#80s christmas tv specials

[atomic-chronoscaph]

A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)

[duranduratulsa]

Up next on my 80's Fest Movie 🎬 🎞 🎥 marathon... The Simpsons: Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire (1989) on classic DVD 📀! #tv #television #comedy #sitcom #animation #Christmas #thesimpsons #SimpsonsRoastingOnAnOpenFire #thesimpsonschristmasspecial #DVD #80s #80sfest #durandurantulsas6thannual80sfest

[spencerwayne-todd]

Keeping up with the Waynes, Christmas special, part 2

(Resolution to the slight angst last part, happy ending!)

(Christmas morning, Wayne Manor)

Damian: NO!

Tim: YES!

Damian: CLEARLY, IT SAYS "DAMIAN" ON THE TAG!

Tim: CLEARLY, IT SAYS "DRAKE"!

Alfred, taking the present: Clearly, young sirs, it says "Duke". I believe master Dick is to blame for this atrocious handwriting.

Dick: Hey! My handwriting isn't that bad!

Steph: Except that it is, and nobody knows whose gift is who's because of it.

Dick: Et tu?

Steph: Something in that sentence was wrong.

Cass, walking over to Bruce: Dad. Gift.

Bruce, taking the present: Aww, Cassie.

*Bruce opens it to find a handmade navy blue scarf with his initials sewn into the corner*

Bruce, tearing up: Did you make this for me?

Cass: *nods*

Bruce: *hugs her while crying*

*Crash*

Bruce: Dick! Be nice to Jason!

Dick: NOOOO! You can't make me!

Bruce: Alfred can.

Dick, sitting down: Touché.

Jason: It's his fault. Milk chocolate is not better than dark chocolate. It's not a hill you need to die on.

Dick: How terribly dull for you to live your life without any hills to die on.

Jason: I have plenty of hills I'd die on.

Dick, raising his voice and standing on a couch arm like a stereotypical orator: You! on your vast, flat, barren plains of compromise, acceptance, and accommodation-

Jason: WHO'S COMPROMISING??!!

Dick, even louder: BARREN PLAINS! BARREN, WHILE I REIGN SUPREME OVER THE LUSH, ROLLING HIGHLANDS OF INCREDIBLE OPINIONS I HAVE ELECTED TO STAKE MY ENTIRE IDENTITY ON!

Jason: *Starts running at Dick*

Dick, quickly, as Jason tackles him off the couch: THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH ALL THE FUCKS I GIVE ON SELECT TOPICS!

*More Crashes*

Bruce: Ok, let's continue with the presents!

Damian, unwrapping a present from Selina: A bell?

Selina: Every time a bell rings, an angel gets its wings.

Damian: Oh, I am aware. I've created a robot that rings 40 bells 80 times per hour.

Duke: Oh, no.

Damian: I've been running it nonstop for three years.

Bruce: Tired Dad Sigh (TM)

Damian: Soon, all of the angels will have wings.

Tim: Oh, god.

Damian: Heaven's hierarchy is in shambles.

Duke: No

Damian: The chorus weeps

Bruce: Please stop.

Damian: God knows I'm coming for his throne.

Me: OK! That's enough. August! You haven't opened anything.

August: Oh, sorry! I was reading this news article.

Bruce, hopeful that one of his children is normal: Oh? What is it?

August: "Spiders blamed after broken siren played creepy nursery rhymes randomly at night to UK townsfolk."

*Bruce visibly loses all hope*

Steph: Could any word in that headline get any more terrifying?

Me: Probably. Multi-legged horror hamsters, anyone?

Damian: *raises hand*

Bruce: *Lowers it*

*All the gifts were opened, food had eaten, and Christmas movies put on the TV as the family gathers to watch in the living room. Jason notices Spencer's absence and goes to their bedroom, finding her sitting on the floor. He closes the door and leans on the frame*

Spencer, facing the fireplace: Jay, I- we need to talk.

Jason: I figured. You never leave Christmas movie night.

Spencer: Two months ago, I was on a mission in Rome. While on that mission, I was stabbed, as you know, and I was severely injured.

Jason: I remember.

Spencer: What I haven't told you is that I found out later that I was pregnant. The wound cost me the baby and any chance of having more. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before. I just didn't know how.

*Jason walks over to Spencer, and sits down behind her, pulling her into his arms in a back hug.*

Spencer, sighing: How long have you known?

Jason: Gideon sent me the file last night.

Spencer: You must be furious.

Jason: No. I understand. I do wish you had told me before, but I understand why you didn't.

Spencer, scoffing quietly: You do?

Jason, pulling her closer: You were scared. You knew that it would hurt, and you didn't want to imagine what might happen. You knew you could trust me, but could you trust me? Would I be comforting or would I lash out in anger and drive a wedge between us? You told yourself "That's silly! Of course he won't be angry at me!" But, what if I was? Would you be ok? Would we be ok? Emotions are so hard. Why can't everything just go back to normal?

Spencer: Every single one of those thoughts have been on replay in my head for the past two months nonstop, in that exact order.

Jason: I know. But you don't need to be scared. It hurts, but it's going to be ok. You can trust me with your whole life and all of your secrets. I promise you I will never lash out at you. I will always be here to comfort you. I'm not angry at you. You're going to be ok. We're going to be ok. Emotions are hard, but you're stronger than the hardships you face. It's ok if nothing is normal. I'm here for you. I love you.

Spencer: I love you, too. *kisses Jason* I think we'll make it in time for the second movie.

Jason: Wonderful plan, love.

(@august0bone)

[snowlily123]

A bunch of my ROTTMNT headcanons:

- Donnie listens to a lot of 80s songs.

- Leo is a Leo in astrology because yes.

- Raph likes family dynamic tv shows.

- Mikey has or had a hyperfixation on architecture.

- Donnie took dance classes (or watched dance tutorials online) as a kid and Mikey joined him specifically for ballet.

- The boys will shout memes at each other at 3am.

- Sometime the TNMT boys will just start singing a song randomly.

- Draxum was forced by Raph to watch MLP after his redemption arc.

- Donnie had a hyperfixation on demonology at one point.

- Leo likes to watch Hairspray and sings along to all the songs.

- Leo is terrible at making simple dishes but compacted dishes are his thing.

- Mikey learned to make food specifically so he didn't have to eat Splinter's cooking but then it developed into a full grown hobby.

- Raph likes to knit.

- Raph knitted everyone their sweaters and beanies during the Christmas episode.

- Donnie's shell armor started out as just a pillow and a belt.

- Raph took sewing classes and made Donnie his purple hoodie for a Christmas or birthday gift.

- Draxum and Splinter still get at each other's throats but Mikey brings out Dr. Feelings to get them to stop.

- April was adopted by Splinter.

- Donnie has had the intrusive thoughts about testing his tech on his brothers a lot.

- Leo has intrusive thoughts about biting Donnie's head. And he used to do it all the time as a kid.

- Donnie had a gap in his front teeth.

- Donnie had to wear glasses as a kid but ended up not needing them as he got older.

- Raph got his snaggle tooth caught on a lot of fabric he tried eating as a kid.

- Raph has that scar on his eye after the movie and so his brothers gave him a special eyepatch with a funny googly eye on the front of it.

- Raph has stuffed turtle dolls with his brothers’ corresponding bandana wrapped around their head that he sleeps with.

- Raph is really good at crocheting.

- Raph likes to make little crocheted animals that he keeps on a shelf in his room.

- Raph hangs out with Cassandra all the time as sparing partners.

- Raph has a special spot in the lair for when he gets too mad.

- Raph can’t cook for jack, except for sweets.

- Raph constantly trips due to his size.

- Raph definitely likes his sleep but is more of a morning person.

- Donnie and Leo have their own person YouTube channels and also a shared one.

- Donnie focuses on the analytical side of the channel while Leo is more focused on the video ideas.

- Mikey is aro/ace.

- Donnie is demiromantic with no lean.

- Raph is biromantic with a gay lean.

- Leo is gay but we already know this.

- Raph listens to music and writes in a journal to calm himself when he’s angry.

- Mikey helps Raph find new coping mechanisms and breathing techniques every therapy session.

- Donnie is much more flexible than his brothers because he’s a soft shell turtle.

- Donnie likes to do yoga.

- Donnie is overstimulated by too many loud noises.

- Raph likes to play pretend still even though many people tell him that “it’s weird that he still likes to play pretend at his age” and/or make fun of him for it.

- Mikey likes to play pretend with Raph.

- Donnie watches Monster High and collects all the dolls for each of the characters.

- Donnie has an entire wall in his lab specifically used to display all of the drawings Mikey has made and given to him throughout the years.

- Donnie cosplays Tinkywinky in his spare time. /hj

- Leo and Raph both crossdress, Leo does it because he finds it hilarious and Raph does it because he just genuinely enjoys wearing pretty dresses sometimes.

- Mikey definitely stole the ice cream kitty statue in that one episode.

- Leo is trans masc

[cafenostalgique]

My ultimate film watchlist (1980s)

1930s-1940s | 1950s | 1960s-1970s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s

Hello! This is part four of my ultimate film watchlist. To get the full explanation, please see part one until the 1930s-1940s link above. I assume you know what's going on by this point, so let's move on to the list!

The 80s holds a special place in my heart for films, tv, fashion, and beauty. The 80s definitely rivals that of the 50s in terms of quality of writing and filmography. I don't know where I would be if my mom had not been watching Dirty Dancing on our big tv when Patrick Swayze passed away. I don't think I would be so into films the way I am now. Please let me know if you think anything should be added to this list!

Also, I feel it should be said, I have not checked every single film for being soft-core pornography, so please be sure to look at reviews before watching any lesser-known films just to be sure it's appropriate for your viewing experience! If anything is seriously inappropriate, please let me know and I will add a warning or remove it from the list <3

watched | loved | wouldn’t watch again | holiday

1980

Airplane

Caddyshack

Friday the 13th

Herbie Goes Bananas

Popeye

Star Wars Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back

The Blues Brothers

The Last Flight of Noah's Ark

The Shining

1981

Dragonslayer

Escape from New York

Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Scanners

Stripes

The Evil Dead

The Fox and the Hound

Time Bandits

1982

Blade Runner

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial

Grease 2

Night Crossing

Poltergeist

The Thing

Tron

1983

A Christmas Story

Flashdance

Risky Business

Scarface

Sleepaway Camp

Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi

Staying Alive

Terms of Endearment

The Outsiders

Valley Girl

1984

1984

A Nightmare on Elm Street

Beverly Hills Cop

Ghostbusters

Gremlins

Footloose

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Paris, Texas

Purple Rain

Repo Man

Sixteen Candles

The Karate Kid

The Neverending Story

The Terminator

1985

Back to the Future

Clue

Desperately Seeking Susan

Girls Just Want to Have Fun

One Magic Christmas

Perfect

Re-Animator

Return to Oz

Reanimator

St. Elmo's Fire

The Black Cauldron

The Breakfast Club

The Goonies

The Return of the Living Dead

Weird Science

1986

Chopping Mall

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Hannah and Her Sisters

Invaders from Mars

Labyrinth

Little Shop of Horrors

Pretty in Pink

Stand By Me

The Adventures of Milo & Otis

Top Gun

1987

Adventures in Babysitting

Brodcast News

Can't Buy Me Love

Evil Dead 2

Dirty Dancing

Full Metal Jacket

Innerspace

Lethal Weapon

Moonstruck

Predator

Robocop

Spaceballs

The Lost Boys

The Princess Bride

1988

Akira

Big

Beetlejuice

Child's Play

Die Hard

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark

Grave of the Fireflies

Hairspray

Killer Klowns from Outer Space

My Neighbor Totoro

Mystic Pizza

Oliver & Company

The Blob

The Land Before Time

They Live

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Working Girl

1989

Back to the Future Part II

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure

Dead Poet's Society

Drugstore Cowboy

Field of Dreams

Heathers

Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

My Left Foot

Pet Sematary

Say Anything...

Steel Magnolias

The Little Mermaid

When Harry Met Sally

[the-nosy-neighbor]

A Cricket on the Hearth

The Cricket on the Hearth, a fairy tale of Home

In an effort to see if I could find any references to other codes, I went back once again to commercials.  During the segment on Mrs. Beagle’s chunky eggnog (narsty) there was a reference to all the things you need to have: 

 MAMA BEAGLE: Oh, Barnaby, you silly pooch, I think you’re missing something special.

BARNABY: What’s that, Ma? I got the milk in the stockin’, a cricket on the hearth, and a ham in the tree just for Santy Claus!

So, seeing as milk in the stocking and ham in the tree is invented, I have ignored the cricket on the hearth.  Seeing as it stands out, I looked it up, and lo and behold, it is a real reference.  This is a reference to a story written by Charles Dickens, truly the Mariah Carey of his day.  You see, he had a lot of success with A Christmas Carol, so cashed in on that by writing other Christmas stories.  That being said, given the multidimensional references to Poe, it might be worth viewing the Homewarming material with an eye to finding more references to Dickens.  

The milk is ringing a bell, but like in a weird reference.  Like, Futurama or something, but I can’t find a reference online.  I did find a lot of stockings with cows on them, so there is that.  

In searching “Cricket on the Hearth” I found a 60’s (1967) cartoon holiday special that I had never heard of, featuring a TV guy I’d never heard of.  It was strange, as I watch a lot of cartoons, and as an 80’s kids, holiday specials were life.  

The show is hosted by Danny Thomas, who was on Make Room for Daddy, but also had a variety show called The Danny Thomas Show.  As a part of this show, he provided the voice for the father in this cartoon special based on Dickens’s story.  Interestingly, his daughter in the show was played by his IRL daughter, MARLO Thomas.  This is the first instance of seeing Marlo in the wild for me.  

Here is a frame of the cartoon dad and daughter.  The story (cartoon version) goes:

Father and daughter, Caleb Plummer and Bertha Plummer, run a toy shop in their town.  Dad builds the toys, and the daughter paints them.  They do OK.  Bertha is engaged to a navy sailor (idk there are more types of sailor), Edward, who is getting shipped out.  They hug and she cries and they sing a very 60’s cartoon song about love.  She is painting one of the wooden dolls and saying something about this one smiling because she is waiting for her love to come back.  Edward is supposed to come back soon, it was 2 years or so in between scenes. Some guy comes to tell her that Edward died at sea, and she is so shocked that she goes blind.  

Wait, rewind rewind, the cricket is very Jiminy Cricket coded and he is looking for a family to adopt and adopts them.  His name is Cricket Crocket (surely a reference to Dickens’s famous characters).  He brings good luck a la Mulan.

So she goes blind.  Dad spends all his time and money on doctors looking to heal her, and eventually the money runs out and he has no toys to sell, so they are out on the street.  Why her dad decided her sight was more important than giving a blind girl a place to live, I don’t get.  Pauper’s prisons were a thing back then.  In their wanderings, they find a toy factory run by a skinflint named Tackleton, no first name as far as I can see, and he tells Caleb he can live on the property and work at the factory, catch is he is the only one working there, so he cranks out shoddy toys.  Also, Tackleton has an evil pet crow as a pet.  Very in line with specials at the time.

So, Dad decides to gaslight this poor thing and tells her that he has been made the manager of this factory and it is a great job and it comes with this house.  The house is old and busted, but he tells her it is very fancy and she believes it.  Dad runs into a homeless man, and offers him a place to stay, because it is Christmas, and he generally helps out.  

Tackleton decides he wants to marry the pretty young woman, and he proposes to her.  It is a very odd scene.  Not that this is an odd scene for the time, because there are hundreds of years of literature of old men trying to marry young women, and it is generally portrayed as a negative thing, and yet men have been doing it for a long time.  Anyway, Tackleton offers to marry her and give her a really nice life.  Dad is put off by it, because he has been lying and she thinks the guy is handsome and nice and asks if she’s sure and she is like Dad, I’m a blind woman in the 1800’s.  If he’s ugly, I won’t be able to see it. And honestly, it’s a big age gap, and he has a crow, but otherwise, he just has a wart on his nose.

Now, I watched this last weekend, but this next bit I honestly don’t remember, so perhaps I saw an edited version or perhaps I was bored by then, but Tackleton wants the cricket kidnapped so he can marry Bertha. Oh, also, the cricket tries to sabotage their tea date so she won’t say yes.  The crow, a monkey, and a dog kidnap the cricket and sell him to a sea captain who is in the illicit cricket trade (listen, I didn’t write this.)  He plays dead and the captain throws him overboard as he can’t be sold, and the cricket makes it back home through some whales and birds and stuff.  

When cricket arrives, it is midnight on Christmas Eve, which is the only time in the year that toys come alive.  Let me just make a side note, this is the 3rd or 4th time I have come across this type of storyline.  I watched The Christmas Toy last year, and that was wild.  If you haven’t seen it, it is a Henson joint, but IIRC it wasn’t fully his concept or something.  If you are looking for a WTF Christmas special besides this one, give it a watch.  The toys take Cricket to see the homeless guy and remove his disguise, and OMG it is Edward.  He hid his identity because he felt bad about Bertha going blind because he died, and he just wanted to see how she was doing without killing her this time, but decided not to since she seemed to be happy about getting married and the cricket tells him he has to fess up and she is going to be very happy that he is actually alive.

They get married right away, and Tackleton shows up to get hitched and it’s too late.  She tells him she will always love him in a way, and he’s happy with that I guess.  I want to say she got her sight back when she sees Edward, but it isn’t in this summary.  Happily ever after, the end.

This eye thing is Caleb thinking about his daughter and she is vaguely that shape. It is very reminiscent of something Clown would do, and kind of does in Eddie's freakout.

What is the point of this?  Who can say.  It is a bastardization of the original story, which is much more convoluted, in true Dickens style (I have always said he was paid by the word and you can tell).  More in the next post, I don’t want to wear you guys out.

[thebeatles]

hi ephraim, do you know why ringo took the thomas the tank engine role? did he ever say? and do u know why he got replaced or did he leave voluntarily?

🚂 ty

Hello!

When Thomas the Tank Engine first started in 1984, Britt Allcroft, the show's creator, made the brilliant decision to have Ringo Starr as the narrator. Ringo was approached 1983 to narrate the books. He never did anything like this before and was a bit hesitant that he'd be any good... but they loved him! Then went to doing the show. He'd do the stories in England and filming took place in New York.

He eventually had enough. He wanted to focus on his All Starr Band, so he left in 1990 and replaced by Michael Angelic and George Carlin. Ringo was making music, but wasn't playing live. And not playing live, no records. But he never regretted it. He thinks of his role fondly.

Here is a piece of the 2023 interview with Ringo by Vulture here:

It became a lot of stories. The good news about Thomas is it was fun. With the big engines, you could put your body into it. I wasn’t following anybody’s lead. We did the stories in England, and then it turned into filming it in New York. That’s when it became a TV showStarr starred in one additional season of Shining Time Station as a main cast member, and returned for a Christmas special in 1990. — I was like two feet tall, or even less at 18 inches, with the kids, and we could react to each other. But then after four years, it’s like, “I’ve done enough. Thank you.” So I ended it, and we went out to a nice dinner in New York and I said good-bye to everybody. The mid-’80s were an interesting period in my life. During Thomas, I was playing music and trying to make records, but I wasn’t playing live. Then I wasn’t making records at all, and then everything changed again. Life has a rich pattern of changing. Out of the blue, someone reached out to my lawyer here in Los Angeles and they wondered if I would do a tour. I had nothing better to do. No more Thomas. I said, “Sure.” And then I thought, What are you going to do? And I thought again, I’m just going to call a lot of players up, and I asked them if they wanted to come on the road. All the ones onstage said yes, and that’s how the All-Starr Band started.

Read the interview here. [Link.]

[bitter69uk]

“Christmas at Pee-wee’s Playhouse, inarguably the best and most significant holiday variety show of our time (this is not up for debate!) has been a staple of my family’s holiday tradition for my entire life. For many of us children of '80s and '90s, it served not only as an entry point to the zany world of Pee-wee Herman, also as a refreshing alternative to the boring, strait-laced Christmas specials from squares like Andy Williams and The Carpenters … Joyously combining the era's rising stars, campy gay icons, and all-American cultural icons of the 1960s, Christmas at Pee-wee’s Playhouse feels vibrant, punk-rock, queer, and alternative even 30 years after it originally aired on 21 December 1988.”

/ From “Forget Frosty: Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse Is the Holiday Special That Keeps on Giving” by Dom Nero in the December 2018 issue of Esquire magazine /

Wow! I didn’t realize that the Lobotomy Room film club’s presentation of Christmas at Pee-wee's Playhouse on 21 December 2023 actually represents the 35th anniversary of when it first dropped on TV! How serendipitous! Venue: Fontaine’s cocktail lounge in Dalston. Spaces are limited, so reserve your seat now (phone 07718000546 or email bookings@fontaines.bar). Pictured: Pee-wee (Paul Reubens) with special guest star Little Richard!

[atomic-chronoscaph]

Pee-wee's Playhouse Christmas Special (1988)

[poppetsisters]

I'm gonna challenge myself: I have to say ONE good thing about every MCU thing since Endgame:

Spider-Man: Far From Home: Mysterio's Mocap costume is one of the most genius, galaxy brained adaptations of his comic book costume I've ever seen.

Wandavision: Incredible miniseries with the coolest formatting mechanic. Genuinely the best MCU thing to come out of phase 4, and still the best MCU TV show of them all.

Falcon and the Winter Soldier: US Agent's characterization (before the finale) was incredibly well realized as a critique of American foreign policy and American exceptionalism

Loki S1: The design of the TVA is one of the strongest aesthetics in the MCU.

Black Widow: Haven't seen it, but Florence Pugh is a great actor and I'm glad she's the new Black Widow.

What If...? S1: Some of the episode concepts are interesting.

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings: Retconning the Mandarin to be Tony Leung Chiu-wai while keeping Ironman 3's message of "not assuming all foreign people are terrorists" was a good move. They get to have their cake and eat it too.

Eternals: Any time they're talking about philosophy is my favourite part of the movie.

Hawkeye: Didn't watch it, but I like the Kingpin.

Spider-Man: No Way Home: The suit worn in the final swing is my favourite live action Spider-Man costume.

Moon Knight: I liked the episode that was a specific reference to Jeff Lemire's run on the character.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Elizabeth Olsen slays as a villain, also the entire section where Strange astral projects into his zombified body is genuinely one of my top 10 MCU moments.

Ms Marvel: Very colourful and stylish show with a perfectly cast Kamala Khan.

Thor: Love and Thunder: I liked it when Thor wore the classic costume when he was doing that running montage.

I Am Groot: Didn't watch it, but looks cute.

She-Hulk: The gag where we saw an 80s TV Movie version of She-Hulk got a chuckle out of me.

Werewolf By Night: Getting jumpscared by the Marvel Studios intro was incredible. The whole presentation was visually and audibly fantastic. they should let Michael Giacchino cook more.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever: The entire adaptation of Namor and Atlantis becoming a Mesoamerican culture genuinely makes it way more interesting than its comics counterpart.

Guardians of the Galaxy Christmas Special: I can't believe they let James Gunn do this. Very fun special with Mantis being the clear highlight.

Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania: I like that this movie didn't make a whole lot of money at the Box Office.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3: I could say several good things about this movie but I'll say that Chukwudi Iwuji's performance as The High Evolutionary is one of the best MCU performances. He should've been Kang.

Secret Invasion: Didn't watch it, but I remember Fury had a decent speech about the civil rights movement I guess.

Loki S2: I still think about the scene in the record store a lot.

The Marvels: This film is just a very fun time and handled its three leads well. It finally made me like Captain Marvel as a character.

What If...? S2: Kahhori is a cool character and should be in future movies.

Echo: Didn't watch it, but Alaqua Cox deserves the world.

Deadpool and Wolverine: The bit where Handsome Deadpool said "The Proposal" and Default Deadpool got personally offended made me laugh.

[hamsteriffic]

Miraculous Fandom Stats

Miraculous Paris Special

I was wondering if the Miraculous Paris Special has generated more excitement than the other specials or is it just me connecting with my past punky girl?

I also wondered if this was measurable - and possibly translate to more fanfics on Ao3.

I’ve definitely seen a lot of art and have also gone on an art binge myself @hamsterdraws (but I don’t know how to quantitate posts on Tumblr). So here is my attempt to quantitate my obsession with these emo kids!

Reblog don’t repost!

📈 The data presented here is a snapshot of the Ao3 database as of December 17, 2023.

🖤 Fics Posted to Ao3

It’s only been since October 15, 2023 [1], but the preview was shown straight after the Season 5 finale in July. So overall there has been almost 6 months of speculation and hype surrounding the TV Special.

Fig 1. Total number of fics posted that has been tagged with the Miraculous Paris Special (sample size of 80) [2].

🖤 How does it compare against the other specials?

From my own opinion, I was way more excited about seeing the evil counterparts of my blorbos than seeing them do the same Lovesquare dance again. So is is just me?

Fig 2. Total number of fanfics for each Miraculous special or movie.

I think the numbers reflect the positive uptake of the Paris Special. In the first two months alone there are twice as many fics as Miraculous Shanghai.

Fig 3. Time-adjusted number of fics posted to Ao3 per month since aired. The lighter shaded bar takes into account the public release date and not the trailer date.

For a better comparison, I included the movie because it was released at roughly the same time the teaser trailer. Even though the characters were roughly the same in the movie as the TV show, they had slightly different personality traits.

Fig 4. Number of fics written about them per month in the first six months following their release dates.

The arrow indicates when the Paris Special was televised and the preceding months were based on the teaser trailer. At the time of posting, we are only halfway through December and more fics may be posted by the end of the year.

🖤 What did I learn?

On all appearances, Miraculous World: New York - United HeroeZ had more fanfics, but keep in mind that this was released in September 26, 2020 [3].

There appears to be an initial flurry of fanfics posted on Ao3 using tags for the Miraculous Special: New York, however this excitement has petered out gradually. While the Miraculous Paris Special has yet to reach that initial number, only two months has elapsed since it was publicly aired.

The Miraculous Movie on the other hand was released a few months before the Miraculous Special aired and it had generated much less fanfiction - or at least were not tagged [4-5].

In conclusion, it appears that the Miraculous Paris Special has been received well by the fans. I would be interested to see if this trend continues or if like the New York special, the fics will fizzle out.

🖤 Total Number of Fics Tagged

Miraculous Paris Special (80 Fics)

Miraculous Shanghai (33 fics)

Miraculous New York (177 fics)

Miraculous Movie (40 fics)

Miraculous Christmas Special (9 fics)

Miraculous Origins (31 fics)

Miraculous s05e28 Action (0 fics)

More numbers for the other Miraculous World specials and references below the cut.

🖤 Number of fics tagged with New Characters

Miraculous World: Paris

Shadybug | Toxinelle (32 fics)

Claw Noir | Griffe Noire (42 fics)

Betterfly | Hesperia (20 fics)

Miraculous World: New York

Number of fics tagged for:

Jessica Keynes | Sparrow | Eagle (103)

Aeon | Uncanny Valley (108)

Olympia Hill | Majestia (11)

Barbara Keynes | Knightowl (32)

Dean Gate | Doorman (4)

Mike Rochip | Technopirate (4)

Hot Dog Dan (8)

Miraculous World: Shanghai

Number of fics tagged for:

Fei Wu | Ladydragon (132)

Cash | King Cash (5)

References

[1] Miraculous Paris Special (Club-Canal+ Preview Screening pre-release date: Oct 15, 2023) ( https://miraculousladybug.fandom.com/wiki/Miraculous_Paris)

[2] Looked up terms such as Miraculous Paris Special on the Tag Search tool in Ao3 and found disambiguation and collated the freeform tags that were not found under the main Ao3 tag.

[3] Miraculous World: New York - United HeroeZ (https://miraculousladybug.fandom.com/wiki/Miraculous_New_York)

[4] Miraculous World: Shanghai, The Legend of Ladydragon (French release: April 4, 2021) (https://miraculousladybug.fandom.com/wiki/Miraculous_Shanghai)

[5] Ladybug & Chat Noir: The Movie (French Release Date: July 05, 2023) (https://m.imdb.com/title/tt10364034/)

[burningthrucelluloid]

Christmas Carol-cember, Day 17

Of all the 80s films that have become a franchise, I’m surprised Ghostbusters even had one with such longevity that extended outside the Reagan-era "business ventures that provide a service but is being held back by environmental regulation."

A movie born out of Dan Aykroyd’s personal interest in the supernatural and to co-star with his SNL buddy, Jim Belushi, “Ghostbusters” was truly the film that beat the odds set against it considering the lack of faith from the studio heads as it grossed over $200 million in 1984 and became a pop culture juggernaut with toys, movie sequels, comic books, video games and animated television shows.

Course that’s not much if you consider Robocop, The Toxic Avenger and Rambo got their own animated TV series in the 80s and their franchises haven’t exactly had the same longevity of popularity like Ghostbusters. When the fifth movie came out this year yet the Toxic Avenger remake shows no signs of being released and the other two licenses show no interest in being revisited, clearly Ghostbusters got what the hip kids call “that special sauce.”

So it should come to no surprise that the company responsible for creating these kid-friendly versions of movies that were aimed for older viewers was DIC Entertainment, the same folks behind the 1997 Tim Curry film I covered last week. In the case of today’s outing, “The Real Ghostbusters” (called such over a title dispute with Filmation’s “The Ghost Busters”) was recorded in Los Angeles under joint operation by Columbia Pictures Television with Coca-Cola Telecommunications funding the distribution. But typical of DIC, they shipped the storyboards, scripts, vocal performances and music over to their Japanese HQ and handed over to studios TMS and Toei to put the episodes together before returning them to the Unites States for airing. Though more often than not, DIC would outsource the work to South Koreans studios to do the work for a lower cost, a practice that continues to this day. Which one is hard to pin down as they weren’t credited and all most fans have to go on is speculation.

Regardless of who animated what, ABC aired this episode on December 13, 1986 with the title “Xmas Marks the Spot.” One that also plays on the Dickens tale with their own twist to the narrative.

It’s Christmas Eve in New York City, but for the Ghostbusters, it’s another work day as they return from a countryside haunting during a snow storm. When their car stalls and they walk out to get help, the four are transported to 1840s London where they spot an old man being attacked by ghosts. Stepping in with good intentions, though only assuming the town is just some old fashioned historical commune, the four bust the ghosts, only to be coldly reprimanded by the old man with a “Humbug.” They return home to discover everyone hates Christmas and the best selling book is an anti-Christmas manifesto written by one Ebenezer Scrooge (Peter Renaday). Realizing their mistake too late after the captured ghosts are placed in the Containment Field, the four have to work together to try and save Christmas. Egon Spengler (Maurice LaMarche) dons a special suit and enters the Containment Field to locate the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future while Winston Zeddemore (Arsenio Hall), Ray Stanz (Frank Welker) and an equally scroogey Peter Venkman (Lorenzo Music) return to the past with technology to try and haunt Scrooge themselves as they take on the roles of the three ghosts until Egon can return. For if they fail, Christmas will forever be a Humbug…

This episode has all the feel of a Saturday Morning Cartoon.

Limited animation, big goofy expressions with a comical sidekick who babbles and characters talking to one another in ways that feel like the writers wanting to impart a “lesson of the day.”

That said, I applaud the writers for getting creative with the premise.

When you establish these guys hunt ghosts, why wouldn’t they immediately bust some ghosts haunting Scrooge without a second thought?

That part is hilarious and still retains the goofiness that defined the Ghostbusters.

I’ll even extend praise to the vocal cast playing the characters. Maurice LaMarche, best known for his stellar Orson Welles impression, does a solid job capturing the flat monotone of Harold Ramis while spewing pseudo-science. Frank Welker’s Ray sounds more like a child-like Fred from Scooby-Doo, but he sells it. Arsenio Hall’s Winston has his moments of wit and he really shines when he pretends to be the Ghost of Christmas Present. Then there’s Lorenzo Music as Peter Venkman, who certainly pairs his lucid tones to match the sarcastic wit of Bill Murray while also showing some depth of feeling when he takes on the role of the Ghost of Christmas Past and his attempts to teach Scrooge how his rough past forms his present causes Venkman to see a parallel between each other.

Also, cause I know it will be brought up if not mentioned, yes, Lorenzo Music was also the voice of Garfield for the cartoon series and then Bill Murray was Garfield for the 2004 movie.

That hot take is as old as as the Numa Numa video.

“The Real Ghostbusters: Xmas Marks The Spot” has a few moments of inspiration, but it’s buried in the same trappings as was present in most 80s cartoons around this time. But that’s not to say the people who worked on it didn’t give their heart into the project, the voice cast clearly commits to the bit, I like that the writers were able to use the one Ghostbuster who doesn’t like Christmas to find the merit in good tidings by finding a parallel with his own past to learn his own lesson and the idea of regular people having to step in to serve as the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future using modern technology was amusing and original. Its corner-cutting animation is ultimately what keeps it from rising above a passive recommendation, but certainly worth saying that it showcases what made this show popular.

That and toys based on the show. Cause who doesn’t want their own proton pack?

“The Real Ghostbusters: Xmas Marks the Spot” can be purchased on YouTube, Amazon and AppleTV. But you can also watch the full episode for free on YouTube with the link down below.

Next time, we’re headed to Gotham City as it seems the Batmobile lost it’s wheels and the Joker got away.

[3-2-whump]

Ask game timeeee!

For all four dudes (or whoever ya want)! 😉

🍁- What's this oc's favorite genre of movies/tv shows/books/etc?

🌼- What's your favorite thing about this oc?

💐- Where is this oc's favorite place to relax?

New ask game here

🍁 Khaled: as lame as it may sound, he really likes sports animes or slice of life stories, especially the ones portraying a small team everyone underestimates rising to the top. It’s inspiring, and it functions as escapism.

Tom: loved all the cult classics of the 80’s and 90’s (Bill and Ted series, Ferris Bueler’s Day Off, etc), with a touch of Tim Burton films like Edward Scissorhands and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Nowadays you’ll catch him reading a self-help book about business and finance more often than not, but he had a phase where he loved to read about Japanese history (Sengoku Jidai era stuff)

Nico: is a huge nerd, believe it or not. Loves Star Wars, even the new stuff, loves Lord of the Rings, Supernatural, and BBC’s Sherlock, and adores reading paperback mystery thrillers. He also likes to branch out and try new books and genres, if the dust jacket summary seems appealing to him.

Julio: has grown to appreciate his mom’s telenovelas, reluctant as he is to admit it 😂 He’s generally a sitcom kind of guy, someone who would stay up at night to watch That 70’s Show and late night comedy specials. He loves reading all sorts of things, but you’re more likely to see his nose in a glossy-paged magazine than a literal book.

🌼 My favorite thing about Khaled is his character design, because he’s kind of an amalgamation of all things I find sexy and cute.

My favorite thing about Tom is his backstory, and all the complex layers of fuckery that make him the shambling mess of a human being we know today. Of course it doesn’t excuse what he’s currently doing, but it adds depth to his actions.

My favorite thing about Nico is he’s a combination of my irl partner and one of my coworkers, which makes him feel very real to me.

My favorite thing about Julio is also his character design, but more so his personality. I love that guy, and I hope to be like him most days.

💐 Khaled: Julio’s garage is his preferred place where he can truly relax, even if he’s rolled under a car hood and changing out some oil

Tom: yeah, I’m giving you the SFW answer here, but his favorite place to relax is in his living room, on the couch looking out over the city through the wide windows, with a whiskey in hand and Khaled curled up at his feet

Nico: relaxes outside or at the gym, when he jogs and just lets his mind go blank

Julio: he’s a pretty chill dude already, idk where he relaxes or if he’s got a favorite place, per se. I think he best relaxes where he feels the safest, be it in the garage, or at his mom’s apartment, or anywhere else I haven’t yet thought of.

[checkitout-checkitout]

The Muppet Christmas Carol is deffo a classic, but I do also want to shout out A Muppet Family Christmas, the 80s TV special where Kermit meets the Fraggles and Swedish Chef almost cooks Big Bird.

#the dvd is missing songs, so go find the full special on YouTube or Archive

[neon-green-reagent]

50 Underrated Horror Films: Part 4

What in absolute hell. We made it to part 4? Well, here we go then! Oh, also, links to the other parts: One : Two : Three

Undead : Starting off with an absolute banger. This is an Australian zombie apocalypse film. If you're familiar with Ozploitation cinema, then you know how nutso it can get, and this is a perfect example of just that. The action sequences are wild crowd pleasers, and the plot twists until it nearly breaks off.

Werewolf in a Girl's Dormitory : I realize that sounds like porn. Just stay with me. It's a giallo! With a werewolf! For me, this was like finding the holy grail. Best of both worlds, truly. With... not the best looking werewolf, but this is an older movie, so cut it a little slack. It turns into a fun mystery with that special Italian flavor to it.

The Outwaters : Everyone was talking about Skinamarink. No one was talking about this. It has a similar conceit. To make a horror film that defies the idea of plot. It starts like your average found footage, then becomes a drug trip straight to the depths. It really does feel like witnessing a cosmic horror story where the horrors are, indeed, impossible to describe.

Tomie : This is the first of me cheating and actually recommending way more than one film. The Tomie film franchise is a series of loose adaptations of Junji Ito's manga of the same name, and there are nine at the moment. They get wild and weird, and they explore parts of Tomie that even the manga doesn't cover. Female monster! You need these in your life.

Murdercise : Low budget silliness trying to be throwback 80s and mostly just being hilarious and noticeably cheap. I love that. It's stupid and seems like the kind of movie that was a blast to make. I definitely felt like I was laughing with them and not at them, which made it feel really charming. A great one for a dumb movie night.

Zombie Death House : Zombies in jail! Directed by John Saxon who strangely didn't case himself in the lead like some vanity project. Rather he plays a character I have dubbed "Colonel Herbert West" if that sounds at all appealing. I mean, it clearly was to me.

Dead Birds : There aren't a ton of horror films that crossover with westerns, so this is a rare gem. A bunch of outlaws take refuge in a deeply disturbed location, and things get super dark.

Satan's Princess : A neo-noir detective story with supernatural evil at its core. Imagine if Angel Heart was dumber and way cheaper looking. With Robert Forster giving a really fun performance and an ending that had me laughing out loud.

Werewolf Bitches from Outer Space : Do you love Troma movies? Do you wish they were worse? Do I have the film for you! With scenes that were clearly filmed without permits. Random bystanders interfering with the production. Terrible werewolf masks. And pizza sex? It's a laugh riot.

Butterfly Kisses : A genuinely upsetting found footage movie that understands exactly how to use the urban legend format. There's a beastie out there that, if you stare at it, it will imprint on you like a baby duck. Then if you blink, it gets a little closer. Try to imagine how long you can go without blinking.

To Die For : Wanna watch a really shitty, late 80s Dracula? Here you go! It's dumber than a box of rocks. No one's motivations make any sense. Dracula seems like kind of a jerk despite being a romantic figure. But most of the actors are hotties and know the silly movie they're in, so it comes out fun in the end. Oh, and no one can agree when it came out. But rest assured I don't mean the one with Nicole Kidman.

Home for the Holidays : Made for TV Christmas slasher! Starring Sally Field. With a whole lot of family drama, which makes it feel authentically connected to the holiday. Merry Christmas! It's March. Ahem.

Welcome to Hell : Heavy metal horror strikes again. This time, a black metal band impregnates and kidnaps a groupie for their dark ritual. She escapes, but they're hot on her trail. The ending is nothing short of a religious experience. WINK.

Isolation : If Alien took place on a farm. With mutant cow fetuses. I swear, there is science that makes some sense of that. And it's not a comedy, I swear! It's actually very nasty with some wonderful body horror.

Dr. Crippen : Based on a real crime of passion and clearly cashing in on the Psycho craze. It's a strange one to recommend, because it's based on a true event, and the movie leans pretty hard in the bad doctor's favor. But it's worth it if you're a fan of Donald Pleasence. He gets to be his strange, little self and also be the star for once.

Tamara : What a mid-2000s romp this is. A good girl gets treated like garbage and goes bad in a witchy-demon-spell kinda way. Jenna Dewan as Tamara is perfect in every way. Gives me the gay.

Dark Harvest : Don't be like "oh, I've heard of that, didn't that just come out last year?" Yep, and everyone ignored it. When it was pretty fucking great. Set in a cursed town that openly sacrifices their kids to a fantastic monster by the name of Sawtooth Jack. His head is full of candy. Like. Go watch it.

Night Screams : Regional 80s slasher where a guy dies getting his face grilled. I'm pretty sure that shouldn't have killed him. And there are like three killers by the end? Did it before Scream, just saying. Enjoy the vibes on this one.

The Third Saturday in October Part Five and Part One : Speaking of slashers. These low budget gems came out last year, and there was a cute, little gimmick to it. You're supposed to watch five, then one. It simulates growing up pre-internet. You walk into the video store, and all they have is part five. You decide to rent it, even though you've never seen the first one. Then a week later, you find one. This really worked for me. Gave me nostalgic feelings. Please, if you watch them, try it this way.

The Vampire Doll : What if Japan made a Hammer film? Well, here it is. With one of my favorite tropes: a super cute couple investigates the horrors!

Night Feeder : Genuinely the best shot-on-video horror film I've ever seen. It actually fooled me. I thought I was watching a bad VHS rip, but no, this was not shot on film. It's stylish, clearly better than you'd expect, weird, dark, and has a really bad rock band in it.

Older Gods : Low budget and full of heart and also Lovecraftian horrors. If you're reading this and care, to me it felt as if someone wrote an original story around Azathoth. Which is cool, because no one ever uses him in anything. Also, if you're like, "so what does that mean?" It means that reality is up for debate in this one.

Cheerleader Camp : One of those that people clamor for when you talk about movies that still need a proper physical media release. I see why. It's extremely fun with its tongue lodged in its cheek. It uses every slasher trope and laughs hysterically while doing so.

Below : I love my underwater horror, and this delivers wonderfully. Haunted submarine, dude. But honestly, that wasn't the scariest part. The plot was cool, and I enjoyed the mystery, yeah yeah. But more to the point, everything that can go wrong... does. Imagine being trapped at the bottom of the ocean in a giant, metal coffin. BRR!

The Werewolf and the Yeti : How many werewolf movies are on this list? Uh, shut up. As I was saying, this is great. Paul Naschy brings a massively enjoyable werewolf flick our way again. With all his swashbuckling charm. By the time the yeti shows up, so much awesome shit had happened that I forgot he was supposed to fight a yeti. I mean...

Subspecies : And how many vampire movies are on this list? SHUT UP I SAID. Anyway. Another where I mean the whole series. All of them. Radu, the main villain, is a joy. Michelle's story arc is super dramatic and full of that Interview with the Vampire angst. Special mention to the second film, which goes all out with the gore effects.

The Hills Run Red : A horror movie about horror movies. A lost film has gained a cult following, and a bunch of dumb college kids decide to track it down. You can guess how that goes. William Sadler steals the entire movie when he shows up. Babyface also has iconic slasher energy.

Abby : This one's underrated because the filmmakers got sued by the guys that made The Exorcist and lost. This is essentially the black version of The Exorcist, and it's so good that I'm depressed we'll never get a great release of it. Carol Speed is amazing as Abby. William Marshall, Blacula himself, is in it. Track this down and get mad about it with me.

The Appointment : What the hell is this. Even I'm not sure. Edward Woodward crashes his car. I mean, I don't know what else to say about it. The film ramps up the tension and dread until a ridiculously Rube Goldberg thing happens, and you have to experience it.

Frostbiter : Another of those movies made with ten cents and a lot of gumption. A bunch of people wanted to make Evil Dead II, and so they did that. They even put an Evil Dead II poster in the cabin they filmed in, so that you wouldn't even wonder about what inspired it. Also, special mention to the chili song.

Hell's Highway : Have you ever seen a movie that was really cheap and goofy, but you could see EXACTLY how it would've looked if they'd just had the money? This is that movie. Every special effect fails. Everything's so awkward and odd. But you can tell what they MEANT for it to be. So bad it's good and then some.

Dance of the Damned : Vampire. Sorry. So this one is about a vampire who wishes he could stop living eternally, because it sucks to live that long and be so alone. He finds a sex worker who is also feeling like she wishes things would just end, and they share their pain with each other. Way better than it has any right to be, mullet and all.

The Werewolf of Washington : Werewolf. I really am sorry. Dean Stockwell plays a truly adorable werewolf. And nothing about it is meant to be taken seriously at all. Gives An American Werewolf in London a run for its money in the goober department.

The Curse of Kazuo Umezu : From the man who brought you The Drifting Classroom comes... this! It's a pair of strange tales. One about a vampire, fuck, I'm sorry. And one about a haunted house that even the narrator can't figure out what's going on. Horror anime!

Lo : A young man has recently lost his love. She was dragged to hell. That old chestnut. So he summons a demon named Lo to try to get her back. With a twist that'll make you go, wait, I thought this was a comedy?

The Spider Labyrinth : This one recently got a really nice release, and I'm so glad, because it's bonkers. A young fella is sent to Budapest to find a lost professor. Instead he finds a cult. Uh oh.

End of the Line : Apocalypse horror that turns your brain inside out just a bit. A religious cult has decided it's the end of the world, and they start executing innocents so they'll "go to heaven." Are they brainwashed or is the world actually ending? You decide!

Off Balance AKA Phantom of Death : Just barely a Phantom of the Opera riff. A pianist discovers he has a rare genetic disorder that threatens to cut his career short. Also, he's kinda losing it. Starring Michael York, Donald Pleasence, Edwige Fenech, directed by Ruggero Deodato, oh my GOD!

The Lure : Killer mermaids. Well, sirens. Kind of a mix. It's also a musical. And about how awful the entertainment industry is for young women. It's also super gory, and they eat people. Truly little else out there is like this.

Redneck Zombies : What do you want me to say? It's a Troma film. It's called... that. I'm pointing. I'm pointing at the title. That's the movie. Just... Right? Yeah?

The Killer Reserved Nine Seats : Another of those gialli that is really just And Then There Were None. But the nice part is that Italy likes to get more sexual, violent, and fucking awful than Agatha Christie ever dreamed. This one also takes place in an old theater, so the vibes are choice.

Mary Reilly : I always include at least one entry in these lists that begs the question, "how did this become underrated?" And obscure, that too. When it's a Jekyll and Hyde retelling with an emphasis on the gothic and lush, starring Julia Roberts and John Malkovich? By the way, I heard people hated it because of Roberts' terrible Irish accent. Damn, dude, I've heard way worse, fake accents than that. Anyway, this is fantastic. Watch it.

The Forest : One of those slashers where I thought I understood what I was getting into, but I did not. There's a man living in the woods who went postal on his cheating wife one day. The ghosts of his family are also haunting the woods. And he's a cannibal who feeds a guy his own girlfriend. I need other people to watch this so that I can be assured it was real.

Autopsy (2008) : I put a year, because there are around 800 horror films with that title. To further narrow it down, it's the one where Robert Patrick plays basically Herbert West fused with Mr. Freeze, and Jenette Goldstein is his nurse, and they chase a bunch of college kids around for science. Kind of a pitch black comedy with torture porn aspects, and I loved it.

Glorious : A guy gets trapped in a public restroom, which is horrifying enough. Then a cosmic horror god starts talking to him from a bathroom stall. He gives him the assignment of helping to stop the end of the world. The god is J.K. Simmons, and the whole thing is a delightful bottle movie.

Nightmare Detective : From the director that brought you Tetsuo: The Iron Man... Do I have your attention? Comes the Japanese Nightmare on Elm Street! That's oversimplifying, but that is my elevator pitch. It involves all sorts of dream powers and psychic battles that will blow your socks off.

House of Lost Souls : Directed by Umberto Lenzi, which means it feels as doobery as Ghosthouse. It's about a hotel desperate to decapitate you, and it has the silliest dialogue and acting known to man. Special mention to psychic powers being cited as a "rational explanation."

The Cleansing Hour : A priest who livestreams fake exorcisms has to rumble with a real demon. Super fun character piece where a conman has to look his sins dead in the eye. Truly obsessed with this one. Also, super fun demon effects. With Kyle Gallner, everyone's favorite scream king.

Deathrow Gameshow : What if Airplane was super violent? Or The Running Man was a dumb comedy? This hits the sweetest spot, where the humor is idiotic and the violence is cartoonishly nasty. This will speak to the sort of person, like myself, who wants their comedy to be indigestible for most audience goers.

Double Blind : This is a very recent release. A diverse group take part in a double blind drug test. Things go so extremely bad. I won't give anything away, because part of the fun is the unfolding chaos.

I can't believe I managed to do that again. Enjoy! I hope you find some new favorites from this list.

[astonishinglegends]

Ep 300: The Astonishing Legends All-Star Holiday Special

"Christmas is the season where you buy this year’s gifts with next year’s money."  -- Unknown

Description:

It’s the fifth Year of our annual Astonishing Legends Holiday Special, and we’re back with our crew from last year. We all love getting together this time of year to reflect on everything that went right or wrong over the past 12 months and consider what parts of our collective reality have eroded and what parts have solidified. Join us as we celebrate the friendships we’ve built along the way and the joys of working together across the paranormal and real spectrum. It’s a perfect way to kick back, relax, and embrace the holiday spirit with us. So grab your favorite drink and cozy up as we share some fun tales and look ahead to what 2025 has in store. Everyone’s welcome!

Reference Links:

Donate to Habitat for Humanity at habitat.org

Find all things Jim Harold at JimHarold.com

Micah Hanks’ programs at MicahHanks.com

The Debrief is a news site providing a public venue for credible reporting on science, tech, and defense news, with an eye for the cutting edge science and technology of tomorrow, at TheDebrief.org

UAPSightings.org – “A public resource for sightings of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP)”

Allison Jornlin and AmericanGhostWalks.com

Join Ed and Chris with thei Scared All The Time podcast – scaredallthetimepodcast.com

Visit Miranda Merrick and Mr. Darling at The Midnight Library – midnightlibrarypod.com

Peruse Richard Hatem’s Paranormal Bookshelf at richardhatemsparanormalbookshelf.com

Paul Gledhill’s British Paranormal Podcast – Anomaly – anomaly.co.uk

Susan Lambert Hatem and Sharon Johnson and their 80s TV Ladies podcast – 80stvladies.com

Jerry and Tracy Paulley of Hillbilly Horror Stories

“Former BBC radio presenter Howard Hughes dies” from BBC.com

Suggested Merch:

CLICK HERE to purchase prints and merchandise from Star Wars’ first ship designer, Colin Cantwell, at ColinCantwell.com!

There are still nearly two dozen exclusive prints of his amazing work available for purchase. Head over to colincantwell.com, and use the Promo Code DROID for a 15% Holiday Discount! And here’s why it’s special — each purchase helps support the TSJ Foundation’s mission to inspire youth in STEAM fields: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.

click here to Donate or to Habitat for Humanity – habitat.org

Donate to the middleway conservancy!

Click HERE to donate and help keep the historic village that is the home of the wizard clip alive!

From the Astonishing Legends Network:

Find us on YouTube!

Click this text to find all Astonishing Legends episodes and more on our Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/Astonishinglegends

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Click HERE or go to patreon.com/astonishinglegends to become one of our Patreon members and receive exclusive offerings, like our bonus Astonishing Junk Drawer episodes (posted every weekend the main show is dark) commercial-free episodes, and more!

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CREDITS:

Episode 300: The Astonishing Legends All-Star Holiday Special V. Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess. Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound. Music and Sound Design by Allen Carrescia. Tess Pfeifle, Producer and Lead Researcher. Ed Voccola, Technical Producer. Research Support from The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2024 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.