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Welcome back! A short and sweet entry today containing two holiday shorts - first, we have this 'Little Audrey' cartoon which comes from 1947 and is called 'Santa's Surprise'. It was made by Famous Studios, Paramount's animation division which took over and supplanted the Fleischer Studios and made the inferior Popeye cartoons that ran interminably on TV for many years. They are also responsible for the Harvey Syndicate character cartoons, such as Casper, the Friendly Ghost, Baby Huey, etc. Take a look at this and see if you can guess WHY it no longer plays on TV! You'll get it well within the first minute ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4I0A1csQaI
Next, have you got your tree yet? Stressed out because there are not enough hours in the day and there's just too much to do? Want to just chuck it all and not even consider getting a tree, period? Brother, have I got the film for you!
Big Business is a perennial favorite this time of year. Made in 1929, this silent Laurel and Hardy short has the boys going door to door selling Christmas trees in California (a hard sell to begin with). They meet their match in perennial foil James Finlayson, who REALLY doesn't want one and starts a spat with them that escalates into all-out war. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eEWg7RC0yA
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More tomorrow!
Figures ... I do Reader Submission Day yesterday and Dave comes up with a SPECTACULAR entry too late for me to include it. Sooooooo - without further ado, crank up your speakers and enjoy the Krampus Quartet and their accordions!
https://www.facebook.com/filzmoospower/videos/426510797543364/?fref=nf
Now on to our regularly scheduled entry:
Two weeks to go, kids! It's time to take a look at the most 'out there' gifts for fanboys and fangirls alike, courtesy of the annual exhaustive lists compiled by 'Quint' over at Ain't It Cool News! Kudos to him for coming up with this year after year - I can't imagine how long it takes to track all this down and sort it out - heck, I only do 24 pages of the K.A.C. every year and I start working on it in October ... to do any type of heavy-duty daily blog is a true labor of love. By the way, get yourself a cup of something hot and settle in for a LONG block of time when you look at the links themselves - they are HUGE! I'm only highlighting a few of the ones of special interest I think you might like (well, that I like, anyway)!
First up, one of my favorite films of 1977 is finally available on crystal-clear Blu-ray and it is a gem! STAR WARS, you say? Never heard of it! No, I'm talking about that non-stoppable drive-in (and over ... and through ...) hit THE CAR! A guilty pleasure of the 'Satanic Panic' '70s (and a GREAT double feature with that other '70s stalwart, RACE WITH THE DEVIL), it's all you could ask for in Road Rage Frenzy! I just wish I had this back in 1994, instead of the nightmarish Cinemascope 16mm print I made do with (to read how well THAT disaster went down, click here: http://www.conjurecinema.com/search?q=the+car ).
Speaking of all things STAR WARS, trust me, it is HIGHLY represented on these lists, thanks to the upcoming release of THE FORCE AWAKENS. If you can think of it, it's probably in here, from DVDs to books to apparel, and you can get it for yourself or that certain special someone. For example, I have a friend who would look right at home with these X-wing earrings!
Don't forget your pets during this season! I'm sure there's plenty of dogs who would be PROUD to go walkies with these outfits! For your larger four-legged friends, they can be transformed into furry AT-ATs at the drop of a hat. For your smaller members of the Empire, they can slip into a dewback outfit (complete with Stormtrooper)!
There's so much more for you to peruse in Part 1 of the Guide, from DVDs to art prints to wearable items to ... a Wrist-Mounted Flame Thrower for those of you who REALLY want to show off when you light the cozy fire in the fireplace this Christmas (word of warning: make sure you HAVE a fireplace before trying this)!
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/73806
Part 2 of the guide covers books, games and music of all types. Some of the stranger selections include: Perchance To Dream, a collection of short stories by Charles Beaumont. If you're not familiar with the name, you need to change that STAT! Beaumont wrote a number of tales that were filmed on the original TWILIGHT ZONE series, including "The Howling Man," which we showed as part of one of our Conjure Cinema TV Trilogy of Terror months. Well worth your time!
With the release of KRAMPUS in theaters on December 4th (you HAVE seen it by now, right?), there's a number of tie-in materials, including the comic - excuse me, 'graphic novel' adaptation of the film, as well as The Art of KRAMPUS book (seems almost EVERY major film release has some 'Art of/Making of' book attached to it these days). The comic adaptation makes me happy, as it reminds me of the old tie-in comics from my youth (see my earlier blog posts on SWORD AND THE DRAGON and THE MAGIC SWORD for examples).
For games for your inner geek, I've already mentioned the Cthulhu Monopoly Game in an earlier post ... if you want to go mad on a smaller budget, may I recommend the Cthulhu Yahtzee Game! Same Old Gods, same sense of foreboding doom, all in a tiny package!
For hardcore gamers, there's a HUGE list here of this year's hot games and their variations, from Fallout 4 to The Witcher, Halo 5 to Batman, the list goes on and on. I readily admit I'm out of my depth on this stuff - thankfully (?) I have an 18-year-old I can turn to who can talk me deaf, dumb, blind and foolish about it all! :)
What has truly surprised me on this list is the resurgence of vinyl LPs! There is a growing specialty market for the music format of our (well, my) youth - I've seen a number of online chat boards talking about how much cleaner a sound they have compared to the compressed digital format. Well, you young whippersnappers, we could have told you that if you'd just asked! :) What's bizarre is what is being released. Yes, there's major film soundtracks and important albums, but there's also the LP release of MANOS, THE HANDS OF FATE! The mind boggles ...
Now you're going to need something to PLAY your MANOS soundtrack on (plus all your older LP's ... or your parents or grandparents LP's ... just go with me on this). Look no further! If you're even remotely in the market for a new turntable and are on a budget, may I recommend the Audio-Technica model to your right. Not only will it faithfully reproduce the sounds of your old albums, it also comes with a USB port to transfer them down to the more horrible-sounding MP3 format I was just complaining about to take your music on the go - and it won't break your bank in the process!
For all the rest of the amazing items along these lines, click here!
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/73820
In the third and final part of Quint's mega-complete list, he covers Housewares, Toys and Collectibles - things you may not necessarily NEED, but things you know you WANT and MUST HAVE! For example: for the bathroom, keep your favorite Doctor Who fan clean and fresh with some TARDIS Soap On A Rope! When it's all gone, they still have a nice zippered wash bag to hold all their toiletries.
Once they're all scrubbed and tidy, they can move on to the kitchen and channel their inner Khaleesi by becoming the 'Mother of Dragons' - how? By creating a nesting dragon and its eggs via the Game of Thrones Dragon Cake Pan. Just think of the fun you could have with that! Be the hit of the next birthday party when you arrive with THIS tucked under your arm!
Did I say Game of Thrones? Well, let the battles begin in your garden with the new usurper/challenger to the Iron Throne with the 'Game of Gnomes' Lawn Ornament! Novelty gnomes seems to be the newest untapped kitsch item to appear, with many variations - this just happens to be one of the more clever ones.
Next up is my FAVORITE item in this year's list ... the Weeping Angel Christmas Tree Topper! For serious Doctor Who fans, especially the kids, put this on the pinnacle of your tree and be guaranteed there will be no sneaky little fingers rattling packages under the tree ... or coming ANYWHERE near it! Of course, that may be a problem when it comes time to water it ... plus with this on top, you and your Whovian can start a brand-new holiday tradition, namely seeing how many presents you can open WITHOUT BLINKING! :) You can see the effect they're already having by clicking on this link:
http://www.radiotimes.com/news/2015-12-02/these-people-have-been-decorating-their-christmas-trees-with-weeping-angels-and-its-terrifying
From Etsy comes this magnificent Menorasaurus Rex, sure to be the hit of the season! The artist who makes these Bad Boys has already sold out for this year, but is taking pre-order for the 2016 Hanukkah season - order yours today!
I know a certain someone who is going to be on the computer ordering this next item as soon as he sees it! A great new variation on the 'Clutching Hand' bank from the 1960's (which REALLY took off when it was re-christened the 'THING' bank from the Addams Family TV series), this modern edition has the one and only King of the Monsters, Godzilla, saving money for you the old-fashioned way ... by popping out of the ocean and dragging your hard-earned change to the bottomless depths! Did I mention he lights up? Did I mention he roars with the disappearance of each coin? Mere words don't do this justice - take a look at the video demonstration of our favorite kaiju banker in action!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myKZpVAWHdA
There is SO much more to see on these lists that I've barely scratched the surface, but I wanted to leave you with One Final Item for the year. If you hit the lottery over the holidays and COMPLETELY lose your mind over all those new-found riches, then make your first idiotic purchase this 1:1 full-scale Hulkbuster armor from AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON. It stands over 10 feet tall and weighs in at over 1400 POUNDS !!! It lights up and does so much more ... the best part is the price! For only $18,499.99, this massive beast can be YOURS! Hey, at least it's not $19,000 ... that would be FOOLISH to spend that kind of money on something so extravagant!
Here's the link to all the rest of the ginormous gift possibilities in Part 3 of Quint's list:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/73838
Finally, I mentioned earlier that the list is skewing heavily in favor of all things STAR WARS this year, thanks to the new movie opening in just a few days. If you'd rather just cut to ALL the STAR WARS items and forego everything else, he has a link for you to do just that:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/73839
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That's it! Why are you still reading this? Start shopping! See you tomorrow!
It's reader submission day here at the K.A.C., where we turn the page over to the items YOU send in. I saw this one a few days ago (thanks, Peg!) and had to share it. If the joke doesn't come immediately to you, just think of the song's lyrics ...
Speaking of reindeer, here's a video for you (courtesy of io9) explaining why they're the go-to animals of choice to pull Santa's sled. Enjoy!
http://io9.com/science-shows-that-reindeer-are-perfect-sleigh-pullers-1674787081
Up next, Jennifer shared this VERY cute design from the Jambalaya News magazine from Louisiana. Makes total sense to me this is how Santa would get the toys delivered in the bayou! See the original at their link:
https://www.facebook.com/thejambalayanews/
Dave alerted us to the following article, a new look at a topic we've covered before in the early days of the K.A.C. Entitled 'Shaman Claus: The Shamanic Origins of Christmas', it covers a lot of interesting ground. Read all about it here!
http://www.shamanicevolution.org/writings/shaman-claus-the-shamanic-origins-of-christmas
Ms. Laney sent us (courtesy of Todd Alcott) the solution seen at right if you are on a TRULY tight budget this year, but still want a nativity scene. Voila!
Not striking enough for you? Try this on for size! My cousin Heidi sent along THIS news item, about an Ohio man who is facing a
$500 per day fine for his display, which includes the 'Zombie Nativity
Scene', complete with the Zombie Baby Jesus pictured at left. Read the
whole ongoing saga here:
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/12/war-on-christmas-zombie-nativity-scene-draws-500-a-day-fine-from-town-as-christian-protesters-descend/
The New York Times covered this story, as well:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/08/us/zombie-nativity-scene-cincinnati.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0
Too many people to mention sent me the link to the latest Krampus news item. Hey, when National Geographic is covering you, you KNOW you've made it to the Big Time! Way to go, Krampus!
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/12/151204-krampus-movie-christmas-demon-santa-holiday-folklore/
We wrap up today's edition with what I'm sure will be your new favorite holiday song! Enjoy the Scottish Falsetto Puppet Sock Theatre's rendition of "Santa's Pants"! Thanks, Joann!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBP_S-AHbfw
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Coming Tomorrow: Our annual weird, wild and wonderful shopping list - everything you need for the fanboy or fangirl in your life!
My Christmas Tree Totoro and all of us welcome you back for today's edition of the K.A.C. !
So let's review - how many of this year's Kringle's Khristmas Kuties were you able to guess? The correct answers were:
# 1 - Deanna Durbin
# 2 - Rita Hayworth
# 3 - Peter Lorre
# 4 - Ava Gardner
# 5 - Alfred Hitchcock
# 6 - Buster Keaton
# 7 - Elsa Lanchester (as The Bride of Frankenstein)
# 8 - Hayley Mills
# 9 - Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (aka Cassandra Peterson)
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Tired of the same repetitive Christmas carols playing over and over this holiday season? Then give a listen to THIS!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv2UieD7B0c
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Just as a quick follow-up to last Friday's post, I did make it last night to see KRAMPUS at the Revere Cinema - my thoughts? It was quite fun - the film it is most reminiscent of the original GREMLINS (also set at Christmastime), when the warnings have been ignored and the creatures are going on a rampage. The film does lose its way about three-quarters of the way in, throwing everything but the kitchen sink on the screen to see what will stick. Krampus himself is magnificently realized, but (not surprisingly) they have made some changes to the legend (mainly in his legion of helpers - which he has never had - he's usually a one-man operation). The only significant stumble in the film, which my son and I both agreed on as soon as we saw it, was that it should have ended five minutes before it actually does. If you see the movie, you'll know exactly the spot I'm talking about. The ending the film currently has, while not bad, feels like studio interference - not exactly a happy ending, but not nearly as forceful as it could have been if they had ended it earlier.
The film has a PG-13 rating and even the most squeamish folks (like someone I know) can handle it - if I were going to give it a more holiday-like title, I'd go with IT'S NOT A WONDERFUL LIFE! :) Fun, suspenseful and over the top in a LOT of places, it's a worthy effort from director Michael Dougherty, cast and crew. Go see it! Oh, and somebody really needs to market the Krampus bells seen in the film!
Quint from Ain't It Cool News visited the set and gives a good rundown on the making of the film, the special effects and the antics of the cast (particularly the child actors). Be aware there are spoilers regarding the plot, so if you're planning to see the film, you might want to wait until after your viewing to read this:
http://www.aintitcool.com/node/73890
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Coming Tomorrow: Reader Submission Day, where we explore the stories YOU have sent in!
It's Tree-Trimmin' Time, folks! And that means lights ... and ornaments. Tinsel ... and ornaments. Christmas music ... and ... well, you get the idea.
Now you COULD have just the same old ornaments, year after year, handed down from generations in your family, each one telling a heart-warming story and preserving a cherished memory or two - OR you could boldly strike out on your own, defy tradition and have a tree that family and friends will goggle at and talk about long after their (perhaps last) visit with you!
With that in mind, we've got you covered. Never let it be said that we're not helpful here at the K.A.C.! First up is our mascot, Krampus, complete with switch to whack recalcitrant children, and sitting on a sack full of two bad'uns waiting to be dragged off!
Next up is the PERFECT ornament for the Crazy Cat Lady in your neighborhood (or HOUSE ... ahem) - the Cone Kitty Ornament needs no further explanation for anyone with pets. Put this on your tree and be reminded every year of the time Mr. Tinkles was in 'time out' mode and gave you the Hateful Glare of Shame for putting him through this agony! Of course, if you ARE getting this for the Crazy Cat Lady, you KNOW you'll have to buy them in bulk ... how many of these folks do you know have ever stopped at just ONE cat?
To balance out kitty's distress and bring much-needed harmony to your household and tree, you MUST put up the Santa Monk ornament! Nestled in fur-lined saffron robes (no vow of poverty HERE!) and a charming Santa hat, this tiniest of meditators will bring peace to your branches ... and you can sit in front of the tree and achieve your OWN inner bliss while gazing serenely at his calm countenance ... until kitty knocks over the tree. Back to the Cone for YOU, Kitty!
We've saved the VERY BEST for last ... our vote for Best Ornament of 2015 ... the INTROVERT Ornament! Every home has one in their family (heck, we've got THREE ... and there are only three people IN our house!) - this is the perfect ornament that expresses how much you've had to endure this (and every) Christmas season, what with all the visits, parties, forced socializing, etc., that comes with the holidays. Put this on your tree and let the folks know what you'd REALLY rather be doing (preferably ALONE ... and in a QUIET location ...). Of course, given the nature of the ornament itself, it seems only right that it should be placed on the BACK of the tree - just to give it some privacy and to take the stress off of it of not having to make small talk and hang with the other ornaments. I mean, it just seems the right thing to do!
Now after whetting your appetite with all these marvels, I know you're asking, "Where can I get these?" The answer - they're all at the same place! You can find them (and more, including the Derpy Cat, Squirrel in Underwear and Lederhosen Unicorn ornaments) at Archie McPhee! Here's the link ... order now and get them in time for Christmas to hang on YOUR tree!
https://mcphee.com/pages/search-results-page?q=ornaments
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Coming Tomorrow: Put on your Santa Thinking Hats, as it's time for this year's edition of Kringle's Khristmas Kuties, and it's going to be a tough one to guess!
Hi-de-ho-ho-ho! It's that time again, time to dive into this year's version of the Neiman-Marcus Fantasy Gifts from their annual Christmas catalog, for the person who has everything ... and still wants MORE!
I'm always intrigued with the gifts they come up with (I STILL can't get over the $100,000 chicken coop from 2012)! Well, there's no poultry palaces this year, so let's take a quick gander at what IS available.
How about we start with a very merry Keanu Christmas? What does that involve, you ask? Well, for ONLY $150,000 ... you're reading that right ... you get your very own KRGT-1 motorcycle (pictured at left), designed and made by the Arch Motorcycle Company, the firm owned by Keanu and partner Gard Hollinger (also pictured).
But they don't just want to sell you a motorcycle - ANYBODY could do that! No sir, if you're willing to spend that much money for this bad boy, you also get "an exclusive two-day ride experience for you and a guest along the California coast with Reeves and Hollinger." OK, that actually DOES sound rather cool! Intrigued? Get the full details here:
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/christmasbook/fantasy.jsp?cid=CBF15_O5643&cidShots=m,a,b,c,z&r=cat48140738&rdesc=The%20Fantasy%20Gifts&pageName=ARCH%20MOTORCYCLE%20RIDE
Biking not your thing? More of a hard-drinking kind of person? Well, friend, they've got you covered, as well! For a mere $125,000, you can partake (and I DO mean PARTAKE) in the Orphan Barrel Project. Never heard of it? Think Raiders of the Lost Ark, but instead of looking for archaeological antiquities, you're searching for WHISKEY! Here's the official lowdown:
"The Orphan Barrel® Project was started to share long-forgotten barrels
of rare whiskey discovered in old rickhouses and distilleries. Each
release is handbottled—and once they're gone, they're gone forever. Now,
you and five bourbon-curious friends will visit the legendary
Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, to go barrel hunting,
taste recently discovered bourbons, and create two completely unique
Orphan Barrel variants to be handbottled with labels designed
exclusively for you. You'll then receive 24 bottles each of the
remaining stocks of eight different Orphan Barrel bourbons—including the
variants created by you—along with a bespoke whiskey cabinet crafted in
Kentucky to house the collection, barware, and a leather-bound book
about your whiskey."
Read the full description here:
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/christmasbook/fantasy.jsp?cid=CBF15_O5644&cidShots=,m&r=cat48140738&rdesc=The%20Fantasy%20Gifts&pageName=THE%20ORPHAN%20BARREL%20PROJECT
My personal favorite of this year's gifts, though, has to be the World View Exploration at the Edge of Space. Want to settle that Santa question once and for all? Want to WAVE to him and his reindeer as he goes by circling the Earth? Want to do it in a high-altitude pressurized cabin dangling 100,000 feet above the Earth? Sure, what could POSSIBLY go wrong? The adventure is yours ... for a measly $90,000! My favorite line in the description? "Space capsule features refreshments, a bar, and a lavatory." For THAT kind of money, I would certainly HOPE so!
For the out-of-this-world details, check out the description below ... when you read this, see if you get the creeping sense of unease I got perusing it ... ummm, 'test flight' ... ???
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/christmasbook/fantasy.jsp?cid=CBF15_O5645&cidShots=m,a,b&r=cat48140738&rdesc=The%20Fantasy%20Gifts&pageName=WORLD%20VIEW%20SPACE%20EXPLORING
There's plenty more, including the Dream Trip to India for a mere $400,000, the Italian Sculpture Tour for $150,000 and the His & Hers Costume Trunks for the kiddies at $5,000 each. For the full list of gifts and their details, click on the link:
http://www.neimanmarcus.com/Gifts/The-Christmas-Book/Fantasy-Gifts/cat48140738_cat55790732_cat000672/c.cat
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Coming tomorrow: We get back down to Earth and take a look at this year's Oddest Ornaments! Join us, won't you?
Next, have you got your tree yet? Stressed out because there are not enough hours in the day and there's just too much to do? Want to just chuck it all and not even consider getting a tree, period? Brother, have I got the film for you!
