From all of us, to all of you. Merry Christmas, happy holidays and have a great new year! Ultra Swank will resume normal posting soon. Meanwhile, why don't you check out the Ultra Swank photo group on Flickr. There are over 500 photos and it is growing by each week. Thank you to everyone who is contributing to it!

Claudia from The Paris Apartment have compiled a list of great Christmas movies from the past that will no doubt get in anyone the perfect holiday jingle-jangle mood! Classics such as Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas and Holiday Inn are just a few of these retro gems from times gone by. Head over to her blog to see the full list of movies.

Happy Holidays and have a merry retro Christmas!

The great Taschen gives us another treat just in time for Christmas, Magic 1400s - 1950s. Illusion, enchantment and wonder are all words that have become synonymous with magicians and entertainment. For decades we have been fascinated by the unknown, in fear, amusement and even laughter. Author Noel Daniel takes us on a fun 650-page journey from darkness of the middle ages up until the legendary magicians of the early 20th Century. The fabulous artwork alone should be enough to convince you to get your hands on a copy.

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Exploitation films are usually films that exploit a certain part of for instance popular culture and everyday life such as ethnicity, zombies, bikers or even sex. These types of films were especially common in the 1960s and 1970s, screened at drive-ins and grind houses and by a few years later often gaining a cult reputation and a horde of followers. The plot in these movies won't win any Academy® awards and in some cases probably neither the acting — instead they offer a zany and bonky trip into another world, a world of retro kitschyness and cool awkwardness — often set to very memorable funky grooves and beats. Directors, such as Quentin Tarantino have revived the genre lately with modern classics such as Pulp Fiction, Death Proof, Kill Bill etc. So turn off the lights, fetch the popcorn and let the exploitation begin!

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Short funky Swedish documentary about the development of the state-of-the-art Royal Swedish Air force jet fighter "Draken". Built and developed by Swedish car maker Saab in the early 1950s, this video takes us on a brief journey on how the plane was developed and tested before its maiden flight in 1955. Also pay attention to the thick and rather silly Swedish accents that makes this video even more kitschy. Good times indeed! (Via)

Gröna Lund in Stockholm is one of a handful amusement parks in Sweden. It might not be the biggest one, but it is certainly the oldest. Built in 1883, on the seashore overlooking the masses of water that divides Stockholm into something that sometimes is referred to as the Swedish version of Venice. Over exaggerated perhaps, but there is some truth in the claim. I my self have visited the amusement park a couple of times when I was younger, but strangely never when I lived in Stockholm. Isn't it funny how you miss out on certain things when you have them so close by?

The park has changed little over the years, seeing it doesn't have any land to expand on. The rides and various buildings have obviously been updated and changed, but the 19th Century look and feeling still overlooks the park. Gröna Lund does not only offer fun rides, but also restaurants and stages for performing. Musical celebrities such as Louis Armstrong, Jimi Hendrix, Paul McCartney, Paul Anka and ABBA have all graced the park over the years. Here are a bunch of historical photographs that depicts the overall look and feel of Gröna Lund in the 1950s and 1960s. Which type of amusement ride is your favorite?

If you lived in the 1950s, '60s, '70s or even the '80s, you probably spent some of your time watching television during the Christmas season (when it wasn't more inclusively referred to as 'the holidays', like today.) Apart from the Christmas or holiday-themed episodes of your favorite TV series, you might have sat through a music-filled extravaganza special, featuring some of the musical superstars of the day. And chances are, you might have witnessed some of the choicest, cheesiest and unabashedly Christmas-centered specials.

Here is a rundown of some that may have peaked your interest back in the day. The holiday season also brought some unique TV advertisements worth noting. So grab yourself a cup of eggnog, spiked or otherwise, and let the cheesiness begin!

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Ever since Ultra Swank switched over to the Disqus system for handling comments, there have been issues with old comments not showing up every post. This has bugged me for a long time, but after a long e-mail conversation with the Disqus support team, the comments are now back again and working properly. Sorry for the problems and please keep your comments coming.

Image via the Ultra Swank Flickr Pool