Podcast - My Favorite Christmas Movies: Cassidy Larsen • The Indie Magazine & Podcast

We welcome Cassidy Larsen to the InQua Podcast today to talk about her five favorite Christmas movies, and the role movies and TV have played in her life.

Enjoy the InQua Podcast and watch all your favorites this holiday!

Check out trailers for the films we discussed on the InQua Podcast below:

The Holiday

Chasing Christmas

The Santa Clause

Holiday in Handcuffs

Elf

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News:

At Home or Away: The Dilemma of Holiday Oscar Viewing

https://variety.com/2023/film/awards/holiday-oscars-screeners-home-theater-1235849116/
“Oscar voters tend to be big-screen enthusiasts. But the reality is that not every awards contender will be seen in the cinema — and that’s especially true during the holiday season, when all the family commitments, shopping and big meals can turn even a movie theater evangelist like Christopher Nolan into a couch potato.”
“Greta Gerwig’s witty meta-comedy “Barbie” and Blitz Bazawule’s musically vibrant take on “The Color Purple” are crowd-pleasers that can still captivate audiences who don’t make the pilgrimage to the local AMC. With the holidays rolling in, Alexander Payne’s nostalgic “The Holdovers,” set during a Vietnam-era Christmas break, might strike a chord with older viewers who lived through those turbulent times. (Plus ça change.)”
“And while technical marvels like Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” or the visually stunning “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse” are available for home viewing, do they lose their magic without theater-quality sound? Even Netflix, which helped usher in the streaming era, may suffer. There’s a reason it’s simultaneously showing Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro” in Dolby Atmos in any theater that has that sound-enhancing capability.”
“I wonder how “Oppenheimer” plays on a plane?”

Christmas Box Office: ‘Aquaman 2’ Sinks With $40 Million Debut

https://variety.com/2023/film/box-office/box-office-aquaman-2-flops-christmas-debut-1235850151/
“”Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” failed to make a splash at the Christmas box office, debuting to $28 million over the weekend and an estimated $40 million through the four-day holiday weekend.”
“Those ticket sales were enough to top domestic charts over three other newcomers: Universal and Illumination’s animated “Migration,” Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s romantic comedy “Anyone but You” and A24’s sports biopic “The Iron Claw.””
“By contrast, “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom” is shaping up to be the fourth of four DC movies this year to crumble at the box office. Already in 2023, “The Flash” ($55 million debut), “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” ($30 million debut) and “Blue Beetle” ($25 million debut) majorly flopped in theaters.”
“Movie theater marquees are getting more crowded on Christmas Day as Warner’s musical adaptation of “The Color Purple,” Neon’s racing drama “Ferrari” and director George Clooney’s inspirational story “The Boys in the Boat” open in theaters. Studios and exhibitors are hoping that moviegoing will pick up on Dec. 25, but overall it’s a lackluster holiday season without a potential billion-dollar blockbuster, like “Spider-Man: No Way Home” and “Avatar: The Way of Water,” in the mix.”
” “2023 is finishing on a low note,” says David A. Gross, who runs the movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “Business is quiet compared with past Decembers, which had ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Jumanji,’ or the first ‘Aquaman.'” “
“Elsewhere at the box office, “Migration” opened in third place with $12.3 million from 3,708 theaters over the weekend and an estimated $17 million through Monday. It’s a modest start for original animation, so the studio is banking on it playing like recent family films like “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and Pixar’s “Elemental,” which managed to keep selling tickets months after their debuts. “Migration” has generated positive reviews and landed an “A” CinemaScore, which bodes well for its holiday run.”
“Without any breakout hits, last weekend’s champion, Warner Bros. fantasy musical “Wonka,” took second place with $26 million. The prequel story, starring Timothée Chalamet as the eccentric chocolatier Willy Wonka, has grossed $83.5 million domestically and more than $254.9 million worldwide to date.”

Mickey Mouse, Long a Symbol in Copyright Wars, to Enter Public Domain: ‘It’s Finally Happening’

https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/mickey-mouse-public-domain-disney-copyright-lawsuits-1235844322/
“As O’Neill had hoped, Disney sued him for copyright infringement. He believed it was a legal parody. But after eight years in court, he was saddled with a judgment he could not pay. To stay out of prison, he agreed never to draw Mickey Mouse again.”
“Mickey and Minnie will enter the public domain on Jan. 1. From then on, Disney will no longer enjoy an exclusive copyright over the earliest versions of the characters. Underground cartoonists, filmmakers, novelists, songwriters — whoever — will be free to do what they want with them.”
” “This is a big one,” said Jennifer Jenkins, director of the Duke Center for the Study of the Public Domain. “It’s generating so much excitement in the copyright community — it’s finally happening.” “
“Every Jan. 1, Jenkins celebrates Public Domain Day, publishing a long list of works that are now free for artists to remix and reimagine. This year’s list includes Tigger, who, like Mickey Mouse, made his first appearance in 1928. Other 1928 works include “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” “All Quiet on the Western Front” and Buster Keaton’s “The Cameraman.” “
“There is also, of course, “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey,” the slasher film that made several critics’ lists of the worst films of 2023. Released in the U.S. in February through distributor Fathom Events, the film commanded a fair amount of media attention for its shock value but to date has grossed only $5 million worldwide.”
“As the clock began to wind down on the extension in the 2010s, some anticipated that Disney and other copyright holders would push for another one. But that never materialized.”
“He continues to support reforms that would free up a vast body of cultural output that remains inaccessible because it lacks commercial value and its ownership cannot be determined.”
“Jenkins, however, rejects the idea that Disney can use trademark law to shut down creative expression. Trademarks are intended to protect brands. So long as artists do not try to pass off their work as coming from Disney, she said, they should not have a trademark issue.”
“Disney’s reputation for zealous copyright enforcement goes back decades, at least to the “Air Pirates” case. It was cemented by two incidents in 1989. First, Disney sued the Academy Awards for an unauthorized portrayal of Snow White. Then, it demanded the removal of murals featuring Disney characters from the walls of three day care centers in Hallandale, Fla.”
“O’Neill said he targeted Mickey because he associated the mouse with Walt Disney’s conservative politics and with President Nixon. For others, he represents consumerism, cultural imperialism, or childhood nostalgia. Starting on Jan. 1, he will be free for all to reinterpret.”