Music Video of the Day: Christmas Wrapping by The Waitresses (1981)


This is apparently not the official video for The Waitress’s Christmas Wrapping.  Instead, it’s a video that someone else put together using other clips of the band.  I haven’t been able to find an official version so there might not be one.  Or, at the very least, if there is one, it does not appear to be on YouTube.  (If I’m wrong, let me know.)

Anyway, I like the song and tis the season.  Interestingly enough, it’s often missed that the song is more about the chaos of the season than the joy of it.

Enjoy!

Lisa Marie’s Week In Television: 12/14/25 — 12/20/25


Flight of the Conchords (HBOMax)

Murray books Bret and Jermaine for a concert at “Central Park,” but he insists that they tour first to prepare for it.  Bret continually causes havoc that Murray blames on Jermaine.  In the end, it turns out that the concert is at a central park not The Central Park.  Jeff and I watched that classic episode on Wednesday.  It made me cry a little.

Frasier (Prime)

Jeff and I watched three episodes of the original 90s version of Frasier on Tuesday.  The first episode featured Frasier getting into a war of words with a columnist who wrote a column about why hated Frasier’s radio show.  It almost led to an actual physical fight before the police intervened on the behest of Martin Crane.  (John Mahoney was a treasure!)

The second episode was “The Candidate,” in which Frasier endorses Phil Patterson for Congress, just to discover that Phil Patterson is convinced that he was abducted by aliens and taken into outer space.  The scene where a stunned Frasier attempted to record a commercial for Patteson (“the sane choice”) made me laugh so much that I almost fell off the couch.

Finally, we ended with a Christmas episode!  Frasier wants to get his young son a Christmas gift that will make him think.  Martin argues that Frasier should get him a gift that he’ll have fun with.  Frasier and Niles have to go to a mall.  The closing scene, with Martin revealing that he had purchased the gift that Frasier’s son actually wanted, made me cry.

What a great cast this show had!  Watching these three episodes, I was reminded why the revival didn’t work.  As good as a job as Kelsey Grammer did in the revival, no one wants to think of Frasier moving back to Boston and no longer having anything to do with his family in Seattle.

The Office (Peacock)

On Tuesday, Jeff and I watched several classic episodes of The Office.  We started with season 2’s Christmas Party.  Then, we watched Season 4’s Did I Stutter, followed by Season 6’s Scott’s Tots, and we followed it all up with Season 3’s The Convict and A Benihana Christmas.  I know I’ve been pretty critical of the direction that The Office eventually ended up going.  But the first three seasons were about as good as any sitcom that has ever aired and seasons 4-6, while uneven overall, still produced some classic episodes.  I will always enjoy the Christmas episodes, no matter how much that annoying actress from A Benihana Christmas whines about it.

Saved By The Bell: The Next Class (Prime)

Saved By The Bell: The Next Class continues to be my preferred background noise for when I’m struggling to get some sleep.

Seinfeld (Netflix)

On Tuesday, Jeff and I watched two Christmas episodes of this classic 90s sitcom.  We started with the episode where Elain was dating a communist and Kramer got fired from his department store Santa job because he was spreading propaganda.  Meanwhile, Jerry’s high school rival resurfaced and demanded a rematch on a race that Jerry won after getting a head start.  I loved this episode!  Everything from Jerry and George pretending to randomly run into each other at the coffee shop to the race at the end to the little kid yelling, “Hey, this guy’s a commie!”

We followed that episode with the Festivus episode.  I love the scene where Jerry Stiller (as George’s father) casually talks about seeing someone else grab the doll that he was planning to buy for his dolls.  “As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be a better way!”  Also, I totally would have wanted to be Submarine Captain too.  Free sub?  Give me my ticket!

The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle Fights One Battle After Another


The Philadelphia Film Critics Circle have named One Battle After Another as the best film of 2025.  I guess it makes sense.  When you live in Philadelphia, life is one battle after another.

Best Film
Winner: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runner-Up: SINNERS

Best Director
Winner: Paul Thomas Anderson – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runner-Up: Ryan Coogler – SINNERS

Best Actress
Winner: Jessie Buckley – HAMNET
Runner-Up: Rose Byrne – IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU

​Best Actor
Winner: Michael B. Jordan – SINNERS
Runner-Up: Ethan Hawke – BLUE MOON

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Teyana Taylor – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
​Runner-Up: Wunmi Mosaku – SINNERS

​Best Supporting Actor
Winner: Benicio del Toro – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runner-Up: Delroy Lindo – SINNERS

Best Screenplay
Winner: SINNERS
Runner-Up: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Best Score/Soundtrack
Winner: SINNERS
Runner-Up: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Best Directorial Debut
Winner: Charlie Polinger – THE PLAGUE
Runner-Up: Eva Victor – SORRY, BABY

Best Breakthrough Performance
Winner: Chase Infiniti – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
Runner-Up: Miles Caton – SINNERS

Best Cinematography
Winner: SINNERS
Runner-Up: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Best Documentary
Winner: GRAND THEFT HAMLET
Runner-Up: ORWELL: 2+2=5

​Best Foreign Film
Winner: IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
Runner-Up: SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Best Animated Film
Winner: KPOP DEMON HUNTERS
Runner-Up: ZOOTOPIA 2

Best Ensemble
Winner: SINNERS
Runner-Up: ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

The Steve Friedman Award
For a person or film that drives major public discourse on a topic or issue
SINNERS

The Elaine May Award
For a deserving person or film that brings awareness to a story from a woman’s perspective
IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU

The Cheesesteak Award (Sponsored by Philips Steaks)
Winner: SUPERMAN
Runner-up: PREDATOR: BADLANDS

The Boston Online Film Critics Association Honors One Battle After Another


The Boston Online Film Critics Association has announced its picks for the best of 2025.  And here they are:

TOP TEN FILMS OF 2025
1. ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER
2. SINNERS
3. MARTY SUPREME
4. NO OTHER CHOICE
5. IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT
6. SENTIMENTAL VALUE
7. WEAPONS
8. HAMNET
9. THE SECRET AGENT
10. TRAIN DREAMS

Best Director
Paul Thomas Anderson – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Best Actress
Rose Byrne – IF I HAD LEGS I’D KICK YOU

Best Actor
Wagner Moura – THE SECRET AGENT

Best Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Best Supporting Actress
Amy Madigan – WEAPONS

Best Screenplay
Paul Thomas Anderson – ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

Best Ensemble
SINNERS

Best Score
Ludwig Göransson – SINNERS

Best Cinematography
Adolpho Veloso – TRAIN DREAMS

Best Editing
Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie – MARTY SUPREME

Best Documentary
THE PERFECT NEIGHBOR

Best International Feature
NO OTHER CHOICE

Best Animated Film
KPOP DEMON HUNTERS

Holidays on the Lens: Random Acts of Christmas (dir by Marita Grabiak)


In 2019’s Random Acts of Christmas, journalist and single mom Sidney Larkin (Erin Cahill) is assigned to discover who has been committing random acts of Christmas kindness throughout the city.  At first, Sidney doesn’t want to investigate the identity of “Secret Santa,” but then she meets another journalist named Cole (Kevin McGarry), who is also looking into the story.  It’s a love that springs from rivalry except …. have you ever noticed that you never see Cole and Secret Santa in the same place at the same time?

Oh, come on.  We would all love to live in a city with a Secret Santa!

Scenes That I Love: The Cemetery Scene From It’s A Wonderful Life


I love It’s A Wonderful Life and I’m looking forward to watching it many times over the upcoming week. To me, it’s the rare example of a perfect film.

Below is one of the more somber but important scenes from It’s A Wonderful Life. George (James Stewart) and Clarence (Henry Travers) go to what would have been Bailey Park if George had been born. Instead, it’s now a cemetery and buried there is George’s brother, who would have died if George hadn’t been born. And, as Clarence explains, every man that George’s brother saved would have died as well. “Each man’s life touches so many other lives,” as Clarence puts it.

Here is a scene from a wonderful movie called It’s A Wonderful Life.

4 Shots From 4 Films: Special George Roy Hill Edition


4 Shots From 4 Films is just what it says it is, 4 shots from 4 of our favorite films. As opposed to the reviews and recaps that we usually post, 4 Shots From 4 Films is all about letting the visuals do the talking.

4 Shots From 4 George Roy Hill Films

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, dir by George Roy Hill, DP: Conrad Hall)

Slaughterhouse Five (1972, dir by George Roy Hill, DP: Miroslav Ondříček)

The Sting (1973, dir by George Roy Hill, DP: Robert Surtees)

Slap Shot (1977, dir by George Roy Hill, DP: Victor Kemper)

Live Tweet Alert: Join #ScarySocial for Christmas Evil!


As some of our regular readers undoubtedly know, I am involved in a few weekly live tweets on twitter.  I host #FridayNightFlix every Friday, I co-host #ScarySocial on Saturday, and I am one of the five hosts of #MondayActionMovie!  Every week, we get together.  We watch a movie.  We tweet our way through it.

Tonight, at 9 pm et, Deanna Dawn and I will be hosting #ScarySocial!  The movie?  1980’s Christmas Evil!  

If you want to join us this Saturday, just hop onto twitter, start the movie at 9 pm et, and use the #ScarySocial hashtag!  It’s a friendly group and welcoming of newcomers so don’t be shy.

The film is available on Prime!

Here are the 2025 Nominations of the Georgia Film Critics Association


Here are the 2025 Nominations of the Georgia Film Critics Association.  The winners will be announced on December 27th.

Best Picture
Black Bag
Hamnet
It Was Just an Accident
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Train Dreams
Weapons

Best Director
Hamnet – Chloé Zhao
One Battle After Another – Paul Thomas Anderson
Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier
Sinners – Ryan Coogler
Train Dreams – Clint Bentley

Best Actor
Timothée Chalamet – Marty Supreme
Leonardo DiCaprio – One Battle After Another
Joel Edgerton – Train Dreams
Ethan Hawke – Blue Moon
Michael B. Jordan – Sinners

Best Actress
Jessie Buckley – Hamnet
Rose Byrne – If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Chase Infiniti – One Battle After Another
Renate Reinsve – Sentimental Value
Eva Victor – Sorry, Baby

Best Supporting Actor
Benicio Del Toro – One Battle After Another
Jacob Elordi – Frankenstein
Sean Penn – One Battle After Another
Adam Sandler – Jay Kelly
Stellan Skarsgård – Sentimental Value

Best Supporting Actress
Ariana Grande-Butera – Wicked: For Good
Regina Hall – One Battle After Another
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas – Sentimental Value
Amy Madigan – Weapons
Teyana Taylor – One Battle After Another

Best Original Screenplay
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You
Marty Supreme
Sentimental Value
Sinners
Sorry, Baby
Weapons

Best Adapted Screenplay
Frankenstein
Hamnet
No Other Choice
One Battle After Another
Train Dreams

Best Cinematography
F1
Frankenstein
One Battle After Another
Sinners
Train Dreams

Best Production Design
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
Frankenstein
Hamnet
Marty Supreme
Sinners

Best Original Score
F1 – Hans Zimmer
Hamnet – Max Richter
One Battle After Another – Jonny Greenwood
Sinners – Ludwig Göransson
Train Dreams – Bryce Dessner

Best Original Song
“Golden” – KPop Demon Hunters
“Highest 2 Lowest” – Highest 2 Lowest
“I Lied to You” – Sinners
“Last Time (I Seen the Sun)” – Sinners
“Train Dreams” – Train Dreams

Best Ensemble
Black Bag
Marty Supreme
One Battle After Another
Sentimental Value
Sinners

Breakthrough Award
Miles Caton
David Corenswet
Chase Infiniti
Jacobi Jupe
Eva Victor

Best Animated Film
Arco
Elio
KPop Demon Hunters
Scarlet
Zootopia 2

Best Documentary
The Alabama Solution
The Librarians
My Mom Jayne
The Perfect Neighbor
Predators

Best International Film
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sirāt

Oglethorpe Award for Excellence in Georgia Cinema
Bugonia
Meta Take One
The Naked Gun
Sister
Salad Days (Short)
Superman
Swimming Holes (Short)
Thunderbolts
Weapons
Withdrawl
Zora Head: The Life and Scholarship of Valerie Boyd (Short)

One Battle After Another Wins In Florida


The Florida Film Critics Circle has announced its picks for the best of 2025.  The winners are in bold.

BEST PICTURE
Grand Tour
The Mastermind
No Other Choice (RUNNER-UP)
One Battle After Another (WINNER)
Sinners

ACTOR
Lee Byung-hun (No Other Choice)
Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme)
Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another)
Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent)
Josh O’Connor (The Mastermind) (WINNER)

ACTRESS
Crista Alfaiate (Grand Tour)
Jessie Buckley (Hamnet)
Rose Byrne (If I Had Legs I’d Kick You) (WINNER)
Jennifer Lawrence (Die My Love) (RUNNER-UP)
Renée Zellweger (Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy)

SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Rita Cortese (Most People Die on Sundays)
Amy Madigan (Weapons)
Wunmi Mosaku (Sinners) (RUNNER-UP)
Teyana Taylor (One Battle After Another) (WINNER)
Mia Threapleton (The Phoenician Scheme)

SUPPORTING ACTOR
Benicio del Toro (One Battle After Another)
Jacques Develay (Misericordia)
David Jonsson (The Long Walk) (RUNNER-UP)
Delroy Lindo (Sinners)
Sean Penn (One Battle After Another) (WINNER)

ENSEMBLE
Eephus
One Battle After Another (RUNNER-UP)
The Secret Agent
Sentimental Value
Sinners (WINNER)

DIRECTOR
Ryan Coogler (Sinners)
Bi Gan (Resurrection)
Kelly Reichardt (The Mastermind)
Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another) (RUNNER-UP)
Park Chan-wook (No Other Choice) (WINNER)

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
The Astronaut Lovers (Marco Berger)
If I Had Legs I’d Kick You (Mary Bronstein)
It Was Just an Accident (Jafar Panahi) (WINNER)
Rent Free (Fernando Andrés & Tyler Rugh) (RUNNER-UP)
Sentimental Value (Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier)
Sinners (Ryan Coogler)

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
Bugonia (Will Tracy)
Hamnet (Chloé Zhao & Maggie O’Farrell)
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (Liane-Cho Han, Aude Py, Maïlys Vallade & Eddine Noël)
No Other Choice (Park Chan-wook, Lee Kyoung-mi, Don McKellar, Lee Ja-hye) (RUNNER-UP)
One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson) (WINNER)

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Grand Tour (Gui Liang, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Rui Poças)
One Battle After Another (Michael Bauman & Paul Thomas Anderson)
Resurrection (Dong Jingsong) (WINNER)
Sinners (Autumn Durald Arkapaw) (RUNNER-UP)
Sirāt (Mauro Herce)

VISUAL EFFECTS
Avatar: Fire and Ash (WINNER)
Frankenstein (RUNNER-UP)
No Other Choice
Resurrection
Sinners

EDITING
Die My Love (Toni Froschhammer) (RUNNER-UP)
No Other Choice (Kim Sang-bum & Kim Ho-bin)
Marty Supreme (Ronald Bronstein & Josh Safdie)
One Battle After Another (Andy Jurgensen) (WINNER)
Sinners (Michael P. Shawver)

PRODUCTION DESIGN & ART DIRECTION
Frankenstein (RUNNER-UP)
The Phoenician Scheme
Resurrection (WINNER)
The Secret Agent
Sinners

ORIGINAL SCORE
The Mastermind (Rob Mazurek) (RUNNER-UP)
One Battle After Another (Jonny Greenwood)
Sinners (Ludwig Göransson) (WINNER)
Sirāt (Kangding Ray)
Resurrection (M83)

DOCUMENTARY
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions (RUNNER-UP)
The Perfect Neighbor
Predators
River of Grass
Sabbath Queen (WINNER)

INTERNATIONAL FILM
Grand Tour (WINNER TIE)
It Was Just an Accident
No Other Choice (WINNER TIE)
Resurrection
The Secret Agent
Sirāt

ANIMATED FEATURE
100 Meters (RUNNER-UP)
Arco
KPop Demon Hunters
Little Amélie or the Character of Rain (WINNER)
Zootopia 2

FIRST FILM
BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions
Eephus (RUNNER-UP)
Lurker
Sorry, Baby (WINNER)
The Ugly Stepsister

BREAKOUT AWARD
Miles Caton (Sinners)
Chase Infiniti (One Battle After Another) (WINNER)
Jacobi Jupe (Hamnet)
Théodore Pellerin (Lurker)
Eva Victor (Sorry, Baby) (RUNNER-UP)

GOLDEN ORANGE
River of Grass – Sasha Wortzel
No Sleep Till – Alexandra Simpson