Podcast - My Favorite Christmas Movies: Joe Peacock • The Indie Magazine & Podcast

We’re joined by Joseph Peacock today on the InQua Podcast, and he’ll recount his five favorite Christmas movies and how he first fell in love with film and television.

Enjoy the InQua Podcast and let us know what you’ve been watching this holiday season!

Check out trailers for the films we discussed below:

The Family Stone

Little Women (1994)

Stepmom

Elf

National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation

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News:

Leave the World Behind author explains film’s controversial ending

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/leave-the-world-behind-ending-explained-b2466999.html
“The film – an adaptation of Rumaan Alam’s 2020 novel – follows Amanda and Clay Sandford, played by Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke, who take their two children Rose and Archie (Farrah Mackenzie and Charlie Evans) on a weekend getaway to Long Island, New York.”
“While there, the owner of their luxurious rental home, GH Scott (Mahershala Ali) and his daughter Ruth (Myha’la Herrold) return to the property under mysterious circumstances, claiming that a calamitous event has rocked the city.”
“While there are various ideas put forward about the root of this catastrophe – Russia, Iraq and North Korea are each put forward – the film never reveals the aggressor or if there even is one.”
“In a new interview with Variety, the author, who also serves as an executive producer on the film, addressed Esmail’s ending, calling it “so satisfying”.”
“Asked why it was important not to give viewers closure at the end of the movie, Alam responded: “Wouldn’t that be so dissatisfying? It’s a film that respects you as a viewer enough to not provide that. In that final scene between Julia and Myha’la, they don’t embrace. Even prior to that, when they’re in that little shed and come to a détente, Ruth acknowledges that there’s some truth to the things that Amanda has said, that they’re in agreement about something, but it doesn’t end with a hug. It’s not that kind of story.”
“While the film has quickly risen to the No 1 spot on Netflix, it currently has an audience score of just 42 per cent on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, with viewers lodging similar complaints.”

What all Christmas movies have in common

https://www.vox.com/videos/24011215/christmas-movie-music-explained
“‘Tis the season for sitting in front of the cozy glow of a Christmas movie. Don’t you just love the snow, the twinkling tree lights, and, of course, the charming sounds of festive music?”
“But not all Yuletide melodies are created equal.”
“In a 2015 analysis, FiveThirtyEight found that nine out of the top 10 most featured Christmas songs on movie soundtracks were in the public domain. In other words, Christmas movies are full of the classic songs we know and love — that also happen to be free from copyright and expensive licensing fees.”
“The reason whypublic domain Christmas songs are so popular may be obvious: Lower-budget films, like the ones our moms have grown to love from the Hallmark channel, can’t always afford to pay for newer, popular songs. But older public domain Christmas songs also hold a unique charm. Their repeated presence over the years has woven them into the very fabric of the holiday season, creating a sense of shared joy and nostalgia.”
“And composers like Russ Howard III, who we interviewed for this video, know this. He explains that musicians will often use public domain Christmas songs as a starting point for creating original compositions. Taking cues from classics like “Deck the Halls,” they craft new pieces that fit seamlessly into the emotional beats of a scene, while still having a festive flair.”

Hear Me Out: “The Polar Express” Is A Horror Movie That’s Been Masquerading As A Wholesome Christmas Film For The Family

https://www.buzzfeed.com/kelsiehammond1/the-polar-express-is-a-horror-movie
“What comes to mind when imagining a wholesome Christmas movie that you can snuggle up and enjoy for a cozy night in? An odd yet sweet little reindeer who learns to believe in himself? Of course. A jolly snowman who comes to life with a magical hat? Sure thing! A massive, speeding train full of children that flies off the tracks and hurls onto a frozen lake, threatening to plunge the children to their icy deaths? No?! That doesn’t sound like a fun little low-stakes Christmas movie to you?!? Yeah, me neither — but somehow The Polar Express still exists.”
“Let’s talk about the absolutely rancid vibes of this movie that traumatizes children every holiday season since it cursed our screens back in 2004. This is not the wholesome family Christmas movie it claims to be. The Polar Express is a heart-racing, shudder-inducing, edge-of-your-seat horror movie, and here’s why:
“We start the movie with a decidedly eerie undertone right away. The energy is far from a cozy Christmas vibe and lands somewhere in Krampus territory. Try to tell me that this isn’t the exact type of opening scene in a real horror movie. You can’t!!”
“He ends up losing the ticket when it flies away into the wind. It lands softly onto the snow for a very brief peaceful moment until yet ANOTHER jump scare takes place with the train WOOOOSHING in and laying down its horn. We are 20 minutes into this movie and there have been enough jump scares, thanks!”
“When Santa arrives, the horror energy takes a turn for the culty when all of the elves break out into a very slow and unsettling version of “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town.” It’s genuinely chilling. It has the feel of when happy songs are remixed spookily specifically to be used in horror movies.”
“Okay, the last 15 minutes of the movie are actually pretty chill. It’s really the only time in the entire film that it feels like a Christmas movie and not just a Hunger Games Christmas special where children are fighting for their lives. Somehow, the kids got back home on the terror train without plunging into an icy death — even though those tracks could not have been unfrozen by the time they were heading back…”