Santa Claus: The Movie (with Simon Barber)

Simon Barber, co-host of the Sodajerker on Songwriting podcast, joins us for our festive finale to 2022: and it's a doozy! The producing team behind the original Superman: The Movie (1978), its first two sequels and the spin-off Supergirl (1984) turned their attention to another origin story for a much-loved supernatural hero in 1985, and brought us Santa Claus: The Movie. Featuring Dudley Moore as a cheery elf determined to modernise the North Pole, David Huddlestone as the titular jolly gift-giver and scenery-munching John Lithgow as the nefarious business tycoon B.Z., the film has everything you could ever want in seasonal family adventure. Highlights include abducting homeless children to take them on flying reindeer joyrides with dangerous manoeuvres near the Twin Towers in Manhattan, John Lithgow screaming "FOR FREE?!!" and turning beetroot red when Dudley Moore attempts to explain the act of giving a gift, and Aled Jones singing on a glorious soundtrack by Henry Mancini. But is it the gift that keeps on giving, or is it failed super-dooper looper? Find out!Follow Simon Barber on Twitter, if it still exists, and visit the Sodajerker website.Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and InstagramSupport us on Patreon to nominate future films and access exclusive bonus contentSupport us on Patreon to nominate films for us to cover, access exclusive bonus content, and vote on the final verdict!Rate and review us on your podcast platform of choice, and tell a friend about us.Follow us on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Bluesky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.