Episode 30. Goodman's Birthday Bash: Fred Claus

Let us paint a scene with a wintry brush: Dre journeyed to the
bitter, frigid cold of New York City to visit Goodman (and to see
a prizefight at the famed Madison Square Garden with another
friend). They had a few hours to burn. Goodman suggested they
take in the cinema, a favorite pastime that they both shared,
but, alas, Dre, upon hearing the name Fred Claus, said they
should pass and go on their merry way to a pub or a
restaurant-type establishment... leaving Fred Claus like an
abandoned toy truck to be covered in snow, then buried in dirt,
and left alone, untouched, forgotten, for a very long time.

But it's Goodman's Birthday Bash and your two co-hosts unearth
the Vince Vaughn holiday flick and figure out whether they've
missed out on a hidden gem, or if they should've left it where it
was all those years ago (and what does famed film and culture
critic Wesley Morris have to say on the matter?).

But first, we have to talk about what we watched. Goodman watched
two recent movies that touch directly (and indirectly) on sexual
abuse and the corruption of power in Bombshell, which looks at
Fox News under Roger Ailes, and the many women who were affected
by his actions, and The Assistant, a smaller, quotidian look at
the inner workings of a film production company—with a
fictionalized Harvey Weinstein-type producer at the helm—and a
lowly female assistant who tries to call attention to his
actions.

After those two more sobering films, and to get into the festive
mood, Goodman watched the tinsel-tinged sequel, A Bad Mom's
Christmas, which Goodman actually got to visit the set of when it
was filming in Atlanta.

Then Dre highlights the first film in Steve McQueen's Small Axe
anthology, Mangrove, which takes a look at the racial injustice
and prejudice inflicted upon Caribbean immigrants in London's
Notting Hill neighborhood in the late 1960s/early 70s, and led to
the trial of the Mangrove 9.

Bells will be ringing next when we discuss Fred Claus, the cast,
the quotes, the trivia, and more. And stay for a little game
where Goodman asks Dre to rank some of the more outlandish takes
from Wesley Morris' movie review (we still love you WM!).

Last, don't leave without witnessing The Quote Parade—it's like
the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade if, instead of delightful
floats, you received terribly-performed movie quotes.

Coming up next week, we say goodbye to 2020 (hooray!), and
hello to Vince Vaughn car destroyer/prison legend in Brawl
in Cell Block 99.

SONG CREDITS:
Theme music: "70s Funk" by Frank Cogliano
What we watched music: "Let's all go to the lobby" by Jack K.
Tillar (lyrics)
Closing music: "This is My Jam" by Will Van De Crommert
The Quote Parade music: "Pelican Parade" by Richard J. Freitas
and Geraldine Brioso