Every year, Netflix kicks off the Christmas movie season with a little trifle of a rom-com that stars an actress whose name used to be commonly above the title in past decades. This year, it's Alicia Silverstone's turn in the formulaic "A Merry Little Ex-Mas," a tension-less comedy in which a married couple call it quits on their marriage, but decide to stay together, more or less, through the holidays. Does the script give Silverstone anything to do? Should we all have two Christmas trees up in our houses in case one of them catches fire? How is it that a real-life father and son have no father-and-son chemistry in a movie? All this, plus a Santa Beard rating for the Chet character and three more movies "You Must See Before Your Die. "

Book movies covered:

"The Traveling Players" (1975)

"The Wicker Man" (1973)

"An American Werewolf In London" (1981)

Author Ed Daly (The Christmas Book) returns to talk about easily one of the most celebrated holiday movies ever, John Hughes' Thanksgiving classic "Planes, Trains and Automobiles." This movie was the career-changer for the late, great John Candy and this episode gets into the hows and whys of that turning point, as well as how the movie was ultimately saved in the editing (as many films often are, but here especially). Would you consider yourself more of a Neal or a Del? What is the most important deleted scene that could've been left in? Which country still rates the movie a PG-13 in spite of the legendary nineteen F-bombs? What is everyone's favorite John Hughes movie? All these questions and more, plus It's the Blu-ray Gift Exchange, Charlie Brown!

Buy Ed Daly's book "The Christmas Book" (2025 edition)

Blu-rays covered:

Warner Bros.:

"Weapons" (2025) - 4K

"A Nightmare On Elm Street" 7-disc set - 4K

"Peanuts - Ultimate TV Specials Collection"

"Curb Your Enthusiasm" - The Complete Series

Criterion:

"Eyes Without A Face" (1960) - 4K

Warner Archive:

"The Curse of Frankenstein" (1957)

"A Summer Place" (1959)

"Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins" (1975)

With all the Silent Night, Deadly Night films complete (or are they?), Kerry, Collin and their frequent guest at this time of year, Patick Ripoll, take a look at another slasher film from the same era, the less controversial, but just as violent Don't Open Till Christmas, directed by (kind-of) and starring Edward Purdom. There's not a whole lot that makes sense here, but that's what makes it so fun to dissect. Why is one character hanging up random strands of garland in random places in her apartment? Does the killer only want to kill male Santa Clauses in the area? What exactly is the killer's motivation? What prompted re-shoots and re-edits of the final product? All this, plus three films from the Book that more-or-less (mostly less) tie in with the topic.

Book films covered:

"The War Game" (1966)

"The Bride of Frankenstein" (1935)

"Targets" (1968)

Collin and Kerry correct a mistake from last year by focusing on a movie that actually does take place during Halloween. Christine Sellin returns to talk about "Monster House," a subversive and hilarious animated from from 2006 that sneaks up on the viewer with a poignant story of love that durns dark and foreboding when you look back on it. Is this the best of the motion-capture animated films of this era? How does the animation hold up today? What was trick-or-treating like when you were a kid? Has it changed over the years?

All this, plus a Blu-ray Gift Exchange segment for both dog and cat lovers (and lion lovers, too).

Blu-rays covered:

Warner:

"Superman" 4K (2025)

Criterion:

"Flow" 4K - (2024)

Lionsgate:

"Little House On the Prairie" - The Complete Series

Warner Archive:

"Get Carter" 4K (1971)

The Judy Garland Collection

Hollywood Legends of Horror Collection

"Black Samson" (1974)

"Huckleberry Hound Show" The Complete Series

"Touche Turtle and Dum Dum - The Complete Series

Unfortunately, our episode on "The Apartment" has to be postponed until next year. Our apologioes for that. Fortunately, author John Zukowski was able to step in at the last minute and introduce a new Christmas gem to us, "Remember The Night," a film starring Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray that pretty much set the template for many Christmas romances to come. The first (but certainly not the last) of its kind, "Remember The Night" fits in perfectly with our last two episodes that touched on Christmas romance movies that have real wit and class, with a touch of melancholia to ground them. This is a film well worth discovering if you get the chance; hilarious and heartfelt, with a truly memorable ending.

Buy John's books Christmas On the Screen: Reviewing The Evolution Of American Spirituality and The Only Music That Mattered: A Guide To Punk, Post-Punk and Second Wave Ska (1976 - 1983).

Book movies discussed:

The Snake Pit (1948)

A Passage To India (1984)

The White Balloon (1995)

The director and stars of the wonderful comedy "The Baltimorons" (currently/soon in theaters) join the show briefly to discuss the film's evolution and its purpose as a Christmas movie. Before that, though, Kerry and Collin discuss the film after seeing it a second time. What other movies come to mind with this kind of premise? Can anyone do improv? What are the favorite Christmas movies of the guests featured? Tune in to find out. Also, new blu-rays, a couple of which tie into some very recent episodes.

"The Baltimorons" opens in New York on 9/5 and expands to other cities on 9/12.

Blu-rays covered:

"Sense and Sensibility" 4K (Sony)

"The Conjuring" 4K (Warner)

"You Can Count On Me" (Criterion)

"Fire On The Plain" (Criterion)

"The Burmese Harp" (Criterion)

"The Greta Garbo Collection" (Warner Archive)

"The Errol Flynn Collection" (Warner Archive)

"The '50s Sci-Fi Collection" (Warner Archive)

"Invasion U.S.A." / "Rocket Attach U.S.A." (FilmMasters)

Kerry and Collin didn't plan on 2025 being a John Cusack-a-thon, but that's what ended up happening. After talking about "Serendipity" back in February and with "The Ice Harvest" coming up in December, the hosts decided to do a Cusack double-header of Christmas-adjacent films that came out 40 years ago. "The Sure Thing" was Cusack's first starring role in the teenage take on "It Happened One Night" while "Better Off Dead" took on a much weirder tone and ended up being a cult favorite, much to Cusack's chagrin. How does our sense of humor change as we get older? Which of the two films do the hosts respond to more? What is the third film co-starring John Cusack from this same year? Tune in to find out (or just IMDb him for that third question. Or look at the show notes below?). Plus, Kerry gives three more films from "1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," one of which might tie into one of these Cusack films.

Book films covered:

"It Happened One Night" (1936)

"Ran" (1985)

"The Sting" (1973)

It's so hot out there! What better way to defeat the August heat than to watch Santa Claus stuck in his sleigh on a sizzling Florida beach? Who will help him get back to the North Pole? A rag-tag group of homeless minors who have no experience working with animals. Also, the Ice Cream Bunny, whatever that is. FIlm critic Pat McDonald join Collin and Kerry to break down "Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny," one of the absolute weirdest holiday concoctions of all time with a just-barely-stitched-together film from 1972. There are two versions of the film, one containing a detour into the story of Thumbelina, another with Jack and the Beanstalk. None of it makes a lick of sense and it's all just padding to throw out there on the kiddie matinee circuit of the early '70s. Everything ties together, though, in the Blu-ray Gift Exhcange.

Read Pat McDonald's work at HollywoodChicago.com

Blu-rays covered:

Warner Bros:

"Sinners" (2025)

"Final Destination: Bloodlines" (2025)

"Lord of the Rings" (1978)

Universal:

"Knight Rider: The Complete Series" - 4K

Sony:

"Stop, Look and Laugh!" (1960)

Warner Archive:

"Melinda" (1974)

"Two Weeks With Love" (1950)

"Knights Of the Round Table" (1953)

Criterion:

"You Can Count On Me", "Carnal Knowledge" and "Barry Lyndon"

Kerry and Collin are joined by their good friend Jim Peebles, who also guested on the "A Very Brady Christmas" episode. "The Love Boat" is certainly cut from the same cloth, but this "Christmas Cruise" remains a mystery. Is it a movie? Is it two episodes seamlessly jammed together? Why no separate listing for it on Letterbox'd or IMDb? Currently availabel on Paramount+, this movie-sode is chock full of mysteries. Where did the kid chorus come from? How are people able to buy massive amounts of flowers on this ship, let alone yarn? How can one custom make their own "Love Boat" episode? All this, plus Kerry gives three more movies from "1,001 movies You must See Before You Die," one of which also features a Love Boat.

Book movies covered:

"Daybreak" (1939)

"High Sierra" (1941)

"Titanic" (1997)

We're releasing this a day early, the 4th of July, because why not? After all, the film has "U.S.A." in the title. Kerry and Collin are joined by frequent guest, Erik Childress (host of Movie Madness) to talk about one of the dumbest films to come out of 1985, from Cannon Studios, one of the most notorious movie studios of its era. Who did Chuck Norris originally want to be his co-star and how would that person's career have been altered if it had happened? Why are the terrorists in the film invading the US during Christmas? Has there ever been a great movie with an airboat sequence? All these questions and more, plus a Blu-ray Gift Exchange.

Blu-rays covered:

Criterion:

"Brazil" - (1985) 4K

Warner Brothers:

"Lethal Weapon" - 1(987) 4K

The James Bond Sean Connery Collection 4K

Looney Tunes - Platinum Collection Vol. 1

Looney Tunes - Platinum Collection Vol. 2

Warner Archive:

Looney Tunes - Collector's Vault Vol. 1

"High Society" (1956) - 4K

"Executive Suite" (1954)

The Clark Gable Collection

Universal:

"Murder, She Wrote: The Complete Series"

Sony:

"St. Elmo's Fire" (1985) - 4K

Film Masters:

"The Blood Of Jesus" (1947)