Kerry and Collin continue the tradition of starting the new year off with a look at a Nutcracker movie. Although, this Hulu offering is not a Nutcracker-based movie, the ballet does figure into the plot eventually, as Ben Stiller has to housesit his four recently orphaned nephews, who happen to have some talent in that artform. Can he really put on a production in a matter of weeks? Do people really write checks as payment at an ice cream truck? Is this David Gordon Green's best comedy in over a decade? PLUS, Kerry and Collin recommend a short film that is a dead-on parody of Hallmark movies (see link below to watch the film). Speaking of Hallmark, the Blu-ray Gift Exchange features a Hallmark movie that Collin recommends(!).

Short film: A Winter's Charm In Carson City (Hallmark parody)

Hallmark:

"The Santa Summit" (DVD)

Paramount:

"Galaxy Quest" 4K

Criterion:

"Paris, Texas" 4K

"Eastern Condors" 4K

Warner Archive:

"The Searchers" 4K

"A Night Full of Rain"

"The Walking Dead"

"Mr. Lucky"

Sony:

"Talk of the Town' 4K

"The Outrun" (DVD)

Severin:

"Scala!!!"

The perennial classic starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen turns 70 years-old this year. Kerry and Collin are celebrating the occasion by having on one of the film's biggest fans, film critic Pat McDonald. Is Michael Curtiz's much-celebrated film more of a post-WWII nostalgia piece than it is a Christmas movie? What other Danny Kaye movies should people check out? Was Bing Crosby actually not wearing any underwear in that train scene? All these questions, plus Pat talks about one of the most ghastly and bizarre TV Christmas specials from the early '70s, featuring a who's-who of bad hair pieces and cheesy impersonators. You'll have to listen to find out.

Kerry and Collin are joined by first-time guest, longtime friend, film critic Nick Digilio, who claims "The Ref"--starring Dennis Leary, Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis--is his favorite Christmas film of all time. Collin has similar feelings and wanted to wait until the movie had an anniversary, so it could be featured prominently in the December line-up, when the movie would hopefully get more attention than it did back in the day. Why did the studio botch its release? Do people still make fruitcake jokes today? How did screenwriter Richard LaGravenese get his revenge on a Chicago film critic with this film? Also, Nick's choice for a Christmas episode/TV special is none other than the classic "Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special." It truly is one of the best Christmas specials of all, as evidenced by the joy everyone experienced making it and the joy it continues to bring to audiences several generations later. (NOTE: Apologies for some of the sound quality on this one. It's mostly in the first 15 minutes).

Kerry and Collin are joined by Erik Childress to talk about the enduring--and maybe not so enduring--legacy of Robert Zemeckis' "The Polar Express." Based on the beloved picture book by Chris Van Allsburg, this film pushed the boundaries of motion-capture animation at the time. How does that technology hold up today? What does the bell symbolize? Which character should've gotten the bell at the end? Plus, Erik's choice for a Christmas TV special/episode is the holiday episode of the '80s sci-fi favorite "V," featuring Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund, singing a Christmas carol about as badly as anyone can. Erik fills Kerry and Collin in on the back-story of the episode, which can be seen on Amazon Prime (if you buy the whole series).

Aside from "Wicked," Red One" is probably the most advertised film of this season, but does it deserve to be? Film critic Leo Brady joins Kerry and Collin to talk about this much-hyped action fantasy film and why its star, Dwayne Johnson, needs to commit to different types of projects. They also talk about seeing the film in 4DX and why that format might not be suitable for all films. Why does the audience need to feel as pummeled as the characters on screen? Who is this movie for? Does the great J.K. Simmons make for a convincing Santa Claus? All this, plus Kerry gives us three films from the "1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die" book.

Web site with knitted caps used in "Red One": https://leedoesstuff.com/

Book movies covered:

Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)

Romper Stomper (1992)

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Kerry and Collin are joined by Cinema Femme's founder Rebecca Martin Fagerholm to talk about Jodie Foster's ensemble comedy "Home For The Holidays," starring Holly Hunter, Robert Downey, Jr., Anne Bancroft, Charles Durning, Cynthia Stevenson, Dylan McDermott, Geraldine Chaplin and Steve Guttenberg (wow!). Of all the holiday movies in the Family-Gathers-Together-For-The-Holidays sub-genre, this one gets it so, so right above many others. Why does Collin hold it in such high regard? How did Downey's behavior and antics effect the overall outcome of the film? How much food was cooked for the Thanksgiving scene and what happened to all of it. All this, plus Collin talks about the latest and greatest in physical media for the Blu-ray Gift Exchange.

Blu-ray movies covered:

Sony:

"American Movie" 4K (1999)

Warner Bros:

"The Hitcher" 4K (1986)

Criterion:

"Pandora's Box" (1929)

"Demon Pond" (1979)

Val Lewton Double Feature: "I Walked With A Zombie" and "The Seventh Victim" (1943)

Warner Archive:

"The Prairie Home Companion" (2006)

"Bathing Beauty" (1944)

"Journey Into Fear" (1943)

Universal:

"Touch" (2024)

Starring Mickey Rooney. Yes, that Mickey Rooney. Five years ago, Kerry, Collin and guest Patrick Ripoll made a pact to talk about the "Silent Night, Deadly Night" films every year in October. The pact has been fulfilled with "Silent Night, Deadly Night 5: The Toy Maker," as of now, the final film in the series. It did not disappoint. Rooney stars as the titular Toy Maker named Joe Petto. He has a teenage son who might be an android named Pino. You see where this is going? Why are the toys Petto makes turning deadly? What about Ricky, the Santa-Claus-killer franchise mainstay? How should you watch all five films? Which ones are the best? You'll have to hear Kerry, Collin and Patrick's rankings to find out. What a journey it's been! From a crazed Santa Claus killer, to "Garbage day!" to Oedipal themes of longing, the SNDN films each delivered something truly unique. Also, Kerry talks about three films from "1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die."

Book films covered:

"Odd Man Out" (1947)

"Le Trou" (1960)

"Crumb" (1995)