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HDTGM All-star Jessica St. Clair joins Paul, Jason, and June (via Jury Duty) to discuss the Hallmark classic The Spirit of Christmas. They break down everything about this story of a young lawyer who finds romance with a spirit that takes the form of a human 12 days before Christmas. Plus, Paul shares his ghost sighting story. This episode is brought to you by Watchmen on HBO, Squarespace (www.squarespace.com/bonkers), Simplisafe (www.simplisafe.com/bonkers), and The Adult Swim Podcast. Subscribe to Unspooled with Paul Scheer and Amy Nicholson here: http://www.earwolf.com/show/unspooled/ Check out our tour dates over at www.hdtgm.com! Check out new HDTGM merch over at https://www.teepubli…wdidthisgetmade Where to Find Jason, June & Paul: @PaulScheer on Instagram & Twitter @Junediane on IG and @MsJuneDiane on Twitter

OK, me, what do I have for myself?

I believe Lily was the only one expecting him back. When she tells his brother that Daniel promised he’d be there, the brother says, “A promise is only as good as the man who makes it.” I’m also guessing the guy who killed him disposed of his body. So it’s possible that it was a few weeks before he was actually reported as missing.

The behavior of the tavern lady and the way people behave around her with regards to Daniel makes no sense. This is a small town and this inn closes every two weeks in December for several years. There have been newspaper articles written about how it closes because of a ghost. Yet she asks the innkeeper to let her use the inn as if she’s unaware of why the inn is closed. Then the innkeeper and Kate go to lengths to try and hide Daniel’s true identity from her, but there’s pictures of Daniel all throughout the house. And I would imagine that the story of his murder is probably the biggest thing to have ever happened in that town, so surely everyone would be familiar with him and his story. How does she not put two and two together? Similarly, the sheriff seems to just think Kate is crazy when she claims there’s a ghost in the inn. Does he just think all young women are hysterical loons or has he never heard why the inn closes every year?

The newspaper headline on the story about Daniel says “Missing, Feared Dead.” He very clearly died within sight of the porch. He can see the party guests and I would imagine someone should have seen him, before or after he was hit. Even if they didn’t see him that night, how is it possible that no one searched the woods before they wrote an entire article about his disappearance? Everyone knew he was expected to come home that night. Wouldn’t you search nearby first before you put anything in the paper?

I get that couples don’t have to enjoy all the same things, but damn Daniel was pretty harsh in describing his fiancée’s taste in books as “nonsense.” I mean, you don’t have to like everything I’m into, but could you at least not act like an elitist prick?

My favorite old-timey quirk of Daniel-san's is how he eats an apple with a knife. Let's bring that back people!

You have stumbled upon a classic law school property professor question!

I still don't understand why sexy ghost's fiance gave him the "blessing" of coming back for 12 days of Christmas every year. And she must have done it after she died? Unless they found Mr Sexy Rum Runner out dead in the snow and then she (for some reason) wished he could experience the the 12 days leading up to Christmas over and over until ... some lesson happened? I also enjoyed St Clair yelling at Jason that they needed to stop screaming during the episode when they got too excited.

I recognize that it’s common in these types of movies for someone to watch over their love interest while they sleep, but let’s not forget how utterly disgusting and ridiculous people can be while they sleep. Aside from just your standard twitch and snore, people are also prone to talking, drooling, and farting in their sleep. So, no thank you sexy, steam punk baristo ghost. I’d rather maintain some small bit of my allure and take my chances with the restless, malevolent hell spawn currently plotting my destruction.

This ep made me realize how much I miss hearing Jessica St. Clair on a weekly basis. Great stuff...except the part where they ragged on Paul's childhood yet again. Tsk tsk

I’m very much looking forward to this

Is this the first podcast episode where someone has joined via text? HDTGM still innovating after all of these years. The absurdity of the situation made me crack up with every June interjection. My favorite part of this movie was how the ghost world was still very bound to earthly law with Daniel being restricted by the property line rather than just haunting the house like a usual ghost story. If over the years the inn had sold off some of their property to a neighbor would Daniel still be able to go into that area or would he be bound by the newly drawn property lines?

I guess my next pick will have to be Fame.

Will do. I'll be the first leg of the next Triple Crown.

For sure this. Turn it into a haunted house tour in October and the 12 days leading to Christmas is obvious. You could probably pay for half the year in that month and a half. If you can't get the rest of the year paid for in an old timey, New England inn, what are you doing? I don't remember why the law firm needed the sale to happen by the end of the year. But the ghost only shows up for 12 days. Why didn't they schedule an appraisal anytime that isn't December 13-25? A sale this important and time sensitive seems like someone could have planned around that.

Shucks. I guess I'd better retract my pick then. I wanted to be the third.

Okay, I'm listening to this now, and I'm going to try not to comment as listen, but June is absolutely right - the leads had a ton of chemistry. There was a certain sparkle in their eyes in some of the scenes where I truly wondered if the actors might have had something going off camera. I don't know, maybe they're just phenomenal actors, but if you didn't notice it, you're deader inside than the sexy hipster ghost in this movie. ETA: OMG! Sorry! I just resumed the episode. I literally turned to my wife last night and said that this movie was Canadian as fuck! lol

We're completing the Alan Parker trilogy (after Pink Floyd's The Wall and Evita) although I am looking at one or more of his movies for future picks.

If your property is haunted and located in Massachusetts, where Spirit Of Christmas is set, there are laws regulating if and when you must disclose this to the potential buyer. According to Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 93, section 114 "...(c) that the real property has been the site of an alleged para psychological or supernatural phenomenon. No cause of action shall arise or be maintained against a seller or lessor of real property or a real estate broker or salesman, by statute or at common law, for failure to disclose to a buyer or tenant that the real property is or was psychologically impacted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the provisions of this section shall not authorize a seller, lessor or real estate broker or salesman to make a misrepresentation of fact or false statement." The short version is, if I'm reading the law correctly, a homeowner does not have to voluntarily disclose their house being haunted. If the buyer asks, you can't lie about it supposing you believe the house is haunted.

I don't know if they said when Daniel was murdered, but Prohibition ended in 1933. The undercut was definitely a popular hairstyle for men in the 1920s and 1930s. The version Daniel has is certainly more modern but it's not an outrageous hairstyle for a prohibition era man. I don't know if it's popularity died because of WWII, but I've always suspected that. Hitler and the Hitler youth had a similar haircut to the modern undercut. I remember when it first started coming back in style a few years ago, I remember reading fashion message boards talking about the "Hitler youth" haircut and how to ask for it without specifically asking for "Hitler youth" since that's an awkward conversation at the barber.

Keep waiting, me.

I also wrote that Daniel's hair was like a Brooklyn baristo. It was old timey in the way steampunk is old timey which is to say, fiction. My understanding was that Daniel appears in the middle of December and the innkeeper just was like, "okay I will leave" and left him alone to read (or jerk off) or whatever. Like Jason, I was also perplexed by him ironing. Because if I became corporeal for 12 days I wouldn't do any chores. That innkeeper would have to clean up after me. Daniel also had an old iron, the kind you heat up with a fire. Where'd he get it? Is that inn still using old irons? Someone should introduce them to electricity. I am also irritated by this "12 Days of Christmas" starting 12 days BEFORE Christmas. That is how Hallmark is, trying to have 12 movies each year. But the 12 days of Christmas begin on Christmas and continue until Epiphany (also called Three Kings' Day) when the Wise Men are supposed to have arrived to see the Baby Jesus. I don't know when Twelfth Night stopped being celebrated in America, but he is from the past so he should know this. I am going to hold it against him.