Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey, the folks, it's Wednesday, December twenty fourth. What is
the perfect, perfect Christmas Eve movie for the family. Well,
it's either gonna be Elf or it's gonna be die Hard.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
That's the fight, at least in this house. There are
plenty of others people go to and.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
With that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ.
I don't even want to go down the road of
whether or not die Hard is a Christmas movie that's
been settled, So let's not even do that.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
We'll start with the premise that it is.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Okay, but these two movies are a sore, a sore
spot in the house because of how much we seem
to dislike the movie that the other absolutely loves.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Right, and look, I don't hate die Hard, but it
is a note it is but Elf is not playing
in the apartment twenty four to seven, So that's your
Diehard's It adds to the annoyance.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
Okay, you can explain.
Speaker 3 (01:04):
I don't TJ has how long.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
Have you been doing this my whole life? Adults?
Speaker 3 (01:11):
College?
Speaker 1 (01:11):
Maybe remember?
Speaker 2 (01:13):
Okay, So he as soon as it's Thanksgiving Day he
puts die Hard on a loop. He actually still has
a DVD player so that he can do it. And
at some point the rule is in the apartment, some
TV has to have Diehard playing continuously all the way
through January one, And sometimes the volume gets turned up
(01:35):
and all of a sudden, I hear a machine gun
and gun fire. I'm like, what is going? Oh my god,
it's die Hard. I forgot.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
It's playing on a loop in the apartment.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
And I'm laughing as we record this at our studio
at home one, two three, it's playing on at least
three TVs right now.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yes, you actually go around and put it on as
many TVs as you can, but the rule is at
least one TV in the house.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Has to be playing Diehard.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
I love the movie.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Why is that? I think that the journalist in me needs.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
To know why I only subject you to this a
certain period of the year. I don't watch Diehard at
all for the other eleven months of the year. Right,
that's true, Okay, that's true. Why do I do this?
I love this movie. It goes, Yes, it goes a
little too. You know what, for folks out there, you
were watching something was on? Was it Elf? It might
(02:22):
have been that was I don't think it was Elf.
There was something on you said, this just makes me
so happy.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
Well, Elf, definitely does.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Some you just have that thing that puts you in
whatever Christmas spirit, or lifts you up, or takes you
back to the time maybe you were happiest. That is
absolutely what die Hard is for me. It seems like
maybe for some folks in an odd movie to do
that for someone. But this was the first movie I
ever went to a theater to see with my dad,
(02:50):
the first of all.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
Okay, and there we are, there we got to the
meat of it.
Speaker 3 (02:55):
I did not know that.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I told you that.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
I knew that you loved the movie, but I didn't know.
Speaker 1 (03:01):
It wasn't the first movie I ever went to the
theater to see. My uncle took me to that, but
this was the first one. And I love this movie.
I remember the promos for it, and I was so
excited to see this.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
So it's nostalgic and it takes you back, and that's
what this movie gives you and brings to you.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Yes, So it was funny growing up at Christmas time.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
The two movies that I was subjected to, I like them,
but they don't have the same weight. My mom always
had us watch a Christmas Carol, which had George C.
Scott in it, that version, which I still love, and
it takes me back to my childhood and Christmas vacation.
Those were the two must sees on Christmas Eve. The
lights yes, well, yes, yeah, he tries to plug the
(03:41):
lights in Clark Griswold. He goes to cut down the tree.
It's hilarious. I love that movie too. That would be
my second favorite. But Elf started right around when Ava
was a little baby, and I think I've watched it
every single year since then.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
Oh, I am sure of it. You all seem to
almost plan the evenings around it. No, that's and I
think that the Bean's right there with us. Yes, But
here is the thing, folks. She has never sat down
and watched Die Hard, even though it's playing on a
constant loop in the house for a full month.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
That is true.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
And I have never sat down and watched Elf, even
though I have been in the house constantly. When you
all have little watch parties, I'm not in Oh.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Yes, I believe it was last Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Sabine and a bunch of girls and I were all
downstairs watching Elf and you were upstairs watching sports. You
didn't even watch with us at that point. So, yeah,
you have never up until now, you'd never actually watched
the movie. In fact, in fact, Sabina and I will
make quotes about it.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
You know, Bye, buddy, Hope you find your dad and
you would say what is that from? And we'd be like, Elf,
you have to watch EL.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Do you think the majority of people who just heard
you say that know the reference?
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Yes, hey, buddy, hope you find your dad?
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Really okay? Yes, okay, okay. So we finally, folks, we
just did this within the past twenty four hours of
this recording. We just sat down and watched each other's
respective favorite Christmas movie, and um, we're gonna give you
(05:23):
our assessment. Now, I'll give you mine. We reserve judgment
about two movies. We haven't shared this. We'll share it
for the first time. Elf. Though, as a reminder, let's
start with that movie. Okay, Elf, two thousand and three.
You had that right PG. If you don't know it,
you think most people do, huh, I think most people do. Okay.
Here it is about raised as an oversized ELF. Buddy
(05:47):
travels from the North Pole to New York City to
meet his biological father, Walter Hobbs, who doesn't know he
exists and is in desperate need of some Christmas spirit. Now,
this cast is out of this world.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
It's amazing.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
It's out of this world. Will Ferrell, of course, but
James com Bob Newhart ed Asner Mary Steam Merchant who
we love, and John Favre his list.
Speaker 3 (06:08):
Of him and Zoey de Chanel. Wasn't he over there?
Speaker 1 (06:11):
Yeah? Because I left her off. That's on me. But
this movie did really well at the box office. Who
knew but two hundred and twenty million dollars worldwide. Rotten
Tomatoes score eighty five percent. They liked it.
Speaker 3 (06:24):
It's funny.
Speaker 1 (06:25):
The audience liked it to seventy nine percent. The critic
consensus is a movie full of YULETI cheer. Elf is
a spirited, good natured family comedy benefits greatly from Will
Ferrell's funny and charming performance as one of Sanda's biggest helpers.
Not a lot of audience critiques to even put it
in there, but for you, as besides the feeling it
(06:45):
gives you just what about the movie really works and
that you love about it.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I think it's hilarious.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
I laugh out loud every single time the lines can
be delivered. I don't even know how many times I've
heard them, and I still laugh. I love Oh we
didn't mention Klige. I love love Peter Dinglich as the
angry Elf. You know, they just nailed it in finding this.
Just when it started to get cheesy or too hokey,
it would get funny again, and then when you are
(07:13):
laughing out loud.
Speaker 3 (07:14):
They'd sneak in some cheesiness. But actually, those of.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
Us who love romcoms, et cetera want a little of
that sprinkled in because it makes it feel as it should,
and it's all wrapped up in a bow in the end,
and it makes me smile.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
My girls love it, and I think when.
Speaker 2 (07:30):
You've got a movie that you love with your kids,
it just makes it feel extra special.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
Now, who is this? I mean, always is a family
movie and it's for anybody. But do you imagine an
audience that maybe this isn't for.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
I don't know, I'm trying to think. I mean, there
isn't a lot of It might just be a really
white movie. That's my only thought that I mean, it
is not very diverse. The cast everyone that we just
mentioned is amazing, but not a very diverse cast, so.
Speaker 3 (08:02):
Maybe that would be a would be off putting. But
short of that, it's sweet. It's funny. I even think
if you.
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Don't like cheesy movies, it's funny enough that it'll still
grab your attention. But maybe you should be the person
who speaks on that, because you don't like cheesy, hokey
unless it's over the top, like you love a Lifetime
or a Hallmark movie. But that's because they lean in
so hard. It's hilarious when people are trying to thread
the needle.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
You don't like it.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
We have weird movie taste this one. I finally watched it,
and you know, there were some scenes this movie's been
on constantly over the years, and I couldn't believe that. Well,
I've never seen that scene. I've never seen that scene.
First and foremost, I'm a fan of Will Ferrell. Obviously
we all are. I'm a bigger fan after watching this movie.
(08:55):
He is delightful. There's something about his eternal optim and
positivity in the face of the meanest things in New York.
There was something really sweet about being committed to that
he never broke at least that character of just eternal.
The coffee he was excited about.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
The college the world's Greatest coffee.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
Even when Peter Dinklish was being mean to him, he
was still there was optimism in him. That was just
there was something about his performance that I loved that
carried the movie for me. Yeah, I loved loved watching him.
Obviously it's a it's a fantasy, but I think the
premise the story is kind of cool. Yeah, the idea
(09:39):
of that now along the way like, of course that
would never happen. Of course that would And then you
stop yourself and go, uh, yeah, we're talking about an
elf leaving the North Pole to find his dad in
New York. Of course none of this could happen. But
I did, like, it's just the thing. It's still not
for me. I gotta go the rest of my life
not seeing that. You said that after you watched it,
because that hokiness and the gets into that thing. And
(10:01):
at one point I looked at you and said, oh,
this is the rom com formulaic part that comes in. Yes,
the false ending, Yeah, that's when it was happening. And
so yeah, it's I get and the cast, Mike, I
love everybody so good, love everybody.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
It just makes you feel good, and I will say
even if you say, and I believe you when you
say you don't, or you would never have to watch
it again. The whole time you were talking about it,
you had a big smile on your face, like from
ear to ear.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
The scenes the snowball fight is one of my favorite
amazing and I for the first time saw the scene
with him getting drunk with the fellas in the male
I've never seen that before. You will have been saying
that line to me for years. Oh, he's an angry off.
I saw it for the first time today. You sit
on a throne of lies and then he smells like
(10:49):
meat and gee, right, So to piece that together and
see some of those scenes, what's funny today?
Speaker 2 (10:57):
But yeah, it's just not my I don't know, I'm
not a Maybe you won't be an angry Elf the
next time it's on, and maybe you'll sit down and
watch a few bits with us.
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Well, folks, Yes, that was my take on Elf singing
for the first time. Fully here just a little while ago.
But stay here, we're gonna hear from Robock about what
she thought about finally watching my favorite Christmas movie of
all time, Die Hard.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Welcome back, everyone, as we debate Elf versus die Hard?
What movie is the best Christmas movie? On this Christmas Eve?
We hope you are with your family and maybe you
are deciding what movie to watch. I know every family's
got their movie, but when you blend a family, now
we have to deal with die Hard versus Elf.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
Yeah, those are the and I guess I am out numbered.
Oh yeah, what am I? You're totally out numbers four.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
It's four to one, Yes, four girls who all love
Elf to your Diehard. Now, you had never watched Elf?
You watched it, and we just heard your review.
Speaker 2 (12:10):
I had never actually seen die Hard, even though it's playing,
as we mentioned before, for what a solid four weeks
in this apartment NonStop. I see bits and pieces, I
hear certain moments over and over, but I never.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
Actually saw the whole thing together.
Speaker 2 (12:27):
So actually it was last night from when we recorded this,
I finally watched die Hard and I loved it.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
It was a little long, longer than I wanted it
to be.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
Yeah, I could have ended about thirty minutes prior two
hours and twelve minutes. It's rated R and I knew
that already because I have heard the curse words and
all the machine guns. But here's the synopsis for those
of you who don't know what die Hard is. I
highly doubt it. New York City policeman John McClain is
visiting his estranged wife on Christmas Eve. He joins her
(13:00):
at a holiday party and the headquarters of the Japanese
owned business she works for, but the festivities are interrupted
by a group of terrorists who take over the exclusive
high rise and everyone in it. Very soon, McLain realizes
that there's no one to save the hostages but him. Look,
I thought it was fun, exciting. There was a little
(13:21):
bit too much gunfire for me for a Christmas movie,
but I did like the acting and they had an
incredible stellar cast.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
I love.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
I actually loved there was Christmas music in the movie,
which made it festive and fun, so I appreciated that.
But yeah, we're talking Bruce Willis. Obviously is John McClain
the lead, and he's amazing. He that's like the hot
Bruce Willis, young, strong, like snarky New York.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
He was great in it. He was really good when the.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Hero could be a little goof yeah or rough around
the edges, right, He's the the anti Schwarzenegg're kind of
a thing, right, It's there's a room for both. And
he was just as charming as anything.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Yeah, like a charming, smart ass New York cop who
you like. Okay, you're cute even though I hate you
right now, you're cute.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
That was him in this.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Then you had Alan Rickman, the late Alan Rickman. He
was so young in this movie because I just remember
him obviously in his later works, just you think of
him as an older actor. He is young and vibrant
and evil. He always plays evil. We were going through
all of his his characters. He does end up being
the bad guy a lot, but he played it well.
(14:34):
I don't know how to say. Reginald Johnson, Yes, family matters.
He's the cop and we love him, love him. He
is the guy you're rooting for other than Bruce Willis's character.
You're totally rooting for Reginald's character. And then Bonnie Bidella
is that how I say her name? But I knew
(14:56):
I was gonna say that right now?
Speaker 3 (14:57):
She's great? What else has she been in? Because she
has such a familiar.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Face, But she's great and sweet and amazing in this
And it's such a great anyway.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
So yeah, it's action packed, but again, it's just a
little violent for me for a Christmas Eve movie.
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Even though this is coming out of the mouth of
a horror lover, and I do love some Christmas horror
as well.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
I'm not against a holiday horror flick. But I did
like it.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
It had all the makings of a great movie. It
had great acting, it had great just great action, and
it had I liked the plot some of it. I
kept laughing.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
Both of these movies that we watched had like office.
Speaker 2 (15:37):
Hours on Christmas Eve late and come on, who has
an office party on Christmas Eve?
Speaker 1 (15:42):
That bothered you?
Speaker 2 (15:45):
And you're not upset that there's an elf walking through Manhattan.
And I was like, okay to Chay. But and then
I saw an elf he Walter Hobbs, was at a
late night Christmas Eve work meeting too. I'm like, this
just is very unrealistic. But anyway, I did think I
liked the whole thing. It was really I think it
was just a little long for me really, And I too.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
Would be okay late night for you, it was you
were you had your own issues.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
It's always a late night.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
I too would be all right if I never saw
it again, but I am glad I watched it and
I did enjoy it.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Didn't that crazy? I love this movie so much that
it was just a a little hint of annoyance when
you said you don't want to watch this movie again,
Like I'm.
Speaker 3 (16:26):
So upset that I felt the same way when you
said that.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
You would say such a thing. But you see that
run tomatoes score.
Speaker 2 (16:35):
Well, oh yes, let me get to it rotten to
oh wow, ninety four percent by the critics and ninety
four percent.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
By the audience.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
If you all can see DJ's face right now, he
feels so validated.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
It's like a warmth just spread over his whole face
and body.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
And the critics consensus was this, It's many imitators and
sequels have never come close to matching the top thrills
of the definitive holiday action classic Boom.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
It's a good movie. It's a fun movie, and I
just I love watching Bruce Willis. Yes, I just love.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
I have embraced my fate, I should say our fate,
that Diehard will just always be a part of our lives.
Speaker 3 (17:15):
This time of year.
Speaker 1 (17:16):
Will let's get back to our horror movies. We'll have
that episode for you. Yet, there are Christmas horror movies, folks,
and we have some will recommend later. Be looking out
for that. But for now, whether you're with my el
Hamy Robock or with John McLean Junior over here at
DJ Holmes, we appreciate you listening to us. We'll talk
to y'all soon.