Die Hard Is (Or Isn't) a Christmas Movie

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/