The Critics Club by Ranting Media – Details, episodes & analysis

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/ 

Welcome to The Critics Club! This time, we’re counting down our Top 10 Films of the 1970s—from cinematic game-changers to beloved cult classics. Join Jim, David, and Geoff as they reveal their picks, explore what makes these films unforgettable, and discuss why they’ve stood the test of time. Hint: expect everything from the galaxy-spanning epic of Star Wars: A New Hope to the iconic drama of The Godfather and the campy charm of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Each month, The Critics Club takes on movies, shows, games, and more. Tune in for thoughtful debates, differing perspectives, and passionate film talk.

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💬 Share your favorite 1970s films in the comments—did any of them make our list?

Find more episodes at Ranting Media.

#TopFilms #1970sMovies #StarWars #TheGodfather #RockyHorror #TheCriticsClub #FilmDiscussion #ClassicCinema #FilmPodcast

Friends meet once a month at The Critics Club to discuss their favorite movies, TV shows, video games, and 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.

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/ 

The Guys discuss Theme Parks, Houston Pride, Conventions and more! 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/ 

HO HO HO! (Get it) in our now annual tradition the guys look at pornhubs info-graphics that cover the year past. Full info https://www.pornhub.com/insights/2019-year-in-review 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/ 

SPOILERS AHEAD Geoff and David talk about the newest Star wars movie! SPOILERS AHEAD 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/ 

Because year end wrap up episodes are cool, cheap, and easy The best (and worst) of 2019 is here, everything from Films (Spoilers: Joker didn't make the cut) to Music, the Rant On crew look back at 2019 And wonder where the hell it went TUNE IN NOW 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/ 

Everyone (Minus Kevin RIP) is here to talk Burgers,video games, and boomers! 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/ 

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/ 

This episode was recorded during EXTRA LIFE 2019 Where we are extremely tired but wanted to put out a show for all of you! 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/