Remember, it’s who’s around it.

Avoid Midtown Manhattan today -

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree will be lit for the first time this holiday season tonight. Remember to wear a mask and bring a polo mallet with you if you, unfortunately, find yourself in midtown.



Thousands of poor souls will gather for the 91st annual Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting. Remember to bring a tube sock filled with pennies with you, if you unfortunately, find yourself in midtown



Do you really want to be stuck in the middle of potential Darwin Award winners and their children who should be forced to play in traffic? So once again, I'm giving native New Yorkers a gentle reminder - watch last year's lighting here.



This year, Alicia Keys, Jimmie Allen, Andrea Bocelli, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, David Foster and Katharine McPhee and the Muppets, as well as, the refugees from overbooked ancient hotels in the holy land are involved this year.

Exert extreme caution!


Today’s second theme – Christmas Light Shows:

According to the Gallup Poll, the percentage of Americans who celebrate Christmas has dropped off to approximately 85%. This means there are approximately 109,182,500 households in the United States that celebrate the holiday. While not every home in the U.S. that celebrates Christmas decorates with extravagant lighting, many of them do.





Electricity use in the United States in 2021 was still more than 13 times greater than electricity use in 1950. The amount of electricity used by holiday lights is determined by the type of light used. The most common include 100-light mini lights. These lights use 0.039 kWh of electricity per hour, which is around 0.95 kWh per day. Ceramic C7 lights are also widely used. A 100-light strand uses 130 watts, which is around 0.13 kWh per hour, resulting in a daily use of around 3.15 kWh..





According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the average cost for electricity in the United States is about 14 cents per kWh, as of August 2021. Based on that cost and the known wattage for typical bulbs, you can do the math to determine how much it costs to power a standard 100-bulb strand. The bigger the bulb, the more juice it takes to make it sparkle. For those big old-school C9 bulbs that are used most often for outdoor displays (and popularized by Clark Griswold), you can plan on paying for 175 watts of power for a single 25-bulb strand. Run that strand 12 hours a day for a 45-day period, and you’ll pay around $15.12 per strand over the holiday season. Prefer mini lights instead? A 100-light strand of incandescent minis runs around $3.53 per season. Some extreme household decorators can spend an extra $2,000 to light their displays!





It’s nice to see that the public is helping support the public utilities. You know that they are barely eking out a living.



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Olden times and ancient rhymes

The holiday season is once again upon us and with the month nearly being over, we here at ACME are proud to bring you the Fifteenth Annual Holiday Video Festival. This week could be the start of the holiday season for some people (most of the staff of ACME start working on the holidays well before Thanksgiving but after Halloween; we're not insane,) and you may be decorating the house this week.

The first theme this year - our first guest programmer, the birthday girl.


As always, she has an interesting mix this year:


Hark! the Herald Angels Sing -



The tune was originally composed by Felix Mendelssohn in 1840 for the second chorus "Gott ist Licht" ("God is Light"), of the cantata Festgesang ("Festival Song"). Festgesang was written by the German composer to commemorate Johann Gutenberg and the invention of printing. Mendelssohn died in 1847 and in 1855 Dr. William Cummings, who was an enthusiast of the German composer, put the words and music together in spite of the fact that Mendelssohn had made it clear that his music was not be used for sacred purposes. Additionally, the lyricist Wesley had envisaged his words being sung to the same tune as his Easter hymn, Christ the Lord is Risen Today. However it is Mendelssohn's tune that is generally used today.


Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle - Luciano Pavarotti



The melody and original lyrics for the hymn were written by Alphonsus Liguori, a prominent Neapolitan priest, who founded the Redemptorist missionary order. In 1732, while staying at Convent of the Consolation, he wrote the Christmas song that begins "You come down from the stars" entitled "Little song to Child Jesus". This version with Italian lyrics actually came after the original song written in Neapolitan entitled "For Jesus' birth" and that begins Quanno nascette Ninno (When the child was born) and sometimes referred to as the "Carol of the Bagpipers" (Canzone d'i zampognari). Since that time, the "Little song to Child Jesus" became a widely popular Christmas carol in Italy.


2000 miles - Chrissy Hines



Although the song was written after the Pretender’s original guitarist James Honeyman-Scott passed away in 1982, at the age of 25, according to our guest programmer, 'I chose the song because even though it not really a Christmas song, it has a holiday feeling to it.'


O Holy Night Ellie Goulding -



Placide Cappeau de Roquemaure, the author of the lyrics of the song, was not only a poet but a wine merchant and a professed atheist. The French title of the poem, Cantique de Noël is also the French title for the Dickens story A Christmas Carol.


Carol of the Bells  Trans-Siberian Orchestra –




Most people automatically associate Carol of the Bells with Christmas, but its origins tell a different story. It’s actually based on a traditional Ukrainian folk chant that celebrated the season of rebirth and anticipated a prosperous New Year. In 1916, composer Mykola Leontovich borrowed the four-note melody for a new choir song called Shchedryk, which debuted in the US at Carnegie Hall in 1921. When American choir director Peter Wilhousky heard the song, he wrote new lyrics and introduced his version, called Carol of the Bells, to holiday audiences.


Mary would like to wish all the readers, both old and new, a very Happy Holiday!



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After a long day

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Abibliophobia

- someone who is afraid of running out of things to read.



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Makes the perfect gift for that special child

This is an actual book - Godzilla Likes To Roar by Kerry Milliron. Buy it before it sells out.



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ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour Today (304)

Thank you for joining us today

Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Daffy Duck Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1944 The Stupid Cupid, (co-starring Elmer Fudd,) directed by Frank Tashlin.



When the rooster is shocked that he is kissing Daffy, there is an abrupt fade to black. According to historian Greg Ford, the original ending involved Daffy saying "If you haven't tried it, don't knock it." Whether it was removed for the Blue Ribbon reissue or from the original release print is unknown.


Before the start of our feature presentation, we're sure you are just coming out of your carb coma of Thanksgiving. We have been working on an episode about supercuts but this one could not wait -



The 2012 Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen, directed by György Pálfi, is a mashup film with 451 clips from the most famous films in history. It's like a bracing cup of espresso, waking up your brain to identify and connect all of the clips.


We've picked another entry from the excellent reference book, 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die by Steven Jay Schneider. Today's film is the classic 1961 drama, The Hustler, directed by Robert Rossen, and starring Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, Piper Laurie, and George C. Scott. Considered one of the greatest sports films, The Hustler was a major critical and popular success when released. The movie was nominated for nine Academy Award nominations, but only won two (Art Direction and Cinematography). Newman played "Fast Eddie" Felson again in the 1986 sequel, The Color of Money, and won an Oscar as Best Actor, making him one of six actors who have been nominated for an Academy Award twice for playing the same character. The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like you to join us in watching the exciting The Hustler. So push away from the table, get comfortable and enjoy the film.



Paul Newman had never held a pool cue before he landed the role of Fast Eddie Felson. He took out the dining room table from his home and installed a pool table so he could spend every waking hour practicing and polishing up his skills.



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Marlene tried to warn Rita about Orson

But she wouldn't listen

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Darn political gangsters.

The long and short of it is, we have to eat your brother.



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Refreshingly honest

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Overheard on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving

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Cattywampus

- the state of being askew



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The original version of Co-Dependent No More

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ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour Today (303)

Thank you for joining us today

Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Daffy Duck Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1944 Plain Daffy , directed by Frank Tashlin. (Hang on, Daffy appears about three-and-a-half minutes into the cartoon.)



Several of the names of the pigeons listed on the blackboard are named after Warner Bros. staff members: Warren Foster, Melvin Millar, Richard Bickenbach, Leon Schlesinger, Ray Katz, A.C. Gamer, and Cal Dalton.


Before the start of our feature presentation, in case you are getting overwhelmed by the thought of your holiday meal, please join us in watching two of our favorite human beings discuss preparing a meal that you could make without stroking out -



I could watch Julia and Jacques all day long.


We've picked another entry from the excellent reference book, 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die by Steven Jay Schneider. Today's film is the classic 1961 musical, West Side Story, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, written by Ernest Lehman, and starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno, and George Chakiris. Unlike many of the films on this list, West Side Story received high praise from critics and viewers at the time, and became the second highest-grossing film of 1961 in the United States. The Broadway show was innovative on many levels, as it featured Jerome Robbins' mixing of contemporary popular dance with classical styles and integrated the dance sequences seamlessly into the songs and action of the story. The gritty, urban tenement setting, the use of street language and the serious exploration of societal problems such as bigotry and juvenile delinquency were a marked change from the standard musical of the time.

Although Robbins and Wise are listed as co-directors onscreen, Robbins was asked to leave the production early during the shooting. The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like you to join us in watching the exciting West Side Story. So push away from the table, get comfortable and enjoy the film.



Even though dubbing Natalie Wood was Marni Nixon's chief assignment, Nixon also did one number for Rita Moreno, which required a relatively high vocal register. Having dubbed Wood as well as Moreno, Nixon felt she deserved a cut of the movie-album royalties. Neither the movie or the record producers would bow to her demands. Leonard Bernstein broke the stalemate by volunteering a percentage of his income, a gesture of loyalty-royalty since Nixon had been a performer-colleague of his at New York Philharmonic concerts. He ceded one-quarter of one percent of his royalties to her (a generous amount).



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Dinner might be a little delayed

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Just in time for the holiday season

No party is complete until all the men are wearing suits and ties. And remember, you have to feed the men!



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The Few, The Proud, The Chosen

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Some thoughts before the holidays

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Aureate

- Marked by grandiloquent and rhetorical style.



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A Very Timely Read

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ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour Today (302)

Thank you for joining us today

Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Daffy Duck Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1944 Slightly Daffy , (with his usual co-hort Porky Pig,) directed by Friz Freleng.



Like Scalp Trouble, this short is seldom shown on American television nowadays due to its stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans.


Our crack staff was doing some research on supercut mashup videos for a future special feature when they came across this mashup of Tear You Apart by She Wants Revenge and Bela Lugosi's Dead by Bauhaus. So sit back and enjoy -



The songs so seamlessly blended together that it seems like they were written to be together


We've picked another entry from the excellent reference book, 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die by Steven Jay Schneider. Today's film is the second film of the trilogyabout modern alienation, the 1961 drama, La Notte (The Night), directed by Michelangelo Antonioni ,starring Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau, and Monica Vitti. Unlike many of the films we have seen in this series, at the time of its release in 1961, La Notte received good reviews and was a financial success. One snide comment often made at the time was little happens during the film. Yet the film is not boring. Over the course of a single day and night, a husband and wife begin to recognize the lovelessness of their marriage and the internal and unspoken collapse of their relationship. They are no longer the people they used to be; they are simply pretending. Pretty heady stuff. The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like you to join us in watching this seminal work of cinema, La Notte. So push away from the table, get comfortable (you may want to leave the lights on,) and enjoy the film.



(Don't forget to turn on the CC function, should you need it.)

Rather humorously, the film is referenced to in the end credits of Life of Brian - 'If you have enjoyed this film, why not go and see "La Notte"?'



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Dwayne quit his job at the Philharmonic,

right after that evening's performance.

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Why Johnny got a gun

The warning signs were all there; if they had only listened.



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Call soon, switch boards are busy

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Overheard during another phone conversation

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Harbergery

- A place of entertainment such as an inn, tavern or public house.



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The perfect magazine to read in the doctor's office

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The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (301)

Thank you for joining us today

Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Daffy Duck Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1944 Duck Soup to Nuts , (co-starring Porky Pig,) directed by Robert McKimson.



Daffy mimics Gallic thespian Charles Boyer, who would also be the inspiration for fellow cast mate Pepe Le Pew.


Before the start of our feature presentation, the staff at ACME loves everything about Supermarionation. So when we rediscovered a fantastic parody of the whole Thunderbird oeuvre by Peter Cook and Dudley Moore from their series Not Only... But Also, we knew that we had to watch with you:



Imagine Gone with the Wind done with the addition of Supermarionation (but I digress ...).


We've picked another entry from the excellent reference book, 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die by Steven Jay Schneider. Today's film is 1961 romantic drama, Lola, directed by Jacques Demy, and starring Anouk Aimée and Marc Michel. Jacques Demy has referred to his debut film as a tribute to director Max Ophüls. The film has always been referred to as a musical without music. But beneath the gaudy surface artifice and gob-smacking maze of plot contrivance, the film has depth and feeling, that makes it both accessible and profoundly moving.The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like you to join us in watching this off-beat offering of French New Wave, Lola.   So push away from the table, get comfortable, and enjoy the film.



Wong Kar-Wai cited Lola as a primary influence on his film Chungking Express, in inspiring that film's second half.



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Nope, nope, you can't make me

The joke is just out there, but I won't say it.



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During these trying finacial times,

coming up with a savings plan, will help young people achieve their goals.



What the film neglects to mention is that Jack will make a tremedous amount of money when he converts his hobby of photography into blackmailing the neighbors with the incriminating pictures he is able to take with his new camera.



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Define "help take care"

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From the desk of C. Brown

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