Bah Humbug: A Christmas Movie Podcast with Helen O'Hara – Details, episodes & analysis

Gurinder Chadha's new film, Christmas Karma, reimagines Charles Dickens' classic Christmas story with The Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyar in the lead. How does it stack up to the best previous adaptations? Can it measure up to the Muppets? And why is Dickens still relevant?  Your host, Helen O'Hara, assesses the results with the help of comedian and author Marc Burrows. Christmas Karma is in cinemas around the UK now. Marc’s new book, The Story of the Christmas Number One: Mistletoe & Vinyl, is out now, and you can learn more about launch dates here: Marc Burrows.com For more from Helen, you can find her on Bluesky @HelenLOHara, or at helenohara.com. Her new books, 50 Film Ideas You Really Need To Know and A Quentin Tarantino Dictionary are available now. This podcast is produced and edited by Helen O’Hara with Stripped Media. For more on this podcast, and others produced by Stripped Media, please visit www.stripped.media or email producers@stripped.media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Another year, another Lindsay Lohan Christmas movie - and this time she hasn't even lost her memory. In Our Little Secret, she's visiting her boyfriend's family, when she discovers that her ex is dating his sister. Instead of simply telling everyone about the coincidence, they inexplicably keep it secret and complications ensure - but are they comical or cringe? Well, joining your host, Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara) to discuss it is actor David Kirkbride (@DavidKirkbride), who has strong opinions on why these films end up feeling so very generic. We also touch on a couple of Christmas movies that we haven't had time to fully cover this year: Nutcrackers, with Ben Stiller as an uncle trying to find a foster family for his nephews, and Nosferatu - yes, really - from director Robert Eggers, so we can finish off the year strong and be ready for any home invasions that might occur: whether of inconvenient exes, orphaned children or undead vampires. Can't be too careful! If you want to read or hear more from Helen, you can order her book "Women Vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film" which is out now. You can find Helen on Twitter @HelenLOHara This pod was edited by Ben Williams and produced by Helen O'Hara and Stripped Media. If you want to know more about this podcast and others produced by Stripped Media, please visit www.Stripped.media to find out more or email producers@Stripped.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Folklore: not just a Taylor Swift album. In this Norway-set horror / comedy, an enraged barn elf just ruins a family Christmas in revenge for being fed fish instead of cookies. It may be a relatable beef, but it's taken to extremes in a sort of Gremlins-esque romp through Norwegian folklore. Director Magnus Martens joins us to talk about the levels of horror and humour involved, and then your host, Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara) is joined by film journalist Tom Beasley (@TomJBeasley) to discuss the best way to survive a Scandinavian Christmas... If you want to read or hear more from Helen, you can order her book "Women Vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film" which is out now in The UK and comes out on 16th December in the USA and Canada. Helen O'Hara is also on the Empire podcast every week and hosts the Podcast "His Darker Materials" to coincide with the BBC/HBO TV drama "His Dark Materials". You can find Helen on Twitter @HelenLOHara This pod was edited by Ben Williams and produced by Helen O'Hara and Stripped Media. If you want to know more about this podcast and others produced by Stripped Media, please visit www.Stripped.media to find out more or email producers@Stripped.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

John Woo is back, and he's brought a Christmas movie: now that's the kind of present we like to see under the tree. Or is it? To discuss this new Christmas-set tale of revenge and voicelessness starring Joel Kinnaman, your host Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara) is joined by Amon Warmann (@AmonWarmann) to delve into questions of action, representation and why you should be watching For All Mankind... If you want to read or hear more from Helen, you can order her book "Women Vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film" which is out now in The UK and comes out on 16th December in the USA and Canada. Helen O'Hara is also on the Empire podcast every week and hosts the Podcast "His Darker Materials" to coincide with the BBC/HBO TV drama "His Dark Materials". You can find Helen on Twitter @HelenLOHara This pod was edited by Ben Williams and produced by Helen O'Hara and Stripped Media. If you want to know more about this podcast and others produced by Stripped Media, please visit www.Stripped.media to find out more or email producers@Stripped.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apple TV's big Christmas extravaganza this year is a showcase for the multi talented Hannah Waddingham, the star of Ted Lasso who is also a classically trained opera singer and Broadway star. As she gathers celebrity friends and family for an evening of Christmassy fun, Charlotte Harrison (@sometimescharlotte) joins me to talk variety shows, musical selections and hot tubs... If you want to read or hear more from Helen, you can order her book "Women Vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film" which is out now in The UK and comes out on 16th December in the USA and Canada. Helen O'Hara is also on the Empire podcast every week and hosts the Podcast "His Darker Materials" to coincide with the BBC/HBO TV drama "His Dark Materials". You can find Helen on Twitter @HelenLOHara This pod was edited by Ben Williams and produced by Helen O'Hara and Stripped Media. If you want to know more about this podcast and others produced by Stripped Media, please visit www.Stripped.media to find out more or email producers@Stripped.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it a Christmas film? Technically maybe not. But then again, yes, utterly. Paul King's follow-up to Paddington 2 is a musical, an ode to the power of chocolate and one of the most delightful films of the year, and in this episode Helen is joined by The Independent's film critic Clarisse Loughrey (@ClarisseLoughrey on Twitter) to discuss how Wonka isn't a Christmas movie but is it kinda? Kinda, it is. Wonka is in cinemas everywhere from December 15. If you want to read or hear more from Helen, you can order her book "Women Vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film" which is out now in The UK and comes out on 16th December in the USA and Canada. Helen O'Hara is also on the Empire podcast every week and hosts the Podcast "His Darker Materials" to coincide with the BBC/HBO TV drama "His Dark Materials". You can find Helen on Twitter @HelenLOHara This pod was edited by Ben Williams and produced by Helen O'Hara and Stripped Media. If you want to know more about this podcast and others produced by Stripped Media, please visit www.Stripped.media to find out more or email producers@Stripped.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Christmas Eve at Wayne Manor, and little Damian Wayne is home alone. WHAT COULD GO WRONG? Well, this animated caper suggests quite a lot might happen, and our young hero is going to have to extend every bit of his efforts to saving Christmas for the whole of Gotham. It's a madcap adventure, and joining your host, Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara) in the studio to talk about it is film journalist and host of the Empire Podcast, Chris Hewitt (@ChrisHewitt). Will Damian be the hero Gotham needs? Find out on Prime Video now. If you want to read or hear more from Helen, you can order her book "Women Vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film" which is out now in The UK and comes out on 16th December in the USA and Canada. Helen O'Hara is also on the Empire podcast every week and hosts the Podcast "His Darker Materials" to coincide with the BBC/HBO TV drama "His Dark Materials". You can find Helen on Twitter @HelenLOHara This pod was edited by Ben Williams and produced by Helen O'Hara and Stripped Media. If you want to know more about this podcast and others produced by Stripped Media, please visit www.Stripped.media to find out more or email producers@Stripped.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bad news: you've lost your job and your wife and daughter have left you. Good news: you just rubbed a random antique and a genie popped out. That's the premise of the new film Genie, starring Paapa Esiedu and Melissa McCarthy and based on a Richard Curtis TV film of 1991. We spoke to director Sam Boyd all about directing this new version of the story, and then your host Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara) is joined in studio by film journalist Olly Richards (@OllyRichards) to get into the magic of it all.Sky Original Genie is available on Sky Cinema and streaming service NOW from December 1st If you want to read or hear more from Helen, you can order her book "Women Vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film" which is out now in The UK and comes out on 16th December in the USA and Canada. Helen O'Hara is also on the Empire podcast every week and hosts the Podcast "His Darker Materials" to coincide with the BBC/HBO TV drama "His Dark Materials". You can find Helen on Twitter @HelenLOHara This pod was edited by Ben Williams and produced by Helen O'Hara and Stripped Media. If you want to know more about this podcast and others produced by Stripped Media, please visit www.Stripped.media to find out more or email producers@Stripped.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You know the one about the dyslexic who sold his soul to Satan? Well, imagine that but it's a family comedy starring Eddie Murphy and instead of Satan it's a rogue Christmas elf. We have an exclusive interview with director Reginald Hudlin and screenwriter Kelly Younger to find out more about how it all came together. Then join your host, Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara) and film journalist James Dyer (@JamesCDyer) as they discuss this madcap Christmas comedy. Candy Cane Lane is out now on Prime Video. If you want to read or hear more from Helen, you can order her book "Women Vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film" which is out now in The UK and comes out on 16th December in the USA and Canada. Helen O'Hara is also on the Empire podcast every week and hosts the Podcast "His Darker Materials" to coincide with the BBC/HBO TV drama "His Dark Materials". You can find Helen on Twitter @HelenLOHara This pod was edited by Ben Williams and produced by Helen O'Hara and Stripped Media. If you want to know more about this podcast and others produced by Stripped Media, please visit www.Stripped.media to find out more or email producers@Stripped.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can the same s**t happen to the same couple twice, as John McClane might ask? Well, it's a bigger and weirder mix-up of Christmas plans in this British comedy, the sequel to last year's Your Christmas Or Mine. We're once again joined by stars Asa Butterfield and Cora Kirk to talk about everything that went into making this Alpine adventure, and then author, journalist and podcaster Kat Brown joins me in the studio to dissect the franchise so far, and discuss sequel possibilities. Your Christmas Or Mine 2 is out now on Prime Video. You can find out more about Kat Brown on Instagram @Katbrownwrites or on Twitter @Katbrown. Her book It's Not A Bloody Trend will hit stores on February 1, and her second book - the big overachiever - is No-One Talks About This Stuff, out on March 21. If you want to read or hear more from Helen, you can order her book "Women Vs Hollywood: The Fall and Rise of Women in Film" which is out now in The UK and comes out on 16th December in the USA and Canada. Helen O'Hara is also on the Empire podcast every week and hosts the Podcast "His Darker Materials" to coincide with the BBC/HBO TV drama "His Dark Materials". You can find Helen on Twitter @HelenLOHara This pod was edited by Ben Williams and produced by Helen O'Hara and Stripped Media. If you want to know more about this podcast and others produced by Stripped Media, please visit www.Stripped.media to find out more or email producers@Stripped.media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices