Dr. Caligari's cabinet is now so crammed that he had to stow stuff in the Cupboard. Time may wound all heels but once in a while you need a cup of tea.
It's the second night of Hanukkah. (It’s an excuse to eat donuts all day long.)
Gather your family around and listen to some more Hanukkah songs -
The Chanukah Song Part 2 Adam Sandler -
Dreidel Don McLean -
Boyz II Menorah: 'A Week and a Day' -
Oh Hanukkah Jack Black -
Almighty Light The Temple Rockers -
Pan Fry The Maccabeats -
Our second holiday theme today - sometimes TV is your only friend, so why not have a marathon of Christmas themed episodes.
Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas Community -
When you see the cast's reflection in the TV screen at the end of the episode, it's the real actors again, not their stop-motion versions.
Xmas Story Futurama -
One of the pets Fry considers buying is a one-eared rabbit, a reference to Bongo, a character from Matt Groening's comic strip Life in Hell.
Merry Christmas, Mr Bean Mr Bean -
One of the toys Mr. Bean plays with is a Dalek from Doctor Who. Rowan Atkinson would go on to play The Doctor in a Comic Relief special written by his Bean co-writer, Richard Curtis.
Ludachristmas 30 Rock -
Liz's father twice uses the phrase "Lemon party". While this makes sense on the surface because of the Lemon family's last name, it is also a risqué joke. Indeed, an internet search for "lemon party" leads to an image of a gay orgy of elderly men. The reference is confirmed when Liz's father says "It wouldn't be a Lemon party without old Dick".
My Own Personal Jesus Scrubs -
The version of The Twelve Days of Christmas that plays when Turk is in the On-Call room goes as follows: Twelve beaten children Eleven drive-by shootings Ten frozen homeless Nine amputations Eight burn victims Seven strangled shoppers Six random knifings Five suicides Four beaten wives Three O.D.'s Two shattered skulls And a drunk who drove into a tree
You add the candles from right to left but light them left to right.
So, let the serious eating commence.
Original Hanukkah Song Adam Sandler -
Eight Candles Yo La Tengo -
A Star Wars Chanukah Six13 -
The Dreidel Song Julie Silver -
Hanukkah The Living Sisters -
Please pace yourself - Eight days is a long time. And kids, know when a simple game becomes an addiction - please no actual gambling while
playing with your dreidels.
Gamblers Anonymous (718) 352-1671
Our second them for the night is a salute to prisoner 1073015 -
Through the mid-'60s, Phil Spector was focused on singles, with his definition of an album being "two hits and ten pieces of junk." He took a
different approach, however, when he put together a Christmas album in 1963, where he put a great deal of effort into every track. So please join us
at ACME while we listen to The Phil Spector Christmas Album.
The only original song on the album was Darlene Love'sChristmas (Baby Please Come Home), which he wrote with Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich.
Spector issued the song as a single when the album came out, but unfortunately this was the same day US president John F. Kennedy was shot and
killed. This seriously dampened the holiday mood and the single, as well as the album, were withdrawn.
I know it's not Christmas in our home unless we hear Darlene Love sing, so please enjoy Darlene Love's very first Christmas appearance on the
David Letterman Show
And here's her 2014 (and final) appearance on the David Letterman Show:
But fear not -
And she actually sings other holiday songs: All Alone on Christmas -
Before our feature presentation, ACME would like to start the evening with another Bugs Bunny Merry Melodies cartoon, the 1948 Hare Splitter, directed by Friz Freleng.
Please note: The fact that Daisy lives in a house instead of a rabbit hole like Bugs or Casbah is an oddity that goes unmentioned.
Christmas, Hanakkah and Festivus, (for that matter) are nigh (most of the staff of ACME have begun their serious holiday drinking; once again,
we're not insane,) and you may be running around doing your last minute holiday shopping. In case you've grown tired of all of those kids holiday specials, here's one that's a tad more adult - Pee Wee's Christmas Special - which was originally broadcast December 21, 1988. So we would like you to relax (quick, find the most comfortable seat on the sofa,) get a snack (perhaps, some popcorn,) and a beverage and join The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour in watching Pee Wee's Christmas Special (remember to scream 'really loud' when the secret word 'YEAR' is said.)
The lighting apparatus used in Miss Yvonne's hair actually shorted and smoked during production and the crew had to intervene to remove the power pack from under her wardrobe and remove the wig which housed the lighting.
If you need more time to wrap your gifts or just relax, why not continue to listen to The ACME Eagle Hand Soap Radio Hour Rockin Soul
Christmas Revue (Old School) Silver Bells The Supremes -
Away In A Manger Four Tops -
Purple Snowflakes Marvin Gaye -
Gee Whiz It's Christmas Carla Thomas -
Christmas Night In Harlem Louis Armstrong -
Jingle Bells Joe Williams –
Get Down Santa. The Jive Turkeys –
Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday The Sweet Inspirations -
The Frank Capra film It's had a preview showing for charity at New York City's Globe Theatre, (a day before its official premiere) on this date.
The film is regarded as a classic and is a staple of Christmas television around the world, although, due to its high production costs and stiff competition at the box office, financially, it was considered a flop.
There have been countless parody of this classic film -
(Another, more adult alternate ending of the film) -
Sometimes family is the place where we find the deepest heartache.
Happy families are all alike ... even kids abused by their domineering father - (the Motown edition)
Today's Christmas countdown - A Jackson Five Christmas
Up On The Housetop -
Benjamin Hanby's Up On The Housetop was the first Christmas song to mention Santa Claus in the lyrics. Written in 1864, Hanby was inspired Clement Moore's 1823 poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas.
Someday At Christmas -
This is one of the first Christmas songs with a social and political message. Released during the Vietnam War, it takes a stand for peace and for equality and compassion. John Lennon sent a similar message in his 1971 song Happy Xmas (War Is Over).
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus -
When this songs was released in 1953, some people thought it was a little too risqué, the thought of a married woman, possibly having an affair. A closer listen implies that Santa Claus is actually the child's father, but this didn't stop radio stations in some cities, including Boston, from banning it when it came out. Columbia Records appealed to the Council of Churches to clear the song where it was banned, sending it's original singer, the 13 year old Jimmy Boyd to plea with them personally. The tactic worked, and it became a Christmas favorite.
Give Love on Christmas Day -
The song was written by Berry Gordy, Deke Richards, Fonce Mizell, and Freddie Perren
Santa Claus Is Comin To Town -
The song was written in 1932 by Haven Gillespie and J. Fred Coots. They had trouble convincing anyone to produce it because it was seen as a kids' song, which would have been very hard to sell. The big break came when Eddie Cantor sang it on his radio show in 1934, and the song became an instant hit.
We here at ACME are wishing you time to enjoy the simple pleasures of this holiday season.
And if don't enjoy yourself, Joe will be coming by to give you the beating of your life.
Family love is messy, clinging, and of an annoying and repetitive pattern… like bad wallpaper.
No family is perfect - Even kids abused by their domineering father
Today's Christmas countdown - A Beach Boys Christmas
Toy Drive Public Service Announcement
Little Saint Nick -
Cars were a common theme in early Beach Boys songs, notably Little Deuce Coupe, which was the template for this song that envisions Santa's sleigh as a Nordic Hot Rod: candy apple red with a 4-speed stick. Brian Wilson wrote the song with Mike Love.
We Three Kings of Orient Are -
This carol was written in 1857 by the Reverend John Henry Hopkins. He wrote both words and music as part of a Christmas pageant for the General Theological Seminary in New York City.
Melekalikimaka -
The Beach Boys based this song on one of a number of popular Hawaiian songs that Robert Alexander Anderson composed within the Hapa haole genre (that Bing Crosby made famous with the Andrew Sisters in the 40s.) Honolulu, Hawaii-born Robert Alexander Anderson (1894-1995) was a successful businessman who turned his love of songwriting into a very successful second career.
(I Saw Santa) Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree -
This song was originally going to appear on the unreleased studio album Merry Christmas from the Beach Boys in 1977.
Another Christmas song they got around to sing in between the verbal abuse from their father
Frosty The Snowman -
Frosty The Snowman was the creation of the songwriters Steve Edward Nelson and Walter "Jack" Rollins, where were looking for a seasonal follow-up to "Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer," which was a #1 hit the year before. Unlike "Rudolph," which was based on a book written 10 years earlier, "Frosty" was an original story. Like "Rudolph," it was recorded by Gene Autry and also became a seasonal favorite.
Beware them both, but most of all, beware this boy!
There are literally dozens of adaptations of A Christmas Carol. Let's take a look at a few of them:
A Christmas Carol. (1910) -
This is one of the earliest film adaptations of the story. It featured Marc McDermott as Ebenezer Scrooge and Charles S. Ogle as Bob Cratchit.
A Christmas Carol. (1938) -
Even though the film is based on the book the film adds different twists from the novel and most other film versions. In this film Fred is more of a supporting character rather than being a minor character. Bob is sacked by Scrooge in this film. And in the end Scrooge rehires Bob and makes Fred his new partner.
The Christmas Carol (1949 TV special) -
This is a very rare example of a 1940s television broadcast still surviving in entirety. In the infancy of television, programs were always broadcast live because videotape recording technology did not yet exist.Although crude (a film camera was pointed at a television monitor filming the broadcast,) it was the only available method to record a live broadcast during the earliest days of television.
Scrooge (1951) -
Scrooge was likely based on a real person named John Meggot, (born John Elwes), who was a local celebrity, a member of Parliament, and a famous miser from Dickens' part of England, and who was dead by the time Dickens was born, but whom Dickens heard much local lore and urban legends from the English townspeople where Scrooge grew up; family, friends, etc.
Scrooge (1970) -
Although the music was composed by Leslie Bricusse and nominated for two Academy Awards, Bricusse could not write music. He would dictate lyrics and melody to music supervisor Ian Fraser who would transcribe and arrange them for Scrooge's score. Bricusse did so on many other movies to much acclaim.
A Christmas Carol (1971) -
This was the only film version of A Christmas Carol to win an Oscar. After this television short won the Oscar, the Academy changed its rules so that a made-for-television cartoon could never again win this honor, even if it was shown theatrically.
Blackadders Christmas Carol (1988) -
It has been noticed by some that Robbie Coltrane's costume and character in this Christmas special, has a nearly identical portrayal to his much later role as Hagrid, in the film versions of J.K.Rowling's series of Harry Potter books. Also, its been claimed that JK Rowling herself had said Robbie Coltrane was always intended to have been cast as Hagrid in the films, suggesting that this Blackadder episode may in part have inspired the creation of Hagrid.
This could be the greatest mash-up ever, or at least the most labor intensive. Heath Waterman has spent 18 months putting together this labor of love, retelling the story of Ebenezer Scrooge in his video Twelve Hundred Ghosts - A Christmas Carol in Supercut.
Mr. Waterman uses clips from over over 400 versions of the holiday classic. (Make it your business to watch this!)
And there is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than drinking spirits -
Eggnog is usually thought of as a Christmas beverage and to tell the truth I am not a huge fan of Eggnog. So I find it amusing that the recipe that I'm posting is for Eggnog (Above is a copy of my family recipe - my father sent it to his sister in 1962.)
Coquito, a Puerto Rican twist on the classic, is a family favorite and I thought I'd share it with you and perhaps you can try it out on your family.
Please note: these drinks go down quite smoothly and are very potent - they could be administered as a calmative for frayed nerves during the holiday season.
Ingredients:
* 4 large egg yolks
* 1/4 cup of sugar
* 1/2 can of (14-ounces) condensed milk
* 1 14-ounce cans evaporated milk
* 1 1/2 cans of 15-ounce cans cream of coconut
* 1/2 of a Fifth of white rum (or more)
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon coconut (or vanilla) extract
Tools:
* Drink Blender
* Can opener
* Glass
Directions:
Add the egg yolks, sugar, spices and vanilla into the blender. Mix until well blended.
Add the evaporated and condensed milk to the blender and briefly mix. (Condensed milk is very thick - you may want to open the can up all the way and scrap out all of the milk with a spatula.)
Vigorously shack the can of cream of coconut (it tends to separate.) Pour the cream of coconut into the blender and mix well. Scrap out any remaining coconut stuff from the can.
Add the rum and mix. Taste. If you think you need more rum, add it.
Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve cold.
