This is a modified transcription of an episode of Dyer’s Daily podcast. Between 2018 and 2023, the podcast series featured Jamie Dyer speaking for three minutes about a chosen subject, completely off the cuff. For a list of episodes on the official podcast page, see here.
This was part of the Disney100 series of Dyer’s Daily podcasts, where Jamie picked an element of Disney to discuss in their 100th anniversary year. This time, the millennial broadcaster and writer discussed the 1994 live-action film The Santa Clause, starring Tim Allen. This episode was originally released in 2022.
Please note: This transcript has been cleaned up to make it easier to read, but still maintains the same thoughts and ideas.
Now I think it’s fair to say that in the list of the best Christmas films of all time, 1994’s The Santa Clause is definitely up there. When Disney released the film, Tim Allen was already a humongous star. This was a year before he would star as Buzz in Toy Story, beyond just being that guy from Home Improvement who occasionally appeared in movies.
I’ve seen The Santa Clause many times, and there’s just something magical about it. It’s been a while since I’ve watched it, but the gist is that Santa Claus has to come from somewhere, and that guy happens to be Tim Allen. That first movie is what I call lightning in a bottle—it couldn’t be replicated. But when something is that successful, they make sequels. I saw the second film, but I wasn’t particularly impressed. No desire to see the third. I might check out the TV series if I haven’t already by the time of this broadcast.
There’s something about it that intrigues me, perhaps they’ve gone back to basics, as they sometimes do. Do let me know, do you like The Santa Clause? It used to confuse me as a kid because there was another movie called Santa Claus: The Movie. And of course, the name of this movie is The Santa Clause, as in C.L.A.U.S.E.
It’s a film I really enjoy. Tim Allen at this point could do no wrong. He’d already been in Home Improvement. He’s about to do Toy Story. Really, it starts with Home Improvement and ends with Shaggy Dog about 10 or 12 years later.
That’s all I’ve got to say. I don’t remember much about the sequel, only that there was a reindeer. I remember they used ZZ Top’s “Give Me All Your Lovin'” in the first movie, which was influential to me. I love when they use rock music in a commercial sense, considering how niche it used to be. So, that’s The Santa Clause. Are you going to watch it this Christmas? Let me know.
