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

It's not often that you see a Christmas film with Oscar buzz, nor one that the studio for some reason decide to release in the second half of January. Yet here we are, with the excellent cast and crew of The Holdovers. The reunion of Sideways' director and Star, Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti respectively, sees them tackle the story of a depressed teacher left looking after outcast students at a boy's boarding school over the holidays, which is no-one's idea of fun. Joining your host, Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara) to talk about it is Radio One film critic and host of Radio One’s “Screen Time” Ali Plumb (@AliPlumb), here to dissect perhaps the best Christmas movie of the decade... 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

SHOW BLURB Welcome to Pop Culture, the podcast that puts soft drinks at the top of the menu. Helen O'Hara and Kat Brown are arts journalists who don’t drink: Helen's a life-long teetotaller, and Kat is four years sober. Join us as we explore the culture lifting soft drinks out of the dark ages, hear from guests about their favourite non-booze options, and meet the people making things delicious. If you’re fed up of being given elderflower cordial at weddings, this is the pod for you. Send us your non-booze drinks obsessions (and good/bad/tedious soft drink menus) to popculturedrinkspodcast@gmail.com and see what we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast. EPISODE BLURB What's it like growing up teetotal in Northern Ireland? Or studying (and working) in England with booze everywhere you go? In our second bonus episode before the series launches on New Year's Day, Helen tells Kat about her background with not drinking alcohol, having your drink spiked "for a laugh", secrets to getting through boozy celebrations without being told you're boring, and how her attitude to soft drinks is expanding beyond water as the options improve. Navigating university and media careers amid social pressure. 4:00 Drink preferences and options for non-sugar and non-caffeine drinkers. 8:31 Restaurants and bars not having soft drinks menus 12:45 A listener writes in about verdita 18:14 Episode transcript If you’ve got a favourite drink you’d like to share with us or any other non-booze-related gossip, then email us at popculturedrinkspodcast@gmail.com, and you can see what and where we've been drinking lately on Instagram @popculturedrinkspodcast. Pop Culture is on Bookshop.org! Read books by us, our guests, and others we like, while helping to support the show at https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/pop-culture-soft-drinks-podcast Artwork: Ilutaka Music: HoliznaCC0 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 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 was a famous flop, but the big-budget magic of Santa Claus: The Movie - just re-released in cinemas in a new 4K format - still has a lot to offer. That's especially true for today's guest, comedian and author Marc Burrows (@20thCenturyMarc), who joins your host Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara) to talk animatronic reindeer, Mrs Claus-related trauma and the fear of floating away into space forever. Santa Claus: The Movie may be on in a cinema near you, but is definitely now out on Blu-ray and 4K Blu-ray in all good home entertainment shops. 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 a spectacular pun, based on the best Christmas Film Of All Time (TM), but now with added slasher action. This Christmas horror isn't for the faint of heart, but definitely has lots of red in it, a small-town where everyone has lessons to learn about the holiday spirit, and even a bit of romance. What's not to love? Your host, Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara) is joined by film journalist and Disniversity podcast host Ben Travis (@BenSTravis) to dissect what makes a great Christmas horror, and how this compares to its Frank Capra big brother... If you’ve enjoyed listening to “BAH HUMBUG”, please take a moment to give us a lovely 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts Or Spotify. It really helps other people to find the show. If you haven’t done so already, please subscribe to this podcast so you auto-magically get the next episodes for free and do tell all your friends and family about it too. 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 20 years since perhaps the best year for Christmas movies, the 2003 binge that gave us Love Actually, Elf and Bad Santa. But it also gave us one other Christmas classic, less well-known but at least as good. Your host, Helen O'Hara (@HelenLOHara), sits down with Jake Cunningham and Michael Leader of @Ghiblioteque to discuss Satoshi Kon's extraordinary Tokyo Godfathers and how it fits into that extraordinary year. To see Tokyo Godfathers on the big screen, presented by Ghibliotheque, head down to the BFI Imax on December 14. Tickets are available here: https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/imax/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=tokyogodfathersimaxintro The other three big Christmas films of 2003, and indeed Tokyo Godfathers itself, will be available on streaming as well as on cinema screens around the country. If you’ve enjoyed listening to “BAH HUMBUG”, please take a moment to give us a lovely 5-star rating on Apple Podcasts Or Spotify. It really helps other people to find the show. If you haven’t done so already, please subscribe to this podcast so you auto-magically get the next episodes for free and do tell all your friends and family about it too. 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 wouldn't be Christmas without some variation on A Christmas Carol attacking our screens, and this year offers two new takes on Charles Dickens' classic story. So Victoriana enthusiast Sarah Cooke joins the pod to talk about both, and The Dickens Fellowship General Secretary Paul Graham stops by to explain what it is about this story that has made it such a hardy perennial. To quote the Victorians, it all makes for the jammiest bit of jam... If you want to check out the Dickens Fellowship for yourself please click this link https://www.dickensfellowship.org/ If you’ve enjoyed listening to “BAH HUMBUG”, please take a moment to give us a lovely 5 STAR rating on Apple Podcasts. It really helps other people to find the show. If you haven’t done so already please subscribe to this podcast so you auto-magically get the next episodes for free and do tell all your friends and family about it too.  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

Another special bonus episode today, this time focusing on Christmas monsters. Dr Emily Zarka has made an academic study of things that go bump in the night, and as well as teaching her students how to survive the monster apocalypse (we assume) she's the host of PBS show Monstrum. We invited her to come in for a chat earlier this year about the Krampus, and all the many Anti-Clauses out there that threaten to punish the bad instead of bringing goodies to the good. Beware the giant Yule Cat everyone; after this episode it will haunt your nightmares... Here is a link to Emily's Show Monstrum https://www.pbs.org/show/monstrum If you’ve enjoyed listening to “BAH HUMBUG”, please take a moment to give us a lovely 5 STAR rating on Apple Podcasts. It really helps other people to find the show. If you haven’t done so already please subscribe to this podcast so you auto-magically get the next episodes for free and do tell all your friends and family about it too.  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

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has delivered another Christmas-themed treat, and Radio 1 film critic Ali Plumb joins us to discuss it. This time it's a one-off short that sees Dave Bautista's Drax and Pom Klementieff's Mantis head to Earth to kidnap Kevin Bacon. Ah, Christmas spirit! If you’ve enjoyed listening to “BAH HUMBUG”, please take a moment to give us a lovely 5 STAR rating on Apple Podcasts. It really helps other people to find the show. If you haven’t done so already please subscribe to this podcast so you auto-magically get the next episodes for free and do tell all your friends and family about it too.  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

One of the classics turns a sprightly 75 this year, so film historian Pamela Hutchinson and The Independent's film critic Clarisse Loughrey took the time out to talk Cary Grant, angels, having fantasies of someone tidying your office, and the many charms of The Bishop's Wife... If you’ve enjoyed listening to “BAH HUMBUG”, please take a moment to give us a lovely 5 STAR rating on Apple Podcasts. It really helps other people to find the show. If you haven’t done so already please subscribe to this podcast so you auto-magically get the next episodes for free and do tell all your friends and family about it too.  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

Brace yourself: The Noel Diary is a Netflix Christmas romance that has some actual dramatic substance! Film critic Amon Warmann and editor Amanda Keats get involved in the discussion of this story of buried family secrets, long-lost parents and a tiny degree of actual realism among the fairy lights. If you’ve enjoyed listening to “BAH HUMBUG”, please take a moment to give us a lovely 5 STAR rating on Apple Podcasts. It really helps other people to find the show. If you haven’t done so already please subscribe to this podcast so you auto-magically get the next episodes for free and do tell all your friends and family about it too.  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