#just a little reprise macabre thinking.....

[hakuryuu]

Tagged by @awormwithproblems

RULES: Post the last sentence you wrote (fanfic / original / anything) and tag as many people as there are words in the sentence. (I’m not doing that part either 😅)

~*~☆~*~

If it was possible to manifest strings of elipses over one's head the way they did in cartoons, Dizzy would have vomited them up like tapioca pearls.

~*~☆~*~

Tagging: @shikai-the-storyteller @cospinol @wizardfvcker & anyone else ive forgotten......

[rynekins]

Welcome back to the Sideshow Bob Awards!

If you missed Part 1, that’s where I go over the results for a few polls I had for Funniest Episode, Best Animation, and Best Quote.

This time, let us begin with the results for Best Song. This category had not just the most votes, but the most diverse votes. Sideshow Bob fans might not be able to agree on his best song, but we all can agree that Kelsey Grammer has a wonderful singing voice, and the character simply would not be the same without it. I am happy to say that Hullaba-Lula takes Honorable Mention. If it wasn’t cut from Day of the Jackanapes it might have gotten a lot more votes, because this funny and twisted version of Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Da would have been a treat to see animated. Alas, the nostalgia factor may not be at play here, as most would have heard of this song years after the fact. If you are a Sideshow Bob fan but haven’t heard this little ditty, definitely look it up, you’re missing out.

In Third Place we have The Very Reason That I Live, from The Great Louse Detective. In this parody of I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face from My Fair Lady, Bob realizes he can’t kill Bart. Why? Well, what would he do with his archenemy gone? How formidable could he have been if he could die so easily? He’s been so obsessed with revenge for so long, crafted this identity of a criminal genius, he sees no satisfaction with it having to end. Not gonna lie, there are some lyrics here that are particularly creepy and I think have had a negative impact on how some fans and some writers interpret the character going forward. I don’t think it was intentional, but it is unfortunate. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the song (it’s my personal favorite episode). I think it was very important to his character and I choose to keep this takeaway: Bob feels conflicted about being a villain. He’s been the hero before, and he knows how good that feels. At the end of this song he runs away to attempt once again to start his life over. We had seen him try to reform before and we will see it happen again, but the universe conspires against him. This is ultimately what had endeared him to me so long ago. It is however a strange choice. Earlier in the episode they were talking about putting on the musical Man of La Mancha. They probably should have either done a parody of a song from that or mentioned My Fair Lady instead. Late script change? This is also a rare case of Family Guy doing it first. Stewie sings I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face in the episode Running Mates, which aired two years prior. Honestly, it fits Stewie better, given that Stewie’s mannerisms are somewhat based on the actor who stars in My Fair Lady, Rex Harrison. Stewie’s version doesn’t change any lyrics, so Bob’s version is more transformative.

Somethin’ Stupid takes Second Place, a duet between Bob and Selma on karaoke night, and a parody of Somethin’ Stupid by Frank and Nancy Sinatra. It’s incredibly sweet, but also silly as we hear Bob's dulcet tones alongside Selma's raspy voice, and see a montage of them doing sappy couple things together. I adore that bit of animation of them running through the flowers. I can imagine that any Sideshow Bob lover would DIE to have him sing this song to them. The question is if Bob was singing this in earnest. We know he is a performer and fully capable of making someone, including us, believe his love is genuine. We also know how the episode ends and how he callously sings a reprise to himself with more macabre lyrics. Despite this, I do believe he loved Selma, at least at first. It was a time when both of them were desperate for human companionship and they felt lucky to have found eachother. I believe it was after he realized he wasn’t the most important man in her life that his feelings turned bitter, and the evil scheming began. And maybe that wasn’t what the writers intended. Maybe he was evil from the start of the relationship (though some actions would then not make sense) and maybe Bob coulda fooled me like everybody else. But maybe it’s fiction and I can remember it however I want, and I want to remember this as a cute moment. Because it is. Do I ship it? Maybe.

Once again, Cape Feare wins gold with excerpts from the HMS Pinafore. We start with Bob excitedly singing We Sail the Ocean Blue, drift in to I’m Called Little Buttercup as he wears a thrown together costume of a mop and shower curtain, Bart joins in for I am the Captain of the Pinafore (where did they get those set props and costumes?), and ending with the iconic look of Captain Bob during He is an Englishman. This scene has everything. It’s absurd, expressively animated, 4th wall breaking, and tense. Bob and Bart’s dynamic here is perfect, showing their rivalry to be something terrifying one second and yet cartoonishly hilarious the next. Bart knows Bob so well that he makes one of the smartest moves he’s ever thought of and plays to Bob’s ego. Then we are treated to a range of beautiful melodies with a comedic touch, a perfect balance from Kelsey Grammer. As many times as this scene gets a call back, Bob would never again let his love of Gilbert and Sullivan be used against him. Going out on a high note, he continues to sing to himself for his own enjoyment, and has since learned to weaponize his gift of song on occasion.

Humor, animation, and song. These are the ingredients chosen that make the perfect Sideshow Bob episode. But an extra ingredient added to the concoction: Mystery, elevates an episode to another level of fun, engagement, and intrigue. Erm, spoiler alert. An element of Mystery isn’t exclusive to Sideshow Bob episodes, but during a season of The Simpsons, if there was one episode that was a who-dun-it or how-dun-it or dramatic reveal, often making use of the Bart and Lisa Detective Duo, the honor would usually go to a Sideshow Bob related scheme. How appropriate that for this category, we have a dramatic twist: I have no Honorable Mention, for three episodes are tied for Third Place! Krusty Gets Busted, Cape Feare, and The Great Louse Detective.

The Great Louse Detective does have a decent set up of clues though very few suspects. The real twist is who the perpetrator really is, based on a character that was only in one episode many seasons prior. It’s possible to enjoy this ending without extensive Simpsons trivia knowledge, but some math related issues with the timeline do make the decision to include this character look poorly implemented. Cape Feare’s mystery is revealed before the first commercial break, though it is a very dramatic reveal and a rather pivotal moment for Bob’s character. The jokes leading up to it are pretty funny.

Krusty Gets Busted should ultimately take the title of Third Place, at least. Being the first Bob episode, and incorporating a true mystery, it creates the blueprint for many episodes to follow. Though Bob pulls us aside to show his true nature before anyone in the story can catch on, we are presented the clues first and can feel proud of Bart for figuring it out himself.

Brother From Another Series takes second, the mystery being: Is Bob still evil? Tragically, the answer is: No! This is the first time in the series that Bob genuinely tries to reform after some of his worst acts, and he would have gotten to, if it weren’t for his little brother. While it might have been obvious that Cecil would turn out to be behind it all, Bob comes very close to snapping multiple times and continued to exhibit antisocial behavior (not that I’d blame him, given the working conditions). We could easily be led to believe that Bob would be the mastermind as always, not the unwitting accomplice. What a twist that he must work with his nemesis to save the town, or try to, anyways. I wish Cecil would make more speaking appearances.

Finally, in First Place, we have Black Widower. While not the perfect mystery (we don’t exactly know when the motive was at play) we are given hints on how it will piece together. Homer’s advice, the mention of the fireplace, Selma’s lack of a sense of smell, these are details that may not grab your attention during a first watch and yet they are very important. It’s funny that such subtle hints could lead to such an explosive ending. And even moreso than in Krusty Gets Busted, we can be very impressed that Bart figures it out all on his own, officially setting his and Bob’s rivalry in stone.

The quintessential Sideshow Bob episode brings the laughs, has quips most quotable, dazzles you with noteworthy animation, serenades you with something sentimental and/or silly, and invites you to play along with a game of mystery. I didn’t want to do a Best Episode category because I knew Cape Feare would win that one too, but these poll results do show why. Cape Feare excels in what makes a Sideshow Bob episode special, and is deserving of the hype that it gets. However, I do hope that we still have some love for all of the other episodes, which together create the lore, character development, and hilarious moments that make this character so dang lovable. Thank you to everyone who voted or left comments in the polls. Your participation made this possible.

[iamedelweiss]

TW: death

Today I visited my grandmother for the last time. It was the first time I saw a dead body, like this.

I found it creepy at first. This staging, this soft music that is meant to be soothing, this room that is neither small nor large, this airiness that gives the same feeling as the airy movement of a stage : when I was a little girl and did ballet, the same kind of air currents would caress the pink tights and tutus. Of course, it's macabre and solemn. I didn't have the guts to be alone with her. Apparently, we all have the impression that the deceased loved one is going to get up, move around, smile, that they're still there and that they're playing a joke on us. And I was no exception to the rule, nor was my brother. I even asked him to stay with me when my parents left the chamber.

I don't think I need to write it down here to remember it, because I'll probably remember it for the rest of my life, so it's something else I don't know (yet) that's driving me to write this: my heart was torn as it had never been torn before, and I had anticipated it would, when I saw my father collapse after writing his little note in the condolence booklet.

I let him turn around and took him in my arms from behind. I felt like I wasn't big enough to cover such a big man's pain with my little arms. And that was probably true. But he finally turned around and hugged me back. Then my mother joined us, and finally I felt my brother too. We all cried.

My father has just lost his mother.

And I don't know what I'm playing at, but everyone here, even the people I don't like, expected me to be their sunshine. At the table, I was gladly invited to take my grandmother's usual place, setting her usual table; her plate, a fork of a colour she accepted (white), her knife. You'd think she'd be unnecessarily fussy like that, but that's just the psychorigidness of old people.

And I was given her clothes, her favourite clothes. They fit me well and I would wear them. No one spoke to me, they all acted like this, pushing me into this role. I was the daughter she didn't have. She always told me that.

I put a pink glitter barrette in her hair, while contemplating the pretty flowers that had been put there. They knew the colour tones she liked and that looked great on her.

I put her perfume on my wrists, I sniffed all her scarves. This week, before she was cremated, I was allowed to believe she was still around a little. Because these things always happen too abruptly. And I didn't find any point in the family visiting a corpse before, but I understood once it was my turn to experience it. I understood that it was to avoid denial. To have her there, cold, with leaden eyelids and lips, and to realise that she is dead. I realised I needed it only when I entered the room.

This heavy door separated the real world from a semi-parallel and semi-real world, perfectly isolated acoustically from the outside, where I could see my grandmother once inside. I looked at it a long time before and after I visited my grandmother for the last time.

[hyperactivehypothalamus-blog]

There was a time...

So I had this realization the other day. Me and a few of my friends were eating lunch in the cafeteria/student lounge area of my college and this kid walked by our table and I realized a few things about her. She had unruly red hair and a graphic T-shirt paired with dark washed skinny jeans and high heeled combat boots all compiled together with a messenger bag that was haphazardly slung over one shoulder. As she walked by us her boots made a kind of deep clacking high heel noise and she strode with a kind of careless air about her. My more ‘opinionated’ friend on the right eyed her up and down and pursed her lips together in a kind of judgmental way, raising her eyebrows and making everyone else in our small assortment give sheer glances at the girl. When she crossed into the section of the lounge that contained long green and grey couches and an ensemble of short backed ‘modern’ style chairs a whole collection of graphic tee’d thick rimed glasses kids stood up to greet her with high fives and quick hugs and I thought it was adorable. I love nerds and how excited they get over things, I mean, I used to be one. The whole spectacle kind of made me think about where I was at that exact moment. My friends and I looked starkly different in our black and navy uniforms and combat boots, frankly we stuck out like sore thumbs. The friend sitting directly in front of me was telling us a funny story about a call he had recently worked and all of us were speculating the macabre details of what probably happened to the patient in a car accident he had been unable to find. A girl at a table to the left of us who had moments before been having a very loud and passionate conversation about the Holy Spirit stood up, after giving us a disgusted look. As I watch the girls and her little group of friends I was struck with a sudden feeling of nostalgia, there was a time when I had that same gleam in my eyes. There was a time when I had nothing more to worry about than what actor was going to reprise the role of Doctor Who or what Hank Green’s new book was about or what I had missed in last week’s episode of the Big Bang Theory. There had been a time when I possessed the innocence that came with all of those things. There was a time when I didn’t have people’s lives in my hands. There was a time when I didn’t have to carry all of this weight on my shoulders. There was a time when I hadn’t seen all of those awful things.

I envy those kids, I envy their innocence and their ignorance and their youthful bliss, I’m almost twenty but I feel like I’ve aged two decades since this all started. In all honesty though, I wouldn’t change any of it, not for the world, I just get caught up in my head sometimes still, there was a time...

[obsessivelollipoplalala]

Yes, but Judge Turpin's version of "Johanna" was originally removed from the earlier productions of the show, so while that does indeed represent a version of the show that's more focused on Johanna, they made the decision to cut back on that direction on stage, too, obviously not to the same degree the movie did, but still.

I don't think "Kiss Me" is as out of place in the stage show as it would have been in the film with the extended version of "Ladies In Their Sensitivities" and the Beadle's song at Mrs. Lovett's harmonium (and some of the general tone differences with the performances that the above video discussed). I think the stage show's music diverted from the central grimness a little more than the movie did (even if there's a gross undertone to "Ladies In Their Sensitivities"), and with Anthony's character--you're right. He is totally the opposite from Sweeney, which is why I think Burton cut down on his whole arc, as well, to keep in line with the film focusing on its macabre leads. As I mentioned above, I think it leads to a finished product that is more consistent in its dark tone than the stage show, though I'm not accusing Sondheim of being sloppy or breaking his characters out of character or anything. I also get the impression that Sweeney sees Anthony's love for Johanna in the movie and is still jaded and doesn't give a shit, too, so I don't see a big difference there with that particular aspect. He's still just as unenthusiastic over Anthony's young love and willing to use him as a pawn to get to Johanna as he was in the stage show, imo. Yeah, including the bit about Sweeney rejecting Anthony's help would've been a nice touch, though.

I don't think the stage show outright told us Johanna would kill Fogg, but since it showed us more of her trauma, which you mentioned previously, it doesn't come as much of a shock as it might have it had been left in the movie. I remember watching the stage show and thinking that Johanna was (understandably) a bit shaken up from the beginning, so the Fogg thing wasn't really a surprise (and remember her sort of delirious lyrics in "City On Fire" that are sort of a reprise of "Kiss Me" that further drive home her mental duress, which wouldn't have fit in a movie with both "Kiss Me" and "City On Fire" cut out, since basically all chorus numbers were cut out). I also don't see the Fogg thing as a plot hole btw, I'm just thinking of the typical moviegoer--who is usually someone not fond of musicals--to which you might ask why they would watch this, but god, the amount of people over the years who I've had to listen to going on and on about how they hate musicals and were dragged to a theater to see Les Miz or something by a friend and "why do they keep singing? Why don't they just talk? It's so stupid" snfjsnkfnsgk.....All of that is to say that I genuinely think a movie more faithful to the stage show would have been disliked by a lot of moviegoers lol and, as a film director, Burton knew that.

I think a lot of this comes down to something the above video was getting down to: they're two pretty different versions in a lot of respects, which is why I think both are worth watching. I have songs from the film and stage downloaded (mainly the original cast but I really love "Johanna (Reprise)" from the 2012 Michael Ball production). I think a version with like ~30-40 minutes of more content is inherently going to have more going on, so it makes sense that the stage show has more to unpack with Johanna and the rest of the cast, but when I think about what the film was setting out to do as a film adaptation, I think it did a great job with a show that is/was incredibly difficult to take off stage and put into another art form.

I'm...typing this at work and I think I lost track of things a bit here lol so sorry about that. I guess the question I keep coming back to is "did [x] changes help tell this story more as a thriller film as opposed to a Broadway musical?", and that's what drives a lot of my assessment of what the film did.

I’ve always hated when Broadway purists disparage the film adaptation of Sweeney Todd not being like the stage show because, well, it’s a film adaptation and not a filmed version of the stage show. Film and stage are very different art forms, and successful film adaptations of Broadway musicals must make changes (Sondheim actually typically disliked movie musicals, but not this one). I can talk for a very long time about why the changes in the film version work so well, but I was pleasantly surprised to see this video did a great job explaining a lot of them in under 10 minutes:

And this comment stood out to me, too:

Just, yes. Yes, yes, yes. I could go on for much longer than this, but I’ll leave it here lol.

The film version and stage version of Sweeney Todd are very different in a lot of respect, but those differences boil down to the differences between the art forms. Burton knew he had to make a good movie. If anyone is going to watch Sweeney for the first time, I recommend the movie first because it’s more accessible to a wider, non-theater audience, but I do think both versions are worth watching, if nothing else, to see how the same story can play out similarly and differently in two separate art forms.

[super-lemon-sama]

songs for Marie:

[In chronological order of her life]

((warning, a lot of these songs are negative, sad, sexual, vulgar, or just fucked up. so listen at own your own discretion))

Fun - The Gambler  [I’m putting this here instead of the end, just because it has some stuff that fits more for when milly and marie met. Marie wanted to spend the rest of her life with her friend just like a family. she didnt know how strong these feelings were or what they meant at the time.]

Jack Conte - Eat

Jack Conte -  Bloody Nose  

Shock Stars- I Got A Feeling

MitiS - Moments (feat. Adara)

The Hoosiers - Lovers in my Head [except milly didnt know, marie just thinks about her a lot and what it would be like to marry her]

Mother Mother - Love to Death 

Flyleaf -  Broken Wings

The Hoosiers - Up To No Good

Mother Mother - Very Good Bad Thing

Jeff Williams -  Can't trust anybody now 

mother mother -  oh ana 

EDEN - Wake Up

Antlers - Shiva

Jeff and Casey Lee Williams -  Red Like Roses Part II 

Mumford and Sons -  Thistle & Weeds

Mother Mother - Alone And Sublime 

Madame Macabre -  Blood Right (Original Song) 

AViVA - GRRRLS 

【Cyber Diva】- Exorcism 【Vocaloid Original Song】 

Flyleaf - I'm So Sick

Flyleaf - Fire Fire

CircusP ft. Eyeris (Cover)【JubyPhonic】-  Karma

Madame Macabre - My Prey

【Madame Macabre x Ashe】-  God Syndrome 

Caravan Palace - Aftermath 

Halsey - Castle

Halsey - Control 

Halsey -  Hold Me Down

Bebe Rexha -  I'm Gonna Show You Crazy

Krewella - Calm Down (SKAN Remix) 

Adam Lambert - For your Entertainment

Good With Grenades - Bruises and Bitemarks 

IN THIS MOMENT - Adrenalize

in this moment - black widow

The Bravery - Hatefuck

In This Moment - Sick Like Me

Mindless Self Indulgence - This Hurts

Get Scared - Sarcasm 

I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME - Choke 

Mindless Self Indulgence - Straight to Hell

Mindless Self Indulgence - Out Of My Minds

Mother Mother - Reaper Man

Mother Mother - No One to Nothing

Malukah - Always Running

Jack Conte - Off with His Head

Diveo - Hoverboard (ft. Austin Crute) [mostly just the chorus of this one]

Mickey Valen ft. Noé - Meet Me

I MONSTER - Who Is She?

Arctic Monkeys - Snap out of it

【JubyPhonic】-  Kuusou Mesorogiwi ❮alty Remix❯ Mirai Nikki OP (English Cover)  [I dont think im going to make her THIS obsessed, but the other parts about survival game and such is good.]   

Sickick - Mind Games

Sickick - Bermuda

Marian Hill - Down 

Mother Mother - Calm Me Down

In This Moment -  Blood

of Montreal - We Will Commit Wolf Murder 

Jack Conte - We Grew Up So Well

Jon Bellion -  The Good in Me

Kings. -  Whispers

Halsey - Garden 

twenty one pilots -  can't help falling in love (cover)

MitiS - Moments (feat. Adara) [it’s on here twice bc it’s really good and they reunite and lay and watch the stars just like when they were little ;w;]

The Hoosiers -  Who Said Anything (About Falling In Love?)

Jacob Lee - Demons

Halsey -  Devil In Me

Rag’n’Bone Man - Wolves 

Crywank - It's OK, I Wouldn't Remember Me Either

The Strumbellas -  Spirits

Jukebox the Ghost - "Undeniable You"

ISLAND - Try

FUN - Why Am I The One

Mumford & sons - Lovers eyes 

Wake Me - Kiss from a Rose (Seal cover) 

Mumford & Sons -  The Cave

Mumford & Sons - Broken Crown 

Massive Vibes - Burn The Stars

No, Really - Rust

Flyleaf - Fire Fire [it’s on here twice bc it fits really well, and would be a great reprise and inversion]

MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS - "HAPPY"

Here’s some general songs for milly just because:

(not chronological)

flyleaf - fully alive

Noga Erez - Off The Radar

fun. - Be Calm

fun. -  At Least I'm Not as Sad (As I Used to Be)

[x-enter]

CANDYMAN: Everyone Says His Name in This Full Trailer for Jordan Peele's Reboot of the Horror Classic

The first full trailer has been released for producer Jordan Peele’s reboot of the horror classic Candyman. You aren’t supposed to say his name, but almost everyone in this trailer says his name, and it looks like a lot of people are going to die at the hands of an urban legend.

Peele “unleashes a fresh take on the blood-chilling urban legend that your friend’s older sibling probably told you about at a sleepover: Candyman.” The reboot was directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Nia DaCosta (Little Woods), and it looks like it’ll be a decent contemporary incarnation of the cult classic.

Here’s the synopsis:

For as long as residents can remember, the housing projects of Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood were terrorized by a word-of-mouth ghost story about a supernatural killer with a hook for a hand, easily summoned by those daring to repeat his name five times into a mirror. In present day, a decade after the last of the Cabrini towers were torn down, visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II; HBO’s Watchmen, Us) and his girlfriend, gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris; If Beale Street Could Talk, The Photograph), move into a luxury loft condo in Cabrini, now gentrified beyond recognition and inhabited by upwardly mobile millennials.

With Anthony’s painting career on the brink of stalling, a chance encounter with a Cabrini Green old-timer (Colman Domingo; HBO’s Euphoria, Assassination Nation) exposes Anthony to the tragically horrific nature of the true story behind Candyman. Anxious to maintain his status in the Chicago art world, Anthony begins to explore these macabre details in his studio as fresh grist for paintings, unknowingly opening a door to a complex past that unravels his own sanity and unleashes a terrifyingly viral wave of violence that puts him on a collision course with destiny.

Tony Todd will also be included in the movie, and while he’s not shown in the trailer, he’s actually reprising his role as Candyman. You do get to hear his voice. Candyman is set to hit theaters on June 12th, 2020. Check out the trailer:

Producer Ian Cooper previously talked about the movie and explained how it’s designed to appeal to both fans of the original and those who have never seen it:

“What we’re doing with Candyman and how Jordan is crafting it on the page is going to be very exciting and rewarding to audiences that haven’t seen the original film as well as people who’ve seen the original film. In a broad sense of the word, this film will stand alone if you’ve never heard of a film called Candyman and will dovetail in a pretty complicated and interesting way to the original. In short, I think this will really fit in with what we’re doing with Us and did with Get Out in a way that will be circuitous. I think what we’re trying to do with Candyman is both be mischievous in how we address the relationship to the first film but also be very satisfying.”

Peele added:

“The original was a landmark film for black representation in the horror genre. Alongside Night of the Living Dead, Candyman was a major inspiration for me as a filmmaker — and to have a bold new talent like Nia at the helm of this project is truly exciting. We are honored to bring the next chapter in the Candyman canon to life and eager to provide new audiences with an entry point to Clive Barker’s legend.”

Just for the hell of it, watch the trailer for the original film.

source https://geektyrant.com/news/candyman-everyone-says-his-name-in-this-full-trailer-for-jordan-peeles-reboot-of-the-horror-classic

[coralmccallum]

Sometimes the planets align and you are lucky enough to experience something magical – a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I experienced one such moment earlier this week thanks entirely to a special friend. (You know who you are)

Christmas came early and I was fortunate enough to find myself seated next to my friend in the SSE Hydro preparing to watch the Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas 25th Anniversary concert. Not only that but Danny Elfman, the composer, was about to reprise his role as the singing voice of Jack Skellington alongside other original cast members.

Now, I appreciate that not all of you may be Tim Burton or Danny Elfman fans….oh…you don’t know what you’re missing!

Ok, I’ll calm the enthusiasm for a second.

For those of you who haven’t seen it, The Nightmare Before Christmas is an animated dark musical fantasy film conceived and produced by Tim Burton. The film is based on a poem written by Tim Burton when he worked as an animator for Disney

  It was late one fall in Halloweenland, And the air had quite a chill. Against the moon a skeleton sat, Alone upon a hill.

He was tall and thin with a bat bow tie; Jack Skellington was his name. He was tired and bored in Halloweenland – Everything was always the same.

“I’m sick of the scaring, the terror, the fright. I’m tired of being something that goes bump in the night. I’m bored with leering my horrible glances, And my feet hurt from dancing those skeleton dances. I don’t like graveyards, and I need something new. There must be more to life than just yelling, ‘Boo!'”

Then out from a grave, with a curl and a twist, Came a whimpering, whining, spectral mist.

It was a little ghost dog, with a faint little bark, And a jack-o’-lantern nose that glowed in the dark.

It was Jack’s dog, Zero, the best friend he had, But Jack hardly noticed, which made Zero sad.

All that night and through the next day, Jack wandered and walked. He was filled with dismay.

Then deep in the forest, just before night, Jack came upon an amazing sight.

Not twenty feet from the spot where he stood Were three massive doorways carved in wood.

He stood before them, completely in awe, His gaze transfixed by one special door.

Entranced and excited, with a slight sense of worry,

Jack opened the door to a white, windy flurry.

Jack didn’t know it, but he’d fallen down In the middle of a place called Christmas Town!

Immersed in the light, Jack was no longer haunted. He had finally found the feeling he wanted. And so that his friends wouldn’t think him a liar, He took the present filled stockings that hung by the fire. He took candy and toys that were stacked on the shelves, And a picture of Santa with all of his elves. He took lights and ornaments and the star from the tree, And from the Christmas Town sign, he took the big letter C.

He picked up everything that sparkled or glowed. He even picked up a handful of snow. He grabbed it all and without being seen, He took it all back to Halloween.

Back in Halloween, a group of Jack’s peers Stared in amazement at his Christmas souvenirs. For this wondrous vision none were prepared. Most were excited, though a few were quite scared!

For the next few days, while it lightninged and thundered, Jack sat alone and obsessively wondered. “Why is it they get to spread laughter and cheer While we stalk the graveyards, spreading panic and fear? Well, I could be Santa, and I could spread cheer! Why does he get to do it year after year?” Outraged by injustice, Jack thought and he thought. Then he got an idea. “Yes…yes…why not!”

In Christmas Town, Santa was making some toys When through the din he heard a soft noise. He answered the door, and to his surprise, He saw weird little creatures in strange disguise. They were altogether ugly and rather petite. As they opened their sacks, they yelled, “Trick or treat!” Then a confused Santa was shoved into a sack And taken to Halloween to see mastermind Jack.

In Halloween everyone gathered once more, For they’d never seen a Santa before And as they cautiously gazed at this strange old man, Jack related to Santa his masterful plan:

“My dear Mr. Claus, I think it’s a crime That you’ve got to be Santa all of the time! But now I will give presents, and I will spread cheer. We’re changing places I’m Santa this year. It is I who will say Merry Christmas to you! So you may lie in my coffin, creak doors, and yell, ‘Boo!’ And please, Mr. Claus, don’t think ill of my plan. For I’ll do the best Santa job that I can.”

And though Jack and his friends thought they’d do a good job, Their idea of Christmas was still quite macabre.

They were packed up and ready on Christmas Eve day When Jack hitched his reindeer to his sleek coffin sleigh. But on Christmas Eve, as they were about to begin, A Halloween fog slowly rolled in.

Jack said, “We can’t leave; this fog’s just too thick. There will be no Christmas, and I can’t be St. Nick.” Then a small glowing light pierced through the fog, What could it be?…It was Zero, Jack’s dog!

Jack said, “Zero, with your nose so bright, Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?”

And to be so needed was Zero’s great dream, So he joyously flew to the head of the team.

And as the skeletal sleigh started its ghostly flight, Jack cackled, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

‘Twas the nightmare before Christmas, and all though the house, Not a creature was peaceful, not even a mouse. The stockings all hung by the chimney with care, When opened that morning would cause quite a scare! The children, all nestled so snug in their beds, Would have nightmares of monsters and skeleton heads. The moon that hung over the new-fallen snow Cast an eerie pall over the city below, And Santa Claus’s laughter now sounded like groans, And the jingling bells like chattering bones. And what to their wondering eyes should appear, But a coffin sleigh with skeleton deer. And a skeletal driver so ugly and sick, They knew in a moment, this can’t be St. Nick!

From house to house, with a true sense of joy, Jack happily issued each present and toy. From rooftop to rooftop he jumped and he skipped, Leaving presents that seemed to be straight from a crypt! Unaware that the world was in panic and fear, Jack merrily spread his own brand of cheer.

He visited the house of Susie and Dave; They got a Gumby and Pokey From the grave. Then on to the home of Little Jane Neeman; She got a baby doll Possessed by a demon.

A monstrous train with tentacle tracks, A ghoulish puppet wielding an ax, A man-eating plant Disguised as a wreath, And a vampire teddy bear With very sharp teeth.

There were screams of terror, but Jack didn’t hear it, He was much too involved with his own Christmas spirit! Jack finally looked down from his dark, starry frights And saw the commotion, the noise, and the light. “Why, they’re celebrating, it looks like such fun! They’re thanking me for the good job that I’ve done.” But what he thought were fireworks meant as goodwill, Were bullets and missiles intended to kill. Then amidst the barrage of artillery fire, Jack urged Zero to go higher and higher. And away they all flew like the storm of a thistle, Until they were hit by a well guided missile. And as they fell on the cemetery, way out of sight, Was heard, “Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”

Jack pulled himself up on a large stone cross, And from there he reviewed his incredible loss. “I thought I could be Santa, I had such belief…” Jack was confused and filled with great grief. Not knowing where to turn, he looked toward the sky, Then he slumped on the grave and he started to cry. And as Zero and Jack lay crumpled on the ground, They suddenly heard a familiar sound….

“My dear Jack,” said Santa, “I applaud your intent. I know wreaking such havoc was not what you meant. And so you are sad, and feeling quite blue, But taking over Christmas was the wrong thing to do. I hope you realize Halloween’s the right place for you. There’s a lot more, Jack, that I’d like to say, But now I must hurry, for it’s almost Christmas Day.” Then he jumped in his sleigh, and with a wink of an eye, He said, “Merry Christmas!”, and he bid them good-bye.

Back home, Jack was sad, but then, like a dream, Santa brought Christmas to the land of Halloween.

The END

  (credits to the owner Tim Burton – copy sourced via Google)

  I love Tim Burton films!

I love Danny Elfman music!

  This was sure to be a night to remember – and it was!

  Both my friend and I were a little unsure of what to expect…..

Below us the stage was prepared for the arrival of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. There were three video screens above the vast stage.

It struck me that I was more accustomed to standing on the rail in front of the stage….not tonight though. This was an entirely seated event. Very civilised.

The show opened with the RSNO playing The Nightmare Before Christmas overture while the screen showed a selection of Tim Burton’s original drawings.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

To cut a long story short, we then watched the film but, when it reached a musical number, this was performed live on stage. Aside from the incredibly talented and animated Danny Elfman, we were entertained by Catherine O’Hara as Sally and Ken Page as Oogie Boogie plus five other vocalists who included comedian Greg Proops (remember him from Whose Line Is it Anyway?)

Like all theatrical performances, there was a short interval at an appropriate moment in the film.

Following the intermission, acclaimed violinist Sandy Cameron was invited on stage to perform the Elfman Violin Concerto. WOW! That’s all I can say…WOW!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35jRufnM-Kg

(credits to the owner via YouTube)

When the film ended to rapturous applause, the various performers took their bows then Danny Elfman returned to the stage to treat us to one final number. He performed Oogie Boogie’s song as he’d originally envisaged it in a Cab Calloway style. This performance above all others showcases just what an outstandingly talented entertainer he truly is. Loved it!

  Sadly, all good things have to come to an end….

  How many sleeps till Sandy Claws comes?

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry7PcYtKPhA

(credits to the owner via You Tube)

  (images sourced via Google – credits to the owners)

  When The Planets Align…..The Nightmare Before Christmas Sometimes the planets align and you are lucky enough to experience something magical – a once in a lifetime opportunity.