Episode 875: Depictions of Santa Claus
In this episode, Tyler and David discuss depictions of Santa Claus in movies as well as the death of Andre Braugher.
Depictions of Santa Claus include Jeannot Szwarc’s Santa Claus: The Movie and more!
Battleship Pretension is a movie discussion podcast started in 2007 by Tyler Smith and David Bax. Since then, we’ve done live comedy shows, written reviews, commentaries and more.
Battleship Pretension is a film discussion show and a film review website founded by Tyler Smith and David Bax. Beginning in March 2007, Battleship Pretension the show (known to fans simply as “BP”) embodies the type of laidback, free-flowing conversations had by lovers of film around the world. Battleship Pretension the website is dedicated to being a destination for those seeking worthwhile opinions on current releases, be they foreign, independent, studio pictures, theatrical, home video releases, etc. From its meager beginnings in Los Angeles, Battleship Pretension has amassed a worldwide audience and readership. From Germany to Korea to Australia, people have tuned in to share in Tyler and David’s love of film. As Battleship Pretension’s following continues to grow, the purpose remains the same: Reach out to the international cinephile community, invite them to join in the discussion and perhaps even start one of their own.
Santa doesn’t speak Swahili in the original Miracle on 34th Street, he speaks Dutch. The girl is a Dutch orphan who’s been adopted by an American woman and it’s implied that her parents were killed by the Nazis.
On Saint Nicholas Day: I didn’t know this was celebrated anywhere but the Netherlands and Belgium! Here in the Netherlands, St. Nick arrives the third weekend of November. Kids put their shoes out the day of his arrival and get a small present. December 5, St Nicholas Eve, is when he delivers the big presents (traditionally accompanied by poems to be read aloud by the recipient before unwrapping, so if you have a big family the unwrapping ceremony can take hours).
When the Dutch came to the US we took our St. Nicholas tradition with us, and only then did Santa become associated with Christmas. In the Netherlands, St Nicholas Day and Christmas are still seen as unrelated, and the Dutch tend to think of Sinterklaas (St. Nicholas) as an entirely different character than the American style Santa, whom we call Kerstman (Christmas man). So St. Nick leaves the Netherlands December 6 and returns as the Americanized version twenty days later. But most Dutch people still let the original Santa bring most of the gifts.
This is fascinating! Thanks for the information!
– David
There was already an R-rated action-movie hero Santa prior to Violent Night: Fatman starring Mel Gibson. Not that great, even compared to the previous film from the Nelms brothers (Small Town Crime).
I didn’t see that one. Small Town Crime was okay, though.
– David