Pop Punk Radio's Top 5 Christmas Movies for a Modern Generation

This ain't your Grandma's list of holiday movies, so don't expect to see the typical It's A Wonderful Life or A Christmas Story at the top of this list. While those are both charming enough movies, they are a bit outdated.

A Christmas Story is certainly one of my favorite traditional movies to watch on Christmas Day, what with 24 hour marathons and all. But it's ultimately a film about a kid getting a gun for Christmas. And we totally prefer The Vandals' take on that story.



It's A Wonderful Life certainly has a great meaning. It's a story about a man with a wife and four kids who suddenly faces criminal charges and decides suicide is the best way for his wife and kids to carry on without him... wait a second, that's a TERRIBLE story! Ok, ok... maybe I'm simplifying it a bit. It is ultimately a story about the main character changing his views on life and realizing how his life touches those around him. I'm still very surprised that corporate Hollywood hasn't tried to milk this cash cow with a remake by now. The film could probably benefit from a modernized perspective.

But I digress. On with the top 5 list!

Christmas Movie Review: Gremlins (1984)

"Turn on all the lights, check all the closets and cupboards, look under all the beds..." and check out our review of Gremlins. You might be thinking that Gremlins would be more appropriate as an entry in our Halloween movie fest as a horror movie, which it is. However, in addition to being a horror movie and a comedy movie, Gremlins is totally a Christmas movie.

Christmas Movie Review: Bad Santa (2003)

Make yourself some sandwiches and check out our review of Bad Santa. This black comedy from 2003 instantly became one of my holiday favorites the first time I watched it. Maybe it was the fact that I was working retail during the holidays at the time, so I found it easy to relate to the frustrated, sarcastic humor of the movie. The acting is top notch, the laughs are plentiful and the soundtrack was used incredibly well with the on-screen action.

Music Video: "Smoke Screen" by DozerTX

Movie Reviews: The Love Guru (2008) - Hockey Month

Remember Mike Myers? He came around in the early 90s through Saturday Night Live and brought us the Wayne's World movies. Then he stepped it up a notch and gave us three hilarious Austin Powers movies. Then he took the movie world by the balls as the voice of Shrek and it seemed like he had everything going for him.

And then he released this movie:



The Love Guru was released in 2008 and is generally considered to be the movie that killed Mike's career. We think that's a bit harsh. The movie isn't great, by any means. But it has it's charm as a "stoner" style comedy even though there are no references of such in the film. If you enjoy Adam Sandler's newer films then you will enjoy The Love Guru.

So what makes this a hockey movie? Well, Myers plays a spiritual guru who is assigned to help the star player of the Toronto Maple Leafs rediscover his "mojo" after losing a girlfriend to another player on a rival team. That player is Jacques "Le Coq" Grande, a quirky French-Canadian goaltender played by Justin Timberlake.



This movie includes a number of appearances and cameos by various celebrities including Stephen Colbert, Jim Gaffigan, Verne Troyer, Daniel Tosh, Ben Kingsly, John Oliver, Jessica Alba and more. But in our opinion, it's Timberlake's performance that steals the show.

Album Review: Centerpiece EP by Dozer TX

Album: Centerpiece EP
Artist: Dozer TX
Release Date: March 10, 2017

Website/Social Media: Bandcamp, Facebook

Sounds Like: Pop-Punk / Emo /Alternative

Similar Artists: Handguns, Knuckle Puck, Heartsounds

Review: "Never be afraid to put your happiness above someone else's," explains Miles McMillen of Dozer TX. The band was formed in 2014 by former Handguns guitarist Kevin Cale and their sound is best described as aggressive emo pop-punk with a dash of alt rock. The quartet from San Angelo, Texas have just released their sophomore EP titled Centerpiece.

Album Review: Poison Arrows by Communique

Album: Poison Arrows
Artist: Communique
Release Date: May 18, 2004

Website/Social Media: Bandcamp, Facebook

Sounds Like: 80s New Wave & Indie Rock

Similar Artists: Matt Skiba & The Sekrets, We Are Scientists, Gerard Way (solo), Ozma, Alkaline Trio, The Network

Review: How has this band eluded my ears for over 10 years? Communique released 3 albums on Lookout! records in the mid 2000's but it took until just a few days ago for their 2004 full-length album Poison Arrows to fall into my hands.

Song Meanings: "Secret Society" by NOFX

People seem to be unclear about what this song is actually about. To me, it should be obvious, but perhaps the following video will offer some insight:

Song Meanings: "Soulmate" by No Use For A Name

Four years ago today, the punk community lost a valuable member in Tony Sly. A loss of which the effects are still felt today.

Join us as we explore the meaning of an old classic No Use For A Name song from the 90s titled "Soulmate."



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