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/

00:00 — Jim Forgot the Topic
The coldest open imaginable. Jim admits he thought this episode was about remakes. Geoff and David lose it.

03:00 — “Okay, Welcome to The Critics Club…”
The trio finally introduces the actual episode: Top 10 Movies Based on a True Story. Geoff goes first because apparently he’s the only one prepared.

05:30 — #10: Cool Runnings (Geoff)
This immediately causes a fight about Fargo, movie disclaimers, Coen brothers, and whether Geoff’s childhood Jamaican accent was appropriate (it was not).

12:00 — #9: The Founder / McDonald’s Lore
Geoff drops McDonald’s history facts. Jim debates accuracy. David threatens to reorganize his list mid-episode.

17:00 — #8: The Imitation Game
This turns into a side detour about Cumberbatch, Cillian Murphy, Peaky Blinders, and who would break whose face.

23:00 — #7: October Sky
Surprisingly wholesome. Rockets, NASA dreams, and childhood inspiration.
Also someone immediately compares it to Oppenheimer for no reason except chaos.

28:00 — #6: Killers of the Flower Moon
Leo plays “a box of rocks,” crimes against the Osage Nation, and the bleakest section of the list.

32:00 — #5: The Wolf of Wall Street
Everyone loves it way more than they want to admit.
The theater-reaction tangent is pure gold.

40:00 — #4 / #3 / #2 (David’s Wildcard Zone)
Includes:

Zero Dark Thirty accuracy debates

Catch Me If You Can (“IT’S NOT A REAL STORY” fight)

Hacksaw Ridge

Letters from Iwo Jima

A surprise Ip Man entry

53:00 — #1: Oppenheimer
Everyone saw this coming. Everyone still talks about it too long.
Score appreciation. Nolan speculation. Sea monsters??

1:04:00 — Bonus Chaos

300 trolling

Ridley Scott disagreements

Mel Gibson chair-yelling stories

A brief existential crisis about sad dog movies (Hachi)

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/

What makes a great adaptation? The Critics Club crew dives into their Top 10 Adaptations, ranking the movies that brought books, plays, and even video games to life on the big screen. From classics like The Godfather and The Princess Bride to modern hits like Ready Player One and Crazy Rich Asians, we debate what worked, what didn’t, and why some stories thrive in translation while others fall flat.

Join Geoff, Jim, and David as they break down fan favorites, argue over controversial picks (Ready Player Two, anyone?), and swap personal stories about how these adaptations shaped their movie-going experiences.

Featured films & books:

Ready Player One (Ernest Cline → Spielberg)

Crazy Rich Asians (Kevin Kwan → Jon Chu)

The Devil Wears Prada (Lauren Weisberger → David Frankel)

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (J.K. Rowling → Chris Columbus)

The Godfather (Mario Puzo → Francis Ford Coppola)

Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (J.R.R. Tolkien → Peter Jackson)

The Princess Bride (William Goldman → Rob Reiner)

Jurassic Park (Michael Crichton → Steven Spielberg)

Edge of Tomorrow / All You Need is Kill (Hiroshi Sakurazaka → Doug Liman)

Casino Royale (Ian Fleming → Martin Campbell)

Plus: Tangents on kitchen appliances, Dick Cheney jokes, James Bond casting rumors, and why some novels should never become films.

Visit RantingMedia.com for more episodes, reviews, and updates. Follow us on Bluesky for behind-the-scenes banter.

00:00 – Opening banter (Cheney jokes, food tangents, air fryer talk)

04:30 – Introducing the “Top 10 Adaptations” theme

05:25 – Ready Player One, Crazy Rich Asians, The Devil Wears Prada

13:20 – Harry Potter, The Godfather, Lord of the Rings

16:00 – The Princess Bride, Jurassic Park, Edge of Tomorrow

18:10 – Casino Royale and the James Bond legacy

20:00 – Bond casting rumors and future speculation

23:08 – Hidden Figures, Fight Club, Jurassic Park (book vs. movie)

28:00 – No Country for Old Men and The Princess Bride

31:00 – American Psycho and The Shining

34:00 – Battle Royale and dystopian adaptations

38:00 – Adaptations that divide opinion (violence, tone, endings)

44:00 – Shifts in tone: book vs. film expectations

50:00 – Cultural impact of adaptations over decades

56:00 – Controversial picks and debates

01:02:00 – Comparing faithfulness: when movies outshine the books

01:08:00 – Final adaptations discussed and wrap-up tangents

01:15:00 – Closing thoughts on adaptation trends

01:22:14 – Episode outro

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/