As always, Kerry and Collin begin the year taking a look at a Nutcracker movie. This one celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, so the festivities for it starts now! "Nutcracker: The Motion Picture" was a theatrically-released performance film with an added touch of storybook-like innovation and imagination from the one and only Maurice Sendak (author of Where the Wild Things Are). Does it successfully work as a piece of storytelling and staged performance? How does it compare to the similar 1993 version Starring Macauley Culkin? What exactly is PDIP? All these questions, plus a look at the latest and greatest in physical media from the month of December with the Blu-ray Gift Exchange.

Collin's favorite blu-rays from 2025.

Movie Madness episode, featuring Collin Souter, Erik Childress and Steve Prokopy, all running down their 15 favorite films of the year.

Blu-rays covered:

Warner:

Ted Lasso - The Richmond Years (4K)

"Boogie Nights" (1997) (4K)

LionsGate:

"Hearts Of Darkness - A Filmmaker's Apocalypse" (1991) (4K)

FilmMasters:

"The House On Haunted Hill" (1959)

Warner Archive:

Lippy The Lion and Hardy Har Har - The Complete Series

Wally Gator - The Complete Series

"I Love Melvin" (1953)

Criterion:

"I Know Where I'm Going" (1945) (4K)

Universal:

"Skylark" (1941)

Though beloved in England, the 1985 Salkind Production "Santa Claus: The Movie" never met its high expectations, either critically or at the box office. Film critic Peter Sobczynski returns to the show to break down why the movie doesn't really work, even though it's well cast and the production design is (mostly) quiet good. What went wrong? Just how much strategic product placement went into this? Is this a more or less dignified role for Dudley Moore than "Six Weeks"? How has Peter been traumatized by this particular movie? We get into all of that, as well as Peter's Christmas episode pick, the SCTV Staff Christmas Party (see YouTube links below). Finally, we end the show with an actual gift exchange and a big thankyou to all our guests from 2025.

And thank YOU, dear listeners!

SCTV - Staff Christmas Party

SCTV Christmas

"Chu-Chu and the Philly Flash"

Kerry and Collin have been keeping track of several new Christmas films and TV episodes that have been dropping over the last several weeks and give brief thoughts on each of them. This includes "A Very Jonas Christmas," "Jingle Bell Heist," "A Paw Patrol Christmas," "The Merchants of Joy," "Oh. What. Fun." and "Christmas Karma." They also have quick thoughts on the new "Silent Night, Deadly Night" remake, which will be talked about more in-depth in October of next year, per SNDN tradition. Kerry also talks about her new "cozy murder show" obsession, CBS's "Elsbeth," which aired a Christmas episode and Collin talks about the discovery he made on Shudder, "A Christmas Ghost Story." All this, plus a Blu-ray Gift Exchange, featuring some big news for one release which directly involves one of our hosts.

Blu-rays covered:

Warner:

"One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) - 4K

Apple:

"CODA" (2021) - 4K

Criterion:

"Hell's Angels" (1930) - 4K

Sony:

"Awakenings" (1990) - 4K

Universal:

The Alfted Hitchcock Presents Legacy Collection

Warner Archive:

Tom & Jerry: The Golden Era Anthology - 1940 - 1958

The Gene Kelly 4-Film Collection

"At The Circus" (1939)

"I Love You Again" (1940)

"Manhattan Melodrama" (1934)

Vinegar Syndrome:

"The Movie Orgy" (1968)

"Santa Claus Conquers The Martians" is often considered the Granddaddy of all bad Christmas films. A cheaply made kiddie flick from 1964, it is perhaps most well known for being the screen debut of a young Pia Zadora. Film critic Dave Canfield returns to the show to dissect the film's notoriety, the filmmakers' misguided intentions and what makes this public domain favorite so special. They also discuss a lesser-known yuletide oddity for kids along the same lines, "The Christmas Martian." A Canadian production made for television, it is made up of so many odd elements that don't quite go together, but that's what makes it such a fascinating watch. Finally, Dave's TV Special pick is Berke Breathed's Bloom County/Outland one-off Christmas special "Opus n' Bill's A Wish For Wings That Work," perhaps Collin's favorite Christmas special of all time.

Watch "Santa Claus Conquers The Martians"

Watch "The Christmas Martian" (sorry, only the French version is available on YouTube)

Watch "Opus n' Bill's A Wish For Wings That Work."

Last year, film critic Nick Digilio came onto the show to talk about the crime comedy "The Ref." This year, he returns to talk about a film that feels like a close cousin to that film, Harold Ramis' "The Ice Harvest," starring John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen and Oliver Platt. Like "The Ref," it is an underseen gem about criminals trying to get out of town on Christmas Eve, with too many obstacles--including family, cops and other criminals--getting in the way. What was it like to hang out with John Cusack when he lived in Chicago? Is this his best performance? How does this film fit into the rest of Harold Ramis work? All this, plus a look at Nick's book, "40 Years, 40 Films" where we dive into what makes a good film critic and what your Top 10 says about you. Finally, Nick's TV Christmas pick is "The Honeymooners" - Season 1, Episode 13 - "'Twas The Night Before Christmas," one of the coveted 39 episodes of the show that remains timeless and classic.

Buy Nick's book "40 years, 40 Films" here.

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)