Happy Life Day! This is our last episode to drop before the fourth of May, so to celebrate "May the Fourth" - a.k.a. "Star Wars Day" - the elves decide to tackle the infamous "Star Wars Holiday Special"! Besides asking themselves the usual question - "Does this movie pass the Linus Test?" - the hosts also debate two other questions with regards to this holiday adventure in a galaxy far, far away: is it a Christmas movie, and who exactly is the audience for this film? This episode isn't completel...
Apr 30, 2018•50 min•Season 2Ep. 40
This week, the elves cover another Christmas comedy film filled with sophomoric humor, sexual innuendo, and implied nudity in the form of A Bad Moms Christmas , written by the same people who came up with the story for Office Christmas Party - the first film we covered that was filled with sophomoric humor, sexual innuendo, and nudity. Does this one contain more heart and Christmas feelings than that one, or will it flounder and place below it on the list? Longtime listeners can probably guess i...
Apr 23, 2018•55 min•Season 2Ep. 39
Christmas Cheer is in high supply this week as the elves tackle TLC's 2014, made-for-television mockumentary "The Secret Santa." Julia, Thom, and Anthony are all on the same page with this film, and absolutely gush over its emotional sentimentality as they discuss reporter Nancy Cameron's quest tracking down all of the Christmas miracles that Lucas A. Nast - a.k.a. Santa Claus - has brought to people throughout the years. In addition, the hosts talk about the various ways that our listeners keep...
Apr 16, 2018•56 min•Season 2Ep. 38
In this episode, the elves discuss the one and only Christmas episode that The Brady Bunch ever made – 1969’s The Voice of Christmas – in addition to the 1988, CBS, made-for-TV reunion movie A Very Brady Christmas . Similar to the last time the elves discussed two pieces of Christmas entertainment in one episode (in the contentious Grinch episode), Anthony is once again pitted against Julia and Thom who don’t share the nostalgia, which imbues him with a strong love of the grown-up Brady Christma...
Apr 09, 2018•1 hr 22 min•Season 2Ep. 37
Happy Easter everybody! In an effort to inject a little bit of Christmas into the Bunny’s time of year, this week the elves decided to discuss Dreamworks Animation’s 2012 feature-film, Rise of the Guardians, which brings together Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost in order to take on the evil Boogeyman, Pitch. There is a lot of love to go around between Julia, Thom, and Anthony in an episode that is infinitely more cheerful than last week’s, as the hosts ...
Apr 02, 2018•55 min•Season 2Ep. 36
This week, the elves discuss “what may well be the single most self-indulgent tripe ever written, produced by and starring a self-righteous narcissist: Kirk Cameron’s Saving Christmas .” There is no love for this film at all as Julia, Thom, and Anthony stand united in their anger and frustration against what is easily the worst film we’ve reviewed yet. It’s so bad, in fact, that none of us can recommend in good conscious watching this offensive film and wasting 79 minutes of your lives. Nonethel...
Mar 26, 2018•49 min•Season 2Ep. 35
This week, the elves venture into completely new territory while covering their first made-for-T.V. Christmas movie! Surprisingly, it’s not a Hallmark Original, but an ABC Family (before it was Freeform) Original that debuted during it’s 25 Days of Christmas programming block back in 2001: Three Days . While Julia, Thom, and Anthony are all over the map in what they think about the overall quality of this movie starring Kristin Davis, Reed Diamond, and Tim Meadows, they’re in agreement about the...
Mar 19, 2018•51 min•Season 2Ep. 34
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the elves dive back into the world of Rankin/Bass at the request of two listeners who suggested they review 1981’s The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold . Though discussion of the made-for-television movie is short, and lacking in holiday cheer – Julia, Thom, and Anthony are all in agreement that it’s not a Christmas movie – it is nevertheless a fun discussion, as they bond over their shared confusion over Leprechaun lore and fright for Old Mag the Hag amongst many other...
Mar 12, 2018•48 min•Season 2Ep. 33
The elves follow up last week’s horrendous take on Charles Dickens’ iconic A Christmas Carol with a film that details the author’s conception and writing of the holiday classic: 2017’s The Man Who Invented Christmas . (Based on the novel of the same name.) After last week’s downer of an episode, there’s a lot of genuine joy and good spirits amongst our hosts as they discuss this movie in their continuing quest to honor Christmas in their hearts and keep it all the year.
Mar 05, 2018•52 min•Season 2Ep. 32
There’s a lot of false positivity in this episode as the elves attempt to summon every bit of Christmas cheer they have just to make it through discussing this awful reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale. Truly a new low (the rating is abysmal), they find much to dislike about this movie (read: everything). They manage to end on a high, however, when discussing their most memorable Christmas gift-opening experiences from childhood, and are all in agreement about how excited they are to ta...
Feb 26, 2018•39 min•Season 2Ep. 31
Tackling our first religious-themed movie, strong opinions and high expectations prove to be a heavy lift for this 2017 animated nativity story. Can the all-star voice cast push this movie into the upper rankings of our Christmas Canon list? Will angry Julia make an appearance? Stay tuned for a religious good time with the elves in this week’s episode!
Feb 19, 2018•47 min•Season 2Ep. 30
This week, the elves take a little hop across the pond for Love Actually . They delve into all 8 storylines, discussing the characters, their stories, and the movie in general. Get ready for an all-around love fest just in time for Valentine's Day!
Feb 12, 2018•1 hr 26 min•Season 2Ep. 29
It’s hard to believe, but Tis the Podcast is now over six months old! Happy half-birthday to us. To celebrate this milestone, the elves dive into the 2000 film The Family Man starring Nicholas Cage and Tea Leoni. Anthony has been taunting Thom, who really likes this movie, for weeks now. How will this play out on the episode? Do we get to see an angry Anthony or will everyone hug it out and come to a consensus?
Feb 05, 2018•1 hr 14 min•Season 2Ep. 28
This week, the elves discuss “the final chapter in the greatest Santa story ever told” – The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause. Julia, Thom, and Anthony are unified in their overall opinions regarding this Disney threequel, as they answer two important questions: 1. Is this movie as good as its predecessors, or is it a film full of missed opportunities? And if it is the latter… 2. Is it as bad as some of the worst that we’ve covered, like One Magic Christmas and Santa’s Slay? Also discussed in t...
Jan 29, 2018•56 min•Season 2Ep. 27
This week, the elves are excited to discuss their first direct sequel to a film they’ve already covered: Disney’s 2002 film, The Santa Clause 2: The Mrs. Clause. A lot has changed in-story, and behind-the-scenes out-of-story, in the eight years since Tim Allen’s Scott Calvin first donned the red suit and became Santa Claus in 1994, and Julia, Thom, and Anthony delve into all of it in great detail. Does the film serve as a worthy follow-up to the Christmas classic that still rests comfortably at ...
Jan 22, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 26
“Back to Work” month continues this week with a discussion about all seven Christmas episodes of the American version of “The Office”! The elves are super excited to discuss the beloved comedy, which they all love, and laugh their way through the entire episode, which has an abundance of “That’s What She Said” jokes, a lot of quotes, and a few interesting tidbits about NBC’s iconic comedy outside of their holiday shows. The elves talked for hours while recording this show, and though they manage...
Jan 15, 2018•1 hr 18 min•Season 2Ep. 25
How will the sophomoric humor, sexual innuendos, and nudity in a Christmas movie work for the elves? Will Office Christmas Party make it to the top of the nice list or fizzle out? As if this prospect isn't fun enough, the elves announce what is going to be their favorite episode to record for next week.
Jan 08, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Season 2Ep. 24
Happy New Year! The elves kick off 2018 with Rudolph's Shiny New Year , the 1976 Rankin Bass continuation of Rudolph. There wasn't much love for the movie throughout this episode, but the elves took time to reflect on 2017, look at the list as it stands right now, and discuss dealing with post-Christmas blues. We loved 2017 and are excited to journey towards Christmas 2018 with you, starting right now!
Jan 01, 2018•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 23
Merry Christmas. Since we all received a visit from the man in the red suit last night, what better movie could we pick for this episode than Santa Claus is Coming to Town . Rankin-Bass brought us another claymation Christmas classic, this time giving us the origin of Santa Claus. Enjoy the show as you prepare for Christmas dinner or after you unwind from a fun, family-filled day!
Dec 25, 2017•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Our little gift to you this year is a bonus Christmas Eve episode in which the elves join together for a very special reading of the Clement Clarke Moore's Christmas classic, A Visit from St. Nicholas (also known as ' Twas the Night Before Christmas )! We hope you enjoy it this evening as you await the big day! Merry Christmas!
Dec 24, 2017•6 min•Season 1Ep. 21
After some much needed family therapy after last week’s civil war over the Grinch, which nearly tore apart the podcast for good, the elves are back in much better, happier, and more agreeable places to discuss 1996’s Hallmark/CBS movie Mrs. Santa Claus . They are joined briefly by the screenwriter of the film, Mark Saltzman, to discuss some behind-the-scene information before delving into what turns into a gush fest of an episode over Angela Lansbury’s iconic portrayal of Mrs. Claus....
Dec 18, 2017•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Our first battle royale! The elves square off to discuss the 1966 animated classic and the 2000 Ron Howard version of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas . The discussion gets heated as the elves are torn on how one of these stack up. How will each of these rank? How do they fare next to Dr. Seuss’ classic book? Tune in and see.
Dec 11, 2017•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 19
This week the elves are joined by a very special guest, Brian Earl from Christmas Past , a podcast that tells the stories behind your favorite holiday traditions, to talk about Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer . Each person brings a unique perspective to this 1964 Rankin-Bass classic that makes for some extra lively discussion. Can Rudolph keep up with the likes of Charlie Brown? During the episode, the elves discuss New York Christmas traditions, their Christmas bucket lists, and candy you can on...
Dec 04, 2017•1 hr 20 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In our first annual, very special, bonus Christmas episode, the elves team up with our friends at Christmas Past, Christmas Creep, Can't Wait for Christmas, My Merry Christmas, Holiday Special Podcast, and Weird Christmas podcasts to bring you a seven-part Christmas story, The House of Seven Santas. So visit Christmas Past for part 1, then Can't Wait For Christmas before tuning in for Part 3 right here at Tis the Podcast.
Dec 01, 2017•6 min•Season 1Ep. 17
With Christmas quickly approaching, the elves thought it was time to delve into the realm of dysfunctional family Christmas movies to remind us that we're not alone. And what better dysfunctional family holiday movie is there than National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? Aside from sharing their favorite Griswold family scenes and quotes, the elves discuss that special time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Grab some eggnog or Wassail, a comfy blanket, and sit down next to the tree for this fest...
Nov 27, 2017•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this episode, the elves tackle Tim Burton's Batman Returns . Is it a Christmas movie? Listen to the lively discussion about the film, all things DC and Batman, superheroes and supervillains, and Thanksgiving and Black Friday traditions.
Nov 20, 2017•1 hr 39 min•Season 1Ep. 15
We're one week closer to Christmas and adding another movie to our list. The elves watch and discuss Disney's One Magic Christmas in this episode. Does Disney bring the magic or go light on the holiday feels? The elves also chime in on Christmas commercials and prepare for a week of DC goodness.
Nov 13, 2017•59 min•Season 1Ep. 14
This week, the elves tackle a truly modern Christmas classic, Disney's The Santa Clause . They discuss the terms in which Scott Calvin gets roped into becoming Santa, the North Pole, Christmas music, and so much more. Also, we answer the question of what each elf leaves out for Santa and his reindeer on Christmas Eve and delve into quite a bit of listener feedback.
Nov 05, 2017•1 hr 32 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Journey with the elves to a world of wonder and enchantment where the line between Christmas and Halloween becomes blurred in Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas . Casey Maute of Parkbound Buttons joins our discussion this week to talk the film, Disney World during the holidays, and our family Christmas tree traditions. Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Christmas or Halloween movie? Does it pass the Linus test? Find out in this episode!...
Oct 30, 2017•1 hr 30 min•Season 1Ep. 12
It's about time for a holiday classic, so the elves tackle The Muppet Christmas Carol . Grab a cup of Christmas cheer and sit down as we discuss the Muppets, the amazing music, Christmas traditions, and more. It's a merry time this week!
Oct 23, 2017•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 11
