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In Defence of Jingle All the Way
282 Plays3 years ago
In this episode, Satsunami and Adam discuss the cynical holiday classic Jingle All the Way. Is it really as bad as everyone claims? Or is it overlooked as a Christmas gem? Let us know what you think of this festive film!
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Chatsunami' and Guest Adam
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to Chatsunami.
00:00:17
Speaker
Hello, everybody, and welcome to another episode of Chatsunami. I'm Chatsunami, and joining me today is the patron saint of sandwiches in this very festive season. He has happily agreed to jingle into the fray with me to discuss this Christmas classic, as it were. It is the one, the only, Adam. Adam, welcome back. Hello, hello. Season's greetings to one and all. I also consider myself the booster to your turbo man.
00:00:46
Speaker
Oh, you aren't not the booster. Nobody likes booster. No, nobody likes booster. That is one of my favourite running jokes. But before we jump the gun and get into what we're talking about today, how are you doing in this very festive period? I'm doing not too bad, thanks. I'm just trying to stay warm. Desperately scraped together the coppers to buy all the Christmas presents. But apart from that, you know, not too bad.
Last-Minute Christmas Shopping Chaos
00:01:09
Speaker
How about yourself?
00:01:09
Speaker
yep you and me both trying to get that last-minute christmas shopping in trying to get that turbo man doll that yeah that my loved ones have all been saying you know they say satsu you gotta get as a turbo man and i've been rushing from shop to shop you find that though when you're rushing from shop to shop and then you get yourself into a bit of a for a car and then you see somebody grabbing two and you're like he got two he got two
00:01:33
Speaker
I was actually out shopping today and my god it was... I wouldn't be surprised if they had like a riot shield guy standing at the door just like ushering people in me like, no, you can only have one. Judge of Dred walking the aisles. It is pandemonium. It is absolutely crazy. Although there's plenty of turkeys, I can safely say that. Yeah, we were told that there was going to be a shortage of turkeys and I don't know, I think they all fled here.
00:02:01
Speaker
because there's loads of them. Christmas is indeed in full swing. So yeah, very festive all around.
Reminiscing 'Jingle All The Way'
00:02:07
Speaker
And yeah, as you could tell by our, I say this every time, but you know, our very subtle references. Today we are indeed going to be talking about the one, the only, the incredible jingle all the way. Last year we did quite a few Christmas themed episodes, and one of them was of course our top five Christmas films, wasn't it? Yep, indeed. The most happy of episodes.
00:02:29
Speaker
Oh, it was a great episode though. But of course, one that ranked on our top five was indeed Jingle All The Way. I can't actually remember what level or what ranking we gave it. I think it was probably five. I think it was four to be honest. I think Die Hard got five. I think Jingle All The Way got four.
00:02:46
Speaker
And this is a film that I have to admit, it's one of these films that I grew up with and I'm guessing you grew up, well of course you would have grown up with it as well. Yeah, it's a film that I've never really thought much of, I've enjoyed it, I've watched it like every Christmas period. Obviously thanks to the advent of the internet, you've got so many people now who are like, oh this film's terrible and it's an absolute disgrace. But it's safe to say that you grew up like watching this film as well when enjoying it.
00:03:13
Speaker
No, it is not safe to say I grew up with this. I didn't watch this film until my teenage years. I actually can't remember how old I was that I was in high school before I watched this. In fact, you know, it might have been early years of university for me. It was much later. I mean, I am a huge Arnie fan.
00:03:29
Speaker
But this is one that I hadn't, well, unless I did say it when I was a kid and I've just forgotten, but no, this wasn't one that I regularly watch by any means. It wasn't until comparative recently that it's gone into my rotation. I am actually shocked at that. This is the first Chatsanami exclusive. There you go, I live to shock you. Yeah, tell me Adam, how was it like not having a childhood during Christmas Day?
00:03:48
Speaker
Yeah, it was great, but you get used to it, you know. Of course. You can do a lot of things with lumps of coal, you'd be surprised. Do you not see the fact that that tradition, I say tradition, but it's a very bad one. You know, Santa giving naughty kids coal on Christmas. Was that like a good present back in the day? Probably it was. I mean, I presume that's how all these coal barons got their start. This free coal going to be given by Santa.
00:04:10
Speaker
Mr. Potter's all over the world. Don't worry, we'll get to that for him. Some people saw a punishment. He saw an opportunity. It's like, you know those self-help people? You get an Instagram nowadays. I can imagine it being them being like, I got a lump of coal for Christmas, but instead of whining about it, I turned it into an opportunity. Life gives you a lump of coal.
00:04:30
Speaker
Burn the ozone layer. That is indeed true, yes. Brought to you by Chatsunami. Step four profits. We've really got to work on the other steps. I think what is step four? Somehow we skipped all the other steps. We only need step four.
00:04:44
Speaker
To be fair, that is true. You know, Mr. Potters of the World are listening to this, yeah? Just give us a call, give us your profit and you know what? We'll give you your call back. Yeah, I'm actually really surprised though, you got into it late. So, out of curiosity, what made you get into
Critique of Christmas Film Clichés
00:04:58
Speaker
this film?
00:05:14
Speaker
me the first time I watched it. There's only a haven't gone back and watched it subsequently that I think it's now a masterpiece. A misunderstood masterpiece that more people need to appreciate. Okay I actually can't remember the first time I watched it but it was definitely one of those films that I watched as a kid. I mean that's probably aging me significantly. But I mean it came out in 1996, four years shy of the millennium and
00:05:36
Speaker
Yeah, it's been one of those films that, although I wouldn't consider it like, I consider it a really good Christmas film, but I wouldn't consider it as like, you know, an ultimate. How to put this? Like, I wouldn't say it's like a tearjerker, like it's the one where you rush your family into the room and be like, come on, we're all gonna watch Jingle. Or maybe you would, maybe you would. Because it is a good film, but it's not like It's A Wonderful Life or something like that. Yeah, it's not quite. It's not the final scenes of Home Alone.
00:06:02
Speaker
I'll give you that. Oh, but that home alone though, chef kiss, just so good. I actually need to watch that. That and The Muppets Christmas Carol, both absolutely fantastic Christmas albums. Yeah, I should probably point out that we aren't sponsored by any of these Christmas albums. After all, why would we be? Fire, please. Please, please, Santa. Just all we want is a sponsorship for Christmas. Yeah, just burn this episode and put it up the chimney. That's how they do it in some places, please.
00:06:31
Speaker
And yeah, I honestly can't remember. It's just, I remember this being one of the films that just was always there. There was always on, same with like The Grinch and all of that. Yeah, it's just such a fun film. Before we go on to it, before we start talking about why Jingle All The Way is probably criminally, I wouldn't say maybe not criminally underneath. Oh, I'd use criminally. Definitely.
00:06:54
Speaker
I definitely think it's an underrated film. It's like one of those films where you watch it and you think oh this was a great film and then you see other people like talk about the same film and they're like this is terrible, it's trash and everything and I'm sorry like to those people listening to this, have you seen Netflix?
00:07:10
Speaker
Have you seen the Christmas films on there? See, compared to that, it makes Jingle all the way look like it's a wonderful life. And I'm not exaggerating. Some of those films are like, Mary was just a normal office woman and then all of a sudden she went to, I don't know, she went to like this farm in Kentucky or something. And it was like, yeah, then she learned to love blah blah blah, Santa out over the head, you know. The usual Christmas joy that you get in these like 20 similar films.
00:07:36
Speaker
Yeah, people talk about this like it's like Kirk Cameron saving Christmas. It's nowhere near that level of, you know, this film is genius. I will stand by it. So people, people who lambast it are fools.
00:07:48
Speaker
Yeah I said yolk fools come at me. There's that Christmas spirit. It's just as baffling. Like I won't go on too long about it but it is just baffling that people think that this film is terrible. As I said it's not like the best or the most like heartwarming
Plot Summary of 'Jingle All The Way'
00:08:05
Speaker
of Christmas films out there but it's nowhere near as bad as like the vitriol that other people bring to this film. Yeah
00:08:12
Speaker
Before we jump into it, will we just give a quick summary? Basically, Kirk Cameron's saving Christmas as a bit... Ah, you thought you were listening to Jingle all the way! Yeah, in the words of Arnie, you know, where's your Christmas cheer?
00:08:34
Speaker
So yeah, to give a brief synopsis, Jingle All The Way is about a workaholic father who is trying to bond with his son, played by the same kid that played Anakin Skywalker in Phantom Menace. Just wanted to throw it out there, really weird, really weird when you see him. And you're like, ah, it's a kid from Star Wars that hated. For obvious reasons. But that's another podcast episode.
00:08:54
Speaker
it's about this workaholic father who his son asks him to get like a Turbo Man doll which is like the doll of the year in the film and of course he leaves it too late and it leads him across the city and he's trying to buy this toy and yeah hi Jinx and Sue. Would you say that's a safe enough summary? Yeah no you hit all the key points there. There's a lot to get into so yeah before we you know dive into the jingle bells of this film yeah we will be right back just after these messages.
00:09:24
Speaker
Welcome to Chatsunami, a variety podcast that talks about topics from gaming and films to streaming in general interest. Previously on Chatsunami, we discussed Game of the Decade, Deadly Premonition, the romantic thriller, Birdemic, and listen to us get all sappy as we discuss our top five Christmas films. If that sounds like your cup of tea, then you can find us an anchor, Spotify, YouTube, and opiate podcast apps. As always, stay safe, stay awesome, and most importantly, stay hydrated.
00:09:55
Speaker
We are Beer and Chill Podcast. Podcast where we review TV shows, games, movies and whatever else takes our fancy. So what are you waiting for? If you're a cool kid like us, you're gonna listen to the Beer and Chill Podcast. You can get it anywhere from Spotify all the
Satirical Take on Consumerism in the Film
00:10:14
Speaker
way to your grandmother's radio. My name is Jan. And I'm Craig DC. And we are Beer and Chill.
00:10:30
Speaker
and what holy jolly messages those were. My god, you could hang tinsel on those. So yeah, jingle all the way. I want to hear your first impressions of this film. I was quite interested if it's something you said in the intro. You said that this is a film you watched much later on. Was it right to say you said that you weren't a fan of it in the first, like, reviewing?
00:10:51
Speaker
Yeah, I wouldn't say I wasn't a fan of it. It just kind of like went in one ear and went out the other. That kind of makes sense. I think I put it on while I was helping my mom put up the Christmas tree. So it was just kind of one of those things. It just kind of passed the time. I laughed at the jokes, you know, but I didn't really, because I wasn't like fully concentrating on it.
00:11:09
Speaker
I didn't really like get it, get all of what the film was doing. That makes sense. I didn't really get like the whole story and messages and stuff. So yeah, it was kind of, it wasn't like I didn't like it. It just was that kind of thing that it was just kind of past the time. And I said, I was doing these obstacles when I went back and actually like sat down and watched it properly. I was like, yeah, this is genius. What changed your mind if you don't mind me asking?
00:11:29
Speaker
It was a repeat, just watching it on repeated viewings and it's actually just focusing on it and just kind of looking at like the actual heart of the film and like what it has to say and everything and honestly one reason that I love this film so much is that it is honestly an excellent tonic for all the schmaltz of it.
00:11:48
Speaker
fair. This jingle all the way is so it's on a completely different track to basically 99% of all other Christmas films and I love it for that it's just the one that like you can just it's just it's that it's that palate cleanse you know it cuts right through the kind of sweet and saccharine like you know tone of these other films which is not a bad thing you know Christmas films should make
00:12:09
Speaker
most part have that kind of like sugary sweet centre to it. But I love this one for just the sharp bitter taste that just cuts through and gets you to the heart of what modern Christmas is like.
00:12:19
Speaker
You do raise a good point. It's definitely different compared to a lot of films. Like, as I was kind of joking about before, there's so many Christmas films I've seen where it's just rinse and repeat. It's like, borrowing plot points from other films. Like, for example, It's a Wonderful Life, fantastic film. I think it was, it was, no. What do I mean, I think? No, it was. It was our number one Christmas film. You've heard.
00:12:46
Speaker
it. From a reliable source, me, myself and I. Genuinely, it is one of the best Christmas albums of all time. Like, I will still stand by that to this day. When you get other people trying to copy that, because there's been lots, there has been lots, you might be thinking, you're wagging your finger, thinking, oh, Satsu, you lovable Grinch. No way. There is no way. Oh, trust me. I literally saw one where it was like a business woman, again,
00:13:12
Speaker
Abyssus from in the New York and she walks through um I think it's time or oh what's the park called in New York? Central Park. Central Park, thank you. See I should know that because I've got a central park like sitting right beside me. I'm like central um so first of all she walks through Central Park at night which from what I've heard not a good idea. Yeah she walks through she meets like a guy who rides like the horse in garage played by William Shatner. It was grim.
00:13:40
Speaker
It was a grim, grim film, you know. Not like grimacing, it was like disturbing, it was just the same, as you said, schmaltzy kind of, sickeningly sweet, oh yay, Christmas is about family and things, and it's like, I mean it is, there's a time and a place for it, but if every film is like that, then you're gonna get bored.
00:13:59
Speaker
aren't you you're just gonna be like that this is what a christmas film is jingle all the way i do agree jingle all the way is i mean it's acted great it's so over the top but i think that plays into the strength of the film would you say the acting's on point for this film here's what i'd say about the i i think the i agree with you on the whole i'd be acting his own point if we're being honest i think arnie is miscast in this film like he is in most of his films
00:14:28
Speaker
I don't buy him for one second as a mattress kingpin. I mean, of all the film roles that Arnie has had, this isn't the most unbelievable. And the film True Lives, he plays a computer salesman. That is the most unbelievable people I've ever seen, but I don't buy him as a
00:14:43
Speaker
But that being said, he works surprisingly well in this film and I think it's almost because of how miscast he is. Arnie's comedy can never tell if he's a comedic genius or just what he does is just naturally funny and he doesn't mean it.
00:14:59
Speaker
But whatever reason it is, because he's so funny in this, it works so well, and you kind of can look past the fact that he does not fit in this film at all. The late great Phil Hartman, who you may remember from such roles as Troy McClure and Lionel Huts on The Simpsons, is just perfect as the sleazy neighbour Ted. I think he's maybe the highlight of the film. He is so good.
00:15:21
Speaker
Sinbad, who plays the postman Myrick, who is kind of like the antagonist of this film, and basically finds himself battling Arnie to get hold of this turbo man doll. He brings a kind of manic energy to the film. I think he can often stray into being quite irritating, but I think
00:15:39
Speaker
overall he works pretty well in the film and he kind of works quite well when he's playing off Arnie. So I think overall the acting is good, I mean Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks' wife by the way, who plays Howard's wife in this film. She doesn't really get much to do, like she really is just like, all she gets to really do is nag Arnie and basically like fight off lecherous Ted throughout the film. She's not really given much to work with, which is a bit of a shame, but I think for like the three main, if you're looking at like Howard, Ted and then
00:16:05
Speaker
Myron kind of freemake out. I think they all work well for kind of different reasons. Yeah, I see what you mean about his wife. She's just kind of there to be the... I suppose just there to look after the child while our notes goes in. He's like extravagant. He chirks all his parental GCs. Yeah, pretty much. And remember, she's his number one customer.
00:16:30
Speaker
I think that's amazing because that's genuinely how I feel at work. I'm not a mattress salesman but when I'm replying to emails, it's like you know that way. Anybody who works in that kind of job where you're constantly replying to emails all day, you always have that tagline at the end of your email and it just reminded me of that when you're just like, and remember, you're my favourite, you're my number one customer and she just looks horrified and just
Christmas Shopping Madness Portrayed
00:16:55
Speaker
slams. I think that's so funny.
00:16:57
Speaker
this film would you say this film is definitely like a time capsule of the time I don't get me wrong I still think it's applicable to nowadays for Christmas but do you think it's quite a time capsule in a way but I still think I think it's the most maybe relatable Christmas I think this is probably a story a Christmas story that a lot of people can relate to I mean like it's obviously like it's obviously satirizing things like events such as at the Cabbage Patch riots that you got in the 1980s where if you remember the Cabbage Patch
00:17:25
Speaker
not that we remember, if you've seen the Cabbage Patch kids, which were absolutely crazy, like an absolute killer toy in the 1980s, and like parents were like trampling each other to like, you know, robbing each other to get hold of these for their kids. But I think as well, it also kind of presses, and I don't know if Black Friday was a thing in 1996, or if it became a thing later on, but if it became a thing later on, then this film like, presaged exactly what was gonna happen, you know, for all of these like, you know, these kind of Black Friday events.
00:17:49
Speaker
So in a way, there's a time capsule, especially as well with the kind of like 90s, you know, and I suppose forgetting like a toy like that, that is very kind of a 90s toy. It kind of reminds me of when like the Buzz Lightyear toys were out or like the Furby's, you know, something akin to that was very much a 90s craze everybody was trying to get their hands on.
00:18:07
Speaker
But in that idea of the must-have item, I think it's just as applicable today as it was in 1996. Do you know what's ironic? You bring up the Cabbage Patch Kids, because in the same year, there was another craze for a toy, and it was the Tickle Me Elmo. It all changed.
00:18:23
Speaker
people. Parents all over America and all over the world. I think it was more America. I can't say for a fact it was all over the world, but definitely America. They were scrambling for this toy, being like, oh no, we've got to get it. And I do agree. It's something that definitely carries over, because as I've said before,
00:18:42
Speaker
then this is like an example I always bring up but for example the wee craze of 2006 and I don't mean wee as in small, I'm not that Scottish, I mean the literal Nintendo wee that was sold out, people had to ship it from Germany of all places because they had like tons of them for some reason in Germany but nowhere else. They had to ship it all the way from there to the UK in time for Christmas. It was like really hard and again this year, I mean look at the Xbox Series X which
00:19:12
Speaker
Yeah, like, genuinely. I'm still waiting for Microsoft to reply and send me one. Unfortunately, they're not answering my emails. They sent me a letter the other day that said cease and desist or something. I don't know what it means, but anyway, I'll look at it later. But the main thing is, Microsoft, please, give me a free Xbox, because my Xbox one's on the blink, please. For just one Xbox series X a day, you can keep my Satsu happy. Please, sir, can I have one more?
00:19:37
Speaker
Yeah, again, going back to the point there, there's always going to be that toy or gadget or something that's always going to be in high demand. I mean, there's always something every year. Because I know people will be thinking, oh no, that's not the case, or I would never rush out. Believe me, if you had kids, or you see all these shows for kids, do you know
00:19:59
Speaker
remember like years ago watching things like cartoon networking, programs like that, the amount of like insidious adverts for toys and that, you know, it was like there would be a cartoon, then there would be an ad break, but it's not like, for obvious reasons, it's not like, you know, John Johnson attorney at law or something, or you know, are your feet hurting? Kind of trying a stairlift, you know, nothing like that. It's all like the high powered action toys and things like that. You've got your Lego, you've got your
00:20:28
Speaker
God, I'm getting old. I'm getting a toy. Your fidget spinners and the flossing and the dancing. But you know what I mean? I remember I desperately wanted the Lego Hogwarts set when every year that I came out and that was one of these ones. I remember my parents had to go to those big toys or us, not far from it. They were phoning there every day to try and see if that was coming in. The film satirizes that as well because when Arnie's speaking to his kids,
00:20:55
Speaker
uh called Jamie as you say played by Jake Lloyd um and like he's like what do you want for Christmas and then like Jamie goes into that big speech and he's like oh you know the terrible amount of you listen to all the features of it like just exactly as you can imagine it wasn't the advert yeah the adorees not included in a way of that but the subliminal but also very much in your face advertising the mix of the two and how like insidious it is for children you know and how much they just pick up on that
00:21:19
Speaker
It is amazing though, just like how they captured it so well. Even as a padade or a satire or however you want to quote it, it is just, it's amazing isn't it? How they just capture the essence as it were. Yeah no like it completely is like it. You can tell this is written by people who have experienced this. Oh yeah. I think this is such a human story.
00:21:39
Speaker
Because I guarantee so many parents will completely know exactly what this is. Maybe not to this extreme, but they will understand that kind of pressure to get this thing for your kids. Even if perhaps we haven't experienced that, per se, as a parent. We kind of know of it as being the child. It's something we may end up having to do as potential future parents. It is a human story in that sense of it's not so much like, oh, the best, the greater good of humans.
00:22:07
Speaker
the craze and the pressure it is to be a human sometimes. Oh yeah, there's no sappy moral of this. Do whatever you can to make your child happy. That's what I find fascinating about this film, just you bringing it up. There is almost a complete lack of any kind of festive cheer. Literally
00:22:26
Speaker
The only kind of bit that you get is actually right after
Exploring Dark Themes in the Film
00:22:30
Speaker
the credits. After the credits there's a scene in the Langstrom family home where Arnie puts the star on top of the tree. Really, that's kind of it. There's really not much else at all. I often tell this film as a refreshing slice of holiday cynicism. I'll list some of the things that are in the film here. So we have black market toy rings, we have crass consumerism, we have mail bombs, we have suburban sleaze,
00:22:53
Speaker
Amongst a multitude of other things, the film actually has such a dark core to it. For much as it's a comedy, there's this really bleak centre to the film because it's really a tale of an absent father who can only think to use material items to win his son's affection.
00:23:12
Speaker
That's all he can do in his mind. He can't conceive of any other way to be the best father and please his child. All he can think is, I must get these material items for him. So it's actually a really, really dark core. And it's a son who's clearly grown frustrated with his absent father and is almost in search of a father figure himself, which is maybe one of the reasons he latches onto Turbo Man as this hero to look up to because his own father isn't providing that. So it's actually really bleak, if you think about it.
00:23:41
Speaker
I remember reading some of the reviews and it's all the stereotypical like, oh this film has a terrible message and all this film you know is very this and that and you think well it's a more real, as you said it's a more realistic take on the holiday. Again as you said like we're not speaking from the first characters of being parents but I can
00:24:01
Speaker
only imagine, like seeing, you know, when you go Christmas shopping to superm- or not supermarket, sorry, but toys to map out to, you know, like this malls or shopping centers or things like that and, you know, you just see all the dejected parents walking by, trudging along with like, I don't know, something from Build-a-Bear.
00:24:20
Speaker
you know from game or something and just being like totally dejected and I'm not saying that as a critique being like oh look at these people so sad like I genuinely feel sorry you know that's kind of... because don't get me wrong like and this is the sappy message of this episode but Christmas is like a kind of time of you know goodwill and faith and things but it would it would not be right to say that it's not a materialistic holiday it has definitely evolved into that and the fact that as you said you've got this
00:24:49
Speaker
father figure played by Arne of Ghost. He's doing his best too. No sorry, he's not doing his best. As you actually say, it was gonna be nice there but no he's not. He's a workaholic. He breaks the law to try and get back to his son's karate recital. He doesn't get there. What seems to him like probably an insignificant moment because does he not say that about the belts? He's like oh can they not come to the next one or something? Yeah
00:25:16
Speaker
And, you know, the mum's like, no, you have to be here for this one. And of course, as she said, the sleazy neighbour played by Phil Hartman, who he did a fantastic
Phil Hartman's Suburban Sleaze Subplot
00:25:24
Speaker
job. I'm sorry, he is a highlight of this film. He's like kind of the anti-Flanders, isn't he? You know, going for the Simpsons.
00:25:32
Speaker
I think that's great. He is. Think of Ned Flanders from The Simpsons and just reverse that. Evil Flanders, if you will, were the only reason he's being nice to people. Is it because he's genuinely nice? And that is something that's actually brilliant. You've probably noticed it, but there's a scene in the film where he's got a reindeer, a real live reindeer, kicking about the neighbourhood and he's got the manger scene and he's giving out hot chocolate and things like that. And all the women,
00:26:01
Speaker
all of this suburban area are flocking around him. Jake Lloyd's character, Jamie. Jamie turns around to the Phil Hartman's kid to remember what his name is. Oh, that is terrible. Does he even have a name? I can't remember. Johnny. No, as is Johnny. The only reason is I'm remembering that scene where he's like, I got Johnny a turbo man for Christmas. It's nestled safely under our tree. He's like, gee, you're great. But yeah,
00:26:28
Speaker
He's basically lapping up the attention, and obviously the only person who's not really buying it is Arnie's wife, who's keeping her distance. And Johnny says to Jamie, he's like, my dad never used to do this, but as soon as he got divorced, he started doing this all the time. I'm just laughing because of what he follows up with. He says like, I did him the world of good, and he turns to Jamie and says, maybe your parents should get divorced, which is something that a child does not want to hear.
00:26:55
Speaker
from anybody. And it is just that thing of he's just doing it for the attention and he's the perfect kind of... I mean there's two villains in this piece, isn't there? There's Phil Hartman's character and there's Sinbad who plays Myron the postman and they both are kind of evil in a different way. Like obviously not comically. Well Myron is but we'll get to him.
00:27:18
Speaker
We all get him. But for Phil Hartman's character, he's just this lazy, he just does it so well. I cannot emphasise enough how good of a job he does it. For example, he goes to Arnie's house while he's absent and just basically to weasel his way in. And it's just so funny when he's like, oh, he says to the woman, I'll go take a shower and I'll handle the cookies. And it's so funny if you notice that his facade drops immediately when he's left alone with the kid.
00:27:48
Speaker
Because it's like, you go upstairs, put your feet up, have a nice shower, I'll deal with the cookies and as soon as she's out of earshot, the kids will fight with one another. And he yells out, it's like, pipe down in there! And of course he gets a phone call from Arnold. He's like, that cookie scene is probably my favourite in the whole film, where he's like, oh my god!
00:28:09
Speaker
Can we talk about that scene? Yeah, so in the scene, just for context, Howard, of course, played by Arnie. I've just realised, I've just been calling him Arnie. Because let's face it, we know his names.
00:28:26
Speaker
But yeah, so Arnie phones home and of course Phil Hartman's character answers it. It's so funny. And he's eating these wife's cookies and he is… Arnie's just raging because he's like, who told you you could eat my cookies? And he just keeps saying like, well, I could check on your wife. I think she's in the shower. And he gives the most sleazy smile and he's like, do you want me to check? And he's like,
00:28:49
Speaker
No! He screams it down the phone and all of these people beside him look at him as if he's gone mad and he's like, no, no Ted, no Ted, thank you. And then of course you've got the iconic, put that cookie down line, which is fantastic. Oh it's so good. But I think that's what works actually kind of well about the two villains, about Ted and Myron. They're actually both broken men. Oh yeah.
00:29:15
Speaker
they are like antagonists and aren't like for the most part aren't like good people as we said like Ted is this way because of his divorce which is clearly like broken him in many ways like obviously mentally as well like and he's just like trying to overcompensate and as you say he's just attention hungry you know loving like the attention from all the suburban housewives as he lost after like you know his next-door neighbor and then Myron as well like you know
00:29:39
Speaker
We get the, there's a scene where, like, Myron and Arnie have struggled, like, can't find this doll at all, and they both end up in the same diner, and they're, like, commiserating and feeling sorry for themselves. And Myron tells the story about how his dad didn't get him, like, the toy, the hot item, the hot toy. And he's like, and that's why I became a mailman. I was like, well, guess who my next-door neighbor was? Like, he's now the CEO of this, like, a billion-dollar corporation, because his dad got him the toy. Which, at one level, if you look at it at face value, you're like, well, that's a terrible message. It's like, if you don't,
00:30:09
Speaker
If you don't buy material items for your kid, they're all going to be a failure in life. But actually, I think it's something deeper. It's this way of it's not actually anything about getting the toys that clearly like, you know, Myron's father was like how it was like Arnie's character was like absent and you know, didn't show the necessary care and like affection for his child, which is kind of like resulted in Myron like struggling in life. And it's that way that like rather than like
00:30:31
Speaker
focus on that it's kind of become revolved around this this item you know that this toy in a way that like a child's mind perhaps would do you know and then you know it's difficult to break out of that mindset even as you grow up so it's just such a dark film that I don't think you quite get it maybe on the first viewing I think it's only on repeated things that you kind of get a peer into the abyss which isn't
00:30:54
Speaker
And again, it's just something that I find refreshing is such a bizarre word to use, but it just really is. It's an actually fascinating study of what the holidays can do to people.
00:31:08
Speaker
of like the kind of hurt and the kind of craziness it can cause. Do you want to know an interesting fact about that scene? Oh go for it. So the toy that he was talking about in the diner is the Johnny 7 OMA gun or OMA gun however you say it. OMA means one man army so it was like a kind of probably like the Swiss army knives of guns.
00:31:28
Speaker
kind of thing. But the interesting thing is, that's a real toy. Oh really? That was a real toy, yeah. Apparently it says it was released in 1964, so it's quite an old toy. But yeah, apparently I was reading up the trivia for this and that's what they were saying. The advert was exactly how Myron describes it, you know, Johnny DePiero, Johnny DePiero, Roger. And he does the whole like, oh my god, I'm looking at the guy, I'm looking at the toy now. It's a piece of work, yeah. I kind of want one.
00:31:57
Speaker
Yeah, OK. Add this to my Christmas list? Damn, I've already bought your Christmas. You're what? I'll see what Santa can bring. If you don't get me a Johnny 7-0 domain, then I'm going to become a postman as well and blame you.
00:32:11
Speaker
Well, if you do, I'm not opening any presents from you. Here's this lovely parcel. Ignore the ticking. Can we just talk about how dark that scene is, by the way? There's a scene which I have to admit I did chuckle and it's played for laughs, thank God, because I genuinely, I don't think I could have taken it. I think I would have killed the film if they took it as a serious, like, bomb.
00:32:32
Speaker
But basically, there's a scene where they break in. This is how desperate they are. They break into this radio station who are doing this giveaway for the Turbo Man doll and they lie back in
Arnold's Radio Station Chaos Scene
00:32:43
Speaker
the dead. It's hilarious. Imagine you're on Radio DJ and you're just doing your show. You're just going about your everyday life and then Arnold Schwarzenegger comes out and he's banging on the glass door.
00:32:56
Speaker
You're too late. I know. I won." He's like, did I get it? And he's like, oh Mike, that would be terrifying for anyone. The guy's the poor guy, but yeah, he calls the police on them and they have to escape. And just as they get caught by the police, like the first time when Myron's trying to get the Turbo Lando, he pulls out like a random package and says it's a parcel bomb.
00:33:17
Speaker
you know like he's really yelling at them to get down and they accidentally drops it and it turns out to be a music box but then he tries the same thing with the police and the police obviously they take it seriously and they put their guns down and he puts the partial down that he runs off and you know like the confident police chief who can i just say he was just doing his job the entire time he has that he gets the harsh end of the stick in this album but he ends up in
00:33:41
Speaker
Yeah, he ends up being like, ah, in all my years of the bomb squad, I'm sure it's fine. And then he just seen the distance, this explosion. And Sinbad goes, there really was a bomb. There are sick people in this world. But I have to admit, it did get a chuckle out of me. And it does cut back, and the police officer's fine. He's got the cartoony, like, you know, the kind of black suit all over his face, and the hair's all done. As if it's like a cartoon bomb that's exploded, but thank God they went that route.
00:34:10
Speaker
I just didn't like it. They didn't. They would die hard style. It's like, oh my god. It's such a funny scene though. As you said, it just continues that kind of dark tone. It's kind of strange how, although there's such a dark tone, it's like juxtaposed with this glittery, bright kind of backdrop. You've got Turbo Man who is basically like the Power Rangers almost. That's the kind of closest I can think of, like for what he's
00:34:37
Speaker
representing you. He's like the typical superhero where he's got all the, he's got his utility belt, he's got, god I'm rooting the advert now, he's got the karate chop, your battery's not included in silver, and yeah he's just like this stereotypical toy and you know he's got a sidekick, he's like this fluffy like saber tooth, pink saber tooth, let me add, cold.
00:34:57
Speaker
called Booster. That's one of my favourite running jokes in this, because every time they go to a toy store, they all want Turbo Man, because obviously, you want, as you brought up earlier, it's like going for Buzz Lightyear and getting the pic instead.
00:35:14
Speaker
know, maybe the pig is possible but no one wants the pig from Toy Stony compared to Buzz Lightyear or Woody. It's so funny because they keep saying we've got a great guy who runs one of the malls and he's like, but we've got Turbo Man's Fightful Sidekick, a booster, and everyone's like, nobody wants booster, nobody wants him.
00:35:38
Speaker
And they're like, yeah, no one wants booster. And you're like, oh my God, it is great. And throughout the whole thing, even at the end when they're fighting on the floor, all these kids run up to this poor guy who I'm convinced this girl would go to read back and be like, it's the same voice. It was a kid who gets the absolute you-know-what kicked out of him by these kids. And they're like, nobody likes you, boys.
00:36:01
Speaker
Oh, poor him. Well, I would say poor guy, but he's a bit of a – he's not very – not booster himself, but the guy in the suit at the end. He's not a very nice man. But yeah, as I said, it's like all of this – well, you know what Christmas is like. It's the tinsel coming down, you know, the red and the golds and the greens and things. You're just all flashing and you just see like – in fact, I kind of
00:36:22
Speaker
I find it kind of funny see the scene where he of course tries to go and get like a raffle and it's just chaos it's as you said it's like Black Friday where they throw all these balls with numbers on them and whoever gets the ball with the right number gets the turbo if I know it's not a number is it like a star or something like that yeah I think it has got a number on it actually I think it is like someone's like bingo balls or something like that he tries grabbing like everyone's grabbing them and that they're the iconic line he got two
00:36:51
Speaker
as he yells at Myron and he gets like basically mopped. It's a very dark scene. And then of course he tries to get it from a child, which you can guess how that goes. A fully grown man crawling into a ball pit trying to get a ball off a child. It does not end well. He gets them beat
00:37:07
Speaker
I'm not a pervert! And then of course it gets a word in by this shady Santa, as you said, the whole Santa ring. What do you think about that scene? I love it for like, again, just the bleak, like, you know, there's this like crime ring of Santas just like making all these counterfeit toys. I think it's a funny kind of like image. And then as well, like, I love like the kind of fight scene that happens. I actually think there's some really good action scenes like kind of peppered
00:37:34
Speaker
throughout this film. Obviously, Arnie's probably best known for his action films, Commando, Predatory, Terminator, things like that. But obviously, this isn't an action film, but I think there's some really good scenes. That fight, I think, is great. I love the... I'll wave it when he's getting mobbed by the Santas and then the police break it all up and stuff. And then, as well, as you say, I love the chase when he's chasing that bull down there. He's crawling through the kid's play, but I think it's a really funny image of this giant hawking off Korean crawling.
00:38:03
Speaker
these tunnels and everything and then just getting attacked by all these mums. I think it's just funny. I really like it. I really enjoy it. I'm just trying to think of that. Maybe it goes on a bit too long, but my favourite moment of that whole sequence, not only when he says, forget it, I'm not sitting on your lap to the shady side.
00:38:26
Speaker
I love it. Of all the things, I didn't say it to Santa but I remember I was out with my girlfriend and we were walking about and there was this like Santa's grotto and she said like jokingly, oh do you want to go in? And I was like listen, if it's a 10 year old child sitting on Santa's lap, that's cute.
00:38:44
Speaker
if it's a nearly 30-year-old man sitting on Santa's lap. It's a criminal offence, okay? It's the same with Arnold, you know? It's like, yeah, whether or not he was going to sit in that guy's lap. That is such a good scene though. But my favourite bit is when he actually gets his hand on a turbo man doll, which turns out to be a counterfeit. Basically, it's all wrapped up and they like take $200 for it and he hears like this weird, you know, sound. He's like, what is that?
00:39:09
Speaker
The tears are open and it starts speaking in Spanish and the prices abandon. All you hear is like, it's a diembo del turbo. It's like, oh yes, that's a multilingual version. It's educational too. They're like, oh, it's sleazy con man.
00:39:28
Speaker
And of course, aren't they not someone you want to piss off? You know, as you said, hulking Austrian is perfect to describe him and his brain. Because I think at this time he was making all of his family friendly comedies.
00:39:43
Speaker
Yeah, I think Twins is around this time. Twins is around this time of Junior as well, the one where he gets pregnant. Last Action Hero as well I think is not long for, which is like the kind of crossover, which is my favourite of the irony comedies, but it's that crossover comedy action, which is another one that I really, really like. But as you say, it's all at this kind of like early to mid 90s. Yeah.
00:40:02
Speaker
It's definite with him in these, I don't want to say comedy prime but you know what I mean. That kind of genre that he was exploring. Comedy era. Yes, this bookmark as it were. Although I quite like a side but speaking of the cast, did you know that there were other considerations about which actor should play certain characters in this film? I did.
00:40:23
Speaker
Who were they thinking? The most noticeable was Myron, who apparently the producer Chris Columbus, who I was surprised because Chris Columbus did the first two, I think it was the Harry Potter films. They did Home Alone as well, didn't they? So he did, yeah. He is a talented guy, I promise to him. But yeah, he did that and apparently they wanted Joe Pesci.
00:40:42
Speaker
to play Myron. But this is what it says in IMDB, so if you don't believe me, look it up everybody, listen. Producer Chris Columbus wanted Joe Pesci to play Myron, but he was deemed too short at 5'3", next to Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is 6'2". Can I just say, I didn't realise I was the same height as him.
00:41:01
Speaker
prices that like that I think that's short but you know like I'd have well thought he was taller than that yeah I genuinely I thought he was taller but yeah can you imagine Joe Pesci playing mind like maybe I think he might have worked actually I would have loved it I think that would have been incredible like a manic Joe Pesci would have been amazing to watch like no no offense to no offense to Sydney
00:41:21
Speaker
I do have to say, as much as I think he does work in this film, I do think he does border into the irritating at points in a way that I think Joe Pesci would have walked that line much better. No, I totally agree. I mean, especially after the leading from The Home Alone, the only two Home Alone films, there was never any sequels, which is a shame. There was never any reboots. There definitely wasn't one released this year. Yeah, and there wasn't one with a dog or dogs. Now, if you want to check out that non-existent film, you know, check out our episode on that.
00:42:00
Speaker
So as a kind of closing, or not a closing, because let's face it, we could talk about this film for hours, but can we talk about like one final part of this film?
00:42:10
Speaker
That of course being the finale. The utter bonkers. The bit that I honestly don't think fits into the rest of the film, I'm going to be honest, it seems about whimsical.
Whimsical Finale with Turbo Man
00:42:20
Speaker
Not like the ending of it. Like, I feel as though, sorry, just to quickly explain, Arnie, you know, here's another dark twist coming, another dark plot point. But basically, he tries to break into his neighbour's house, you know, the legendest one.
00:42:34
Speaker
He tries to steal a turbo mando on Christmas Eve from under the tree and he gets rightfully called out for it. Although I did love him, Phil Hartman's response. He's like, you can't bench press your way out of this. It's as if he has the upper hand and it's like, oh Ted, you really don't.
00:42:59
Speaker
It's so, oh it's so funny. To which your punches are really not seen as well, which is very jarring. The victory boots the flaming wise man's head out of the window into the group of chalarot carolers which I love. They'll literally scream. Did you hear what Phil Hartman says to that? He's like,
00:43:18
Speaker
Apparently, and again, we're not sponsored by anybody, especially beer companies. Apparently, I don't know if this was Filhamton Minnesota. I think it was. I think it was, because the only reason they're saying that is there's like a lot of references to Minnesota. And don't get me wrong, I don't know the first thing about Minnesota, so apologies to our Minnesota, but would you call someone from Minnesota? Minnesotans? Minnesotians? Please let us know down in the comments.
00:44:05
Speaker
many nods to Minnesota and the police they're filming out. I do like that, I think that's a really nice touch. Anyway, sorry, moving on from that. It ends up he's running from the police again. He burns into the police officer, who at this stage has been blown up, his bike's been knocked over, he's been scolded with hot coffee, and he ends up getting into this dressing room where he is dressed up as Turbo Man.
00:44:07
Speaker
prove your worth with some Minnesota tea.
00:44:29
Speaker
I do love the guy saying like, oh by the way, you know, it's so good you could fill in for so and so before he's still in the hospital. It's like, wait, what? He's having a brain activity, which is a good thing. That's a good thing. You're like, oh no. And he ends up, which is so funny, he ends up being dressed as Turbo Man in one of the, it's not the Macy Day Parade, but it's something similar. A kid into that.
00:44:52
Speaker
Is this the one where Sonic the Hedgehog is in the parade? Yes it is! Right, no that's fine because I remember there was another one. I couldn't remember if it was this one or Miracle on 34th Street. Maybe there is one. I don't know. Yeah, I mean this was the 90s so it made sense. Yeah, Sonic and Crayola and...
00:45:10
Speaker
Yeah, I don't get that. Why were there so many crayons? I don't understand that. People dressed as parcels, which is one of the... Is that the same scene I'm thinking of where a guy gets knocked down as a parcel and his wee legs are flowing? Yeah, they're all the parcels cutting gather around.
00:45:26
Speaker
I'm sorry Billy, it's your time. But yes, he ends up dressing as Turbo Man. I have to admit, it's a dick move. Although this is in character for him. The fact he's just like, oh, I'll pick my own son Jamie. And it's like, how does he know my name? And it's like, that is staged. It's so staged. And he was about to like, out himself before Miren came in. After he kidnapped a man, can I just say, for a toy.
00:45:54
Speaker
ranks up quite the criminal record. Yeah, let's just say that see if this was like in real life, Myron would probably still be in prison today. I mean, he blows up the police, he kidnaps a guy and ties him up and then steals his uniform or not his uniform, but the villain of
00:46:13
Speaker
I kind of remember what he's called in there. He's called Dementor, isn't he? Dementor, yeah. Oh, you're right. Yeah, the big, great guy. Was him getting a role he stole from to Harry Potter? Yeah, it ends up, and it's just, oh, funny. It ends up they have like a, well, they don't really have a fight because he's like trying to break away from what everyone else thinks, like a choreograph skit. It ends up like, I love this scene, by the way, because it's so dumb, but it's when the police officer sees a change.
00:46:41
Speaker
your old boy running top of a building. He's hanging off of it and the child's mum is trying to rush past to get her child and the police officer stops her and is like, ma'am, I'm sorry, you can't come this way. And she's like, but that's my son. And she's like, oh, he's doing a great job, part of the show. And it's like, how can you think that's a part of the show?
00:47:03
Speaker
Oh, and then of course he uses his jet pack, or sorry, Arnie uses his jet pack, which, let's face it, some places don't even have the budget to cover potholes. You know what, that's a minor nitpick. And just like he manages to use this jet pack and save these.
00:47:18
Speaker
I have to admit, there is like a nice symbolism there. You know, Jamie throughout the film is looking up to Turbo Man, and then by the end of it, although he is looking up to Turbo Man, Turbo Man is his dad and all of this. And I know that's the kind of like, as you said, the kind of smooshy ending, but Howard, even after this, Howard is not a nice man. He's not a Ted. He's not Phil Hartman's character. But he's not, I don't think this makes up for it.
00:47:43
Speaker
five years of neglect. No, but that's as well, like, you're completely right. But as well, like, it shows how little he's actually emotionally grown. Because as much as he has, he has like, going back to that diner scene, he has a scene where like, just before he's been trying to like, he's trying to call his wife through a lot of the film to like, to, I guess, to like, say he's probably like, like, Oh, no, I'll be there sooner, problem stuff, but he keeps getting hold of his son.
00:48:05
Speaker
He's like, desperately trying to speak to his wife, but his son's like, talking about like, oh, you come to see the parade and stuff. I can't wait to see Turbo Man. And like, and Arnie just flips out and he's just like, I don't know for Turbo Man. Look, he's yelling at his kid to jump into like, his kid leg is really angry at him and like, it's hands of fun. Then he goes off and like, he's commiserating with Myron. And he's like, you know, does it make me a bad father? I couldn't get this toy. No, but like, you know, shouting at my kid for no reason. That's what makes me a bad father. And that's the only thing that's going to be a moment of emotional growth where he kind of realizes, you know, like basically like he's trying to cover up his failings, all his material items.
00:48:35
Speaker
But then the spider spider, I'm trying to get hold of this doll. And again, that's all he can conceive of at the end of the day. You know, he's just like, again, he's like, no, if I get this doll, everything will be fine. And actually, like, not to jump too far out to the end, but actually it's his son who has, like, a big emotional growth at the end, rather than, like, Arnie's character.
00:48:52
Speaker
Yeah, because it gives the doll away. To someone who's obviously going to prison for, I mean, I don't know the American legal system, but judging by their harsh penalties, I would assume at least a hundred years. And you know where that doll's going? Right into the evidence. Well, then again, I don't know, maybe the police were corrupt and be like, yes, I got a turbo man for my son.
00:49:15
Speaker
The true crime. That would have been a great twist if the police chief who Arnie keeps wrecking his life and so keeps running into. If he'd been a bigger character and he'd also been looking for the toy. It's just his plan to get another amazing twist.
00:49:32
Speaker
It is kind of ironic that he does become the plastic icon of materialism that his son looks up to. And I know, I know, this is sappy. Why do I want a Turbo Man doll? I've got the real one at home and it's like, you do know your dad's not Turbo Man, Jamie.
00:49:49
Speaker
Yeah, it's like, Jingle All The Way 2, they have to take Jamie to a therapist and be like, right, you know Turbo Man's not real, right? Although, fun fact, there is actually a Turbo Man 2, I was about to say, there is actually a Jingle All The Way 2. Nothing to do, I've never seen it, nor do I have really any intention to, but it just has nothing to do with the original. It's one of these cash grab ones, I think, where they just use the name. Like, Bon Alone, for example. If there ever was an example of crass consumerism,
00:50:16
Speaker
Have you seen that? No, no but just from what I can imagine just you kind of described it there and what I can imagine it's like I'm just like oh they clearly didn't watch the first film and I understand it's criticism and commentary here's a quick question for you who's more excited about the discovery that Arnie is is turbo man is it is it his son or is it his wife Howard Howard
00:50:39
Speaker
Howard, wow. Again, you know, that'll probably brought up in the sequel where it's like you do know your husband's an old fucking madman. You do know that we're going to have to put the suit back in them.
00:50:52
Speaker
There's probably going to be a long legal process about your husband. Although it was the 90s, although it was a different time, it wasn't that different that the police didn't say maybe stealing someone else's identity and flying through the city. It wasn't very legal. But you know what, as you said, he hangs the star on the tree at the end and everything and you know it's all happy. And then of course,
00:51:16
Speaker
Tangerine just says, what did you get for me? And yeah, him jiggle all the way to focuses on their heavy divorce where he has to dress up as a female nanny to get their affection. That's Mrs Doubtfire, never mind. Can I just say on a slight tangent here, I showed my partner that film for the first time the other day thinking, oh, it's going to be a very funny film and everything. That film is dark.
00:51:42
Speaker
That is so crap. Have you re-watched that recently, like in the last five to ten years? I saw it for the first time a couple of years ago. Really? Wow. It is quite dark. To be honest. People say that online that like, oh, it's like a, you know, a gritty, like, or not a gritty, but like a harsh look at like divorce parents and things. They're like, yeah, of course, sure it is. It's just like comedy with Robin Williams. How dark can that be? Oh, oh, okay. I see. I see what you mean now.
00:52:11
Speaker
Going back to Jungkol the way again though, everybody in that film is just a redeemer. Maybe except the mum, but the mum's like blonde as it is. As she said, she's just there. She's not there to relay, again, no offence to the actress, like you can only work with what you're given, but yeah, she definitely does not do anything other than as she says scold them. Rightfully so. I think her lines are like, you got the doll, right?
00:52:37
Speaker
Turbo Man. You can't be late for Jamie's recital. Howard? Howard! And maybe a few rebuttals for Ted. There's a very creepy scene about when that lady tries to advance on her, and she smacks his face. And it is quite uncomfortable when you're old. You're like, okay, this is a... It's played for laughs, obviously, but you're like... The bit where he's like, I could have anyone like that. And you're like, you've totally grabbed it.
00:53:04
Speaker
there is one funny line she comes away with where she turns round and she goes, well I'm a lucky girl, like really sarcastic. I love that I did chuckle at that, I thought okay, okay she has a little bit more but like
00:53:17
Speaker
Yeah, obviously she wouldn't have as much of a stand rule because, you know, the focus is Arnold being a questionable parent. Phil Hartman being a questionable creep. Myron being a questionable postman. Because I don't believe any of his parcels were delivered. People say this. People complain about the Royal Mail service in the UK. See, he had, like, myrons.
00:53:38
Speaker
It's like people are like, oh, my partial got lost by like Hermes or something. It's like, this is why. Because your postman was looking for Turbo Man. He didn't get a Johnny 7-0 EMEA gun. That's the kind of domino effect. Is it the domino effect or the butterfly effect? Probably the same thing in this case. Yeah. It's like, this is the reason why your presence late and your grandmother didn't get your Christmas card.
Concluding Remarks on the Film's Humor
00:54:01
Speaker
Because this guy was trying to blow up the police and you're like, yeah. But overall, as a kind of, you know, holly jolly closing point where we get a hot chocolate out and we reminisce about this film. How would you sell this? What are your final thoughts on this film? Again, I would say just if you can, if you've just had enough, if
00:54:18
Speaker
If you've had enough of Christmas being the best time of year and you've had enough of the sweet saccharin nature of everything, pop this on. Pop this on your streaming service of choice or pop the DVD in if you've got it, whatever. The VHS if you want a deep cut, but whatever. Get it on and it'll be a refreshing change and you'll have a blast with it. And I think one thing that actually makes this film
00:54:42
Speaker
really great is that literally this is one you can watch with the whole family it is like a p i think it's a pg rating yeah rightly it's a lot of obviously as you say you watched it when you were young i obviously came to him later life and i it's one that you can watch the whole family because there's so many different it's it's a good film in that way that there's there's things with different people
00:54:59
Speaker
So the kids are gonna like all the kind of wacky comedy and you know the pratfalls and everything like that and Arnie running around and screaming and they're also gonna kick out of all the dark humor that comes out of you know like these suburban housewives lusting after Phil Hartman and all these things. Another film that's kind of akin to this is Bad Santa. I don't know if you've ever seen that one with Billy Bob Thornton. Do you know I haven't seen that. I've been meaning to watch it for ages but I actually haven't seen
Comparison with 'Click and Collect'
00:55:25
Speaker
it.
00:55:25
Speaker
it's it's the same kind of it has that same kind of dark like center to it however that's not one that you could watch with all your family i will say like it is it is a good film but i think it is worth a watch but again it's not really one that you could show you show kids or anything like that it is like ready to 15 and quite likely so to be honest so
00:55:42
Speaker
at least with Jingle all the way it is one that you can pop on for the family and everybody can kind of enjoy different parts of it and that's what I think makes a good kind of like family film it's got stuff for everybody every member of the family so that's that's two things I'd sell it with you know a refreshing change of pace and good fun for all the fans speaking of like you know films that are like this because let's face it although like whether you like this film or not it still has a formula that works jaded parent
00:56:06
Speaker
Once thing for child's Christmas can't get thing goes and wacky adventure comes back gets thing in the end the only reason I say that is because it reminds me of another film that I actually watched quite recently and it was made for British television called click and collect Yeah, have you seen it yet?
00:56:28
Speaker
good things about it. I think it's on UK Netflix. I don't know if it would be on BBC iPlayer for any UK listeners out there. To kind of quickly summarise it, it's basically a short film about 53 minutes long starring Stephen Merchant and
00:56:43
Speaker
apologies if I mispronounce his name, asim chondry who both are neighbours with one another and steven merchant is this kind of jaded father who's like he goes to pick up his child's toy and you know they bump up the price and he's like I'm not paying for this and you know he storms out and then he realises oh shit
00:57:03
Speaker
get this present. So he's like, well meaning but annoying kind of obnoxious neighbour is like, oh don't worry, I've reserved one for like a shopping car that fits like four and a half hours a week. Come on, let's drive! And they have this kind of road trip, a bit like, but maybe they're like plane trains and automobiles, a bit more family friendly.
00:57:20
Speaker
And it is. It's got a very sweet ending that what I will say is although it has the consumerism angle, it does have a sweeter ending. And it's great comedy, honestly. It's absolutely fantastic. I love it. I do think it's really good. But it's very akin to this, where it's again a father figure who's
00:57:39
Speaker
having to do everything to try and get this toy including like driving up the M whatever he's like driving up the motorway on this buggy he's trying to you know like get this plastic just this horrible plastic toy same with Turbo Man it's like he's just a plastic action rigger but of course the kids the toy of Christmas is like what makes Christmas for some kids yeah
00:58:04
Speaker
Whether it's like a status thing, or you get that every year, don't you? There's always that one toy. Whether it's a game console, whether it's like a toy. Because let's face it, it's more technology nowadays, doesn't it? Yeah, it's more tech based and you're kind of like plastic in a block.
00:58:19
Speaker
whatever shape. Because the one thing I will say about Click and Collect, and I swear this is the last point I'll, you know, I'll praise it for it, is it updates Jingle All The Way in a really good way. Because I always thought, like, how would Jingle All The Way be done nowadays? Because let's say, so it sees shopping in the 90s versus shopping nowadays, nowadays you can click a button and it's on your doorstep the next day. So you think,
00:58:40
Speaker
you know, how could he do the same thing? Because both problems take place in Christmas Eve and, you know, he has to find a troubleman doll at the very last minute. Rightfully, he gets a laughter, which is a great scene. Do you remember that? It's like, where's your holiday spirit? As he grabs two guys, it's like, this is not the man you want to piss off today. But yeah, jingle all the way, honestly. Just such a classic problem. As you said, I would definitely recommend it. It's pretty much the Christmas salt.
00:59:07
Speaker
of like our collection of films as we are just about to wrap up for this episode. Next week we are going to have a bit of a more sappy episode. We are going to be talking more about a film that is very, a Christmas film rather, that is very near and dear to our hearts. Would you like to give our listeners at home a little clue? Indeed, indeed. So Satsanami and I have a rare treat for you. Our dear listeners just need to say the word. We're going to throw a lasso around the moon and pull it down for you.
00:59:37
Speaker
And with that, stay safe, stay awesome and most importantly, stay hydrated.