Transcript
Daryl: Welcome back to the Casual Nerdity Podcast, everyone. i am Daryl.
DarthSylar: And Nick?
Lauren: And I'm Lauren.
Daryl: And we are back again to have some pop culture-y fun. ah It feels like it has been just weeks and weeks and weeks since I have seen or spoken to the two of you, considering considering we just left Nick's house like two hours ago.
Lauren: Yeah.
Lauren: Mm hmm.
Daryl: ah where we had some fun playing a seasonal game of the Everyone is John RPG, and it was a lot of fun.
Lauren: Yes.
DarthSylar: That's what everyone says.
Daryl: Nick, everyone has said that they had fun. every Everyone was laughing and enjoying themselves, which is the point of every Everyone is John.
Lauren: Nick, mc I never even got a turn and I had fun. So you you know that they you did it. You won, Nick.
Daryl: Yeah, so just stop beating yourself up. it It is mine and Robert's job to beat you up at the end of every How We Roll Gaming episode.
Lauren: and And you do a very good job of that.
DarthSylar: is This is true.
Daryl: So, but we are going to kind of stick with the holiday theme this time around. Last time, Nick and I were just discussing various holiday specials and waxing nostalgic and pseudo-philosophical about them.
Daryl: And we missed you, Lauren, in that conversation.
Lauren: Oh, I'm sorry.
DarthSylar: We did.
Daryl: But this time around, we're going to be taking a look at a pretty recent Christmas movie, Violent Night. And, um, you were, as we do, when we talk about any movie, we're going to start off with, uh, with the trailer, but do be forewarned that there will be spoilers all throughout the episode as we discuss Violent Night.
Lauren: boy.
Daryl: And, um, i I believe even the trailer, I don't recall. ah the The trailer is going to earn us our explicit E for this episode.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Oh boy.
Daryl: but But let's take a listen to the trailer.
DarthSylar: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: So first of all, I don't know who had the fever dream to combine an ultra violent die hard with Santa Claus, but I love them.
DarthSylar: um really
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: It has been done before.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. you
DarthSylar: it was done as a B-horror movie involving a professional wrestler in the past.
Daryl: Yes, but ah was with an
DarthSylar: But it was it was meant to be... It was not this good.
Daryl: But was was that with the real Santa Claus or was that with a serial killer dressed as Santa Claus?
DarthSylar: No, no, it was meant to be like a Santa Claus actual that just went crazy.
Daryl: Gotcha. Gotcha, gotcha. Because I was thinking of Silent Night, Deadly Night.
DarthSylar: Which it has actually is getting a reboot this year.
Lauren: Huh.
Daryl: Now... I didn't see Violent Night in theaters, but wanted to ah my wife my wife and i were
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: i did and
Daryl: My wife and I were going to go see it with a friend of hers and her husband, and for some reason the timing didn't work out, and then we were going to go the next week, and it was gone.
Lauren: Ooh.
DarthSylar: Oh yeah, it was very sort of I saw it with a with high school friends.
Daryl: But somehow I missed the part of the marketing that made it abundantly clear that David Harbour was playing actual Santa Claus.
Daryl: For some reason i For some reason...
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Oh, I never saw the trailer. I only went there because friends of mine wanted to see it. I did not see a trailer.
Daryl: for some reason I thought he was playing like a hired Santa Claus. And the movie was going to go for a a coy, maybe he is, maybe he isn't, but he probably isn't.
DarthSylar: ah bad A bad Santa type.
Daryl: Yeah. You know, like, it just wrong place, wrong time, which it was wrong place, wrong time, but he was just, you know, your typical hired Santa and
DarthSylar: mall san Mall Santa die hard.
Lauren: hundred
Daryl: Yeah, and...
DarthSylar: Which honestly, was that that's what I expected when my friend brought me to it as well.
Lauren: Of course.
Lauren: Of course, in the trailer, we do see him open up the nice list, which definitely gives an idea that, like, it'ss it's a magical nice list.
DarthSylar: Yeah. ah yeah like and the
Daryl: up the nice list, he's on the roof with the reindeer.
DarthSylar: Again, like, without the trailer,
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: you know...
DarthSylar: without the trailer, I did go in there it's like, oh okay, we're going watch that. Without the trailer, you don't have the context.
Lauren: Yeah.
Daryl: Yeah, i was I was tangentially aware that the movie existed and kind of what it was about, but hadn't really paid attention to the marketing. So I i went into this thinking, yeah.
DarthSylar: Honestly, I felt the marketing was pretty low.
Daryl: So I went into it you know just totally thinking, yeah, this it's just you a guy in a Santa suit. It's David Harbour in a Santa suit.
Lauren: Meanwhile, I watched this... i
DarthSylar: again, not a bad concept.
Lauren: mean Meanwhile, I watched this movie for the first time three days ago, and I'd never heard of it before.
Daryl: ah
Lauren: but
DarthSylar: Again, honestly, it is a sleeper hit.
Lauren: Well, it's more than just it's more just...
Daryl: is
Lauren: I just don't pay attention to movies in general, so even if it even if it wasn't a sleeper hit, I probably wouldn't have heard of it anyway.
DarthSylar: No, I'd say in terms of like, in terms of...
Daryl: This is true.
DarthSylar: I would say like in general, it's kind of a sleeper hit.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: But I'm walking in with with those expectations. Nick is walking in with those expectations. You're sitting down with no expectations because you hadn't even really heard of it.
Lauren: Yeah. Yeah.
Daryl: And Meanwhile, in our opening scene, we get this
Lauren: An excellent introductory scene.
Daryl: And yes. And then you know i i didn't keep the rest of the clip because it's not much dialogue.
DarthSylar: And I will have to say, like, the...
Lauren: Yeah, it's mostly visual.
Daryl: It's just sound.
Lauren: Yeah.
Daryl: She goes she is up to the roof.
DarthSylar: And...
Daryl: She sees him taken off with the reindeer. And she's like in complete and total awe that she has seen you Christmas magic in front of her.
Daryl: And he circles back around and pukes on her.
Lauren: Yep.
DarthSylar: But he here's where... Where I have to say, like, what makes the movie work is entirely David Haber's performance.
Daryl: Yes.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Yes.
DarthSylar: And then...
Daryl: David Harbour is just chef's kiss in this movie. I know that currently that it is it is fashionable to believe David Harbour is problematic.
DarthSylar: But he...
Daryl: But, you know, he he did an amazing job in this movie. He carried the whole movie.
DarthSylar: Maybe because here's where, and I've been through the multiple times with, uh, with Lauren and they agreed with me. Like you can't be a downtrodden Santa without being Santa first.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: You gotta start.
Daryl: Right.
DarthSylar: You have to be core Santa to build off of that properly.
Daryl: Right, and it's...
Lauren: You know, one one thing that I like about this introductory scene is that it feels like it really sets up the thesis for the movie in the way that Santa himself is being very cynical, very down on everything.
Daryl: Yes.
Lauren: But then the other Santa in the room, the fake Santa, is still supportive of him. He, you know, he buys his drink for him.
DarthSylar: Even when he even he starts with, he starts with saying, like, it's for the money, but it's like, he's also like, but also you can't deny, like, that the little kiddies, the smile on their face.
Lauren: They're...
Daryl: Yeah.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: And it really helps establish that while Santa might be cynical, the world still has goodness in it. It still has people who care about each other in it.
Daryl: Right.
Lauren: And I think establishing that from the outset is important for the overall tone of the movie because it does have cynical elements in it, but it is not 100% cynical the whole way through. Santa finding himself again is the core of the movie.
Daryl: it It is.
Lauren: And I think that that's really important.
Daryl: and And it's very unique...
DarthSylar: It's why you didn't have a character playing Santa at the beginning. like He is Santa. He's just feeling down. He needs that re-ignition of the spark of Christmas.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: but it's like again a great It's easier to play like a cynical, bad Santa than it is to be like a Santa who's feeling and down.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Right, and it's not a unique...
DarthSylar: So it is a good...
Daryl: I mean, we we've we've seen disillusioned Santa before, and we've seen it across a variety ah of approaches from you know like thinking that ah that Doris and Susan are kind of a test case for whether or not Christmas has gotten to Commercial and Miracle on 34th Street.
DarthSylar: Uh-huh.
Daryl: Another movie, which is very coy about, is Chris Santa or not? And we've we've from that example to you know the Santa that just wanted to stay in bed and cancel Christmas because he was tired and burned out in The Year Without a Santa Claus, a Rankin-Bass animated special had that theme.
DarthSylar: like Roughly around like 40, nearly 50 years. Mm-hmm. nearly fifty years
Lauren: Oh,
Daryl: Well, I mean, Miracle on 34th Street was what, 1930-something?
Daryl: Now I got to look it up
Daryl: it up.
Daryl: So nearly 80 years ago, we had a movie with a disillusioned Santa.
Lauren: yeah.
Daryl: But, you know we also very quickly see that, you know this absolutely is the Santa.
Lauren: Yes.
Daryl: yeah they They don't waste any time showing us that he is the real Santa.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: and
DarthSylar: Unlike any other movie that does that, again, like a Miracle on 44th Street, it's like, nope, this is Santa. He is Santa.
Daryl: Yeah. Yeah. Miracle on 34th Street totally plays it coy. And there is enough evidence for and against throughout the entire movie that you can read it either way.
Daryl: I want to say the filmmakers said, no, he's not Santa. But there's enough contextual information there and the way that the movie leaves you.
DarthSylar: Hell, even the remake made certain, like, well, we're actually using actual law and actual, actual, the actual version of the post office to make sure, like, yeah, there's still a veneer of, like, it could be, it could not be.
Daryl: Yeah.
Daryl: But like like Lauren was saying, it's a very well done and efficient and useful introductory scene because we are less than five minutes into the movie and we have already established our tone and our thesis. We have done it in a way that doesn't jump up and say, this is our thesis statement for the movie.
Daryl: It sneaks it in.
DarthSylar: No exposition. No exposition.
Daryl: Yep.
DarthSylar: It's all this dietetic.
Daryl: yep And so then we transition to the Lightstone estate where Jason Lightstone, his estranged wife, Linda, and their daughter, Trudy, arrive for Christmas to put in their annual appearance.
Lauren: Oh, boy.
DarthSylar: And they are an adorable family.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Yes.
Lauren: They are.
Daryl: Yes. And I don't have it in the notes here, but it is you know very ah worthwhile to point out that as soon as Jason gets in the car, when Linda and Trudy pick him up.
Daryl: She starts referencing Home Alone, and Trudy makes a point of saying she got to stay up late and watch Home Alone last night.
Lauren: Yep.
Lauren: Beautiful.
Daryl: ah But Jason... Again, we are shown, not told, that he's clearly the most considerate member of the family because his sister immediately insults him, ah state states her hope that this year she's hoping that their mother will finally retire and leave one of them, preferably her, in charge of the company.
Daryl: She's nasty to the staff. There's both regular staff. yeah You can tell contextually that there's staff that works there full-time year-round.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And then there's hired staff for the event.
DarthSylar: the ah front hundred get
Lauren: Yep.
DarthSylar: one cake The front gate guy is like he recognizes everybody by name.
Daryl: Yep, I have that here next in my notes. you know By contrast, Jason is cordial to the staff, even the hired staff. temporary staff for the event and the longtime staff like Al at the front gate.
Daryl: Al recognizes the family. All three of them are friendly with him and have like a nice little back and forth.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: But you you also get the sense too that he understands that and the family as a whole, not Jason, Linda, and Trudy, but Gertrude Lightstone and the larger Lightstone family. It's kind of a shit gig because here he is working Christmas Eve.
Lauren: Yep. it was It was his Christmas wish to not have to work on Christmas Eve, and he ah didn't get it.
Daryl: Yep.
Lauren: He didn't get that wish. Oh, well.
Daryl: He did not. But what we get then is we get some exposition, which it it's a very nice narrative.
Lauren: Oh, boy.
DarthSylar: It's actually well done. Very well done, narrative expert.
Daryl: It's well done because they have worked in a reason to give expository dialogue in that Jason and Linda are separated.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And she doesn't know what's been going on with the rest of the family.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: To quote her, she wants, she wants, she wants the gods.
Daryl: So we get this.
Daryl: She wants the hot goss.
Daryl: Thank
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Daryl: And so we can tell just from that, so it begins, that this kind of thing happens every year.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: Yep.
Daryl: And we can see that the Lightstones are a super totally non-toxic family.
Lauren: Oh, yeah, yeah, definitely.
Daryl: and certain
Lauren: Mm-hmm. Yep, totally. Mm-hmm.
Daryl: um But I just, every time I watch this, I i lose it at hashtag blessed. Yeah.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. yes, the influencer's son who has been charged with harassment. That is, uh, yep, that's how that profession goes. Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Yep. And kiss me in front of my son. It's like, what? Yeah. and for e
DarthSylar: Honestly, I will give credit where credit is influence of the son could have been cringier.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. He could have been. Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: But it's just enough. Just enough to make it make it work for the comedy.
Lauren: Yes.
Daryl: yeah And I just, you know, this throughout the entire movie, the the movie and the characters walk this tightrope between
DarthSylar: Oh, yeah, yeah.
Daryl: between being a satire of consumerism and capitalism and all of that, and over-the-top just buffoonishness.
DarthSylar: Bad, bad people.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: it it walks this tightrope and it does it really well that yes, it,
DarthSylar: then you' like yeah a a A lesser movie could have turned these into like developed doomed characters that we want to see die.
Daryl: but instead, you know, they're, they're caricatures. Yes, but they have just enough character that, you know you are invested in in what happens to them.
DarthSylar: And humanity.
Daryl: And yeah, thanks.
DarthSylar: We don't want to see them get hurt.
Daryl: Right, and things are heightened, yes, but this is a movie where Santa Claus is real.
Lauren: Yeah, it's important for the overall theme of the work because the idea of Santa regaining his Christmas spirit again requires the characters involved to be capable of engaging in Christmas spirit in the first place.
DarthSylar: Dang it.
DarthSylar: I mean...
Lauren: So they can't be the absolute worst people in the world.
Daryl: Right.
Lauren: They have to at least have some capacity for compassion and empathy for others.
DarthSylar: In a lesser slasher version of this, they'd be on the naughty list and get destroyed.
Daryl: Right.
DarthSylar: This is them. They're not necessarily nice, but they do become nicer. Nice. sir
Lauren: Yeah, and no none of these people, well, with the exception of the main three that we're following, they're not good people, but they're not the worst people either.
Daryl: Right.
Lauren: And that's important.
Daryl: Well, and as we'll see when we get there, you know, spoilers, it's an argument to be made for Jason not being a great person either.
Lauren: Oh, yeah.
Lauren: Yeah, yeah, this is also true.
DarthSylar: there's's There's a case that we made.
Daryl: But...
Lauren: And the grandma is also probably the worst person in general. it's gets cut
Daryl: Oh, yes. Yes, you you can tell just from what is and isn't said in the two hours of this movie, you know exactly how Jason and his sister were brought up.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: You know that they were always pitted against one another.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: You know it was always...
DarthSylar: Oh, yeah. The whole sequence where there's like, oh, he's positioning himself down the back at the back of the room.
DarthSylar: He's trying to position himself.
Daryl: know something We should go do that. you know it it Everything is a case of one-upsmanship.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And you know that Gertrude has encouraged that their entire lives.
Lauren: Yes.
DarthSylar: Well, you could also, for the relation that Burke is Bertrude.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Yes. I mean, they make a point out of that. you know Trudy's full name is Gertrude, and she's named after Gertrude.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Lauren: Yes.
Daryl: And Jason's sister, whose name I can never remember, um you is like, well, you know you were sucking up to mom because you named your daughter Gertrude.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Daryl: And like, yes, but you named your son Bertrude.
Lauren: That's not a name.
DarthSylar: Which is not what they're naming.
Daryl: It's not even a name. And so it's definitely a pattern that has been with them from the moment they were born.
DarthSylar: Again, we've made a point of it, but it's like in the movie, that happens like within like three minutes.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: You get all that information.
Daryl: Yeah, I mean, we're maybe, maybe 10, 15 minutes into the movie at this point, and we already know these people's entire lives.
DarthSylar: All tropes, the tricks. Yeah.
Daryl: But then there is a Christmas crisis.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Because with the separation and other things that Jason has been busy with, he didn't take Trudy to see Santa like he always does. And so she never got to tell Santa what she wants for Christmas, and she's freaking out about it.
Daryl: And so Jason, yeah he, yeah, he thinks fast.
DarthSylar: But luckily, he goes to find fine
Daryl: He goes to the game room in the mansion, finds a walkie-talkie and some earbuds, wraps it, and as they're putting Trudy to bed, like, You've been so good, we're giving you an early present.
Daryl: And they tell her that the walkie-talkie is a magical direct connection to Santa Claus. And that he may not be able to answer, but he can hear and she can tell him what she wants for Christmas through this magic walkie-talkie.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: But it also does get to the fact that despite, like, many people could write off this as, like, oh, it's just, like, a violent lint with ah Christmas parody. Like, it doesn't have any, like, heart to it.
Daryl: Oh, I'll tell you how much heart it doesn't have, because as soon as she starts telling Santa what she wants for Christmas after they've left the room, the only thing she really wants for Christmas is for Jason and Linda to get back together.
DarthSylar: That's rough.
DarthSylar: Barely.
Lauren: oh Now, but
DarthSylar: is it Honestly, what makes this sort of better is like, oh, we're going to fiery Christmas movie. This movie actually does have the Christmas period involved.
Daryl: Yep, it absolutely does. um And speaking of, go ahead, go ahead.
Lauren: well now but between the notes here. So it's around this point that actually Santa arrives at the Lightstone house. And he starts rooting around in the house.
DarthSylar: Yep.
Lauren: He finds the cookies that the family made for him. The the daughter, she made cookies that looked like Santa. ah He pours out some milk and finds some...
DarthSylar: There's one that was kind of weird looking
Lauren: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. he He pours out the milk and finds some alcohol instead and starts going to town on that. And just as he's in the middle of doing all this, I will say that the the scene very suddenly changes without warning, where...
Lauren: ah
Daryl: Before we talk about that sudden change, though, I want to point out he appreciated the cookies.
Lauren: even
Lauren: Yes, yes, he did.
Daryl: he he He noticed yeah when he when he took the first bite, he noticed that they were homemade.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And he appreciated them. Now the milk, he's like, oh, milk? Oh, skim, too. dump That's when he dumps it out and pours in some of the good stuff.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And finds the massage chair.
Lauren: Oh, yes, yes, the massage chair.
Daryl: edit
DarthSylar: yeah. That was part of it.
Daryl: yeah And so, you know, he's there and we now see that the catering crew is made up of armed mercenaries.
DarthSylar: Oh, this is where the tone changes.
Daryl: They all...
Lauren: and And the reveal is is sudden.
Daryl: Yes. Yes.
Lauren: we We go from Santa in the massage chair to just instantly, all of a sudden, that the crew is getting together and it's like there's it comes out of nowhere.
Lauren: It's like, whoa, what's happening here?
Daryl: The crew is getting together out of nowhere, but we see that one of the members of Lightstone security staff that appears to have been there for a while triggers a signal to them.
Daryl: And that's when they all move into action. And they have... they they have
DarthSylar: we go we go from ah We go from a ah classic Christmas story and now we go into Die Hard.
Lauren: yep
Daryl: Yeah, they have a plan. This is obviously very carefully planned out. um
DarthSylar: Heavily planned out
Daryl: they're they Their leader is not part of the catering crew. In comes John Leguizamo.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Which is, again, a more of a comedian, but
Daryl: Yeah.
DarthSylar: Does a great job as the bad guy. Mm-hmm.
Lauren: Yes, as Mr.
Daryl: Yeah.
Lauren: Scrooge, as he calls himself. Because they they also have all these...
Daryl: Yeah, they all have Christmas code names.
Lauren: Yeah, yeah, these they have these Christmas code names. One is the Krampus. There's Mr.
DarthSylar: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: Scrooge. I don't remember. I think that one of them is Peppermint. I think that's one of the ladies.
DarthSylar: Yep.
Daryl: I think so. I think so. And so as they're sweeping the house, Santa gets attacked and demonstrates that he seems to maybe have some kind of fighting skills.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: and But that said, as he's attacked, ah the guy, they have they have a bit of a gunfight where Santa grabs a hold of the gun and mis-aims it up into the roof.
Lauren: But that's where his reindeer are.
Daryl: And the reindeer take off.
Lauren: Yep, so Santa is stranded, at which point he ends up throwing the guy out of a window and onto a big ice spike.
Lauren: he got he that That guy got Mega Man'd.
Daryl: Yep, it's...
DarthSylar: Yep.
Daryl: Yeah, that that was a pretty gnarly pretty gnarly death there.
DarthSylar: That was an art that I killed.
Lauren: over
DarthSylar: But it was also like he also did have always like, oh, I i did not want to do that.
Daryl: and
Lauren: Yeah, he he doesn't want to murder people. he that that he might This Santa might be cynical, but he's not like murderous.
DarthSylar: like here yeah ah yeah He was like, i do I wanted to fight you.
Lauren: Yeah.
DarthSylar: I wanted to cause to make you didn't hurt everyone. It was like, oh, ah
Daryl: And you when
DarthSylar: yeah.
Daryl: and he yeah he sees the reindeer have taken off and he's having...
DarthSylar: yeah That's obviously the most upset he was. was like, and the reindeer are gone. I can't get here.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: yeah and Yeah, and he's... At this point, he's just upset that he accidentally killed the guy, he's trapped without the reindeer, and he's gonna have to take off and finish his rounds on foot because it's still Christmas Eve.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: he still has the bag.
Daryl: He still has a job to do. Yeah, he still has the bag, which...
Lauren: Yep.
Daryl: I know we don't really see it in much use yet, but I really love this movie's concept of the bag.
Lauren: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
DarthSylar: three Every piece of the bag was great.
Lauren: It's great.
Daryl: You know, they're theyre their way of handling Santa's bag, that it's a magic bag and he just reaches in and the present comes out.
Lauren: there's there's also There's also an important thing about Santa's abilities where Santa has a lot of magical items. The deer are magical. The bag is magical. He has his magical naughty and nice list. But most of but Santa himself doesn't do a whole lot of magic with one exception, which is ah magically going up and down the chimney.
Lauren: But as...
DarthSylar: And even he doesn't understand that entirely.
Lauren: But but as as the mercenary is coming into the room, he's trying to activate his magic to escape, to go up the chimney, and it's not working for him.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Lauren: And that is... ah
DarthSylar: That's part of the story arc.
Lauren: that
Lauren: Daryl, play the sound bit.
Daryl: sorry i had to get to the button
DarthSylar: I think it.
Lauren: Yeah, there we go.
Daryl: but
Lauren: Ha ha ha!
DarthSylar: There it is. like Part of these the story arc is that Santa isn't able able to summon the magic. Not because he doesn't understand it, but a part of it because he doesn't understand it.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: I mean... Yeah, like, he he also doesn't understand the magic in this movie.
DarthSylar: But it's basic is like
Lauren: He he see makes note of that several times over.
DarthSylar: but the main thing also is like he also needs to believe in it.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Yeah, and as our opening scene clearly established, he's not really believing in it right now.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: I would presume that up until this point, it has worked this night because he doesn't really believe, but you know he he's he's kind of down, he's out, but he still has the job to do.
DarthSylar: so he
Lauren: know
Daryl: So that's just enough belief in the power that it works.
DarthSylar: But he still has to believe in it when it works.
Daryl: but now
Daryl: But now he's panicking.
Lauren: ah
Daryl: he's trying to you He's trying to use it to escape, not to do the job, not because he believes.
Lauren: Yeah. who
DarthSylar: So it is part of the story arc.
Lauren: Yes.
DarthSylar: It's him understanding himself, the magic of Christmas, and to like help get him out of these situations.
Daryl: Now, I want to say that John Leguizamo looks like he is having an absolute blast, chewing on every piece of scenery that he can find.
DarthSylar: Oh, he's...
Lauren: Oh, yeah.
DarthSylar: Honestly, that's what, again, he's traditionally a pure comedy actor. Him being a being a villain of this caliber, not his usual thing.
Daryl: Now, his plot...
DarthSylar: Is he doing a great job? Yes.
Daryl: Oh, he is. Yes.
Lauren: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.
Daryl: Now, his plot is, so Gertrude has been given $300 million dollars in cash by the U.S. government to spread to various agencies throughout the world.
Daryl: Basically, the the government is laundering money that they want to send to other governments by way of Gertrude.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Um, uh, gasp, uh, they would never do that. Uh,
Daryl: But Gertrude has stolen it.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: oh no, that, that, that also, that would never happen.
Daryl: And it's in her personal vault.
Daryl: what's the And what's the government going to do? Go public and say, hey, she stole this money that we're laundering.
Daryl: So she's basically got $300 million dollars in cash, free and clear, that she has in her vault, and Mr. Scrooge wants that money.
Lauren: Oh, yeah.
Daryl: And the money seems to be a surprise to the rest of the family, too. That's how well-guarded this secret is. So there's definitely some...
DarthSylar: It's even the vault. The big old vault.
Daryl: There's definitely...
DarthSylar: And they have that. They have the Asian one of the of the team doing doing the cracking. Crack the vault.
Lauren: Speaking of cracking, isn't this around the time where the nutcracker scene happens?
Daryl: Yep. yep
DarthSylar: Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Lauren: Because I believe that that's rather important.
Daryl: Yeah.
Lauren: they they're They're trying to open up the vault, but they need more information. Or, well, no, actually, it's more that they find out that there is a Santa on the property.
Lauren: that they didn't know about.
DarthSylar: Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren: they find that that They find the dead body of their buddy and they they start interrogating the family using the nutcrackers that are strewn about the room as torture devices.
Lauren: And that's when the little girl says that she has been talking to Santa. And everybody's like, no, she hasn't. That's just the walkie-talkie that I gave her. Daughter Santa isn't real.
Lauren: And upon hearing that, she she escapes the room.
DarthSylar: please so Please don't place my nuts in the nutcracker.
Lauren: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Daryl: But, you know, yeah, i I meant to put that specific moment down in the notes because, yeah, they they had been, you know, to you know having the the whole Santa Claus conversation with her.
Daryl: And now that they're being tortured and, know, they think that she's playing this whole, you know, I'm talking to Santa and he's going to save us. Jason blurts out, Santa's not real. That's just something that grownups tell kids.
DarthSylar: Well, again, he also has is
Daryl: Yeah.
DarthSylar: his chestnuts on the line.
Daryl: but Like I said, that they are being tortured, yes. So...
Lauren: Meanwhile, the little girl using her walkie-talkie has actually been talking to Santa because Santa got one of the the communication devices off of the guy that he killed.
Lauren: And...
DarthSylar: have to remind you, like,
Daryl: Yep.
DarthSylar: Like, Lauren has not seen Hard. So did not doubt this was a Die Hard reference.
Lauren: This is true. Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: getting Getting the walkie-talkie.
Daryl: yeah
Lauren: Yes. But this does ultimately lead it to the little girl escaping the room and going into an attic where she and Santa continue to talk for most of the movie at that point.
Daryl: hence so
Daryl: Right. um After another fight with another one ah of the mercenaries, Santa gets a knife wound and... He goes to sew up the wound and we see that he's covered in what looked like Celtic tats.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And then he briefly passes out and we see him as a Viking?
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Very briefly. You know, just very brief.
DarthSylar: Incredibly free. It's like roughly like two seconds.
Lauren: Probably not even that.
Daryl: Yeah. I mean, it's enough for you to
Lauren: Like, it's ah it's a very brief flash.
Daryl: It's enough for you to register, hey, that's David Harbour in that helmet.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: And like like if I can count it, it's like, hey.
Lauren: With his shirt off.
Daryl: And then the thieves, then they they just they start pouring more and more salt onto all of the wounds.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: they are They are taking great pleasure in being kind of sadistic about this whole thing.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Especially one of them.
Lauren: Yeah.
DarthSylar: It
Lauren: The Krampus guy.
Daryl: wa Yeah, he's he's just, you yeah, he's being crazy excited about just being sadistic to them.
Daryl: But they have them start opening their presents because some of you might not make it to mourning.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: it is kind of sadistic, that whole concept.
Daryl: Yeah, and so... Jason is very...
DarthSylar: Especially with us, but also like directed to like the, uh, the matriarch of the family, which is also like, it's like, yeah.
Daryl: Gertrude, yeah.
DarthSylar: yeah Okay. You're going to do like a whole bunch of trauma, but also do the trauma to like the fact that she's probably the trauma maker.
Lauren: oh
Daryl: And while we're talking about Gertrude, Just ah a moment here to point out that Gertrude is played by Beverly D'Angelo, co-star of a completely differently toned Christmas movie that has become a classic, even though I've never seen it.
Daryl: I know, throw your stones at me. Christmas Vacation.
Lauren: don no
DarthSylar: What? why
Lauren: I mean, I've never seen it.
Daryl: Yeah, she she's Clark Griswold's wife.
DarthSylar: ah You haven't seen Christmas Vacation? Yeah.
Daryl: No, I have not seen Christmas Vacation.
Lauren: I'm guessing that's aimed specifically at Daryl because this isn't a surprise about the fact that I haven't seen it.
Daryl: Yeah, I haven't seen Christmas Vacation. And now it's at the point where you I just never had interest in seeing it. And at this point... there's no way that it would live up to any of the, the hype that the people who do really love it have, have generated over multiple decades.
DarthSylar: It's a classic. It's one of the classics.
Daryl: Yes. Well, as you recall, I have also never watched and never will watch home alone either. so
Lauren: I mean, I've seen Home Alone.
Daryl: Well, there you go.
Lauren: Even I've seen that one.
DarthSylar: Ah!
Daryl: But Jason is oddly nervous about his gift to Gertrude, which is a bottle of her favorite whiskey a note.
Daryl: a note And we never find out what the note, I mean, we we understand the gist of what the note says later on.
Lauren: Yeah.
DarthSylar: fly the known ovens Also, you did you haven't watched Christmas Vacation?
Daryl: And, but she reads the note, doesn't read it out loud, and seems, I don't know if satisfied is the right word, but it's,
Lauren: Yeah, yeah, it seems reasonable, especially with ah what she ends up saying later.
DarthSylar: It
Daryl: Yeah.
DarthSylar: it actually does fit It's actually a good, like, ah especially what we find out about later. It's like...
Lauren: Jason is very nervous about this fact.
Daryl: Yes.
DarthSylar: Yeah, because of the intention.
Daryl: Yes, he is very nervous.
DarthSylar: But...
DarthSylar: You've never watched Christmas Vacation, Daryl?
Daryl: Get over it, Nick.
Lauren: Nick, we're moving on. We're moving on to the next scene. Mm-hmm.
Daryl: we're We're moving on to the next clip where we have some more interaction between Trudy and Santa Claus.
DarthSylar: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Daryl: And so...
Lauren: Beautiful.
DarthSylar: Beautiful. Incredible.
Lauren: An excellent scene right there. And also wonderful foreshadowing as well.
Daryl: Yes.
DarthSylar: Oh, yeah?
Daryl: Yes, we... we um
Lauren: this this is There we go.
Daryl: yeah But um yeah we we see him starting to kind of not really get the Christmas spirit back, but to have something...
DarthSylar: To believe it.
Daryl: to actually believe in other than just, okay, I've got this job to do.
DarthSylar: He's something willing to fight for.
Daryl: And, and i like that we have this, yeah, and I like that we have this vague sense of,
DarthSylar: and he knows how to fight.
Daryl: what he was before he became Santa Claus. But we don't know how or why he became Santa Claus.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: and But there's there's also...
DarthSylar: Honestly, there's some head-handics to work with that. But there's like, honestly, the
Daryl: There's some cannons to work with it, but given that he doesn't know how the magic works, what he was before, and what he is now, it it almost seems like there's some kind of I don't really want to say punishment, but task of atonement has been put on him.
Lauren: It seems like something happened to him.
DarthSylar: Kind of like, like a, I call it
Lauren: that that he didn't He didn't set up being Santa himself. He became Santa because of something that happened to him, basically.
Daryl: Yes.
DarthSylar: I was calling it a reversive curse. It's like, hit he did some, he was naughty. Now he must reward those who are nice.
Daryl: Right. But i I like that it's vague. i hope So I don't know if Nick mentioned this when when the two of you watched it the other day, Lauren, but there is a sequel coming next year.
DarthSylar: And it gives you who else to make sense of life for.
Lauren: Yes, yes, Nick did mention that.
DarthSylar: Yes.
Daryl: And I hope that we don't get... Well, I would like to know the answer to what happened.
DarthSylar: I'll say it here. I don't want an ex... I don't want to backstome.
Daryl: See, I don't want one, but I want one. Which is why I don't want us to have one.
Lauren: o
Daryl: If that makes sense.
DarthSylar: The main thing is I want some
Lauren: Yes, I get you.
DarthSylar: so flashbacks, similarities a little bit more explain like how he got there, but not explaining the magic.
DarthSylar: Honestly, that's the main thing.
Daryl: Yeah.
DarthSylar: The Christmas magic could never be explained because otherwise you'll break the joke. I'm like, I don't know how the Christmas magic works.
Daryl: Yeah. Now, i my my whole dichotomy of wanting the answer but not wanting the answer can kind of be summed up in a line from the the original series of Star Trek where Spock says, having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true.
Daryl: And so it's like, yeah, the the wanting to have that information keeps me coming back, but I don't want to really know because I want to keep that, that secret. I want to keep that magic.
DarthSylar: It's Christmas magic. It's like, no one wants, here's the thing, like, every person that wants to, like, every kid that wants say, I want to see Santa. It's like, you don't.
DarthSylar: You don't want to meet Santa, because, like, then you break the magic.
Daryl: but Well, every kid is like stares at the presents under the tree leading up to Christmas.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And they want to know then.
Daryl: i'll tell you, one year, i was probably about 11 or 12.
DarthSylar: Yeah. Yeah.
Daryl: One year i was about 11 or 12 and i figured out a way to sneak open the ends of my presents and slide them out of the wrapping paper and see what it was. And I knew everything going in to Christmas. And so it, it Christmas was nothing.
Lauren: Oh.
DarthSylar: That's the thing, it's like, get you you want to keep
DarthSylar: keep that magic. it
Daryl: Yeah. um So, speaking of magic, they get the vault open.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: Well, first, but before that, I think there's another scene. Don't don't they capture Santa before they get the vault open?
DarthSylar: the, the, the
Lauren: there's there's the there's a scene where where Scrooge and the group, they capture Santa and they start interrogating him.
DarthSylar: the
Daryl: Yeah.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Lauren: And I feel like this is this is a pretty important scene right here.
DarthSylar: Oh yeah.
Lauren: Because for the entire time, Scrooge and the gang, they haven't believed that this was the real Santa.
Daryl: Yes.
Lauren: ah But now, they have his bag, and they keep pulling toys out of the bag, and it's like, how how does this thing work? And at one point,
Daryl: And
DarthSylar: And he's being honest.
Lauren: good Yeah. Santa just tells them, I am Santa Claus.
Daryl: he... I'm Santa Claus. And then he calls Scrooge by his name.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Calls them all by their name.
Lauren: Yeah, he he calls them out with all the gifts that they that he'd given them before, whenever they were kids.
Daryl: And... And we we hear Scrooge's backstory. And i I almost pulled the clip, but I didn't. I apologize. ah But you find out that...
DarthSylar: no, no, no, dude.
Daryl: you
DarthSylar: We don't want to spoil it. Like, honestly, recommend heavily.
Lauren: Yeah.
Daryl: I mean, where this is not a spoiler-free discussion.
DarthSylar: Watch the movie.
Daryl: so
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: But still, watch the movie.
Daryl: what
Lauren: Yeah.
Daryl: what when he was a kid, his father was big on Christmas and got laid off.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: The year that he got laid off, they had no Christmas.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And he was looking in. the He could see into the neighbor's house their beautiful Christmas. Yeah. And so he broke it. He was what? He said he was what? Like 11?
Lauren: for something like that yeah
DarthSylar: Yep.
Daryl: He broke into their house and was going to steal it all. And he startled the grandfather in that house who fell and died.
Lauren: mm-hmm
Daryl: And so he he has had this mat on for Christmas his entire life because of this.
Daryl: And he still you know he he still refuses, despite everything that happens, he refuses to accept that it's Santa Claus. he He thinks that the bag is a trick bag.
Lauren: And he throws it into the fire.
Daryl: He throws it into the fire, and Santa loses it.
Lauren: And and it's it's... Oh yeah. he He starts screaming. He goes, No! Those are the those are the hopes of what children across the world!
Lauren: Like, he he sounds genuinely pained about this.
DarthSylar: luckily there is yeah you know like this is because you're like you can't be a dejected santa without being santa you have to start in that as it is an actor to like build up like the characters like you can't be a dejected santa unless you're
Daryl: And
Lauren: Like, it's great. It's great acting.
Daryl: yeah, yeah.
DarthSylar: The Santa. like Even when that happens, it's like, no, no, no, you you you you are breaking everything.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And so, then in in in a beautiful story bit that has the audience thinking it's Christmas magic too, it starts to snow in the room.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And the two other the two other mercenaries ah in there, they're already starting to buy that he's Santa because of
DarthSylar: It worked.
Daryl: the things that he's told them that there's no way he could know.
DarthSylar: And also was pulling presents out of nowhere. They were driving them in the back.
Lauren: yeah.
DarthSylar: It's like...
Daryl: Yeah. and And so they they they're like, it's snowing. And then you Scrooge you know checks is like, it's styrofoam. And then we we see that Up in the attic, Trudy has torn up styrofoam and has been pouring it through the air vent to make it look like snow in the room.
Daryl: Which buys Santa an opportunity.
DarthSylar: It's just enough time. But here's the thing. in the In the room, there's enough people that are believing in magic, in the magic Christmas.
DarthSylar: and And that's why he's able to do the Gypsy thing.
Daryl: That he's able to do chimney thing.
Lauren: Yep, he he gets out by using his chimney power. the one thing The one magical thing about Santa that is specifically Santa's power. like Like I said, everything everything else is like a magical object or a magical creature.
DarthSylar: But does require
Lauren: This is the one thing that Santa does where it's like, this is the thing that he does. This is his power.
DarthSylar: But part of it does imply it's like it requires like belief, other people's belief.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And now, worth noting is that when he goes up the chimney, you Scrooge is like, wow, you he had some kind of pulley system that yanked him up there.
Lauren: and
Daryl: And ah the the one...
DarthSylar: Everyone else like, I have both of them are like,
Daryl: Well, no, the one makes a point of saying a person wouldn't fit up there.
Lauren: Yep. but substance
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Lauren: Indeed. and then there's there's some other thing that happens another thing that happens.
DarthSylar: So it was moment of belief.
Daryl: And...
Lauren: but Oh, yeah?
Daryl: Yeah, the the the the kill team shows up.
Lauren: Yeah, the kill team shows up.
Daryl: cur
Lauren: Because that that's the thing, is that Gertrude and the family, they were waiting for her special operatives to show up. That was their that was basically their win condition. Hold up until their own mercenaries show up and take these guys out.
DarthSylar: they live they but They basically have they basic they have ah ah Hillary Clinton's kill team.
Daryl: Because...
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: they They establish early on that when... Gertrude was young. Her brother was kidnapped. And their father didn't deal in ransom with the kidnappers.
Daryl: He had them killed.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: He had them tracked down and killed, and the brother returned. And so, for a crisis situation like this, she has a retired military...
Daryl: affectionately known as the kill team on standby that she triggered, you know, an alarm for.
Lauren: And when they show up, the actor husband gets really excited about it and rushes out of the room outside the building and runs up to the kill team. And he's like, yeah, yeah, they they got they got the rest of the family in there.
Lauren: And then they shoot him.
Daryl: And yeah, he, they're like, but, but I think they know that you're coming.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Like, they better know that we're coming and shoot him where we now know, oh, they're working with the thieves too.
DarthSylar: It was an inside job.
Lauren: Yes, Santa on the roof sees this and he checks up on all these people and he realizes that all of these people are on the naughty list.
Daryl: Yes.
DarthSylar: It makes sense. But I was like, oh, yeah, the odds are now changed.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. And things get really bad whenever finally they open up the vault.
Daryl: Yep.
Daryl: And the vault is empty.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: They are not happy about that fact.
Daryl: And... No. Now, I appreciate the fact that, again, yeah Nick says that you haven't seen Die Hard.
Lauren: No, no, I have not.
Daryl: When the vault opens, the only thing that is missing for this shot to have been framed like the vault opening in Die Hard would be Ode to Joy playing.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Because it's framed almost identically.
DarthSylar: and is the wreck is It the, the,
Lauren: Nice.
DarthSylar: oh my
Daryl: So, Santa, down on the ground now,
Lauren: Yes, he he enters into a shack.
Daryl: yeah, he he enters into what looks to be like a a groundskeeping shed.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: the bagup the the the ground team shoots it down with heavy machine gun and puts it down there.
Daryl: Yeah, and he he's hiding out in there.
Lauren: Not... Yeah.
DarthSylar: He's hurt, man.
Daryl: You know, Trudy's talking to him back and forth a little bit.
Lauren: and
Daryl: he He sets a few traps and takes some of them out.
Lauren: But then he gets the hammer.
Daryl: Then he finds a sledgehammer.
Lauren: a
Daryl: And goes to town.
Lauren: Oh yeah.
Daryl: He goes full Viking.
Lauren: Santa is coming to town.
Daryl: Yeah.
Lauren: o
DarthSylar: Yeah!
Daryl: He goes full Viking on the kill team ah
Lauren: They don't stand a chance.
Daryl: while while Brian Adams' something about Christmastime plays over over the carnage.
Lauren: and Yes.
DarthSylar: It is......is
Lauren: It's beautiful.
Daryl: My favorite moment...
DarthSylar: badass. It is awesome.
Daryl: Go ahead, Nick.
DarthSylar: It is beautiful. As he's just going, he's somehow stealthy, but also just destroying everyone.
Daryl: He's a beast.
DarthSylar: But we have the outside, we have the outside guy with the, looking at the, ah the, at the body cam thermals.
Daryl: The body cams.
Lauren: Yeah.
DarthSylar: It's like, oh no. Oh, oh.
Lauren: They're all going down.
DarthSylar: And then he comes out and is like, oh, and he just throws the hammer and kills.
Daryl: The
Lauren: yep
DarthSylar: It's so good.
Daryl: But my favorite is the very last one that, you know, he he takes a grenade, shoves it down the back of the guy's pants, calls it a stocking stuffer, starts to walk away, and then says, no, I gotta watch.
DarthSylar: ah where
Lauren: but
Daryl: And he turns around.
DarthSylar: breaks Which breaks the rules of like, usually it's like, cool guys don't look at explosives. No.
Lauren: Santa doesn't need to be cool. He just needs to be Santa.
DarthSylar: He wants to see it.
Daryl: already cool.
DarthSylar: like He wants to see it.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: It's like, oh.
DarthSylar: Cool.
Daryl: And then back in the house, the truth comes out.
Lauren: Yes.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Anyway.
Lauren: Now, notably, so he turns out to have hidden it in ah the... ah I suddenly can't remember the name of the thing. Yeah, the nativity scene.
Lauren: And notably, as they're walking out to it, Gertrude says to him that she's so proud of him because a member of their family really just is supposed to take whatever they want.
DarthSylar: Oh
Daryl: Yes.
DarthSylar: yeah, they're supposed to be like, the they are the worst, but also like, Gertrude's the worst, but at least there's a weird Otter Bug Thieves concept going on.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. Gertrude is the worst.
Daryl: Yes.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Yeah, she she's proud of him for stealing from her, saying through the note, I stole from you, leave me alone, middle finger...
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Because he respects him. He's like, no one else, everyone else is like trying to like butter me up and try and take from me.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: You.
Daryl: You just took it.
DarthSylar: Because we're all, because again, like the whole idea is like, they're all thieves.
Daryl: So.
DarthSylar: They're all criminals.
Daryl: And like like I said, totally healthy family.
Lauren: Yep, yep, totally.
Daryl: Totally healthy family dynamic.
Lauren: in any case, more violence occurs.
Daryl: And. Yes, that add that that pretty much sums up the next few minutes. um
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: you Pretty much everyone gets some violence in.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: oh
DarthSylar: It's, it's, in case anyone realized it.
Lauren: the The Home Alone scene happens.
Daryl: Yes, the Home Alone scene happens, which the absolute...
DarthSylar: Yeah.
DarthSylar: It's actually an R-rated version of the Home Alone record.
Lauren: Oh, yeah. the that The traps that the little girl, she she was up in the basement the entire time. She set up a bunch of traps around her space. that They were violent traps.
Daryl: Yeah, like, the...
DarthSylar: They were actually Home Alone tracks, but it's like, it was Home Alone, but like,
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: we We raise the rating to R.
Lauren: Yeah.
Daryl: Well, and the most difficult thing in this entire movie for me to watch is when the nail goes through the guy's chin.
DarthSylar: Oh, the day of the 10, which honestly not the most deadly of the drops, but the most, yeah, it's...
Lauren: Yep.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: well it's Well, I mean, but by the same token, in the original Hellraiser... I can sit there and watch all 90, 120 minutes, however long it is, of yo know a a bloody half-corpse walking around and chains, mystic chains, flaying people.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Daryl: But when the dad cuts his hand on a nail sticking out on the banister, I can't take that.
DarthSylar: Oof.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Daryl: Because I can relate to that.
Lauren: and
Daryl: That's something that could happen.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Daryl: You know, mystic chains aren't going to come and flay me, but I've cut my hand on something before.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Daryl: So I have a frame of reference.
DarthSylar: Either way, it really, really got off.
Lauren: Of particular note is the ending of the trap scene where the the one, the peppermint lady, is still up and she's still coming towards the girl who's flinging whatever she has at her.
Lauren: Whenever suddenly Santa arrives.
Daryl: Yeah.
Lauren: And he tells he tells little the girl, you know, turn around and cover your ears and sing a song as loud as you can. As he takes his hammer and just crushes that lady.
Lauren: He's like, you were just trying to kill a child.
Daryl: Yeah.
Daryl: Yeah.
DarthSylar: Yeah. That was rough.
Daryl: And so we we have a chase where Scrooge has at least one of the bundles of money.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Yep.
Daryl: He's on a snowmobile and he's taken off.
DarthSylar: we're We're in the final arena.
Daryl: Santa chases him down.
DarthSylar: it is really good arena.
Daryl: And yeah, and you get to what looks like the remains of a cabin.
Lauren: who
Daryl: And there's a fight there.
Lauren: this is This is when Scrooge starts believing that it actually is Santa, and he realizes, if I kill you, then this whole holiday is out.
Daryl: ah Scrooge.
Daryl: Yeah.
Daryl: Yeah. Because he he opens the list.
DarthSylar: He's going all out. He's final bossing this.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: he He opens the list.
Lauren: Mm-hmm, yeah.
Daryl: And because he's the one opening it, it shows his information.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. And of course, he's naughty.
DarthSylar: And he's like... Very, very dark.
Daryl: And so there there is a It's a good final fight.
DarthSylar: It is a good final fight.
Lauren: i
Daryl: It's a protracted final fight between Santa and Scrooge. Scrooge actually has the upper hand on him and has Santa yeah with a blade to his throat pressed up against the remains of a chimney.
Lauren: and
Daryl: And so Santa...
Lauren: And then he does the thing.
Daryl: He does the chimney power,
DarthSylar: Fatality
Daryl: pulling pulling Scrooge up through the chimney with him since they're in contact. And remember when they noted that a person wouldn't make it through a chimney?
Lauren: Mm-hmm. He basically tele-frags the guy.
Daryl: He doesn't make it through a chimney. Yeah.
DarthSylar: Fatality Flawless victory
Daryl: And... the The leader of the kill team then comes in and shoots Santa. And Gertrude just headshots him.
Lauren: Yep.
DarthSylar: Just straight up, like, yeah.
Daryl: Because he's been disloyal. Yeah.
Lauren: But now, Santa is down, bleeding out on the ground from multiple bullet wounds.
Daryl: Yeah, and so he's he's succumbing to his wounds.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. He's dying.
Daryl: And here' here's where we get the Ernest Christmas movie where...
DarthSylar: Honestly, I guess, like, that's what, Lauren, I think that's where you honestly said it best when we were watching.
Lauren: Yeah.
Daryl: but how was How was that?
DarthSylar: You take it.
Lauren: ah Well, but Nick, what what was what was it exactly that I said that you remember? Because i said a lot of different things.
DarthSylar: talk about like You were talking about like how this this movie wouldn't work without like a earnest
Lauren: Yes. Yes, that's it. Yes, it the the the movie, it does, it requires a degree of sincerity in order to work.
DarthSylar: text.
Lauren: It requires ah ah ah genuine appreciation for, you know, family and for Christmas spirit.
Daryl: Yeah.
Lauren: Because otherwise, if if the movie was all just violence and cynicism, it wouldn't have that element of connection. But this scene right here, it really helps to make everything come together with an actual sense of, yeah.
DarthSylar: It wouldn't even work without that.
Daryl: yeah
DarthSylar: Without the build-up, all the stuff that we've been building throughout the whole movie.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: yeah
DarthSylar: it this movie This moment wouldn't hit, nor would we care about like Santa possibly perishing.
Daryl: and
Daryl: And if we if we look at the if we look at the pendulum here, you have Scrooge and his guys on the far, far end of the bad people.
Daryl: And then I would say there's gro Gertrude.
Lauren: Yeah, yeah.
Daryl: And then you have...
DarthSylar: But that the rest of the family, its are they are actively coming around and saying, like I believe.
Daryl: Well, and then there's...
DarthSylar: I believe.
Daryl: in kill Well, I'm just saying in terms of of people being horrible, we have Scrooge and his people, then we have Gertrude, then we have the rest of the family, then we have Jason, then we have Linda, and then we have Trudy.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Lauren: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And Trudy is on the earnest side of things, whereas Scrooge and his guys are on the the most... cynical edge of this scale that we're looking at.
Lauren: who
DarthSylar: And dead.
Daryl: And they are now gone. And with Santa there, the rest of the family, they're never going to be as earnest as Trudy.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Lauren: no
DarthSylar: Oh, obviously.
Daryl: but
DarthSylar: But they're trying. They're starting.
Daryl: heaven And even if if you look at Jason, yeah, Jason did a horrible thing. Jason stole $300 million dollars in already dirty money.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: all. um
Daryl: He did it to get away from the toxicity.
DarthSylar: and threw it on onto the onto the...
Daryl: Yes.
DarthSylar: to even give it a little bit of warmth.
Daryl: as That is a good point. That is a good point. They were trying to keep Santa warm, hoping that that would keep him alive. And he just starts grabbing the money and throwing it on the fires that are going out around them.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: The Truthstones are not the best people, but they're trying. They've learned a lesson. And that... As a family that has a whole lot of problems.
Daryl: And you know true
DarthSylar: We like to sacrifice whole lot to bring back Santa.
Daryl: and so they're they're all around Santa. Trudy is crying over Santa's body, saying that she believes. And then Linda and Jason chime in that they believe.
Daryl: and Bert and the sister start to, and then Gertrude is literally like, what the fuck? I think I believe too.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And at that moment, the Christmas, and then as Santa says to explain it, Christmas magic, I really don't know how it works.
DarthSylar: It works.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: But honestly, that's the thing. It's like they all learned something from that, from an example of someone of true Christmas spirit and part of the family showed the true Christmas spirit.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Lauren: And now that all the action is over, the reindeer show up. With his spare sack.
DarthSylar: Yep.
Daryl: Arraigned it.
DarthSylar: does even send self up From
Daryl: And...
DarthSylar: mrs clas who also brought back skull croter
Daryl: Skull Crusher.
Lauren: Yeah!
Daryl: And then, you know, although it's been quite a night and there's been this wonderful moment with the family, Santa still has a job to do. So we've got one last clip.
DarthSylar: Again. this um present relax come
DarthSylar: oh and listen
DarthSylar: again
DarthSylar: without the heart Without the heart of like genuine like Christmas spirit, you could easily make a movie without it.
Lauren: Beautiful.
DarthSylar: You could make it cynical.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: But without that like heart that you heard in that final moment, it wouldn't it wouldn't be good. it It wouldn't be so iconic.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Yep. I mean, the the movie, it's a hodgepodge of genres that really shouldn't fit together. It's an earnest Christmas movie. It's a parody Christmas movie. It's a satire of capitalism and consumerism. It's an over-the-top violent action movie, but somehow it all works.
DarthSylar: Because, and and I'll say at the core, it is a earnest Christmas movie.
Daryl: It.
DarthSylar: It's about a character learning about or relearning what it means to be the spirit of Christmas.
Lauren: It is.
Daryl: Now, one ah the executive producer of the movie um is David Leitch, who also directed, I'm just going to run down a few highlights on his resume here.
DarthSylar: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Atomic Blonde, he directed Bullet Train, he directed Deadpool 2, and he directed The Fall Guy.
DarthSylar: Great movie. ah Awesome. Cool. Oh.
DarthSylar: Oh, pretty good.
Daryl: and And he's also an executive producer on at least one of the John Wick movies.
DarthSylar: Isn't good.
Daryl: So I think he's got something of a type of movie that he gets involved in, but I'm kind of here for it.
Lauren: I mean, i like Deadpool 2.
DarthSylar: Oh, I like it.
Lauren: Haven't seen any the other ones. Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Atomic Blonde is a lot of fun.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Daryl: ah Atomic Blonde is a Cold War spy thriller.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Which is is more an action movie than than like a spy thriller.
Daryl: um
DarthSylar: But is is is ah it's other things.
Daryl: Yeah. um So take the violence of this movie, ramp it up by about 5, 10 degrees, 5, 10%, and have it all perpetrated by Charlize Theron.
Daryl: ah With a, with a, yeah, it's really,
DarthSylar: Really good.
DarthSylar: We're a good soundtrack. The soundtrack really good.
Lauren: Nice.
Daryl: yeah um And it, Bullet Train, I finally watched recently. It has a little more in common with the overall tone of this versus Atomic Blonde.
DarthSylar: It's really fun.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: Really fun.
Daryl: Yeah.
DarthSylar: Let's say really fun, but very like
DarthSylar: It's a very quick accent flick. It's like really fun.
Lauren: Nice.
Daryl: and And the fall guy was better than it had any right to be.
DarthSylar: Oh yeah. But, uh, I think we should probably, uh,
Daryl: Well, yeah, we'll we'll start wrapping up here. um Now, we mentioned earlier that there is a violent night two coming.
Lauren: Yes.
Daryl: I don't remember if it's supposed to be 26 or 27 that it's coming.
DarthSylar: 26 is wi at least currently slated to.
Lauren: Nice.
Daryl: Now, I haven't heard confirmation on this. but I have heard them say that they want to include Mrs. Claus into...
Lauren: Hmm. I mean, Mrs.
DarthSylar: And I am.
Daryl: wait Yeah.
Lauren: Claus did get brought up a number of times. It seemed like his relationship was strained with her. so that But that was also a subplot that didn't really get fully resolved because Mrs. Claus never shows up in person in this movie.
DarthSylar: But if so, I think that that would be really fun.
Lauren: So, yeah, that that that that is a reasonable way to expand upon what already is present in this movie.
Daryl: But... and yeah
Daryl: And see, I never got the impression that it was strange because whenru when he's talking to Trudy about her, he's like, you know, we've been together for 11, we're going on 1100 years and, you know, we've we've had our ups and downs, but yeah, she's she's awesome.
Lauren: who
DarthSylar: Honestly, it's like, I felt like that they were having like minor issues, it was like,
Daryl: But...
Lauren: that the The thing is that there there was also the, he also says that sometimes, even whenever you care about somebody a lot, it's difficult to to keep the magic going, as it were.
DarthSylar: and like
Lauren: So he he says...
DarthSylar: But I heard at the end result when she does, like, she did send back the sleigh and brought also gave back Skullcresser.
Daryl: Yeah.
Lauren: and
DarthSylar: So it's like, it sounds like the next,
Lauren: There was also the moment where ah she asks Santa, if you could have anything right now, what would you want? And he says, I'd want to be with Mrs. Claus again.
DarthSylar: So I think that like that would be the sequel option was like them teaming up together.
Lauren: Which was...
Daryl: Which, you they
DarthSylar: That would be fun. That would be really fun.
Daryl: yes there yes, that's kind of been done in Christmas Chronicles 2.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Daryl: hit And part of that was stunt casting. Since in Christmas Chronicles, Kurt Russell plays Santa Claus and Goldie Hawn is Mrs.
DarthSylar: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Claus. Yeah. But if we're going to do any fan casting here for Violent Night 2, if it's not too late, ah my vote is the aforementioned Charlize Theron as Mrs. Claus, where she gets to do Atomic Blonde stuff again.
DarthSylar: My choice would be Uma Thuron to do some of the bride stuff.
Daryl: See, I just, partly I go with, with Charlize because there's already a David Leach connection there.
DarthSylar: Yeah, yeah, like, it's just saying, like, either way, I would think both would be, either would be nice.
Daryl: But, but, uh, so, so closing thoughts on this one. Um, Nick, you go first this time.
DarthSylar: Oh, really fun. Amazingly fun. it's like Perfect to put in your like non-traditional ah Christmas playlist.
Daryl: Yep. Lauren.
Lauren: It was a wonderful movie. I enjoyed it a lot. It had some excellent action scenes and also some substantial heartfelt moments. ah It had elements of cynicism with elements of sincerity that I think ended up mixing really well with the ultimate message of the movie. it it was It was a lot of fun.
DarthSylar: It makes it, again, makes it a solid ah part of anyone's Christmas list.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Yep. And i i really, really liked it. I went into it with honestly kind of low expectations and came out of it really, really enjoying it.
DarthSylar: Saying here that if if
Daryl: I liked that mix of all of the genres that all of us have mentioned. And, ah you know, it...
Lauren: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
DarthSylar: And also being just a genuine heart filled. It does have that heart. It's like you, you kind of the the warm fuzzies of ah of a holiday story.
Daryl: Yep. Yep.
Daryl: Yep. who Who would think you would come out of something called Violent Night that is being billed as a you know violent Santa Claus beats the shit out of people movie with warm fuzzies?
DarthSylar: Which does have a whole lot of gore and prowl. But at the end, it is the final scenes are like, yeah, what Christmas means.
DarthSylar: like The Christmas magic, even if he doesn't understand what the Christmas magic means, it the audience does get it.
Lauren: Mm hmm.
Lauren: Yes.
Daryl: So I think all three of us would recommend this. I know it's in it's in our home annual rotation after we finally saw it year before last.
Lauren: Yeah.
Lauren: Nice.
Daryl: ah It is in our annual rotation.
DarthSylar: is it it's a it's in your flex that's how we watch it
Daryl: Yep. Well, so I watched it Wednesday? No. Thursday night when we
DarthSylar: okay yeah
Daryl: Thought we were going to be recording last night on Friday. And you know i watched it, took notes, you know got the clips and everything. And then when we postponed our recording from Friday night to tonight, it's Saturday night as we're recording this, folks.
Daryl: We are some party animals.
Lauren: Yes.
DarthSylar: Woo!
Lauren: Oh, yeah.
DarthSylar: ah
Daryl: We are some party animals recording a pop culture podcast on a Saturday night.
Lauren: Totally.
Daryl: Wow.
DarthSylar: Woo-hoo!
Daryl: Um, but last night, you know, I was, um, I was sitting out in the living room and my wife called in from the other room and said, uh, violent nights on AMC. I was like, Hey, I watched it last night. B it's going to be cut up on AMC.
Daryl: and ah
DarthSylar: Yeah, it really got up like really bad.
Lauren: over
DarthSylar: Cause honestly.
Daryl: Although. So what was it that I was watching?
DarthSylar: Oh yeah.
Daryl: I was watching something.
DarthSylar: The only problem on the Plex is like we had some issues with the, uh, with the subtitles.
Lauren: Yeah, yeah, there weren't any subtitles.
Daryl: It's probably probably the file that I have on there doesn't have any.
DarthSylar: Yeah.
Daryl: ah So here's here's the funny thing, though.
Lauren: Uh-huh.
Daryl: Later last night, after we postponed our recording, and I was doing something else on the computer, and I had the TV on as background noise, I ended up putting it on AMC, or background noise.
Lauren: ah ah
Daryl: Now, remember I said it's going to be chopped up on AMC.
Lauren: Yeah.
Daryl: Every fuck and shit was still intact. They... they censored the line where I believe it's Sean Leguizamo calls someone sugar tits.
Lauren: Hmm. Interesting.
DarthSylar: Oh, really? What?
Lauren: Huh.
DarthSylar: Oh, that's...
Daryl: Yes.
DarthSylar: That's bizarro.
Daryl: Yes. Every other obscenity was still there.
Lauren: How odd.
Daryl: ah
DarthSylar: And honestly, that was really funny. that That was a fun moment.
Daryl: So... go Go figure. Go figure.
DarthSylar: yeah
Lauren: it is what it is.
Daryl: But it it is what it is. In the meantime, ah you by the time this episode drops, you'll still have about a week left in the Christmas season. If you're like me, you stop watching movies once it hits midnight, the night of Christmas Day. And I don't watch them again until Santa shows up at the end of the Macy's parade on Thanksgiving.
Lauren: you
Daryl: But ah you know you still have time to watch it. Heartily recommend it. Yes, we have just spoiled a lot of it. But if you haven't seen it, watch it. If you have seen it and enjoy it, watch it again and re-enjoy it again.
Lauren: Oh yeah, it's beautiful.
DarthSylar: It's really fun.
Daryl: And ah in the meantime...
DarthSylar: It really is what puts you in the Christmas mood for actual, like, actual good Christmas moods.
Daryl: Yep. heads In the meantime, I'll just hit our normal closing business now and say to be sure to follow us on socials, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Blue Sky, and Twitter or X, you know whatever we're calling it today.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: ah
DarthSylar: On with good things.
Daryl: we We are casual nerdity, all is one word, on all of those platforms. And you can help the podcast get a larger reach if you give us a hopefully good review on your podcast platform of choice.
DarthSylar: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: And if you are listening through YouTube, then do all of the cliched YouTube things, like subscribe, notifications, all of that good stuff.
Daryl: We want to train.
DarthSylar: The bell thing.
Daryl: We want to train all of those nasty algorithms to get more eyes on ears on the show. So we, we want to thank you for listening.
Lauren: Oh yeah.
Daryl: We are going to have one more episode for 2025, which by my calculations will drop on new year's Eve, which will be us looking at the pop culture year of 2025 review to,
DarthSylar: here
DarthSylar: bye
Daryl: ring out the new year. So we want to thank you for joining us and we hope you come back next time.
Lauren: Mm-hmm.
Daryl: Until then, thank you and we'll see you then. Bye.
Lauren: Bye-bye.
Daryl: you
