Demand Euphoria!
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Monday, March 2, 2026
Smorgasbord —
- a buffet meal of various hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, salads, casserole dishes, meats, cheeses, etc.
Demand Euphoria!
Sunday, March 1, 2026
Saturday, February 28, 2026
ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (478)
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 1939 Looney Tunes Porky's Tire Trouble directed by Bob Clampett
When Flat Foot Flooky emerges from the rubberizing solution he molds his face into caricatures of Edward G. Robinson, Edna May Oliver, Clark Gable, and Hugh Herbert.
Traveling along the dark shoals of the intraweb to bring you, something interesting, dear Bunkies, the staff of The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour was thinking about Radiohead's classic Creep. I'm guessing many of you didin't realize that this was the bands' first single, released in the UK in September 1992. It flopped, and they rather reluctantly included it on their debut album, Pablo Honey, in February 1993. To their surprise, it started getting some airplay and found an audience, so their label re-issued it in September 1993 and it rose to #7 in the UK.
According to the book Radiohead: Hysterical and Useless, this song was inspired by Thom Yorke's obsession with a stranger. He was infatuated with a woman who was out of his league, who he'd never met but frequently saw in bars, and he found himself following her around.
On the album version, Thom Yorke sings, "You're so f--king special." For radio, he recut it as, "You're so very special." Yorke regrets changing the line for the radio version, saying it disturbed the "sentiment of the song." According to him, the song lost its anger as a result. Billie Eilish and her brother-producer Finneas have long credited Radiohead as one of their musical inspirations. Billie Eilish demonstrated her love for Radiohead during a recent tour stop.
During a performance at Coachella 2008, Prince did a cover of Creep. Later on Prince requested that all of his live footage from the Coachella show be removed, including the cover of Creep, to which Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke responded “Well, tell him to unblock it. It’s our … song.”
We bet you didn't know; The song is musically similar to a 1972 song by The Hollies called The Air That I Breathe, written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood, whose publishers took legal action. Radiohead acknowledged that the songs were similar and agreed to share some of the songwriting royalties and add Hammond and Hazlewood to the writing credits.
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 1988 landmark feature Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Stubby Kaye, and Joanna Cassidy, with Charles Fleischer providing the voice of Roger Rabbit. The film was very expensive to produce. With an estimated budget of $70 million, it was the most expensive film made in the 1980s and featured one of the longest on-screen credit sequences of its time. The first test audience, composed largely of 18- and 19-year-olds, hated it. After nearly the entire audience walked out of the screening, Zemeckis, who had final cut, said he wasn’t changing a thing. The film opened to critical acclaim for its visuals, humor, writing, performances, and groundbreaking combination of live-action and animation. It went on to gross over $351 million worldwide.
During production, one of the biggest challenges was figuring out how to make the cartoon characters interact convincingly with real on-set props. This was ultimately achieved in two ways. Certain props (such as Baby Herman’s cigar or the plates Roger smashes over his head) were moved on set using motion-control machines operated by technicians who manipulated the objects precisely as needed. In post-production, the animated character was then drawn over the machinery. The second method involved puppeteers. This technique is most clearly seen in the scene set in the Ink & Paint Club. The glasses held by the octopus bartender were controlled by puppeteers positioned above the set, while the trays carried by the penguin waiters were attached to rods operated from below. The wires and rods were later removed in post-production, and the animated characters were added in.
Every frame that combined live-action and animation had to be printed as a still photograph. An animator would draw the illustration for that specific frame on tracing paper placed over the photograph. The outline drawing was then hand-colored before being composited back into the original frame using an optical printer.
A total of 326 animators worked full-time on the film. Altogether, 82,080 frames of animation were produced, including storyboards and concept art. Animation director Richard Williams estimated that well over one million drawings were created for the movie.
So find a comfortable chair, dim the lights, and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we enjoy this animated classic: Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Producer Steven Spielberg was able to convince Warner Bros. to allow Zemeckis to include several of their Looney Tunes characters in what was otherwise a Disney production. Warner Bros. agreed, provided certain quality-control and screen-time conditions were met and that their characters were treated respectfully by the animators. Several years later, while in pre-production on the live-action/animated crossover film Space Jam, Warner Bros. asked Disney to return the favor by allowing a major Disney character to appear as a special guest during the film’s final game. The Walt Disney Company (by then under new management) refused. Warner Bros. accused Disney of breaking an almost decade-old gentleman’s agreement and declared they would no longer cooperate with the studio. As a result - and despite initial threats of legal action - Space Jam reportedly included several barbed jokes aimed directly at Disney.
Demand Euphoria!
Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Porky Pig Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1939 Looney Tunes Porky's Tire Trouble directed by Bob Clampett
When Flat Foot Flooky emerges from the rubberizing solution he molds his face into caricatures of Edward G. Robinson, Edna May Oliver, Clark Gable, and Hugh Herbert.
Traveling along the dark shoals of the intraweb to bring you, something interesting, dear Bunkies, the staff of The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour was thinking about Radiohead's classic Creep. I'm guessing many of you didin't realize that this was the bands' first single, released in the UK in September 1992. It flopped, and they rather reluctantly included it on their debut album, Pablo Honey, in February 1993. To their surprise, it started getting some airplay and found an audience, so their label re-issued it in September 1993 and it rose to #7 in the UK.
According to the book Radiohead: Hysterical and Useless, this song was inspired by Thom Yorke's obsession with a stranger. He was infatuated with a woman who was out of his league, who he'd never met but frequently saw in bars, and he found himself following her around.
On the album version, Thom Yorke sings, "You're so f--king special." For radio, he recut it as, "You're so very special." Yorke regrets changing the line for the radio version, saying it disturbed the "sentiment of the song." According to him, the song lost its anger as a result. Billie Eilish and her brother-producer Finneas have long credited Radiohead as one of their musical inspirations. Billie Eilish demonstrated her love for Radiohead during a recent tour stop.
During a performance at Coachella 2008, Prince did a cover of Creep. Later on Prince requested that all of his live footage from the Coachella show be removed, including the cover of Creep, to which Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke responded “Well, tell him to unblock it. It’s our … song.”
We bet you didn't know; The song is musically similar to a 1972 song by The Hollies called The Air That I Breathe, written by Albert Hammond and Mike Hazlewood, whose publishers took legal action. Radiohead acknowledged that the songs were similar and agreed to share some of the songwriting royalties and add Hammond and Hazlewood to the writing credits.
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 1988 landmark feature Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Stubby Kaye, and Joanna Cassidy, with Charles Fleischer providing the voice of Roger Rabbit. The film was very expensive to produce. With an estimated budget of $70 million, it was the most expensive film made in the 1980s and featured one of the longest on-screen credit sequences of its time. The first test audience, composed largely of 18- and 19-year-olds, hated it. After nearly the entire audience walked out of the screening, Zemeckis, who had final cut, said he wasn’t changing a thing. The film opened to critical acclaim for its visuals, humor, writing, performances, and groundbreaking combination of live-action and animation. It went on to gross over $351 million worldwide.
During production, one of the biggest challenges was figuring out how to make the cartoon characters interact convincingly with real on-set props. This was ultimately achieved in two ways. Certain props (such as Baby Herman’s cigar or the plates Roger smashes over his head) were moved on set using motion-control machines operated by technicians who manipulated the objects precisely as needed. In post-production, the animated character was then drawn over the machinery. The second method involved puppeteers. This technique is most clearly seen in the scene set in the Ink & Paint Club. The glasses held by the octopus bartender were controlled by puppeteers positioned above the set, while the trays carried by the penguin waiters were attached to rods operated from below. The wires and rods were later removed in post-production, and the animated characters were added in.
Every frame that combined live-action and animation had to be printed as a still photograph. An animator would draw the illustration for that specific frame on tracing paper placed over the photograph. The outline drawing was then hand-colored before being composited back into the original frame using an optical printer.
A total of 326 animators worked full-time on the film. Altogether, 82,080 frames of animation were produced, including storyboards and concept art. Animation director Richard Williams estimated that well over one million drawings were created for the movie.
So find a comfortable chair, dim the lights, and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we enjoy this animated classic: Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Producer Steven Spielberg was able to convince Warner Bros. to allow Zemeckis to include several of their Looney Tunes characters in what was otherwise a Disney production. Warner Bros. agreed, provided certain quality-control and screen-time conditions were met and that their characters were treated respectfully by the animators. Several years later, while in pre-production on the live-action/animated crossover film Space Jam, Warner Bros. asked Disney to return the favor by allowing a major Disney character to appear as a special guest during the film’s final game. The Walt Disney Company (by then under new management) refused. Warner Bros. accused Disney of breaking an almost decade-old gentleman’s agreement and declared they would no longer cooperate with the studio. As a result - and despite initial threats of legal action - Space Jam reportedly included several barbed jokes aimed directly at Disney.
Demand Euphoria!
Friday, February 27, 2026
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Monday, February 23, 2026
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Saturday, February 21, 2026
ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (477)
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 1939 Looney Tunes It's an Ill Wind directed by Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton
Both Dizzy Duck and Porky's pet dog bear a passing resemblance to animated characters from rival studio Disney.
Hey bunkies, the staff atThe ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour want to share with you another fantastic mash-up from Bill McClintock -
This one really is amazing! Who would think of Sade and Ratt (and Santana) in the same universe as well as the same song.
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 1988 seminal dystopian anime Akira, directed by J Katsuhiro Otomo. A landmark in Japanese animation, Akira is widely cited as an influential work in the development of anime, adult animation, and Japanese cyberpunk. The film is widely credited with breaking anime into mainstream Western audiences. Akira's final budget was $10 million (¥1.1 billion), making it the most expensive Japanese animated film before Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away released in 2001.
Set in a neon-soaked, post-apocalyptic Tokyo in 2019, the story centers on the volatile friendship between Tetsuo Shima and his longtime friend Shotaro Kaneda - a rivalry that escalates from teenage rebellion to psychic catastrophe. While much of the character design and world-building comes directly from Ôtomo’s sprawling 2,182-page manga, the film’s narrative was radically streamlined. Entire arcs were condensed. Characters vanished. The result is leaner, faster, and charged with kinetic intensity.
Katsuhiro Ôtomo initially had no intention of adapting his manga for the screen. But when the opportunity arose, he became “very intrigued.” He agreed - on one non-negotiable condition: complete creative control. (A lesson learned from his earlier work on Harmagedon.) Legend has it he filled roughly 2,000 pages of notebooks with ideas and designs. The final storyboard alone ran 738 pages.
So find a comfortable chair, dim the lights, and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we dive headlong into one of the most influential animated films ever made: Akira.
The iconic shot of Kaneda’s red bike sliding to a stop, sparks flying, framed from behind during the opening chase. It may be the most imitated shot in animation history. Homages have appeared in Teen Titans, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars, Samurai Jack, Batman: The Animated Series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Adventure Time, The Simpsons, and even Pokémon.
Demand Euphoria!
Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Porky Pig Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1939 Looney Tunes It's an Ill Wind directed by Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton
Both Dizzy Duck and Porky's pet dog bear a passing resemblance to animated characters from rival studio Disney.
Hey bunkies, the staff atThe ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour want to share with you another fantastic mash-up from Bill McClintock -
This one really is amazing! Who would think of Sade and Ratt (and Santana) in the same universe as well as the same song.
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 1988 seminal dystopian anime Akira, directed by J Katsuhiro Otomo. A landmark in Japanese animation, Akira is widely cited as an influential work in the development of anime, adult animation, and Japanese cyberpunk. The film is widely credited with breaking anime into mainstream Western audiences. Akira's final budget was $10 million (¥1.1 billion), making it the most expensive Japanese animated film before Studio Ghibli's Spirited Away released in 2001.
Set in a neon-soaked, post-apocalyptic Tokyo in 2019, the story centers on the volatile friendship between Tetsuo Shima and his longtime friend Shotaro Kaneda - a rivalry that escalates from teenage rebellion to psychic catastrophe. While much of the character design and world-building comes directly from Ôtomo’s sprawling 2,182-page manga, the film’s narrative was radically streamlined. Entire arcs were condensed. Characters vanished. The result is leaner, faster, and charged with kinetic intensity.
Katsuhiro Ôtomo initially had no intention of adapting his manga for the screen. But when the opportunity arose, he became “very intrigued.” He agreed - on one non-negotiable condition: complete creative control. (A lesson learned from his earlier work on Harmagedon.) Legend has it he filled roughly 2,000 pages of notebooks with ideas and designs. The final storyboard alone ran 738 pages.
So find a comfortable chair, dim the lights, and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we dive headlong into one of the most influential animated films ever made: Akira.
The iconic shot of Kaneda’s red bike sliding to a stop, sparks flying, framed from behind during the opening chase. It may be the most imitated shot in animation history. Homages have appeared in Teen Titans, Genndy Tartakovsky’s Star Wars: Clone Wars, Samurai Jack, Batman: The Animated Series, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Adventure Time, The Simpsons, and even Pokémon.
Demand Euphoria!
Friday, February 20, 2026
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
Monday, February 16, 2026
Sunday, February 15, 2026
Saturday, February 14, 2026
ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (476)
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 The Lone Stranger and Porky directed by Bob Clampett
This cartoon is a spoof of the only theatrical Lone Ranger cartoon ever made, in which the Lone Ranger and Tonto foil a stagecoach robbery.
Hey Bunkies it's Valentine's Day and maybe you're on your own. The staff at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour want you to know that you're never alone when you tune into our show. Get yourself a snack and settle in to watch with us this classic episode of The Bullwinkle & Rocky Show -
Wossamotta U's football coach is named Rocky Knute, a spoof on Knute Rockne, the celebrated football coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1918 to 1930.
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 one of Akira Kurosawa's favorite films, the 1987 period drama The Dead, directed by John Huston (his last), adapted from a James Joyce short story by Tony Huston and starring Anjelica Huston, Helena Carroll, Cathleen Delany, Dan O'Herlihy, Marie Kean, Donal Donnelly, Seán McClory, Frank Patterson, and Colm Meaney. The Dead was released several months after John Huston's death and received much critical acclaim. (A personal aside - this film is one of Dr. Caligari's favorites and it is a much watch every holiday season.)
Huston originally planned to shoot the film entirely on-location in Dublin and Ardmore Studios. However, due to his declining health, the interiors were all shot on a soundstage at the California Institute of the Arts, while a second unit filmed exterior location footage in Dublin. The film was a family affair for the Hustons. John Huston directed the movie, her daughter Anjelica acted and starred in the movie, one son Tony wrote the screenplay for the picture while his other son, Danny was the second unit director.
This was the third collaboration between John Huston and Tony Huston, with their work on this film. Tony previously working on an earlier film of his father, as an uncredited second assistant director on Wise Blood, and as a billed actor on The List of Adrian Messenger. Each of the three films was made in a subsequent decade, one each in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Anjelica Huston worked several times with her father, John Huston. The films include the 1967 film, Casino Royale, A Walk with Love and Death, Sinful Davey, Prizzi's Honor, and today's presentation. John Huston also co-wrote the film, Mr. North, in which Anjelica Huston appeared, making their output six collaborations in total.
Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this very moving film: The Dead
In the early 1950s, director Luchino Visconti and his regular screen writer Suso Cecchi D'Amico collaborated on an adaptation of The Dubliners story to be part of a portmanteau film, but the whole production was canceled. During the mid 70's, Joseph Losey had planned to film The Dubliners from which this story comes, and had hoped for Trevor Howard and Robert Shaw to star.
Demand Euphoria!
Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Porky Pig Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1938 The Lone Stranger and Porky directed by Bob Clampett
This cartoon is a spoof of the only theatrical Lone Ranger cartoon ever made, in which the Lone Ranger and Tonto foil a stagecoach robbery.
Hey Bunkies it's Valentine's Day and maybe you're on your own. The staff at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour want you to know that you're never alone when you tune into our show. Get yourself a snack and settle in to watch with us this classic episode of The Bullwinkle & Rocky Show -
Wossamotta U's football coach is named Rocky Knute, a spoof on Knute Rockne, the celebrated football coach at the University of Notre Dame from 1918 to 1930.
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 one of Akira Kurosawa's favorite films, the 1987 period drama The Dead, directed by John Huston (his last), adapted from a James Joyce short story by Tony Huston and starring Anjelica Huston, Helena Carroll, Cathleen Delany, Dan O'Herlihy, Marie Kean, Donal Donnelly, Seán McClory, Frank Patterson, and Colm Meaney. The Dead was released several months after John Huston's death and received much critical acclaim. (A personal aside - this film is one of Dr. Caligari's favorites and it is a much watch every holiday season.)
Huston originally planned to shoot the film entirely on-location in Dublin and Ardmore Studios. However, due to his declining health, the interiors were all shot on a soundstage at the California Institute of the Arts, while a second unit filmed exterior location footage in Dublin. The film was a family affair for the Hustons. John Huston directed the movie, her daughter Anjelica acted and starred in the movie, one son Tony wrote the screenplay for the picture while his other son, Danny was the second unit director.
This was the third collaboration between John Huston and Tony Huston, with their work on this film. Tony previously working on an earlier film of his father, as an uncredited second assistant director on Wise Blood, and as a billed actor on The List of Adrian Messenger. Each of the three films was made in a subsequent decade, one each in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Anjelica Huston worked several times with her father, John Huston. The films include the 1967 film, Casino Royale, A Walk with Love and Death, Sinful Davey, Prizzi's Honor, and today's presentation. John Huston also co-wrote the film, Mr. North, in which Anjelica Huston appeared, making their output six collaborations in total.
Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this very moving film: The Dead
In the early 1950s, director Luchino Visconti and his regular screen writer Suso Cecchi D'Amico collaborated on an adaptation of The Dubliners story to be part of a portmanteau film, but the whole production was canceled. During the mid 70's, Joseph Losey had planned to film The Dubliners from which this story comes, and had hoped for Trevor Howard and Robert Shaw to star.
Demand Euphoria!
Friday, February 13, 2026
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Monday, February 9, 2026
Sunday, February 8, 2026
Saturday, February 7, 2026
ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (475)
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 Porky the Gob directed by Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton
This is the first Looney Tune to have the 1938-41 opening rendition of The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down,
Hey Bunkies it's very cold outside. HBO Max has now become the home for Looney Tunes cartoons. The staff atThe ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour want to get very cozy and watch this compilation reel of some Bugs Bunny cartoons:
As some of you may know, I got paid to watch the entire Warner Bros. cartoon library and I never get tired of watching it again.
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 1986 comedy Raising Arizona, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, and Frances McDormand. Raising Arizona received mixed reviews when it first opened but is now considered a comedy classic.
After the success of Blood Simple, the Coen Brothers planned for The Hudsucker Proxy to be their next film. Because the budget for that movie ($40 million) wouldn’t work for their producers at Circle Films, they wrote this instead. They decided that Raising Arizona should be the polar opposite of Blood Simple. As such, they made it more positive and upbeat, with sympathetic characters.
The relationship between Nicolas Cage and the Coen Brothers was respectful but turbulent. When he arrived on set, and at various other points during production, Cage offered suggestions to the Coens, which they largely ignored. Cage said that “Joel and Ethan have a very strong vision, and I’ve learned how difficult it is to accept another artist’s vision. They have an autocratic nature.” Joel replied that he understood why Cage would make that statement, saying that “it was a lot of fun working with Nic,” but that some of his improvisations clashed with their vision and had to be edited. However, the Coens clarified that they would much prefer working with an actor who, like Cage, possessed a “fertile imagination” over one whose performance needed to be “kick-started.”
Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this very funny movie: Raising Arizona.
The cigar-smoking bird tattoo was originally the logo of Clay Smith Cams in the 1950s, a company that made high-performance engine parts. The logo, with its trademark clenched cigar, represents Smith himself and is known as “Mr. Horsepower.” Smith closed the business in the 1960s, and the logo was later adopted by what is now Tenneco for their Thrush muffler line.
Demand Euphoria!
Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Porky Pig Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1938 Porky the Gob directed by Ben Hardaway and Cal Dalton
This is the first Looney Tune to have the 1938-41 opening rendition of The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down,
Hey Bunkies it's very cold outside. HBO Max has now become the home for Looney Tunes cartoons. The staff atThe ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour want to get very cozy and watch this compilation reel of some Bugs Bunny cartoons:
As some of you may know, I got paid to watch the entire Warner Bros. cartoon library and I never get tired of watching it again.
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 1986 comedy Raising Arizona, directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring Nicolas Cage, Holly Hunter, John Goodman, and Frances McDormand. Raising Arizona received mixed reviews when it first opened but is now considered a comedy classic.
After the success of Blood Simple, the Coen Brothers planned for The Hudsucker Proxy to be their next film. Because the budget for that movie ($40 million) wouldn’t work for their producers at Circle Films, they wrote this instead. They decided that Raising Arizona should be the polar opposite of Blood Simple. As such, they made it more positive and upbeat, with sympathetic characters.
The relationship between Nicolas Cage and the Coen Brothers was respectful but turbulent. When he arrived on set, and at various other points during production, Cage offered suggestions to the Coens, which they largely ignored. Cage said that “Joel and Ethan have a very strong vision, and I’ve learned how difficult it is to accept another artist’s vision. They have an autocratic nature.” Joel replied that he understood why Cage would make that statement, saying that “it was a lot of fun working with Nic,” but that some of his improvisations clashed with their vision and had to be edited. However, the Coens clarified that they would much prefer working with an actor who, like Cage, possessed a “fertile imagination” over one whose performance needed to be “kick-started.”
Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this very funny movie: Raising Arizona.
The cigar-smoking bird tattoo was originally the logo of Clay Smith Cams in the 1950s, a company that made high-performance engine parts. The logo, with its trademark clenched cigar, represents Smith himself and is known as “Mr. Horsepower.” Smith closed the business in the 1960s, and the logo was later adopted by what is now Tenneco for their Thrush muffler line.
Demand Euphoria!
Friday, February 6, 2026
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Monday, February 2, 2026
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Saturday, January 31, 2026
ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (474)
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 The Daffy Doc, (co-starring Daffy Duck,) directed by Bob Clampett
Neither Bob Clampett nor Chuck Jones cared much for this short, not because they thought it was bad, but because it used an iron lung as a gag prop at a time when polio deaths were on the rise.
Hey bunkies it's still cold outside nut it seems like we dodged another snow storm. The staff at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour would like you to get very cozy and watch some TV with them. Why not join us in watching another one of our favorite comics - Lewis Blank and his latest Rantcast:
Lewis has perfected cranky to an art form.
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 1986 coming-of-age drama Stand by Me, directed by Rob Reiner (based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella The Body) and starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell, and Kiefer Sutherland. Stand by Me was both a commercial and critical success. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and for two Golden Globe Awards, and it ultimately earned $52,287,414 - well above its $8 million budget.
Director Rob Reiner took important steps to ensure that his four young actors would bond with one another before filming and understand the time period and culture in which their characters lived. These steps included giving them tapes of late-1950s music and making sure they knew the era’s slang. Importantly, he also brought them to Brownsville, Oregon, where he led them in games and exercises drawn from Viola Spolin’s book Improvisations for the Theater. One exercise involved guiding one another blindfolded through their hotel lobby. The point of these exercises was to build trust and friendship so that, onscreen, they would be comfortable with one another and their group of friends would seem real.
Reiner credits much of his success with the cast to the fact that he had been an actor himself. Wil Wheaton said he did not realize it at the time, but that the experience of working with Reiner taught him the meaning of the term “an actor’s director.” Kiefer Sutherland said of Reiner, “Because he’s so proficient as an actor, he can allow you to discover a moment when, in fact, he’s telling it to you.”
According to Sutherland, the title of the film (changed from The Body, the name of Stephen King’s novella) may have come from an interaction he had with Reiner while he and River Phoenix were playing guitar together. Phoenix had been learning to play the instrument for some time, and Sutherland began playing “Stand by Me” on a whim, prompting Phoenix to remark that he loved the song’s melody. Sutherland began teaching Phoenix the tune on guitar, at which point Reiner walked by and commented that he loved the song as well. The original Ben E. King recording of the song was used over the end credits, and a music video featuring Phoenix (shown singing along and playing guitar) alongside co-star Wil Wheaton was also filmed.
Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this touching movie: Stand by Me.
In an interview with Variety, Jerry O’Connell said that it was not until he had already been dating Rebecca Romijn (who would later become his wife) for many months that he learned she had been a devoted fan of the movie as a child—and she wasn’t the one to tell him. O’Connell said, “I’m married to Rebecca Romijn, a beautiful model. She’s way out of my league— a million times out of my league. About three months into dating, my wife is from Berkeley, and I went up there to meet her high school friends. We got a little drunk, and her high school best friend said to me, ‘You know, Stand by Me is Rebecca’s favorite movie of all time. You know she had posters of it all over her room growing up.’ She never told me that.”
Demand Euphoria!
Friday, January 30, 2026
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Monday, January 26, 2026
Sunday, January 25, 2026
Saturday, January 24, 2026
ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (473)
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 Porky in Egypt, directed by Bob Clampett
Many of the tourists atop of the long camel are caricatures of Leon Schlesinger staff.
Hey Bunkies it's cold outside and we're waiting for the upcoming snow apocalypse. The staff at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour want to get very cozy and watch some TV. Why not join us in watching one of our favorite comics - Craig Ferguson in one of his new comedy specials - Just Being Honest:
I know it won't happen but wouldn't it be great if Craig came back on TV after Stephen leaves Late Night.
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 1986 comedic documentary Sherman’s March, directed by and starring Ross McElwee. Sherman’s March is a strange film - simultaneously about Ross McElwee’s search for love, his thoughts about nuclear war, and General Tecumseh Sherman. The film was well received when it premiered, winning the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at Sundance in 1987, and it was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry at the turn of the millennium.
The movie is neither pretentious nor artsy. It’s hilarious from start to finish. McElwee’s dry wit later influenced director Michael Moore. The film’s subjects are as wacky as anyone found in documentaries like Gates of Heaven or Vernon, Florida. It’s as if one combined Vernon, Florida with the mockumentary 20 Dates. Throughout the film, McElwee is either romantically involved with women or meeting them as he tracks Sherman’s march. The film both reinforces stereotypes of Southern women and breaks them down. McElwee also takes time to tell the viewer a great deal about General Sherman.
The film demonstrates how our personal experiences and emotions draw us toward certain people and historical stories. McElwee’s personal journey is remarkably universal. The film addresses themes of “the search for love” and “the fear of death” in a humorous and intelligent way. It’s almost as if Woody Allen made a documentary. Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this very funny documentary: Sherman’s March.
Throughout the film, McElwee employs several techniques reminiscent of creative nonfiction writers. Since the film is self-produced, McElwee remains behind the camera and is seen only in mirror reflections or during monologues in which he complains about sleepless nights.
Demand Euphoria!
Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Porky Pig Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1938 Porky in Egypt, directed by Bob Clampett
Many of the tourists atop of the long camel are caricatures of Leon Schlesinger staff.
Hey Bunkies it's cold outside and we're waiting for the upcoming snow apocalypse. The staff at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour want to get very cozy and watch some TV. Why not join us in watching one of our favorite comics - Craig Ferguson in one of his new comedy specials - Just Being Honest:
I know it won't happen but wouldn't it be great if Craig came back on TV after Stephen leaves Late Night.
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 1986 comedic documentary Sherman’s March, directed by and starring Ross McElwee. Sherman’s March is a strange film - simultaneously about Ross McElwee’s search for love, his thoughts about nuclear war, and General Tecumseh Sherman. The film was well received when it premiered, winning the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at Sundance in 1987, and it was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry at the turn of the millennium.
The movie is neither pretentious nor artsy. It’s hilarious from start to finish. McElwee’s dry wit later influenced director Michael Moore. The film’s subjects are as wacky as anyone found in documentaries like Gates of Heaven or Vernon, Florida. It’s as if one combined Vernon, Florida with the mockumentary 20 Dates. Throughout the film, McElwee is either romantically involved with women or meeting them as he tracks Sherman’s march. The film both reinforces stereotypes of Southern women and breaks them down. McElwee also takes time to tell the viewer a great deal about General Sherman.
The film demonstrates how our personal experiences and emotions draw us toward certain people and historical stories. McElwee’s personal journey is remarkably universal. The film addresses themes of “the search for love” and “the fear of death” in a humorous and intelligent way. It’s almost as if Woody Allen made a documentary. Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this very funny documentary: Sherman’s March.
Throughout the film, McElwee employs several techniques reminiscent of creative nonfiction writers. Since the film is self-produced, McElwee remains behind the camera and is seen only in mirror reflections or during monologues in which he complains about sleepless nights.
Demand Euphoria!
Friday, January 23, 2026
Thursday, January 22, 2026
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Monday, January 19, 2026
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Saturday, January 17, 2026
ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (472)
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 Porky's Naughty Nephew, directed by Bob Clampett
Introducing nephews and nieces of an established cartoon character was common at the time. It was a way around the Hayes Code, which required marriage to be shown before children appeared...even in animated features. The characters could then show their parenting skills and family values without the need of having a regular spouse featured.
You know that the staff at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour loves the holiday long form commercial format from our cousins across the sea. Two, three minutes of holiday cheer - that seems nice. Well, under the thought that more is never enough - here is a nearly 45 minute commercial about bourbon drinking:
Jim Gaffigan is the man who could carry a 45 minute commercial about drinking bourbon.
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 1986 comedy The Decline of the American Empire (French: Le Déclin de l'empire Américain), directed by Denys Arcand and starring Rémy Girard, Pierre Curzi and Dorothée Berryman. The Decline of the American Empire was a critical success when it first opened. The film was a huge success in France and Canada, earning over $30 million during it's initial release. Ranking twice in the Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time list (both the 1993 and 2004 lists), the film was nominated for an Academy Award and winner of nine Genie Awards.
While the story is set in the world of academia, there’s nothing bookish or stuffy about the stories that emerge. Satirical and witty, The Decline of the American Empire evolves from a comedy of manners to a poignant and moving exploration of relationship and loss. Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this intriguing comedy: The Decline of the American Empire .
Denys Arcand chose tenured university professors as the subject matter of his film as he felt that they would be less likely to have Quebecois accents. In the French speaking world, the Quebec accent is particularly noticeable and Arcand wanted his low budget film to at least have some chance of attracting an audience outside of Canada.
Demand Euphoria!
Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Porky Pig Looney Tunes cartoon, the 1938 Porky's Naughty Nephew, directed by Bob Clampett
Introducing nephews and nieces of an established cartoon character was common at the time. It was a way around the Hayes Code, which required marriage to be shown before children appeared...even in animated features. The characters could then show their parenting skills and family values without the need of having a regular spouse featured.
You know that the staff at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour loves the holiday long form commercial format from our cousins across the sea. Two, three minutes of holiday cheer - that seems nice. Well, under the thought that more is never enough - here is a nearly 45 minute commercial about bourbon drinking:
Jim Gaffigan is the man who could carry a 45 minute commercial about drinking bourbon.
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 1986 comedy The Decline of the American Empire (French: Le Déclin de l'empire Américain), directed by Denys Arcand and starring Rémy Girard, Pierre Curzi and Dorothée Berryman. The Decline of the American Empire was a critical success when it first opened. The film was a huge success in France and Canada, earning over $30 million during it's initial release. Ranking twice in the Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time list (both the 1993 and 2004 lists), the film was nominated for an Academy Award and winner of nine Genie Awards.
While the story is set in the world of academia, there’s nothing bookish or stuffy about the stories that emerge. Satirical and witty, The Decline of the American Empire evolves from a comedy of manners to a poignant and moving exploration of relationship and loss. Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this intriguing comedy: The Decline of the American Empire .
Denys Arcand chose tenured university professors as the subject matter of his film as he felt that they would be less likely to have Quebecois accents. In the French speaking world, the Quebec accent is particularly noticeable and Arcand wanted his low budget film to at least have some chance of attracting an audience outside of Canada.
Demand Euphoria!
Friday, January 16, 2026
Thursday, January 15, 2026
Wednesday, January 14, 2026
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Monday, January 12, 2026
Sunday, January 11, 2026
Saturday, January 10, 2026
ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour (471)
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 inspired 1938 Porky in Wackyland, directed by Bob Clampett
This short subject is celebrated for its surreal humor, such as when Porky is chasing the bird, it disappears and suddenly the Warner Bros. shield emerges from the horizon's vanishing point, as it typically did at every cartoon's beginning, and complete with the standard stretched "boing" of the steel guitar. The Do-Do comes from behind the shield to bop Porky on the head and we see the shield immediately turn to return to the horizon with the bird riding it there (with, consequently, the boing sound played in reverse).
The staff atThe ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour hope you can stomach one more holiday special. And what doesn't scream the holidays like forcing celebs to eat colon burning chicken wings. So let's all watch this year's holiday special from the folks at The Hot Ones, featuring Kristen Bell:
I have to say that she is a real trooper
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 1986 comedy Down by Law, directed by Jim Jarmusch and starring Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Roberto Benigni. Down by Law was Jarmusch’s third feature film. His first, Permanent Vacation, was made right after he dropped out of film school, using his scholarship money instead of attending classes. He financed the film himself, taking out a bank loan he claimed was to buy a car, and using the check from his Louis B. Mayer scholarship, which was mistakenly sent to him instead of his film school. His second film, Stranger Than Paradise, followed a New York protagonist dealing with a visiting cousin from Budapest and starred (and was co-written by) Down by Law co-star John Lurie.
After Jarmusch began writing his Stranger Than Paradise follow-up - a “sketch of something” featuring Tom Waits and fellow actor-musician John Lurie; he met comedian Roberto Benigni while traveling in Italy and decided to make him the film’s “central character.” Jarmusch wrote his first treatment for the film in Rome, where he was able to confirm Benigni’s casting. Tom Waits’ record label, Island Pictures, later agreed to finance the film.
Apparently, Jim Jarmusch had never visited New Orleans or its surrounding bayous before writing the film, so he based the script on Tennessee Williams’ plays, pulp fiction, 1930s and 1940s crime films, and the Rhythm and Blues music that originated in New Orleans. While scouting locations, Jarmusch listened to Tom Waits’ songs and later claimed they influenced both the development of the script and the rhythmic tempo of the scenes. Conversely, John Lurie - known at the time for his band, the Lounge Lizards, a small jazz ensemble - composed and performed the film’s score. Jarmusch wrote detailed scripts but allowed room for improvisation.
Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this dark comedy: Down by Law.
The title Down by Law is a reference to a colloquialism used in 1920s African American culture, particularly during the Great Migration northward from the Southern states. The phrase described the assimilation of recent arrivals - when people became confident navigating their new surroundings and gained a sense of control over their lives, they were considered “down by law.” Although the term later fell out of fashion, it was adapted into prison slang, where “down by law” came to mean that an individual is trusted and accepted as part of a gang.
Demand Euphoria!
Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Porky Pig Looney Tunes cartoon, the inspired 1938 Porky in Wackyland, directed by Bob Clampett
This short subject is celebrated for its surreal humor, such as when Porky is chasing the bird, it disappears and suddenly the Warner Bros. shield emerges from the horizon's vanishing point, as it typically did at every cartoon's beginning, and complete with the standard stretched "boing" of the steel guitar. The Do-Do comes from behind the shield to bop Porky on the head and we see the shield immediately turn to return to the horizon with the bird riding it there (with, consequently, the boing sound played in reverse).
The staff atThe ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour hope you can stomach one more holiday special. And what doesn't scream the holidays like forcing celebs to eat colon burning chicken wings. So let's all watch this year's holiday special from the folks at The Hot Ones, featuring Kristen Bell:
I have to say that she is a real trooper
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 1986 comedy Down by Law, directed by Jim Jarmusch and starring Tom Waits, John Lurie, and Roberto Benigni. Down by Law was Jarmusch’s third feature film. His first, Permanent Vacation, was made right after he dropped out of film school, using his scholarship money instead of attending classes. He financed the film himself, taking out a bank loan he claimed was to buy a car, and using the check from his Louis B. Mayer scholarship, which was mistakenly sent to him instead of his film school. His second film, Stranger Than Paradise, followed a New York protagonist dealing with a visiting cousin from Budapest and starred (and was co-written by) Down by Law co-star John Lurie.
After Jarmusch began writing his Stranger Than Paradise follow-up - a “sketch of something” featuring Tom Waits and fellow actor-musician John Lurie; he met comedian Roberto Benigni while traveling in Italy and decided to make him the film’s “central character.” Jarmusch wrote his first treatment for the film in Rome, where he was able to confirm Benigni’s casting. Tom Waits’ record label, Island Pictures, later agreed to finance the film.
Apparently, Jim Jarmusch had never visited New Orleans or its surrounding bayous before writing the film, so he based the script on Tennessee Williams’ plays, pulp fiction, 1930s and 1940s crime films, and the Rhythm and Blues music that originated in New Orleans. While scouting locations, Jarmusch listened to Tom Waits’ songs and later claimed they influenced both the development of the script and the rhythmic tempo of the scenes. Conversely, John Lurie - known at the time for his band, the Lounge Lizards, a small jazz ensemble - composed and performed the film’s score. Jarmusch wrote detailed scripts but allowed room for improvisation.
Please find a comfy chair and join us here at The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour as we watch this dark comedy: Down by Law.
The title Down by Law is a reference to a colloquialism used in 1920s African American culture, particularly during the Great Migration northward from the Southern states. The phrase described the assimilation of recent arrivals - when people became confident navigating their new surroundings and gained a sense of control over their lives, they were considered “down by law.” Although the term later fell out of fashion, it was adapted into prison slang, where “down by law” came to mean that an individual is trusted and accepted as part of a gang.
Demand Euphoria!
Friday, January 9, 2026
Thursday, January 8, 2026
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
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