Monday, January 5, 2026
Sunday, January 4, 2026
Saturday, January 3, 2026
ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (470)
Thank you for joining us today
Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Porky Pig Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1938 Wholly Smoke, directed by Frank Tashlin
This is the final Looney Tunes cartoon that Frank Tashlin directed during his first stint at the studio (and thus his old unit that would later be given to Chuck Jones), as he would shortly depart later in 1938 for Disney and later Screen Gems for five years.
We were trying to figure out what to watch on the season premiere episode of The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour, It was solved immediately when we saw this Tiny Desk Concert from NPR:
Robert Plant, as always, sounded in great voice.
We’ve selected another entry from the excellent reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, edited by Steven Jay Schneider. Today’s film is the 1985 drama Kiss of the Spider Woman, directed by Héctor Babenco, based on the novel by Manuel Puig and starring William Hurt, Raul Julia, and Sônia Braga. The film was a critical success, winning several awards including a Best Actor Oscar for Hurt.
During rehearsals, the two actors had trouble finding the chemistry they needed for their scenes together. To better understand what each needed from the other's role, William Hurt suggested they try an experiment where they would switch roles, with Hurt as Valentin and Raul Julia as Molina. The role-switching rehearsal went so well that Hurt initially suggested to director Hector Babenco that they should switch parts for the film as well. Obviously, the switch did not occur, but Hurt states that it was a very useful experiment in helping them more fully understand their own characters.
Although the two lead actors worked out any difficulties they may have had with each other, tensions started early on in the process between William Hurt and Hector Babenco. Producer David Weisman later remarked that Hurt had a wonderful mastery of language and spoke in "great metaphorical ellipses that are hard to follow even if English is your native language." For Babenco it was impossible. He became frustrated by Hurt talking "for hours" and learned to just nod and pretend to agree in order to keep the conversations relatively short.
Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this powerfully beautiful film: Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Initial screenings did not go well. Raul Julia was furious after watching the first cut: "What happened to the movie? What happened to all our great work?!" After seven months of post-production, the film was sent to the New York Film Festival. The selection committee rejected it without even watching the whole movie. William Hurt wasn't too concerned about this until he saw the first cut himself and realized why they dismissed it so abruptly. The fantasy film sequences were too long and overwhelmed the story of the relationship between the two men. He wanted to buy the print and burn it so it would never be released.
Demand Euphoria!
Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Porky Pig Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1938 Wholly Smoke, directed by Frank Tashlin
This is the final Looney Tunes cartoon that Frank Tashlin directed during his first stint at the studio (and thus his old unit that would later be given to Chuck Jones), as he would shortly depart later in 1938 for Disney and later Screen Gems for five years.
We were trying to figure out what to watch on the season premiere episode of The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour, It was solved immediately when we saw this Tiny Desk Concert from NPR:
Robert Plant, as always, sounded in great voice.
We’ve selected another entry from the excellent reference book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, edited by Steven Jay Schneider. Today’s film is the 1985 drama Kiss of the Spider Woman, directed by Héctor Babenco, based on the novel by Manuel Puig and starring William Hurt, Raul Julia, and Sônia Braga. The film was a critical success, winning several awards including a Best Actor Oscar for Hurt.
During rehearsals, the two actors had trouble finding the chemistry they needed for their scenes together. To better understand what each needed from the other's role, William Hurt suggested they try an experiment where they would switch roles, with Hurt as Valentin and Raul Julia as Molina. The role-switching rehearsal went so well that Hurt initially suggested to director Hector Babenco that they should switch parts for the film as well. Obviously, the switch did not occur, but Hurt states that it was a very useful experiment in helping them more fully understand their own characters.
Although the two lead actors worked out any difficulties they may have had with each other, tensions started early on in the process between William Hurt and Hector Babenco. Producer David Weisman later remarked that Hurt had a wonderful mastery of language and spoke in "great metaphorical ellipses that are hard to follow even if English is your native language." For Babenco it was impossible. He became frustrated by Hurt talking "for hours" and learned to just nod and pretend to agree in order to keep the conversations relatively short.
Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this powerfully beautiful film: Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Initial screenings did not go well. Raul Julia was furious after watching the first cut: "What happened to the movie? What happened to all our great work?!" After seven months of post-production, the film was sent to the New York Film Festival. The selection committee rejected it without even watching the whole movie. William Hurt wasn't too concerned about this until he saw the first cut himself and realized why they dismissed it so abruptly. The fantasy film sequences were too long and overwhelmed the story of the relationship between the two men. He wanted to buy the print and burn it so it would never be released.
Demand Euphoria!
Friday, January 2, 2026
Thursday, January 1, 2026
Life has no remote,
so wake up and change it.
Now that we have your attention - Let us all welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.
- from your friends at ACME, in business for over 100 years.
Demand Euphoria!
Now that we have your attention - Let us all welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.
- from your friends at ACME, in business for over 100 years.
Demand Euphoria!
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
May all your troubles last as long as your New Year's resolutions
Here’s a Brief Overview of New Year’s Celebrations
Although the New Year has been celebrated since prehistoric times, it was originally observed on the vernal equinox rather than on what we now consider the first day of the year. The Romans were the first to recognize New Year’s Day on January 1. Rather than tying the day to a significant astronomical or agricultural event, in 153 BC the Romans selected it for civil reasons: it was the day after elections, when newly elected officials assumed their positions.
Years later, Julius Caesar wanted to change the date to something more logical, but in that year - January 1, 45 BC - fell on a new moon. Changing it would have been considered bad luck. He did, however, reform the calendar itself, creating what became known as the Julian calendar, named in his honor. July, the month of Caesar’s birth, was also named after him to recognize his calendar reform. And look what it got him.
Up until 1582, Christian Europe continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on March 25. Pope Gregory XIII instituted additional calendar reforms, giving us the calendaring system still in use today. The Gregorian calendar was adopted immediately by Catholic countries, while the Reformists, suspicious of any papal policy, adopted it only after some time. Today, most countries around the world use this calendar.
From primitive times to the present, the New Year has been recognized as a day when rites were performed to abolish the past and allow for renewal in the year ahead. Rituals included purgations, purifications, exorcisms, extinguishing and rekindling fires, masked processions (with masks representing the dead), and similar activities. Often, exorcisms and purgations were accompanied by loud noise meant to scare away evil spirits. In China, Yin, the forces of light, battled Yang, the forces of darkness, with cymbals, noisemakers, and firecrackers.
Early European Americans brought New Year’s celebrations with them from their homelands. However, settlers noted that Native Americans already honored New Year’s Day with their own customs. These rituals coincided with those seen around the world, including fires, the expulsion of evil spirits, and communal celebrations. Today, many New Year’s celebrations begin with a countdown on the evening prior. It is customary to kiss your sweetheart when the clock strikes midnight, one of the enduring traditions of New Year’s Eve parties.
Around the world, different cultures have their own ways of welcoming the New Year. In Japan, people hang a rope of straw across the front of their houses to keep out evil spirits and bring happiness and good luck. They also greet the year with laughter to ensure a lucky start. In Argentina, people wear brand-new pink underwear to attract love. In Brazil, people wear none - which usually works better.
In Germany, every year on December 31, television networks broadcast an 18-minute skit in English called Dinner for One.
In 1963, Germany’s Norddeutscher Rundfunk television station recorded the sketch, performed by British comedians Freddie Frinton and May Warden. Since then, it has become a New Year’s Eve staple in Germany. The clip holds the Guinness World Record for Most Frequently Repeated TV Program, although Dinner for One has never been broadcast in the U.S. or Canada.
In Siberia, brave divers plant a New Year’s tree underneath frozen lakes—essentially a polar plunge with decorations. Much like a Christmas tree, the Siberian New Year tree (or yolka) is meant to signify the coming of Father Frost, while also symbolizing a fresh start. Jumping into a frozen lake is simply another addition to the year-end festivities.
In Italy, nothing says “Happy New Year” like red underwear. Red underpants are a staple of the Italian New Year’s tradition, rooted in centuries-old superstition that the color wards off bad luck and attracts good fortune. Even if you find yourself in Rome without a pair of rosy unmentionables, no worries—shops and street vendors have plenty for sale.
In South Africa, people throw appliances out of windows (watch out!). In Denmark, people break dishes for their friends. They save old plates all year just to hurl them by the dozen onto the doorsteps of family and friends on New Year’s Eve. In theory, the bigger the pile of broken dishes on your doorstep, the larger your circle of friends.
New Year’s resolutions are simply another way to wish away the past in exchange for hope for the future. This is where the phrase “turning over a new leaf” originated. I hope 2026 brings good health and better luck to all.
December 31st - Richard Hoffman
All my undone actions wander
naked across the calendar,
a band of skinny hunter-gatherers, blown snow scattered here and there,
stumbling toward a future folded in the New Year I secure
with a pushpin: January’s picture
a painting from the 17th century,
a still life: Skull and mirror,
spilled coin purse and a flower.
Demand Euphoria!.
Years later, Julius Caesar wanted to change the date to something more logical, but in that year - January 1, 45 BC - fell on a new moon. Changing it would have been considered bad luck. He did, however, reform the calendar itself, creating what became known as the Julian calendar, named in his honor. July, the month of Caesar’s birth, was also named after him to recognize his calendar reform. And look what it got him.
Up until 1582, Christian Europe continued to celebrate New Year’s Day on March 25. Pope Gregory XIII instituted additional calendar reforms, giving us the calendaring system still in use today. The Gregorian calendar was adopted immediately by Catholic countries, while the Reformists, suspicious of any papal policy, adopted it only after some time. Today, most countries around the world use this calendar.
From primitive times to the present, the New Year has been recognized as a day when rites were performed to abolish the past and allow for renewal in the year ahead. Rituals included purgations, purifications, exorcisms, extinguishing and rekindling fires, masked processions (with masks representing the dead), and similar activities. Often, exorcisms and purgations were accompanied by loud noise meant to scare away evil spirits. In China, Yin, the forces of light, battled Yang, the forces of darkness, with cymbals, noisemakers, and firecrackers.
Early European Americans brought New Year’s celebrations with them from their homelands. However, settlers noted that Native Americans already honored New Year’s Day with their own customs. These rituals coincided with those seen around the world, including fires, the expulsion of evil spirits, and communal celebrations. Today, many New Year’s celebrations begin with a countdown on the evening prior. It is customary to kiss your sweetheart when the clock strikes midnight, one of the enduring traditions of New Year’s Eve parties.
Around the world, different cultures have their own ways of welcoming the New Year. In Japan, people hang a rope of straw across the front of their houses to keep out evil spirits and bring happiness and good luck. They also greet the year with laughter to ensure a lucky start. In Argentina, people wear brand-new pink underwear to attract love. In Brazil, people wear none - which usually works better.
In Germany, every year on December 31, television networks broadcast an 18-minute skit in English called Dinner for One.
In 1963, Germany’s Norddeutscher Rundfunk television station recorded the sketch, performed by British comedians Freddie Frinton and May Warden. Since then, it has become a New Year’s Eve staple in Germany. The clip holds the Guinness World Record for Most Frequently Repeated TV Program, although Dinner for One has never been broadcast in the U.S. or Canada.
In Siberia, brave divers plant a New Year’s tree underneath frozen lakes—essentially a polar plunge with decorations. Much like a Christmas tree, the Siberian New Year tree (or yolka) is meant to signify the coming of Father Frost, while also symbolizing a fresh start. Jumping into a frozen lake is simply another addition to the year-end festivities.
In Italy, nothing says “Happy New Year” like red underwear. Red underpants are a staple of the Italian New Year’s tradition, rooted in centuries-old superstition that the color wards off bad luck and attracts good fortune. Even if you find yourself in Rome without a pair of rosy unmentionables, no worries—shops and street vendors have plenty for sale.
In South Africa, people throw appliances out of windows (watch out!). In Denmark, people break dishes for their friends. They save old plates all year just to hurl them by the dozen onto the doorsteps of family and friends on New Year’s Eve. In theory, the bigger the pile of broken dishes on your doorstep, the larger your circle of friends.
New Year’s resolutions are simply another way to wish away the past in exchange for hope for the future. This is where the phrase “turning over a new leaf” originated. I hope 2026 brings good health and better luck to all.
December 31st - Richard Hoffman
All my undone actions wander
naked across the calendar,
a band of skinny hunter-gatherers, blown snow scattered here and there,
stumbling toward a future folded in the New Year I secure
with a pushpin: January’s picture
a painting from the 17th century,
a still life: Skull and mirror,
spilled coin purse and a flower.
Demand Euphoria!.
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
They will make the face of heaven so fine
Another year has come and gone and we here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like to remember some of the people we lost in 2025
Chris Barker's final tribute to people we lost in 2025
Here is a roll call of some (in no particular order) today
David Lynch
Marianne Faithfull
Gene Hackman
Roberta Flack
George Foreman
Val Kilmer
Pope Francis
David Souter
Sly Stone
Brian Wilson
Connie Francis
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Ozzy Osbourne
James Lovell
Charlie Kirk
Robert Redford
Claudia Cardinale
Jane Goodall
Diane Keaton
Jimmy Cliff
Tom Stoppard
Rob Reiner
Brigitte Bardot
Demand Euphoria!
Here is a roll call of some (in no particular order) today
David Lynch
Marianne Faithfull
Gene Hackman
Roberta Flack
George Foreman
Val Kilmer
Pope Francis
David Souter
Sly Stone
Brian Wilson
Connie Francis
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Ozzy Osbourne
James Lovell
Charlie Kirk
Robert Redford
Claudia Cardinale
Jane Goodall
Diane Keaton
Jimmy Cliff
Tom Stoppard
Rob Reiner
Brigitte Bardot
Demand Euphoria!
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