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Episode 26 · 1 year ago
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Episode 26 · 1 year ago
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
You are listening to talking images, the official podcast of ICM Forumcom, and you can just feel the Christmas spirit, can't you? You tied is here. I have this great public domain track in the background. The mood is already had for me. All I have to do is speak slowly, calmly and suit you into the festive mood we hope will be able to keep alive even as the Christmas music stocks. So welcome back everyone. I'm Chris and in this our first season finale, talking images is talking Christmas. We're also going to be talking a little bit about New Year's but, as in the film industry, New Year is really just an aster taught. Two Thousand and twenty is nearing its end or, if you are listening to this, gearing up for twenty, twenty one, twenty two, thirty forty or any later date the end of which every year, you're in and wow. Thank you. Sending Ward and Christmas shares to everyone in two thousand and seventy two. And we want to celebrate by not just talking about our favorite Christmas films, but talk about Christmas as a time and setting for movies. It is genuinely incredible how some traditions are born across the world. Families sit down to watch the same animated shorts or just classic shorts, feature films and anything you can imagine, year after, year after year. But what are these films to our home countries? have any particular quirks? How do we get up for the festive season? Do you just watch an incredible amount of Christmas film. So how early do we start? And let's not forget about, you know, all those presents under the tree. We will be diving into some of the best film presents we have ever received. So let's start talking Christmas, or for me specifically, as the residents no region you as I'm joined by three absolutely wonderful co hosts Adam, soul and mature, covering for countries and two continents. So let's take this Christmas podcast off with warm Christmas shares. So just jump right in. I introduce yourself. Hi, I met you from fans. Hi, I am so from Australia. Hi, am Adams from Scotland and with that knife international make they say, kick up with a very soft question. Are you a Christmas person? Well, I guess I wouldn't think of myself that way, but I do like Christmas. For me it's a family thing and have a big family, so it's an opportunity to see my siblings. So I enjoy Christmas, but I don't like look forward to it for three months beforehand or have a lot of decorations or stuff like that. I mean I enjoy Christmas in and of itself, but I don't know that I would consider myself specifically a Christmas person. No, I don't think I can sell myself to be a Christmas person. I I'm not Christian myself. I wasn't raised celebrating Christmas and I never have. In the workplace, obviously Christmas things to go around and you participate in order to be a part of things, but I wouldn't say I'm particularly Christmas person, except when it comes to Christmas movies. I have had an affinity for Christmas horror movies, you're hopefully get into later on tonight. Well, I would definitely say I'm a Christmas person. I'm an atheist. My parents are a fist, so what I consider it to be Christmas is a bit different from what the traditionally was. But I still love Christmas and I think, especially since I moved to London, going back home for Christmas for a couple weeks. storminges a lot to me and I have a young nephew and niece. Having kids around, I think, makes Christmas a lot better as well, and I think I've gone a bit back in fork on the how much of a Christmas person that I am. I think traditionally not so much that I absolutely loved it as a kid, but for the last five six years or so I think I'm getting more and more into the spirit, especially because I'm going up to Adams that in woods in northern England and Scotland flooring the Cumbrian mountains and the snow, etc. In the midst of the Christmas is and that's absolutely fantastic and gets you into the Christmas mood every single time. I just love...
...the way you guys do. You know Christmas markets and everything else about Christmas. It just lights up. It's lovely because I associate Christmas markets and stuff like that with Germanic countries. I thought that was also the case in Scandinavia, but I guess not not so much. In order actually may we do have it and I guess maybe the Germans are even better at it, but I just love the English Christmas markets. Plus, for the last six years I've also not been living in any I've been living in Malta, which doesn't get any snow. Think it's snow two or three times since World War II, so it's some thinks. Yeah, so it's something special to they'll go to a country with snow and experience an extra printed trills that way. Actually, where I'm from, Adam Borough, and I live in London, I but we have a Christmas market and we actually call it the German Chriss market. Though I might also just put it out there that I definitely don't associate Christmas with snow, except the movies, because it's Christmas trime. In Australia it is, of course, summer and for us here in Malta it's well, it is winter, but the wind remold essentially been bringing everywhere else everything becomes green and alive. We get snow on Christmas sometimes, but it's definitely not automatic. However, I've done Christmas in the mountains, in the Alps, and that really is a kind of special mood that is very, very fun, very coozy. Oh and just ad I've actually been to the Christmas market. Adam is talking about in Edinbrah a couple of times. It's so massive and really beautiful. Time into that. What gets you into the Christmas mood? I guess you don't get much of a choice, do you? The towns are decorated and stuff like that, so way before you are in the mood. So I guess it kind of gradually comes and again for me it's whenever I see my family. It's just video about that. For me. Christmas for me as only really been something that I've celebrated through the movies I've watched. It's probably when interesting or horror themed Christmas movie starts to get advertised as coming out or if Christmas themed, I'm horror, movie start getting dropped on Netflix. That will certainly put me in the mood for some more Christmas themed movies. I guess Christmas music gets me in a minute first of all, and again, when I say Christmas music, I mean like pop music and stuff, not traditional music. In terms of Christmas films and Netflix, there tends to be absolutely terrible ones, like TV movies. Maybe occasionally I could one, but I tend to avoid the films and Netflix. Be Honest. Yeah, I think for me already spoiled by saying you know, pretty much kick off the Christmas season by going to Cumbria and Scotland and early December and just getting into the Christmas share there, especially listening to smoother FM. Rich always place the re Christmas songs all throughout the season and involved are too. It's just decorating the tree and seeing, you know, the limestone buildings all get a decoration set up and as Malta isn't a snowy country, you can tell some people go over the top as well, and that's quite lovely to see, and sometimes they bit frightening as well. And part of getting into the Christmas spirit too is just getting a whole lot of Christmas movies ready and sitting them with my life. I always have a decent amount. So how important are Christmas movies? Do do you spend the season or the time leading up to Christmas watching a lot of Christmas movies? Or, for souls, if you don't celebrate Christmas, do you watch Christmas movies in December? Is it does any time of the year? Since we have a bit of the split here, because I think, sorry and I are not. That's into stuff I got. I guess what make much Christmas movies? I don't really. There are films that are every Christmas in frants definitly, and we can talk about that, but I don't particularly just my film watching to the season. I would probably watch or Christmas movies in December, but mainly because of availability and things being released at that time. When I talk about Christmas movies, I don't mean stuff like love actually, or it's some wonderful life. I mean films that try and do something different with Christmas. Growing up in a Christian household and never actually celebrating Christmas, it's something that is always fascinated me, and films that try and dispel Christmas myths and try and to spell some of the mythology around Santa I find extremely interesting, and the horror genre of course, does that very well with some of the variations on what as it can be this dressing up as Santa and so on. But there've also been some really good thrillers and, of course, some action movies also, over the time that I've done some different things and I presented a...
Christmas aimed movie that's not all about just good will for all and actually plays into some other stuff beyond just beyond just our families getting together and being married together. Yeah. Well, my one tradition really is watching the snowman, British animated short I reckon everyear in my life since I can remember. I've watched it normally on I think it's normally shown on channel Foreign Christmas Eve, but if I miss it I have the DVD as well and I watch on Christmas Day. Once I get back to dem Bra I watch stuff on TV with my family, whereas when I'm in London I normally watch stuff on my laptop. So I don't watch anything in London. Oh yeah, it's no man. It's been quite devisive on the on the forum. I know Lauren hits but it's more than this. It's more of an Al Jab. It's The star Jeffing for me since, you know, when I was at five years old, I was watching it. So every single year since and I've watched it and I think you can really understand how important is. No Man is in the all of the UK there, to be honest, I mean Snow Man Memorabilia is everywhere. We get the Big Trauma Sa tea sets, no matter what you can imagine, it's there. You know, it's it's so interesting that one short, I really it's around twenty minutes, can have that kind of impact about forty years on. And just for me personally, I can just tell you that we play that the Snowman Mus sick every single Christmas. It's it's such a great song, even though I'm not asked in love at the film. In fact, I heard a song so many times before I even watched it that when I did I almost just went well, that was that was it big, because I had, you know, expectations that it was really going to be something completely undamental. But I think that nimation style is great. I think the emotion there is great. It's the very sweet short, so I can understand why it's held up the way it is. Yeah, and it's kind of tradition the channel for the shout they show every single year, so it's not just me searching out. They just showed there's a couple of an image. There's actually a sequel to it now, but it's not it's not the same and I guess generally British TV does a lot with Christmas right. Yeah, yeah, there's there's there's endless Christmas films on TV and TV shows too. I know that doctor, who does a Christmas did at least several Christmas episodes and I think a lot of TV shows do it right. Yeah, there's there's tons and tons of Christmas specials, like even in the office, the office at the Christmas pressure, the original British one. I would say there must be thousands, hundreds of thousands of showers of Dank Christmas specials in the UK. So it's very it's a very big deal. Let's not forget about the essentially every single Sitcom in history. I mean I know that I've been a lots of only fool of the horses Christmas episode. So it's like the way that British sit comes as atally. Any show do these Christmas specials. It's really interesting. I think every single one do it, even shows that end continue to do Christmas specials afterwards. Yeah, and I would say what I said the start about being an atheist but being a big Christmas person. That kind of ties in because if you watch the if you watch the Christmas specials, they don't really tend to be about religion at all. It's much more the just happened to their Christmas special, family coming together but yeah, the UK is not as not a very largeous country at all anymore. So it's more about comedy. Can a Christmas special is that kind of thing. And I'm not sure if any of your countries do this, but Norway has a bit of a tradition that seems a little bit odd in other countries and never mentioned it, which is the we do Christmas calendars, which is to say TV shows made specifically for Christmas and as Norway change the date of Christmas because of well, we were heating them essentially just mix together into one big great tradition back the thousand years ago. There's twenty four episodes. So sentis you have all of the major channels producing these twenty four episode shows, the last one always airing on you, which is on December. Twenty four each since you open one little door every single day, and some of these become classics and their turn year after year after years. Essentially you have these cycles of shows being shown, maybe not every year but every other year, every two of the year, and then they mix them up and it's it's a bit of a different than special experience, and some of them are even for adults. The most are for children I guess French TV doesn't go all out with Christmas. They are a lot of Christmas themed movies and there's one especially that I think I mentioned later, and they just generally a popular movies, but TV shows and stuff like that, and even the much mentioned with the advent calendar, we don't really do that. Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention here with these Christmas...
...specials is that nothing special calendars is that most of them tend to tie in with different things than what you might expect, which is why, no region Christmas is a special because we bring in a lot of traditional Nordic mythology into the season, which is very different from how Christmas is March and elsewhere, including is it's changing Santa's entire origins and species, because we have this weird tradition of Nissit Miss, our essential these gnoms, this magical spirits which are kind of humanoid but much smaller. That, for instance, will live in farms, they can live in your attic, they can live anywhere, essentially, and our mythology is that Santa Claus is just one of these miss it but is much larger and more powerful. And because of this, all of these smaller Nistir, this mythological species is just brought in all through out our Christmas traditions now, a Christmas movies, etc. To the point that, if I re call correctly, the biggest crossing film were essentially tying with Dave's Cameron's Avatar abso literally a show about the Nissit at place called Blue Mountain, which was actually abducted again from one of our Christmas calendars. Real literally had a this calendar going into the big screen and becoming this massive blockbuster, and the basic plot is des Miss It. They live in the mountain and if this stay out into the night they turn to stone, they die. That that's it. It's terror. It's kind of terrible, but this is the kind of this children tradition that we create movies about. So it's interesting just how these very mythological creatures just completely merged with Christmas for us. It's quite interesting the Scandinavian takes on Christmas and how different it is. The SISS horror films that I have seen is rare exports, which is a Finnish film about Santa Clause as being sort of monsters and not the cocacola Santa Clause, as the kids in the film describe it. I don't think that's a pretty cally great film. It's one of those where the concept or a glazed for somebody like me WHO's not Scandinavian. The concept was really intriguing. The execution left me wanting a little bit that it definitely okay. So is how different Christmas is in certain parts of the world. I guess it it means something about friends. That's almost popular. Christmas film is one that is deeply satirical and completely making fun of the, you know, the whole wholesome aspect of Christmas. It's called look a new edge know, do you? Or Santa clause is a stinker. Is the English name, which stinker is, I think, a little, a little nicer than audio. But fine, it's okay translation. And Anyway, it's this. It was a play first and it's massively popular. It was in the S and it's about these people who work for suicide hotline and they're very depressed and very bad people. And Yeah, it's all about undermining the whole idea of Christmas being a good time of the year. And Yeah, what's most popular thing? It's on TV every year on multiple channels around Christmas. Just add to that, this noman, which is on TV every year in the UK, is not some kind of happy film either. You know, it's actually very sad. So it is a very sad kind of film with a sad ending. It's not. It's not a happy Christmas film, I either. And I was also interested in if anyone has watched a short code. I think it's dinner for one, because I remember it was on the top fifty list at some point and it's a very strange one where it's a British short but in Britain it's basically unknown and for some reason it gets played every year and a bunch of European countries. I watched a few years ago because of ICEM and, like I hated it. I thought it was absolutely terrible. So I it was. I read a comment earlier today actually, where someone said there's a reason that's not known in Britain. I'm basically I hate it. So I found it fascinating that a British short is unknown in Britain. is like a tradition from the European countries and of it. Wow, okay, it's called different things. I think in Norway it's not the Christmas short, it's a new year short. Yeah, I'm in New Year. Sorry, it's kind of linked to Christmas, kind of, you know, just a few days later. I think the funniest fact about this short film is that it's actually not British. It's German. That shot with British actors in Germany because the lead refused to speak in German because he hated Germans because of world war three. Sis. It's...
...this. This is really bizarre Bisarre backstory, but I have to be honest. Somehow I have not seen it, but I know my family watched it every single year. I know my GRANDPA's especially watched it every single year. It's shown on TV every single year. I guess I need to see it this year. Somehow I have it, but it's just it's shown on repeat and I also know that in Germany it's usually shown seven, eight, nine, ten plus times on the same day just to make sure that every single person gets to see it. That's funny because I actually grew up on spent part of my childhood five years in Germany. I've never heard of this. They granted we were a French family, so we were not necessary watching that's many German things, but yet completely unknown to me, apparently this is one of the very few things are shown out of respect for the main actor who hated Germans on German TV, without being dubbed to the show with in English, out of respect for the guy who hated to Germany. But, but, but, plying back to what do about France, Mattheo big French Christmas movies I was thinking about was the classic who killed Santa Claus, where they literally well kill Santa Claus character and also, I feel I haven't seen that. I've had on my shelf for about ten years and I mean to see it every single Christmas, which is a Christmas tale with Catherine the new so it's you seem to really like the more bit part of Christmas. Yeah, definitely. Actually don't know who kills Santa Claus, but I've heard of the other one that I haven't seen it. I think we do have. It's like everything, because Christmas first is seen as this very American thing, even though it is a Christian thing. You know, the way Christmas is celebrated with Santa Class and all of that is seen as very American. And we have this you know, love hate relationship with American culture in January. So it's kind of a way to take part in it while also feelings there to it, which we always love. We do also have more like straightforward Christmas film, I think, like sure, you know it is a big one. The War Fin World War One. Tin About the Christmas choose, Oh yeah, which is, you know, very much in more traditional spirits Christmas. Yeah, I think was interesting. There was to thinking about associations to America because in order we have none of that now. That might just be because the region Christmas is so different. I've mentioned earlier that they merged it with so many traditional region mythologies. Than the other part of it, which if it mention, is that Christmas is not just Christmas, it's entire you season which spent essentially spans from the first of December until the thirteen of January, which is the twenty day, you'll so it's just this long, long period with lots of different the tradition in them and one thing that you guys probably called Carol singers. It is essentially merged with Halloween in Norway, where little children dress up as nissed and they call it essentially translated to you, Golt, and what's funny here is where the tradition started and where it ended up, because it actually starts with a literal gold. It's from paganism, where to celebrate you, back in the day before the Christus game, our ancestors would shop off the head of a goat and then walk from farm to farm showing them the head of the goat, and I'm not sure how that was polite or what they got out of it or what kind of shit chat they were having, but essentially they would go to the house, they will pull up the head of the goal and they we go on the merry way. And today it's children dressing up as missed and getting healthy snacks. And so that's how the tradition ended up and how it became a central part of you and Christmas today. But it's just not the example of how some really weird stuff that survived into our Christmas additions. And on that note, I'm really shocked and surprised there aren't more Norwegian Christmas horror movies, because you have so much material. Yeah, I would love to see more horror movies set around Christmas or about Santa from Norway, Finland played and from that area of the world. In Australia wouldn't have that many Christmas movies. I just did a quick chicks. I haven't actually seen any, but there's a Bush Christmas. They are forties classic and the s version with the cook and mint, which I haven't seen. Otherwise, Christmas in the movies doesn't aim to really be a big thing in Australia, I guess, kind of because we can't really reflect that whole wintry Christmas feel that would sort of make the that sort of film sell internationally and because it is. How to mention more about our Christmas calendar. We had some broad els as well. I think most extreme...
...one was our parody of big brother called the Miss it at the barn, which was essentially about people dressing up as Nissit and being in a barn for twenty four days and doing all of the same stuff they did big brother, except it was all acked it out. And the one particular classic, which is technically a remake of a Danish classic as well, called Deaf you look a ended. It's one that is really popular in Norway. It's from the S and essentially it's about nissit versus demons so it's about the tree listed who tried to save the old Santa Claus. They fly into normag crash and then they try to fix their plane. Well, a demon is coming to kill them and they receive this every single year and there's some very juvenile and various kind of weird antics in there. But this is the kind of stuff we put on the year after year after year and just lives on in the popular culture. o there any Christmas movies or Christmas shows or anything else that you think we're pricing to hear about from your countries? Are there any Christmas films, Christmas shows or there's general Christmas traditions or round films and shows that you think you would find very surprising from your countries? One thing is they just they just show popular movies on Christmas. So films have become associated with Christmas. That's have nothing to do with it. Like like on the the way you the I don't remember the English title, but it's one of those classic which Finesse both your comedies from the S. it's immensely popular and so they started showing it around Christmas for nother. Isn't just people like it. So somehow it's associated with Christmas, even though it's a story about, you know, people doing the World War II and nothing to do with it. And another one which is a little more related is leborns from Du Qui, so French fight vacation to I think in English, and so that's a sequel about a bunch of young people and they're going skiing. So it is winter thems and it's also a popular and also shown, not not in this period, on TV. But I guess we don't have anything as weird as no way. Sorry, Australia also doesn't have anything as weird as no way, but I guess I might be able to chuck another country and they're Mexico has got a film called Santa Clause. It's on the three hundred sixty six weird movies list and is a very weird film about three kids teaming up with the devil in order to stop Santa Clause, and ever all sort of looks like him from the powerpuff girls. It's a very strange movie. It's from S or s, so early old, but still look very interesting and very unusual. So I can't offer anything from Australia but I've seen some weird Christmas movies for around the world. I mean, I think, a weird and disturbing tradition in the UK Christmas is a Queen's speech. Okay, I'm not saying disturbing. We'll start again. I think I've watched none of them, so I don't actually know what they're about. But every single year, I have imagined millions of people tune in. I remember my grandmother. She used to watch every single year. She died a few years ago. So I think when I was a kid and I used to go to my grandmother's house for Christmas, I think I got exposed to things like the queen's speech, things like that, which are maybe died out a little bit among young people. But I think the Queen's speech is a bit of a kind of unusual tradition. Feels like something from the past that's somehow kind of lingers on despite and not being that relevant. At least this is just my perspective. Lots of people pably love it. Well, actually we do that too with the king speech. Description Adam just generally seems to describe the Queen in general. We also have we also have the president's giving giving you a thing, but it's on New Year's actually I think only old people watch it. Well, well, all people in Polite Colturnalists, but I think that's it. Does the king get killed in the Norwegian speech or something, if conting to horror interested with every year there's a I'm not doing monarchy better way everything came up. I think you came up with an interesting plot for a movie, but why we should do that? But what can you do? Another thing, I think it's really interesting with Christmas, because we taught me talked a little bit about dinner, for one, which is obviously a German film in English, which is shown across the world in so many different countries. Are there a lot of that's a porn import not in English, in your countries that have somewhe how survived into the into this this fabric of Christmas, though perhaps in adopted version? I would say no. I mean I think we don't really have...
...a lot of foreign films or programs as part of the TV schedule. So I would say now very English centric. Yeah, that's no for me. Also, Christmas movies that could shown on TV around here are things like love, actually, the home alone films I had. It's not really the international mark doesn't really get covered that much. Yes, same here. I can think of one. It's mostly different treams I mentioned and stuff like, as mentioned actually in other American films. I can think of any non English, non French one that that's really interesting, though I guess it's a bit weird as well, because you know, our favorite Christmas film it's not the Christmas film and it's check. It's the three wishes for Cinderella, which at least it's set in a snowy surroundings. And this film from that seventy three still, I believe, in its original region, dub we don't really dumb films in Norway, but this one is and it's really just sealed itself into the region fabric completely. We do have a couple of traditional region films as well, but another one that's shown every Christmas is a Romanian film with the Bullstroit Theater alled Mama, which which it's a musical about, I think, in the reason we called Rock and Roll Wolf. So it's just weird again, I guess it. Maybe it's more common in smaller countries up in the north to just get some imports from the oldies block, but it's it's really interesting. All the same, I actually have seen Mama or rock and Roll Wolf. It's a film that was recommended on the forum by Albert Joss, one of our Awegian posters, and yeah, it's really weird and strange and out there films. It's bit of a musical. There's got some really creative costumes in there and sets and I really enjoyed it. But it is definitely a really unusual film. But it was available on Youtube. We glace last hour search for it and I was like, yeah, I see anything like this was a bit fun to watch. So, having gone through a lot of the traditions and what we see on TV, etc. What is the best Christmas film of All Time? What are your favorite? It's other any watch everything on the air and are your favorites the ones that are actually shown on TV or are they more personal discovery? I guess it depends on your definition of a Christmas film. If we're like looking at the very traditional, wholesome Christmas film, I do like it's wonderful life or not. It's not well known at all in France outside of sineified circles, but yeah, it's a fame. I do enjoy a lot. I think it's Tom Suat is great and yeah, it's not as Corny as it sounds, also, which I think modern Christmas films have kind of learned the wrong the home lessons from it. But anyway, if I looking further, though, I think it's probably grandmin's. I like the way it's kind of parodies Christmas films and even more with the sequel. But I am thinking of the first one because the first one, I don't even know if the second one takes place on Christmas. Yeah, I think it does, but the first one feels more Christmas Eve. It's very funny and I love the score by Jay Goldsmith, I think. But anyway, yeah, it's probably green women. It's for me, but that's one I do want to mention is, I guess, the first few episodes of funny and Alexander. It's actually the closest I've seen to what Christmas is for me represented on screen. I mean we're not like that, because I'm not in a family of actors and stuff like that, but I'm in a bad, big family and so it feels very familiar. This just general feeling of those first two episodes, of those that first hour of the film, so I guess that's also worth mentioned from you, and it's if image love, even though it's just a small parts, which is Christmas. I have actually heard that mention about Fanny Alexander before. I've actually got a friend even who was shocked that I rewatched Fatty Alexander and it wasn't in December, as he sees it as a Christmas movie and I've had people describe it like that over the years. It does definitely open with Christmas because it's all the family together or sort of sets up those family bonds which get tested, I guess, throughout the course of the film. Yeah, I'd say overall or review it as a Christmas movie. I view it, as you know, a personal identity study about axamder becoming his own person. But I've talked a bit about fatny Alexander already in the favorite movies podcast. It's interesting one to I bring up in terms of my own favorite Christmas movies. I'll try to keep it brief because I've come up with a few. Like I've mentioned earlier on, I like Christmas movies that sort of push the envelope and look at Christmas beyond the myth and beyond tradition. So one of the films are like to mention as a horror film call you better watch out. It's sometimes...
...called Christmas evil. It's a film from one thousand nine hundred and eighty and it's about a guy who becomes obsessed with the idea that he's sat in cause and he has to punish people who are naughty, and film doesn't really pick up until it's second half. But the second half he rears red suit, he goes around driving as van like a Sleigh, squeezing down chimneys and aside, killing various people, and the best scene in that is that there's all that a kids who gather around serial killer in the Christmas sooner try to protect him because they all think he's a real Santa and they don't want their parents or whatever to be killing the actual Santa Clause. I think it's an extremely interesting taker Christmas even films like the silent partner, the Canadian field from one Thousan nine hundred and seventy eight, with Christopher plumber in it. He does a bank robbery wearing a sounder suit and then you have this are great scene of him running around the ore shopping mall and bringing out his garden shooting. Various people are dressed at the Santa. It's just really interesting way of dealing with the myth. It's also hard to talk about. Specially was without going by this silent night deadly night films, which are about a guy who witnessed somebody in a sata suit were really murdering his parents and his employee gets him to dress up as Santa. That sort of like trick something at his head and it becomes you're a bit of a serial killer, and there's some interesting parts and they're like some parrots comment he sure knows how to handle kids. Looking at this girl like sitting on his lap. That's because he just threatened the girl so like got it to submission at silent night, to put night part two is probably the moratorious of the film. It's because that's a really highly comedic take on the whole idea. It's got the whole garbage day for anybody who's watched it, and just the I character in the WHO starts think he's said a clause and starts walking about it, going about like hissing, going naughty, naughty and fishing people. It's just a really great take on the concept and I did sound keep it brief, but I probably also want to men. Should I film called at our watch out? So not, you better watch out. I don't like called Better Watch out. From two thousand and sixteen. It's a home invasion thriller set during Christmas time. I don't want to say anymore about it because it's a few twists and turns in there, but very interesting film that I would love to Rewatch at some stage. Yeah, I don't have that much to contribute to this question. I think I like I like the old black and white, traditional kind of Christmas movies and then most of the everyone's are like is kind of nostalgia. So once from the eighties and theyds, like home alone. Guy, heard that kind of those kind of films and, as I said, this moment is my favorite and it's only one I watch all the time. I mean every year and all of them. Yeah, die hards, are great Christmas film. It's a great Christmas film because it's not really about Christmas. So I guess from that point of your father really interesting. It is sort about family coming together, but in a very different sort of wise or a bit of a different play on the Christmas Smith. Yeah, I think in general, the less Christmas here Christmas film is, the more likely it is to be good. That's that's probably their points. I mean, I had is a great film that takes place on Christmas. I hope they had as well, but I guess I don't know. It's depends how you define Christmas film. It feels a bit of a cheat to me, but I'm in fine noo that. I can see that and I think it's funny to that. Christmas films aren't really about Christmas either. They're just, like you said, the kind of been merged with the traditions. We do have two kinds of Christmas films. You had the ones you watch a Christmas and other ones about Christmas, and I guess you also have, like you said, those just happened to in some way have Christmas in them, though die hard has without any doubts and mental itself as a Christmas movie, complete with Santa Hats and and explosions. I think that debate is it's kind of for already, in the sense that there used to be just so much withdrill about whether or not die hard, what's the Christmas movie are not but now it's just shown on Christmas as a rule. So I don't think that debate is in need. Over and the Christmas angle one. I might just also give a quick shout out to eyes watch shot as a Christmas movie. It's around Christmas time and it sounds a bit funny, but it is again another subversion of, you know, family dies and getting together at Christmas and thought of being careful what you wish for. And Yeah, I mean you cancel like you at like that, and with the long night walks that Tom Cruise has, the mysteries that he comes by. It's sort of like that little kid or whatever try to unwrap his present. So trying to work if it really is a sad a clause or not, like Tom Cruise is also trying to work out some of...
...this mythology, and it's just a really great shot. So we just wandering the streets at night and outside the our costume store. I don't know, I don't know. It's not something I watch every Christmas, but it was definitely a one person on the classic Film Board on IMDB who would watch that every single Christmas, which was a lot of dedication. But it is a great film. It is that is never talk of it as a Christmas you know, going through all of the Big Christmas lists you find there's so many odd additions. The ever completely forgotten their apartment, but billy wilder it takes place around Christmas as well. So there's a lot of films that have some kind of tie in. But for me, and I think this is odd tast little bit about the Adam was talking about too, it's really the classic Christmas movies or the films that aren't really about Christmas that went out for me. So if I was going to say what the greatest Christmas move of all time is, I would probably go with it's a wonderful life. I don't think that film as much as I used to do. Think it manages to capture a sense of wonder and I think it also goes so much beyond Christmas and of course just painting this big picture of the Miss George character and the life there and just building up so much emotion and even mythology here, which is just worked so incredibly well. And then you also have all these other classics like miracle on Thirty Four Street, and it's all if we don't really get that many great or strong Christmas movies anymore. I think that what when we see the Christmas movies coming out year after year of the year, few of them really stick around. I think the most recent one that I love, and again it don't really get the Christmas feeling from it, even though it's essentially all about Christmas. It's a nightmare before Christmas, which it's not the rect about in Burton but of course fits into his entire animated style and it's such a great experience to be the film. It's just done so incredibly well and though the tie in with Halloween and the fact that so much of it is not a real doesn't really have a Christmas setting doesn't really make you feel like Christmas movie for me, even though, again, that is really all it is for Christmas. Is An interesting one because in some ways it's a horween movie, but Christmas is really super got in to the Finn and it's the whole thing is he aspires for Christmas. So it's kind of a an edge case, I guess, and kind of one that goes against the idea that the more your film focuses on Christmas, the worst it is, because I think that's generally true like it's a wonderful life, is not that focused on Christmas. It's an important part of it, but it's not central exactly and of course important. Even did ADVARTI through hands set around Christmas, doesn't really tie into Christmas that directly and that allway also works as a setting that we challenge to. Oh Yeah, of course, yes, I think for me a lot of the black and why older films had very great acting and very great stories and there's a weird kind of move, I think, in the last few years towards Christmas film seem to have to be a romance, films very tacky kind of soppy storylines. So in general I trying to avoid the modern ones. I love actually things that that don't appeal to me at all. One reson one I quite late was close on Netflix. I think it was from last year. Oh, yes, I was surprisingly good, I thought, but I do apparently soul hates it. But yeah, I I actually I like that one. But I do think if you go on Netflix and look up Christmas, okay, everyone hits Chriss. I like that right. I like cloud to thought. Yeah, it's okay. Yeah, people are writing comments while I was speaking. So in case, I one thinks I'm going crazy, and this one to myself. I do think if you look on Netflix there and you look up Christmas films, there are just endless awful looking films. TV rely back same ones and that kind of thing puts me off. And I do think there's a weird kind of romance Christmas show genre that's formed at les since Netflix started, which I avoid at all costs. Well, yeah, it's become a cottage industry. I think it's Horn mark, the channel on the US, that I think started doing a lot of these very cheap TV movies and somehow they got popular. I guess some people crave that and I think netlikes just fought, oh well, we can do that, and they went in. But yeah, I don't think anyone thinks these are good. I think some people people, even the people who do them. Yeah, that's true. I think they're just kind of the exact same film over and over again and people just watch them on the Christ and the Christmas holidays. I thought I should just clarify that. I don't make Kloss. I did think it was filmed at live up to its potential. I like some of the ideas how it bloud all some of the sands of ethology has come a about things like the knowing list, that ice list, the idea of set of watching was all really interesting. But...
...then the film really was playing up the cute Clement on the humor in Journal. Very hit and miss, but I thought it was interesting film. But yeah, they're gonna like the IRDB top to fifteen. I'm like, you know, or it's theren't know. You know that? Yeah, I wouldn't put in the top two fist there anything. I mean I didn't. I don't follow it up to fift anymore. I didn't think it was like the greatest time I ever seen. It's just I have quite low expectations for Christmas films and it surprised me and I actually liked it. I just thought I was a little bit different from the normal Christmas films. I see. It is different, but all that much. I don't hate it either. I just think it's kind of a succession of attempts to explain stuff about Christmas and there's not like I don't think the core emotional meets really work on. Nation is nice. Oh Yeah, animation is beautiful in it. I think that's what I like the most. I think what's at talked about what ways the potential is completely through. It's such a beautiful film. It feels really pleasant. It has some emotional elements, but that it really plays up the huges the elements and just becomes a fairly good to okay film. But like it. All the potential is there and it's definitely one of the better Christmas films we've had last few years in the spirit of a way church. To get back to an earlier point, have I thought of a few other things that are associated with Christmas without necessary in Christmas movies? One of them is common the Tall Haynes film with gun shirt and when you matre it's not. I mean it takes place on Christmas and I think there's just this image of one of the characters with a Santa Claus Huts, which I think was popular on the Internet and it is a very kind both warm and cold film that I think, like I white chats, it's uses Christmas for other purposes, which I think is interesting. Another one is the line and in winter. If you wan't like dysfunctional families at Christmas, I know how it is totally accurate. It is to be offering gifts in fourteen century friends, but it's kind of funny. That's you know, they have the most dysfunctional family possible gathering at Christmas in that movie. Ohh, and for other films that the time of Christmas. Didn't letal weapon do that too? And another film written by shame black and also directed by him, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which obviously has the Christmas spirit all around them while they're doing this really semi satarical, bizarre Neon Noir. So it's Christmas ties in everywhere. Really. Yeah, it's a nice guys to shame black is kind of obsessed with it. I don't do completely forgotten about that. One thing we didn't bring up. It might do be just because we all have a strong bias against musicals. I don't know. Obvious Mama is it's a musical, but there are so many Christmas musicals that are around and while I'm not really big musical fan, it's probably one of the genres I had the least favorite from I will actually give a complete pass to white Christmas, which I just find trying to find a correct verd here, and it was going to go with charming, but it's just it great experienced and has all great Brittis brings in the Christmas share in the most traditional, typically wholesome way. I'm actually seeing what Christmas. I know it's one of those classics, but never grew up watch. Yeah, I guess when I want to complike one of the official lists like as have actually get around her in terms of Christmas musicals, and I'm quite partial to meet me in St Louis. I thought that was a very well done film with some really great performances in there, especially from the are young girls and the family and Margot O'Brien, and it has got some very classic Christmas tunes are good shoes without being too corny. Actually, don't think I've seen any Christmas musicals. I don't have anything against musicals and don't I just haven't seen that many. Image of worried. That's I guess. Christmas and musicals. That's a lot together. I mean it's kind of the both going in the same direction. Maybe too much, I don't know, but I should probably see at least means a week. But I guess that's why they fit a little bit as well, because they call so well together. I think we need to do a musicals podcast in two thousand and twenty one. there. Yeah, let's try, I guess you. Yeah, let's let's just do that. Let's just do that. But there's a couple of other things I want to bring up to I want to get your opinion on this idea of just remaking the same baseline stories over and over and over again, and I think for Christmas there's one story in particular that seems to keep being really done and done in every which way, which is a Christmas Carol, sometimes also called Screwche once even with this the with scrooge mcducky in the lead, which was incredibly fitting and a very enjoyable but obviously it seen so many big production...
...stuff like Christmas Carol, including, you know, the big animated film with him carry and the classic with the All Star Same and there's so many other versions. So which is your favorite version of a Christmas Carol, and are any of them a favorite of yours? I think the only sin version have seen is the Anasay same one, and I did not care for it at all. I found it pretty going. I don't know, I don't remember that much about it except disliking it. So I'm going to go with the doctor who special which I mentioned earlier. They did a little seashore that's basically a Christmas carol with a doctor who twist on it and it's pretty good. I mean it's quite good, so I'm going to go with that. I think the Aus to seem version of Scrooge or Christmas Carol. I'm pretty sure that's the only version that I've seen of the story. Also, I haven't seen it recently. I thought I was all right the time. I do record really liking Alice to see his performance. Then again, I like Alice to seem I live as an actor. That's not surprising, but his performance is pretty much the most persent thing, or the one single thing that I actually remember about the film. Yeah, same for me, though. I think the one I like the most it's honestly the Short Disney one, which is Mickey's Christmas Carol, which again has scrooge as groups, which is just so fitting. Yeah, I guess the Simmons version is my favorite. I've also seen the muppets was carol. We used to have that on video. I haven't seen it since I was like eight years old maybe, and it's in the blackadder one, which is a good, very interesting post where black odder starts off as being very generous, giving all his money away, and then he gets visited by the ghosts and he ends up by the end becoming the opposite. So it's like the opposite tale, which is quite interesting as well. I actually forgot about the black odd of one, so I'm going to change my fock and go with black out of one, probably one of the weakerup specials. Myself. I much prefer back and forth of the specials at black out of dude, but you know, definitely a funny one. I will the black odder on seasons are quite funny and I'm using. I've watched them mortiple times. And just one final question from me here, really, because I think we covered almost anything we can about Christmas and Christmas films, but we did that without mentioning prole is some of the biggest Christmas movies ever. There's a we we barely mentioned love actually in passing. But what about home alone? What? What about a Christmas story like that? There's these huge films, huge, huge films that we didn't mention. Should we take a couple of ministers explore why? I'm actually is if it were. I'm skid to talk about because I remember nothing. It's but I really doubt that I would love it now. I don't know. So I'm waiting to be watching at some points and have a strong opinion, which I remember we liking it like ten years ago. So I don't know. I actually haven't seen humanoon, and apparently that's really surprising to some people, but I wasn't really watching movies when I was a kid, not that much, and I guess I haven't had that much interest in it as an I don't I mean probably watching at some point, but yeah, it doesn't really happen to me. Ask for a Christmas story. I have seen that one recently. I don't think it works at all as a satire, if that's what it's supposed to be, which I think it is. I don't know. It just it just completely failed for me, either as comedy or as a CI use. So the serious Christmas Room wasn't even really sure what it was trying to be. All that that. That's actually my exact experience with a Christmas or two. So I didn't hate it, I thought perfectly okay, but I think decides it with what you mentioned earlier with the Christmas feeling American. Like I think a Christmas story is probably the most American Christmas movie I've ever seen, and or at least what you associate right are those with America, and it test didn't work for me as it seems to work in America. It's often brought for that the greatest Christmas film of all time. Yeah, I I. I really, really really didn't like love. Actually, I just thought it was over the top Romat it kind of stuff. I really really disliked that film. A Christmas story. I felt like I thought I was a foreigner watching it. It was kind of everything I don't like, but the American kind of commercialized Christmas. I didn't like it at all. And home alone, I've seen home along millions of times. It's kind of one of my childhood films, so it's quite hard to judge as an adult because all my memories of it are watching as a kid. So home alone is one that I really like a lot and was one of the massive kind of...
...films when I was growing up. But yeah, Christmas story, I honestly just don't get it. Yeah, I'm glad that came up. I don't understand why that's such a massive deal at all. So if any Americans are listening, police inform us. What's the big deal? Like Adam, I grew up watching the high alone films. I did enjoy them more as the kid and I watch them more times, and not just that Christmas time, throughout the year, and I think they traumatize me a little bit. I've come very paranoid about people trying to break him, which I think has come from watching those films. So how it was young. We explore that a little bit more depular. We have to be mean. From what I understand, you should be kind about booking in right. I mean I need to do is have a little kid there to protect your soul and you'll be fine, because you know what actually whom invaders other ones. That's really good. Hurt, I know, but you know it's just the idea. There's always somebody lingering around your house watching it waying to break in, and then, if you've got a window there, you need to help people. You know what you have? You a cardboard cutouts and all train sets over around and you have things like that. becaunvince people at Somebody's home. Do you set you know, every Christmas, do you set your house up like mcaulay Holkin did in case some Christmas I stay high. I'm to leave the actually am I'm a lot of this palm song. Did you saw waiting on the door, behind his door, with his I know if you have a gun, but oh boy, was I see your home alone. Films. Yeah, grew up with them, of actually I liked hi when I saw it in themos. It's got a script by Richard Curtis, who did blackadder and a whole lot of other funny films. So use a lot of witty moments in there. But not all of the subplots are that good. Lot of them a bit silly and, like funny duddy, romantic. But every of the building night he subplot I really like. I think even I've re watched the film, really like Bill Nice performance in it. I am a Thompson's performance and her storyline also really good, but all the storylines, like the care and night Lee ones, quite weak. Actually that good. I don't know if it's a really great film overall, but I'm never really gonna tiss anything by Richard Curtis. If a Christmas story. I have seen that, not recently. It's from Bob Clark, which is interesting because he did Christmas, the original Canadian slasher from the semmes, which people argue as predating Halloween, for the slasher cries are really great film. The two thousand and six remake as much better. Obviously it's got a Christmas investinations, I guess. Terms of Bob Clark, I think I prefer the porkies films and know they're little silly, but Paulki's to the next day incredibly funny film and something I've watched more off and don't think I've seen it two or three times, compared to a Christmas story which I've just seen the one time. Yeah, for Love Actually, I think I completely we with this. All that the bill. Now, heath thinkments are really nice, and Emma Thomas and all Richman to, I think they do. They always have great chemistry whenever they're together, so that that works really well. But overall it just feels so generally shocky. There's a massive on the plots. Most of them are badly taught out and the rushed and it's really just this always symphony that tries to evolve grow man's and I'm not sure if do what they extent it really succeeds it. I think it's really just the build out he want, where it does ends up a slightly different way. That that I work the best for me be nice outs. I'll show what I remember the most and I suspect I would still love them if I watched it. And the true for sure about the rest. I think like the two grands dancing as well. I mean I think Curtis has done some great stuff, like black adder, but then there's obvious stuff I don't like. I mean I'm taking a con put you off topic, but yesterday is a film I really didn't like and I think he has a mixture of stuff that I think is great and then stuff that just goes way to romantic, way to kind of I mean you can call all of this, but yesterday we nied me because it was a very interesting concept about the Beatos and then the whole film was just the Beatles part was just an excuse for a random romance. So some of the summer the carts stuff robs up the wrong way and I don't think there's any similarity between that stuff and blackadder when he was really at his peak. Yeah, Richard Curse is probably not quite as even a right as I made him out to be a few minutes ago, but I generally like Richard Couzy's another good film, I'm a few years ago with bill niqual about time. Yeah, actually quite liked about time as well and talking about time and talking about the problems. Do...
...not this talk about Christmas films, but as a small largely relevant after taught, also talk about the New Year. So our there any new year films that stand out? Do you? Have you even seen in the new your films, because I really struggle to come up with any. Know a couple have been advertised, but they were slaughter interviews. So are their New Year films that you like other films you watch at New Year's and if not, why do you think that is so? I guess part of it is that new as eve is very different. At least choice is more of the thing you said gored with friends, and also no one really cares about the new year. We are some people do care about Christmas, but the only thing I can think of is when how he met Saddy, which has a pretty key scene, said at a New Year's party. It's a good one. I would like when I met Sady and that seem is really good. So I guess that's my answer. That's a great answer. I agree. I can't really think of any. In Scotland we have a tradition where there's like TV comedy specials. We actually called New Year's Eve Hogman A and there's a lot of different traditions in Scotland but it's more of a TV thing. It's more I would I also say how my name a TV specials. I can't really think of any films about New Year's Eve, to be honest. Yeah, I think beyond the apartment, the really well a film which got mentioned earlier is a Christmas movie. I want to if you think of as a New Year's movie. The only other one that immediately springs to mind is the pacade and adventure, which has, you know, the whole disaster, you know, the other New Year's Eve party. So that's by the interesting tape. It's definitely a celebrating New Year's film. I don't know. I'm not sure why it is. If there's a reason why there's more Christmas than New Year's films, I don't know. It's probably somethings that it could be explored. There must be summaristing ones out there because of the whole why k scare. I still remember that growing up and what would happen, you know, when it clocks over the year two thousand. So surely must be some instring films out there are none that spring to mind immediately beyond the Po sided adventure and the apartment. The one that comes to mind for way to Kate is Futti medium at best, Filler, called in trappants, you know with a Shanknowe. Yeah, and Catherine Kina Jones. Yeah, yeah, I remember liking that. I've seen it. I can barely remember anything about it. That's probably a good sign. But it's definitely about way took, I mean way to get definitely plays all in it, I believe. I just can't remember that much about it other than Catherine Zia Jones dressed up in some skimmish outfits. This is completely random, but I was just saying that the Scottish word for theirs he is hoping name and it's only used in Scotland and I just looked up and apparently it comes from a French word I can and I can end, which means galad. I don't know if tap ROC knows anything that I do not. Yeah, currently is from French origin. I just find it interesting because it's not a word used anywhere else. And also I also want to mention old land sign, the Song Dongue all over the world, another Scottish thing. Just why I find from what Scotland? You know, oldline Zigne. Yeah, I do know. It's. Yeah, that's a Scottish the Scottish form by Bobat Burns. So just felt like promoting Scotland for a second. But it's all over the world and it comes from Scotland, were just five million people, like lots of other things they I do know it's but it's not at all about pokers here. The you know, the dams are difference in French and it's has nothing to do with Christmas. Yeah, it's in their song here it's not. It's not only is. I mean, yeah, only is. It's just a okay, maybe we can just Scottish poetry passes this time. We Scottish podcast. Yeah, yeah, because the Scottish from destory is not it's not that amazing Actoy, but I would love to see a Scotish podcast. Yeah, great idea. We just been had half of its talking about transporting. There is much market than transpiring, not not much more. Actually. I'm sure there's not a lot of great started films, but as long as we don't touchpend a time talking about very far, honestly, which is not that yeah, the Americanly very hard podcast. Everyone, I'll need to actually see brave half. We did that. We talked about it a bit on the Oscars bocast. Actually. Yeah, that's one of those big gaps for me for a reason. And of course there was that the one feel like a Biyad the go called new years with a bunch of, I guess, hired tier bally celebrities that try to make our rocket at New Year's. But that, I think that was really the last actual example, though, on all lengths and sign that song is played in so many films where at least New Year's has this slight presence. I think the only thing that a little bit special wit New Year's for me with films, it's that I occasionally try to pick a fitting final film...
...for the year. Do you guys do that as well? No, I love the album word response for that. Let's try to find a thing filmed here of the year. Probably not. It's just whatever own sides with the official challenges on the ICM forum. I do for the first film of the year, I was trying start off with a good film or a client classic that I haven't seen or something that I want to see you and then we shouldn't cut out the notes. I think just the bladness of that's really great. Oh, yes, and wed yeah, but no, I think end of the year for me it's just whatever I can fit in before guests come over for New Year's even try to watch that last film for the official challenge. They get that last point before the New Year's a celebrations. And then I'm just trying to work out what would be a great classic which I haven't seen, to be my first film viewing in the next year. So for me I'm looking at what Latin American or SCI FI films or films from the thousand under four hundred list. One of those could I make to be my first viewing in twenty twenty one. I think I'm with Adam on this one and just don't really adjust what I watched depending on the time of year when he get addicted to challenge just so. But yeah, I guess that's I guess time is a little bit nice to end the year on a potentially high note or, just as all likes to start there, and I note that I try to do both, actually, just to make it a little bit more special, though sometimes you can't, because the New York Party is somehow introduces film, especially if it's with family and not something more. That's it. So I think we're gone through everything we need to go through. We tied it all in for New Year's. It was mentioned. If we did not lie, and you're going to check from the new year's association or something. Yeah, definitely, I think. Maybe all part of this new movement. They promote New Year's movie. So if any aspiring filmmakers out there really want to get in on that completely open market and fill in the post Christmas week with New Year films, it's shocking. It's not dumb. The market is there for it. I'm sure people want to see it. You know, send us a shack. We came up with a day so just please send the shakes here. We're all for it. I'm just the true people care about you. This case usually be the first Christmas I spent about my family. So yes, happy covid Christmas everyone. Yeah, sorry, we pretending. This is just before Christmas. We record this or we pretend? Yes, okay, so I don't know. I'm with my family. Are Not right now? I don't know. No, that's not that close. Not that close, I I we could do in the dance. Hopefully covers gone by then, by summer. Yeah, not true. What Donald Trump told me is going to be gone by then. So I think. Living in Malti've been skyping into a minor region family for the last five years. Much going to change there, though. There won't be any big celebration down there, unfortunately. Say Yes, happy covid Christmas and new yeah, yes, what's happy covidless? Quite twenty one. Oh, and thank you for listening as well. Then's against it?.
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