The A to Z English Podcast | What's your favorite Christmas movie?

The A to Z English Podcast - A podcast by Jack McBain

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack discuss their favorite Christmas movies.Transcript:00:00:00JackYou're listening to the A-Z English podcast.00:00:13JackWelcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm here with my co-host social. And today we are going to do another quick talk episode.00:00:23JackAnd today's discussion is what's your favorite Christmas movie?00:00:29JackSo, so. So what is your favorite Christmas movie?00:00:33XochitlSo this was kind of interesting, Jack, because we didn't really watch Christmas movies and stuff at my house. Well, we saw some, like, really old ones, Mexican ones from when my mom was a kid, but we never really watched like the typical American ones except for my next door neighbors.00:00:54XochitlUh, which I've talked about before, we were always at their house. It was like the Hangout House.00:01:00XochitlAnd I got.00:01:01XochitlI was exposed to American culture through them, basically.00:01:06JackRight, right, right, right.00:01:08XochitlAnd So what? The one that I watched and that really stuck with me and I still watch like pretty much every Christmas is elf.00:01:18JackOhh wow OK.00:01:21JackThat is a. That's a brilliant movie. I love that movie.00:01:25XochitlI love that movie and my mom actually likes it too. I had her watch it with me last Christmas. She's never really seen Christmas movies either, but it's really well done. And I.00:01:35XochitlHope to watch.00:01:36XochitlIt with my boyfriend.00:01:39XochitlAt some Christmas because it's such a funny, it's really funny. It's a really funny movie. It's well done, and I and there's like a lot.00:01:46XochitlOf aspects of it that are funny for children and adults, and it's just a good wholesome.00:01:53XochitlChristmas movie and if you don't?00:01:54JackYes, it there is something wholesome about it. And there's also something disturbing about.00:02:00JackBut like, he's such a weirdo. Like the guy is so weird that.00:02:05XochitlI good.00:02:06JackYeah, sorry that I'm done. Like he's so weird. He's so strange that it's almost like it's. It's funny for adults, but kids wouldn't pick up on that. I don't think.00:02:16XochitlYeah. I was about to say that's funny because when it came out, it came in in 2003. So I was a little kid. I was like probably five or six maybe when.00:02:23JackI was 2025.00:02:25XochitlYeah, you were, like, 20 years older than.00:02:28XochitlMe, I was just probably.00:02:28JackYeah, I was watching it as like, an adult, and I loved it. Yeah.00:02:33XochitlYeah. And so it's funny because even when I watch it now, because I saw it as like a kid and it has a nostalgic value, I don't see him as, like a weird adult. I just see, like, it just makes sense to me on a kids level because that's when I was first supposed to it. And as kids, we don't really pick up on how, like, weird he is. It's just funny, like.00:02:52XochitlBecause he has, like, elves culture, it's it's the people who don't know, like the premise is that this kid crawls into santas's bag and gets like when santas's.00:03:05XochitlGiving out presents and then gets stranded in North Pole because they don't know like who the kid belongs to or anything. So he's raised by Santa and elves. And so when he goes to like meet his biological dad, he's basically brings elf culture into our world, which is completely different.00:03:26JackHe sleeps like 45 minutes a day, he.00:03:31JackHe's he could build things, you know, incredibly quickly. It's just so funny. Like, it's really funny, you know.00:03:39XochitlYeah. It's like completely bizarre. And as a kid, it's just, like, really funny. And and I still love to watch it.00:03:46XochitlEvery year, it's like he just.00:03:47XochitlDoes a bunch of crazy stuff you guys have to absolutely see it. It's on Netflix in the US at least. It probably is on Netflix in other countries, or if you have a VPN, you can switch it to the US.00:03:58XochitlAnd watch it on Netflix.00:04:01XochitlYeah, definitely. I recommend it. It's elf with. Oh, my God, I forgot.00:04:05XochitlHis name? The yes.00:04:06JackWill Ferrell.00:04:08XochitlWill Ferrell, Will Ferrell's great comedian Jack, what's your favorite Christmas movie?00:04:14JackSo mine my favorite Christmas movie is.00:04:17JackDie hard.00:04:20XochitlOhh yeah, typical.00:04:24JackI know it's the, it's the. It's the typical like bro choice, right? Like.00:04:29발표자 3It's a typical.00:04:30XochitlMan answer, especially like a certain generation.00:04:34JackYeah, this is right in the pocket of like my, you know, my generation, this, this movie die hard was an original idea in 1988. It has obviously been copied so many times by so many different film makers that the story is so tired.00:04:56JackI'm so old, but you.00:04:58JackYou have to remember it was originally it takes place during a Christmas party.00:05:05JackAt a fancy LA building like hedge fund type of you know, wall, some kind of investment banker type of business or whatever. And and it's it's about these people that are they're doing a heist, they're trying to steal the money.00:05:25JackFrom this company and there's one guy at the party who is Bruce Willis. This the action star.00:05:32JackAnd he's a cop from New York City and he basically saves the day. And it all happens during this Christmas period. So there's like some Christmas music in there and there's, like, a Christmas decorations. And so it's it happens during.00:05:53JackChristmas it's not your typical Christmas movie. It's an action movie, but it because it happens during Christmas. That's the setting of the movie. It does. It still is considered a Christmas movie by some people. So I'm.00:06:08JackIt as.00:06:09JackA Christmas movie.00:06:11발표자And so.00:06:11XochitlYeah, a lot of people consider a Christmas movie because of of the setting, like you said.00:06:19JackYeah, and it's a classic. Like, it's like if anytime I could sit.00:06:23JackDown and watch.00:06:23JackDie hard like I can I I just love the acting, the the bad guy in it. I I forgot his name.00:06:34JackAlan, he's he's in Harry Potter. Yes, Alan Rickman, thank you plays.00:06:37XochitlAlan Rickman.00:06:40XochitlAnd it has been spills, doesn't it?00:06:40JackThe bad guy.00:06:43JackWhat's that?00:06:44XochitlIsn't Bruce Willis the main character? Am I wrong?00:06:46JackBruce Willis is the hero and then Alan Rickman is the antihero. He's the villain, right? And they they're doing a cat and mouse game against each other and such good acting. It's it. I mean, Alan Rickman is was such a good actor like he was so good.00:06:48XochitlThat's here. It's the villain, yeah.00:07:04XochitlHe passed away.00:07:06JackHe passed away.00:07:07XochitlYeah, my gosh, I didn't even know that.00:07:09JackYeah, year, years ago. Yeah. Success several years ago. Yeah.00:07:15XochitlAlan and Rick.00:07:17JackSorry, not social is morning, right?00:07:18XochitlCrazy. I just now. I didn't found out.00:07:20XochitlThat helping, Rickman passed.00:07:22발표자 3In 2016, this just lover.00:07:23JackYeah, yeah, you're you.00:07:25JackOnly missed it by 7 years.00:07:27XochitlYeah. Why did I just find out that Alan Rickman was doing? This is a bummer to me. Ohh man. Wow. So sorry. Don't mean to detract from the original.00:07:34JackYeah, they, yeah.00:07:39XochitlThis, but yeah, I actually.00:07:42XochitlSaw die hard once when I was like in high school. It was like playing on a reruns channel in the US during this time period. There's a bunch of like Christmas movies on on TV.00:07:56XochitlAnd I remember that it came up and I don't, but I don't think I I think I caught it like around the end. So I was just really confused about what was going on.00:08:03XochitlOne, yeah, but I will watch it all the way through just on account of it being your favorite because I was not interested.00:08:10XochitlIn ever watching it all the way through.00:08:13JackYou've probably seen it all in like pieces, but you gotta sit down and experience the whole thing. I mean, it's it's an absurd movie, but it is it. It has some great one liners. Bruce Willis's performance is is right on the money.00:08:26XochitlAlan Richman is in it.00:08:28JackYeah, it's really fun. It's just a fun, wild movie.00:08:32JackAlan Rickman is in another movie called Love, Actually, which is also a Christmas movie that I really enjoy, but I'm embarrassed to tell people that I like it.00:08:42XochitlI can't believe you like that movie. I really don't. I've seen it and I just don't get it. It's such a sappy, unrealistic view of love and it's like cringy and it's so.00:08:55JackYou gotta remember, like the movie's 20 years old, so be that. That whole like part where he holds those like placards.00:09:05JackAnd you know, yes, that scene has been like redone so many times and and, like, repeated in other mediums like so many times. But that was an original idea at the time like it was.00:09:06XochitlOh, with Tara Knightley.00:09:24JackYou it's it's like you.00:09:25JackKnow when you see something cheesy that's been copied so many times.00:09:28JackBut it wasn't.00:09:29JackCheesy the first time, you know, and so.00:09:31XochitlRight I when I saw it, I was like, I just felt like.00:09:34XochitlI was like, it's so weird cause.00:09:36발표자That's just.00:09:37XochitlWell, I won't spoil it for anyone who I.00:09:38XochitlHaven't seen it, I.00:09:39XochitlWon't spoil what happened, but I.00:09:41XochitlDid think it was?00:09:42XochitlWeird. And then I just felt like the whole movie was kind of cheesy and like, the writing was bad because it was really like 1 dimensional. It has Kate Winslet in it though, doesn't it? Is that the one that's not the one?00:09:53JackNo, I I don't think I think.00:09:55JackThat's the the holiday. That's a different movie.00:09:57XochitlBut that's a different one I do.00:09:59XochitlRemember this movie I.00:10:00XochitlJust blended them both together in my.00:10:02XochitlHead because a lot of different plots.00:10:02JackYeah, they do get they're.00:10:03JackKind of similar. Yeah. It's a British, yeah.00:10:05XochitlYeah, there's.00:10:07XochitlYeah, there's it's a British movie and there's, like tons of different plots and love. Actually, I think everyone should watch at least one. So because it is considered a classic.00:10:16XochitlI don't know why, but it is. Oh.00:10:18JackIt's a it's a minor facing, yeah.00:10:18발표자 3It happens.00:10:19XochitlGrant it does have two grant in it, right?00:10:22JackHe's got Hugh granted, and he plays the Prime Minister, Billy Bob Thornton plays the president of the United States. I mean, it's basically four stories that kind of interweave with each other. So everybody knows each other somehow, but it's different, different stories. And the one story that is the most famous is the.00:10:40JackThe old aging rock star, who is recording this like horrible Christmas album.00:10:47XochitlOh yeah.00:10:48JackAnd that that performance made that that actor Bill Nyke very, very famous in the United States. So that was where he, I think he got nominated for an Academy Award for that performance I believe.00:10:57XochitlI didn't know.00:11:04XochitlOK, that's really cool. I didn't know that.00:11:08XochitlYeah, I think it's it's worth to watch anything with Hugh Grant and it is print is worth a watch for me. I think he's really funny. I like his acting style and he he kind of nailed. He was kind of one of the original self deprecating humor comedians.00:11:22JackYeah, I know. You mean like leading man leading actor too? Like he was handsome enough to be a leading actor, but he also had a kind of self deprecating that. Then that kind of British, you know, humble.00:11:26XochitlYes. Yeah.00:11:36JackHumble way. Yeah, I know. I know what you're talking about, you know.00:11:39XochitlYeah, you definitely made it work for him. So yeah. Well, if there are any famous holiday movies from your country, please let us know. Or yeah, for just for Christmas or for any holiday. I would love to give them a watch. Maybe Jack and I can even watch some of them and discuss them on the on the podcast.00:11:59XochitlI think that'd be really fun. What do you think that?00:11:59JackDefinitely, yeah.00:12:01XochitlThat'd be really great. So leave a comment down below at A-Z, englishpodcast.com shoot us an e-mail at at [email protected] or message us in the.00:12:10XochitlWhatsApp group or WeChat?00:12:11XochitlGroup and we.00:12:12XochitlWill see you guys next.00:12:12발표자 3Time bye bye bye.Podcast Website:https://atozenglishpodcast.com/the-a-to-z-english-podcast-whats-your-favorite-christmas-movie/Social Media:WeChat: atozenglishpodcastFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/671098974684413/Tik Tok:@atozenglish1Instagram:@atozenglish22Twitter:@atozenglish22A to Z Facebook Page:https://www.facebook.com/theatozenglishpodcastCheck out our You Tube Channel:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCds7JR-5dbarBfas4Ve4h8ADonate to the show: https://app.redcircle.com/shows/9472af5c-8580-45e1-b0dd-ff211db08a90/donationsRobin and Jack started a new You Tube channel called English Word Master. 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