In the final regular Film Stories episode of 2024, we start with a 1989 movie that's gone on to become something of a Christmas favourite.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation saw John Hughes writing again, and a first time director in Jeremiah Chechik. The former protected the latter from studio notes, and even a potential lack of snow turned into the opposite problem. Still: what happened to the UK cinema release?

Clint Eastwood's Juror #2 remains one of the more curious film stories of 2024. A movie made for a modest sum, that Warner Bros then gave the impression of simply not really wanting to release it.

Stories of both are told in this episode...

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