Hola, Sneakers! Welcome to Episode 367 of your favourite podcast! (Wait. What? We’re not your favourite podcast? Well, don’t tell us that!)
This week on the show, it’s all typical lawn mowing advice; Sneaky Dragon ads; the good and bad about socialization in school environments; crazy boys in school; Ian’s fight club (he broke the rule!); the importance of learning to fall; the Batman bit; authority doesn’t care; the problem with M*A*S*H; the one-time popularity of the anti-hero; the fun of the jerk; Ian defends Pottersville; Ian and Dave’s favourite Christmas movies; and if that’ not enough: Ian and Dave write a Christmas movie before your ears; Edgar Allan Poe in the Old West redux; and, finally, Trevor Lynn’s Top 10 movie list featuring:
- Das Boot
- Lawrence of Arabia
- The Big Sleep
- Casablanca
- Watchmen
- Sons of the Desert
- The Chaser
- Star Wars
- Dr. Strangelove (Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb)
- Airport
Thanks for listening.
Here is Marcus Harwell’s version of good old E.A Poe in the Old West:
Thanks, Marcus!
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We sort of interrupted ourselves answering the question about our favourite Christmas movies. Some of my all-time favourite Christmas flicks regularly show up on TCM at this time of year so if you’re interested and have the time be sure to get a cup of hot cocoa and curl up to watch:
A family fave, to be sure, with the great Ginger Rogers and David Niven –
Bachelor Mother – Wed, Dec. 19th at 8:00 PM EST
From Preston Sturges amazing run of films as writer-director:
Christmas in July – Thurs, Dec. 20 at 8:00 PM EST
A brilliant script from Preston Sturges – it’s just a shame about the scenes with the black houseboy – and sympathetic direction from Mitchell Leisen with the bee-yoo-tiful and amazing Barbara Stanwyck and good ol’Fred MacMurray:
Remember the Night – Sat, Dec. 22 at 8:00 PM EST
Oh, Barbara Stanwyck, you were just so great in everything:
Christmas in Connecticut – Dec. 22 at 10:00 PM EST
Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan star in Ernest Lubitsch’s magical:
The Shop Around the Corner – Mon, Dec 24 at 12:30 PM EST
It’s a summer movie, it’s a Halloween movie, it’s a Christmas movie, it’s an everything movie! But you can’t go wrong with:
Meet Me in St. Louis – Mon, Dec. 24 at 6:00 PM EST
Once again, not exactly a Christmas movie, but it culminates during Christmas, the fabulous (older) Spencer and Tracy in:
Desk Set – Tues, Dec 25 at 3:45 AM EST
And, finally, I haven’t seen it, but I’ve heard it’s good. Unfortunately, it’s not playing on the Canadian TCM, but if you’re American watch:
The Holly and Ivy – Sun, Dec. 23 at 8:00 PM EST
and let me know how it was!
I think your Christmas movie should be called “Doc Holiday.”
Yes!
Thank you, Ian, for the mention of “Bernard and the Genie”!!! It has been my family’s beloved favorite since Christmas 1996. I discovered it late night in 1995 on a PBS station in South Florida while wrapping the last minute gifts. Then had to wait to share it with my family until the next Christmas when the same station aired it again. The year after THAT I managed to record it on the old VHS and for years, until I could find a legit copy, that is how we watched it…every year. My kids have their own homes now, but I’m still watching it, and I think they do, too!
Please, please, David and everyone, give it a watch! It’s a 1991 film with, as you said, Ian, Alan Cumming, Lenny Henry, and Rowan Atkinson as the evil…(no spoiler here!) It is delightful!
And I agree with Louise: “Doc Holiday” is a great title for next year’s Christmas movie!
Speaking of Christmas movie remakes, “The Shop Around the Corner” was famously adapted into another movie that has some Christmas scenes in it, “You’ve Got Mail” (1998). I think it’s one of those “2/3rds of a good movie” you guys talk about. I like all the actors and the New York literary world setting and Darcy/Elizabeth-style butting of heads. But I was never quite sure if we’re just supposed to accept the inevitability of sweeping economic change…i.e. big box book stores pushing out independent stores. Towards the end, Nora Ephron in her screenplay makes Hanks’ character ask for forgiveness (annoyingly) over and over for putting Ryan’s character out of business before he reveals his secret identity. I guess it’s supposed to be all good, because now she’s free to be a book editor and help create books rather than just sell them. Another Shop adaptation was the 1963 musical, “She Loves Me. ” I saw PBS’ broadcast of a live performance of the 2016 Broadway revival starring Zachary Levy (Chuck) and Laura Benanti (she does a wicked Melania impersonation on Colbert’s Late Show). It’s kind of fun. Clips of the musical numbers are on YouTube.
BTW, “It’s a Wonderful Life” and TV’s M.A.S.H. make a cross-connection in the remade-for-TV, gendered-switched “It Happened One Christmas” (1977). Marlo Thomas (That Girl) is the one that takes over the Savings and Loan from her father and Wayne Rogers (TV’s Trapper John) is her husband. Orson Wells is Mr. Potter and Cloris Leachman is Clara the Angel. Marlo Thomas was active in the women’s movement so it’s no surprise she wanted to show that women also have dreams they sacrifice for family, they do run businesses and feel the same pressures to hold it together as men do.
Regarding your IAWL discussion and the poor school with an embedded pool: it was the “swim gym” that is reportedly still in place, not in Bedford Falls, NY, but in the Beverly Hills High School in Los Angeles, California. Beverly Hills-Bedford Falls, well, they do have the same amount of letters in their names.
Here is some video of the floor pool in action!