10 Things to Watch this Christmas

Everybody's going to list Muppet Christmas Carol or Die Hard so I'm trying to make a list of films and TV episodes that you don't immediately think of. 

10. Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas - Community Season 2, Episode 11

Hits the nostalgia button with those weird Rankin / Bass stop motion animation specials but the humour is 100% Community. It probably won't make sense for people who haven't seen Community but for those of you who have, you know how brilliant this is.

9. A Surprising Christmas Story: Washington Crossing the Delaware - Drunk History

If you've never encountered Drunk History, well, just watch. You also learn history. Bonus - Hamilton makes an appearance!

8. Nutcracker Fantasy

This is one of the most messed up versions of Nutcracker I have ever seen. The film was originally made in Japan. I saw this randomly as a kid and could never shake it off. This is the official "Ring" video. I dare you to watch it. 

7. The One With The Holiday Armadillo - Friends Season 7, Episode 10

Ross gets lots of deserved crap and he is a terrible father but when he tries this hard, you can't stop but admire his tireless dedication and endless capacity for bad ideas and humiliation.

6. Regional Holiday Music - Community Season 3, Episode 10

Best take down of GLEE. And the rap shows off Childish Gambino / Donald Glover's awesomeness. Because they need to get to regionals (what the hell are regionals?!?)

5. Scrooged

One of Bill Murray's finest performances. I don't care the ending goes over the top sentimental, I loved this so much.

4. A Christmas Carol - Doctor Who Christmas Special 2010

The BEST Christmas Special from Doctor Who. Self contained, hilarious, flying sharks and still delivers on a powerful adaptation of A Christmas Carol. 

3. Bad Santa

So wrong, so terribly, terribly wrong and so hilarious. For people who are sick of a sentimental Christmas. The perfect anti-Christmas Christmas film. 

2. Batman Returns

Yes, Batman Returns is a Christmas film. The best Batman movie before the Nolan films came along but the most bat-shit insane. The setting during the winter / Christmas time doesn't seem crucial but it just adds another level of insanity to the proceedings. Plus Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.

1. White Christmas - Black Mirror Christmas Special 2014

For those with dark hearts and darker humour. Go hang out with real people after watching this.

Story Notes - Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice

I finally watched Batman v Superman and I have story notes. 

• the destruction of Metropolis from Bruce Wayne’s perspective is a brilliant start. And Bruce Wayne’s connection to it via a Wayne Enterprises building and staff was a good idea. But rather than establishing and then killing off some unknown character that has no comic history, they should have killed off Lucius Fox. Somebody who meant something to Bruce Wayne and somebody audiences might recognize from the Nolan films. 
• Superman should be wracked with guilt from the destruction of Metropolis. He should be a mess. He’s a God who failed and the hatred of the public should be real. We are on Bruce’s side. 
• Lex Luthor swoops in to help rehabilitate Superman’s image. This is a direct steal from Max Landis’ Superman pitch made on Screen Junkies YouTube. This makes so much sense. Superman needs PR and direction. He’s new and he’s clueless about what to do with his powers. Then a powerful corporation comes in to help. And Superman gives in. That is more relatable to people than the Martyr complex they tried to portray in the film. 
• We see Superman doing superhero things. And it’s at once glorious and cynical. 
• More importantly, it makes Batman more suspicious. This is a grizzled Batman. He knows Lexcorp has never been up to any good. It makes him think Superman is a puppet of Lex Luthor. 
• Lex Luthor’s motivation becomes sharper. He plays with Superman like a toy. He’s a charming egomaniac who wants absolute control, break things apart because he’s selfishly interested in it, to stave off boredom. 
• A scene with Martha and Lex Luthor. Martha needs to see through Lex like a good mom does when she realizes her son’s friend is up to no good. 
• Lois and Clark has conflict. Lois doesn’t know how bad things are with Lexcorp but there’s always been rumours. Clark is just happy to figure out how to use his powers for good. He’s becoming the hero he always wanted to be and he feels like his girlfriend doesn’t understand him. 
• Batman’s arc is well done. I wouldn’t change much there except... NO KILLING. Yes he can go hardcore but Batman DOES NOT KILL. It makes him as much as an idealist as Clark but in totally different ways. It makes him a superhero worth following. He’s pushed to the edge, yes, more violent, less intolerant but never kill. This is a fantasy. 
• Alfred and Lois inevitably team up. Both see their respective family member driven to doing something wrong or being manipulated and both look for evidence to help them. 
• Bruce Wayne confronts Luthor. There’s acknowledgment that they’ve had history and run ins. But Superman brings it to another level. Luthor wants Bruce Wayne/Batman brought down. 
• Superman discovering Luthor’s real plans - that Luthor just wanted a superhero puppet. Superman’s rage and disappointment in Mankind is right there, in someone he built a relationship with through the movie, not through gossip and news articles with Batman. 
• The fight starts happening in the Batcave. Batman booby traps the Batcave. It explains how he’s got the upper hand. It’s his turf. Plus it’s cool.
• Superman gets pushed to the edge. The combination of Luthor’s betrayal, Batman’s insistence that Superman is Luthor’s lackey, his mother’s kidnapping, the physical torture through Kryptonite, shows Superman’s rage and he destroys Batman’s home in the process. Batman’s think he’s won because he recognizes the rage in Superman. Batman sees Superman as the worst version of himself. 
• Except Superman stops himself from killing Batman. Because even with all that he’s surveyed, he just wants to do the right thing. That his mother wouldn’t approve. 
• Luthor is disappointed. If he can’t control Superman, nobody gets this Superman. Instead Luthor’s made an imperfect clone of Superman. He’s Superman that’s full of rage and raw emotions. Not Doomsday but an extension of Superman himself. 
• Batman promises to find Martha, actually using his detective skills to find her. Superman fights Bizarro Superman and the fight it brought to the city. 
• Batman finds Martha, Superman is more calm now that he knows Martha is safe. He sacrifices himself with the kryptonite spear, impaling himself and Bizarro. 
• Batman and Luthor are in a standoff. Luthor has now Kryptonian technology to play with. Batman now has a purpose to gather a team of heroes - to bring down Luthor. 
• It ends on a cliffhanger note that sets up Justice League with a grounded threat of a villain who technically won against Superman and Batman. 

10 Things I Noticed about Aquaman

1. It’s great that the resolution of plot involves communication. Talking to fish is a nice nod that diplomacy and talking can solve problems. Even with fish. 
2. This movie is LOUD. Couldn’t hear the dialogue properly. 
3. What dialogue I did hear was kind of refreshing. Actually acknowledging how crazy the world is, that’s better than most superhero films. 
4. This is a flip of Black Panther. Black Panther is a far, far better movie and this film just aims for entertaining but the similarities about being king, contest to be king and challenging others, it’s weird to see BP and AM bookend with a similar plot. 
5. That kiss between Aquaman and Mera during the final battle worked and was triumphant and sweet while Superman and Lois’ kiss in Man of Steel during the destruction of Metropolis was gross. Tone matters. 
6. Can’t believe Black Manta works on screen. And thought it was hilarious that the villain gets the “assemble the costume” montage sequence. 
7. SO LOUD. 
8. Willem Defoe and Randall Park are now both DC and Marvel characters. 
9. SO MUCH MOVIE in this movie. While Avengers Infinity War balances things nicely, Aquaman made me feel like THIS IS MOVIE so much of the time. 
10. Those digital artists deserve a raise. 

10 Things I Loved About Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse

10. It's a story about smashing all expectations and setting up your own expectations. The core of the story is about a young man who has the weight of expectations set upon him and realise that he has to set up his own expectations. It's a powerful story worth telling.

9. The animation style. Fresh, exciting, recalls comic books without being old.

8. Economic storytelling. The way the origins of the characters were done, each time, faster and faster. Realising that this movie was an origin of Spider-Man / Miles Morales.

7. Hilarious jokes.

6. Jake Johnson as Peter B. Parker. So clearly Spiderman yet also so identifiable a man on verge of a nervous breakdown. Jake Johnson was hilarious and relatable and vulnerable. The animation was top notch of course but Jake Johnson's line readings just gave it life.

5. The team work. How all the Spider-People just instinctively worked together.

4. Villains having motivation. Specifically Kingpin. He's just a guy who wants his family back. It was brief but it was real and it made him feel dangerous.

3. The glorious sequence when Miles Morales truly becomes his own Spider-Man.

2. The Stan Lee cameo. Seemed so sincere and undercut with just the right amount of cynicism.

1. That my children get to see such an awesome film with both male and female heroes (including a pig!) and we get to enjoy something as a family that really resonates rather than just colourful nonsense.