- *[Vacanze ai Caraibi](/source/Vacanze_ai_Caraibi)* ("Holidays in the Caribbean"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2014), [Dominican Republic](/source/Dominican_Republic)

- *[In vacanza su Marte](/source/In_vacanza_su_Marte)* ("Holidays on Mars"), directed by [Neri Parenti](/source/Neri_Parenti) (2020), [Mars](/source/Mars)

## References

- [Film portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Film)
- [Comedy portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Comedy)
- [Italy portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Italy)

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-yokel_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-yokel_1-1) Rooney, David (7 January 2002). "Local yokels deliver a boffo B.O holiday gift". *[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine))*. p. 30.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** O'Leary, "On the Complexity of Cinepanettone", pp. 200-201

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** O'Leary, "On the Complexity of Cinepanettone", p. 209

## Bibliography

- O'Leary, Alan (21 November 2013). *Fenomenologia del cinepanettone*. Rubbettino Editore, 2013. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-8849838152](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-8849838152).

- O'Leary, Alan (2013). ["On the Complexity of Cinepanettone"](https://books.google.com/books?id=1CIJlfP8Q7oC&q=cinepanettone&pg=PA200). In Bayman, Louis; Rigoletto, Sergio (eds.). *Popular Italian Cinema*. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 200–213. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-137-30565-7](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-137-30565-7). Retrieved February 10, 2015.

v t e Italian film genres and movements Cinema of Italy Culture of Italy Cinema of Europe 1890s–1950s Italian futurism Italian neorealism Women in Italian neorealism Calligrafismo Telefoni Bianchi Commedia all'italiana Hollywood on the Tiber Peplum / sword-and-sandal Musicarello 1960s–1980s Cannibal films Commedia sexy all'italiana Eurospy / Spaghetti spy Giallo List of films Euro War / Macaroni War / Spaghetti War Mondo film Nunsploitation Poliziotteschi Sadiconazista Sceneggiata Spaghetti Western Zapata Western Women in prison Other A hundred Italian films to be saved Aldo, Giovanni e Giacomo Cinecittà Cinepanettone Don Camillo and Peppone Federico Fellini Ficarra e Picone Franco and Ciccio Terence Hill and Bud Spencer Totò Ugo Fantozzi

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Cinepanettone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinepanettone) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinepanettone?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.