WEBVTT - Home Hard - Lost in Nakitomi Plaza 0:00:04.400 --> 0:00:07.800 Welcome to tech Stuff, a production from my Heart Radio. 0:00:12.039 --> 0:00:16.160 Hey there everybody, and welcome to Well what would normally 0:00:16.200 --> 0:00:19.200 be tech stuff, And it's a Friday, and typically we 0:00:19.280 --> 0:00:23.880 would do a classic episode on a Friday, but we 0:00:23.960 --> 0:00:26.880 thought we would bring you something a little different. You 0:00:26.920 --> 0:00:30.840 may have heard that recently I launched a podcast with 0:00:30.880 --> 0:00:34.840 my friend Ariel, casting show that she created actually several 0:00:34.880 --> 0:00:38.319 years ago, called the Large Nerdron Collider Podcast. I had 0:00:38.360 --> 0:00:41.320 Ariel on not too long ago to talk about science 0:00:41.320 --> 0:00:45.400 fiction and fantasy gadgets and concepts and whether or not 0:00:45.479 --> 0:00:49.040 they were realistic in the tech world. But we thought 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:52.880 we would bring you an episode of the Large Nerdron 0:00:52.920 --> 0:00:55.400 Collider Podcast so you could listen to it find out 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:57.560 whether or not it's your jam, and if it is, 0:00:57.920 --> 0:01:00.960 you should go and subscribe to it. This episode is 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:04.160 called Homehard and for those who don't know, in the 0:01:04.240 --> 0:01:08.240 Large Nergron Collider Podcast, we cover stuff like nerd news, 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:12.160 we talk about you know, deep dive geek topics, and 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:16.520 we mash up different properties to create something new, in 0:01:16.520 --> 0:01:20.319 this case, die Hard and home Alone. So I hope 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:23.640 you guys enjoy this episode of the Large Nerron Collider 0:01:23.720 --> 0:01:27.880 Podcast and I'll chat with you again after the episode plays. 0:01:28.240 --> 0:01:36.959 Sit back, relax, Let's get nerdy. Hey, everybody, Welcome to 0:01:37.000 --> 0:01:40.360 the Large Nerdron Collider podcast, the podcast that's all about 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:42.680 the geeky stuff happening in the world around us and 0:01:42.720 --> 0:01:46.120 how excited we are about it. I am arieokasting and 0:01:46.160 --> 0:01:49.680 with me as always is my co host, Holly Jolly 0:01:49.840 --> 0:01:55.480 Jonathan Strickland. Yep, Um, got a belly leca a bowl 0:01:55.480 --> 0:01:59.360 full of jelly. That's what That's what lockdown does to me. Hey, Harriel, 0:01:59.680 --> 0:02:08.160 I got a question for you. So here's your question. 0:02:08.240 --> 0:02:11.440 To start off this episode. Let us say that, for 0:02:11.600 --> 0:02:17.080 some cruel twist of fate, you are limited to only 0:02:17.120 --> 0:02:23.040 being able to watch one holiday special or film each year. 0:02:23.840 --> 0:02:27.760 What would you have picked for this year? Oh golly, 0:02:28.040 --> 0:02:32.040 oh that's such a hard one, Jonathan, I know, way 0:02:32.080 --> 0:02:35.720 to go. Um. Now, keep in mind next year you 0:02:35.720 --> 0:02:39.480 would be able to choose a different one, but you 0:02:39.480 --> 0:02:48.400 can only have one this year. I'm gonna say Scrooged, Scrooged, 0:02:48.720 --> 0:02:53.440 the Bill Murray Classic. Okay, that's a that's a decent answer. 0:02:53.480 --> 0:02:56.359 That's a decent answer. It's one that that's actually very 0:02:56.400 --> 0:03:00.000 divisive to I know people who have very strong feelings 0:03:00.000 --> 0:03:03.000 about that one because it is they feel a bit 0:03:03.040 --> 0:03:07.240 too mean spirited. But I think the anarchic nature of 0:03:07.280 --> 0:03:12.080 that plus the really weird meta fourth wall breaking ending 0:03:12.800 --> 0:03:18.080 is kind of interesting. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, just to 0:03:18.160 --> 0:03:21.400 keep it fresh. Like, that's one that I haven't watched 0:03:22.440 --> 0:03:25.040 that much recently because like you said, it's it's a 0:03:25.040 --> 0:03:28.200 little bit divisive, So I've watched a lot more, you know, 0:03:29.080 --> 0:03:32.359 Charlie Brown Christmas and things like that. So just it's 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:35.880 a clean change of pace for a year. Got it? 0:03:36.120 --> 0:03:38.640 What holiday movie would you watch for this year as 0:03:38.680 --> 0:03:41.640 your only holiday movie? Ariel, I'm so glad you asked 0:03:41.680 --> 0:03:45.400 me that question. I really I've been agonizing over this 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:48.440 since I asked you about three minutes ago. I would 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:53.800 pick Immott Matters Jug Band Christmas, but it would absolutely 0:03:53.840 --> 0:03:58.200 have to be the version that originally aired on HBO 0:03:58.400 --> 0:04:01.000 back in the eighties that has all the stuff in it, 0:04:01.080 --> 0:04:05.880 including all the interstitial moments with Kermit the Frog, because 0:04:06.200 --> 0:04:09.840 if you've only seen em at utter post the HBO special, 0:04:10.440 --> 0:04:13.080 then you may not even know that Kermit was in 0:04:13.160 --> 0:04:17.200 it because that part of the Henson Company split off, 0:04:17.240 --> 0:04:20.920 like the Immitt under property split away. From the Muppet part, 0:04:21.240 --> 0:04:25.480 and then you had this complicated rights issue. And unfortunately 0:04:25.520 --> 0:04:29.880 it also meant that typically the version of emmett Utter 0:04:30.000 --> 0:04:32.120 that you can find these days, whether it's on DVD 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:35.359 or streaming or whatever, cuts out some of the jokes, 0:04:36.160 --> 0:04:39.680 and I don't understand why. Like, there's typically one song 0:04:39.760 --> 0:04:43.240 that gets cut at least, and there's one there's one 0:04:43.320 --> 0:04:48.120 joke that literally without the joke, the scene doesn't make sense. 0:04:50.160 --> 0:04:52.760 Now I'm aware of this. I can't remember the joke, 0:04:52.880 --> 0:04:55.600 but I remember thinking that was incongruous. And then we've 0:04:55.640 --> 0:04:57.839 had this conversation before. Because I feel like you would 0:04:57.880 --> 0:05:00.920 pick emmett Utter every year for your soul holiday movie, 0:05:01.440 --> 0:05:04.240 and probably for your only movie for the entire year. 0:05:04.960 --> 0:05:10.919 I might occasionally swap it out for the Scrooge the 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:14.520 Musical with the thank you very much, thank you very 0:05:14.600 --> 0:05:16.760 much that song. I love that song, and I love 0:05:16.839 --> 0:05:19.279 that version of Christmas Carol. There are lots of different 0:05:19.320 --> 0:05:22.760 great versions. Yeah, that musical one is a lot of fun, 0:05:23.120 --> 0:05:26.200 I mean hot take, And people who know me know 0:05:26.480 --> 0:05:29.360 that I have this opinion. I am not a fan 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:33.320 of the Muppet Christmas Carol, even though I love the Muppets. 0:05:33.880 --> 0:05:38.840 Me neither neither. I'm more of a traditionalist it was, 0:05:39.240 --> 0:05:41.720 and I mean I don't I don't even mind like 0:05:41.800 --> 0:05:45.919 the jokes and stuff, and I do appreciate the fact 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:50.880 that they incorporate Charles Dickens into that version of Christmas Caroll, 0:05:50.920 --> 0:05:53.520 so you get to hear more lines that you normally 0:05:53.520 --> 0:05:56.479 wouldn't hear because no one would. It's it's descriptions that 0:05:56.520 --> 0:06:00.840 no one would ever speak in dialogue, right. That is cool. However, 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:05.040 I just feel like the Muppets aren't muppety enough in that, Like, 0:06:05.040 --> 0:06:07.479 like they don't go far enough in the Muppets thing 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:10.000 for it to feel like a real Muppet movie, not 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:13.680 like Muppet Treasure Island. I feel is way more more 0:06:14.080 --> 0:06:18.640 liberal with the Muppets. But my favorite Muppet movie is 0:06:18.720 --> 0:06:21.080 Muppet Treasure Island. And see that's the thing the same 0:06:21.160 --> 0:06:23.320 same here, I really, I mean, my favorite is still 0:06:23.320 --> 0:06:26.680 the original Muppet movie, but Muppet Treasure Island I feel 0:06:26.720 --> 0:06:29.279 they got it right, right. I feel like they didn't 0:06:29.320 --> 0:06:32.960 go hard enough with Christmas Carroll. Also, I mean, I 0:06:33.000 --> 0:06:36.800 know people who absolutely love his performance, but Mike Cocaine 0:06:37.240 --> 0:06:40.840 was not my favorite Scrooge by a long shot. I 0:06:41.360 --> 0:06:45.120 don't like picking favorite scrooges. Um, it's like picking a 0:06:45.160 --> 0:06:48.120 favorite child. I think there are plenty of old men 0:06:48.160 --> 0:06:50.680 who are very curmudgeed lely and play the role quite well, 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:53.760 and a few women too. There have been a few 0:06:53.880 --> 0:06:57.120 versions of Christmas Carol with a female Scrooge and those 0:06:57.160 --> 0:07:00.440 are Yeah. And also there are plenty of mentioned lee 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:04.800 older people who play Scrooge very well. And you've you've 0:07:04.839 --> 0:07:07.520 been in productions of Christmas Caroll, so you also have 0:07:07.680 --> 0:07:13.360 that that perspective. Yeah, I've played uh Mrs Fezziwig, I've 0:07:13.360 --> 0:07:16.120 played Mrs Cratchett, I've played the Ghost of Christmas Future, 0:07:16.280 --> 0:07:23.440 I've played the Charwoman. Yeah, Concertina street Caroller. So you've 0:07:23.440 --> 0:07:26.920 got you've got you've got practice of of ominously pointing 0:07:26.920 --> 0:07:32.920 in the distance downpat Yeah, so I'm a little bit Well. 0:07:32.960 --> 0:07:36.120 They weren't real stilts. They were like plywood stilts that 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:40.640 then got caught under the like the long black robe. Us. 0:07:41.240 --> 0:07:45.480 It was a wonderful experience. I never fell over personally. Um. 0:07:45.520 --> 0:07:48.200 This is also crazy, guys, because most of you probably 0:07:48.240 --> 0:07:51.480 don't know this, but Ariel is approximately seven ft tall already, 0:07:51.600 --> 0:07:57.720 so I'm only five. Um, but so I'm a little biased, 0:07:57.840 --> 0:08:00.320 but you know, you asked what movie I'd watch a year. 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:02.640 I feel like it's kind of an unfair question because 0:08:03.360 --> 0:08:06.960 we've gotten a whole lot of new holiday movies this year, 0:08:07.000 --> 0:08:12.440 and not just the Hallmark Lifetime slew that we normally get. No, 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:15.680 but the Hallmark Lifetime Slew does account for about seventy 0:08:15.720 --> 0:08:18.280 eight percent of all holiday movies every year, but that's 0:08:18.320 --> 0:08:20.720 just by volume. Yeah, but I mean sometimes if you 0:08:20.760 --> 0:08:25.000 want something uplifting, you just want some uplifting background, that's 0:08:25.040 --> 0:08:28.000 great because you're guaranteed to get that with a Hallmarker 0:08:28.080 --> 0:08:31.720 Lifetime movie. That's true. I mean, like there might not 0:08:31.800 --> 0:08:35.000 be a whole lot of of meat on the bone there, 0:08:35.400 --> 0:08:38.080 but you can be pretty certain you know what the 0:08:38.120 --> 0:08:41.000 emotional beats of those films are gonna be. They're kind 0:08:41.000 --> 0:08:45.600 of like the holiday equivalent to romance novels, where they 0:08:45.640 --> 0:08:48.760 all follow a pretty similar pattern and you know how 0:08:48.760 --> 0:08:50.840 they're going to turn out. Now. Granted, some of the 0:08:50.880 --> 0:08:55.760 holiday movies that are also uh popular on streaming this year, 0:08:55.760 --> 0:08:59.719 because that's that's how that's how we're all enjoying these days. Um, 0:09:00.040 --> 0:09:02.800 some of them, some of them go a little dark 0:09:03.440 --> 0:09:07.920 there are a couple that are are either emotionally really 0:09:07.960 --> 0:09:12.040 going to to tear at you or in one case, 0:09:13.360 --> 0:09:15.800 you've got a Santa Claus who's it was it was 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:19.600 an action movie star kicking butt. So, you know, a 0:09:19.640 --> 0:09:22.200 lot of years I might go for this year, I know, 0:09:22.240 --> 0:09:24.600 I said Scrooge, I'm kind of filling uplifting. I'm willing 0:09:24.600 --> 0:09:28.520 to one of these new movies kind of take Scrooges place, yeah, 0:09:28.600 --> 0:09:31.360 to kind of kind of sume things. I think soothing 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:34.360 is something that we could all use. This year, it's 0:09:34.400 --> 0:09:36.880 been a it's been a I don't know if you 0:09:36.920 --> 0:09:40.080 guys out there have noticed, it's been a weird year, y'all. 0:09:40.760 --> 0:09:44.719 M h, it really has. So we are we are 0:09:44.800 --> 0:09:47.240 recording this a little bit before it airs because we 0:09:47.280 --> 0:09:50.480 want to spend time with our families for Christmas as well, 0:09:51.000 --> 0:09:57.040 you know, whatever form that takes. But um, we we 0:09:57.120 --> 0:10:02.400 wanted to talk about some of the holiday movies coming out. UM. 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:04.880 One of which is actually a TV special event it 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:07.960 will have aired by the time that this episode airs, 0:10:08.520 --> 0:10:12.440 which is The Grinch Musical event with Matthew Morrison as 0:10:12.480 --> 0:10:16.640 the Grinch. They showed a commercial for it. If you 0:10:16.679 --> 0:10:19.280 watch the Macy's Day Parade this year on television, they 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:22.319 showed a commercial for it. It got some mixed reviews, 0:10:23.440 --> 0:10:27.280 and you know, I'm I'm a little mixed on my 0:10:27.360 --> 0:10:29.439 opinion about it as well. I haven't seen it yet. 0:10:29.960 --> 0:10:32.240 Might might have by the time you listen to this, 0:10:32.520 --> 0:10:36.600 But um, I don't know. I love The Grinch, and 0:10:36.679 --> 0:10:40.440 I think that the actions and I think that the 0:10:40.559 --> 0:10:44.480 music translates very well to stage. But any time I've 0:10:44.480 --> 0:10:49.559 seen an exception of one person who plays the Granch amazingly, 0:10:50.679 --> 0:10:54.640 which is a mutual acquaintance of Jonathan and I Judah, 0:10:54.880 --> 0:10:58.440 he plays an amazing Granch. But otherwise, anytime I see 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:02.320 a live action version of a Grnch, it feels fake 0:11:02.400 --> 0:11:05.480 to me. Yeah, well, the person in a large, green, 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:10.360 fuzzy Muppet suit. Yeah, I I'm I don't have any 0:11:10.400 --> 0:11:14.120 desire to see live action versions of The Grinch. I'm 0:11:14.200 --> 0:11:17.360 fine with the original cartoon. Um, I think it's I 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:20.600 think it's a classic. I'm not saying that no one 0:11:20.600 --> 0:11:25.000 should ever adapt it for other forms. I don't believe that. 0:11:25.200 --> 0:11:27.680 It's just I don't have any interest in it. It 0:11:27.720 --> 0:11:30.840 doesn't like when Jim Carey's films came out. I didn't 0:11:30.920 --> 0:11:35.480 really have any interest in seeing that when the musical 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:39.600 first it stage, even with people like Patrick Page, who 0:11:39.720 --> 0:11:45.800 is a phenomenal actor. Um, he plays Hades in Hades Town. 0:11:46.600 --> 0:11:50.120 He was the Grinch. Like I watched. Yeah, I watched 0:11:50.120 --> 0:11:53.360 a clip from the Macy's Parade from two thousand fifteen, 0:11:53.920 --> 0:11:58.080 and they did the who Celebrates Christmas or who Loves 0:11:58.120 --> 0:12:01.280 Christmas song and it's the Who's by the way in 0:12:01.320 --> 0:12:04.200 case you were wondering, um, And and at the end 0:12:04.200 --> 0:12:05.719 of it they also did a little bit of your 0:12:05.760 --> 0:12:09.160 I mean one Mr Grench and Patrick Page was playing 0:12:09.160 --> 0:12:13.360 the Grench. That version of the makeup and costume I 0:12:13.400 --> 0:12:17.960 thought looked pretty darrible. But then again, also the video 0:12:17.960 --> 0:12:20.640 I was watching was really bad quality. It was on YouTube. 0:12:20.640 --> 0:12:22.800 It was some someone who just captured it off their 0:12:22.800 --> 0:12:26.160 TV or whatever. Um, it was not great. And uh, 0:12:26.280 --> 0:12:28.560 I was just blown away that Patrick Page had played 0:12:28.600 --> 0:12:32.840 that part, because I that somehow escaped my attention when 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:35.560 it was happening. Um. But yeah, I mean, I have 0:12:35.640 --> 0:12:38.800 nothing against Matthew Morrison. I think he's a very good performer, 0:12:39.360 --> 0:12:42.240 and I don't have anything against um, the other folks 0:12:42.240 --> 0:12:44.200 who were in it. I mean, I don't know if 0:12:44.200 --> 0:12:46.760 you know this areal. One of the other cast members 0:12:47.280 --> 0:12:51.400 of this production is Dennis O'Hare, who was one of 0:12:51.480 --> 0:12:58.880 two actors playing the dog and Dennis dog No. The 0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:02.040 other actor is also a human being. Uh Dennis so 0:13:02.120 --> 0:13:04.000 here for those who don't know well. First of all, 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:07.320 he was in American Horror Story the first season as 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:11.719 a supporting character. But I think of him as Charles j. 0:13:11.880 --> 0:13:16.319 Geteaux from Assassin's the same production that Neil Patrick Harris 0:13:16.360 --> 0:13:19.559 was in, and he did a great job in that. 0:13:20.320 --> 0:13:21.960 I look at him and I go he would play 0:13:21.960 --> 0:13:24.080 a good Grunch for as as much as I like 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:25.880 a stage porson the Grig. I will admit that I 0:13:25.920 --> 0:13:30.040 did not see the Macy Stay Parade version of the 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:32.720 Grunch musical. I've only seen the granch on stage in 0:13:32.920 --> 0:13:37.520 adaptations of suskal Um. But I think it's just some 0:13:37.640 --> 0:13:40.960 uncanny Valley costume stuff for me. Maybe maybe it's just 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:44.800 never been the right costume design. I agree. I will 0:13:44.840 --> 0:13:48.200 probably watch it. I'm just gonna say I will probably 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:52.319 watch it because I like encouraging them to make musicals 0:13:52.360 --> 0:13:56.480 for television. Sometimes they nearly completely hit the mark, and 0:13:56.640 --> 0:14:00.640 one day they will yeah, yeah. I like the idea 0:14:00.800 --> 0:14:04.800 of more live theater having greater exposure, especially in a 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:08.320 world where one you can't really go see live theater 0:14:08.480 --> 0:14:12.720 right now, not if you're being responsible and too. Even 0:14:12.760 --> 0:14:16.079 when you can, it's not the most accessible art form, 0:14:16.280 --> 0:14:19.000 especially if you're looking at stuff like Broadway. I mean, 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:23.520 that's that's that's for profit theater, and it is very 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:28.320 exclusive and very expensive. So having that increased accessibility I 0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:30.880 think is great. And if it if it inspires more 0:14:30.880 --> 0:14:34.480 people to get into theater, that's great. If it inspires 0:14:34.480 --> 0:14:37.560 people to support theater, I love that as well. So 0:14:38.000 --> 0:14:40.880 I'm fully on board with supporting it. I just don't 0:14:40.920 --> 0:14:45.080 think i'll be watching it. Yeah. Yeah. So there are 0:14:45.160 --> 0:14:47.960 a lot of a lot of Christmas movies that follow 0:14:48.000 --> 0:14:52.640 into the general Christmas story genre, but I think that 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:54.560 we should focus on a couple of ones that are 0:14:55.280 --> 0:14:57.600 much more geeky, because that's that's what we're about, right. 0:14:58.080 --> 0:14:59.360 You didn't mean to go off on a whole diet 0:14:59.360 --> 0:15:01.720 tribe about the it or, although that's certainly geeky. So 0:15:01.840 --> 0:15:04.000 let's start with the one that you alluded to early on, 0:15:04.080 --> 0:15:07.720 the darkest one on our list, which is Fat Man. Yeah, 0:15:08.280 --> 0:15:13.400 Fat Man, No, not Batman, Fat Man starring Mel Gibson, 0:15:13.520 --> 0:15:18.320 which already at least for some people including me, starts 0:15:18.320 --> 0:15:21.880 to raise red flags. But Mel Gibson is playing the 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:26.280 role of Santa, who is kind of down on his luck. Santa, 0:15:26.400 --> 0:15:30.920 this is set in a very cynical world. Um And 0:15:30.960 --> 0:15:33.960 the in fact that's something that that really stood out 0:15:33.960 --> 0:15:35.800 to me is as I was reading the synopsis, that 0:15:35.960 --> 0:15:43.160 just screamed cynicism to me, where Santa's disillusioned because more 0:15:43.240 --> 0:15:46.400 kids are appearing on the Naughty List than the Nice List. Meanwhile, 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:52.960 Santa's income is dependent upon him delivering more presents to children, 0:15:53.000 --> 0:15:56.960 like it's the number of presents he delivers relates back 0:15:57.000 --> 0:15:59.200 to how much money he gets out of a budget 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:02.000 from the U S remant. And because there are fewer 0:16:02.480 --> 0:16:06.560 nice kids, he's supplementing his income by essentially renting out 0:16:06.600 --> 0:16:11.080 the North Pole and the elves to produce like military 0:16:11.480 --> 0:16:15.080 weapons and vehicles, and there's like you know, apparently some 0:16:15.120 --> 0:16:18.480 action hero type stuff that happens. And it's just one 0:16:18.520 --> 0:16:20.880 of those things where I told Ariel before we started 0:16:20.880 --> 0:16:25.640 recording that you mentioned Scrooged at the beginning. It reminds 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:28.440 me if you If you watch Scrooged, there's that segment 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:31.640 where there's this fake action movie that they have a 0:16:31.680 --> 0:16:35.160 commercial for called The Night the Reindeer Died where Santa 0:16:35.200 --> 0:16:39.840 Claus and Um the six Million Dollar Man are are 0:16:39.920 --> 0:16:44.400 fighting off various ninja and terrorists at the North Pole. 0:16:44.440 --> 0:16:46.040 And I'm like, oh my gosh, it sounds to me 0:16:47.200 --> 0:16:51.040 like someone saw that and thought, let's make that for real, 0:16:51.360 --> 0:16:56.000 but do it with without without humor. Yes, seriously, now 0:16:56.160 --> 0:16:59.200 I do hear you know? The reviews on this are 0:16:59.200 --> 0:17:02.840 pretty mixed. You said, not happy. Holiday movies tend to 0:17:02.840 --> 0:17:06.719 be a little bit more divisive. In The Assassin that 0:17:06.800 --> 0:17:09.440 the child who receives coal, there's a rich child who 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:11.800 receives coal in this movie and hires a hit man 0:17:11.840 --> 0:17:14.680 on Santa And apparently there's some high jinks in there. 0:17:15.440 --> 0:17:18.400 Um played by played by Walter Goggins, And I like 0:17:18.440 --> 0:17:22.800 Walter Goggins as an actor, but yeah, that's he's playing 0:17:22.840 --> 0:17:26.520 a hit man. Coming after sentence. He apparently has his 0:17:26.560 --> 0:17:31.760 own his own acts to grind with the jolly Man. Yeah, so, 0:17:31.760 --> 0:17:36.000 so I guess if you don't you know, I I wasn't. 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:37.879 This one's kind of flown under the radar for me 0:17:38.000 --> 0:17:41.400 as a movie that's even happening. So if that's your 0:17:41.480 --> 0:17:44.200 kind of jam and you just have watched so many 0:17:44.280 --> 0:17:47.919 Lifetime movies and Hallmark movies that you are two hyped 0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:51.200 up on the cotton candies substance of those movies, maybe 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:54.360 this will bring you back down to earth. Um. I mean, 0:17:54.800 --> 0:17:58.080 and to be clear, like I like some dark holiday 0:17:58.119 --> 0:18:01.800 themed movies. There's some some Chris Smith themed horror movies 0:18:02.400 --> 0:18:05.920 that I really like, uh, you know, including things like Crampus. 0:18:06.119 --> 0:18:09.199 We'll be talking later in this episode about movies that 0:18:09.280 --> 0:18:13.240 are not really Christmas movies, but they are set during 0:18:13.240 --> 0:18:17.159 the holiday season. But Grampus is one that really is 0:18:17.200 --> 0:18:21.360 dependent upon Christmas. It's just it's a Christmas themed horror 0:18:21.400 --> 0:18:24.000 movie that I think of kind of similar in a 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:27.400 way to another film we'll talk about later, Gremlins. So 0:18:28.240 --> 0:18:30.919 there's you know, there are things out there that I 0:18:31.000 --> 0:18:36.520 gravitate toward that are not your traditional holiday feel good stuff. Uh. 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:38.720 But yeah, I I feel like you, I don't really 0:18:38.840 --> 0:18:41.600 I don't feel a strong pull to this particular one. 0:18:42.480 --> 0:18:45.600 Have you seen or did you have you? Have you 0:18:45.640 --> 0:18:49.600 watched yet? The Lego Star Wars Holiday Special. I haven't. 0:18:49.640 --> 0:18:53.720 I have watched the original Star Wars Holiday Special with 0:18:53.880 --> 0:18:57.440 um it looks like the old quiz No mascots where 0:18:57.480 --> 0:19:01.680 the novels were transposed on some poorly written uh cartoon characters, 0:19:01.680 --> 0:19:05.879 except for in this case, it's actually just wookies. So 0:19:06.040 --> 0:19:09.440 I've seen the original Star Wars Holiday Special. I first 0:19:09.440 --> 0:19:11.879 of all, I'm sorry, so you got to see be 0:19:12.119 --> 0:19:16.399 Arthur and Harvey Corman and all those people doing weird 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:20.280 Star Wars sketches and things. I like. I like it 0:19:20.320 --> 0:19:22.359 for certain definitions of the word like, but I have 0:19:22.480 --> 0:19:24.400 to be prepared for it, and I just haven't been 0:19:24.440 --> 0:19:27.080 prepared for that. For the lego version, well, the lego 0:19:27.240 --> 0:19:30.520 version is not it's not a recreation of the Star 0:19:30.560 --> 0:19:34.159 Wars Holiday Special. It is a news story. It's a 0:19:34.200 --> 0:19:37.760 new story, and it it focuses on Ray, not So 0:19:37.880 --> 0:19:39.600 which which clearly it had to be a new story 0:19:39.600 --> 0:19:42.560 because Ray was not a character when the original special 0:19:42.800 --> 0:19:45.879 out two sisters, Dough and Me. She does not. And 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:52.320 also the holiday special it does reference the original special 0:19:52.359 --> 0:19:55.399 a little bit because Chewbacca does have a family, so 0:19:55.480 --> 0:19:57.879 you get to see you know, Stinky and everybody show up, 0:19:58.200 --> 0:20:03.560 but but they don't other than that, there's no real 0:20:04.080 --> 0:20:07.440 nod to the original holiday special. It's more of a 0:20:07.480 --> 0:20:12.280 goofy comedy time travel story uh that has a lot 0:20:12.359 --> 0:20:15.600 of funny little moments in it. So I do recommend 0:20:15.600 --> 0:20:18.080 that one. I think that one if you need your 0:20:18.280 --> 0:20:23.280 your holiday geek itch scratched. I think that one does 0:20:23.320 --> 0:20:27.879 a decent job. I will definitely check it out. Another 0:20:27.920 --> 0:20:29.639 movie I'm going to check out and it's actually I 0:20:29.640 --> 0:20:31.679 should have checked it out by now, it's already on 0:20:31.760 --> 0:20:35.199 Netflix is Jingle Jangle. I am so looking forward to 0:20:35.359 --> 0:20:37.719 seeing this too. I haven't made the time yet, but 0:20:37.760 --> 0:20:40.800 it's on my must watch list. So I don't let 0:20:40.800 --> 0:20:44.359 myself watch Christmas movies before Thanksgiving. So that's why I 0:20:44.400 --> 0:20:47.280 haven't watched a lot of these Christmas movies at time. 0:20:47.440 --> 0:20:49.800 At the time we're recording this, but yes, I want you. 0:20:49.880 --> 0:20:53.639 Jingle Jangle is a new Christmas musical set in the 0:20:53.720 --> 0:20:56.639 Victorian era with a I'm not sure if it's all 0:20:56.640 --> 0:21:00.080 black or predominantly black cat predominantly black. It's about a 0:21:00.119 --> 0:21:02.560 young girl named Journey who was sent to spend time 0:21:02.600 --> 0:21:06.480 with her curmudgeon le grandfather Um and they create toys 0:21:06.680 --> 0:21:08.679 and the thing I love about this movie is that 0:21:09.520 --> 0:21:13.760 the gentleman who wrote it, David Talbert, had been wanting 0:21:13.800 --> 0:21:15.679 to do it for a stage play and just couldn't 0:21:15.760 --> 0:21:18.920 quite make it work on stage and couldn't quite get 0:21:18.960 --> 0:21:22.120 the right tone. And it took him twenty years, and 0:21:22.880 --> 0:21:24.400 he had a kid, and then all of a sudden 0:21:24.440 --> 0:21:26.439 he was able to collaborate with his child on on 0:21:26.480 --> 0:21:29.199 this story. And then he went to Netflix because he 0:21:29.400 --> 0:21:31.639 previously had done El Camino Christmas, which is not a 0:21:31.680 --> 0:21:34.600 breaking bad movie, but it is a dark, a dark 0:21:34.840 --> 0:21:41.840 Christmas comedy. Um, and uh, Netflix said, hey, don't make 0:21:41.840 --> 0:21:43.800 this movie to budget, make the movie you want, and 0:21:43.800 --> 0:21:47.000 will fund it so to have. And he wanted to 0:21:47.040 --> 0:21:49.960 make a movie that showed there are not a lot 0:21:50.000 --> 0:21:55.199 of Christmas movies that feature black casts, and he wanted 0:21:55.240 --> 0:21:59.560 to provide that representation and so on so many multiple levels, 0:21:59.560 --> 0:22:01.960 from the the representation in the cast and in the 0:22:02.040 --> 0:22:05.800 costuming too. The fact that Netflix, who, as we've talked 0:22:05.840 --> 0:22:10.960 about before, they make stuff for a wide variety of people, 0:22:11.000 --> 0:22:13.000 and a lot of that is not for me. Yeah 0:22:13.320 --> 0:22:16.199 they Yeah, they fund a lot of different productions, some 0:22:16.280 --> 0:22:19.040 of which seem incredible just on the face of it, 0:22:19.280 --> 0:22:22.199 some of which you're like, I did. They just have 0:22:22.560 --> 0:22:24.840 money left over in the budget that they absolutely had 0:22:24.880 --> 0:22:27.399 to spend and that's why they funded this. But but 0:22:27.560 --> 0:22:31.320 Jingle Jangle does look like like the preview I saw 0:22:31.520 --> 0:22:36.560 was so captivating, and the costumes look so amazing, the 0:22:36.640 --> 0:22:41.000 special effects like the whole plot behind it involves a 0:22:41.480 --> 0:22:46.520 former apprentice of the grandfather who has stolen the grandfather's 0:22:46.560 --> 0:22:50.680 designs and become wealthy using those designs while the grandfather 0:22:50.760 --> 0:22:55.400 is kind of toiled in in uh In in poverty 0:22:55.480 --> 0:23:01.720 really and Keegan Michael Key plays the former apprentice, Gustufson, 0:23:02.040 --> 0:23:04.520 and he has a costume that makes him look I 0:23:04.560 --> 0:23:06.520 don't know if they were specifically going for this, but 0:23:06.600 --> 0:23:10.159 to me, he looks like like the Wizard of ODZ, 0:23:10.200 --> 0:23:12.320 Like he looks like he could have come out of 0:23:12.320 --> 0:23:15.560 the Emerald City. And I wonder if that was a 0:23:15.560 --> 0:23:19.359 a purposeful choice, but it was just the first thing 0:23:19.440 --> 0:23:21.960 I thought. Maybe it's just because his his jacket is 0:23:22.000 --> 0:23:27.040 like Emerald green, but yeah, it's it's all the classic 0:23:27.600 --> 0:23:32.679 setup of your your classic Christmas tale of you know, 0:23:32.800 --> 0:23:39.080 an old disillusioned person rediscovering joy through the association with 0:23:39.160 --> 0:23:43.520 youth and overcoming great odds and it's a musical and 0:23:43.560 --> 0:23:47.320 the dancing looks amazing and yeah, just it's that kind 0:23:47.359 --> 0:23:50.760 of thing that is hitting all the right switches for 0:23:50.840 --> 0:23:56.679 me for a feel good Christmas movie. Yeah. Another another 0:23:56.720 --> 0:23:58.800 one that I think flew under the radar for me, 0:23:58.880 --> 0:24:01.080 but is hitting all the rights, which is is Dear Santa. 0:24:01.600 --> 0:24:04.600 There was a two thousand and eleven movie. Is this 0:24:04.640 --> 0:24:07.399 about Santa Claus? Who? Is this about Santa Claus? Who 0:24:07.440 --> 0:24:10.480 has antlers? And it's not it's not so it's not 0:24:10.600 --> 0:24:14.040 d e E R Santa. It's d e A R Santa. 0:24:14.400 --> 0:24:17.320 Although I would watch, I would watch d e E 0:24:18.480 --> 0:24:20.160 there might be one too many ease and there are 0:24:20.240 --> 0:24:24.600 Santa as well. Dear Santa. Um. Now this one is about. 0:24:25.520 --> 0:24:29.720 This is a documentary about the Operation Santa program the 0:24:29.800 --> 0:24:33.720 United States Postal Service does with all of the letters 0:24:33.720 --> 0:24:36.639 they get from children who who write to Santa Claus. 0:24:36.760 --> 0:24:40.600 And it's it's a little bit more real life, uplifting 0:24:40.720 --> 0:24:44.680 and I very much look forward to watching it. Yeah, 0:24:44.760 --> 0:24:48.879