12.21.2025 OVERRATED & UNDERRATED: THE HOLIDAY EDITION!!! With DANA GOULD!
DING DONG MERRILY ON HIGH! MAYBE TOO HIGH?
JAMES GONIS, SHAWN SHERIDAN, LARRY STROTHE, and MATT WEINHOLD toast and roast the seasonal cinematic chestnuts that have been served to genre fans over the years. Not even The Grinch can stop… OVERRATED & UNDERRATED: THE HOLIDAY EDITION!
Every holiday season, we Monster Partiers celebrate with an expansive and diverse playlist of winter wonder films. Whether made for film or TV, the entertainment industry has not been shy in churning out a Santa’s sleigh-bag of holiday-themed horror, sci-fi, and fantasy fare. Ranging from beloved animated TV specials like Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and A Charlie Brown Christmas, to Christmas classics like It’s A Wonderful Life, March of The Wooden Soldiers, and White Christmas, and even offbeat and often controversial viewing like Silent Night Deadly Night, Gremlins, Fatman, The Thing, and Batman Returns, it’s relatively safe to say that there’s something for every taste.
But are all these so-called classics as good as everyone thinks? And should some films and TV specials have a better reputation than they currently hold? Whatever your opinions, we guarantee that this episode will present challenging arguments that only MONSTER PARTY could inflict.
Joining us for this canticle of criticism is a long-time friend of MONSTER PARTY, and our answer to Kris Kringle. He’s a brilliantly talented comedian, actor, writer, producer, and podcaster, who has worked on or created such genre-friendly projects as THE SIMPSONS, SUPER ADVENTURE TEAM, THE GEX TRILOGY, TED, CREEPSHOW: THE SERIES, TALES OF HALLOWEEN, STAN AGAINST EVIL, and HANGING WITH DOCTOR Z. Please welcome back, the Christmas miracle that is… DANA GOULD!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS, MONSTER PARTIERS! AND HAVE A CUP OF EGG NOG, IF ONLY TO ANNOY LARRY.
OVERRATED & UNDERRATED: THE HOLIDAY EDITION!!!
Guest(s)
Dana Gould:
Follow Dana: Dana Gould (@danagould) • Instagram profile | Dana Gould| Dana Gould
Key Topics Discussed
The "Authoritarian" Santa Debate: The guys and guest Dana Gould take a deep dive into the 1964 Rankin/Bass Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer special, questioning if that version of Santa was actually "a bit of an authoritarian" and "least sympathetic" portrayal of Santa.
The "Batman Returns" Reappraisal: Shawn admits to a change of heart regarding Tim Burton's Batman Returns, moving from finding it "clunky" to appreciating it as a "gorgeous" and "great Christmassy movie".
Holiday Treat Takedowns: The crew roasts classic holiday staples, store-bought gingerbread described as "candy drywall" and the group discussing the many ongoing mysteries of fruitcake.
The "Hammer Horror" Heist Recommendation: Shawn highlights an underrated holiday "deep cut," the 1961 Hammer film Cash on Demand, describing it as a riveting Christmas heist thriller featuring a top-tier performance by Peter Cushing.
The Public Domain "Horror-fication" Trend: The guys and Dana Gould discuss the recent wave of low-budget horror films utilizing public domain characters. They debate whether "horror-izing" beloved figures like Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse, and Popeye is a creative "cash grab" or simply a case of doing something just because you can.
Timestamps
01:02:14 Guest Introduction: Matt Weinhold welcomes comedian and filmmaker Dana Gould.
01:03:49 The Public Domain Horror Trend: A discussion on the "horror-ization" of Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse.
01:06:10 Santa in Modern Cinema: Analyzing the "Evil Santa" trope and films like Fatman and Violent Night.
01:09:12 The Rankin/Bass Legacy: Deep dive into the "authoritarian" Santa of the 1964 Rudolph special.
01:18:57 Holiday Special Deep Cuts: Debating Frosty the Snowman, Little Drummer Boy, and Jack Frost.
01:22:23 The Peanuts Philosophy: The origin of The Great Pumpkin and the "magic" of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.
01:26:58 It’s a Wonderful Life Re-evaluation: Why the guys think this holiday classic is actually a horror film.
01:34:57 Overrated vs. Underrated Movies: The group clashes over White Christmas before Shawn Sheridan reappraises Batman Returns.
01:46:30 90s Holiday Favorites: Re-evaluating Mars Attacks!, Christmas Vacation, and Home Alone.
02:08:23 Niche Holiday Picks: Shawn champions the Hammer thriller Cash on Demand.
02:12:31 Holiday Food Rant: Why gingerbread is "candy drywall" and the "re-gifting" mystery of fruitcake.
02:15:50 Live Action Reimagining: Critique of the Jim Carrey Grinch and live-action Peanuts concepts.
02:25:27 Final Shout-outs and Sign-off: A nod to Greg Ehrbar, holiday merch promo, and a chaotic final goodbye.
Resources/Links Mentioned
Films
Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey – Dana Gould cites this as an example of the "horror-fication" of public domain characters.
The Mean One – Mentioned as the "evil Grinch" horror film.
Silent Night, Deadly Night – Discussed for the massive controversy it caused by depicting a killer in a Santa suit.
Violent Night – Described as a "fairly entertaining" modern film where the lead is actually the real Santa Claus.
Bad Santa – Recommended as a brilliant holiday comedy; the hosts specifically suggest the director's cut.
Fatman – Shawn champions this as a surprisingly good, gritty action movie featuring Mel Gibson as Santa.
Red One – Shawn mentions watching this Dwayne Johnson film and finding it more amusing and underrated than he expected.
It’s a Wonderful Life – The group debates if George Bailey’s choice was right and re-evaluates the film as a "horror movie" about the consequences of a wish.
Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man – Dana classifies this as a "wintry" movie due to the snow and the hero's quest for death.
The Satanic Rites of Dracula – Playfully suggested as a title for a Christmas movie playlist.
White Christmas – James calls this classic, calling overrated and "nothing."
Holiday Inn – Mentioned as the original film where the song "White Christmas" first appeared.
Black Christmas (1974) – Matt and Dana champion this as a fantastic and underrated holiday slasher.
March of the Wooden Soldiers (Babes in Toyland) – Larry highlights this as an underrated, dark film featuring Laurel and Hardy and "army of monsters."
Batman Returns – Shawn and Dana reappraise this as a "gorgeous" and "great Christmassy movie."
Heathers – Mentioned because it was written by Daniel Waters, who also wrote Batman Returns.
The Batman (2022) – Briefly mentioned regarding the detective nature of the character.
King Kong – Referenced by Larry when discussing Matt’s childhood Halloween costume.
Mars Attacks! – Dana reappraises this as a beautiful aesthetic achievement that works better now as a parody of modern America.
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World – Cited as the stylistic inspiration for the pacing and cast of Mars Attacks!.
Christmas Vacation – Noted that it is a bit dated, but James still enjoys watching it every few years.
Home Alone – Dana finds it overrated and discusses the "psychotic" nature of a family forgetting their child.
Uncle Buck – Mentioned during a discussion about Macaulay Culkin’s early career.
My Girl – Noted for the famous scene where Macaulay Culkin’s character dies (SPOILERS).
Oh. What. Fun. – A modern Michelle Pfeiffer Christmas movie discussed as a potential "Home Alone" riff.
Jaws – Used as a comparison for the tone of Michelle Pfeiffer’s character in her new film.
The Thing (1982) – Discussed as a perfect "wintertime" movie to watch during the holidays.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan – Matt suggests this as a great "family" movie to watch during Christmas.
The Shining – Agreed upon by the group as a "cozy" choice for winter viewing.
Clambake – James jokes that he would rather watch this Elvis movie than White Christmas.
Krampus (2015) – The group is split; Shawn calls it a "single" (not a home run) and notes it should have been R-rated.
Suspiria (2018) – Dana mentions his family watched this on Thanksgiving, though the group prefers the 1977 original.
Cash on Demand (1961) – Shawn highlights this Hammer thriller as a riveting and underrated "Christmas heist" film.
The Silent Partner (1978) – Suggested as a perfect double-feature for a "Christmas banking festival."
How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) – The live-action version is criticized for being an unnecessary "product."
Solo: A Star Wars Story – Dana uses this as an example of a film that felt unnecessary.
The Lion King (2019) – Mentioned regarding the trend of unnecessary live-action remakes.
Gremlins – Shawn argues it is overrated and has not aged well, while James wishes it had stayed a dark horror film.
The Goonies – Re-evaluated by the group as "excruciating" and highly overrated.
Breakfast at Tiffany's – Used as a comparison for films that have one "really bad" element that ruins the experience.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians – Mentioned as a "definitely underrated" film that introduced the world to Pia Zadora.
Television
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town: Mentioned in the context of Rankin/Bass specials, prompting an impression of Mickey Rooney as Kris Kringle.
Jack Frost: Highlights as an underrated later Rankin/Bass special featuring Paul Frees as Kubla Khan.
The Year Without a Santa Claus: Noted specifically for introducing the characters Heat Miser and Cold Miser.
Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey: This special is described as "beautiful" and "sad".
A Charlie Brown Christmas: The group discusses Charles Schulz's personal philosophy, the themes of commercialism , and the "magic" of the tree's transformation.
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown: Dana explains that the origin of the "Great Pumpkin" concept was Schulz's empathy for poor children who didn't receive visits from Santa.
The Twilight Zone ("The Night of the Meek"): The hosts praise Art Carney's performance as a drinking Santa but lament that the episode was shot on video rather than film.
Saturday Night Live: Mentioned regarding a specific parody skit of the ending of It’s a Wonderful Life featuring Jon Lovitz and Kevin Meaney.
The Tonight Show: Larry recalls seeing Jimmy Stewart on this program with Johnny Carson, which served as his introduction to It's a Wonderful Life.
Game of Thrones: A "Red Wedding" reference is made following a spoiler about a character's death in another film.
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown: Discussed in the context of live-action adaptations and the strangeness of seeing a "dude" play Snoopy.
Sigmund and the Sea Monsters: Dana discusses his experience writing a live-action film version of the show that was ultimately never made.
The Christmas Story (1972 Hanna-Barbera Special): Highlighted as a program recently hosted by Greg Ehrbar on TCM.
