"Something Slightly Resembling Gumption": The Holiday

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It's beautiful.
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If it's corny, if it's going to ruin your outfit,
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you don't have to wear it.
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I like corny.
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I'm looking for corny in my life.
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That's a nice line.
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It's all those movies.
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OK, let's do it.
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Welcome to Shelf Criticism.
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Meet your host, Stephen, a scholar of literature and film
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by day, and by night, a cinematic archaeologist
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with a penchant for everything from art house to popular
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to outright trash cinema.
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Over the past quarter century, Stephen
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has amassed an eclectic DVD collection,
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now occupying five shelves of a curio cabinet
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in his living room.
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Each week, he bravely selects one of these titles
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to dissect.
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Join him as he unearths everything from obscure gems
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to cinematic missteps.
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From blockbuster hits to forgotten flops,
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each film gets the critical once over it probably
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doesn't deserve but will absolutely receive.
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So grab your popcorn and settle in.
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It's time to dive into the diverse world of Shelf
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Criticism.
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Welcome to a brand new season of Shelf Criticism.
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Thank you all for listening to season one
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and putting up with me as I waxed poetic and pontificated
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about film.
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Thanks for bearing with me as I learned
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the ins and outs of microphone settings and audio editing.
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And then that one time I forgot to plug the microphone in.
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Sorry about the sound on that Red Rings of Fear episode,
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but there's no way I'm going back and re-recording
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that one because I never want to think about that film again.
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At least for the next few weeks, this will actually
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be Shelf Christmasism.
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After taking a little holiday, pun intended,
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from the podcasting chair, I decided
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I would come back in December and knock out some,
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if not all, of the Christmas films on my shelves.
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There aren't that many.
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You see, while I'm in no danger of being visited by three
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ghosts this Christmas Eve, while I'm not
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plotting to spoil the day for Whoville,
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it's just not one of my favorite holidays.
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I mean, all the years working in retail,
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you're lucky I'm not completely vitriolic in my opposition.
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I mean, blinking lights are pretty, but not that mesmerizing.
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I like giving to people, but I hate rampant consumerism.
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There's not a single Christmas song that's a banger,
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and do not bring Mariah Carey into this.
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Just no.
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And most Christmas films are schmaltzy and saccharine,
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emotionally manipulative, and void of any substance.
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But I'm going to do it nonetheless.
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I'm going to suffer for my listeners.
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You should really appreciate the sacrifices I make for y'all,
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especially today, because it's both a Christmas film
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and a romantic comedy.
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And my disdain for that genre is well-documented podcasting
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lore at this point.
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So I'm doubly inclined to hate today's film.
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And since it's possibly the most predictable film I've ever
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seen, I'll just be equally predictable
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and show my cards off the bat.
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Loathe, abhor, detest, and those are exaggerations.
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But dislike is not a strong enough word
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to articulate my feelings about this film.
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Today we're swapping digs, mending broken hearts,
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and asking that burning question,
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is Jude Law the handsomest man on the planet?
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Spoiler alert again, he is.
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We're opening up the DVD tray and popping in the 2006 Nancy
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Myers film, The Holiday.
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The film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
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So if you want to revisit it or if somehow you've miraculously
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avoided it for nearly two decades,
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you can check it out beforehand.
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Once you come down from the sugar
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coma that this overly sweet movie will inevitably give you,
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come back and hear me grumble about it.
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Today's shelf pick.
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On our front cover, we have a banner on top and bottom
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showcasing our two romantic pairings.
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Jude Law looks down, smiling rakishly,
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while Cameron Diaz stares at his profile with the same wonderment
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and awe that we all do.
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Seriously, that is one good looking man.
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I'm straight as an arrow, but he melts my butter.
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The bottom banner has Kate Winslet grinning as she looks
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into Jack Black's eyes.
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He flashes his trademark impish grin.
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A plain white banner in the middle
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reads the principal cast's names.
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For those of you who care about the order build,
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it goes Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Jack Black.
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I'm not sure if Diaz and Winslet are the two biggest names, which
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is entirely possible, as Law was fresh off
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the heels of a scandal so sordid it would make you want to chant.
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Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry, Jerry.
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It could also be, however, that the film just
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wants to appeal to its target audience, which is naturally
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and unapologetically women.
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Case in point, the film's title, The Holiday,
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is in the center of the banner.
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And hovering over the A and the Y at the end of the words
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are a film by Nancy Myers.
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Beneath the film's title, we're informed that from the director
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of What Women Want and Something's Got to Give,
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Myers, of course, is well known for her rom-coms
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where they're directing like it's complicated,
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to writing them, such as Father the Bride, all three of those,
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although she also directed the third of it.
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On the DVD back, it reads, and Nancy Myers, The Holiday,
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a romantic comedy from the director of Something's
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Got to Give and What Women Want.
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I feel like I've heard that somewhere before.
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Anyway, two women trade homes only
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to find a change of address can change their lives.
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Iris, Winslet, is in love with a man who is
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about to marry another woman.
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Across the globe, Amanda, Diaz, realizes the man she lives with
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has been unfaithful.
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Two women who have never met and live 6,000 miles apart
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find themselves in the exact same place.
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They meet online in a home exchange website
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and impulsively switch homes for the holidays.
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Iris moves into Amanda's LA house in sunny California
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as Amanda arrives in the snow-covered English
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countryside.
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Shortly after arriving at their destinations,
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both women find the last thing either wants or expects,
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a new romance.
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Amanda is charmed by Iris' handsome brother, Graham, Law.
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And Iris, with inspiration provided
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by legendary screenwriter Arthur Wallach,
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mends her heart when she meets film composer Miles Black.
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This may be the worst written cover copy I've ever read,
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particularly that last sentence.
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It is a mess.
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Yeah, I stumbled all over that sentence at first
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when I tried to read it.
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There are plenty of other issues,
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but I'm just going to let those slide for now.
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How I came to own it.
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You know, I'm not really sure.
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2006 would have been the year my wife and I started dating.
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And while that film premiered in early December of that year,
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almost like it was planned that way,
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the DVD wasn't released until March 13 of 2007.
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The two of us were definitely together
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for both the theatrical and video release.
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But funny thing about my wife, aside from Christmas vacation,
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she wasn't terribly fond of Christmas movies either,
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with the notable exception of The Night Before,
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that Seth Rogen stoner flick.
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Side note, I didn't care for that one,
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but I like it infinitely more than most Christmas films.
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Long story short, though,
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I can't really imagine her buying it either,
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especially in March.
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The only thing that may have possibly happened
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was that I saw it on a shelf somewhere,
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likely not around Christmas.
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Saw two actors I like in Jude Law and Kate Winslet.
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And you know, both of those are British,
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so I might've just thought that's the term
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they use across the pond for vacation.
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As in going on holiday to Miami this summer.
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Forgive my British accent,
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I know I have some listeners across the pond.
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Yeah, just go ahead and laugh.
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Maybe I knew nothing about the flick,
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which is possible,
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since I tend to ignore Christmas films in general.
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Maybe I didn't even read the back,
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because I do impulse buy DVDs a lot.
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Actually, I may have a problem.
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Still, that scenario I concocted in my head
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seems far-fetched.
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Occam's Razor would suggest my wife just saw it,
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liked all four actors, and thought,
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hey, it's a Christmas film, so how bad can it be?
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Answer, by the way, pretty darn.
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Likewise, I know I saw it once.
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I'm pretty sure it wasn't in theaters,
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so it had to have been on DVD.
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Yet, I can't tell you when or where,
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or most importantly, why.
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What I can tell you is I recall not really liking it at all,
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and nothing's changed there.
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But just because I dislike something
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doesn't mean others can't enjoy it.
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It doesn't even necessarily mean it's bad.
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Miracle on 34th Street is a critically acclaimed classic,
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but I can't stand that one either.
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So perhaps the critics were kinder to this.
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Let's take a look in critical reception.
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The film currently holds a 51% on Rotten Tomatoes
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and a nearly identical 52 on Metacritic.
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When you let the moviegoers rate it,
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that soars, with Rotten Tomatoes' popcorn meter
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giving it an 80%.
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And even the more discerning Metacritic users
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review it as a 7.1.
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As I've stated before, I always watch these films
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before I look into any critical opinions.
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What I can say is that my thoughts I jotted down
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in my notebook were pretty spot on
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with what the critics who held a negative opinion
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of the film observed.
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I could not, however, ever burst out a zinger
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like Michael Phillips, who wins the award
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for most caustic take.
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Quote, the holiday is a 131-minute romantic comedy
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for those who, if they had their way,
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would still be watching Love Actually.
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Burn.
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Still, rather than rattle off the litany
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of disapprovals of a critic and simply say I agree each time,
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I thought it better to look at a positive review.
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So let's give the other side an opportunity
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to plead their case.
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Let's hear what Karina Ciocano has to say
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in her Los Angeles Times review,
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simply called A Cheerful Holiday.
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First off, why the quotes around holiday?
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Is she calling attention to the fact
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she's making the barest of pun,
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if one can even call it that, on the film's title?
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Is she quoting it because, sans definite article,
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it is the film's title,
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even though film should be italicized, not quoted?
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You know what?
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No more grammar pedant for the rest of this episode.
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Maybe.
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I'll try, but it's just so hard for me.
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The alluring surfaces of other people's lives
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can be deceiving, though generally not
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in a Nancy Meyers comedy, Ciocano opens,
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where thin veneer of fantasy cloaks more fantasy.
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I mentioned Meyers earlier,
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and the films I rattled off all do fit neatly
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into that description.
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Meyers seems to rely on upper-class white suburbanites
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and their minor grievances and matters from the heart.
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That's not to say being cheated on
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with your boyfriend's secretary
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or struggling with unrequited love
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aren't difficult and emotionally taxing.
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It's just that, you know, some people have real problems.
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Ciocano continues, the holiday is a story of two women
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who swap houses over Christmas
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and, because they're nice girls,
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wind up with their boyfriends they deserve.
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No comma before the coordinating conjunction again
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00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,720
and an unnecessary one with that subordinate clause.
261
00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:02,760
Who's the copi-et?
262
00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:03,880
Nope, nope.
263
00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:05,080
I said I would stop.
264
00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,720
I lied, but I'm stopping now.
265
00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:08,700
Maybe.
266
00:10:08,700 --> 00:10:10,980
Incidentally, Mr. Ciocano, no shade to you.
267
00:10:10,980 --> 00:10:12,600
That one's totally on the editor.
268
00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:14,680
Also, kudos to our credit on the next sentence.
269
00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:16,040
If you wrapped Jude Law in a bow
270
00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,560
and tucked Jack Black into a stocking with a leather bone,
271
00:10:18,560 --> 00:10:21,440
it couldn't be cozier or more Christmassy.
272
00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:22,420
Good writing.
273
00:10:22,420 --> 00:10:25,560
Painstakingly descriptive, avoiding the obvious cliches.
274
00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:27,060
Hey, I applaud you on that one.
275
00:10:27,060 --> 00:10:29,080
Next, she gets into some of the performances.
276
00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:31,660
Kate Winslet, who, and this seems to settle it,
277
00:10:31,660 --> 00:10:34,240
can do no wrong, plays Iris Simpkins,
278
00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:36,080
an alternative version of what Bridget Jones
279
00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,140
might have been had she been allowed to retain a shred
280
00:10:38,140 --> 00:10:39,720
of her Englishness and dignity.
281
00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,020
I said I wasn't gonna simply say I agree to the critics,
282
00:10:42,020 --> 00:10:45,480
but here I have to do just that, mostly.
283
00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:48,060
Winslet is one of the greatest actresses of a generation,
284
00:10:48,060 --> 00:10:49,600
commanding presence on the screen,
285
00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:51,720
who can channel any role, any emotion,
286
00:10:51,720 --> 00:10:52,840
sell it completely.
287
00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,080
I would argue that she can do some wrong,
288
00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:57,200
but my disdain for Titanic is well known,
289
00:10:57,200 --> 00:11:01,000
so I won't launch into another diatribe about that.
290
00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:02,960
Seriously, it's not merely overrated,
291
00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,280
it's just flat out bad, but I digress.
292
00:11:05,280 --> 00:11:07,600
Even in that film, Winslet is spectacular.
293
00:11:07,600 --> 00:11:09,880
In The Holiday, there is one exception.
294
00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:11,840
When she finds out about Jasper's engagement
295
00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:14,860
and tramps home, we hear her start to cry off camera
296
00:11:14,860 --> 00:11:16,800
as we fade into the next scene,
297
00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,940
and it sounds more like a cross between a foghorn
298
00:11:19,940 --> 00:11:23,160
and a cat whose tail has just been stepped on.
299
00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:25,160
I honestly suspect it wasn't actually Winslet,
300
00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,120
but another actress paltry attempt at crying
301
00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:29,480
that was probably shoehorned in in post-pro.
302
00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:31,800
When Winslet cries everywhere else in the film,
303
00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:34,120
when the camera is on her, she's fairly convincing.
304
00:11:34,120 --> 00:11:36,000
And that's not really a trivial critique either,
305
00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,960
because the theme of crying is a major plot point.
306
00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:40,680
Case in point, Chicano writes,
307
00:11:40,680 --> 00:11:42,260
"'Amanda's the other girl meet.
308
00:11:42,260 --> 00:11:43,880
"'Successful, stressed to the gills,
309
00:11:43,880 --> 00:11:45,580
"'dauntingly self-sufficient.
310
00:11:45,580 --> 00:11:47,060
"'Her quirk is that she can't cry,
311
00:11:47,060 --> 00:11:48,180
"'which means she can't feel,
312
00:11:48,180 --> 00:11:50,240
"'which means her living boyfriend, briefly played
313
00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:52,260
"'by Ed Burns, has been driven into the arms
314
00:11:52,260 --> 00:11:53,940
"'of a much younger and presumably more
315
00:11:53,940 --> 00:11:56,280
"'lacrimos receptionist.'"
316
00:11:56,280 --> 00:11:58,800
By the way, kudos for using the word lacrimos.
317
00:11:58,800 --> 00:11:59,640
I love that word.
318
00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,260
It's so fun to say, and it's just not often used.
319
00:12:02,260 --> 00:12:03,760
But yeah, we get the whole backstory
320
00:12:03,760 --> 00:12:05,760
of Amanda being close to her mother and father,
321
00:12:05,760 --> 00:12:07,880
the three musketeers, as they call themselves,
322
00:12:07,880 --> 00:12:10,560
because cleverness or originality in this film
323
00:12:10,560 --> 00:12:11,800
is nonexistent.
324
00:12:11,800 --> 00:12:13,920
Until out of nowhere, the family splits up
325
00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:15,000
while she's still young,
326
00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:16,720
and that's the last time she cried.
327
00:12:16,720 --> 00:12:18,200
Yeah, divorce.
328
00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,920
To be clear, divorce can be deeply painful
329
00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:23,920
and a formative experience, especially for a child.
330
00:12:23,920 --> 00:12:26,740
It's not something to dismiss or to trivialize.
331
00:12:26,740 --> 00:12:29,560
Amanda's inability to cry, though, in her workaholism
332
00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:31,680
are framed as symptoms of the emotional fallout
333
00:12:31,680 --> 00:12:33,160
from her parents' divorce,
334
00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:35,080
and that's a valid starting point.
335
00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:36,560
But Meyer's approach feels more like
336
00:12:36,560 --> 00:12:38,880
a surface-level shorthand for Amanda's issues,
337
00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:40,720
rather than a nuanced exploration
338
00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,800
of how such an experience might shape someone.
339
00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,160
Divorce is a common but significant event,
340
00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:47,800
one that impacts people differently.
341
00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:51,200
However, it's also a relatively safe and milk-toast choice
342
00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:53,040
for a screenwriter aiming to create a character
343
00:12:53,040 --> 00:12:55,060
with quote-unquote baggage.
344
00:12:55,060 --> 00:12:57,440
It feels like Meyer's stopped short of delving into deeper,
345
00:12:57,440 --> 00:13:00,000
more personal or raw territory,
346
00:13:00,000 --> 00:13:02,200
keeping Amanda's trauma at arm's length
347
00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:04,600
to maintain that breezy tone of the film.
348
00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:05,780
And don't get me started on Iris,
349
00:13:05,780 --> 00:13:07,840
leaning over and smelling the gas on her stovetop
350
00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:09,600
as if she were invoking Sylvia Plath,
351
00:13:09,600 --> 00:13:12,520
only to be saved by the dinging DM of Amanda
352
00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:14,180
wanting to swap houses.
353
00:13:14,180 --> 00:13:16,040
Even with Iris' deep love for Jasper
354
00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,160
and the sting of seeing him engage to another,
355
00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,040
it felt out of character for her to be suicidal.
356
00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:23,400
Not to mention it's almost played for laughs here,
357
00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,560
which is at best tone-deaf.
358
00:13:25,560 --> 00:13:27,840
Can we talk for a moment just about how bad
359
00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:29,600
Diaz sucks in this film?
360
00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:32,060
I know I've seen at least a dozen films she's been in,
361
00:13:32,060 --> 00:13:34,040
and I never really thought about her acting chops
362
00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:35,040
one way or another.
363
00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,560
Usually that means an actor is middle of the road,
364
00:13:37,560 --> 00:13:39,620
not ham-fisted enough to stand out
365
00:13:39,620 --> 00:13:41,980
and not dazzling enough to catch my eyes.
366
00:13:41,980 --> 00:13:43,320
They glimmer on the screen.
367
00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:45,880
But here she does stand out, and for all the wrong reasons.
368
00:13:45,880 --> 00:13:47,520
For all her trials and tribulations,
369
00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:51,160
she somehow seems to have a joker-esque manic grin
370
00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,520
plastered across her face the entire time.
371
00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:55,060
Her mouth is so wide, I mean seriously,
372
00:13:55,060 --> 00:13:56,080
it's like her jaw's unhinged,
373
00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:59,280
like an anaconda about to swallow water buffalo.
374
00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:01,020
Incidentally, when she's being driven to the airport,
375
00:14:01,020 --> 00:14:02,640
leaving deliciously handsome, wholesome,
376
00:14:02,640 --> 00:14:04,320
and charming Graham behind,
377
00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:06,080
you'll never believe what happens.
378
00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:08,440
This woman who hasn't cried since she was a teenager.
379
00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:10,840
No, no, surely she doesn't shed a tear.
380
00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:13,280
That would be far too derivative and predictable.
381
00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:15,720
How romcommy would it be to have her make the driver
382
00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:17,640
turn around so she can rush back into the arms
383
00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:19,520
of that hot, hunk of man?
384
00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,600
Well, it's not like I expect a sixth sense,
385
00:14:21,600 --> 00:14:24,440
seven or gone girl caliber twist, right?
386
00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:26,600
After briefly discussing Amanda and Graham's romance,
387
00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,100
Chicano moves back to Iris in Los Angeles.
388
00:14:29,100 --> 00:14:31,760
Soon afterwards, we meet Arthur, Eli Wallach,
389
00:14:31,760 --> 00:14:33,420
a legendary screenwriter in his 90s
390
00:14:33,420 --> 00:14:35,840
who introduces her to the concept of meet-cute.
391
00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:37,360
As Arthur schools her in the ways
392
00:14:37,360 --> 00:14:38,820
of classic screwball comedies,
393
00:14:38,820 --> 00:14:42,000
he gently nudges her in the direction of Miles, Jack Black,
394
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,840
a film composer and the business partner of Amanda's ex,
395
00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,320
who like Iris, can't resist a toxic love.
396
00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:49,000
If there's a positive I take from this film,
397
00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,720
it is the meta aspect of certain parts.
398
00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:53,640
I mean, it's not deconstructing the romcom
399
00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:55,420
the way Scream did the horror film.
400
00:14:55,420 --> 00:14:57,800
It's not even all that sophisticated.
401
00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:00,040
But still, there's some self-awareness here
402
00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,200
and that elevates the storytelling, perhaps.
403
00:15:03,200 --> 00:15:05,080
At the very least, I think it gives a subtle nod
404
00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:06,080
to the audience.
405
00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:07,220
Yes, it's more predictable
406
00:15:07,220 --> 00:15:09,140
than a paint-by-numbers worksheet.
407
00:15:09,140 --> 00:15:11,440
Yes, every beat it hits is telegraphed
408
00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,640
from the opening scenes, some on the freaking DVD case,
409
00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:16,320
but it's part of a tradition.
410
00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:19,200
If there is a positive to this film, it's Wallach's portrayal.
411
00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:20,720
He's so charming and lovable,
412
00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,400
grandfatherly and gentle, but sage.
413
00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:25,480
As a screenwriter, he's able to use his expertise
414
00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:27,640
to deliver the lines that eventually jolt Iris
415
00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:29,300
from her romantic doldrums.
416
00:15:29,300 --> 00:15:31,880
And it, too, is in the language of film.
417
00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:36,160
Iris, in the movies, we have leading ladies
418
00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:38,200
and we have the best friend.
419
00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:41,040
You, I can tell, are a leading lady.
420
00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,800
But for some reason, you're behaving like the best friend.
421
00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:47,200
You're so right.
422
00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:48,640
You're supposed to be the leading lady
423
00:15:48,640 --> 00:15:51,400
of your own life, for God's sake.
424
00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:53,400
While that was at least a quasi-clever quip,
425
00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:56,840
yet again, we have the typical, facile Myers fix-it-for-all
426
00:15:56,840 --> 00:15:58,440
or protagonist trifle.
427
00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:00,240
Amanda just needs to shed a tear.
428
00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,560
Iris just needs to be compared to someone in a film.
429
00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:03,400
Therapy?
430
00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:05,080
Psh, who needs therapy?
431
00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:06,920
Just act more like a leading lady.
432
00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:10,280
WWJRD, as in what would Julia Roberts do?
433
00:16:10,280 --> 00:16:11,960
Poof, you're healed.
434
00:16:11,960 --> 00:16:14,560
Speaking of Jack Black, he's not the worst part of the film,
435
00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:16,920
but the casting choice seems a little odd.
436
00:16:16,920 --> 00:16:19,760
Black has been a delight to watch on screen in many outings,
437
00:16:19,760 --> 00:16:22,480
but one thing that he's not is the straight man.
438
00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:24,840
Almost as if realizing this, there are a couple of moments
439
00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:26,860
where Myers lets him indulge in his schtick,
440
00:16:26,860 --> 00:16:29,400
and if I had to guess, letting him improv most of it.
441
00:16:29,400 --> 00:16:32,080
But that feels so uneven for the miles we see
442
00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:33,280
for the rest of the film.
443
00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:35,960
And Jack Black and Kate Winslet are a lot like the transcripts
444
00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:37,660
from my liberal arts degree.
445
00:16:37,660 --> 00:16:39,500
There is no chemistry present.
446
00:16:39,500 --> 00:16:41,200
I honestly would have much preferred
447
00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,120
seeing a May-December romance between Arthur and Iris.
448
00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,760
Now that would have defied predictability.
449
00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:49,520
Chicano continues, like a magic trick in reverse,
450
00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:51,600
the holiday reveals the mechanics of the formula
451
00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:53,520
while trying to keep up the illusion.
452
00:16:53,520 --> 00:16:55,280
By the time Iris meets Miles, she
453
00:16:55,280 --> 00:16:57,280
has started to take on some of the characteristics
454
00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:59,000
of the romantic comedy heroine, the better
455
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:00,440
to clear her hurdles.
456
00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:02,200
It's a testament to Winslet's talents
457
00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,720
that she can emerge from a door-slamming scene in which she
458
00:17:04,720 --> 00:17:08,240
declares she's got gumption, relatively unscathed.
459
00:17:08,240 --> 00:17:10,040
OK, so yet again, Chicano gives props
460
00:17:10,040 --> 00:17:12,640
to Winslet for her acting chops, and rightfully so.
461
00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:15,640
She and Wallach are pretty much the only redeeming qualities.
462
00:17:15,640 --> 00:17:18,040
And well, Jude Law too, but that's mostly
463
00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:19,440
just because he's a eye candy.
464
00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:21,440
She also alludes to the film's predictability,
465
00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:24,120
and I like the analogy of a magic trick in reverse,
466
00:17:24,120 --> 00:17:26,520
but I also wonder how she means for us to take that.
467
00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:28,160
I mean, it doesn't seem like praise, does it?
468
00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:29,080
Or is that just me?
469
00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,320
Matter of fact, I'm starting to wonder why Rotten Tomatoes
470
00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:32,800
called this a positive review.
471
00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:34,400
It makes me wonder if some of the other positives
472
00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:36,200
were simply not savaging it and maybe
473
00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:38,680
making a few scattered, faint notes of praise.
474
00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:40,640
For certain, Chicano could have been harsher,
475
00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:43,080
which is a nice segue into my take.
476
00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,040
There's plenty more here to critique on top of what
477
00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:46,480
our critic already has.
478
00:17:46,480 --> 00:17:48,640
Let's just start with one of my biggest pet peeves in film.
479
00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:50,800
Two people unnaturally rehashing dialogue
480
00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,640
to give the audience exposition when clearly both parties
481
00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:55,320
should already know this information.
482
00:17:55,320 --> 00:17:57,600
Everything that is transpired between Amanda and Ethan,
483
00:17:57,600 --> 00:17:59,800
all articulated beat by beat by them,
484
00:17:59,800 --> 00:18:02,240
even though both parties live through it.
485
00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:03,920
They're well aware of the story.
486
00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:05,920
Need to understand what's really going on between Iris
487
00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:07,000
and Jasper?
488
00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:08,840
Well, all is revealed in a conversation
489
00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:10,280
between Iris and Hannah.
490
00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,720
Anyway, you were shagging him, weren't you?
491
00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,200
More importantly, I was in love with him to his below.
492
00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:16,520
Yes, yes, I remember.
493
00:18:16,520 --> 00:18:17,880
Then you found out he was shagging
494
00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:19,400
that trip from circulation.
495
00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:21,600
Which is when we stopped shagging him.
496
00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:23,200
I don't think we should be talking about this.
497
00:18:23,200 --> 00:18:24,160
The office party.
498
00:18:24,160 --> 00:18:26,680
But I always see you two together.
499
00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:30,000
He cheated on you, but you stayed friends.
500
00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:32,760
I was head over heels, you know.
501
00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:35,120
Everyone knew.
502
00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:37,040
That's a lot of shagging.
503
00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,720
This is just lazy storytelling, plain and simple.
504
00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:43,080
Especially since the film begins with a long, long,
505
00:18:43,080 --> 00:18:46,000
extra long voiceover by Iris.
506
00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:47,800
During her whole spiel on unrequited love,
507
00:18:47,800 --> 00:18:49,920
she couldn't have covered those plot points too.
508
00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:52,840
Incidentally, I tend to dislike unnecessary voiceovers too,
509
00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:54,560
but it's better than having two characters
510
00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:56,360
recap information for the audience's sake
511
00:18:56,360 --> 00:18:57,360
instead of their own.
512
00:18:57,360 --> 00:18:59,120
Another pet peeve is also present
513
00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:01,960
in the lengthy DMing scene between Iris and Amanda.
514
00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:04,000
Namely, the characters reading word for word
515
00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:04,880
what they're typing.
516
00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:07,560
This is certainly a film that is innocent and free enough
517
00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:09,520
of offensive content that I could see a younger
518
00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,520
audience watching it, even if some of it
519
00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:12,600
would go over their heads.
520
00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:14,920
But I don't think it's going to hold the attention of anyone
521
00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:16,560
who has not yet learned to read.
522
00:19:16,560 --> 00:19:17,920
I just hate that setup.
523
00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:20,680
Nobody sits at a keyboard and types out the words
524
00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:22,120
as they also speak them.
525
00:19:22,120 --> 00:19:24,440
And as much as I feel I'm nitpicking on those two,
526
00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:26,080
I won't harp on this much.
527
00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:28,280
But if I may toss out yet another pet peeve of mine,
528
00:19:28,280 --> 00:19:31,560
of which this film is a rank offender, product placement.
529
00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:33,280
I get that Amanda has acid reflux,
530
00:19:33,280 --> 00:19:35,600
but when she goes for that bottle and turns it just
531
00:19:35,600 --> 00:19:37,480
to make sure we see it's pepsid.
532
00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,080
The close up of the Google logo on the computer screen.
533
00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:42,560
Are those Sony VIO PCs and laptops?
534
00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:44,760
And let me just check the distributor.
535
00:19:44,760 --> 00:19:49,320
Yep, Columbia Pictures, a label owned by, take a wild guess.
536
00:19:49,320 --> 00:19:51,560
Amanda is wailing along with Mr. Brightside,
537
00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:54,240
cool song by the killers from the album Hot Fuss.
538
00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:56,120
Let's see, distributed by Island Records,
539
00:19:56,120 --> 00:19:58,360
who is owned by Universal.
540
00:19:58,360 --> 00:20:00,840
What other major film company produced this film?
541
00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:02,020
Let's see.
542
00:20:02,020 --> 00:20:03,720
I think the answer to that question
543
00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:04,840
is as predictable as this film itself.
544
00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:06,360
My favorite, however, are the mentions
545
00:20:06,360 --> 00:20:09,680
and the close up shots of the technological wizardry that is,
546
00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,320
or rather was, the Blackberry.
547
00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:14,280
I'm sure being featured so prominently
548
00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:16,440
would cause sales to skyrocket, right?
549
00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,360
Nothing could stop this product from cornering the market.
550
00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:21,400
Not even some little device announced less than a year
551
00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,720
later, something from a guy named Steve Jobs,
552
00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:27,200
has an eye somewhere in it or something.
553
00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:29,920
Those critiques, however, are, yes, just pet peeves.
554
00:20:29,920 --> 00:20:31,720
The presence of anyone, or even all of them,
555
00:20:31,720 --> 00:20:33,360
isn't enough to sink a flick for me,
556
00:20:33,360 --> 00:20:35,520
though I do wish filmmakers would quit doing all of them.
557
00:20:35,520 --> 00:20:37,960
What does really start to detract from the film's watchability
558
00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:40,560
and enjoyability is the pace.
559
00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:42,680
I know I harp on this aspect a lot on films,
560
00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,920
but I do think it's important to the overall effectiveness
561
00:20:45,920 --> 00:20:49,280
of a film, and this one just plods.
562
00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:51,320
I've made no secret that I'm not a fan of rom-coms,
563
00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:53,560
but I doubt even the most faithful of fans
564
00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:55,660
really want to sit there 131 minutes.
565
00:20:55,660 --> 00:20:57,920
This is a genre that begs to be neatly packed up
566
00:20:57,920 --> 00:20:59,280
in an hour and a half runtime.
567
00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,440
It's plenty of time to have all the characters fall in love.
568
00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:02,720
Nearly walk away from one another,
569
00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:05,760
only to triumphantly run back into another's arms.
570
00:21:05,760 --> 00:21:07,700
And all this has just enough time to also develop
571
00:21:07,700 --> 00:21:10,120
a sassy best friend, a strident parent,
572
00:21:10,120 --> 00:21:12,120
one or two other stock characters.
573
00:21:12,120 --> 00:21:14,360
In The Holiday, it is literally over the half hour mark
574
00:21:14,360 --> 00:21:16,300
before we get all the characters introduced properly
575
00:21:16,300 --> 00:21:18,440
and start to see something even remotely
576
00:21:18,440 --> 00:21:20,240
resembling a plot taking shape.
577
00:21:20,240 --> 00:21:21,720
There's too much time spent with the jerks
578
00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:24,400
our heroines are trying to get away from and get over.
579
00:21:24,400 --> 00:21:27,060
Iris and Jasper get the least amount of time spent on this,
580
00:21:27,060 --> 00:21:29,240
which is ironic because Jasper actually does
581
00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:30,520
come back towards the end.
582
00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,400
Meanwhile, we get this overlong scene by Amanda
583
00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:37,040
and Ed Burns' character,
584
00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:39,520
whose name neither I nor anyone else can remember
585
00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,200
because he's never seen again.
586
00:21:41,200 --> 00:21:43,520
He's the McGuffin to get Amanda away from the US
587
00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,600
and into Jude Law's handsome arms.
588
00:21:45,600 --> 00:21:46,780
The character's a throwaway,
589
00:21:46,780 --> 00:21:48,400
and we spend what feels like an eternity
590
00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:50,240
with him and Amanda arguing.
591
00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:52,120
And yeah, some of that scene is necessary
592
00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:53,580
for developing her character,
593
00:21:53,580 --> 00:21:56,280
though again, it comes through awkward exposition again.
594
00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:58,740
But what is for sure is that that scene could be trimmed
595
00:21:58,740 --> 00:22:00,420
by I would say at least 10 minutes.
596
00:22:00,420 --> 00:22:03,800
And if the film seems to drag, it's also out of balance.
597
00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:05,820
And I do appreciate that the mirrored love stories
598
00:22:05,820 --> 00:22:07,000
are different from one another.
599
00:22:07,000 --> 00:22:09,920
And as I said earlier, the scenes between Winslet
600
00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:11,680
and Wallach are among the best in the film,
601
00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:13,360
but Black lurks in the background
602
00:22:13,360 --> 00:22:15,200
for over half the movie, probably more.
603
00:22:15,200 --> 00:22:17,760
And he only finally asserts himself first as a friend
604
00:22:17,760 --> 00:22:19,840
and then only at the very end,
605
00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:22,480
just suddenly bursting in and declaring his love for Iris.
606
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:23,800
And while I'm at it, he does it
607
00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:25,400
in the middle of Arthur's speech.
608
00:22:25,400 --> 00:22:26,760
And they're like right there in the front row,
609
00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:28,200
like brood, man.
610
00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:29,840
It does seem clear that the film wants to focus
611
00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:31,320
on Amanda and Graham's romance
612
00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:33,040
and Iris and Arthur's friendship.
613
00:22:33,040 --> 00:22:34,760
Miles is somewhat of an afterthought,
614
00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:37,440
kind of rushed in with an awkwardly timed Dana Ma
615
00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:39,480
before like a Christmas gift,
616
00:22:39,480 --> 00:22:41,920
we wrapped the film neatly in a bow.
617
00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:43,680
I would be remiss if I didn't give the movie
618
00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:45,760
a couple more notes of praise though.
619
00:22:45,760 --> 00:22:48,420
For starters, it's a visually gorgeous piece,
620
00:22:48,420 --> 00:22:50,240
particularly the interiors.
621
00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:52,920
Whether Iris's cozy cottage that looks like something
622
00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:54,620
out of a Thomas Kinkade painting
623
00:22:54,620 --> 00:22:59,220
or Amanda's opulent modern McMansion in the Hollywood Hills,
624
00:22:59,220 --> 00:23:00,840
both feel like flipping through an issue
625
00:23:00,840 --> 00:23:02,440
of architectural digest.
626
00:23:02,440 --> 00:23:04,720
The stark contrast highlights the differences
627
00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:06,560
in the characters backgrounds, personalities,
628
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:08,100
and aesthetics, sure.
629
00:23:08,100 --> 00:23:10,560
But they're also just, they're a delight to the eyes.
630
00:23:10,560 --> 00:23:12,140
And while I have excoriated this film
631
00:23:12,140 --> 00:23:13,660
for being painfully predictable,
632
00:23:13,660 --> 00:23:15,120
I do have to say that when we finally do learn
633
00:23:15,120 --> 00:23:17,520
Graham's backstory, it is not what we expected.
634
00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,220
He seems a drunken sot and a womanizing rake,
635
00:23:20,220 --> 00:23:22,600
but when we learn he's a widower raising two daughters,
636
00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:24,840
our hearts kind of grow three sizes larger
637
00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:26,320
like the Grinch's did.
638
00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:27,960
It may actually be too much.
639
00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:30,320
He may be too likable, too perfect.
640
00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:32,160
Chicano notes, Graham, let's see,
641
00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,320
is piled with so many beautific attributes,
642
00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:37,880
you half expect his head to start glowing.
643
00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:40,360
Yes, the word is printed as beautific.
644
00:23:40,360 --> 00:23:42,200
Beautific, it's hard to even say.
645
00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:44,040
It's supposed to be beatific, of course, right?
646
00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,080
I swore I wasn't gonna make another remark about grammar,
647
00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:48,160
so I'll, no, sorry, I can't.
648
00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:51,840
Who the heck is the copy editor here?
649
00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,240
I can't take much more of this, y'all are killing me.
650
00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:55,760
Standout performance.
651
00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:57,880
I've already touched on the four principal cast members.
652
00:23:57,880 --> 00:23:59,680
Winslet is a generational talent.
653
00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:02,440
Seven Oscar nods and one win prove as much.
654
00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:03,760
She's as good as ever here.
655
00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:05,640
Law shines on screen, and not just because
656
00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:09,480
he's a handsome dog, though my goodness, he really is.
657
00:24:09,480 --> 00:24:10,920
Black feels a little out of his depth
658
00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:11,920
playing the straight man.
659
00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:13,400
He's fine, but those couple of moments
660
00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:14,840
where he veers into his usual schtick
661
00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:16,640
make the characterization uneven.
662
00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,800
And then there's Diaz, who, she's just awful.
663
00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:20,460
Whether that's on her or the script, I don't know,
664
00:24:20,460 --> 00:24:22,280
but she's by far the weakest link.
665
00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:23,720
Oh, and did you know that Catherine Hahn
666
00:24:23,720 --> 00:24:25,200
and John Krasinski are in this?
667
00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:26,080
Blink and you'll miss them,
668
00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:27,820
but they play Amanda's coworkers.
669
00:24:27,820 --> 00:24:30,360
They don't get enough screen time even to register here.
670
00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:31,640
Since we're talking small roles,
671
00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:33,540
let's give a shout out to Odette Annabelle.
672
00:24:33,540 --> 00:24:36,880
She's credited as kissing couple alongside Alex O'Loughlin
673
00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:38,560
in the scene where Miles is scoring
674
00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:40,000
at the very start of the film.
675
00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,760
Annabelle's career is full of delightfully odd credits.
676
00:24:42,760 --> 00:24:45,360
She's been reefer girl and walk hard.
677
00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:46,640
And did you know this?
678
00:24:46,640 --> 00:24:49,000
Also, her first role was one of the kids
679
00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:50,600
in the class in kindergarten cop.
680
00:24:51,500 --> 00:24:54,020
Did not know that, but I do know that I loved her in Banshee.
681
00:24:54,020 --> 00:24:55,960
Still, less than 30 seconds of screen time,
682
00:24:55,960 --> 00:24:59,080
no dialogue for her, obviously not gonna give it to her.
683
00:24:59,080 --> 00:25:00,600
I think we all know who takes this one.
684
00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:02,200
Eli Wallach, without question.
685
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,080
He's perfect as a lovable old man,
686
00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:06,200
doling out sage wisdom to guide Iris
687
00:25:06,200 --> 00:25:08,460
while letting her guide him in return.
688
00:25:08,460 --> 00:25:09,660
The man's a treasure.
689
00:25:09,660 --> 00:25:11,320
Magnificent Seven, The Misfits,
690
00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:13,760
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, McKenna's Gold.
691
00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:16,480
His IMDB page is a mile long,
692
00:25:16,480 --> 00:25:19,280
though he passed in 2014 at age 98.
693
00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:22,280
He even has a posthumous credit in a 2015 short film.
694
00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:23,480
Whether you love this movie as many do
695
00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:25,160
or loathe it as I do,
696
00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,320
I think we all agree that Wallach is a true bright spot.
697
00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:31,200
Cultural context, on this month's episode of Real It,
698
00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:32,560
coming on December 21st,
699
00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:34,360
Mackenzie and I are doing the ultimate
700
00:25:34,360 --> 00:25:36,920
Christmas movie novel slash film combo.
701
00:25:36,920 --> 00:25:37,920
Nothing Lasts Forever,
702
00:25:37,920 --> 00:25:40,360
and of course this adaptation as Die Hard.
703
00:25:40,360 --> 00:25:42,420
Well, that will be debated on the episode
704
00:25:42,420 --> 00:25:43,920
as I claim it's a Christmas film,
705
00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:46,700
and Mackenzie is just factually incorrect.
706
00:25:46,700 --> 00:25:50,120
I say that to say, aside from the shameless plug, of course,
707
00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:51,420
each year it seems there's a spate
708
00:25:51,420 --> 00:25:53,120
of holiday movies released.
709
00:25:53,120 --> 00:25:54,160
Of course, now that we have
710
00:25:54,160 --> 00:25:55,960
the infamously bad Hallmark pabulum
711
00:25:55,960 --> 00:25:57,760
that is either reviled or cherished
712
00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:01,040
depending on how much taste you have or lack thereof.
713
00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:03,040
But there also seems to be at least one,
714
00:26:03,040 --> 00:26:04,780
if not more, studio films
715
00:26:04,780 --> 00:26:06,440
which play in theaters around the holiday.
716
00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:08,160
This year, for instance, we have Red One
717
00:26:08,160 --> 00:26:09,480
starring The Rock and Chris Evans,
718
00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,280
which is playing simultaneously in theaters and on Netflix.
719
00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:14,440
Same platform is giving up the Indian film
720
00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,480
titled Merry Christmas, exclusively streaming, I think.
721
00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,480
Then there's Dear Santa starring,
722
00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,240
look at that, Jack Black again.
723
00:26:21,240 --> 00:26:22,600
Finally, there's an adaptation
724
00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:24,200
of the best Christmas pageant ever,
725
00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:26,880
a book I recall reading in second or third grade.
726
00:26:26,880 --> 00:26:30,080
Hey, maybe next year's December real lit episode.
727
00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:31,840
So what about 2006?
728
00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:32,840
Well, you had Deck the Halls
729
00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:34,560
with Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito,
730
00:26:34,560 --> 00:26:37,280
The Santa Clause Three, The Escape Clause,
731
00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:38,480
unaccompanied minors,
732
00:26:38,480 --> 00:26:40,280
which I literally never heard of
733
00:26:40,280 --> 00:26:42,220
until researching this film,
734
00:26:42,220 --> 00:26:46,140
and the remake of the 1974 slasher film Black Christmas.
735
00:26:46,140 --> 00:26:48,680
All these films are critically reviled.
736
00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:49,720
Aside from Black Christmas,
737
00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:51,700
I've seen a grand total of zero of them,
738
00:26:51,700 --> 00:26:53,560
so I can't rightfully judge.
739
00:26:53,560 --> 00:26:55,600
But from what I hear, they're really bad.
740
00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:57,180
Incidentally, so is Black Christmas.
741
00:26:57,180 --> 00:27:00,760
The 1974 film was really well done, wonderfully acted.
742
00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,560
It was a precursor to some of the greats of the genre,
743
00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:05,080
certainly an influence on John Carpenter
744
00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:06,600
for Halloween a few years later.
745
00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,040
The remake was unnecessary, poorly executed,
746
00:27:09,040 --> 00:27:12,440
and an affront to what the original accomplished.
747
00:27:12,440 --> 00:27:14,800
Incidentally, they remade it again just a few years ago,
748
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:18,260
and better, but that doesn't mean it's good.
749
00:27:18,260 --> 00:27:20,000
Since I don't really care for Christmas films anyway,
750
00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,920
I can't judge, but suffice to say 2006
751
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,280
isn't really remembered as a great year for them,
752
00:27:25,280 --> 00:27:27,400
with perhaps the exception being the holiday.
753
00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:29,360
It does make me wonder if those who do look fondly
754
00:27:29,360 --> 00:27:31,920
on this film maybe do so because of what it was up against
755
00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:33,880
was so utterly bad.
756
00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:35,560
It didn't go unnoticed that as I read
757
00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:37,000
some of the critical responses,
758
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,320
many mentioned that at least it wasn't Deck the Halls
759
00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:41,040
or the Santa Claus Three.
760
00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:42,840
Only one of those aforementioned films, however,
761
00:27:42,840 --> 00:27:45,560
includes someone being impaled by a Christmas tree.
762
00:27:45,560 --> 00:27:48,040
I'll let you guess which one that is.
763
00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:49,780
Few quick notes of trivia.
764
00:27:49,780 --> 00:27:52,520
Kate Winslet's character is named Iris Simpkins.
765
00:27:52,520 --> 00:27:54,960
This marked the second time Winslet has played a character
766
00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:56,480
by the name of Iris.
767
00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:58,780
In 2001, she played a young Iris Murdoch,
768
00:27:58,780 --> 00:28:00,240
the legendary British author,
769
00:28:00,240 --> 00:28:03,240
in the biopic titled, I think predictability
770
00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:05,200
is the theme here, Iris.
771
00:28:05,200 --> 00:28:06,760
According to IMDB's trivia page,
772
00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:10,040
which oftenly frustratingly does not cite its sources,
773
00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:13,480
the film was written with each of the principal cast in mind.
774
00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:15,280
However, doing a little legwork of my own,
775
00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,520
I found an interview with Myers which confirms this.
776
00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:18,960
Even though it does seem a stretch
777
00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,440
to wind up being able to snag all four actors you wanted
778
00:28:21,440 --> 00:28:24,040
for a role, also, if she really wrote this part
779
00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:26,240
for Jack Black, I wonder how many of his films
780
00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:27,980
she's actually seen.
781
00:28:27,980 --> 00:28:29,720
One of my favorite moments in the film
782
00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:31,840
was in the video store when Miles is going on
783
00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:32,980
about film scores.
784
00:28:32,980 --> 00:28:35,600
He begins to talk about Mrs. Robinson from The Graduate,
785
00:28:35,600 --> 00:28:37,240
and the camera cuts to Dustin Hoffman
786
00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:38,600
who just shakes his head and says,
787
00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:40,120
"'I can never go anywhere.'"
788
00:28:40,120 --> 00:28:41,320
Apparently this was unplanned.
789
00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:43,000
Hoffman was walking by the video store,
790
00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:44,720
he saw a bunch of cameras and walked over
791
00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:46,040
to see what was going on.
792
00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:48,080
He knew Myers, so they improvised a role
793
00:28:48,080 --> 00:28:49,360
right there on the spot.
794
00:28:49,360 --> 00:28:51,160
Nice piece of serendipity.
795
00:28:51,160 --> 00:28:53,400
As I was thinking about the shameless product placement,
796
00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:54,720
one of the thoughts that came into my head was,
797
00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:56,100
well, at least they made up this website
798
00:28:56,100 --> 00:28:57,980
where Iris and Amanda meet.
799
00:28:57,980 --> 00:28:59,840
Nope, homeexchange.com.
800
00:28:59,840 --> 00:29:02,180
It's a real site, still exists.
801
00:29:02,180 --> 00:29:03,780
By the way, it became so popular after this film
802
00:29:03,780 --> 00:29:05,920
that the UK issued warnings urging those
803
00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:07,080
who used it to be careful.
804
00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,240
You never know who you're swapping homes with.
805
00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:11,640
Little bit of a mistake, Iris is from Surrey,
806
00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:13,320
and upon first meeting her, author remarks
807
00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:15,160
that Cary Grant was also from Surrey,
808
00:29:15,160 --> 00:29:17,880
but Cary Grant, in fact, was from Bristol.
809
00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:19,960
And lastly, a bit of a confusion.
810
00:29:19,960 --> 00:29:22,980
Again, I don't really get into a lot of Christmas traditions
811
00:29:22,980 --> 00:29:24,920
aside from my mother making chocolate gravy
812
00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:27,160
every Christmas morning, which I do look forward to.
813
00:29:27,160 --> 00:29:27,980
It's a Southern thing.
814
00:29:27,980 --> 00:29:30,180
If you've not had chocolate gravy, you've not lived.
815
00:29:30,180 --> 00:29:32,360
But I do kind of like the idea of Whamageddon,
816
00:29:32,360 --> 00:29:34,360
just because it's easy for me to win.
817
00:29:34,360 --> 00:29:36,680
I don't really go shopping during Christmas at all.
818
00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:39,000
I try to avoid stores, so I don't hear that over the PA.
819
00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:40,680
I don't listen to the radio.
820
00:29:40,680 --> 00:29:43,740
I certainly don't deliberately seek out Christmas carols.
821
00:29:43,740 --> 00:29:45,320
So I usually win Whamageddon.
822
00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:47,700
I say that to say, as I was looking at the soundtrack
823
00:29:47,700 --> 00:29:50,920
to this film, Last Christmas by Wham is included.
824
00:29:50,920 --> 00:29:51,840
I watched the film.
825
00:29:51,840 --> 00:29:53,320
Matter of fact, I went back and just kind of scanned
826
00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:54,160
through it again.
827
00:29:54,160 --> 00:29:56,760
I did not once hear Last Christmas.
828
00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:58,720
So I don't know if I've lost Whamageddon this year or not.
829
00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:00,480
It would break like a three year streak if I did,
830
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:02,040
but somebody help me out.
831
00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,880
I literally do not remember it playing anywhere in the film.
832
00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:06,240
So I think maybe I'm still good.
833
00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:07,080
Who knows?
834
00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:08,280
Let's move on to Shelf of Steam.
835
00:30:08,280 --> 00:30:10,440
Get this thing on a shelf and get out of here.
836
00:30:10,440 --> 00:30:13,400
For those new listeners, or hey, it's been a few weeks,
837
00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:16,200
those who need a refresher, this is the way it works.
838
00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:18,320
There are five shelves on my DVD Curio.
839
00:30:18,320 --> 00:30:20,420
So I basically take the bartender's model.
840
00:30:20,420 --> 00:30:22,820
Top shelf is reserved for the best.
841
00:30:22,820 --> 00:30:24,420
Bottom shelf is the rot gut.
842
00:30:24,420 --> 00:30:26,080
And then you have second shelf, mid shelf,
843
00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:27,360
and fourth shelf.
844
00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:28,680
Basically a five star rating.
845
00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:30,620
I just have to be clever with it, right?
846
00:30:30,620 --> 00:30:32,000
I've tried to be fair here.
847
00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,260
I've admitted this film is a cross of two genres
848
00:30:34,260 --> 00:30:35,420
I don't really like.
849
00:30:35,420 --> 00:30:38,000
I've reiterated yet again that I firmly believe
850
00:30:38,000 --> 00:30:39,300
in the enjoy what you enjoy
851
00:30:39,300 --> 00:30:41,140
and don't feel bad about it mantra.
852
00:30:41,140 --> 00:30:42,440
I've highlighted the positives.
853
00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:44,420
I've given credit where credit was due.
854
00:30:44,420 --> 00:30:46,560
And all that said, I cannot in good conscience
855
00:30:46,560 --> 00:30:48,140
call this anything but a bad film.
856
00:30:48,140 --> 00:30:50,180
And I stress, if you like it, that's okay.
857
00:30:50,180 --> 00:30:52,880
It's perfectly acceptable to like bad films.
858
00:30:52,880 --> 00:30:54,740
Heck, I just saw Werewolves two days ago
859
00:30:54,740 --> 00:30:57,320
and I confess to a colleague I liked it more than I should.
860
00:30:57,320 --> 00:30:58,500
And he laughed at me and said,
861
00:30:58,500 --> 00:31:00,980
yeah, but you like to watch bad films, don't you?
862
00:31:00,980 --> 00:31:02,900
Good sir, I absolutely do.
863
00:31:02,900 --> 00:31:06,060
And that film was just my own particular brand of bad.
864
00:31:06,060 --> 00:31:08,440
So if the holiday is your kind of bad, then own it.
865
00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:09,900
Break it out, watch it every December,
866
00:31:09,900 --> 00:31:11,620
or heck, watch it once a month.
867
00:31:11,620 --> 00:31:12,980
No skin off my nose.
868
00:31:12,980 --> 00:31:15,020
And don't take offense at what I'm about to say.
869
00:31:15,020 --> 00:31:17,020
This film lands squarely on the...
870
00:31:17,020 --> 00:31:22,020
Fourth shelf.
871
00:31:22,540 --> 00:31:24,780
Blasphemous perhaps, given my Kate Winslet
872
00:31:24,780 --> 00:31:27,060
and Jude Law standing, but the film just doesn't stick
873
00:31:27,060 --> 00:31:29,540
to landing on what starts as a decent setup.
874
00:31:29,540 --> 00:31:32,300
In a perfect world, its execution would transcend genre,
875
00:31:32,300 --> 00:31:35,260
making even a minor Scrooge and major rom-com hater
876
00:31:35,260 --> 00:31:37,780
like me enjoy it, but I did not.
877
00:31:37,780 --> 00:31:39,660
And that's what the fourth shelf is for.
878
00:31:39,660 --> 00:31:41,320
Films that appeal to certain people,
879
00:31:41,320 --> 00:31:43,660
despite the fact they are massively flawed.
880
00:31:43,660 --> 00:31:45,620
And I'm just not one of those certain people.
881
00:31:45,620 --> 00:31:47,620
If you adore holiday films, rom-coms,
882
00:31:47,620 --> 00:31:50,460
or just staring at Jude Law's perfect face,
883
00:31:50,460 --> 00:31:53,260
okay, that last one is me, but isn't that everybody?
884
00:31:53,260 --> 00:31:55,580
You'll find joy in multiple viewings of this flick.
885
00:31:55,580 --> 00:31:57,660
But anyone who doesn't already like those genres,
886
00:31:57,660 --> 00:31:59,320
then it's really not worth your time.
887
00:31:59,320 --> 00:32:02,300
And with that, I'm off to prepare for the flood of hate mail.
888
00:32:02,300 --> 00:32:04,620
Podcast contact information is coming up.
889
00:32:04,620 --> 00:32:06,260
But before I do that, I would like to introduce
890
00:32:06,260 --> 00:32:08,380
a new recurring segment for season two,
891
00:32:08,380 --> 00:32:10,180
Shelfless Endeavors.
892
00:32:10,180 --> 00:32:11,940
I've recently vowed to give movie theaters
893
00:32:11,940 --> 00:32:13,860
my business more often, considering it used to be
894
00:32:13,860 --> 00:32:15,180
a commonplace thing for me to do,
895
00:32:15,180 --> 00:32:16,520
and let's face it, they're suffering,
896
00:32:16,520 --> 00:32:19,660
they need some support, and I suppose my paltry $15 or so
897
00:32:19,660 --> 00:32:22,180
every now and again is really gonna turn the industry around.
898
00:32:22,180 --> 00:32:24,840
But yeah, I used to go sometimes more than once a week.
899
00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:26,180
If I don't get out to theaters,
900
00:32:26,180 --> 00:32:28,600
I do also subscribe to nearly every streaming service,
901
00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:30,100
so I should use them once a while.
902
00:32:30,100 --> 00:32:31,940
In short, what I'm saying is I wanna watch more films,
903
00:32:31,940 --> 00:32:33,740
and not just films on my DVD case.
904
00:32:33,740 --> 00:32:36,580
So for this segment, I wanna give my honest snap takes
905
00:32:36,580 --> 00:32:37,980
on films that are currently playing
906
00:32:37,980 --> 00:32:39,920
or are currently generating buzz.
907
00:32:39,920 --> 00:32:42,420
Last week, with Dr. Brenna, some of you may remember her
908
00:32:42,420 --> 00:32:44,620
from our birds podcast on Real It,
909
00:32:44,620 --> 00:32:46,340
she and I went to see Gladiator 2.
910
00:32:46,340 --> 00:32:47,700
I wasn't really that hyped about it
911
00:32:47,700 --> 00:32:49,340
until I heard there was a scene where they flooded
912
00:32:49,340 --> 00:32:52,120
the Colosseum and put frickin' sharks in it.
913
00:32:52,120 --> 00:32:54,500
Interestingly, the Romans would actually flood the Colosseum
914
00:32:54,500 --> 00:32:56,700
to reenact naval battles on occasion.
915
00:32:56,700 --> 00:32:57,940
Sharks, though?
916
00:32:57,940 --> 00:33:00,260
This is a whole new level of ridiculousness.
917
00:33:00,260 --> 00:33:02,300
Sharks are notoriously hard to keep in captivity,
918
00:33:02,300 --> 00:33:04,300
even with today's technology.
919
00:33:04,300 --> 00:33:05,500
Not to mention the sharks in the film
920
00:33:05,500 --> 00:33:07,100
are clearly Great Whites.
921
00:33:07,100 --> 00:33:09,860
No Great White has ever survived in captivity.
922
00:33:09,860 --> 00:33:12,700
Also, no White is gonna be leisurely swimming around
923
00:33:12,700 --> 00:33:14,020
in the Mediterranean.
924
00:33:14,020 --> 00:33:15,700
But I won't split hairs on historical
925
00:33:15,700 --> 00:33:17,700
or biological inaccuracies.
926
00:33:17,700 --> 00:33:19,500
The film itself wasn't the worst.
927
00:33:19,500 --> 00:33:22,420
It was, however, truly, utterly unnecessary.
928
00:33:22,420 --> 00:33:24,700
It was a sequel for the sake of being a sequel.
929
00:33:24,700 --> 00:33:26,660
At best, it's nostalgia porn,
930
00:33:26,660 --> 00:33:28,560
with the film sacrificing logic and plot
931
00:33:28,560 --> 00:33:31,740
to make as many callbacks to the OG Gladiator as it can.
932
00:33:31,740 --> 00:33:34,740
I've seen worse, but I wasn't impressed.
933
00:33:34,740 --> 00:33:36,500
As for the aforementioned werewolves,
934
00:33:36,500 --> 00:33:38,980
there's really no reason it should be as good as it is,
935
00:33:38,980 --> 00:33:40,620
and please understand when I'm saying that.
936
00:33:40,620 --> 00:33:41,940
I'm not saying it's good.
937
00:33:41,940 --> 00:33:44,840
Once you get past the ridiculous premise,
938
00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:48,720
literally, it's the full moon creating the werewolves,
939
00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:50,620
as in normal people exposed to moonlight
940
00:33:50,620 --> 00:33:53,140
during the supermoon become werewolves.
941
00:33:53,140 --> 00:33:55,980
A strange twisting of the werewolf lore.
942
00:33:55,980 --> 00:33:58,900
But once you get past that, and also the dragging first act,
943
00:33:58,900 --> 00:34:01,780
speaking of bad pacing, there's some decent action,
944
00:34:01,780 --> 00:34:03,880
genuine suspense, horror elements.
945
00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:06,020
I think what I liked the most was the dark,
946
00:34:06,020 --> 00:34:07,820
cool-tone color grading of the lighting
947
00:34:07,820 --> 00:34:10,740
and the overpowering synthwave soundtrack.
948
00:34:10,740 --> 00:34:12,500
I think it was deliberately made to pay homage
949
00:34:12,500 --> 00:34:14,460
to those after-dark films from the 80s,
950
00:34:14,460 --> 00:34:16,900
and that alone endeared it a bit for me.
951
00:34:16,900 --> 00:34:18,900
Speaking of after-dark films from the 80s,
952
00:34:18,900 --> 00:34:20,060
hold onto that thought.
953
00:34:20,060 --> 00:34:21,860
I may get back to the theater next week.
954
00:34:21,860 --> 00:34:23,640
I have my eye on Craving the Hunter,
955
00:34:23,640 --> 00:34:25,540
because apparently I'm a masochist
956
00:34:25,540 --> 00:34:27,760
who wants to watch Sony take a giant dump
957
00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:30,100
on one of my favorite comic book characters of yore.
958
00:34:30,100 --> 00:34:32,100
If I do, you can count on another segment
959
00:34:32,100 --> 00:34:34,020
of shelfless endeavors.
960
00:34:34,020 --> 00:34:35,140
In the next couple of days, however,
961
00:34:35,140 --> 00:34:37,300
I'm going back to the shelf for another holiday film,
962
00:34:37,300 --> 00:34:39,260
one also beloved by many.
963
00:34:39,260 --> 00:34:40,820
I've never seen Elf.
964
00:34:40,820 --> 00:34:43,780
Again, not my kind of film, but every time I admit that,
965
00:34:43,780 --> 00:34:46,980
I'm met with a mix of resentment and just utter shock.
966
00:34:46,980 --> 00:34:48,300
It's been sitting on my DVD cabinet,
967
00:34:48,300 --> 00:34:50,820
and I tend to like Will Ferrell mostly.
968
00:34:50,820 --> 00:34:51,940
He's hit or miss.
969
00:34:51,940 --> 00:34:54,580
And then there's Zooey Deschanel, Ed Asner,
970
00:34:54,580 --> 00:34:56,980
Bob Newhart, Mary Steenburgen.
971
00:34:56,980 --> 00:35:00,020
Holy crap, is that Ray Harryhausen?
972
00:35:00,020 --> 00:35:01,740
Okay, I'm looking at myself
973
00:35:01,740 --> 00:35:04,160
with a mix of resentment and shock now.
974
00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:06,680
This time to finally step up and watch Elf.
975
00:35:06,680 --> 00:35:09,620
If all goes well, that episode will drop early next week
976
00:35:09,620 --> 00:35:12,040
with maybe another even later in the week.
977
00:35:12,040 --> 00:35:13,920
What I'm trying to do is get through as many holiday films
978
00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:15,920
as possible before Christmas, frankly,
979
00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:18,440
because I only have a handful and I want to knock them out.
980
00:35:18,440 --> 00:35:20,820
It's not like I'm teaching a three week mini-master class
981
00:35:20,820 --> 00:35:22,580
on top of everything else, you know?
982
00:35:22,580 --> 00:35:26,000
Speaking of the holiday, this will be an eventful December.
983
00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:27,880
I've already plugged real it's holiday episode
984
00:35:27,880 --> 00:35:29,180
where the peerless McKenzie and I
985
00:35:29,180 --> 00:35:31,660
will cover Nothing Lasts Forever slash Die Hard.
986
00:35:31,660 --> 00:35:33,940
And for those who can't get enough of the Owls of Palace,
987
00:35:33,940 --> 00:35:36,980
be sure to check out our periodic special edition podcast,
988
00:35:36,980 --> 00:35:38,500
Parliament After Dark.
989
00:35:38,500 --> 00:35:40,940
In this series, the incomparable McKenzie
990
00:35:40,940 --> 00:35:44,820
and the amazing Reagan and I tackle midnight movies.
991
00:35:44,820 --> 00:35:46,620
Later this month, we're watching Vanilla Ice's
992
00:35:46,620 --> 00:35:49,500
1991 film, Cool as Ice.
993
00:35:49,500 --> 00:35:51,180
And I'm so not looking forward to that.
994
00:35:51,180 --> 00:35:53,820
Unlike my co-host, I actually lived through that era.
995
00:35:53,820 --> 00:35:54,940
And let me tell you,
996
00:35:54,940 --> 00:35:57,860
those were dark days for entertainment.
997
00:35:57,860 --> 00:35:58,900
To stay up on all the news
998
00:35:58,900 --> 00:36:01,220
from all the Owls of Palace's family of shows,
999
00:36:01,220 --> 00:36:04,260
like and follow our podcast feed and social media.
1000
00:36:04,260 --> 00:36:07,220
Feel free to email me at steven at shelfcriticism.com.
1001
00:36:07,220 --> 00:36:09,420
That's S-T-E-P-H-E-N.
1002
00:36:09,420 --> 00:36:12,100
And you can also find Shelf Criticism on Facebook.
1003
00:36:12,100 --> 00:36:14,020
Real It's official website is,
1004
00:36:14,020 --> 00:36:18,660
as predictable as a Nancy Meyers plot, realitpodcast.com.
1005
00:36:18,660 --> 00:36:20,980
You'll find us on social media at realitpodcast.com
1006
00:36:20,980 --> 00:36:24,420
and you can email us at realit at realitpodcast.com.
1007
00:36:24,420 --> 00:36:27,740
Just remember that's R-E-E-L, as in a film reel.
1008
00:36:27,740 --> 00:36:30,460
Well, until next time, DVD aficionados,
1009
00:36:30,460 --> 00:36:32,020
remember to treat yourself
1010
00:36:32,020 --> 00:36:34,180
to a little shelf indulgence of your own.
1011
00:36:35,180 --> 00:36:37,060
Amelia, sing us home.
1012
00:36:37,060 --> 00:36:40,060
["Shelf Criticism"]
1013
00:36:47,740 --> 00:36:51,020
Shelf Criticism is an Owls of Palace production.
1014
00:36:51,020 --> 00:36:52,980
This podcast is in no way connected
1015
00:36:52,980 --> 00:36:56,540
with the educational institutions the host is employed by.
1016
00:36:56,540 --> 00:36:59,140
The opinions expressed herein are solely those of the host
1017
00:36:59,140 --> 00:37:01,100
and do not necessarily reflect the views
1018
00:37:01,100 --> 00:37:03,500
of any other organisation with which he is affiliated.
1019
00:37:03,500 --> 00:37:05,780
Most images displayed are public domain.
1020
00:37:05,780 --> 00:37:08,700
Images and stills from films, descriptions of scenes
1021
00:37:08,700 --> 00:37:11,020
and passages from books are used for educational
1022
00:37:11,020 --> 00:37:13,260
and critical purposes and not for profit
1023
00:37:13,260 --> 00:37:15,540
and therefore fall under the terms of fair use.
1024
00:37:15,540 --> 00:37:18,540
["Shelf Criticism"]
1025
00:37:18,540 --> 00:37:21,540
["Shelf Criticism"]
1026
00:37:26,900 --> 00:37:29,900
["Shelf Criticism"]
1027
00:37:32,900 --> 00:37:33,900
Sassy.
1028
00:37:33,900 --> 00:37:35,020
Love it.
1029
00:37:35,020 --> 00:37:35,860
Is this a bad game?
1030
00:37:35,860 --> 00:37:50,860
No.