[00:00:00] Did Paul Revere really say, the British are coming? And how was George Washington chosen
[00:00:04] to lead the first American army? Join us for the Growing Patriot Podcast, a place for curious
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[00:00:30] Christmas everybody, suck it! That's actually how Amelia and I were starting this podcast.
[00:00:56] We were complaining, welcome everybody to A Very Merry Podcast. We were complaining about how
[00:01:01] both of us have our sound panels out, our microphones are out. We can't use them for some reason and so
[00:01:08] we're just on our janky computer audio and we were salty about it. So way to start off the season being
[00:01:14] salty. But welcome back everybody, it's a preview episode. Hey Amelia, good to see you!
[00:01:19] Hi Sarah, Merry Christmas! I'm so excited to be back!
[00:01:22] Merry Christmas! We are back so we definitely ended without ceremony. Personal issues got in the way.
[00:01:33] Neither of us gets paid to do this podcast, so it was what it was. But here's the thing about this podcast.
[00:01:40] We love doing it so much we couldn't just say goodbye to it. So we're back for another round.
[00:01:45] Um, we are, we are sorry we unceremoniously dropped the ball when real life got in the way last year though.
[00:01:52] We left you hanging. We're gonna fix it.
[00:01:54] It really got in the way. Yeah, and you know what? I'm sick of real life. I'm sick of it.
[00:01:58] Yeah, we want Christmas land life. I want Christmas land life. Everything's good there.
[00:02:03] Everybody gets what they want and um, you never have to feel nervous about how things are gonna end.
[00:02:10] Yeah, it's me and we kept thinking well, we're just gonna be back next week and then real life just kept
[00:02:14] being real life. So yeah, but we're back. We're back. We're back now. Now it's next Christmas.
[00:02:20] We're gonna keep it super casual this season. Um, just because we don't want to stop doing it,
[00:02:27] but we don't want to burn ourselves out. I love doing this podcast is one of the favorite my favorite
[00:02:32] things and I wish we could find someone to pay us doodles of money to do it. But in the meantime,
[00:02:38] we will enjoy ourselves with you dear listening audience. And so um, if you're like us and you just love,
[00:02:46] you know, chilling out with the hallmark movies or the movies in Christmas land and just having a good time
[00:02:51] and not thinking about anything, then you're in the right spot. So Amelia is going to set us up for this
[00:02:59] season a little bit. Um, and what we have, what we can expect to come. But before we get started,
[00:03:04] I want to tell everybody a little bit about this podcast in case they're just tuning in the first
[00:03:09] time. So very merry podcast is a podcast Amelia and I started through our mutual love of hallmark movies.
[00:03:15] And we love how bad they are and how good they are at the same time. And we thought,
[00:03:23] wouldn't it be fun to just talk about these things? So we started up this podcast and over the years,
[00:03:28] we've expanded it to just Christmas land in general, because the hallmark brand has really been sort of
[00:03:35] infectious in that niche. And so we've moved over to great American channel and we've done some Netflix
[00:03:42] where we've got all kinds of fun things so far in our roster. And so that's why we do this. We just,
[00:03:48] we love cheesy Christmas movies. We love talking about them. And even though sometimes it might sound
[00:03:54] like we're complaining about them or, or it may even sound like we're being disrespectful
[00:04:02] in all truthful honesty, everything we say here comes from a place of absolute love and respect for the
[00:04:10] people who make these movies. We want you to keep making them. We want you to keep making them
[00:04:14] exactly the way they're being made. We don't want you to change anything. And we appreciate all of the
[00:04:21] work and effort that goes into these projects. And, and we love that we get to be sort of a, a part of it
[00:04:28] from the audience. And so thanks to everybody who makes these movies and thanks to everybody who's
[00:04:33] listening to us talk about these movies. Absolutely. So like I said, we had, this is well,
[00:04:40] first of all, congratulations to us season five. Here we are. So yes, round of applause. Thank you,
[00:04:48] Kara slow clap. So we felt kind of bad that we dropped the ball on season four. So we're going to
[00:04:55] finish season four this year, which is one of the ways that we are relieving the pressure on ourselves,
[00:05:01] because we were always trying to squeeze in the episodes in the middle of busy Christmas season.
[00:05:06] So we are finishing season four this year, which is going to be great. I'm excited. And we're also
[00:05:14] squeezing in some episodes from, from last year that we didn't get to, and taking in some viewer
[00:05:22] feedback of a movie that we didn't get to watch last year that we're excited to get in. So here's
[00:05:28] what we're going to watch this year. We are starting with journey to Christmas,
[00:05:34] which is a great American film starring Brian. Oh, sorry. Director Brian Brow stars,
[00:05:42] Ash, Cy TSAI and Joey Hayworth. The storyline is in a charity press tour, a model ends up stranded by
[00:05:52] bad weather at the family home of the driver she hired to help her during the week.
[00:05:58] Okay, we've already recorded this one. And so we're going to get this one out to you. And I just got
[00:06:03] to say, if you haven't seen this one, go watch it, go watch it before this episode comes out.
[00:06:07] I actually really liked this one. And I think it's a perfect one to start off the end of season four
[00:06:14] slash beginning of season five. Yep. Yeah. Definite winner.
[00:06:18] And Amelia and I love a road trip movie. We love the road trip formula in Christmas land. Chef's kiss.
[00:06:27] It never fails. Absolutely. It's one of our favorites. Yeah. Second movie is another one of our favorites.
[00:06:33] Secret Royal. So this is one that was last year, and we were slated to watch it. We never got to it.
[00:06:40] Another American family. So this is Danica McKellar, one of our favorites and Damon Runyon. I don't know,
[00:06:45] do we know Damon Runyon? No. I feel like he looks familiar. I don't know. Do we know you,
[00:06:52] Damon Runyon? He was on Degrassi, The Next Generation. I don't know.
[00:06:56] I'm Canadian. Okay.
[00:06:58] Bella Sparks runs Bella's Boutique. Stefan needs to be outfitted for a week of high stakes meetings
[00:07:04] after his luggage goes missing. She accidentally discovers Stefan is actually Stefan William Francis
[00:07:09] Brown, the Duke of Tangford. Do I believe Tangford is a title? I don't know about that one.
[00:07:17] But I'm here for it. We've talked a lot about the names of countries on this show.
[00:07:24] But Tangford really is...
[00:07:27] It doesn't even...
[00:07:28] Tangford is a new one.
[00:07:30] I'm not sure.
[00:07:31] Tangford. All right. Now we're going to do another one that Kira and I watched last year, but didn't
[00:07:36] get around to doing the episode. One thing, director Jason Priestley, Dear Santa. Now this one,
[00:07:45] we got into the seedy underbelly of the neighbor of Christmas land, Holiday Land. This was a lifetime
[00:07:51] movie.
[00:07:52] Yes.
[00:07:53] Amy Acker and David Hayden Jones.
[00:07:56] I remembered loving this movie and it was a little bit sketchier than I remembered. Still
[00:08:16] for a soup kitchen owner after discovering a dear Santa letter written by his seven-year-old daughter.
[00:08:22] This is a good one. And so I think you guys will like this because it does take place in
[00:08:32] Christmas land, seedier sister city, Holiday Land.
[00:08:37] So if you think about like our West Palm Beach versus Tampa, that kind of thing. We're going to
[00:08:44] get to Tampa on this one. Still so much to talk about. Really great. And I had forgotten that Jason
[00:08:52] Priestley did that one. So we need to get him that episode so he can listen to it as well. He might
[00:08:59] enjoy it.
[00:09:00] Exactly. I'm sure he's been waiting since season four when we said we were going to do it and never
[00:09:05] got to it.
[00:09:06] I am so sorry, Jason. I know we don't have a real work ethic. You are a hugely successful
[00:09:11] entertainer.
[00:09:11] Please call him Mr. Priestley.
[00:09:13] I'm sorry, Mr. Priestley. I am so sorry. You are a hugely successful entertainer and
[00:09:19] we're just two very online Hallmark fans. We have a great appreciation for what you did. So yeah,
[00:09:27] guys go watch that movie, but just understand you're not going to be at the Waldorf Astoria.
[00:09:34] You're going to be exactly. Yes, absolutely. Next up, Great American Family from last year,
[00:09:42] Christmas on Windmill Way. I picked this one because it's starring Chad Michael Murray.
[00:09:47] I'm still not over Tristan from the Gilmore Girls, to be honest with you. So Mia Meyer expects that her
[00:09:55] Oma Ann will win the Christmas Market Fest Dutch Bake Off competition, which is a whole title,
[00:10:03] with her award-winning Kirst... Uh-oh. Kirstostal. I'm going to get some emails about that.
[00:10:12] Yeah. But her Oma has difficult news to share. Then Mia's ex returned and brings problems for the
[00:10:17] mill. Oh boy. Okay. Well, this one has some elements that we really love. We love a bake-off.
[00:10:25] We love a bake-off. Yeah. And we love when the ex-boyfriend comes and has problems for the family
[00:10:32] business, but I have a feeling he's going to end up saving it. I don't know, Amelia. It seems like
[00:10:37] they've probably been living very different lives up till now. I don't know if they're just very
[00:10:42] different people. Yeah, I mean, I'm looking at the picture and he's wearing a tie and his hair is really
[00:10:49] nice. So I think he's just a big city guy. I don't... I don't feel like he can be redeemed,
[00:10:54] but her Oma Ann might see something in him and her Kirststall, which is probably a pastry.
[00:11:03] Well, we'll learn how to say it and we will find out if he does indeed know the true meaning of
[00:11:10] Christmas. We'll find out. I just Googled it and it is a traditional Dutch oval-shaped
[00:11:16] fruited Christmas bread. I should know this. I went to college in a Dutch town with Dutch people
[00:11:23] and I feel like I've probably eaten it before and never known how to say it. Just the bread thingy
[00:11:30] with the... Because I do love that type of pastry. I love Dutch pastries, actually.
[00:11:35] Welcome to Dutch Pastry Talk with Kira.
[00:11:38] What?
[00:11:39] Here it is.
[00:11:41] All right.
[00:11:42] Oh, yeah.
[00:11:42] Next up, another one that we loved, A Princess for Christmas. Bobo, what's her name?
[00:11:53] Kira Knightley is Katie McGrath, Sam Heughan, and Roger Moore. This one was...
[00:12:00] This one was a movie.
[00:12:03] It was a movie. It was really a movie.
[00:12:07] It was a movie. This was from 2011.
[00:12:11] At the invitation of an estranged relative, a young woman travels with her niece and nephew
[00:12:18] to a castle in Europe for Christmas where she unwittingly falls for a dashing prince.
[00:12:22] I'm trying to remember. This one was called, I believe, Castleberry or Winterberry. I think
[00:12:31] I remember, this is what I recall, people.
[00:12:34] Castleberry.
[00:12:35] To watch this movie. But if I recall, there is a very impressive hip-hop dance scene in this.
[00:12:45] There is.
[00:12:46] And there's also something a little fun about one of the stars of this movie that we found out.
[00:12:53] So I think you should definitely go watch this movie. And it's Sam Heughan before he had his glow up.
[00:12:59] So he's still super cute. He's like, he's cute.
[00:13:02] But he's not like, yeah.
[00:13:04] Yeah, he's cute.
[00:13:05] And I have the IMDB page pulled up so I could read the description.
[00:13:10] And there is, it's got like, you know, trivia.
[00:13:14] The Castleberry Castle is actually Pella's Castle.
[00:13:16] Palace of the Romanian Kings.
[00:13:18] You know, goofs.
[00:13:19] Soundtrack.
[00:13:20] And it also has some fun quotes.
[00:13:23] One of them is, I thought butlers were extinct.
[00:13:26] And the response from the butler is, oh no, we've made a comeback.
[00:13:30] P. Diddy has three.
[00:13:35] Which just hits different in 2024.
[00:13:43] Oh man.
[00:13:45] P. Diddy in the Christmasland universe.
[00:13:48] It was the crossover we weren't expecting.
[00:13:51] They cannot coincide.
[00:13:53] They can't.
[00:13:53] Those are two like separate organisms.
[00:13:56] One has to die.
[00:13:57] There's no way Christmasland could survive with P.
[00:14:00] He'd be like the white witch.
[00:14:02] Yeah.
[00:14:04] Lying the witch in the wardrobe.
[00:14:05] Like the Narnia.
[00:14:07] Just like.
[00:14:07] Yeah.
[00:14:08] That's hysterical.
[00:14:10] I have to go in there and add something.
[00:14:14] Yeah.
[00:14:15] That's amazing.
[00:14:16] Wow.
[00:14:19] Yeah.
[00:14:21] Awkward.
[00:14:22] These days it seems like everybody's talking.
[00:14:29] But no one is actually listening to the things they're saying.
[00:14:33] Critical thinking isn't dead.
[00:14:34] But it's definitely low on oxygen.
[00:14:36] Join me, Kira Davis, on Just Listen to Yourself every week.
[00:14:40] As we reason through issues big and small.
[00:14:43] Critique our own ideas.
[00:14:44] And learn to draw our talking points all the way out to their logical conclusions.
[00:14:49] Subscribe to Just Listen to Yourself with Kira Davis.
[00:14:51] An FCB radio podcast on Apple, on Spotify, iHeart, or wherever you get your podcasts.
[00:14:58] All right.
[00:14:59] And then Christmas Incorporated.
[00:15:01] So this one.
[00:15:02] I don't know.
[00:15:03] This is another one that we watched last year.
[00:15:05] Yeah.
[00:15:05] Or that we had on the list for last year.
[00:15:07] So this is Sinead Grimes Beach and Steve Lund.
[00:15:10] This is a 2015.
[00:15:12] Because we also.
[00:15:13] We watched some old favorites last year, which was fun.
[00:15:15] So the premise is Riley lands herself a new job via a case of mistaken identity.
[00:15:21] And her first assignment is to accompany her new boss on a trip to save a failing toy factory.
[00:15:27] So this was.
[00:15:28] Sorry, go ahead.
[00:15:29] Oh, no.
[00:15:30] I was going to say this.
[00:15:31] This is a scenario that's always on our checklist, which is a situation that could be easily resolved with one simple conversation.
[00:15:44] Mistaken identity in Christmas land could always be solved by someone simply saying at any given moment in time, oh, that's not me.
[00:15:55] Right.
[00:15:56] But.
[00:15:58] Yes.
[00:15:58] You have mistaken me for someone else.
[00:16:01] Yes.
[00:16:02] But that is part of that.
[00:16:04] That's on the trope checklist.
[00:16:06] That's part of how we get these movies.
[00:16:08] It's like it's like the white girl running upstairs instead of out the front door in the horror movie.
[00:16:13] We need these people to be absolutely mum about their real and simple and non-offensive intentions in order for these movies to happen.
[00:16:22] So we're on board.
[00:16:23] Absolutely.
[00:16:24] Absolutely.
[00:16:24] And then last year, we got so many emails about this movie.
[00:16:29] So we had to add it to the list of Biltmore Christmas.
[00:16:33] Oh, yes.
[00:16:34] Yes.
[00:16:35] And we cannot resist a Christopher Palaha movie anyway, because as you know, on this show, we respect the Palaha.
[00:16:42] We respect the Palaha.
[00:16:45] So the premise is it.
[00:16:46] This movie follows Lucy as she is hired to write the script for a remake of a holiday movie.
[00:16:52] She joins a tour of the grounds.
[00:16:54] And when she knocks an hourglass over, she finds herself transported back in time to 1946.
[00:17:00] I am here for it.
[00:17:01] I am here for Christopher Palaha as a 1946 gentleman.
[00:17:07] Lucy is played by Bethany Joy Lenz, by the way.
[00:17:10] We love her as well.
[00:17:11] She was in one of our absolute favorites, where they have the bed and breakfast.
[00:17:16] What's it called?
[00:17:16] Oh.
[00:17:18] A hilarious one.
[00:17:19] I only know what we called it, which is Hot Sassafras.
[00:17:23] Right.
[00:17:23] Exactly.
[00:17:24] The Hot Sassafras movie.
[00:17:25] You know.
[00:17:26] Hot Sassafras.
[00:17:27] That, I love that.
[00:17:29] I still love that movie.
[00:17:30] Yes.
[00:17:31] So anyway, the Hot Sassafras girl.
[00:17:34] I do like her a lot.
[00:17:36] And we love Christopher Palaha.
[00:17:39] We've done a couple of time travel episodes.
[00:17:41] And you love those, because you're a history buff.
[00:17:45] I'm sorry, Christmas.
[00:17:46] There we go.
[00:17:46] But thank you.
[00:17:47] Oh, God.
[00:17:48] Five Star Christmas.
[00:17:49] Go watch it.
[00:17:49] We love it.
[00:17:50] And then listen to our episode on it.
[00:17:52] Hot Sassafras.
[00:17:52] We had a good time on that one.
[00:17:54] But yeah, you love, I don't hate them.
[00:17:58] Obviously, I love everything.
[00:17:59] It doesn't matter.
[00:18:00] But you particularly love the time travel episodes, because you're so big into history.
[00:18:06] So Amelia, I really do expect you to see a lot of accurate historical representation here.
[00:18:11] I'm looking forward to your analysis of how they represented the period.
[00:18:15] I realized that I was insufferable for the episode when they had to reunite the uniform with the service member.
[00:18:26] That was rough.
[00:18:29] I was absolutely no fun for that episode.
[00:18:31] I was like, that's not fair.
[00:18:33] That's not true.
[00:18:34] We hadn't even entered the war.
[00:18:36] The listeners were like, please make her stop.
[00:18:38] Someone cut her mic.
[00:18:40] You'll get to hear Amelia's wonderful historical analysis as well.
[00:18:45] I'm looking forward to it.
[00:18:46] I mean, I enjoy it.
[00:18:50] So I'm excited.
[00:18:53] Definitely excited for Biltmore Christmas.
[00:18:55] Anyway, that's the end, by the way.
[00:18:56] That's our last episode of the year.
[00:18:58] But I'm really excited.
[00:18:59] We did.
[00:19:00] We've got a good mix of old movies and, you know, old favorites, releases from last year.
[00:19:06] We're not going to do any new movies this year because that's kind of what got us mixed up last year,
[00:19:13] was trying to coordinate schedules with real life, as we're calling it.
[00:19:18] So I think this is going to work out better.
[00:19:20] And hopefully we will not drop the ball and fail like we did last year.
[00:19:24] We do like one new movie in the winter sometime that's actually a watch party.
[00:19:32] We've always talked about doing a watch party and the technology is so much easier these days.
[00:19:36] Maybe that's what we save the new movies for or something like that.
[00:19:42] When it's not in the middle of Christmas crazy.
[00:19:44] Yeah.
[00:19:45] But I mean, the thing about Christmas land is it's always Christmas.
[00:19:49] It's always Christmas anytime.
[00:19:52] And this year, Amelia, I'm thinking I might pull Ruby into one of these because she has she won't admit that she's enjoying them.
[00:20:03] But she has begun to sit down on purpose and watch them with me when I watch it.
[00:20:08] So and she's got commentary, the stream of commentary.
[00:20:13] I've trained her up.
[00:20:14] Water commentary is.
[00:20:16] So we might I might invite her in to hear some of her thoughts.
[00:20:22] But it's infectious.
[00:20:23] And that's why we love we love doing this.
[00:20:26] And it's just so much fun.
[00:20:30] To watch a movie that has no other agenda or no other intention than in giving you what you want.
[00:20:39] No one ever gives me what I want.
[00:20:42] Anymore.
[00:20:45] Nobody.
[00:20:45] No one but Christmas land.
[00:20:47] I was at I was at an event over the weekend and was just sitting around with some friends and some new friends.
[00:20:54] I met this couple for the first time and the wife was teasing the husband because he's a Hallmark watcher.
[00:21:01] And she she's not as into it as he is.
[00:21:03] And he was like, listen, I've got a rough job.
[00:21:06] I work hard.
[00:21:08] Things don't always go my way.
[00:21:09] He's like, but I turn on a Hallmark movie and things are going to go my way.
[00:21:13] And I was like, sir, I understand you.
[00:21:19] And he he particularly loves the mysteries.
[00:21:22] And he's like, I know they're going to solve the problem.
[00:21:24] I know it's all going to work out right.
[00:21:27] I know they're going to fall in love with each other.
[00:21:29] And he said, but, you know, a lot of the actors and stuff have left.
[00:21:33] He's like, I don't know what's going on.
[00:21:34] And I said, do you know about Great American?
[00:21:36] I told him about the podcast.
[00:21:38] He subscribed right there in front of me.
[00:21:39] He's like, look at this.
[00:21:40] Look at you guys.
[00:21:41] You've got a show.
[00:21:42] He's like, I didn't know about.
[00:21:43] He's like, you guys have all these Christmas movies.
[00:21:45] I said, well, a lot of the actors have moved over to this to a to American family channel.
[00:21:50] And he was like, he didn't know.
[00:21:52] He's so excited.
[00:21:53] We've got a new listener.
[00:21:54] But it was the same kind of thing.
[00:21:55] He said he said the same thing.
[00:21:57] He said life can be stressful.
[00:21:59] I turn on a Hallmark movie.
[00:22:01] I know it's all going to work out.
[00:22:03] I know everybody's going to be happy.
[00:22:05] The real life stuff, all the like stuff in the news, all the stuff in the real world,
[00:22:08] it's not going to intrude.
[00:22:10] It's just going to be a nice story.
[00:22:11] And she said, but you know how it's going to end?
[00:22:13] I said, that's the comforting thing.
[00:22:15] Right.
[00:22:16] You know how it's going to end.
[00:22:17] Right.
[00:22:18] That is the thing.
[00:22:19] And normally for me, I hate finishing things.
[00:22:24] Like I don't finish books.
[00:22:25] I don't finish.
[00:22:26] It's very rare I finish like a TV show unless I really love it.
[00:22:30] Because I hate things ending.
[00:22:32] Because I don't know how it's going to end.
[00:22:34] But I love the anticipation of not knowing how it's going to end.
[00:22:37] But when it comes to Hallmark, when it comes to Christmas land, yeah, I absolutely do want
[00:22:42] to know how it's going to end.
[00:22:43] Of course I know how it's going to end.
[00:22:45] And that's the whole endeavor.
[00:22:47] That's the whole point of sitting down and watching it.
[00:22:49] And I feel like entertainment used to be that way.
[00:22:52] It used to be we're going to give the customer what they want.
[00:22:55] And I don't feel like I get that in most of modern entertainment.
[00:22:59] It's rare I sit down to something that I feel like was made for me.
[00:23:03] Not me as a black woman or me as a suburban mom or me as a, you know, whatever.
[00:23:09] Just me as an audience member that wants to enjoy.
[00:23:13] I don't feel like people are making stuff for me to be happy watching anymore.
[00:23:19] And in Christmas land, it's always and only made for you to be happy watching it.
[00:23:25] Yep.
[00:23:26] I am so ready.
[00:23:28] I'm ready.
[00:23:29] So thank you to all of the people in Christmas land who have worked to make these movies for
[00:23:35] us.
[00:23:35] And we hope you're out there doing great and doing more projects for us to enjoy in the
[00:23:39] future.
[00:23:40] Amelia, before we let people go, just do a rundown of maybe where they can find all this
[00:23:45] stuff.
[00:23:47] We are a very merry podcast on Facebook and Instagram and a very merry pod on Twitter.
[00:23:52] You can find us on all of the podcast platforms.
[00:23:56] So follow like subscribe.
[00:23:59] Oh, and we are what are we on Gmail?
[00:24:01] Very merry podcast.
[00:24:02] A very merry podcast at gmail.com.
[00:24:05] Yeah.
[00:24:05] Yeah.
[00:24:06] Hit us up.
[00:24:06] Let us know what you like, what, what movies we should be thinking about and get in touch.
[00:24:13] We'd love to hear from you.
[00:24:14] All right, Amelia.
[00:24:15] Well, until we meet again, I wish you days filled with toboggan sled contests.
[00:24:24] And I wish you the predictable endings that make you feel comfort.
[00:24:30] Oh, Merry Christmas, Amelia.
[00:24:32] Merry Christmas, Kira.
[00:24:43] This has been a presentation of the FCB podcast network where real talk lives.
[00:24:50] Visit us online at fcbpodcasts.com.