The Critics Club is back to start the holiday season the only way they know how: by arguing about movies.
This episode dives headfirst into the eternal debate — Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? What starts as a simple question turns into a full breakdown of what defines a Christmas film, whether setting matters more than theme, and how audience tradition can override original intent.
Along the way, the conversation drifts through holiday traditions, non-traditional Christmas picks, action movies set in December, nostalgia-fueled viewing habits, and why some movies become seasonal staples whether the creators intended it or not. Expect strong opinions, deep nitpicking, and the kind of arguments that only come up once the decorations go up.
00:00 – Opening banter and holiday timing
01:55 – Getting into the holiday mindset
03:20 – Christmas traditions and movie rituals
05:30 – Favorite Christmas movies and TV specials
08:40 – Bad movies, guilty pleasures, and contrarian tastes
11:40 – Universally hated movies and why people still watch them
14:35 – Transition to holiday movie definitions
15:20 – Framing the Christmas movie debate
16:45 – What counts as a Christmas movie?
18:50 – The Die Hard argument begins
20:40 – Christmas setting vs. Christmas story
22:35 – Family, reconciliation, and holiday tropes
24:55 – Can Die Hard work without Christmas?
27:00 – Comparing Die Hard to other “holiday-adjacent” movies
29:40 – Action movies set during Christmas
31:50 – Studio intent vs. audience tradition
34:10 – Black Friday, office parties, and plot necessity
36:40 – What actually defines a Christmas movie
38:55 – Creator intent vs. cultural ownership
41:10 – Comparing Die Hard to classic Christmas films
43:40 – Iron Man 3, Lethal Weapon, and edge cases
45:10 – “Alternative Christmas movies” explained
47:00 – Nostalgia, memory, and personal associations
49:10 – Non-traditional Christmas movie picks
52:00 – Merch, brands, and off-topic tangents
56:30 – Quality changes, consumer fatigue, and nostalgia traps
59:40 – Wrapping up holiday movie philosophies
01:03:00 – Final thoughts on Christmas movies
Friends come and meet once a month at the Critics Club to discuss their favorite movies, tv shows, video games and much more. Some are more right than others, but that’s half the fun. Join Jim, David and Geoff as they duke it out over their latest opinions.
Tune in to our podcasts and read our lovely reviews at https://www.rantingmedia.com/
