Tis the Podcast

It's Prancer! (Prancer)

This week, Julia, Thom, and Anthony kickoff November - and their two month "Countdown to Christmas" by covering the 1989 film, Prancer! Is this movie as magical as its lead reindeer, or is it slower and more depressing than nostalgia would have you believe? Also featured in this episode: a discussion on Halloween costumes, a comparison between the father in this film and the Old Man in A Christmas Story, a debate about whether or not the world needs a more "woke" version of Baby, It's Cold Outside from John Legend and Kelly Clarkson, some baseball rivalry, and a huge announcement - the Tis the Podcast ornament swap! So settle back, enjoy the cold weather with your holiday beverage, and enjoy this fun episode!

What's Happened? Did The Grinch Get To You? Or The Dark Lord, Perhaps? (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter's Tale)

Happy Halloween, Christmas Fanatics! This week, the elves bring Spooky Month to a close by covering episode 11 of the Netflix Original Series, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, entitled: A Midwinter's Tale! There's a lot of fun and laughs in this episode centered around the darker take on the infamous teenage witch, including much discussion about Icelandic Christmas Folklore, but one question looms large over the three hosts - can a piece of pop culture that includes Black Magic and Satan worship constitute a Christmas Special or pass the Linus Test? Let's just say there's no consensus between Julia, Thom, and Anthony come episode's end, and the three elves are looking forward to hearing your take! So dim the lights, light a candle (just not a black flame one!), make sure your pumpkin patch is as sincere as it can be, brew your favorite holiday-themed drink in your cauldron, and enjoy this witchy episode! 

You Have A Freak Flag, You Just Don't Fly It. (The Family Stone)

This week, the elves tackle one of Julia's favorite (holiday-)film tropes - the dysfunctional family - while tackling 2005's The Family Stone. Julia, Thom, and Anthony fall all over the spectrum with their opinions in this episode full of disagreements, but nevertheless, they find much to laugh about along the way and come to a consensus when deciding whether or not this movie is a Christmas movie, and whether or not it passes the Linus Test. Also announced this episode is the creation of our new "Tis the Podcast" Facebook Group (which you can find here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tisthepodcastgroup/), which will allow listeners to post, discuss, debate, and interact with the hosts and one another about their favorite holiday movies, television specials, music, traditions, and other content. So settle in, relax, and enjoy! 
*Note: We apologize for the quality of Anthony's audio in this episode. We don't know what was wrong with his mic, and promise whatever issues plagued it this past week will be corrected by next Monday*

It's Just A Bunch Of Hocus Pocus! (Hocus Pocus)

As a special Halloween treat for all of our listeners, join the elves as they light the black flame candle and discuss what is arguably the greatest Halloween movie of all time - the 1993 Disney film, Hocus Pocus. Not only is this a fun, in-depth conversation about the Sanderson sisters, but it's also a fun blast from the Tis the Podcast past as this is the first Patreon episode that Julia, Thom, and Anthony released back in October of 2017 when the show was still in its infancy! So allow your three lovable hosts to put a spell on you and make sure to enjoy this special spooky treat before your millionth re-watch of this movie on Freeform in the coming days! And for those of you who are Patreon subscribers, keep your eyes peeled for this year's patron-only episode, in which the hosts discuss It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, which will be dropping early next week! 

But If You Had Regular Hands, You'd Be Like Everyone Else. (Edward Scissorhands)

Spooky month continues as the elves take on the 1990, Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands. Fair warning though, this episode is fairly contentious - the elves definitely don't come to a consensus on this movie. And with Christmas getting closer, the elves also discuss what you can expect from them this upcoming holiday season, including an ominous warning that one elf has a few unpopular opinions regarding some beloved Christmas classics.

It's Been Said The World's A Stage, And Everyone Must Play Their Part, Well If That's True, I'll Act With All My Heart. (Anna and the Apocalypse)

This week, Julia, Thom, and Anthony kick off Spooky Month with the 2017, zombie, musical, Christmas, comedy-horror film, Anna and the Apocalypse. For a movie that takes place during the onset of the collapse of civilization, there's a lot of cheer this episode as the hosts gush over this story that's both heartwarming and heartbreaking, in addition to its incredible musical numbers. Also discussed are this year's Halloween costumes, the cooler Fall evenings, our soon-to-be released Halloween Patreon episode, and the exciting few weeks Tis the Podcast has ahead amongst many other things. This is an extremely fun, positive episode full of cheer you definitely do not want to miss, so settle in with your favorite holiday beverage, relax, and enjoy! 

I'm Thankful Thanksgiving Comes Around In The Fall, But I've Always Loved Christmas The Best Of Them All. (Olive the Other Reindeer)

Can you believe it's the last Monday of September, already? This week, Julia, Thom, and Anthony cover the beloved 1999 television special, Olive, the Other Reindeer - based on Vivian Walsh's children's book of the same name! Will this sweet story about the earnest Jack Russell Terrier determined to save Christmas melt Thom's heart? Will nostalgia play a role in Anthony's opinion of it this time around? And how will it compare to the book upon which it's based in Julia's mind?
Also discussed this episode are Jon Favreau's desire to make an updated Star Wars Holiday Special, NBC's plans to reboot The Office (again), and the question of whether A Muppet Family Christmas belongs on our Christmas Canon movie list or television special list, amongst any other topics. So throw those windows open to let that cool Autumn breeze inside, settle back with your pumpkin spice lattes, and enjoy this fun episode - the last one before we officially enter Spooky month! 

Oh, You Must Be Robbie! (Robbie the Reindeer: Hooves of Fire/Legend of the Lost Tribe/Close Encounters of the Herd Kind)

This week the elves take on Robbie the Reindeer, the classic British cartoon series. How does the British humor land across the pond with the elves? Find out in this fun episode in which we also share some user feedback and get ready to officially kickoff Autumn!

Such A Fuss, When Everything We Want Is Right In Front Of Us The Whole Time. (Love the Coopers)

This week, the elves tackle the 2015 dramedy film, Love the Coopers. Does this all-star cast portray the dysfunctional family of Julia's dreams, or this holiday film movie flat? Also discussed this episode are our playlists comprising of Christmas film scores, and an important milestone that is hit - we are officially only 100 days until Christmas! So settle back with your favorite holiday drink and enjoy this fun discussion about the Cooper Family's Christmas celebration! 

It Ain't Cool Being No Jive Turkey So Close To Thanksgiving. (Trading Places)

This week, Julia, Thom, and Anthony cover the beloved - and critically acclaimed - 1983 comedy film, Trading Places. Is this film a Christmas movie (like Italy claims it is), or is it merely a film set during the holidays? And does it stand the test of time or feel dated to the elves, none of whom have ever seen it before? Also discussed in this sure-to-be controversial episode are Thom and Anthony's first Pumpkin Spice purchases of the season, some Friends trivia, 10 pivotal historical moments that happened in the lives of Julia and her husband, our quintessential Fall meals, and the upcoming Disney + film, Noelle. This is one wide-ranging conversation you don't want to miss, so settle back with your favorite Autumn drink, pray that cooler weather gets here soon, and enjoy! 
 
*Content Warning - For those of you who listen to the show with young kids, please be advised that due to the nature of this film, some adult themes - such as hookers, sex, and nudity - are discussed this episode, so you may want to listen to this particular one alone.*