Tis the Podcast

It's A Festivus For The Rest Of Us! (Seinfeld)

It's the Day Before the Night Before Christmas! Christmas Eve, Eve! Also known as Christmas Adam to some, and Tibb's Eve to our Newfoundland, Canadian friends and family! Thanks to Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, and Daniel O'Keefe, however, today is most known by the masses as a Festivus for the Rest of Us! To celebrate the occasion, and help Julia, Thom, and Anthony celebrate their grievances, frequent guest host and friend of the pod, Gerry Davila of Totally Rad Christmas joins the show today to talk the Christmas episodes of the iconic and famous show about nothing, Seinfeld! For those who want to follow along at home, that includes:
Season 3 - Episode 29 - The Red Dot
Season 4 - Episode 13 - The Pick
Season 6 - Episode 10 - The Race
Season 9 - Episode 10 - The Strike
While Julia and Thom have been open on the show in the past about not being the biggest fans of Seinfeld, Anthony and Gerry are. Is their enthusiasm, mingled with Frank Costanza's disdain for the commercialism of the holidays, enough to change their minds? And does the show that had the infamous motto behind-the-scenes of "no hugging, no learning" manage to have any Linus moments in these four episodes? Find out the answers to all of these questions, and much much more, in this hysterical, quote-filled episode in which Anthony, the resident New Yorker, also explains why - while he loves both Seinfeld and Friends - he believes Seinfeld is the quintessential New York set show for actual residents of New York, while Friends is more popular with out-of-towners. Also featured in this episode - the annual Airing of Grievances and a competition, run by Gerry, to determine who is the 2020 Feats of Strength Champion! 
So get your aluminum pole up, have your grievances at the ready, and enjoy this hilarious, extremely fun episode while having a very Happy Festivus! And keep your eyes on your podcast feed over the next few days for special Christmas Eve and Christmas Day episode drops! 

This Child Is A Blessing To The Both Of Us! (Four Christmases)

Happy Monday, Christmas fanatics! Can you believe we're only days away from the holiday itself? Where has the time gone! To celebrate, Julia, Thom, and Anthony gather this week to discuss the 2008 comedy, Four Christmases, starring Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn! Is this movie proof that Vince Vaughn just doesn't make good [Christmas] movies? Does the fact that TBS plays this movie ad nauseam alongside Fred Claus and Christmas with the Kranks all season long say everything you need to know about this movie? Are there any redeemable parts or funny parts in this film that make it worth leaving on when coming across it upon scrolling through the channels on TV? And is there a good nugget of an idea in this story's plot that could have made an amazing film if the cast had a better script to work with? Find out the answers to all of these questions and many more in this laugh-a-minute episode! So get roasting those chestnuts on your open fire, settle in with your favorite hot cocoa recipe, and enjoy before making last minute preparations for Santa's arrival in three days' time! Also, keep an eye on your feeds later this week - the elves may have some surprises for you dropping on December 23rd, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day! 

Those Candles Aren't For Tommy's Birthday! They're For Chanukah! (A Rugrats Chanukah)

Happy last-day-of-Chanukah! In this very special episode, join Julia, Thom, and Anthony as they are joined by longtime listener - and frequent guest - April Ryley to cover the classic children's Chanukah special, A Rugrats Chanukah! Along with Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil, and Angelica, the elves learn all about this Jewish holiday not only from Grandpa Boris and Grandpa Shlomo, but also from April herself who discusses many of her family's personal traditions and just how historically accurate this cartoon episode is. As always when April guest hosts the pod, this is one fun, informative episode you do not want to miss! So light that menorah, bundle up with a blanket near the fire with a cup of hot chocolate, enjoy this episode and the final night of Chanukah, and get excited about the fact that we are only one week away from Christmas! 
 
*Special Note: This episode was originally intended for Patreon, when we were hoping to record another episode with April for our main feed to mark the first night of Hanukkah. As always happens during the most wonderful time of the year, however, time got away from us, and we were never able to record that episode. Wanting to celebrate the Jewish holiday with all of our listeners, however, we decided to share this on our main feed. But this is why you'll hear references in the recording to this being a Patreon episode and references to another Hanukkah episode that was supposed to drop before this. Thanks for understanding!*

I Don't Have Any Secrets, But I Am An Ally! (Happiest Season)

Happy Monday, Christmas Fanatics! Can you believe that next week is Christmas? Where did the time go?
This week, Julia, Thom, and Anthony cover Hulu's brand-new, 2020, Holiday original movie, Happiest Season! Join them as they take a deep dive into this beautiful, hilarious, heartwarming, and heart-wrenching love story focusing on a lesbian couple going home to spend the holidays with one of their conservative families. Listen as they celebrate the long overdo representation this movie provides for the LGBTQ+ community - something that should absolutely be normalized and happen far more often, both in and out of holiday movies - in addition to discussing the amazing cast that makes up this wonderfully dysfunctional family, talk about their favorite scenes and quotes, and defend Kristen Stewart as an actress while talking about a film they all really enjoyed which more than earns the place it ends up falling on their Christmas canon list.
This a jam-packed episode that covers a lot of ground outside of our movie of the week as well, including: 
Julia and her family landing themselves into quarantine just before Christmas
Warner Bros.' announcement that they will be releasing their entire slate of 2021 films simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters - and what this means for the future of the film industry
All of the recent casting confirmations and rumors about Marvel's Spider-Man 3 (Home Dimension?) and what it says about the possible plot and the MCU overall. 
Whether Julia and Anthony were Team Edward or Team Jacob fans during the heyday of the Twilight Saga
Keanu Reeves and Schitt's Creek 
GaryBlauman's/Matt Eurich's Question of the Week: "What is a non-Christmas song that you now associate with Christmas?"
Anthony's Question of the Week posed to discuss Next Week: "What classic Christmas movies do you think are most poised to have a remake happen in our lifetimes?"
And much, much, much more. 
So settle in beside your Christmas tree with your favorite holiday beverage, sit back, and enjoy this fun episode which is one of Anthony's personal favorites of the show so far! Also, if you want to hear the elves of Tis the Podcast elsewhere this week, check out the following places:
Today, Monday December 14th, you can hear Julia cover the Disney + Original Movie, Godmothered on NetfliXmas, with Holli and Scarlett!
Tomorrow, Tuesday December 15th, you can hear Anthony cover the Season 3 Christmas episode of Step by Step, "Christmas Story", with Matt Eurich over on TGI Podcast! In addition, you can also hear Julia, Thom, and Anthony on tomorrow's edition of Todd Killian's Christmas Clatter Podcast where Julia, along with Gerry Davila of Totally Rad Christmas and friend of the pod, Michael Christelman, serve as judges as Thom, Anthony, and frequent guest and friend of the pod, April Ryley, duke it out in the second installment of the Merry Melee series! And speaking of April...
...Friday, December 18th, check your feeds of Tis the Podcast for a very special bonus episode of the show featuring April, who joins the host to discuss A Rugrats Chanukah in celebration of the final night of the Jewish Celebration! 
Enjoy, everyone!
*Note: This episode was recorded before Disney's Investor call on December 12th, in which they revealed tons of amazing Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars news that would have definitely been touched on in this episode had we recorded after this call. Keep your eyes on your Patreon feeds, however, because we have an episode centered on all of this news dropping sometime this week as well!*

"What's Your Name?" "Well, Angel Of Course!" (Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square)

This week, Thom gets a partner in his efforts to troll Anthony, while Julia gets another woman to balance out the gender dynamics on the podcast, when April Ryley returns to join the elves in covering Netflix's 2020, original holiday musical film, Dolly Parton's Christmas on the Square! While all four are huge Dolly Parton fans, and three of the four really enjoyed Dolly Parton's Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love, does this overly cheesy and overly stuffed riff on It's a Wonderful Life live up to the standards that they expect of Queen Dolly? Or are Dolly and Christine Baranski not even enough to save this musical full of questionable tunes? Also discussed this episode, the time Anthony and April met in New York, Julia's upcoming Disney vacation, and Thom's Thanksgiving! We also learn more about Jewish culture thanks to April! This is one fun, laugh-a-minute episode you want to be sure not to miss, so settle in beside the Christmas tree with your favorite holiday beverage and enjoy!

Without The Star, The North Pole, The Village, Christmas Itself Is Doomed. (The Christmas Chronicles 2)

Happy Monday, Christmas fanatics! Can you believe we've already reached our last episode of November 2020? Where has the time gone? To celebrate the occasion, join Julia, Thom, and Anthony as they discuss the brand new, 2020, Netflix Original Holiday film, The Christmas Chronicles 2! As you'll remember, when the elves covered the original Christmas Chronicles back in 2018, Julia and Thom loved the film, the world it created, and the characters it introduced us to, while Anthony thought it was overrated. How does the follow-up stack up? Will the elves be just as divided, or has Belsnickel made these three True Believers cynical? Find out in an episode that, while sure to be somewhat controversial, is full of lots of laughs and a very lively discussion as the hosts break down this movie beat-by-beat! So settle in with your favorite holiday drink beside your lit Christmas tree, relax, enjoy, and get excited! Because, as of tomorrow, we are in the official home stretch of Christmas 2020 and will be breaking open those Advent Calendars! 

We Should Be Thankful For Being Together. I Think That's What They Mean By 'Thanksgiving', Charlie Brown. (A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving)

Happy Thanksgiving, Christmas fanatics! We hope you have as amazing and blessed a day as possible during these strange times. As a special holiday treat for y'all, join Julia, Thom, and Anthony as they travel back to the world of The Peanuts to cover the iconic 1973 holiday special, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving! Enjoy! 

If You Believe, It's All Possible. (Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey)

We have a jam-packed, fun-filled episode for y'all this week! Kicking off the episode, the elves interview Columbia Jones and Mark Ricks from Burro Burracho Records who join this week's show to promote the Burro Burracho Records' Christmas EP "Is There Even Christmas This Year?" featuring Columbia Jones and Sean Ramos.
From there, Anthony talks a bit about his latest television show binges (FX on Hulu's A Teacher and Netflix's cute holiday rom-com series, Dash & Lily, in addition to Netflix's The Crown), Julia and Anthony compare notes on the Hallmark movies they've been watching every night (and realize they have very different tastes when it comes to the plots and actresses that star in them), and Thom talks about the slate of original, Hallmark-esque Netflix Christmas films that he and Christine have been indulging in.
Only then do the hosts get to the meat and potatoes of this episode - a long, in-depth discussion on Netflix's absolutely fantastic, brand-new, 2020 Holiday film, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. While Julia, Thom, and Anthony are all in agreement regarding how phenomenal the movie is on every level, how much joy it's filled with, and how nice it is to see such representation in a mainstream Hollywood production, there is some dissent and debate when it comes to the question of whether or not this film is actually a Christmas movie or just a movie set at Christmas. Regardless of where the elves fall on this question, after walking through the plot beat-by-beat, will they upend their own ranking system in order to give Jingle Jangle the score that they believe something so perfect and entertaining deserves?
This is one extra-festive episode that you want to be sure not to miss! So settle in with your favorite holiday-flavored beverage, bask in the lights of your Christmas tree, and enjoy! And also - from all of us to all of you, have a Happy Thanksgiving! As we are every day of the year, we are thankful for each and every one of you.

A Snow-Dad Is Better Than No Dad. (Jack Frost [1998])

Happy Monday, Christmas fanatics! This week, join Julia, Thom, and Anthony as they discuss the 1998-dark-family-drama-Comedy(?) film, Jack Frost, starring everyone's favorite Batman, Michael Keaton! While all three elves have extensive histories with this movie, does it hold up to critical scrutiny 22-years after its release? And - more importantly - is it even a Christmas movie? Settle in with your favorite holiday drink from Starbucks to find out, in addition to getting their hot-takes on the trailer for the brand new, LEGO Star Wars Holiday Special, which drops this week on Disney Plus! And quick side-note, if you don't want to hear the hosts talk politics/the result of the 2020 election, make sure to skip the first five-and-a-half minutes of the episode!

Human Beings Aren’t Meant To Be Alone On The Holidays. We Actually Need Warmth, Companionship, And Someone To Drunk-Mock Strangers With At Parties. (Holidate)

This week, Julia, Thom, and Anthony cover the 2020, Netflix original holiday film, Holidate! The opinions on this movie range all over the spectrum between the three elves with this one, as users speculated they would on social media in advance of this recording, and debate rages about whether the main relationship in this movie feels real, whether this qualifies as a Christmas movie, whether or not any film set in the present should be set at malls anymore, and whether or not this is merely a Hallmark Holiday movie dressed up with a dash of raunch and a plethora of vulgarity. Plus, Anthony once again finds himself on the opposite side of wide divide from Thom and Julia as it pertains to the the idea of infidelity in movies and television shows. In addition to all of this, the elves discuss how they spent their Halloweens, Thom teases a new podcast he's launching with another host within the Christmas Podcast Network, Anthony talks briefly about The Dresden Files short story "Christmas Eve", and Julia expresses her excitement for next week's scheduled film! All of this and much, much more takes place within this festive, laugh-a-plenty episode that you want to be sure not to miss. So settle in beside your Christmas tree with your favorite Starbucks Holiday-Flavored drink in this year's beautifully designed Red Cup, relax, and enjoy! Also, as mentioned within the episode itself, the elves have a new, exciting, additional way planned to count down to Christmas 2021 next year, so if any of y'all would be interested in taking part in that, reach out to one of them via the Facebook Group and let them know!In addition, for those of you who are patrons of the show, keep your eye out for the debut minisode of "Tis the Podcast: After Dark", dropping this upcoming Wednesday - because some things shouldn't be heard by the entire world. Hint: In it, one of the elves tells an extraordinarily embarrassing story from a few years back that will have you rolling with disgusted laughter.