While Christmas is typically the time to snuggle up with friends and family to watch beloved the same corny, nostalgic favorites we return to every year, for filmmakers the holiday season is a surprisingly fertile ground for a very different form of entertainment: horror films. There are literally dozen of Christmas horror films currently in existence, and seemingly more every year. They use the Christmas festivities as a counterpoint for the bloody work of serial killers, monsters, or legendary figures from folklore. Forget Season’s Greetings and a Cup of Good Cheer; for these movies, it’s all about Season’s Beatings and a Cup of Good FEAR. So join the Great Pop Culture Debate for a very different holiday special as it explores the Best Holiday Horror Films.

Movies discussed: Black Christmas (1974); Silent Night, Deadly Night; Rare Exports; Silent Night (2021); Violent Night; Christmas, Bloody Christmas; Terrifier 3; Better Watch Out; Gremlins; P2; Jack Frost (1997); Black Christmas (2006); Krampus; It’s a Wonderful Knife; A Christmas Horror Story; Anna and the Apocalypse

Join host Eric Rezsnyak and GPCD panelists Karissa Kloss, Michael Schwarz, and Zack Derby as they discuss and debate 16 brutal holiday horror films. NOTE: This episode is not intended for children.

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Episode Credits

Host: Eric Rezsnyak

Panelists: Karissa Kloss, Michael Schwarz, Zack Derby

Producer: Bob Erlenback

Editor: Bob Erlenback

Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch

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Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our 2025 Holiday Special devoted to the best Christmas horror film -- this one is NOT for the kids! -- and walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, December 9, wherever you listen to podcasts.

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CREDITS:

Intro/outro music: "Dance to My Tune" by Marc Torch

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Christmas carols are, likely, some of the earliest songs most Americans learn, and at the same time, are probably among the earliest music still performed in popular American culture. Many of the familiar songs of the season date back hundreds of years, and the origins and lyrics of the songs have been lost or changed over time. We sing along every year, tapping into those familiar nostalgic feelings. But do we really know where these festive songs came from, or what they’re actually about? Gather ye kith and kin around the hearth – or the modern equivalent, the Bluetooth speaker – as the Great Pop Culture Debate explores the history of holiday staples and attempts to name the Best Traditional Christmas Carol.

Songs discussed: “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” “O Tannenbaum/O Christmas Tree,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” “Away in a Manger,” “Carol of the Bells,” “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” “Here We Come A-Wassailing,” “Jingle Bells,” “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” “The First Noel,” “Silent Night,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” “Joy to the World”

Join host Eric Rezsnyak and GPCD panelists Trey Radu-Blackburn and Zack Derby as they discuss and debate 16 of the most recognizable holiday carols of all time.

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Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our 2025 Holiday Special devoted to the best traditional Christmas carol, and walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, December 2, wherever you listen to podcasts.

And if you love pop culture, ⁠⁠⁠sign up for our weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠ to keep up on all the new movies, music, and TV shows dropping every week!

CREDITS:

Intro/outro music: "Dance to My Tune" by Marc Torch

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Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gpcd.bsky.social

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Nintendo reignited the home video-game market with the Nintendo Entertainment System in the 1980s, but by the early 90s the Japanese game company found itself in an unexpected position: Player 2. The 1989 arrival of both Sega Genesis and Turbo Graphx 16 – more powerful machines, with aggressive marketing campaigns positioning themselves as the “radical” upstarts – officially kicked off the first wave of the console wars. Nintendo would answer with 1991’s Super Nintendo, a sleek machine that would eventually be home to a slate of eye-popping games. Jumping from 8 bits to 16 encouraged developers to push the bounds of creativity. While the system would be unseated by the N64 after a mere five years, the SNES library features what are considered to be among the best entries in the company’s line-up of original IP. So get ready to play with SUPER power as the Great Pop Culture Debate looks back at the Best Super Nintendo Game.

Games discussed: Super Mario World, Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Chrono Trigger, Super Metroid, Final Fantasy III (Final Fantasy VI), Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Kart, Mega Man X, Super Mario RPG, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time, Street Fighter II Turbo, Donkey Kong Country 2, Final Fantasy II (Final Fantasy IV), Secret of Mana, Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, Super Castlevania IV

Join host Eric Rezsnyak, GPCD panelists Curtis Creekmore and David Silbert (of the Punished Backlog), and guest panelist Erik Slader from the Super Switch Club podcast as they discuss and debate 16 of the most awesome Super Nintendo games.

For the warm-up to this episode, in which we discuss even more Super Nintendo games that didn’t make the bracket, become a Patreon supporter of the podcast today.

Episode Credits

Host: ⁠Eric Rezsnyak⁠

Panelists: ⁠Curtis Creekmore⁠, ⁠David Silbert⁠

Special Guest: ⁠Erik Slader, Super Switch Club Podcast⁠

Producer: ⁠Bob Erlenback⁠

Editor: ⁠Bob Erlenback⁠

Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch

#nintendo #supernintendo #snes #snesgames #snesgaming #videogames #supermarioworld #supermarioworld2yoshisisland #zelda #legendofzelda #alinktothepast #zeldalinktothepast #supercastlevania4 #finalfantasy #finalfantasyiii #finalfantasyii #donkeykong #donkeykongcountry #donkeykongcountry2diddyskongquest #supermariokart #mariokart #supermetroid #metroid #megaman #megamanx #streetfighter2 #chronotrigger #secretofmana #supermariorpg #tmnt #tmnt4 #videogames #90s #90sgamer #90sgames

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Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our episode devoted to the best video games released on Nintendo's 1990s Super Nintendo system, and walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, November 25, wherever you listen to podcasts.

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And if you love pop culture, ⁠⁠⁠sign up for our weekly newsletter⁠⁠⁠ to keep up on all the new movies, music, and TV shows dropping every week!

CREDITS:

Intro/outro music: "Dance to My Tune" by Marc Torch

IG: https://www.instagram.com/greatpopculturedebate/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/gpcd.bsky.social

Website: https://www.greatpopculturedebate.com/

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#podcast #popculture #debate #bestof #podcasts #music #movies #film #books #comics #television #tv #lgbtq #lgbt #nostalgia #geek #nerd #culture #greatest

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For the past 50 years, composer John Williams has arguably been the defining sound of cinema. Although he began composing music for TV and film in the 1950s, it wouldn’t be until the 1970s that he broke big, thanks to that iconic soundtrack to Stephen Spielberg’s Jaws. From there he would go on to provide the music for a slew of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters, and most poignant films, as well as recognizable anthems for pop-culture mainstays like the Olympic Games and NBC Nightly News. John Williams is an American icon, and a definitive creator in film and music. So join the Great Pop Culture Debate as we attempt to name the Best John Williams Film Score. 

Scores discussed: Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Hook, Return of the Jedi, The Empire Strikes Back, Jurassic Park, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Home Alone, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Schindler’s List, Superman

Join host Eric Rezsnyak and panelists Amma Marfo, Derek Mekita, and Kate Racculia as they discuss and debate 16 of the most recognizable film scores of all time.

For the warm-up to this episode, in which we discuss even more compositions from John Williams that didn’t make the bracket, ⁠become a Patreon supporter of the podcast⁠ today.

Episode Credits

Host: ⁠Eric Rezsnyak⁠

Panelists: ⁠Amma Marfo⁠, ⁠Derek Mekita⁠, ⁠Kate Racculia⁠

Producer: ⁠Bob Erlenback⁠

Editor: John Higgins

Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch

#johnwilliams #film #filmscores #composer #composers #orchestralmusic #orchestral #starwars #indianajones #harrypotter #superman #jurassicpark #jaws #homealone #hook #schindlerslist #savingprivateryan #empirestrikesback #imperialmarch #returnofthejedi #phantommenace

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Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our episode devoted to the best cinematic score by American composer and legend John Williams, and walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, November 18, wherever you listen to podcasts.

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1965 may feel like an entirely different lifetime, but even if you’re Gen X or a Millennial, chances are you know the songs and the icons from that incredible year. Cher! The Beatles! The Rolling Stones! The Supremes! Legends in their prime whose music continues to hold cultural cache 60 years after its release. So join the Great Pop Culture Debate as we do the time warp and try to determine the Best Song of 1965.

Songs discussed: “Unchained Melody” by The Righteous Brothers, “Help!” by The Beatles, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones, “My Girl” by The Temptations, “Ticket to Ride” by The Beatles, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” by The Righteous Brothers, “Stop! In the Name of Love” by The Supremes, “I Got You Babe” by Sonny & Cher, “Do You Believe in Magic?” by The Lovin’ Spoonful, “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)” by Marvin Gaye, “What the World Needs Now is Love” by Jackie DeShannon, “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones, “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)” by The Four Tops, “California Girls” by The Beach Boys, “We Got to Get Out of This Place” by The Animals

Join host Eric Rezsnyak and panelists Derek Mekita, John Higgins, and Zack Derby as they discuss and debate 16 of the biggest hits from 60 years ago.

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Host: Eric Rezsnyak

Panelists: Derek Mekita, John Higgins, Zack Derby

Producer: Bob Erlenback

Editor: John Higgins

Theme Music: “Dance to My Tune” by Marc Torch

#music #1960s #60smusic #popmusic #rockmusic #unchainedmelody #righteousbrothers #cher #sonnyandcher #igotyoubabe #thebeatles #beatles #beatleshelp #rollingstones #satisfaction #marvingaye #thefourtops #thebeachboys #beachboys #fourtops #temptations #thetemptations #thesupremes #supremes #dianaross #motown #tomjones

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Great Pop Culture Debate host Eric Rezsnyak explains how we created the bracket for our episode devoted to the best American popular-music songs from 1965, and walks you through the Round 1 match-ups. The main episode will release on Tuesday, November 11, wherever you listen to podcasts.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.