The Flop House - FH Mini 70 - Xmas Movies?

Episode Date: December 24, 2022

What even is a Christmas movie anyway?

Welcome everybody. Thank you so much for joining us today with your ears on the Flop House. This is the Flop House podcast. My name of course is Elliot Kalen. I say of course because my voice has become legendary in its shrillness and unpleasantness to our legions of Flop House listeners. I want to also apologize before I introduce my co-hosts. I'm recording and my in-laws garage. So you may hear their heater turn on and off at various points during the episode. Just a little bit of audio texture. Let's consider it kind of real life, just singing setting, as if this was being recorded

outside and you could hear birds chirping. It's except it's a heater turning on and off. I'm joined, of course, by my regular co-hosts there with us every week in and out of the vlog house. One of them is me, Dan McCoy, and I will say, as I always do, my ears are with you. Sure. You always say that. I'm sick of hearing it. And I am Stewart Wellington. And I'm very excited because Elliot is getting into the spirit of the season. The reason for the year, that's right. He is hanging out in a garage for the whole year. The whole year is for Elliot to get bundled up in a garage where he is colder than I am

because normally he's much hotter than I am. Yeah. Well, I mean, physically Stewart is much hotter than I am, but I'm in severe. I'm in severe. yeah, since I live in a don't, Dan, you don't need to talk about how much less attractive. What? No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, time to put on a second pair of cargo shorts. They put on a second coat of sunblock because it's so cold out. But no, it's the other way around this time.

Okay, everybody. No, it's all in the flop. No, it did solve what I was trying to say, not anything about your attractiveness, vis-a-vis one another. I was trying to say that it did solve a Zoom mystery where I was like, it looks like Alex in a different garage, but you know what? Most garages look pretty much like one another and the garage is usually dark.

Perhaps that's the same garage, but the fact that you're in what appears to be a different garage and is indeed a different garage and wearing a puffy jacket, which you're not wearing when you're in LA tells me, of course, he's with the in laws in more northern California than he normally is. I'm glad Dan that you could take us through that Sherlockian chain of deduction. It was as it was exciting. Yeah. Colombo McCoy over here.

I didn't, I didn't realize her Cule Dan row had shown up to this flop house many. Yeah. Dan didn't even point out the reoccurring part of Elliott's garages is that they all have studio lighting clearly. They have a single like bare bowl, but above that behind it. I'm sorry, I'm sorry that in a car full of luggage and Hanukkah presence, I didn't also pack my ring light. Just saying that it doesn't need to look like you're being, you know, having your

fingernails ripped out one by one by someone's next ice cream. One L A. It starts investing in eye cream, face cream, body cream, all the creams, all the creams. Then you're going to, you really are going to want to make sure you have that ring light on you, buddy. Hey, there's only one cream we're going to be talking about today. And that's cream Smith. That's right. The holiday of the year.

I made for now. It's wrong. Normally on the flat house, we watch a bad movie and then we talk about it. This is one of our mini episodes on the alternate weeks. We just do whatever we feel like because it's a free country for the time being for certain people at certain economic and also racial, you know, levels. And you're quoting the movie, the Patriot, right? I think so.

Yeah. So I mean, the Patriot goes, it's a free country for the time being and people like, well, no, it's not a free country yet, where we're still subjects of the royal crown. And he goes, but historically in context, we're actually freer than most colonial subjects in the world over. And in some ways have more say in our local governments than actual British citizens in the United Kingdom. And then people like, can we just get to the part where you're mad at your son and your brother, your grandparents to make bullets? You're arguing on behalf of the like the crown in this situation. Like, I mean, as a character,

I see him put a plate by Tom Wilkinson. Yeah. Everyone who's seen the Patriot. You may have forgotten that the crown comes to life and goes to America to engage in a debate. He morphs into Tom Wilkinson. And then when Mel Gibson defeats him in the debate, he turns back into a crown going, no, double morph. Yeah. Yeah.

Anyway, this is a mini. And guess what? We've talked about it. It's Kremesmith's time. And that's the time when people have the same debate about Christmas movies. You may hear it. There's that heater that went on. They have the same debate about Christmas movies that we have every year because Christmas

is about nothing if it's not about having the same arguments year after year after year with the same people. So Christmas movies, let's just do a quick prime random. They're movies that are some way about Christmas, it's a whole genre of its own. And I was wondering, Dan, Sue, to you, what makes a movie a Christmas movie? If Christmas plays a significant part in the plot of the film in some way, I remember before Christmas is a Christmas movie. I would allow it being a Christmas movie.

Well, I mean, like, for instance, not to get our head of ourselves. Because some people would call that an Easter movie, because the Easter Bunny appears in one scene. Well, you asked like critters too. You asked us to think not to get ahead of ourselves. I'm sure you'll get let's not get ahead of ourselves. I have an introduction set up and everything.

Okay, well, I'm going to say Dean had a long, a terrible definition. My definition is it has Christmas or X-Miss in the title. Okay, now what if it's called like triple X-Miss, state of the union, and it's about, it just has to be such a disadvantage. It's got to be about Christmas movie, yeah. Okay, so if that's the case, tell me you're a quintessential Christmas movie. What's a movie where you're like it's Christmas? I don't know, experience Christmas.

Let me watch a Christmas movie. What's the Christmas movie you gravitate towards in your Christmasy lives? I mean, the thing, the true answer is not actually as Christmas is a movie as people say, it's a wonderful life, which ends with, I guess it's new years actually, but I guess it's a Christmas, I don't know, they sing all the link signs, which confuses the whole thing because that's, but it's. Well, I know, just a peek, but behind the curtain earlier today, Dan was live texting us about watching spawn. So I assume that's a Christmas who he would get in again.

Christmas film. No, the original spawn, sorry, was it Michael Gai White and John? Yes, yes, and Martin Sheen. Christmas Eve is all get out, but no. No, it's one of the life is a film that became a Christmas movie through falling into the public domain and being played by every outlet that could play it at Christmas. And I think it's a superior film to other Christmas films that are more Christmassy. So it's my Christmas pick, but I see Stuart's hand up, but I want to say that probably,

I just, if there's a quintessential Christmas classic that I would watch, it's more of a miracle in 34th Street area, even though I like it. I love you. That's about Santa Claus. About Santa Claus. Even though I like it's wonderful life better. It's still a good one. Okay, and Stuart, what's your, what were you going to say to Dan?

And also what's your quintessential Christmas movie? Okay, so just one follow up question about Dan's, Dan's choice is our Simmons in It's a Wonderful Life. I don't know who that is. Dan, does that anyone you just watched? Joyce is Al Simmons in it's a wonderful life. I don't know who that is. Dan, Dan, does that? You just watched the movie. You just watched the movie. Not since he couldn't remember if Jackie Chan was in a film. Has there been a more ignorant movie in the movie?

Is that the real name of the... He's a dead Joel. He's a dead Joel. That's Spawn's name. Al Simmons. He's a dead Joel. How much time is he referred to as that? He's not a faint, it's not Peter fucking Parker. It's not a famous, you know, secret identity.

It is to the spawn heads out there. Tell me, how many times in its a wonderful life does John Legosama's head turn into a balloon? Zero times, I guess. You're right. On that scale, spawn is a superior. At one point, I mean, the thing is, if it's a wonderful, I've been able to play out the way that it would have without Clarence the Angel intervening. George Bailey would have been dragged to hell, just like Al Simons is and would have had

to make a deal with Mel Bolger. So, and then he would have shown back up with a fuckload of cool chains. Yeah, you know it. Oh, man. Okay. So I'm going, I think my answer answer is it goes against my original point, which was that I have Christmas or Christmas in the title. I would say I take literally no pride or joy in saying this.

It's probably something like love actually. Okay, which is, I've never seen it, but I know it's set during Christmas. I know it's a movie that cult, the culture took a real hard turn on at a certain point and having never seen it, I don't know exactly why. It did for good reasons. No, it's one of those movies that is terrible, but the terribleness is inseparable from what's wonderful about it as well. Yes.

Okay, so kind of like, kind of like masters of the universe that way. Okay about it as well. Yes. Okay. So kind of like, kind of like masters of the universe that way. Okay. Makes sense. Okay. So Christmas, there's Christmas movies. It's just one genre of movies. Or is it? Christmas is such an omnipresent piece of Western civilization as someone who is being assaulted by it constantly this time of year. Day out and in day out. That even the movies that are not Christmas movies often have scenes or aspects of them that involve Christmas and that's why we're entering

a little special episode of the minis. I'm calling this episode, you all got another thing coming when we're going to be talking about movies that aren't Christmas movies or are they because they have Christmas scenes. And of course, you all got another thing coming as the title would tell you is brought to by Celestial, the Rob Howford Christmas album. Rob Howford and his family and friends have come together to sing their favorite Christmas songs with a little bit of that Judas-free spirit.

It's also brought to you by Elfana Shelf, the holiday decoration that brings you all the magical whimsical fun of living under the watchful eye of the Gestapo. Maybe Santa is gonna round up your kids for being naughty and send them on a train somewhere. Elf on a shelf. Don't get one. It's creepy.

Don't do it. Yeah. Is it because you just shouldn't, people don't like having a legless on their shelf. They don't, I mean, if the elf you're getting on your shelf is legless, he can help you take down a rampaging elephant. That's not the worst thing to have on your shelf. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's something all of a sudden.

The Timothy Oliphon. This ramp Yeah. The Timothy Olafond. Rampaging. It's rampaging. You've been using one of the crazies, who knows? Yeah. And so here's how we're going to do this. This is not a game. There's no points.

This is a debate episode. This is a public. Perfect. The flop house like all broadcasting has to have a certain amount of civic public affairs and public service information. And so that's what this is. We wouldn't get public funding, you know. Exactly.

This is a civil, that's right. And I should mention the flop house is brought to you by listeners like you, which is actually true. We're going to have a civil debate today. I'm going to name some movies. You tell me how Christmassy you think they are on a scale of 10, meaning it's Christmas. Oh no, get the block up the chimney. Santa's breaking and entering.

He's trying to steal our cookies. Got a scale from that to zero, meaning Jewish, not Christmas. Don't bother me about it. Thank you. And so guys, you ready to talk about some movies that may or may not be Christmas movies? It's not. It's not.

Okay, so the first one, I think this has the potential to be either an easy call or a controversial one, that's Gremlings. That's right. Gremlings. From 1984, directed by Joe Dante, we all know Gremlings, whereas I'm calling it Gremlings, because Gremlings, it's not just a thing you watch, it's a thing you do. You Gremling, you Gremile. It's a lifestyle choice. Always got Gremile. It opens with a Christmas song. It's set on Christmas. It's about someone getting a Christmas present that goes horribly wrong, which is also kind of the plot of a Christmas story is Gremlin's. You consider it a Christmas movie or a not Christmas movie?

Where is it on the scale? Well, this is what I wanted to say earlier that you wisely cut me off of, which was, you told us to think about movies that were not Christmas movies, but were Christmas movies. And I didn't even, I was like, I'm not going to, I'm not going to put Grimmelands on my internal list because it is so apparently a Christmas movie is a movie about a present that is received on Christmas, Gizmo, Claire, a Santa Hatt and idiot. No, no, no, that's the thing is I don't see this movie on list of Christmas movies often and I would agree.

There's a shit ton of Christmas. Yeah, the Grimmlands wear Santa caps. There's the big, of course, Phoebe Cates speech about learning that there's one of the number one horror movie monologues only recently trumped this year by two amazing horror movie monologues. And what were those, what were those monologues that finally defeated this year by two amazing horror monologues. And what were those, what were those monologues that finally defeat the Phoebe Cates, my dad died on Christmas in a chimney speech? The Rebecca Hall wild story one from Resurrection that she tells her intern.

That's a good one. And then, and the, the, the Pearl monologue as well by Mia Goth who is the best. Yeah. So that's, I think there's also like, this is the movie where I first heard the song, Do You Hear What I Hear, which is a, you know, a Christmas, a modern Christmas carol type song. So I would agree with you, Stewart. Do you agree is, is Gremlins just an out and out Christmas movie?

Uh huh, absolutely. Just like, uh, just, just like Gremlins too, is a New Year's Eve. Uh huh. I guess. I guess. I mean, Gremlins to his different genre of movie, which is New York sequel movies. Don't worry, there might be one of those popping up later in the episode. Okay, so Gremlins, we set that aside. This one might be a little bit harder.

This is Batman Returns from 1992. Also set during Christmas, a lot of Christmassy stuff. We get Batman gets into the Christmas spirit by just shooting people from his car earlier in. He's just shooting clowns. And he doesn't know which ones are evil clowns and which ones are just regular Christmas clowns. Is this a Christmas movie Batman Returns?

Ooh, this was a toughy. I, you know, I'm putting this on, you know, I'll put this round to six on the Christmas scale. There's a lot of Christmas iconography in it. Okay. So six, so a six would be, it's Thanksgiving and they're already playing the Christmas music. Yeah. Yeah. There's a, there's a big plot point about lighting Gotham City's Christmas tree and the Christmas tree lighting gal getting tossed off the roof, horrifying.

Yeah, you know, this is, this is Christmassy enough, I would say. Okay, Christmassy enough. I'm going to say, I'm going to say this is a seven. So slightly more Christmassy than Dan. Okay. Okay, slightly more Christmassy. There's the, I mean, there's, there's something about like all the scenes or, you know, all the outdoor scenes are snowy, including the flashbacks where an Oswald cobble pot gets chucked in the river.

And there's the sequence where Catwoman is running around the department store, which is a very Christmassy thing to me. Yeah. Yeah. I would say slightly more Christmassy, but definitely a Christmassy movie. Okay. Christmassy movie. So it's not a Christmas, this is not in the genre of Christmas movies, it's been the genre of Christmassy movies. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. That makes sense. I can see that. Okay. This one, here's a question I have for you. Okay. This is from 1995.

So this is a few years, three years after that in the returns. I was 15 years old, probably wearing pants way too big for me. probably wearing an Allison chains t-shirt. And Dan, what about you? Where were you in 1995? We all remember where we were in 1995. Well, what would that be? A junior in high school. You know, I would be hanging out with people like Stuart who are wearing Allison chains

shirts, but I would be like the nerdy friend. Well, which one kind of shirt would you be wearing? Like, it would be like a sweatshirt, a Bart Simpson, you know, given like a peace sign. Now is that a license shirt or is that the kind of blue like shirt my dad would buy for me when you don't have to. No, I know you're like sort of a first or second wave licensed piece of merchandise. Okay.

So not the ones my dad would get me where the characters were all colored wrong. Yeah. And the kids at school would be like, that's not what Bart's shirt looks like. And I'd be like, it's on the shirt deal with it. But your dad could be, if he had held onto those, he could sell those right now for so much money. Man, we'd put him in a gallery. That's outside our art.

Yeah, we had, my dad bought us so much knockoff t-shirts, some stuff, and I remember the day the day the t-shirts went away when my dad came home from working. He said, did you guys have any t-shirts? And he goes, all they have is homey the clown stuff. I'm not going to buy you that. And so he said, all right, we won't have any novelty t-shirts between the in living color recurring character homeie the clad. And it's I don't wish I had that one, but I do there are novelty shirts that I wish I had bought right after Obama was inaugurated.

There were some amazing novelty shirts for sale on the streets of New York. One were Obama was Michael Jordan slammed on going to basketball with a Superman costume on. And one with the entire Obama family all as Jedi and I so wish I'd buy that for a whole man. It's amazing. Okay, guys, so this movie, it's 1995. Let's get back to the topic in hand. This isn't the mini where we talk about novelty t-shirt.

It's a great idea for a minute. Oh, that we did do that, mini. I guess for regular listeners, Dan did subject to descriptions of enormous Johnson. Yeah, but we don't mind that. So let's go back to this. I'm the movie is the movie is while you were sleeping, which starts on Christmas day. The plot is kicked off because Sandra Bullock is the only token collector at the Chicago L working on Christmas because she doesn't have a family.

It doesn't so is this a Christmasy movie or not? It's all about finding a family and love and stuff like that. What do you think? I will give this. And it's also about lying to people, which is what Christmas is about lying to children. Yeah. It is. I'm going to give this a four on the Christmas scale.

I'll tell you why. Okay. So four is. So four is, yes, February, but I'll drink this egg, Nug. Yeah. I've definitely seen this movie within the last couple of years because it's one of Audrey's sentimental favorites. But even so, I didn't necessarily remember that took place at Christmas specifically.

I remembered it just as a winter movie with snow around. And so it gets a four, but I don't, if there's no Christmas specifics in my mind, I don't think I can go higher than that. Is Bill Pullman in this one? Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.'s hold on. Let's think about it. The one's in the emergency is not sure if or something could be the same character. I don't know. Yeah.

He is a, he's the brother of Peter Gallagher. I know that. Oh, wow. Yeah. For once Peter Gallagher is the backster steward. Oh, wow. Peter got, wait, Peter Gallagher places brother. I guess the eyebrows are not an inherited feature. Yeah. No, it rates on the, that's a recessive gene. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So, so stewards, is that effect your ass? Is that effect your ass?

Yeah, that's it. Kind of, because honestly, I've never seen it. So I know, I know, I feel like romantic comedies in general are a blank spot of mine that I've been working my way. I've been trying to fix the last couple of years. Well, while you were sleeping, it's one of those movie that's like, it's not a great movie, but it's not a bad movie, you know, it's a good movie. Yeah.

It does exactly what a romantic comedy is supposed to do without any twists or turns, except for the fact that she lies about being engaged to a man in a coma, but other than that, you know. The leads are likable. It's got a colorful supporting cast of character actors, you know, you've learned to love over the years to it. I'm loyal. What do I have to tell you?

And while you're sleeping tonight. Oh man. I don't know. I need to be a sweet in the pot a little bit. If I go home with just this information, I'm gonna look like an asshole. You know what? I'll give you some undercoating for that rom com.

I'm gonna take a moment. I had forgotten that Glenis Johns was in the supporting cast and I just to mention still alive at the age of 99, she is the oldest surviving Disney legend and also our last living link to classic star Hollywood. Now that Olivia to have land has gone to that great studio system that she's suing in the sky. So Linus, John, thank you for all the years of laughter and tears. I guess, including while you were sleeping, I will say sleeping, not the most accurate

to pick description of a coma, but you know, they can do that. It's whimsical. Okay, here's this, before we go to a break, I'm gonna bring up one last movie before we, in the first half of this episode. Now, this is a movie, Dan, I know knows well, Stewart. I don't know what you've seen it. This is the silent partner, a movie which gets a lot

of mileage at a Christopher Plumber in a Santa Claus costume. So it is taking place around Christmas, but it is also a heist movie with a lot of suspense in it and one incredibly gruesome murder and a some actually surprisingly very thrilling sex scenes. So Dan, the silent partner, is this a Christmas movie to you? You know what? I'm going to also put this out of four because just like, this is the, this is the lowest score I probably would give something that has a Santa costume in it. But remember it like, this is a movie that kind of gets its thrill out of how amoral it is and how even like our hero, you know, is immoral and we only like him

because he is clever. You know, like the, he's clever. He saw an angle and we want to see whether he can get away with it. So he's about his fish. Yeah. He's about his fish too. Yeah, but if you're looking for, say on Earth piece, goodwill towards men, that's not what you're going to get out of a silent partner.

No, yeah, there's no goodwill towards anybody in it. Stuart, have you ever seen the silent partner? I have not. I'm just waiting for you to pick some normal movies like Christmas of the cranks. I'm with Christmas. Christmas movie. Are there Christmas? Is that a Christmas movie?

Are there Christmas? Is that a Christmas movie. Are there Christmas? Is this a Christmas? Better Santa. So that's so sound Stewart, I would I think you like this movie. I think you should you should. Sounds good. Yeah. Yeah. So there's this. It is it shows you Christopher Plumber yelling at someone through a male slot in a door should not be as scary as it is in this movie. Or you guess he's just talking to them through the mail sign. But before we get to some more Christmas-ish movies, let's take a brief break to talk about

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Oh I thought we were going to at least shouldn't work in that. Saba. Saba is not afraid to ask the hard-eating questions. Like, are vaccines as safe and reliable as they want us to believe? Yes. Do I have to get a flu shot? Yes. Oh, okay. Is science a miracle?

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And we're back to this Flophouse Mini entitled You All, got another thing coming. For anyone who's just turning in, which I don't know how you can do. Turning on cast. Yeah, they're going to sleep. Just a little flophouse for me tonight. For anyone who's just turning in and is tired. And might have dosed off during the description earlier

about the episode of Outer Time. Whether movies with some Christmas elements are Christmas movies or not, and we're entering a mini segment in this larger segment. This is called Dance of the Sequel Blum Parries. We're gonna talk about some movie sequels that have some Christmas elements.

Are they Christmas movies? Guys, we're staying in the 90s for the first part. This is a movie from 1992, or as many people call it, me included, one BJP, one before Jurassic Park. Now, guys, this might be an easy call also, Home Alone 2, Lost in New York. It takes place during Christmas. There's a big Christmas tree and stuff. The family's on a Christmas vacation or whatever, but is it really a Christmas movie when there's

no, is there a sand to in it? I don't remember because I couldn't bear to watch it again. Yeah. As if I watched any of these movies for this episode. You only just watch, you only just watched the Donald Trump came here on YouTube, right? Yeah, I just, I just want to watch, I just want to watch the footage to imagine a time when I merely disliked the man and didn't consider him one of the worst people in the history of the world. I mean, I feel like you can't, you can't spell Christmas without home alone. So, the one out of 10 lost in New York. That's actually a good point. I'm going to say 10 out of 10 Christmas movie. Okay. So this takes place during Christmas.

It's all of the events occur because of Christmas. And I think I watched Honglawn 2 Lost in New York once when it was first on HBO after its first run years ago. I didn't say to blade at night, he saw that the movie contained what nudity and sexual situations. I had misread the thing. Yeah, wait for the whole movie. He said, he said, oh, home alone. Well, what the cat's away? with the cats away. Lost in New York.

That's a real pit of sin. I wonder what might happen. No, I don't, I don't actually care for original flavor homolo. And I don't remember caring for homelun two anymore. I don't remember anything about it. I did watch spawn tonight. So if homelun two 2 is anything like spawn, I would say it's not a first movie.

The movie in which a movie whose main character's name you have forgotten within an hour have been watched it. So I'll give it a two. Okay, a two. Even that way to minute. We're not reading it on spawn. The movie is reading it on burn. We're just missing this.

Okay, so I will mention, this is something I learned while looking up on Wikipedia. Home Alone 2 is the last home alone movie to feature the cast of the first film. However, Devon Retreat reprised his role as Buzz McAllister in the sixth film on the franchise Home Sweet Home Alone. Home Sweet Home Alone came out last year, 2021. I did not realize they were still making home alone movies. And that and that actor was also in what blue ruin that year. Is that the case? Yeah. I think the actor who played buzz was in fucking blue ruin, which is

amazing. Well, that was back in 2013. That was back in 2013. Okay. Still. Yeah. I mean, blue ruin is, in some ways, not that different from home alone. I could see Kevin McKelster. Kind of like. Yeah. Which is why it's not a Christmas movie. Yeah. So the thing is, the light band is killed is paying ruin. It's not a Christmas movie. So this is so, so these are so stewards law of Christmas movies. It has Christmas or ex-miss in the title of Christmas movie. Dan's law of Christmas movies. If it's like Blue Ruin, which is not a Christmas movie, which, Blue Ruin. I don't think anyone would make an argument that that's a Christmas movie.

So okay, that's the first sequel in this segment, Dance of the Sequel Plum Ferrys. The next sequel we'll be looking at as we're going up in numbers. That was Home Alone 2. We're looking now at Iron Man 3. This is from 2013. The last of the Iron Man specific movies. It's kind of a controversial one among Marvel fans and that he of the Iron Man specific movies, it's kind of a controversial one in among Marvel fans and that he stops being Iron Man for much of the movie.

And just gets into adventures. Yeah. It is as Shane Black as a climax can be considering it as a white guy and a black guy with guns at chipping docs shooting guys for a pile of crates. And it takes place during Christmas. And it takes place takes place during Christmas shame blacks favorite time of the year. So guys, is this a Christmas movie or is it just a movie with Christmas in it? Well, Stewart sort of predicted what I was about to say, which is I, you know, normally I might give this say a six, there's a lot of Christmas stuff in it, mostly the form of colorful Christmas lights, either strung around like, I don't know, a bar or a sad kid's house.

But we never see Iron Man with Christmas lights on him. That's true. We really should have. I feel like that would have tipped it over maybe even to a cover, cover of a comic book or perhaps poster for Iron Man 3 just covered in smothered in Christmas lights. But it being a Shane Black movie. And the slogan would say this nice guy is a little naughty. Yep. It being a Shane Black movie that kicks it up to an eight on the Christmas scale for me because

you know, Shane Black is Mr. Christmas as far as I'm concerned. Let me see the ranks. Oh, actually, you know what? On the ranking scale, eight just means Shane Black movie. Yeah. So you got it right. Yeah. It's true. Last Boy Scout, Kiscus Bang Bang. How many other ones have you?

The nice guy, the first, the weapon. The first, the weapon. Yeah. Yeah. So Stuart, do you agree is Iron Man 3, purely by virtue of being a Shane Black movie. Chris, movie. 100% Elliott. Of course I do. Of course I do. three purely by virtue of being ashamed like who the Chris one hundred percent Elliott of course.

And it is the only film so far in the MCU, the Marvel Christmas universe. I don't tell me about the Guardians of the Galaxy holiday special that's clearly as labeled a holiday special, not a Christmas movie. Unless I'm wrong, can you guys think of any other Christmas movies in the Marvel universe? Oh, Chris, I mean, well, there's this guardian special you just said it. I just talked to you. Yeah. I got to thank you for letting me listen to the episode in your ears on a seven second delay

in case you're. Yeah. That's how I look so much of my life. I just like, you know, it just now processed what you said. The answer instead of no is yes. And don't end, of course, and of course, we all remember Black Pass over the Black Panther Passover movie. That's also not Christmas, obviously. Yeah, obviously, completely different. Yeah. Yeah. So, okay,

that's Iron Man 3. Okay, guys, we're moving up one more step in sequel numbering. That's right. Rocky IV from 1985. This is, of course, the greatest movie in the Rocky series because it is mostly made of montages and it opens with an open, with an American boxing love and a Russian boxing love hitting each other and exploding. And it is the movie that pos, it's the movie that posits that only an American like so let's just flown, could truly capture the Russian peasant spirit in winning a battle against a Russian man. And it has a whole scene that is just a performance of the song living in America with a giant goat head behind it for some reason. And there's a robot in it also.

Thank you. Thank you. Okay. Oh, I got worried that would be fucking. This may be fucking Last eight hours I'll be watching a movie The thing that Stuart wanted to talk about I think there's a lot of things I wanted to get in before I talked about the robot that I'm sure Stuart

I knew wanted and I could feel stupid was getting to the robot that it's almost implied that Paulie has a romantic relationship with to the the robot that it's almost implied that poly has a romantic relationship with uh... guys is this a Christmas movie there's a little that the the climactic fight between rocky bale boa and Ivan Drago takes place on Christmas because you know those dastardly commies they don't even believe in god i don't care about even the even the most wonderful time of the year they know it it's Christmas. Work in factories and have boxing matches. So, which of course is also ridiculous since Russia is a deeply Christian country, as seen by its current orthodox embrace of anti-LGBTQ politics. So guys, is this a Christmas movie or not?

I'm going to put it at a two again. Again, I remember that there's snow in it, but I think that's because there in Russia. Yeah, fair. So I don't specifically think of anything, Chris, especially. I remember it being hilarious, but I got to admit, it's been a long time listening Rocky IV. Well, what a movie. I do have a mention.

I forgot about this. I'm just thinking about now. I think the directors cut the release last year, cuts the robot out. I know. Proving once again, the directors don't always know what's best for their movies. Yeah. Yeah, true. Now, and before we go and move on, I want to apologize to anyone. Any Christians out there who are not using their religious, the religious beliefs as a subtext for discriminating against people who are not like them, not all Christians are against LGBTQ people and refuse to see the humanity in their neighbors. Merely many of the ones that live in Russia and in this United States and Vladimir Putin

in particular. So anyway, Rocky IV, not a Christmas movie. You say. I will agree with Tan. I'm going to go with like a two or three, although there's something about that robot that just makes me think Christmas. You want your parents? You want one.

Yeah. That's the thing. Is it the same robot that was on Saved by the Bell? Or am I getting too similar looking robots confused? What didn't screech you make the one from Saved by the Bell? You'll screech supposedly made it. That robot was named Kevin, but clearly Dustin Diamond didn't really make that robot. But like, screech didn't make Polly's robot that would be crazy.

No, I mean, it's the robot actor. The same is the same as the same prop robot, you know. But screech made that robot. You make a good point. All right, never mind. I'll move on to the next segment. Who am I going to. But that's a thing.

But that's a thing. Does screech no Polly? I have to assume that made me. by the bell and Rocky take place in the same universe, which I really want to believe right now, then yes, screech no poly. Now, where does Rocky lives in Philadelphia? Rocky lives in California. If Rocky and Zach Morris got in a fight, could Zach Morris stop time and win the fight? I don't know if he could win the fight.

He could stop time long enough to keep from being murdered immediately in the fight, but I think even stopping time would make it hard for him to do that regularly or it is you mean to recharge period. That's what I want to know about the stopping. This is a very good question. Yeah, you always, if it, if he doesn't have a list, you know, like a minute, like a, like a minute or like 90 second recharge period, that powers OPA.

It was unfair. Now, it's another thing. So we've established that Polly and Screech know each other. So Rocky and say by the bell in the same universe, I think his time stopping power proves he's related to the little girl from out of this world, which means that that's the reason alien. Yeah. And of course, that means that California dreams is happening in the same girl from out of this world, which means that that's the, yeah. And of course, that means that California dreams is happening in the same universe as out of this world and

Rocky. Okay. The sad side. We got it. The TNBCU. The, it's subtext. They never say it expressly, but you know it's true that whenever he stops time, that amount of time is taken from the end of his life. Of course. Oh yeah, that makes sense. The scales must be balanced. Yeah, exactly. So he's, he'll actually, so, so he went, when he and Kelly Kepowski are married and she's still, they're in their middle age, he will of course seem like an old man. And yeah, it's, I mean, actually, you know, I'm thinking.

But it was worth it for him to get to stop time, turn the camera, make a quip, and then order a shitload of pizzas for Mr. Bell to pay for. Yeah, yeah. I mean, but he can't order the pizzas when time is stopped unless he fucking does it sometimes. He's the place is in the same time bubble. Like he can put someone else, even who's not near in the same cronal bubble. And also, does his time stopping power affect the girl from out of this world?

Were she immune to it? Oh, he stops time. does that age her also? I always think that time may from her life. I thought you were asking, does he stop time all across the globe? Which is the real, I mean, like, because each of the things would make sense if he could call, like, if it was just like a localized time, just place localized. Yeah. Okay, that's fair.

I mean, now we're getting into, it's's like a like was it the snap from the Marvel world Movies were like people come back and they haven't aged today and there's other people who have aged like that Zach Marce is doing that the people near him are Staying younger than the people in the rest of the world This is this is more power than a teen boy who is objectively a total douche should have yeah boy who is objectively a total douche should have. Yeah. Yeah. Congress needs to be real.

It's a real tales from the loop. So what do we do next? So that was the end of that segment. We have one final segment in this episode. This segment is entitled. This title is movies entitled old movies all year, Faithful. This is when we talk about movies from the 1930s and 40s. So hopefully you guys have seen these movies.

I think you probably have. Sure. So this is a movie that so a lot of the idea for this episode came because I remembered an article I once saw that just like that listed the top 10 Christmas movies that people don't think of as Christmas movies. And one of them was this movie, one of my favorites, The Thin Man, a movie that does have a Christmas scene that also has a New Year's Eve scene. It doesn't only take place at Christmas. And so, guys, the thin man that sparkling comedy of wit, perhaps the greatest, I'm just going to say perhaps the greatest mystery comedy film ever made with the immortal pairing of William

Powell and Merniloie, is that a Christmas movie or is it just a movie that has a scene at Christmas? And I'll tell you, it is a very funny scene about the presents they bought for each other. No, I'm gonna, you know what, I'm gonna give it, I'm gonna debut the decimal place, I'm gonna give it a 6.5. Wow. Because I agree, it really only has the one scene, but that scene is one of the most memorable scenes

in the thin man has nothing to do with the mystery plot. Yeah. What's whoever it is just William Powell slightly hung over on Christmas morning using his new little pop gun to shoot ornaments off the tree, which, you know, to have to be that cave carefree. I mean, I mean, it's, I mean, it's, it's when, when you're rich in the 30s, you can get away with whatever you want. Yeah. He also, he shoots, this is how you rich you know they are is that he shoots a hole in the window because he misses and it is never mentioned again. They never have to deal with getting that window replaced.

It's just, just taken care of and it is such a funny moment when he's shooting them off and Merleoy is just watching him do it. And he's trying to come up with ever increasingly difficult shots like he's turned around looking through a mirror pointing it between his legs. And he misses and hits the window and then immediately lies down and pretends to be asleep even though his wife is watching him do it the entire time. Yeah. That's true. What are you doing?

This sounds like a lot of fun. I've never seen the thin pants. Oh, it's such a fun movie. It's a super fun movie. You should, you should watch it. It's really great. Yeah, I've only heard good things. Okay, now we're going to move on to another movie.

That was a movie from the 30s. We're going to move on to another movie. This one, the 40s. Here's one, another personal favorite of mine. I am going to go on record, although maybe I'll swap with the thin man. I don't know that this is my third favorite movie of all time. Maybe my favorite comedy of all time.

And that's the miracle of Morgan's Creek from 1944. Again, a movie that ends around Christmas time. And spoiler alert, the ending involves the birth of a miraculous child. So perhaps it is a Christmas movie in that way. Although most of the movie before that is about how Betty Hutton is pregnant and can't remember the name of the man or where he is now or anything like that. And thinks they got married, but can't remember the name they got married under either because they used fake names.

Guys, is this a Christmas movie just because it ends on Christmas and involves a miraculous birth, put on a scale. And first of my question, have you guys seen this movie? I have seen it. I think I saw it at one of your screenings that you used to do at night too. Why try it back, and I'm gonna give it a two. Because again, I forgot that it was at Christmas.

Okay, that's fair. Stewart, for my description, would you call it a Christmas movie, or have you seen it? I've never seen it. From your description, it does have Miracle in the title, which gives it at least one point. And then the additional information you've given me puts it up to at least a three in my book. Okay. Okay. Okay. That's fair. Miracle and Morgan's Creek. It's a Preston Sturgis movie. I think it's so funny. But I don't know if I would call

Chris movie. Okay. And here's the final, this is the final movie of the episode. Because I've pushed your patience and the patience of the audience long enough. This is a movie that I see on a lot of Christmas movie lists. But again, there's only one sequence set on Christmas during Christmas. Even though it includes a famous Christmas song, that's Meet Me in St. Louis from 1944. Beautiful movie. I love it. It's a favorite in my household with Judy Garland and Margaret O'Brien and Mary

Astor playing a very different character than she played in the multi-spellcom. That's for sure. Is this a Christmas movie? This is the movie that introduced the song, Have Yourself, a Mary Little Christmas, but it also introduced the song, The Trolley Song, which is not a Christmas song. How about how the trolley goes clang, clang, clang? Yeah, and how the sound the trolley makes that how that relates to the human nervous romantic system. You know what? I hear you, Elliot, I'm going to have to put this at at least a seven though, because

that is an iconic Christmas song. And also, as sung by Judy Garland in its original context, has the original lines of the until then we'll have to muddle through somehow instead of hanging shining star upon the highest bow, which always is deliciously bittersweet, especially knowing that this was a wartime movie where they're like, you know what, maybe next Christmas will be better. And for all the sentimental reasons, I give it at least a seven. Okay, and it shows you what it shows you what a big Christmas footprint, what a book

footprint Christmas has, how, how huge it looms in the popular imagination that this is a movie that has scenes at Halloween and that world's fares. And yet you never see it on a list of best Halloween movies or best world's fair movies. And if there is a list of best world's fair movies, please say to me. I would like to read it. I want to see that list. Sure. There's another, there's another movie I've never seen, but from your descriptions and

the fact that there's a, a actor with the last name Garland, which is a thing that I only associate with Christmas, I will say this is definitely a thing that I only associate with Christmas. I will say this is definitely a six. Okay, that's fair. I think that's very fair. I think we've sold a lot of debates tonight, and I think we've ignited a lot of debates tonight. Flop House listeners, feel free to write in. Go to our website. Was it Dan? The Flop House podcast.com or just. I think it's just Flop House podcast.com. Go there and write in, tell us if you agree, disagree, how mad we made you, how mad I made you when I said that stuff about Christians being intolerant.

Look, if it wasn't so prominent, I wouldn't say something about it. I'm just looking out for people who don't have power. Anyway, and tell us, what are some movies you think of as Christmas movies, even though they might not be thought of that way by most people? And movies you think aren as Christmas movies, even though they might not be thought of that way by most people. And movies, I think aren't Christmas movies, even though they might be thought that way by a lot of other people. Dan, did you have a, did they have a secret one you want you would prepare to drop on us? Says Stuart having none that he had prepared.

I have one prepared. Oh, okay. Oh, good. Okay. I just, I just watched funny pages, which it takes place right around Christmas. And it is even though I feel like all the actors are Jewish, but maybe not, but I don't know. And it was, it's definitely is a Christmasy movie in a way. It's great. Great. And I will mention first off about a about a boy, George, by friend Chris Whites, the end of it has to do with a Christmas concert.

And better off dead has a lot of Christmas. Oh, yeah. You know what? I would say that they're very much a Christmas movie. Yeah. Yeah. And I don't even think about it very much in that. Yeah, yeah. Well, we did it. We did good calls, very good calls. Stuart, I think you mentioned that. I did ask you guys to think of movies that would fit the category and then decided to

write up a version of the episode that did not really involve you telling you what those movies were. So Stuart, I'm not correct. You know what? Corrected that. It only confused me for a moment. those movies were. So you know what corrected that. It only confused me for a moment. Look, some people wait a lifetime for a moment like that where you're confused. Guys, thank you so much for this journey down Christmas is past. For those of us who are listening, we have another Christmas episode coming up. And then we're not going to talk about Christmas for another year. And I couldn't be happier

with that because we're recording this before Christmas. And I'm already tired of hearing about Christmas until then though, everybody, maybe, maybe by next Christmas, we'll, we'll, what's the line from? Let me see, Louis Dan. Until then, we'll have to muddle through somehow. We'll just muddle through the other 364 days of the year until we get back to that Christmas. Thanks for joining us. We are, of course, a production of the maximum fun network. Thank you so much for listening and please check out some of the other great shows on that network. Maximum fun.

It relies on you, the listener to support us. And we really appreciate it. I want to thank our editor and producer, Alex Smith, who will hopefully chop out maybe the part where I offend a bunch of people, but maybe not. I don't know how do we live dangerous Lee these days? I think so. And I want to thank most of all my co-hosts and you listeners again, for listening to us. And now, until next week, I'm going to leave you with the sounds of the season, this latest hit from Celestial by Rob Halford. Alex, I don't know if we have the rights to that, but maybe we can just do like a needle drop and you just play a little bit of a song from Celestial, the Rob Halford album. I don't know, I don't want to get sued or anything, but it's Rob Halford.

Yeah, absolutely. I would ask him to sign the papers because I'm such a big fan of his, he's just the best. Hey, it's the mental god, I mean, yeah. Yeah, yeah.