The Couch Critic
The Couch Critic is your laid-back guide to movies and TV shows that deserve your attention—or maybe don’t. Nathan dives deep into storytelling, character development, and cinematic style with a sharp eye and a wry sense of humor. Whether it’s a blockbuster hit, a hidden gem, or a cult classic, Nathan’s relatable approach ensures every episode feels like a cozy chat with a friend who just happens to love film. Perfect for casual watchers and cinephiles alike, The Couch Critic brings thoughtful critique without the fluff. Grab your favorite snack, settle in, and let Nathan guide you through the world of screen entertainment.
The Couch Critic
"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation": The Ultimate Holiday Chaos Breakdown
What if watching a film could transport you back to the pure joy and chaos of the holiday season every single year? On this episode of The Couch Critic, we unravel the comic genius behind National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, a movie that many claim is synonymous with Christmas itself. From Chevy Chase's unforgettable antics as Clark Griswold to the little-known trivia that adds an extra layer of charm, like Mae Questel's final film appearance, we explore why this film remains a cherished holiday staple. Even without the iconic "Holiday Road" tune, this movie continues to deliver laughter and nostalgia in equal measure.
Join me, Nathan, as I share my personal take on the humor and pitfalls of this classic. While it's hard to overlook its over-the-top scenarios and occasional crude humor, I can't deny its enduring appeal. Much like Dumb and Dumber, Christmas Vacation holds a special place in my heart for its ability to make us laugh, no matter how many times we watch it. Whether you're a diehard fan or a casual viewer, there's something uniquely festive about this film. Don't miss out on hearing why I rate it five out of five on my Christmas scale and what's coming up next Tuesday on Couch Critic!
On the couch. We're laughing, crying, feeling it all, Breaking down the big screen, the hits and the flaws. Grab your seat, press play, let's take the pic. Lights, camera action, it's the Couch Critic.
Speaker 2:Hello everybody, welcome to another episode of the Couch Critic. I'm your host, nathan, and on today's episode I'm talking about what some may consider an essential viewing around Christmas time National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. This movie stars Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold, beverly D'Angelo as Ellen Griswold, juliette Lewis as Audrey Griswold and Johnny Galecki as Rusty Griswold. Because if you've noticed, if you've ever watched any of the vacation movies, the actors who play the children, the daughter and the son, are always different and I think that's kind of a joke, an overall joke in this series of films. So some trivia about this movie is that this is the final film for Mae Questel, who plays Aunt Bethany, and her career started in 1930 as the voice of Betty Boop. I think that's awesome. You know she had such a long career, so I think it's really impressive. And this is the only vacation movie to not feature the song holiday road. This is the only movie not to feature it, which I think is interesting because christmas is a holiday, so it's I. Yeah, but they all they already had the song christmas vacation, that's all. So they already had that there.
Speaker 2:So let's get right to my likes and dislikes of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. The number one thing and this is a big deal for me. When I rewatch a movie, I have to be able to still enjoy it. No matter how long it's been since I've seen a movie, I need to still be entertained by it. I think that's a big deal. I don't know. I don't know what you think, but no matter how long it's been since I've seen this movie, it still makes me laugh. That's the biggest like for me. There are still moments that you know what's going to happen but you still crack up laughing. It's one of those films. It's kind of like dumbumb and Dumber for me. I know a lot of people out there might shut me off when I compare Christmas Vacation to Dumb and Dumber, but Dumb and Dumber to me still has moments in it where I can watch it a million times and I still crack up laughing at it.
Speaker 2:Now the dislikes are typical for a vacation movie. Now I think the first national lampoon's vacation is probably the best one and I would even argue that it's better than Christmas vacation. I know again there's going to be diehard Christmas vacation fans out there that will shun me, but I I think I just think the original vacation movie was just funny. That's just my opinion. But I do think that this movie even though, yes, it's funny, but I do believe that at times it can come off as a little bit over the top, like it's literally one of those movies that one bad thing happens after another and at some point it does come off as kind of like redundant and, like I said, over the top and just like with any vacation movie, there is some unnecessary, crude humor in there, some sexual in your endos, just some language, not that much, but just enough to bump it a little lower than what I would usually give a movie. But other than that, it is a classic film. I mean, I don't know if I would call it an essential viewing, but I can understand why people would say that Because it does. It's like one of those movies. It's like to me a Charlie Brown Christmas. It's not Christmas until you watch that. For some people it's not Christmas until you watch Christmas Vacation, and I can understand that to a certain extent.
Speaker 2:Now, those are my thoughts on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Short, sweet and to the point. I'm going to give this movie an obvious five out of five when it comes to my Christmas rating because, again, it's all about Christmas and it takes place during Christmas and I'm going to give it a general rating of four out of five. So take a listen to what I'm going to be talking about next Tuesday. No, no, no, don't shake it. We're going to have to open it now. It won't wait until Christmas.
Speaker 2:It's a puppy, isn't it? Yeah, it is. I can tell it's a new car. Yeah, it is, I can tell it's a new car. Oh honey, would you dim the lights please? Sure, dim the lights, dad. What does it do? Glow in the dark, it's important, trust me, go ahead, open it. What is it? No, it's your new pet. When horror kind of meets christmas, you get gremlins taking on gremlins, and I should be having a special guest. So I'm super excited about that. You can hear all of that. And also, don't miss our, our cinema Saturdays. Every Saturday, I go see a movie. I talk about it. Let you know what I think. You can also, as always, listen every Tuesday to the Couch Critic, where every movie gets its closeup.
Speaker 1:It's not just a movie, it's a way of life. We'll watch it together, day or night, so settle in close and don't miss a flick. This is the moment for the couch critic.
