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You don’t have to love Christmas to love this podcast. Film critic Collin Souter and renowned sheep expert Kerry Finegan delve into every type of Christmas movie they can find. Classics, non-classics, horror, Hallmark, obscurities, foreign, shorts, TV specials, unnecessary sequels and remakes. Even films that you might not think of as traditional Christmas movies. The great, the awful and the unusual, all year round.
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The best and worst of made-for-television Christmas films
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Unfortunately, our episode on "The Apartment" has to be postponed until next year. Our apologioes for that. Fortunately, author John Zukowski was able to step in at the last minute and introduce a new Christmas gem to us, "Remember The Night," a film starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray that pretty much set the template for many Christmas r…
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The director and stars of the wonderful comedy "The Baltimorons" (currently/soon in theaters) join the show briefly to discuss the film's evolution and its purpose as a Christmas movie. Before that, though, Kerry and Collin discuss the film after seeing it a second time. What other movies come to mind with this kind of premise? Can anyone do improv…
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Kerry and Collin didn't plan on 2025 being a John Cusack-a-thon, but that's what ended up happening. After talking about "Serendipity" back in February and with "The Ice Harvest" coming up in December, the hosts decided to do a Cusack double-header of Christmas-adjacent films that came out 40 years ago. "The Sure Thing" was Cusack's first starring …
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It's so hot out there! What better way to defeat the August heat than to watch Santa Claus stuck in his sleigh on a sizzling Florida beach? Who will help him get back to the North Pole? A rag-tag group of homeless minors who have no experience working with animals. Also, the Ice Cream Bunny, whatever that is. FIlm critic Pat McDonald join Collin an…
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Kerry and Collin are joined by their good friend Jim Peebles, who also guested on the "A Very Brady Christmas" episode. "The Love Boat" is certainly cut from the same cloth, but this "Christmas Cruise" remains a mystery. Is it a movie? Is it two episodes seamlessly jammed together? Why no separate listing for it on Letterbox'd or IMDb? Currently av…
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We’re releasing this a day early, the 4th of July, because why not? After all, the film has “U.S.A.” in the title. Kerry and Collin are joined by frequent guest, Erik Childress (host of Movie Madness) to talk about one of the dumbest films to come out of 1985, from Cannon Studios, one of the most notorious movie studios of its era. Who did Chuck No…
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Kerry and Collin are joined by Jeff Broitman (formerly of the podcast Fresh Perspective) to talk about one of Collin's all-time favorite films, Terry Gilliam's 1985 masterpiece "Brazil." It also happens to be one of Jeff's favorite movies as well. While the film certainly belongs in the "Christmas adjacent" category of Christmas movies, there is ne…
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Based on the encouragement of a GQ article from 2016, Kerry and Collin took a look back at “Bridget Jones’s Diary” to see if the writer of said article had been onto something. That led them to go back and rewatch all of the “Bridget Jones” movies including the latest, which just came out on blu-ray. What/who is the Bridget Jones of today? How woul…
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Kerry and Collin plowed through this comedy starring Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito as two feuding neighbors at Christmastime. The experience of watching the film caused one of them to ponder, "why are we doing this podcast?" There are so many other questions, though. What makes the old, white iMacs so special? How long would it actually take t…
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Kerry and Collin, while trying desperately to recall facts about part 2, finally round out the Tim Allen "Santa Clause" trilogy with should be the best of the bunch, considering the casting of Martin Short. Did it meet the expectation? Maybe. If nothing else, he gives the viewer someone to root for. Is this really "the greatest Santa Claus story ev…
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A listener requested this title quite some time ago and it finally happened! Film critic Nell Minow joins Kerry and Collin to talk about this relatively obscure, but wonderful movie that might just be the first ever in the sub-genre of holiday films where the family returns home for the holiday festivities and slowly start airing their grievances a…
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Kerry and Collin are joined by Catherine Mary Stewart, star of the 1984 cult classic "Night of the Comet," an apocalyptic sci-fi film where the world ends at Christmastime, which is the best time to go shopping. They are also joined by returning guest Marya E. Gates, author of the new book "Cinema Her Way: Visionary Female Directors in Their Own Wo…
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Wayne Wang's "Smoke" doesn't look like a Christmas movie, sound like a Christmas movie or ever feel like a Christmas movie. It really isn't, but the final fifteen minutes of this terrific ensemble film features a moving and poetic Christmas story that makes it worthy of inclusion on this show (hey, it has more Chrsitmas in it than Disney's "Babes I…
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Kerry and Collin look at the often maligned 2004 comedy "Surviving Christmas," starring Ben Affleck, James Gandolfini, Christina Applegate and Catherine O'Hara and find it's not quite as terrible as critics (Collin included) made it out to be twenty years ago. Is it the two decades of distance from the Bennifer annoyance of that time period? How mu…
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Kerry and Collin showed up late for their discussion of the 2001 rom-com starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, “Serendipity.” Does the movie take its concepts about fate and destiny to absurd heights? How many movies accurately depict the lives of obituary writers? Should the filmmakers have left in the twin towers when the film came out in the…
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The co-host of Friendship Dilemma, Morgan Gire, returns to the show to talk about Martin McDonagh's great, Oscar-nominated black comedy, "In Bruges," starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson and Ralph Fiennes. While the film does take place during the holiday season, it's the bleak morality play and violence that take center stage. What actually hap…
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Kerry and Collin continue the tradition of starting the new year off with a look at a Nutcracker movie. Although, this Hulu offering is not a Nutcracker-based movie, the ballet does figure into the plot eventually, as Ben Stiller has to housesit his four recently orphaned nephews, who happen to have some talent in that artform. Can he really put on…
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The perennial classic starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen turns 70 years-old this year. Kerry and Collin are celebrating the occasion by having on one of the film's biggest fans, film critic Pat McDonald. Is Michael Curtiz's much-celebrated film more of a post-WWII nostalgia piece than it is a Christmas movie? What oth…
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Kerry and Collin are joined by first-time guest, longtime friend, film critic Nick Digilio, who claims "The Ref"--starring Dennis Leary, Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis--is his favorite Christmas film of all time. Collin has similar feelings and wanted to wait until the movie had an anniversary, so it could be featured prominently in the December line-…
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Kerry and Collin are joined by Erik Childress to talk about the enduring--and maybe not so enduring--legacy of Robert Zemeckis' "The Polar Express." Based on the beloved picture book by Chris Van Allsburg, this film pushed the boundaries of motion-capture animation at the time. How does that technology hold up today? What does the bell symbolize? W…
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Kerry and Collin take a quick dive into six newly released Christmas movies, including The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Christmas Eve In Miller's Point, Dear Santa, Hot Frosty, Meet Me Next Christmas and Nutcrackers. They also take a look at some newly release Christmas movies on blu-ray/4K, as well as a non-Christmas Blu-ray Gift Exchange. Finally…
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Aside from "Wicked," Red One" is probably the most advertised film of this season, but does it deserve to be? Film critic Leo Brady joins Kerry and Collin to talk about this much-hyped action fantasy film and why its star, Dwayne Johnson, needs to commit to different types of projects. They also talk about seeing the film in 4DX and why that format…
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121: Thanksgiving Movies Actually - Home For The Holidays (1995) (feat. Rebecca Martin Fagerholm)
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Kerry and Collin are joined by Cinema Femme's founder Rebecca Martin Fagerholm to talk about Jodie Foster's ensemble comedy "Home For The Holidays," starring Holly Hunter, Robert Downey, Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Cynthia Stevenson, Dylan McDermott, Geraldine Chaplin and Steve Guttenberg (wow!). Of all the holiday movies in the Family-Gat…
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Starring Mickey Rooney. Yes, that Mickey Rooney. Five years ago, Kerry, Collin and guest Patrick Ripoll made a pact to talk about the "Silent Night, Deadly Night" films every year in October. The pact has been fulfilled with "Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker," as of now, the final film in the series. It did not disappoint. Rooney stars a…
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A quick hello from Hannah and Naomi! Join us for a casual chat about 2024's upcoming Christmas movies. This may be a barely edited, recorded on a phone at the last minute discussion - but nothing can hold back Naomi's excitement and Hannah's horror at movies about snowmen who come to life!由Christmas Movies Unwrapped
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First, a quick explanation over what went wrong with the "Go" episode. Then, Kerry and Collin are joined by returning guest, Christine Sellin, to talk about Laika Animation Studios' amazing 2012 movie, "ParaNorman," a movie that accomplishes so much in just under 90 minutes and does so with style, wit, astonishment and braaaiiiinnnnssss!! What is t…
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Kerry and Collin celebrate the 25th anniversary of "Go" by talking to one of its biggest fans, film programmer Mike Schindler. The film has the late-'90s influences all over it: the "Pulp Fiction"-like structure, a hyper-active techno soundtrack and a cast of young actors who made their marks in TV shows like "Party Of Five" and "Dawson's Creek." W…
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Kerry and Collin are joined be frequest guest Patrick Ripoll (co-host of 96 Greers) to talk about one of the essential Judy Garland movies, the technicolor marvel "Meet Me In St. Louis," in which the song "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" made its debut and would eventually become a standard. Vincente Minnelli's timeless classic would also m…
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First-time guest Alejandro Riera joins Kerry and Collin to talk about the Chicago-based family comedy "Nothing Like The Holidays," which came out in 2008 and features a predominantly Puerto Rican cast. This follows the "Family Stone" and "This Christmas" formula of having all the grown-up kids coming home for the Christmas season, all of whom are f…
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The tearjerker "Six Weeks" starred Mary Tyler Moore, Dudley Moore and a talented ballerina named Katherine Healy. It came out in 1982 during awards season and managed to score two Golden Globe noms and a Razzie nomination. Frequent guest Peter Sobczynski has been waiting for over a year to talk about it with Kerry and Collin and even went so far as…
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Prior to their recent trip to New Zealand, Collin and Kerry looked up "New Zealand Christmas movies" and this was the result. "Kiwi Christmas" follows a typical formula for an ABC Family Christmas movie in which Santa Claus doesn't want to do his usual rounds on Christmas Eve, so he hides in Auckland, New Zealand and hangs out with a family during …
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Kerry and Collin take a look at the feature-length Rankin/Bass movie (and TV special) "Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July" and are bewildered by how plot-heavy and overloaded it is with exposition and countless new characters. What is the proper way to react to Frosty dying (again)? Is Scratchy the Evil Reindeer sufficiently evil? And what does…
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A detour into the 4th of July, Kerry and Collin talk about the biggest hit of 1996, Roland Emmerich's alien invasion epic "Independence Day," which gives America permission to make our holiday a worldwide holiday because of something WE did. Suck it up, world! How does this movie play today now that we all know a little more about computers? Is the…
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Kerry and Collin talk about "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" every chance they get in this episode because it's a far more interesting subject, but because it's not holiday-based, they stick to the format as best they can by talking about the 2002 sequel, "The Santa Clause 2." Why aren't the rules consistent in these movies? Why does a real-world woman ha…
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In honor of its 30th anniversary, Kerry and Collin look back at a forgotten little gem starring Paul Newman, Melanie Griffith, Jessica Tandy, an uncredited Bruce Willis and an early role for Philip Seymour Hoffman. It's a "hang-out movie" that spans Thanksgiving to New Years. Why did Willis not get credit for playing a major role? Could this be vie…
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Kerry and Collin are joined by author John A. Zukowski, author of the book "Christmas On the Screen: Reviewing the Evolution of American Spirituality," which provides a springboard into the discussion of the classic "The Bishop's Wife," starring Cary Grant, Loretta Young and David Niven. Why did America need so many movies about celestial beings an…
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Kerry and Collin take a listener request and talk about an obscure TV movie called "Little Miss Millions," starring Howard Hesseman and (Jennifer) Love Hewitt. The film is directed by Jim "Chopping Mall" Wynorski, whose entire filmography is covered in this one single episode. How many times does Collin drop "Midnight Run" into the conversation? Do…
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The Easter holiday is when many people pull out the Biblical epics and none of them rock harder than Norman Jewison's adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice's immortal "Jesus Christ Superstar." Brad Strauss returns to chat with Collin and Kerry about the film's controversy, production problems and why this Biblical movie endures while others ha…
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St. Patrick's Day calls for a celebration of all things Irish. Why not celebrate the "Blacks of Dublin" with the 1991 musical comedy "The Commitments"? Kerry and Collin are joined by their friend Jim Peebles to talk about what might be the greatest fictional band of all time. Who are/were the Commitments? Where are they now? How authentically Irish…
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Kerry and Collin are joined by Laura McDougal and Allyson Dykhuizen (founders of an online community geared towards knitting and garment making, among other things) to talk about the 1994 version of "Little Women." How does this version compare to others, most notably Greta Gerwig's version? Who is the "worst" little woman in the film? Do men alway…
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The first detour from Christmas takes Kerry and Collin to the beloved and behated Valentine's Day. Conveniently, that also happens to be the name of the movie they talk about. Garry Marshall's last three films were holiday-based rom-com adventures. "Valentine's Day" might be the best of the three, but will likely be the only one covered on this sho…
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The Star Wars Holiday Special remains a curiosity item for many, mainly for its sheer awfulness. In this episode, Kerry and Collin talk with director Jeremy Coon about his wonderful documentary on the notorious television special, "A Disturbance In the Force" (now available on VOD and blu-ray). Should this wretched television special be officially …
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For this year's Nutcracker entry, Kerry and Collin fulfill a listener request with "The Nutcracker Prince," surprisingly not a direct-to-video animated film from this era, but sure feels like one. What is Blue (or Bleu) Cheese Cake? Is it acceptable to have a Nutcracker movie without the slightest hint of ballet? Is it worth the effort to travel to…
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We're managed to sneak in one episode for 2023! We're discussing Dolly Parton's other Christmas movie where she plays an angel - Unlikely Angel!由Christmas Movies Unwrapped
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Friend of the show, Jim Peebles, joins Collin and Kerry for a look at one of the most enduring and successful of all Christmas films, Jon Favreau's 2003 comedy "Elf," starring Will Farrell as the eternally childlike Buddy The Elf and James Caan as his long lost father. How does the film hold up after 20 years? Did the film breathe new life into the…
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Kerry and Collin take the show on the road for their 100th episode (or is it?). They are joined by frequent guests Erik Childress and Peter Sobczynski for a discussion in front of an audience following the screening of the film. Does John Landis' film represent Eddie Murphy at his peak? How does this movie work as a time capsule of '80s greed and s…
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Ed Daly, author of "The Christmas Book," joins Kerry and Collin for a discussion on the 1988 classic comedy "Scrooged," starring Bill Murray. For Ed, it was a memorable childhood moviegoing experience. For Collin, it was a memorable teenage experience working at a movie theater at the time. For Kerry, it was a memorable cable TV staple. Does it hol…
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Kerry and Collin talk about the Christmas episodes from Murder She Wrote, Moonlighting, Psych, The Office, Pee-Wee's Playhouse and The Bear. Collin also covers some holiday offerings new on blu-ray/4K and offers his choices for the best blu-ray/4K releases of the year. Finally, they each recommend a movie-related book ("Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel…
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Film critic Marya E. Gates joins Collin and Kerry to talk about Netflix's latest holiday offering, "Best. Christmas. Ever!" This "fam-com" stars Heather Graham, Brandy and Jason Biggs and is directed by Mary Lambert of "Pet Sematary" fame. How does this film figure into the rest of her work? Do rich people really have multiple, full-size Christmas …
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The first big Christmas film of the season, Alexander Payne's "The Holdovers," is actually pretty great (the first Christmas movie of the season is rarely ever good). Film critic Steve Prokopy joins Kerry and Collin for the discussion of this theatrical release that is worthy of your time at your local theater (SPOILERS WARNING FOR THIS EPISODE!). …
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