Unwrapping Christmas Memories: The Double Feature's Lost Episode

Step into our time machine as we unearth a holiday treasure from our archives! This special release brings you an engaging, never-before-heard conversation that captures a moment in time while delivering festive film analysis that still resonates today.

Our hosts unwrap two holiday classics with candid commentary and personal reflections. First, they tackle "Christmas with the Kranks" (2004), exploring the suburban pressure to conform to holiday traditions and questioning why neighbors would harass a couple simply for wanting to skip Christmas decorations. The discussion veers into relatable territory as they share their own holiday food favorites (tamales as the perfect on-the-go food!) and debate how far they'd personally go in boycotting Christmas traditions.

The conversation shifts to "The Muppets Christmas Carol" (1992), where they praise Michael Caine's committed performance alongside the Muppets and analyze the film's themes of redemption and change. Their appreciation for the practical effects and puppetry shows how some elements of filmmaking truly stand the test of time, while their analysis of character development reveals deeper meanings beneath the family-friendly surface.

What makes this episode special is how it weaves cultural perspectives throughout. The hosts share thoughtful ideas about creating bicultural Christmas traditions that blend American and Latino celebrations, revealing a desire for more authentic representation in holiday media that many listeners will find refreshing and relatable.

Whether you're a film buff, holiday enthusiast, or just enjoy thoughtful conversations about pop culture, this time capsule episode offers both nostalgia and fresh insights.

🍿 We want to know your reviews, and movie picks, too! Connect with us on Instagram:  

• @thedoublefeaturepodcast
• @a.glitter.goddess - Blanca, Co-Host
• @fivekrunner90 - Bri, Co-Host

Transcript

Welcome to Our Time Capsule Episode

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Welcome to season two of the Double Feature Podcast. Today, we're opening up the time capsule. We'll be enjoying one of our unreleased episodes from a few years ago. Think of it as a conversation frozen in time. Buckle up and get ready to time travel three.

Christmas Greetings and Holiday Foods

SPEAKER_00 0:41

Merry Christmas.

SPEAKER_02 0:45

Hi everyone. Thank you so much for tuning in to our Christmas special episode. Merry Christmas. Thank you guys for tuning in. Hope you guys have your hot cocoa, eggnog, tamales. Atole. Do you drink atole? I do drink atole. Champurado. I like them both. I don't know. What do you think? I'm not a fan of atole. It's I like champurado. It's sweet. Champurado's just sweeter, thicker, more unhealthy.

SPEAKER_03 1:11

Because atole, I well, the way my grandma makes it, she gets coconut. I'm not a fan.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

Yeah. I get that. I think atole is just like much more thinner. And I like champurado when it's thick and chocolatey. I love it. Uh so this Christmas episode, we will be reviewing Christmas with the Cranks and The Muppets of Christmas Carol. Yes. Starting off with Christmas

Christmas with the Cranks Review

SPEAKER_02 1:36

with the Cranks.

SPEAKER_03 1:39

Finally, alone for the holidays, Luther and Nora Crank plan to eskew the Christmas traditions and take a cruise in the Caribbean instead. This doesn't sit well with their Christmas-obsessed neighbors Vic Frohmeyer and Walt Scheel, who are determined to win the annual Best Decorated Street Competition, and the Cranks soon find themselves social outcasts because of their lack of Christmas spirit.

SPEAKER_02 2:05

This movie is rated PG. It's of course a holiday comedy. You might know him as he also directed America's Sweetheart. I could see that. Julia Roberts. Everything else he kind of like produced. Tears of the Sun, he produced, Daddy Daycare, he produced, The Forgotten, he produced. Um that's what I found for him. The writer is Chris Columbus. We all know him. Yeah. We all know him. He's good at writing and directing. He did Home Alone. Harry Potter. Harry Potter directed a lot of the Harry Potter films. He directed also by Centennial Man and Stepmom. Mm-hmm. It's a good, good, good rap sheet. It was this movie was released in November of 2004, and at the box office Gross USA, it made $73.7 million. This movie stars Tim Allen as Luther Crank, uh, Jamie Lee Curtis as Nora Crank, Dan Aykroyd as Vic Fromeyer, M. Emmett Walsh as Walt, Elizabeth Franz as Bev, and Julie Gonzalo as Blair Crank. Let's just jump right in. I mean, it's just how you read in the synopsis. Like they were outcasted. Yeah. And I thought that was that's the comedy in it, right? It's ridiculous. Hands down, ridiculous. This movie was making me mad. I was getting upset watching it. This is what I imagine living in the suburbs, like from watching Desperate Housewives in this movie. It's like people really get mad when you don't have when when you break the sense of community that they have envisioned in their lives.

SPEAKER_03 3:52

Yeah. But yeah, I was getting so upset watching this. Um, because what's the big deal? If someone wants to, you know, they don't want to participate in Christmas, like mind your own business. It's very American of you to protest that vibes.

SPEAKER_02 4:10

Oh my gosh, I was so mad. Is there anything in particular that was that was in particularly uh upsetting you?

SPEAKER_03 4:17

Uh the her just like the I guess the passive aggressive harassment that they were doing. Like they send the carolers over to their house. Oh yeah, that's the one. Yeah, and then um the they were standing in their front lawn chanting free frosty. Oh, the frosty one got to me. You don't even have to hang him up. Yeah, just bring them out, bring him out, we'll do it. I was just like, what the hell? And control. They even had a little sign, little picket signs, free frosty.

SPEAKER_02 4:48

Yeah, it was ridiculous. The extent that these you have no life if you're the the holidays are crazy for everyone. Yeah. And my parents are recently separated, so they say, and juggling two holidays like is very overwhelming for me. And I'm like, if it's overwhelming, if the holidays are overwhelming for everyone and you're gonna add the extra work of harassing, so much work. Why would you do that?

SPEAKER_05 5:14

Why would you do that?

SPEAKER_03 5:16

And then when she's uh Nora, she's like walking down the street, and then some guy's like, Oh, we didn't get your your inner your order, your cookie order, or your some like Christmas order, and she was like, Oh, well, we're not ordering this year because we're Oh, the cards, the cards, Christmas cards, an imitation, yeah, and she's like, Oh, we're not gonna order this year because we're skipping Christmas, and then she like leaves and goes into like a restaurant and she's having lunch, and the store guy like follows her, and he was like, Did you say you're skipping Christmas?

SPEAKER_02 5:45

Like, you couldn't pay me enough of my minimum wage job, right? To follow anybody, yeah, it's ridiculous. Um, but I get what you're saying, and I think um Nora being very passive, only only heightened all of that. Could you do a total Christmas boycott, or how far would you be willing to go and in this situation because you're going on a cruise? On a cruise. Oh, I love Christmas. So it's the idea that they're not even gonna be there for Christmas and they're gonna be back after New Year's. So, like, what's the point of decorating at all if Yeah, well, well, because I was like, they can still decorate, like what's the harm in that?

SPEAKER_03 6:28

But then her husband was like, no, this is a total boycott. But I'm like, man, I love I love the Christmas food, I love gingerbread, I love you know the holiday ham. I love all the what are the seasonal, just the seasonal foods, sweet, sweet potatoes, yeah, marshmallows, caught chocolate.

SPEAKER_02 6:48

I'm addicted to sugar, so you know, and then tamales, to me, tamales are like tamales and posol, but tamales in particular is like the perfect on-the-go food. It's so good, it's the best. I wish I um I need to learn how to make them already, so I could just have them for breakfast.

SPEAKER_03 7:02

I know how to make them, but I don't like to eat them. The ones you make or what? They're okay. Like when we make them and they're come out like fresh, I'm like, sure, okay, I'll eat them, but people go crazy for tamales, and like my family will make a bunch and freeze them and they'll eat them like for months.

SPEAKER_02 7:20

What a great idea.

SPEAKER_03 7:21

And I'm just like, I mean, I ate it once, like I'm all like I'm over it. But you just say you love Christmas, I thought well, yeah, I like all the other foods.

unknown 7:29

Damn.

SPEAKER_03 7:30

Time unfortunate.

SPEAKER_02 7:31

Po sole, you feel that way? I love posole.

SPEAKER_03 7:33

No, I love posole. You like red or green? I like red.

SPEAKER_02 7:36

They're all delicious.

SPEAKER_03 7:37

They're all good. I mean, I'll eat green too, but I like it, the red one. That's all good. It's all delicious. So so so no, I wouldn't like if you're telling me to boycott Christmas and I gotta boycott all these foods, it's not gonna happen.

SPEAKER_02 7:49

Yeah, I was so the the most you're willing to go would be to at least decorate and eat.

SPEAKER_03 7:54

At least, yeah, if we could decorate and eat, okay. I've I'm cool not buying presents for anybody. Yeah, seriously, that part.

SPEAKER_02 8:01

Which last year you said we weren't gonna do this. I know, and then I bought you a present. I know, and I was like, this whore!

unknown 8:07

This light, whore!

SPEAKER_02 8:09

I saw it and I thought of you. I love it. I actually do use it to be honest. Good, yeah, I use it, and it's very, very uh insightful. Good, cool. It's not it's not what I thought it was gonna be, but it's still very um I didn't know what to think of it. And then I started using it, I was like, it's pretty useful. Um let's see. Well, now that I know that you love it this much, we should do some activities this year.

SPEAKER_03 8:32

Yeah, totally holiday activities. So let's go build a snowman.

SPEAKER_02 8:35

Fuck yeah, you want to go snow we can. Um, I agree with you. I don't know, I think I would be very uncomfortable to do a total boycott of not eating, not even baking, not even decorating anything that's for free, like I can't even do. Yeah, like that's the uncomfortable part. But um or the music, like I love Christmas music. That's that's like going too far. Like he was very black and white, and I thought this was a very exaggerated point of it. Um, because you can't escape it. Yeah, it's like you can't escape the holiday music there, whatever. You know, you can't escape the Santa Claus, you know, on the corner of that of the main street. Um I wouldn't want to do it, but I think I could do it.

SPEAKER_03 9:20

I mean, I'm not a cruise person, so I think if it was a different trip, if the trip was like something I really wanted to do, then yeah, I could probably maybe, huh? Maybe I can do it.

SPEAKER_02 9:33

Maybe. Um, I'm afraid of large bodies of water, so I don't think I could, I would have to be like drunk the whole time or something, which probably isn't it? That's what cruises are. Yeah, you just go on a cruise and drink the whole time. Which last year I I had told my boyfriend, like, can we just go on a trip for Christmas, like Christmas? And he was hands down. No, no, why? I I think he's much more family oriented than I am, so I know that you know he wants he generally wants to spend time with his family, and I get that. Me, they're gonna be here when I come back anyway. You know what I do want to do? One year I want to do Christmas in Hawaii.

SPEAKER_03 10:07

Oh that I would imagine would be nice. Yeah, you should just have a girl's trip. Let's do it. So, I mean, I go I would skip Christmas for that. If it was Christmas in Hawaii, I'd be like, hell yeah, I'm down. What about a pre-Christmas?

SPEAKER_02 10:20

Like the first two weeks of December.

SPEAKER_03 10:22

There we go. Yeah, I'm down.

SPEAKER_02 10:23

Which I feel like you would have to get all your Christmas shit done.

SPEAKER_03 10:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:26

Before that time, if you come back, you're gonna be so refreshed and not want to do yeah, but that would be like a nice gift, right? Like a nice or even after Christmas, yeah, you know, or and my boyfriend and another thing that he brought up, like, you know, traveling for the holidays

Neighborhood Pressure and Holiday Boycotts

SPEAKER_02 10:41

is not what you think it is. And I think he got a good point about that. I mean, I haven't traveled since I was in the fifth grade, you know. So, but yeah, I don't think I could do a total one. Wouldn't like to, but I think I could do it. But I I agree, I don't think that I think he went too far. Yeah, all the free stuff you should be able to do. So if you have music Christmas music, you should be able to do it. If you if you know how to make cookies from scratch, you can just do it. Um so I thought that. Do you think that so Luther was planning this trip for six whole weeks, right? Is he tripping for still wanting to go because the daughter let them know literally like the day of yeah?

SPEAKER_03 11:20

I don't think he's tripping. Me neither, bitch.

SPEAKER_02 11:23

The way that mom was acting sideways, I was like, you totally sold out your husband right now.

SPEAKER_03 11:29

And then I think it's I didn't like that they I didn't think they worked well together as a husband and wife. Because she was on the phone with her daughter, she didn't even ask her husband nothing. She was just like, Yeah, come home, we're having the party. And I was just like, damn, she just like disregarded everything her husband was doing.

SPEAKER_02 11:47

I was gonna say that I feel like they have great chemistry. I don't know if you know any relationships like that where the woman just runs everything, yeah. And so that was very realistic. Even he was like, Shout out to my mom. Cause I was like, that one right there looks like a hundred percent like real. And then the way that she like what did she say? This was all your idea, yeah. Which I mean, that's not a lie. And I'm kind of sad that he didn't come, but it's all for the sake of comedy, right? I'm not gonna confront which I think it would have been funny if he still did. He if he would have been m making fun of her, like, oh, all of a sudden, you know, which I guess that makes sense for her character, right? She was she wanted to go, right? I don't know. You think the mom's words didn't match her body language?

SPEAKER_03 12:39

I yeah, because he kept every time he would bring up the, you know, going I think when he would bring up Grin going on the cruise, she would be like, mm-hmm. But you could tell, like she's hesitant about it, but she's not she wasn't saying anything, she just kind of went along with him, but you could totally tell that she's not into this idea.

SPEAKER_02 12:58

I was like I again it's all for the sake of comedy. So it's kind of like you passive aggressively agreed to this, but you had no problem asserting your dominance or yeah, like yeah, a total like personality switch at the end. And I think it's because she didn't want to experience Christmas without her daughter, yeah. So I think that's the only thing I can't assume. But I feel like it wasn't even gonna be the same, like you're over here going crazy over this fucking ham.

unknown 13:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:28

And then I don't understand why people put so much stress to create the perfect like holiday dinner. Like, why couldn't they just order a pizza? Or like why not just make sandwiches or you know, whatever? Cause I feel like it's not a big deal, like, because then you're just stressed out, you're like sometimes I don't have you ever seen people get angry in the kitchen when something's like, yeah, where is it? And I'm just like, this is supposed to be a happy party time, and you're yelling at me.

SPEAKER_02 13:58

And I feel like these are the people that are doing most of the work. I feel like you could delegate some of the work, yeah. You could delegate the cookies to the kids, yeah, have someone chaperone them, you could delegate the decorating to also to the kids, yeah. Just have someone like help them. Um yeah, I was like, this is kind of going on. Do you think that she gaslighted the dad? I think so. She was told.

SPEAKER_03 14:26

That she didn't want it at the end when she was like, Oh, you're so selfish, you're just moping about your stupid cruise. I can't believe you.

SPEAKER_02 14:34

Yeah, I think she was out of line for that. I was like, what the hell? That was my man. I would have been like, he was planning this for six weeks. And your daughter, she's an adult now. Like, was she supposed to be eight? I don't think she was supposed to be like 18. I think she was like in in college years. Yeah. So I feel like, shouldn't you kind of already be accustomed to like living your life without your adult child? Like, am I wrong for that?

SPEAKER_03 14:56

And then I felt like she was being so extra with her daughter. Like when her daughter called and she's like screaming, ah, no, or whatever the fuck her name is.

SPEAKER_02 15:05

And then just like climbing onto the you don't know any moms like that? No, do you? I don't think my mom acted like that. She will make certain comments, but I don't think she would take it to that level. No. No. I think my mom.

SPEAKER_03 15:19

There's a good chance if I call my mom, she's snapping. So a woman knows how to live. So she would either ignore my call or she'd be like grumpy, like, well, why are you calling me? It's better be an emergency. Yeah, you better be dying.

SPEAKER_02 15:35

Um, does does your mom go all out for Christmas? She wants it to be perfect. Uh yeah. I think my grandma doesn't um go that way, but she does want her tree a certain way. And so I get that. She's had the tree for X amount of years. She still has her little toy. She has like a toy Santa, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus. Uh, this year I want to take pictures of with my boyfriend and I as like a Mexican style of like Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus. Oh, that'd be cool. That's what I said. That'd be so cool. He's like, so whatever. I'm like, look, man, I could make we could have props of champurado and tamales. Uh-huh. You know, we can do that. Um, I'm thinking about like the Santa Claus design to have like an Aztec. Like I could just draw like I was thinking like mariachi, like oh see that too, right? Like the red design. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm like, I think it's a great idea. And then we could have the traditional Mexican like um plate sets. Yeah. Um, I could have like a cute little um what's the little thing you called? When you when you're cooking and it's uh apron. A cute red apron. Um I don't know, just something cute and creative because it's like it's like to I like to I like to mesh as a as a person that wanted that grew up wanting to be an actor, there's just always this craving for me in in art, music, television, you know, and in generally in the arts, this craving for um what do you what do they call it? Um representation of being bicultural. Yeah. And I feel like a lot of times it's either one end or the other. Yeah. It's like either it's a hundred percent American. Like this film is a hundred percent um American. Yeah. Or having a film that's like a hundred percent like Latino. And it's like, I know it's challenging, I know it's difficult. I know that a lot of films can't execute the biculturalism. Some that nail it, you know, nail it. Um, but in any way to to intermesh them, I think a lot of people are coming out with a lot more art pieces that are bicultural. Um, so I that's just what I was thinking about this year. Like, oh yeah, you know, having like a bicultural Christmas photo. That'd be cool. We should do it. Yeah, we need to get together and design this because uh someone's not and if we do it together, I'm I'm fine with that. We could be elves, I don't care.

SPEAKER_03 17:55

I think that'd be funny if he's like coming down a tree and instead of cookies, someone left out like pandulse.

SPEAKER_02 18:01

There you go. Yeah, that's another thing, too. Like some pandulce, you know what I mean? Pandulce and a champurella or something. There you go. Um, or him coming home from work and like uh full bowl uh the bowl that had pozole on it. I don't know. We'll get together and we'll see. We could do a lot. There's a lot here. There's so much to play with, yeah. Yeah. And then with the baby, you know, there we go. Dress them up like a cookie or something. An ornament. There you go. A gift. I don't know. Yeah, you can pick. It's all good. We could do it. Yeah, so I feel like um so you think that she did gaslight the dad then? I totally. She was totally gaslighting him. I don't know if it was gas. She did him wrong. I know that for sure. I don't know if she was gaslighting it, but she for sure did him wrong. And I feel like he didn't do anything wrong. Yeah, he didn't deserve all of that. Wrong? No.

SPEAKER_03 18:52

No. I mean, he obviously he saw how sad the mom was that their daughter wasn't gonna be there, and he was trying to, you know, take her mind off it or cheer her up, you know, he was trying to do something nice, and she was being a total bitch about it.

SPEAKER_02 19:08

And it looked like she was on board. I mean, you could see some hesitation, but I also feel like she was kind of interested in it. I mean, she she went on to go with the 10. I think in my perception, it wasn't that she didn't want to go, it's just that she wanted to spend the holidays with her daughter. And I wish we knew more about the storyline because again, like you have never had a Christmas without your college daughter.

SPEAKER_03 19:28

Yeah. And then I feel like wouldn't you be excited to to spend time with your husband alone?

SPEAKER_02 19:37

Like, I would hope so, but I think that there's a lot of women out the out there that get fulfillment and after becoming a mother, only see themselves as a mother. And and that's the impression that I get from her.

SPEAKER_03 19:48

If you're well, it seemed like because she was like well, had her volunteer work and she had those like two other ladies who were her friends. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:57

So I don't know if they were two, they were moms too, you know. That's the impression I got. Maybe she was like feeling left out, like all the other moms, you know what I mean? Like in the little circle, like, oh, I'm the only mom kid, doesn't have time with their kid or whatever. Yeah, um, and also uh Luther wasn't making it sound like I've always wanted to go to where were they going? The Bahamas or the Tropics Caribbean. I don't know. I've always wanted he wasn't making it sound like this is solely my interest. Yeah, like we will both enjoy this. It was a suggestion that he made, and she agreed. Yeah, and I I don't think I mean I wish more people would travel for the holidays, but I guess it's not that great, you know. Well, the weather, right? That's something that I didn't consider the weather, what the weather was gonna be like, so I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 20:42

Any other two cents? I thought Jamie Lee Curtis looked good in that bikini.

SPEAKER_02 20:48

I know all of the shot here. She's aging pretty well. I can't lie.

SPEAKER_03 20:53

Yeah, and then I thought she

Family Dynamics and Christmas Expectations

SPEAKER_03 20:56

looked better than Tim Allen. He came out without a shirt, and I was like, ugh.

SPEAKER_02 21:01

Seriously. Then that Botox, that Botox ain't doing nothing for you.

SPEAKER_03 21:06

Not doing nothing for nobody. What'd you think about the mom's speech at the end? About thanking community and all their help and stuff.

SPEAKER_02 21:16

I thought it was cheesy.

SPEAKER_03 21:18

Well, that was making me mad too. And um, she was like, Oh, like this is our community, and you guys help us put this wonderful party together. And I was like, they've been harassing you for the past like how many weeks? I'm like, fuck those neighbors. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 21:34

It was a very low, I feel like the the desire, the desperation rather, for like community and unity was very much there. Um, but again, it's all for the sake of comedy, right? I think people in the suburbs probably could relate to this a little bit more. I thought this whole thing was funny because it's just stupid, right? Like the extent that your neighbors are taking this to um carolers. I think also, yeah, I can't relate. Like, I've we've never had carolers in Compton. What the fuck? You know, gunshots, yeah. Carolers, no. Um, so it was just like ridiculous.

SPEAKER_03 22:10

And then I thought it was kind of unfair too when she she's at home and she calls her husband at work, and she's like, Oh, that the people were outside, you know, saying free frosty, and she was like, I'm the one doing this, I'm on the front lines, and you're just hiding in your office and stuff. But at work, his co-workers were being kind of mean to him too, and he didn't like say anything.

SPEAKER_02 22:32

Yeah, I feel like it was this is a traditional marriage, a traditional, like very American, right? Because I think in a lot of cultures, not just American, but like the woman handles the emotional distress, and the man has to stay strong for his woman, is is what I got from it. Like, you know, she sees his wife down, he's trying to pick her up. Like, she's bothered by these harassing neighbors, he's trying to pick her up and not complaining about his experience, you know. Um, which I think it would have been funny and even heightened it if they were both talking shit about the neighbors, yeah. Rather than him just like macho manning it out.

SPEAKER_03 23:13

Did you did you like the car scene when they're in the rain and he has to go out into the store to buy a pound of chocolate or whatever? Yeah, it's like every relationship ever. I know. I was like, I had I've had this conversation with my husband so many times.

SPEAKER_02 23:28

Well, I just feel like my life, I've had a life before you. I can do difficult things, yeah. I can walk in the rain. Yeah, it's not a big deal. Yeah. If you don't want to do it, that's fine. I'm not gonna be mad. I'll just I'll do it. Like every like other things, I'll just get up and do it. Yeah. Why is there a problem now? I don't know why they do that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:53

That's annoying. It is annoying. I forgot what maybe we were gonna go like to a family event or something or somewhere, and he was saying like he told me he didn't want to go, that he was like tired from work and whatever, and I'm like, okay, you stay home. I'm just gonna I'll go by myself. And he was like, Oh, I'm not gonna let you go alone. And I was like, Well, if you don't want to come, it's not a big deal. Like, I could just go alone, like it's fine. And he was just like, and he like puts on his shoes, and I'm like, Well, you and I was like, Well, you're gonna be grumpy the whole time, just stay. Yeah, leave that attitude at home, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 24:27

Or stay here with your funky attitude. I feel that way all the time. You never got an attitude with me. If you did, I didn't notice. No, so I'm just like, You're so laid back, Brie. I don't I don't just you get shit done too. So I'm just like, there's nothing to complain about. Thank you, thank you, complain about it. But yeah, I'm just like, this is annoying, like you know, there's no need for it. But I guess for your that instance, it was late at night, right?

SPEAKER_03 24:52

I don't remember the situation exactly, but I was just like, I can do this, and he was like, No, I'm gonna do it. Ridiculous.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

This is this is when the closeness they're they're too close and they don't want to do anything without you. And I'm just like, Can I get some peace around here? Any other two cents about this movie? Uh what did you think about Enrique? Enrique? The daughter's boyfriend. Again, this movie was a very much an American movie because they've met him before, and then Nora was like, Oh, he's probably never had an American Christmas. But Blake was just like, you guys have met him a few times and then met him at graduation. Yeah. So he was way more passive than I was. I was very happy that he got along with um the umbrella Senna, Marty. Yeah. Because I was like, this person's actually seeing beyond them and is trying to. I don't mind it when white people were trying to learn, like, are learning Spanish and like teaching me in an effort to strengthen or speaking with me in an effort to strengthen it. Um practice.

SPEAKER_04 26:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:02

But if you're like barely learning and like trying to formulate, like have me teach you entirely, like that's very challenging. Like some phrases are okay. Cause I love to speak in Spanglish, it wish the whole community, which is the whole SoCal region, just needs to get on board with the Spanglish. Um, but yeah, I thought he was like quite passive, like the Latino, not trying to like make a pro which I'm like, you're born here. Why aren't you just like, oh, nice to see you again? Yeah, I don't know. And I feel like Enrique, that's not a difficult name to when he spelled it when they spelled it when they picked him up. And Ricky, like so dumb. It was dumb. And I was like, Cheech, you know better than that. Get your get your co-worker in line, bro. You ain't fooling nobody. You're the brownest person here. Besides the black neighbor. Come on, bro. Come on, get it together. But yeah, I think he was definitely like too passive for that. What'd you think?

SPEAKER_03 26:59

Yeah, I thought I don't know. I wish they would have like shown his reactions, maybe to like the white people.

SPEAKER_02 27:10

Oh yeah, scared or something.

SPEAKER_03 27:12

I don't know, do an eye roll or do like a I don't know, something.

SPEAKER_02 27:16

I think the mom did enough with all that shit she was saying. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:20

The back doll test.

SPEAKER_02 27:25

What does this get on the backdoll test? It fails.

SPEAKER_03 27:30

It fails. There there are scenes where the mom is like talking to her friends, but they're out in public, so there's like background people, so you could see guys in the background. So I thought for sure the whole card thing, but after the guy left.

SPEAKER_02 27:47

Yeah.

Popcorn or Kernel: Rating the Cranks

SPEAKER_02 27:50

Alright, everyone, now it's time for our newest segment, Popcorn or Colonel. Uh, you know how sometimes we think we're just not the audience for this? Well, we turned it into a metric where we judge the accessibility of the movie.

SPEAKER_03 28:04

Yeah, so we're gonna look at the characters and the plot to see how relatable they are to a general audience or to a specific audience. So if we think the movie can relate to a lot of people, it's a popcorn. So you could pass it around and share it with the whole family. But if it's for a more specific audience, then it's a kernel. Some people like it, some people spit it back.

SPEAKER_02 28:24

So we're agreeing that the main characters are Nora and Luther, right? Yes. So in regards to Luther and Nora, are the main characters relatable?

SPEAKER_03 28:38

Not to me. Not yet. Not yet. Maybe in like 20 years.

SPEAKER_02 28:43

Maybe I thought if I I stretched it. I was like, yeah, the holidays are expensive and exhausting. You want because that that was the whole thing, that was the whole beginning, right? Like the same way.

SPEAKER_03 28:57

But I don't know, like just their relationship. I I didn't like it the way they were talking to each other, or just I I don't know. No.

SPEAKER_02 29:07

I thought they had great chemistry for a couple that has been together. Because you know, couples when they've been together for decades, they all talk to each other. Yeah. Like the way like the people in their 20s do, you know, and even even the elderly don't talk to their couples the way they use you know what I mean? They're just tired of their shit. Tired of their shit, they don't give a fuck, they're just like, stay mad.

SPEAKER_03 29:29

Um and I just thought the mom was over the top, like with everything with her, like she's I don't know, she screamed a lot, she was crawling around her house, like trying to avoid the windows. I I don't know. I thought she was just too much.

SPEAKER_02 29:44

I think I think I have a wonky perception of moms because I was like, that seems like a mom to me. When people knock at the door and they're trying to avoid and yeah, trying to have their man or somebody else save them, and trying to be all about the kids and caring about what the name. Neighbors think like that. Sounds like a very Latino mom to me. You know what I mean? Yeah. But I get that. Okay, so relatable, no. Attractive.

SPEAKER_03 30:09

Uh, I I like Jamie Lee Curtis, but I don't know. She not so much here, huh? Yeah, I don't her hair.

SPEAKER_02 30:16

And then she's always bundled up in the ugly Christmas clothes. No. Funny. Are the main characters funny? Nora and Luther. I thought they were. I mean, he got that Botox. And then she gets ironically, um, gets the tan just to put the priest, yeah. The fingers at the fucking window.

SPEAKER_03 30:38

Yeah. The gloves. The gloves. Um, okay, there's funny moments.

SPEAKER_02 30:45

Um, are they charming?

SPEAKER_03 30:48

I didn't really feel charming. Do they invoke sympathy or empathy? The husband, Luther. I felt bad for him.

SPEAKER_02 30:56

I did too. I was like, motherfucker. What about your crews? Which we all know what happened with the crews. Yeah. Regarding the movie of the plot or the plot, are there stakes? I don't think there was. Are the characters in jeopardy? No. She wish her fucking acting like it. Boo-hoo-hoo. I know. Oh is the conflict interesting? I didn't think it was interesting. I feel like she was making it hard on herself. Yeah. Is the topic relevant?

SPEAKER_03 31:31

Relevant. I think it is. Cause I I feel I'm the type of person that I I go I don't do what everyone else is doing. So I feel like being an outcast because you just because of something stupid, like, yeah, that's relevant.

SPEAKER_02 31:49

I thought it was relevant too. I think especially because the whole spirit is the spirit of Christmas, right? Yeah. So like to be neighborly. Yeah. Yeah. So they all forgave the neighbors. The neighbors forgave them, I guess. Um, they ended up having the party, and then he his relationship with the neighbors while in Bev, as far with as far as with Luther, strengthened. And um, I think for a lot of people, when you have a partner or a family member that has um health decline or needs, I think a lot of people tend to forget about them. Yeah. You know, and he didn't have to do that. So for me, that was like the spirit of Christmas, like what really matters, yeah, type of a thing. And I think that's why he didn't confront the wife. I think it wasn't that much of a fuss because from like what I gathered, like that was the whole that was like the meaning of this Christmas film. But what do you think about that?

SPEAKER_03 32:41

Yeah, I think that was it was a sweet ending.

SPEAKER_02 32:45

I really liked it. It made me tear up. Because if you know anyone with dementia or also, because that's what she no, she has cancer, yeah. That's a whole nother monster, too, you know.

SPEAKER_03 32:55

And then someone said it in the movie, they're like, Oh, this might be her last Christmas. Yeah, because they found out that she relapsed, yeah, or she was uh um the cancer came back.

SPEAKER_02 33:04

Yeah, they said sorry. So for the ratings, so out of 133 reviews, this gets a five percent, a record-breaking five percent on the tomato meter. Out of an audience score of over 50,000 reviews, that's a 39%. What do you rate this?

SPEAKER_03 33:27

Oh, I was gonna give it a five.

SPEAKER_02 33:29

I give it a five too. Oh, cool. Because I watch this movie around Christmas time.

SPEAKER_03 33:34

Yeah, I do too. I think it's funny. I think I guess I don't pay attention because it's like just kind of like on, and I'm like doing other stuff. Yeah, but I was like, but actually like watching it, and I was just like, oh, I don't like this movie.

SPEAKER_02 33:48

After you sit down and watch it reels. I know I was entertained by this film, and then I'm not gonna lie. I had the same experience. I was like, I'm sorry I made this. I should have gone with the other one that we were going. Yeah. That's okay.

SPEAKER_03 34:02

Great, you forgive me. I forgive you. In the spirit of Christmas, I'll forgive you. Alright, so next up is the Muppets Christmas Carol.

The Muppets Christmas Carol Review

SPEAKER_03 34:13

The Muppets perform the classic Charles Dickens holiday tale with Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchit, the put-upon clerk of Ebenezer Scrooge. Other Muppets, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, and Sam the Eagle, weave in and out of the story while Scrooge receives visits from spirits of three Christmases, past, present, and future. They show him the error of his self-serving ways, but the miserable old man seems to be past any hope of redemption and happiness.

SPEAKER_02 34:44

This movie is rated G. Its genre, of course, is kids and family holiday fantasy. It's directed by Brian Henson. Y'all know who he is. He's the guy that makes the Muppets! No need to uh say his whole repertoire. Does he make like every other Muppet movie ever? Yeah, pretty much. That's the guy. Prediction company. Um it was also written, it was written by Jerry Jewel, I believe is how you pronounce it. And he's teamed up with Brian before in making the Muppet movie. Muppet Treasure Island, and Muppets from Space. I didn't even know they had that one. I should watch that one. They're always funny. Yeah. This movie was released December 1992. Box office gross in the USA is 27.4 million. This film stars Michael Cain as Ebenezer Scrooge, Gonzo as Charles Dickens, Kermit the Frog as Bob Cretchit, and Miss Piggy as Emily Cretchit. Why did they name them that? I don't know. I don't know. It's like when they named their kids Harry. Why? Why would you name them an adjective? That's an adjective, right, Harry? Yeah. Motherfucker. Anyway. Anyways. In the spirit of Christmas. I forgive. I forgive. Um I just want to say a little fact about Michael Cain. He and I have the same birthday. Ooh. He was born March 14, 33. Uh-huh. That was March 14th, 93. Oh, cool. So I was like, my brother in Pisces. Whenever I see other Pisces, I'm like, my brother in Pisces. Um, Michael Cain has always been old. Yeah. He's an old man forever. He's old in this film. He was 52. I'm sorry. Oh. 59. In 1992. When this movie when they were making this film. God damn it. When this movie released, it was already 59. What the hell? How old was he in Batman? I have no idea. He had a million? Jeez. Batman probably came out like maybe a few years later.

SPEAKER_03 36:46

No, I was in high school when Batman came out. So in the 2000s. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:51

Oh shit. So Michael Cain for you. Michael Cain is balding in this film already. I was like, how old is he? How old is he now? Is he still alive? I did the work. He is alive, y'all. Don't ring the alarm. Michael Cain is uh 89 years old now. Jeez. Yeah, we gotta preserve him.

SPEAKER_03 37:13

National treasure, Michael Cain.

SPEAKER_02 37:16

But this, this, you know, this movie, I think everybody knows the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a Christmas Carol. Um, do you think it's too late to change?

SPEAKER_03 37:29

Well, because they were listing off all these horrible things that he did. That he was like evicting orphans and the way he treats his employees, and he just seemed like a horrible man already, like so late in life. And all of a sudden he's gonna turn an I feel like he's just trying to turn turn a new leaf to get into heaven.

SPEAKER_02 37:49

Yep, they always do. Once once they see the the consequence of their actions, they all want to change. They don't want a three six 180. Yeah, 180 it. Um, I think this was my answer. It well, the question is, is it too late to change? I think when you change, it may be too late for others. So if I did all these horrible things and you're a victim of that, and I decide to change, it might be too late for you because you're the victim of my actions, but not for myself. And I think it's important to know that when you change, it is not instantaneous. And I think that's what they try to prove in in these films when people change, right? That it's instantaneous, and they did. Yeah, they did. He woke up and started dressed up, um,

Character Analysis and Practical Effects

SPEAKER_02 38:38

started telling everybody Merry Christmas, and everybody was just on board with it. Yeah, and that everyone's life was forever changed and accepted, and he changed instantaneously, instantaneous, yeah. And so it's not really like that. It's a lot of work. You weren't like that in a day, you're not gonna get you're not gonna recover in like that from a day. So um, that was just the curvy part.

SPEAKER_03 38:57

But you yeah, yeah, you make a good point. I guess it's not it's never too late to change, but for you, yeah, for yourself for yourself, yeah. But for others, for others, that's it. You've wronged them forever.

SPEAKER_02 39:09

Yeah, I think it just depends on the deed, right? Like just how bad you burned somebody. Um, and I also think it's like the nature of that other person because I've seen like like my dad's a Gemini, and that dude, like he gets all hot and heated, and then he'll call you right back, be like, Hey, I'm sorry. Let's make up. And I'm like, I will never make up, I will forever on this. Um, so I think it also depends on the demeanor of the person. Um, there's that too. Uh, your actions create your own problems.

SPEAKER_03 39:41

Yeah. Cause it, yeah, they go back to Scrooge's whole life. And um because he was a workaholic, you know, his his girlfriend left him because he, you know, mistreated his employees, like his employees don't like him. It seemed like he mistreated the whole town because everyone was like talking talking about shit about him, yeah, reputation. And then um he was mean to his only living relative, his nephew, so that at the Christmas party, his nephew was like making fun of him, and so I'm like, I'm like, you're you're creating all of this. His actions made people see him a certain way and treat him a certain way. So it's he made his own problems.

SPEAKER_02 40:26

Yeah, I agree. And I think when it when people talk shit about you, it's important to hear the truth in the talking shit. Because just like comedy, there's a truth in the comedy. Um, I was at work the other day, and this lady was like, they asked her for help, and she was like, I can't do this right now. Go ask so and so. She's not doing anything. And I was like in the office, right in front of the room. I was like, Oh, I know that it hurt my feelings. And I was like, first of all, yeah, I'm not doing anything. Second of all, you ain't gotta come at me like that. Like, if you would have asked me for help, I would have said yes. And I was like, you know, she don't know me, she don't know that I would help her if she would have asked. But I think it's important to stay grounded in a humility, and I'm not perfect, so I'm sure I don't get it all the time. And it's all about perception, right? So I think in his eyes, because the whole thing is that he's lonely, right? Yeah, he's lonely. I thought he was just greedy, but he's not just greedy, he's lonely. And um, the thing I don't get about greedy people is that you're still lonely after all the money you make, it doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_03 41:27

And then I feel like the money is it's never enough. Right even though they have all this money, they always they need more. Never enough. Never enough.

SPEAKER_02 41:37

No, I agree with you wholeheartedly. But yeah, he was definitely a cold, a cold man.

SPEAKER_03 41:44

But I love I love Michael Cain's acting.

unknown 41:47

He's good.

SPEAKER_03 41:48

He's so I mean I he acts very serious, like I think he took it very seriously. And I've seen other Muppet specials where the actors are kind of more playful, but I like it that he's very like commitment. He's very yeah, very committed to the role.

SPEAKER_02 42:03

Well, when you do the a project or participate in in working with the Muppets, like how you said, there are there are two types of actors. There's one that is that understands that they're just a puppet, and I think that that's what you're talking about, right? Like they're just playful with the puppet, they they know it's just a kiddish thing, you can see it. They kind of act like a puppet themselves, like they're very animated, like and then you have other actors that commit to the world of Muppets, which is in this world, you have humans and Muppets coexisting, and they accept that life, and that's all the life that they've ever known, is the way that it's projected in the way I perceive it. And it's not just that Muppets are animals, there's also There's also like human Muppets. Yeah, you know what it people Muppets. Yeah, yeah. People Muppets, which is another just another layer of the of the Muppet world. And I I agree it uh wholeheartedly with what you say because his former colleagues were they Muppets? Like when they rose from the dead with the ghosts, were they Muppets themselves, or were they I think they were, right? Yeah, and I thought that was funny. Um and so I agree with you. It's just like he accepted, I mean, he could have been discriminative as well. I think it would have been a little too real. Yeah, he was discriminative. I don't really see a lot of black Muppets though. I don't know, black or brown Muppets. I don't know. Yeah, the Muppets as people. All right, you guys gotta work on that. They have like POC special guests, right?

SPEAKER_03 43:40

But not POC uh I think Sesame Street added like a Latina Muppet Muppet, but they're not Sesame Street, they're not called Muppets. Are they called Muppets? I think there's I don't know. I don't know either, but I get what you're saying.

SPEAKER_02 43:53

They added one that's POC, huh? I also feel that um there's a great use of practical effects, yeah. Because of the cam all of the camera angles just intensified and created suspense. Um, there's a thing about musicals. I'm surprised they don't cut categorize this as a musical. Um overdoing it with the songs, and I don't think it did. I think it had perfect about a little bit of everything. Um CGI, practical, well, I thought that was weird.

SPEAKER_03 44:26

The little ghost uh girl. Was she the Chris that she was a Christmas past? I was just like, Well, why didn't they just I was like, they could have made her a person, they could have made her a Muppet? Like, well, I was like, what is this?

SPEAKER_02 44:37

What is this Morphe? Yeah, like she looked like almost like a what was the name of that little monad in the 90s that she was like a not a slug or a cabbage, she wasn't a cabbage petch kid, but she was just like a little worm that was like snuggled up into a blanket all the time. It was just her head, like she didn't have a body, you know what I'm talking about?

SPEAKER_03 44:56

She was like a worm almost, and it would like light up, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 44:59

Yeah, it gave me that kind of vibe. Like she doesn't have like a body, like this toy only had like a head, around head, and then the rest of the body was always covered up, like in a blanket, like a baby. Yeah, and this is the vibe that she gave me, and it was like plain face, and I don't like a lot of like European art, like and and she looked like her artwork was very European. I don't like it. Um, and she like barely moved her voice. I feel like it was she was kind of blurry too, you don't think?

SPEAKER_03 45:27

Yeah, like because I think they're trying to like cause she was kind of like floating and she wasn't staying in one spot, so yeah, she looked blurry. I don't know, it was just the whole thing was kind of weird.

SPEAKER_02 45:36

That one was weird, yeah. What about when his colleagues, the the ghosts of their the Christmas past, right? His colleagues, they're no, they're just a random ghosts. Oh my bad.

SPEAKER_03 45:47

The the the Marys, the Marvins, Marley's? Oh, yeah, the Marlies.

SPEAKER_02 45:51

Marley and Marley. I like them. I did too. I wish they would they would have came out more. They were very entertaining. They're jammed the gems of the jams, yeah. The gems of the antagonists, they're they're always the best. Um, but that scene in particular had I was watching it and I was like, what the f what effects is this? It looked like it had practical effects because there's a scene they have chains, and then the chains go over Scrooge. So that looked like a practical effect, but then they had what is it, like a special effect, or like they added two clips together to make them transparent?

SPEAKER_03 46:27

I don't know how they do it. I just I yeah, I just assumed that they probably filmed it with Michael Cain by himself, and then they add the ghosts later. I don't know how. Beats me, but did you buy it? Yeah, I thought it looked good. Did the effects kill like they make the past for you? I think, yeah, I think it stood the test of time.

SPEAKER_02 46:47

Yeah, I think so too, except for that girl. Yeah, that girl is weird. What do you think about when what's the last guy? The Angel of Death? Is that the last guy?

SPEAKER_03 46:55

The ghost of uh Christmas future future, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:58

Uh I like the detail of him that he that of them that they don't speak. That's customary, right? Yeah, and then yeah, the grim reaper, they don't speak. So it is the grim reaper as well. It's the ghosts of what? Christmas future. Future. So the ghost of Christmas future is also the grim reaper, or they make them look they I don't know. In this world, he looked like the Grim Reaper. He sure did. You know, he he kind of looked like the the Death Eaters, yeah from Harry Potter, Harry Potter, but I also confuse the Death Eaters with something else.

SPEAKER_03 47:28

The Death Eaters are they the ones that escaped from Escaban or are they the ones that sunk your sorry so the Death Eaters are the people in the like Voldemorts cult and the dementia?

SPEAKER_02 47:39

Dementors, those are the those are the ones that suck the faceless beings, they're the ones that guarded Escoban, right? Yeah, so those they look like they were influenced by this image, yeah, and I was entertained, and I don't know if they like hot glued or crazy glued, like all of that, because it looked like ripples, his whole costume, and just like black. Um I enjoyed it. So I was like, these effects, the practical and special effects, I mean they were pretty good.

SPEAKER_03 48:15

Just an uh fun fact about the Christmas carol. So it's a trivia question to be like, oh, how many ghosts did uh Scrooge meet that night? So people usually say three because of the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future, but it's actually four because his uh old uh coworker Marley comes to warn him and say, like, oh, you'll be visited by ghosts tonight. Yeah, I thought that they would have been included. Yeah, so it's just I don't know, because people we forget about the first ghosts. So if you're ever at like bar trivia or something and they ask you, did you like the jams?

SPEAKER_02 48:51

You know, I like the one with the the Marlies. I like that one. And that's the only one that I can really remember. I watched it yesterday. Yeah, I watched it yesterday too.

SPEAKER_03 49:03

Yeah, yeah. I know there's like it was catchy when I was watching it, but yeah, like as soon as the movie ended, like I can't remember the songs.

SPEAKER_02 49:11

And that's what that was the only I feel like man, it's always it's always a safe bet to bet on the entire song. It was catchy and I like they were in chains. Yeah, and they're Marley and Marley. Ooh, you see what I mean? That's catchy. Whenever you have like an ad lib in your music, I think it's like for sure, like boom, yeah, good.

SPEAKER_03 49:36

Any other two cents? I forgot who said it in the movie, but someone says, Oh, the to the measure to do the measure of a man, you look at his friends.

Assessing The Muppets Christmas Carol

SPEAKER_03 49:47

You think that's true? I think that's totally true.

SPEAKER_02 49:50

That's interesting. I know when I was in the eighth grade, my our eighth grade teacher, we were in different grades, but we had the same eighth grade teacher. She was like, tell me what your friends look like, and I'll tell you what you look like. And I was like, that can't be true. I know friends that I have friends that do X, Y, and Z. But now as an adult, I'm like, I guess. I don't know if I ever look at people and be like, oh, if you're their friend, you must be like this.

SPEAKER_03 50:13

Yeah. Well, I think it's different because when you're at school, you're you're around a lot of people. But when you're an adult, you choose, you choose the people you want to be around. So yeah, I think it's true, like you are who your friends are. Well, I'm glad we're friends. Yeah. Did you feel bad for Scrooge when he was doing uh his school flashback?

SPEAKER_02 50:41

Yeah. Because he's a kid. And um I felt bad for kids too. I'm just like, fuck. Yeah. Um what about you?

SPEAKER_03 50:53

Yeah, I felt well, I felt like it explained a lot about his character because he was um so he was like an orphan. I Right, yeah. So he didn't have anybody to visit on Christmas, so he said that he would just study and work during Christmas break, and that he looked up to his school headmaster. So I think it made sense that he ended up becoming like a workaholic because that's all he had.

SPEAKER_02 51:18

Yeah. And the the funny thing about these like move family movies, it's like the ingredient is always love. Like in Harry Potter, the the fucking whole thing about it was love. Um frozen love. We could go on all the Disney movies, they're all about love. Um, and that makes sense. And the more I get older, the more I try to lead with that perspective. But um, yeah, I feel bad for him as a kid. I felt like he had an opportunity to turn around with the girlfriend, but I think like everyone, when they're young and dumb in their 20s, they're not gonna make that. It's all about money, the grind and hustle culture. And now he's elderly, and like a lot of elderly people, they reach a certain point in their life where they have to reflect and make changes. Yeah. So I mean, he just got lucky because he got a glimpse of the future. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 52:05

The Bechtal test.

SPEAKER_02 52:09

So, what does this get on the Beckdoll test? So it fails.

SPEAKER_03 52:17

It almost there was a scene with uh Mrs. Cratchit with her two daughters with I'm Belinda. No, I'm whatever. But then Miss Piggy, she's like eating food, and then her daughter's like, I thought you said we had to wait till dad comes home. Oh, yeah. Yeah, so I was like, damn it, we're so close. So close. And then Tiny Tim, is that their kid?

SPEAKER_02 52:43

Yeah, I kept getting thrown off by that. I was like, cuz why would they name? I don't know. I feel like giving him an official nickname, like Tiny Tim. I guess it was to emphasize that he was ill, like a pinny. Yeah, uh, so damn, it fails. I was hoping, maybe, but no. All right, everyone, now it's time for our newest segment, popcorn or kernel. All right, so I guess I oh I think the main characters here is Scrooge, Gonzo, and Rizzo. Yeah. But what do you think? Yeah, I agree with that. Because I feel like they were the ones that were on and on and on in this entire film.

SPEAKER_03 53:22

I was actually surprised that they didn't make Kermit um. The supporting, yeah. Yeah, I agree.

SPEAKER_02 53:29

But I think it's because if you have Kermit, you have to incorporate Miss Piggy. Yeah, and I don't think it would have made sense that they both would have it would have been too much. Yeah. I think the Piggy and Kermit conflict you can take on and off, not carry it through the whole thing, yeah, you know? All right. So, in regards to the main characters, Scrooge, Gonzo, and Rizzol, are they relatable? I think so. I thought so too. Yeah, because yes, capitalism. Are they attractive?

SPEAKER_03 53:59

Um Michael Cain, 59? I don't know. No, I've never seen a picture of him young. Was he a handsome young man? I didn't even bother to look, girl.

SPEAKER_02 54:08

I didn't even bother to look.

SPEAKER_03 54:10

I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 54:11

Are they oh yeah, because are they attractive? Are they funny? I think they're I thought the Muppets were hella funny. Gonzo and Rizzle. Yeah, but are they charming? I thought Gonzo and Rizzle were.

SPEAKER_03 54:24

Well, even though, like, even though Scrooge he's still like in I'm still like intrigued by him. Like, I I enjoyed watching him.

SPEAKER_02 54:34

Yeah, yeah, and think he developed a sense of humor too. Yeah, so I thought that was nice. Um, do they invoke sympathy or empathy? Yeah, I thought so. Yes. Uh, in regards to the movie or the plot, are there stakes?

SPEAKER_03 54:50

Yes, yes, because he doesn't want to go to Muppet Hill.

SPEAKER_02 54:55

Muppet Hell? Um, are the characters in jeopardy?

SPEAKER_03 55:02

Oh, so yeah, Scrooge, his soul.

Final Thoughts on Christmas Musicals

SPEAKER_03 55:04

Yeah, only him.

SPEAKER_02 55:04

Yeah, so I was like Gonzo and Rizzo, they I mean, especially Rizzo. He was like in a shit ton of accidents. He was fine. Yeah, he was frozen, yeah, then he got set on fire. No, he got set on fire first, and then he was frozen.

SPEAKER_03 55:16

And then his he landed on the roast.

SPEAKER_02 55:19

Yeah, that's too ridiculous. Is the conflict interesting? I thought so. I think so. Is the topic relevant? Relevant, yeah. Christmas spirit, growth, healing, closure, changing your ways, yeah, especially around the Christmas. I feel like the Christmas time is also like being together, but also learning your lesson.

SPEAKER_03 55:42

Yeah, I feel like it's a reflective time.

SPEAKER_02 55:44

Yeah, yeah, I think so too. So the rating. Out of 56 reviews, the tomato meter declares this uh certified fresh and 77%. To my surprise, get the wait for this one. Out of the audience score of over 100,000 reviews, 86. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 56:06

What do you give this film? This film, this film has it all. I made a list. Everything I love is in this film. We got puppets, we got songs, we got literature, time travel. Oh, you love that ghosts? That's everything.

SPEAKER_02 56:24

It's a 10 out of 10. I should have I should have made a thorough list like you. My lists are very short. I give this a 9 out of 10. Only because the cat you know what? I have been conditioned to expect catchy music from musicals. Yeah, god damn you, Disney. I know, god damn you, because now it's it's not enough. It's not enough to have a good story, it's not enough to have good casting, it's not enough to have songs. We need to have to have yeah, we need the bangers, we need the ones that we're gonna sing throughout the Christmas season. Yeah, and so that was the only point that I knocked down for it. Everything else, the writing, the characters, and that it had a good amount of songs, um, the actors that were here, angles, uh effects, everything was good.

SPEAKER_03 57:14

You bring up a good point because I also have a Christmas playlist and none of these songs are on it.

SPEAKER_02 57:18

And it's very unfortunate because if you're thinking in terms of um profit, boom, right there. Yeah, you want to make you want to make profit, make a holiday movie, especially a Christmas one. You want to make double that profit, make sure that your songs are catchy, do the Mariah Carey, and you will probably never have to work a day in the rest of your life. Yeah. If you just nail it. Are there any other Christmas musicals? Christmas musicals.

SPEAKER_03 57:44

Let's go on the Googles. Oh, some came up, but I've never seen these. I don't know.

SPEAKER_02 57:49

Polar Express was a Christmas musical.

SPEAKER_03 57:52

I've never seen the Polar Express.

SPEAKER_02 57:54

Do you think oh is the Nightmare Before Christmas a Christmas song, a Christmas movie to you?

SPEAKER_03 57:59

Uh they don't have Christmas. Maybe.

SPEAKER_02 58:02

Uh I think it's more Halloween songs. I think so too. How the Grinch stole Christmas. I mean, I think there was like two songs in there. Hmm. Untapped. Mark it. I think we just came up with something. I know. Elf, you think Elf is a musical? Not really.

SPEAKER_03 58:19

They have their like what their background score music. White Christmas. Have you seen that one? No. Annie. I've never seen it.

SPEAKER_01 58:29

Me neither.