Suggestible - Holiday Special with The Grinch of Christmas

Episode Date: December 23, 2021

Suggestible things to watch, read and listen to. Hosted by James Clement @mrsundaymovies and Claire Tonti @clairetonti.Check out our new weekly 'Suggestible and the City' podcast play.acast.com/s/suggestible-and-the-cityThis week’s Suggestibles:A Christmas Horror StoryThe Happiest SeasonSingle All The WayAntlersPoet Joanna BennettThe Night BeforeLove My Way Christmas SpecialA Gift For Santa by Pevan and SarahAn Elf with a GunSend your recommendations to [e-mail], we’d love to hear them.You can also follow the show on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook @suggestiblepod and join our ‘Planet Broadcasting Great Mates OFFICIAL’ Facebook Group. So many things. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi, I'm Jessi Cruikshank from the number one comedy podcast, Phone a Friend, which I strongly advise you listen to. You know what else I suggest you look into? Becoming a host on Airbnb. Did you like that segue? Thank you. I recently started putting my guest house on Airbnb when I'm out of town, and I didn't realize how easy it would be until I did it. If you have a spare room, you could Airbnb it, or your whole place could be an Airbnb. It's a great way to make a little extra money by doing not a lot, which frankly is my mantra in 2024. To learn more, go to Airbnb.ca slash host. Bing, bing, bing, bong. It's suggestible time. It's Christmas. Oh, holy night, the night of suggestible pod. A little peek behind the curtain. We

already recorded that. And then I'd hear it again because my microphone was muted. So I was already like. Don't tell the audience. No, people love a peek behind the curtain because it lets them know that even as successful podcasters, we're just putting our podcasting pants on one leg at a time. We are.

Okay. Well, speak for yourself, mate. I put them both on all at the same time. You jump into them. I do. I've got a contraption. I have a bunk bed. I stand on top of the bunk bed.

I set my pants up between two chairs. Is that what the bunk bed is for? And I jump down every morning. Just like that's what brings my cheerful demeanor. The bunk bed isn't for sleeping. No. You could get a ladder. It's for my pants room.

You could like jump off like for sleeping. No. You could get a ladder. It's for my pants room. You could like jump off like a box. No, I have a pants room in the house specifically for this action. Okay, well look. It gives me a whoosh, a whoosh. Do you think maybe we could. A little pep in my step. We could do something else with the pants room. Look, we've got to move forward.

We've got to move forward, Claire. Who are we? I'm Claire. James is here also. Claire Totti. James Clement. We're married. We recommend you things to watch and listen to.

And this is my favourite podcast of the year. Oh, my God. The Christmas podcast. Even more favourite than our current podcast. Suggestible in the city. And surprise, you're going to do some Christmas karaoke to get us in the mood. No, I'm not. I'm absolutely not.

You absolutely are. Get ready. Do you think this is happening? Get ready. Do you think this is happening? Yes ready. Do you think this is happening? Yes, I am. You know, Dasher and Dancer. I'm literally leaving the room.

I'm not doing it. Goodbye, everybody. Comments and Q&A. This is the end of the episode. Donna and Blitzen, you have to come back. But do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Do you recall it, James? Please come back. Come on,olph the red-nosed reindeer

had a very shiny nose come back and if you ever saw it you might even say it glows all of the other reindeer i'm just committing you still have a call. Their names like Pinocchio. Okay, James, it's over. You can come back in. You can come back in. It's over. Come back in. No, I lied.

Come back in. Well, I put it in the low key just for you. Then they shouted out with glee. James, it's really over now. You can come back in. You left the back in. You came back. You left the whole time. Oh, I thought at least you would come in for the last bit.

No, I had to scroll my phone. I had to see what was going on on Twitter. I thought you would do the bits, you know, Rudolph, the red nose, reindeer, and then you'd be like, reindeer, had a very shiny nose, and you'd say that hilarious line, like Pinocchio. Your idea of what you think I would do is different than my idea, which was to disengage. Because this is like if you're being bullied.

Do you know what I mean? What you have to do, you have to shut down the person, like shut down the idea of what they're going for. Do you know what I mean? You're so bitter. What I heard as I scrolled through twitter and found out that brian may of queen got covered at a party and now regrets it i hope he's okay oh that uh that i just heard an insane person like with no backing track and and the first part was desperately out

of key because i put it in a low key the first part so that yeah most of it so that you could sing it with me oh man we're gonna have to cut most of it. So that you could sing it with me. Oh, man, we're going to have to cut most of that because that was just an insane person singing on her own in a studio. Well, I hope you had a good time. I mean, I did have a good time. I always have a good time. Almost as fun as putting on my pants, both legs at a time.

I'm sorry, I just don't have the energy for pretending to engage, not even pretending, just to be involved in any aspect of what just happened then. Oh, I'm so embarrassed. Poor Colleen. You could just cut the whole thing. I was just a lonely, sad woman in a room with headphones on singing bad karaoke.

I even did the karaoke this time. It was a video. I saw. I was scrolling words and everything. And that would help you. Help me what? Know when to come in. You know, it's hard to sing karaoke when you're in the other room reading on Twitter. All right. Fine. Tell us what you're recommending Gritch of Christmas. Oh my God. See, every year for the Christmas. You're going to make this a tradition, aren't you? Spree your but how about. And my tradition will be I will leave. No. Okay. How about, how about.

I know I've pushed it this year with two. How about I get one. I get one a year. When can you use it? Just once in a whole year. So it could come up in June. Yes, but you have to stay in the room and you have to contribute. What do I get for this?

What is my. Love and devotion. Okay, how about this? I don't like my words. get for this? What is my? Love and devotion. Okay, how about this? How about this? I get to recommend one horrible Christmas thing. Fine. My recommendation this year is a Christmas horror story. This is an anthology movie that I watched from 2015.

Take away my Christmas joy. It was directed by, it consists of four to five short Christmas stories directed by Grant Harvey, Steve Hoban and Brett Sullivan. They all cover, they're all set on Christmas night and they're all bookended and narrated by William Shatner as an alcoholic radio DJ, right? There's one about kids breaking into a school and there's like ghosts or whatever, ghosts and nuns and babies or whatever, right?

That one's fine, whatever. There's one that I, there's a Krampus one. You know the Krampus, the anti-Santa who turns up and he's like. Oh, whose name is James? Yes. That's you. Krampus turns up and he's like, you've got like misery in your heart. The Krampus appears, do you know what I mean?

And he like murders you and makes you like appreciate Christmas or whatever. It's like a big goat horn looking thing. I guess it is like me in a way. The one that the main one I would say is probably it's Santa with zombies, right? So it's Santa and his workshop and then all these elves start to turn into zombies and he has to kill them all, right? That one's got a really like awful twist at the end. That's terrible.

Yeah. I won't spoil it here because people might want to watch it. But I think my favourite one or at least that my – I think the one that I thought had the spookiest concept, it was called Changeling and it's about this family and they go to get a Christmas tree in a section of the woods that they're not allowed to go. The sun goes missing and like for five minutes and it's snowing and they're like, oh, no, he's gone. Anyway, he turns up.

They take him home. It turns out maybe it's not their son. Maybe it's something that has taken the form of their son and her son has been left in the woods. Christmas. Do you know what I mean? Anyways, if you like. That is awful.

That is the most awful thing I've ever heard and what she just leaves her son in the woods because he's actually a monster. No, no, no. The son's not a monster. She takes home the wrong thing. So the son goes missing and then finds something that looks like her son and takes it home. Oh, my God.

That is just awful. This is the I'm doing things in the spirits of Christmas. In the spooky spirits of Christmas. Look, I'll say this. If you like schlocky stuff and gore and Christmas fun, it's not amazing, but if you're into this kind of thing, it's like spooky Christmas stories or whatever, then maybe this is for you.

It's like the spooky Halloween kind of vibe. Exactly. It's a vibe. It's like the spooky Halloween kind of vibe. Exactly. It's a vibe. It's not my vibe. I tell you that much. I'm mad. I'm mad at you. You didn't stay for the Rudolph song and now I feel so stupid

because I was just singing here on my own. I'm embarrassed. I don't get embarrassed. And I'm embarrassed. See, it would have been less embarrassing if I stayed, right? Exactly. But I didn't. No. And now I just sang all the whole if I stayed, right? Exactly. But I didn't. No.

And now I just sang all the whole and I committed to the whole thing. I think that's important. I think that's important to being who you are. I tricked you. I tried to get you back in in a little interlude. But I wouldn't stay for that, though. You understand that? Anyway, what are you recommending for Christmas?

I'm so excited. Okay, so I did. You went on a Christmas bonanza. I went hard the very first year we did this. Oh, yeah. So I put all my good Christmas recommendations that I've loved over the years. You did too many. Because you know how much I love Christmas.

However, I found some new stuff this year, which is exciting, right? So now I go on a hunt every Christmas for some Christmassy things to bring the joy. I noticed some things you give like a few minutes to and go, no, this isn't good enough for me. You even tried to bring the joy. I noticed some things you'd give like a few minutes to and go, no, this isn't good enough for me. You even tried Die Hard this afternoon. I did and I hated it. That's ridiculous. It's just like all like dick-swinging white men in a building being like,

I just hated it. That's right. I thought I would find it amusing but I didn't. I found it annoying. Nah, Die Hard's great actually. And I hated the way that his, I probably, I only watched 15 minutes. I thought I'd watched it. You have watched it.

I have? And your friend Kate's house. Oh, yeah, that's right. We watched all three of them. We did but I think I just tuned out. Anyway, you know how at the beginning his wife's like decided she wants her own career and he's all like, oh, what's this about her having her own career? I hated that.

You'll be happy to know that even though at the end of Die Hard 1 they get back together, in the long term they stay divorced. So that's good. Yeah, good. Well, why couldn't he just move with it? He's like, I'm a New York cop fighting a New York crime. Just move with your bloody wife so she can do her fancy job. Cops can go anywhere.

Anyway, let's talk. Now you've really brought down my Christmassy move. I'm restarting things. I'm sorry, everyone. I'm not bringing my usual Christmas joy. But these things I'm about to recommend. Okay. Bring it back in.

So I've chosen two really cool new Christmas movies. They're from 2020 and 2021. So the first one is a 2020 movie called The Happiest Season. Okay. Now it stars Kristen Stewart who plays Abby. I like Kristen Stewart. Yeah, and her girlfriend Harper who is played by Mackenzie Davis. I'm a big fan of Mackenzie Davis as well.

These are two people that are near and dear to my heart. And they're really quite comedic. Mackenzie Davis is so, I mean they've both got so much range, but Mackenzie Davis I feel like is under the radar. She was also an excellent like in that Terminator movie, the last one that people were like, eh, it's all right or whatever. She's terrific. She's great in everything.

She's terrific in this too because she plays it quite funny as well but low key. Yeah. And she's sort of surprising. So the scene opens in a beautiful Christmas snowy place and Abby and Harper, you know, are having a lovely romantic night and Abby decides that she's going to propose to Harper and before she does so, Harper invites her home to meet her family

for Christmas. Very good. And so on the drive there, so Abby hasn't proposed yet, on the drive there Harper suddenly stops the car and says to her, actually, heads up, I haven't told my family that I'm queer and I don't know anything about you. They think that you're my roommate. Oh, no.

And also my dad's like this big politician, a local politician who's running for mayor and so, you know, I can't tell them yet but I will try but, you know, they think things are very perfect and they need me to be perfect for this, you know, to protect my dad's campaign so can you just pretend? And Abby, because she loves her, decides that she seems initially cross and then she's like, you know what, yes, fine, just, you know, for the sake of your dad's campaign, then after it's over you can tell them.

So yes, I'll pretend that I'm your roommate. And then it kind of ensues from there. So her family is that kind of picture perfect big massive mansion in this, you know, beautiful picturesque village and her dad's this kind of, you know, mayor doing all these big speeches and all this kind of stuff about family values. And then Alison Bray, who I love, plays her sister. Now, Mary Holland is an actress and comedian and she co-wrote the show

with Clea Duval, who you might recognise is another person that has so much range. She's a producer and a director and an actress. She plays Lara Cruz in Better Call Saul. Oh, okay. And she's also in The Handmaid's Tale and she's all that and a bunch of things. Anyway, so the screenplay is written by DeVol and Mary Holland

and Mary Holland also stars in it as one of the sisters. There's three sisters. Now, another favourite from Parks and Rec, Aubrey Plaza plays the ex-girlfriend of Harper. Okay. And you come to see that Harper has form in this department and she hasn't actually come out to any of her old family and friends. Right, so she's like, you're just the same, you've never changed.

Yeah, exactly. Now, Dan Levi plays her best friend John and he's brilliant from Schitt's Creek. So there's some beautiful heartfelt moments in this. Michelle Bateau, who I love, plays a cameo in this as well. She's a really fun comedian. So it's really funny. It's heartwarming. It also has some lovely commentary about what it means to come out to your family

and people's expectations of you and it turns out, I won't spoil it, but it's just a beautiful Christmas movie while also, I I think having some deeper themes and I really enjoyed it. Is that on Netflix? No, I think it's on Stan. Okay. I'm pretty sure. Not on Netflix. Yeah, so that was one of the favourite ones.

I really went wide looking for it because there are so many Christmas movies now. Yeah, and they're like choked with Christmas. It's like which of these are good? I'm just not into it. You don't like the really schmaltzy stuff. I can't do the schmaltzy, really corny ones. I love the movies that give you that kind of heartfelt,

melancholy kind of Christmasy, you know, like drinking some eggnog, there's a bit of like heartbreak and then it all resolves in the end. That's the kind of thing I love. Yeah, exactly. Anyway, so this is that kind of thing but with a queer storyline which I think is lovely as well. So that kind of is awesome to see. Now, the other one that's excellent that I also loved is Single All the Way

and that is on Netflix. Right. It's a 2021 Canadian Christmas romantic comedy directed by Michael Mayer and written by Chad Hodge and the plot follows a gay man, Michael Urie, who convinces his best friend, Philemon Chambers, to pretend to be his boyfriend when he comes home for Christmas. And the two of them have been best friends forever. And it turns out everyone in their lives can't understand

why they're not a couple already. Why aren't they a couple already? Yeah, well, because I think it turns out that Michael Urie, so his name's Peter, that character, kind of has a lot of commitment issues. He's afraid he'll ruin the friendship and all that stuff. Oh, that old chestnut. All of the things. That's why we have remained steadfast friends for these years.

Yeah, exactly. Some of the joy of this movie is Peter himself, like played by Michael Urie, who you'd recognise from Ugly Betty and Younger. He's super funny and charismatic. Something else I loved about this movie, Jennifer Coolidge is hilarious. Oh, she's terrific. She is terrific.

She was in The White Lotus, you know, among lots and lots of these. She's in the American Pie movies. She's like Stifler's mum or whatever, yeah. And she's also Bend and Snap from Legally Blonde. Yeah, okay, yeah, yeah. And just she's brilliant. She's very funny, yeah. Hysterical. She steals the. She's very funny, yeah. It's hysterical.

She steals the show as Aunt Sandy in this. She's just, there are just snort-inducing moments because she plays this kind of ageing actress, larger-than-life kind of slightly alcoholic auntie who has this big vision for this Christmas play that she puts on every year and it's always a disaster and she kind of comes into it and it's just so funny.

She's terrific, yeah. She has some killer lines, just so good. And also the mum is played by Kathy Najimy. Her name's Carol and she's also beautiful too and the relationship with her and Peter is just really lovely. It's just great because this one, it isn't actually a movie about being gay at all. It's just about a lovely rom-com that happens to have two characters

who are queer and I love that, I think, and that's what people have kind of said they've loved about it too. It's pretty corny. You know, it doesn't pull any massive punches or anything but that's kind of what's lovely about it. Yeah, absolutely. And the chemistry between the cast is great. So if you're in the mood for some Christmassy joy,

those two are my top rom-com picks. Top rom-com. Those sound terrific. I'm glad that you had a Christmassy time because you seemed like you were having a time but also you seemed stressed for some of it because you're like, I don't even know if I can find anything this year. This is like Christmas shopping.

I just pulled out all of my, I pulled out, I went hard that first year and put out all, these are not my old favourites that I go to, like a while you were sleeping or something that I watch every year. When you named literally everything. That's great. Anyway, share another one. Oh wow. Look, in the spirit of Christmas, this movie is called Antlers. You're familiar with Antlers? Is someone being stabbed by antlers? Funny you should mention that. Battle of the antlers. It is, I'm thinking, you know, it seems like a Christmassy movie. It's in a cold place, you know, reindeers, antlers.

It's about community. It stars Kerry Washington who you might know as Felicity from the TV show. I love Kerry Washington, particularly her hair. It's fabulous. Exactly. You might know Jesse Plemons. Do you know Jesse Plemons? He's from Breaking Bad.

He's from Fargo. Oh, yes, yes, yes. I know him. He's from Breaking Bad. He's from Fargo. Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes. Also terrific. I know him. He's excellent. It's directed by Scott Cooper based off the book called The Quiet Boy, and this is the tagline. Mother Earth has been pillaged, stripped of her life's blood,

a violation that has awakened a malevolent spirit. We hate you. Seeking the lost, the frail and the depraved. Pray it desires not you. So it turns out that this movie Antlers is a spooky time also. And I didn't know this going into it because it was on Disney Plus but it was in the star section, which is the spookier section of Disney Plus. It's the more adult section. Well, yeah, of course.

It's not going to be a Christmassy time. You have so far failed to bring any Christmas joy with you. Okay, so basically what it is, this like spirit because they've been fracking. Introducing Uber Teen Accounts, an Uber account for your teen with always-on enhanced safety features. Your teen can request a ride when you can't take them. You'll get real-time notifications along the way.

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...in the land. It infects like this. You are infecting my Christmas episode with negativity. We talk about all this stuff every episode of the year. I wanted just to have Christmas puddings and snow and reindeer and magical Santa everywhere. Okay. What is this fracking?

I know it's awful and horrible. I don't need my fracking in the middle of my Christmas joy. Look, if you don't like the realities of the world, Claire, then that's fine. That is the beautiful thing about Christmas. You can suspend all the horrible things that are happening for one moment in time. Anyways, it's like a virus.

So if this thing attacks you, then you slowly transform. Let's bring a virus into my Christmas episode as well. You kind of morph into this hideous like multi-antler, like horrible monster creature which then just seeks like revenge and blood. That's like revenge of the reindeer. Yeah, in a way. Frapping and a virus. Exactly.

And it's got like a glowing heart which you could like destroy it with. Is that at least slightly Christmas? Oh, no. It gets torn out at one point. Is it red at least? Yeah, it's like glowing-y, orange-y kind of thing. At least that's something. That's nothing to sneeze at.

But I knew you'd be upset. I knew you'd be like, oh, you never bring anything good. So here's some actual recommendations. We actually bring something nice? Yeah. Okay, here we go. This is what I've written down. I'm suspicious. You have too much joy Okay, here we go. This is what I've written down. I'm suspicious.

You have too much joy in your eyes. No, this is what I've got here. I'm leaving. Advent calendar. I'm still suspicious. Wreath. I'm still suspicious. Christmas cheer.

Okay. I'm coming on board. Those are the three things I've written here. Are you serious? I got one off the top of my head. Alpha on the shelf. We'll be doing an alpha on the shelf. That is such bullshit. I've been researching and studying all my Christmas recommendations. Let me check. And you're just listing things that people already do at Christmas. That's like being like, I know what I recommend.

Uh, a pudding. Maybe I'll recommend, I don't know, a red and white hat. Here's something I recommend. A stocking. Here's something I just Googled. I'm like best Christmas Christmas. I hate you. I have so many thoughtful recommendations for Christmas that bullshit. I'm just going to ignore you and I'm going to read a poem instead.

Okay. By a really amazing poet who I interviewed for my podcast. This is what Christmas is about. Families fighting. Irritating relatives. Yes. This is what Christmas is about. What, putting up with irritating relatives. Yes. So I hate you so much. I'm just going to read a poem. Please.

This is called Christmas Box by this wonderful poet, Joanna Bennett. Oh. Winter comes in, the changing of the clocks. Time to climb the stairs and bring down the box. Dancing in the room, fall laughing to the ground. Excitement and the thought of old treasures to be found. Red glitter sleigh, shepherds in a stable, advent calendars. Oh, that's mine.

Made and scored around the table. That was my recommendation. Stop, you're ruining the magic. The carved wooden angel with the bright golden hair, a special secret bauble from the shop no longer there. The keepsake saved from each and every year, a family held close, old, far and near. Now limbs all around us, the two of us are grown.

It's time to start collecting for a box of our own. I hate you. That was very nice. Thank you. It's all about that Christmas box that we all have that you never touch but that I collect all the ornaments and every year and then our son was so excited to bring it out and then you bring out all the ornaments and you hang them.

I agree with that. And it's so special. That's good. All of those things are good things. Good. Well, don't laugh. I'm not. Mistletoe.

There's another thing. Mistletoe. Who puts mistletoe up anymore? Snow thing. Mistletoe? Who puts mistletoe up anymore? Snowmen. Mistletoe's creepy. Lights. Because of the kissing thing, right? Yeah.

It's not very much about consent. It's just for somebody at your work to be like, hey, why don't you give me a bloody kiss, mate, at the Christmas party? That's a real problem. My son asked me about what mistletoe was because he was listening to Christmas carols and I told him the tradition and he said, that doesn't sound right. And I said, yeah.

It doesn't. Here's one. Here I said, yeah. It doesn't. Here's one. Here's a genuine one. It's called The Night Before. It's from 2015. It's directed by Jonathan Levine. No. It stars, here we go.

You actually nearly started this one. It stars Anthony Mackie, who's currently the new Captain America. It stars Seth Rogen, who you know from being Seth Rogen. I do. It stars Joseph Gordon. Have you watched this though? I have watchedogen. I do. It stars Joseph Gordon. Have you watched this? I have watched this.

I watched it a few years ago. Joseph Gordon-Levitt. So Ethan, Isaac and Chris are best friends who have celebrated every Christmas Eve together. Things take a turn when Isaac and Chris decide to end their decade-long tradition. So basically Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character is kind of this man child. He's stuck in a loop.

Do you know what I mean? His parents died when he was younger and so his friends have always been there for him every Christmas. But this Christmas Eve, they're like, we can't do this anymore. Do you know what I mean? We're getting older. We've got kids on the way and one of them's a pro athlete and it's just like we don't have time for this tradition anymore.

And it's about all the things that you love, Claire. It's about coming together. It's about Christmas cheer. It's about fun. There's quite a hilarious scene with Seth Rogen because he wears a Hanukkah, I think I've said that wrong, that's my Australian accent, sweater because he's Jewish. Ah, yes, yes, yes.

And he goes to a Catholic ceremony but he's like really high on mushrooms and it's quite funny. Yeah, it's cool. It's like a cool kind of like fun Christmas movie. Okay. And it's narrated by Tracy Morgan also. Okay, that sounds cool. I did try and start that, but I think it was too jokesy for me.

You wanted something a little bit more endearing. I did. I did. But it looks fun because the cast is great. The cast is great. They're awesome. What else have you got, Claire? Oh, okay.

So a couple more things. If, like James, you are not a massive Christmas fan. No, I like it. Or you have. Everybody celebrates Christmas differently, Claire. Or you are not a massive Christmas fan. Well, I like it. Or you have. Everybody celebrates Christmas differently, Claire. Or you have a complicated family because sometimes people have very complicated families at Christmas. There's a show called Love My Way.

It's a really old Australian show starring Claudia Carvin who's a beloved actress. And it's a heartbreaking series but it's great. Also the script is brilliant. And they have a Christmas special. So i was going to recommend other christmas specials because that's just fun stan have a whole collection of them of all your favorites all kind of collated so you know mason loves a very special christmas episode yeah you know gavin and stacy's your special there's like so many so this one um from love My Way is heartbreaking but it's also great

and it kind of depicts what a really complicated family is like at Christmas. Right, right, right. So that's a good one I watched. Now for kids there's a cool Christmas Santa song called from this band that my son loves called Pebbin and Sarah. Ah, yes, yes. And it's called A Gift for Santa and it starts off with a pizza hat, which is just like all the things that kids want.

So I totally recommend that song. And the other Christmas song I wanted to talk about, well, not just a song, it's a whole album. So the wonderful Paul Kelly, who I adore and who I saw in concert again this year, he has released a Christmas album. It's the first one he's ever done. So he has this iconic song I've talked about before, How to Make Gravy, which is kind of an Australian Christmas anthem.

It's his 28th studio album and it's called Paul Kelly's Christmas Train. The 22-track album traverses language and cultural significance from Latin hymns to a traditional Irish folk ballad and a well-known carol sung in Te Reo Maori, which is the New Zealand native language. So it's just glorious. It has so many different styles of music, including some extra new songs that Paula Kelly has written,

one called Christmas, which is really perfect for this weird Christmas that we're entering into about how we want to be at home with the people we love, and that might not be possible. So that's called Christmas. But some of my favourites, there's a beautiful rendition of Silent Night. There's a beautiful song, Swing Around the Sun. And there's also my favourite is a version of O Holy Night, sung in Maori, by Marlon Williams and the Dungala Children's Choir. Now it is just incredible. If you aren't familiar with Marlon Williams,

he is the most beautiful singer. He's from New Zealand. His voice is so resonant and deep. He has beautiful original music but this version of him singing is just otherworldly. Like there's something amazing about the way they've captured the resonance in his voice that just sort of blows you away. So that's now on repeat for me.

It's my album of the season. Oh, very good. It's absolutely beautiful. Does it bring you much Christmas cheer? It does. And also that kind of melancholy feeling about, which I kind of love as well at this time of year. It's mixed emotions.

It's mixed emotions. Mixed emotions. Mixed emotions. Yeah, but that's on Spotify. Oh, cool. So wherever you are in the world, you'll be able to get it and it's just gorgeous. They actually also have it on vinyl if you wanted to get a sneaky

late Christmas present and you were around in Melbourne or Australia. I don't know if you could get it overseas but that would make a lot of sense. At the very least you could go here. This is on Spotify. Correct, exactly. Yeah, so that's all my Christmas recommendations. Wow, this has been an absolute Christmas miracle for everybody involved. Now, Claire, genuinely, do you want me to leave the room

so you can sing the song again? No, I don't. I hate you. And I really couldn't find the key at the beginning, so I was just like wiggling around because I'd done it low, so I thought that you could just talk away through it. If I were you, what you should have done is lock the door. Lock the door?

You should have locked me in here. Oh, I didn't even think of that. I don't even know if you can actually. No, I can't because the lock, no, that's dangerous. Bah. Is it? I don't know. Anyway, we have a voice note.

Would you like to hear it? Is this a song? No. Is this a trick? It's from a wonderful listener. Here's the thing, Claire. You're telling me that I'm not meeting you on your level for Christmas, but you keep

springing traps on me. Christmas isn't about that. This isn't a trap. This is a lovely letter from Ben, one of our wonderful listeners. And if you two would like to write into the show. I do. I would love to. We would love to hear from you. This one is from Ben. Let's go. Hi, James and Claire.

This is Ben england with some suggestions for this christmasy period i know this is going to be a bit close to christmas but what i want to do was recommend a couple of christmas albums um there uh there are two albums both by the same band called rend collective and. And they're actually a Christian band. And I know Christianity isn't everyone's vibe, and that's absolutely fine. But if you're a fan of like some classic Christmas carols, then do give these two albums a listen. Now, Rend Collective are a kind of Irish folk band.

So they put their own spin on classic Christmas carols, but they also have a couple of covers of non-religious Christmas songs as well. And, you know, it is just a whole lot of great fun listening to the music that they produce. So I would suggest both of their Christmas albums. The first one is Campfire Christmas, Volume 1, and the second Christmas album by them is A Jolly Irish Christmas, Volume 2. Delightful! So please do give those a listen if you want to feel in the Christmassy mood, if you want to hear those carols with an Irish folk twist, or just have a listen to a couple of their non-religious themed ones, which are just about family and Christmas getting together and parties.

Keep up the good work, the pod, both of you. Love both of you on the pod. I am a bit more of a fan of James's more successful podcast, The Week of the Planet, but Suggestible fills in that gap in the middle of the week nicely. Hope you two have a wonderful Christmas and I hope everybody else who listens to the podcast has a fantastic Christmas and a wonderful new year.

Bye. Thank you so much, Ben. What wonderful Christmas cheer he brings to this podcast, which I think all around has been a very successful endeavour if you don't mind me saying so. Claire, do you want me to read a review for the show? And did you know you can review an app and maybe you can even do it on Spotify?

No, I did not know. Maybe even now, whatever you're listening on. Anyway, this is from Rocky11 who says, bing bong, bing bong. Hello there, new listener to Suggestible, long-time listeners of the Weekly Planet. So I'm a new listener. Curious if you all have covered how you and James met. I know you're both teachers, so I think so probably there.

No, we met before we were teachers. We met at a charity function, did we not, Claire? We did, correct. But what did you think when he said, I'm not going to teach anymore but make podcasts? I think that was, I didn't like spring that on you. That was something we talked about. I wasn't just like, I'm quitting.

I'm quitting teaching and I won't do it. That's, yeah, that's what happened. And it coincided with the birth of our first child. Yeah, and you stepped it back gradually, I think. Yeah, exactly. We talked about it each step of the way. So you went for four days and three days at work. It's probably not something you want to spring on your partner

if you're making big life decisions. Just as they're about to bring a new baby into their world. Exactly. So it was very much a collaborative process and part of that was that Claire was starting to do more work with it as well. And that's how we got here. Anyway, love your chemistry during the pod. Keep up the good work.

Unofficial, official Texas listener of the pod, Rocky. Aw, thanks so much, Rocky. What a legend. We have such great listeners. And I know this old boot over there won't be saying any of this Christmas joy. But I'm going to say thank you so much for listening to us this year. We just value. There's one more episode though.

I know, but it's Christmas and at Christmas time you have to tell the people you love that you love them. You love all these people? I do. I'm sending my love out to all of them because I think it's cool that you guys show up and listen to us. I think that is cool. Every week.

But I don't love anybody that listens to this. Well, all I'm saying is that, what am I saying? I'm just all Christmassy sentimentally. And I love this time of year because it makes you reflect on, I don't know, the year that's been. And in a year that has been another dumpster fire of a year, this show has been a bright spark. Me too.

Are you tired though? God, tired. I'm so tired. Tired doesn't even cut it. I'm like dragging my knuckles along the ground tired. You do have long arms. Yeah, it's not a good stretch for me. My soul is tired.

You know what I mean? Yeah, I know. Like deep within. I feel like maybe this puppy sent us over the edge. I don't think it was just that, but it certainly didn't help. But imagine it with a little Christmas hat on. Oh my gosh. I know that's something that's what I'm doing this week. I'm going to get us a family Christmas outfit. I want to take a photo with all of us in matching outfits. All right. I'll do it. That I will do for you. Thank you. All right. That's, we've been

us. That's us. Have a safe Christmas as well. Whether you're celebrating with friends, family, alone, whatever you're doing, stay safe. Do something for yourself and maybe others if you can. Have yourself a merry little Christmas.

Let your heart be light. Have a shine. Have a good time and your friends When you see an elf Be careful it's not the elf with a gun Who's a real Marvel character It's just an elf with a gun I'm not making it up It's an elf and it has a gun I'm a real Marvel character. It's just an elf with a gun.

I'm not making it up. It's an elf and it has a gun. I'm not sure what powers it has beyond that. But there is a character called Elf with a Gun. Oh, are you done now? I don't know. Thank you for singing with me. I love Christmas, Claire. And have yourself a merry little Christmas.

A merry little Christmas now You're so annoying. Thanks, Colleen, for editing. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night. This podcast is part of the Planet Broadcasting Network. Visit planetbroadcasting.com for more podcasts from our great mates. I mean, if you want. It's up to you.