Toast & Kent's Xmas (2025) Advent Calendar: Day 20 - The 12 Days of Christmas Eve

2022, Dustin Rikert (Next Stop, Christmas) -- download

I didn't mean to follow a movie directed by Rikert with another movie by Rikert, this time for the Lifetime channel, which showed in its [lack of] budget; its terribly terribly low budget. There is no way Kelsey Grammer cost that much. And this movie is a stinker, despite gathering itself together in the final act, once Brian Conway (Kelsey Grammer, tossed salads & scrambled eggs) starts bending to the will of Psycho Santa and becoming a better person. 

Since I am not recapping the movie, as we generally don't do such for the Loopty posts, I have to say a few things about the movie. I must have uttered, out loud, "WTF !!" at least half a dozen times. The movie has so many record-scratch, head-scratching moments of dumbfounding weird choices. 

And no, this is not a remake of a 2004 loopty movie with the same name.

How did the Loop Begin?
Our main character, Scrooge analog, Brian Conway, owner of a "family business" electronic store chain, drives off a bridge, on Xmas eve, while avoiding an escaped reindeer. He "wakes up" in a cozy room talking to Santa who says, "Yep yer dead," but offers him 12 do-overs in order to learn The Real Meaning of Xmas. Conway doesn't want to die, so he accepts, but its not like he really has a choice. Or does he? Santa does gesture upwards when talking about the After Life so there's at least that choice? Go to Heaven now or drop back down to NYC and fight to make money?

What was the main character's first reaction to the Loop?
Selfishness. Annoyance and ... well, instant death. On his way out of his office building, distracted by this repeating morning, he slips on ice and cracks his skull open, and poof, he's back in Santa's chair. One loop wasted. Also, dark!!

WHY did the main character get put into the Loop? Can someone else be brought into the Loop?
Because he's a horrible person who is horrible to his daughter & granddaughter, runs his company terribly and is terrible to everyone he meets. "You have until the end of the day to write a proper proposal, even if you have to work through the night," he says on Xmas Eve. Santa is either offering him a chance to set things right, or vindictive. I go with the latter.

No, no one else can be brought into the loop. Santa only has it out for Brian.

How long is this time Loop? What resets it? Can you force the reset?
Its as long as he lives through it, because, and hold onto your suspenders for this one --- if Santa finds Brian screwing up whatever misguided attempt he is making at "improving as a person", Santa just kills Brian. Kicked off a balcony by a dog, electrocuted, crushed by a chandelier, sledding accident, etc. Santa is a MURDEROUS PSYCHO. And yes, as seen in one loop, Brian can reset himself by swan diving off penthouse balcony. Seriously, WTF.

How long does the main character stay in the Loop? Does it have any affect on them, their personality, their outlook?
He gets 12 loops. He uses them all up. Does it affect his personality? Of course it does, cuz if Brian doesn't figger this shit out by the 12th loop, he dies, for real, for good. He's desperate. BUT the movie does improve as Brian improves. But it takes him a while, as these self-improvement loops usually do. 

What about the other people in the Loop? Are they aware? Can they become aware?  Does anything happen if they become aware?
No, nobody is aware, and the movie doesn't care. But for a toss-away reference to time loops in the second loop, Brian doesn't care if people know or not. He's in a Santa Magic Time Loop of his own making, so that's all consuming for him. And he fucks up so so many times.

What does the main character think about the other people in the Loop? Are they real? Do they matter?
Yes, they matter. Well, they matter once  people start mattering in general. Being a somewhat Scrooge-ish man, he really doesn't care about people at the beginning.

Most memorable event in a Loop? Most surprising event during a Loop?
Its a toss up between the third loop where Brian assumes he has an easy fix, which involves just giving people random items he bought at his own store. And he invites homeless rando's to his Xmas Event. That goes along painfully until Santa off's him. The surprising bit comes in the number of times that Brian seems to be figuring things out and then with a single response to his daughter Michelle, he undoes all his Good Will and Santa <insert finger across the throat gesture>. That happens at least three loops and is just ... terrible writing? 

How does this stack up in the subgenre?
Terribly. But also, in a small wee bit, a smidgen of a way... interestingly? I mean, when was the last time you heard of Santa murdering people as impetuous for a Feel Good Xmas Movie?