Merry Christmas 2009!

I mean just what tht title says! This will be my last post before Christmas Day, as I'll be crazy busy tomorrow with holiday preparation. Plus, my 6-year-old daughter (who's awesome, BTW) will be singing with our church choir at a special children's mass on Christmas Eve. Go Megan!

Today I just have a few last-minute clips, but they're by no means throwaways. First, a lovely home movie from an anonymous person who set it to music. This captures perfectly the way we want Christmas to be. And if we're lucky, they way our Christmases were and are.



Next, a great song from a great special. Here is Bob McGrath singing "Keep Christmas With You" from Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. I'd also like to dedicate this to the late Alaina Reed Hall, who played Olivia for over a decade on the show. She passed away on December 17th at the age of 63 after a long bout with breast cancer.



Finally, a Me and You Christmas tradition, because it deserves to be.



I'll check back in a couple of times next week, as I'm home all week on Christmas vacation. Home with family and friends, the way God intended.

I truly wish all of you a blessed, Merry Christmas!

Gift of Ages

Today's post is a very special one, and one that I've been looking forward to for a month now. This video is called "Gift of Ages," and was made by someone on DeviantArt.com. There's really nothing I can say except this is one of the most beautiful things I've seen in a really long time. I literally cried the first time I saw it. Simply watch and be moved!

Spirit of Christmas, "The Nativity"

Just three days left! Here is the second part of the Bell Telephone-produced special The Spirit of Christmas, this time presenting "The Nativity." Even with marionettes, the story is beautiful. Enjoy!

Spirit of Christmas, "The Night Before Christmas"

Today I present part of an old special from the 1950s that aired in many cities and was sponsored and produced by Bell Telephone, which back then was the one phone company in the nation. The entire special was "enacted" by marionettes. My mother loves this special and remembers it fondly. Here is part one of the special, a recreation of the classic poem "A Visit From Saint Nicolas" aka "The Night Before Christmas." Enjoy!

Christmas Silent Film Scrapbook

Here is a quaint collection of silent film featuring Christmas scenes from the early 20th century. I love seeing footage from Christmases long past. Thanks!

Motivational Santa

With Christmas just a week away, you may need a bit of motivation to finish your holiday preparation. Look no further than Matt Foley, your motivational Santa. This is one of my favorite skits from Saturday Night Live by the late great Chris Farley. Enjoy!

Eric Cartman, "O Holy Night"

Many of the Christmas items I've posted on the blog the last two years have been heartwarming, life-affirming treats. This is not one of them.

Please enjoy famous tenor Eric Cartman of South Park fame with his barely coherent version of the solemn classic "O Holy Night," with help from good friend Kyle--and a cattle prod.



For more South Park Christmas fun, click here.

Ziggy's Gift

There are less than two weeks left to Christmas! It's time to wrap up your gift getting, literally and figuratively. You should finish your decorating as well. I'm still not finished getting gifts or decorating, which pains me greatly. But I know exactly what will cheer me up--this awesome special!

Ziggy's Gift first aired on ABC in December 1982, and it's a wonderful story that is one of my alltime favorites. The comic strip everyman becomes a streetcorner Santa and runs into some adventures involving a a thief, con man, and police officer trying to contain the silliness. It's a shame the special is never on TV, but it is readily available on DVD (which I purchased a couple of years ago). If you've never seen this special before, and chances are good you haven't, by all means enjoy it now. This belongs right up there with Charlie Brown and the Grinch. Thanks!

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus

There is a new Christmas special airing on CBS tonight at 8pm ET/7pm CT called Yes, Virginia, loosely based on the famous letter to the editor of the New York Sun newspaper written by Virginia O'Hanlon. The special looks charming--here is the trailer.



This is not the first time the event has appeared in animated form. Here is a special from 1974 which also dramatizes the story. This special was produced and directed by the late, legendary Peanuts animator Bill Melendez. I've wanted to see this special for years, and now I have the chance along with you. Enjoy!

Good Will To Men

Following up on yesterday's post of the 1939 MGM cartoon "Peace On Earth," here is a remake of that cartoon entitled "Good Will To Men" from 1955. Produced by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, this cartoon takes the same theme and demonstrates that humans hadn't learned anything since the original cartoon was made. We still haven't.

Peace On Earth

Today I offer one of two very special MGM cartoons, an original from 1939 and a remake from 1955. This original is entitled "Peace On Earth," and features an elderly squirrel teaching a pack of squirrel children the meaning of the titular phrase. This is a cartoon short with an unusually serious tone than most cartoons of the era. It's moving and well worth your time. I'll feature the remake tomorrow. Thanks!

A Charlie Brown Christmas Promos and Snoopy's Christmas

A Charlie Brown Christmas airs tonight on ABC at 8pm ET/7pm CT! If you don't plan on watching it, you don't love Christmas! Even though I have the special on VHS tape (and now finally on CD), I still have to watch it when it airs on broadcast TV. There's something special about the communal aspect of watching such a heartwarming program. And of course, as I'm such a Peanuts freak, it's required viewing.

Here is the first promo made for the special, airing way back in 1965.



Here is a quick promo from the 80s for both A Charlie Brown Christmas and, in my opinion, its spiritual counterpart, How The Grinch Stole Christmas. These are the alpha and omega of Christmas specials, and it was always fantastic when they were paired together!



Finally, here is a treat from a creative YouTuber. Someone created a music video for the song "Snoopy's Christmas" with footage from Peanuts specials. It adds up to a holiday delight!



Thanks! Remember to watch the show tonight!

Raggedy Ann & Andy in The Great Santa Claus Caper

The first weekend of December is over, and we inch closer to Christmas. Today we do so by enjoying the adventures of Raggedy Ann and Andy in The Great Santa Claus Caper. one of Santa's reindeer enables their help to ward off an ingenius wolf from spoiling the big day. Thanks!

The Night The Animals Talked

Today I present an animated TV special from 1970 that I've never seen before. The Night The Animals Talked spotlights the animals in the stable with Mary and Joseph on the night of Christ's birth. Below is a commercial for the special followed by the special itself. This looks to be a sweet telling of the first Christmas. Enjoy!

Christmas in Sweden

Here is an old black and white film from the late 40s/early 50s showing how Christmas is celebrated in Sweden. This film was produced by the Swedish American Line, a shipping line that transported goods between Sweden and America. It's always interesting to see how other countries celebrate the holiday. I especially like the mention of Santa Lucia Day. My wife attended her grandparents' church as a child when they had its yearly celebration of the day. Enjoy!

   

 And in further celebration of Swedish Christmas--sort of--here is one of my favorite Christmas novelty songs, "I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas" by Yorgi Yorgesson, complete with fake Swedish accent. Thanks!

 

Christmas Comes But Once A Year

Here is a classic Christmas cartoon from the 1930s called "Christmas Comes But Once A Year." An old toymaker visits an orphanage to fix inferior toys left by Santa Claus. Personally, I have a problem having Santa exposed as being a subpar toymaker, but the cartoon has its charms nonetheless. Enjoy!

Christmas TV Commercials

I hope you enjoyed yesterday's offbeat Christmas commercials. I bring more commercials today with a more traditional feel to them.

This is a cute Pepsi commercial that demonstrates that you don't need to be the newest or flashiest thing to be loved.



Next are three commercials for a different kind of beverage. Enjoy good Christmas times with Budweiser, Miller High Life, and Lowenbrau.





I want these Glass Wax Stencils for my window!



Need help with gifts for the men in your life? Sears can help!



It wouldn't be my blog without a McDonald's commercial!



In this cute clip, the Kelloggs cereal mascots get together to celebrate the holidays.



Finally, here is my favorite of the batch. This is a remake of an older commercial for Corn Flakes in which three young siblings try to stay awake to see Santa as they coax him with Corn Flakes instead of cookies. They're only partially successful in seeing the big guy. What a great commercial!



We're just getting started with great Christmas stuff. Stay tuned!

UPDATE: A quick shout-out to Erick of the Wonderful Wonderblog (which, of course, you should check out). I received the prizes I won from his blog during the Countdown to Halloween. Thanks Erick, you rock!

Odd Christmas TV Commercials

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend this year. With that behind us, we now go full throttle into the holiday season. For those who are new to the blog, I am one of the biggest Christmas fans you will ever meet. I looooove Christmas! This is also my favorite time of year to blog. I basically keep the blog going the other 11 months of the year just to ahve an excuse to blog at Christmas. With that said, let's get right to it!

I always start off with some cool Christmas commercials, and this year is no exception. However, today's batch of commercials is a bit on the weird side. What do I mean? Take a look!

This young man is doing his best to have a romantic Christmas with his girl, but things go a bit awry. Thank Bud Light for this one.



What do you expect me to follow up with, a Swatch Watch commercial featuring the Fat Boys? OK!



I suppose now you want to see a Hawaiian Punch commercial with Donny and Marie Osmond, don't you? Fine, BE that way!



Finally, a commercial which proves that things aren't always what they appear.



Yes, a strange way to kick off the holidays, but entertaining none the less. Tomorrow I'll have more commercials with a more heartwarming tone. Thanks!

Thanksgiving Cornucopia 2009

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope everyone enjoys the long holiday, and if you're traveling, please be safe. Before the weekend, I have a few last clips for your enjoyment.

Here Billy Crystal and Robert DeNiro debate who best can play a pilgrim versus a turkey. I agree with Bobby--he's more of a pilgrim type.



Tomorrow night at 8pm, ABC presents A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Here is a clip of someone playing the music from the special by the late great Vince Guaraldi. Very nice!



Back in the day, networks used to play children's programming on the Friday morning after Thanksgiving, as kids were home that day. Here is an old promo from the early 70s boasting ABC's After Turkey Day fare.



Here is a short narrative of the first Thanksgiving created and aired on WCAU-TV Philadelphia in the early 90s. Most TV stations don't make educational/seasonal clips like this anymore, which is a shame.



Finally, I have two audio presentations for you. First, the classic "Alice's Restaurant" by Arlo Guthrie, as he recants one of the most unusual Thanksgivings you'll hear about.



Lastly, a solemn, sweet way to remember that the day is truly a day to be thankful for what we have. "We Gather Together."



Once again, Happy Thanksgiving!

But wait, what's this?



Yes! My favorite time of the year is finally here! In case you're new to the blog, I live for the oliday season, and it shows in the blog. Please stay tuned; I have fantastic Christmas stuff on the way!

Saturday Night Live, "Turkey Day"

As much as I love eating turkey on Thanksgiving, I do feel sorry for turkeys everywhere. They don't ask to be dinner; they just want to live and love like any one of us. Can you imagine what it must be like to be a turkey on the run from the barrel of a gun?

Now you don't have to imagine. Simply watch this "dramatization" from Saturday Night Live. Enjoy!

Mama's Family, "An Ill Wind"

Welcome to a short week! I'm continuing my annual Thanksgiving feast with an episode of the mid-80s sitcom Mama's Family. Mama and her family spend Thanksgiving together while trapped in the basement due to a tornado; the usual downhome hilarity ensues. Enjoy!

Q*Bert, "Thanksgiving for the Memories"

Way back in my beloved decade known as the 80s, there was a tendency by TV networks to give any pop culture phenomenon possible an animated series, no matter how weird. Video games were no exception. This led to such things as cartoon versions of Pac-Man, Pole Position, and others.

This is related to Thanskgiving, so stay with me for a second.

One of these programs was Saturday Supercade, an hourlong multi-story show featuring Donkey Kong, his son Junior, Frogger, and Pitfall. As bad an idea as this seems, I watched every week. My favorite segment was Q*Bert. For those youngsters out there who aren't familiar with him, here is what the game looked like:



How to turn this character into a cartoon star? Make him a high school student dressed in late 50s garb along with his friends and enemies, of course! For whatever reason, I enjoyed this cartoon quite a bit. One episode that vaguely stayed in my memory all these years is the Thanksgiving episode.

Told ya I'd bring it back to Thanksgiving!

In this presentation by the Minisode Network, Q*Bert and his pals learn about the first Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

Real Ghostbusters: The Revenge of Murray The Mantis

Today, I present a Thanskgiving episode of--The Real Ghostbusters? Yes indeed. This time, the boys take on a possessed Thanksgiving parade balloon, the titular Murray The Mantis. Plus, the return of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man. Enjoy!

Popeye, "Wigwam Whoopee"

Hello everyone, and sorry for the lack of posting the last few days. It's been crazy busy this week, but I'm back, and just in time to kick off some cool Thanksgiving stuff! God, it's hard to believe Turkey Day is just a week away. Let's get right to it!

Today I offer a Popeye cartoon that I don't remember seeing when I was a kid. Here, Popeye is an explorer off of the Mayflower who falls in love with, you guessed it, an Indian version of Olive Oyl. Complications ensioux (get it?) when the chief of the tribe takes on Popeye. Cue the spinach!



For more Thanksgiving fun starring Popeye, click here. Thanks!

Twenty Something Normal Turtle

In case you haven't heard, cable channel Nickelodeon purchased the Teenage Ninja Mutant Turtles for $60 million last month. That's a lot of cash, making them four very rich turtles. There is one turtle, however, who will miss out. Why?

Because he's only a Twenty Something Normal Turtle.

Twenty-Something Normal Turtle
Uploaded by thesepeople. - See more comedy videos.

Poor bastard.

28 Drinks Later

C'mon, you've been there, haven't you?

28 Drinks Later
Uploaded by nickygoose. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.

In Honor of Veteran's Day

Sesame Street Turns 40

Yes it does! And in honor of this achievement, I present some old school songs from the series. My era of Sesame Street watching was the late 70s/early 80s, but these songs were a part of the show even before that.

Take a Breath!



If I Could Only Paddle Like a Doggie Oughta Paddle


There's a Bird On Me


Imagination (love this one!)
That's About the Size of It (really love this one!)


Somebody Come and Play


I Love Trash (an orange Oscar? Yep)


Milk (yet another favorite!)


The Alligator King


It's Not Easy Being Green (can't have a Sesame Street retrospective without Kermit)


And finally, quite possibly the most famous Sesame Street song of all, Sing.


This post is brought to you by the letter B and the number 8.

Prediction of the Internet From 1969

In the 1960s, The US military created ARPANET, the predecessor to today's Internet. It was originally conceived to be used for military and university applications. However, a forward thinker was able to see the potential for use of the 'Net by everyone. Here is how the Internet was envisioned back in 1969. Not too far off the mark, although a little sexist.



If only I could watch this clip, or any YouTube clip for that manner. A new Flash player came out last week, but my workplace hasn't updated it yet. Me sad :(

Starcrash Film Trailer from 1979

Strange things wind up in my "Recommended For You" section of my YouTube account all the time. Some I wish never popped in there, and others I'm thrilled to discover. The following is an example of the latter.

This is the trailer for a movie from 1979 called Starcrash. Wow. This is a blatant ripoff of Star Wars, except it features two things the first Star Wars film doesn't have. A series of scantilly clad women...

...and David Hasselhoff.

I must see this movie.



Yes, I must see this movie!

Who the Hell is Charlotte Braun?

That's exactly what I asked when I read a tweet from Chris Sims of the Invincible Super Blog the other day about this situation.

In case you haven't noticed, I'm one of the world's biggest Peanuts fans, and I consider myself a near-expert on the history of the strip and the animated TV specials. So it came as quite a surprise when I learned of a character that only appeared in ten strips from November 1954 to February 1955. Her name was Charlotte Braun, and she was supposed to be a female analog to Charlie Brown (hence her name). However, the character would become angry upon hearing someone say this, as she hated Charlie Brown. Her personality was very abrasive, and in fact she was a sort of predecessor to how Lucy and Sally would behave later on in the strip.

However, creator Charles Schulz became disenchanted with the character and decided to drop her quickly. His decision may have been influenced by a letter he received from an Elizabeth Swain, who complained about Charlotte. Schulz's acerbic response can be seen here.

I'm more surprised that I hadn't heard about this sooner than the dark humor Schulz applies to his letter. Although it wasn't always apparent in his strips, her certainly had a snarky sense of humor, especially for a Midwestern boy. I personally find the letter very funny.

Here's hoping none of you readers ever give me "The Ax!"

Oh, one more thing:

DAMN YANKEES!




Thanks, Phillies, for a fantastic season. See you at spring training!

Holy crap! I got mentioned in the Guardian!

I was checking my blog stats yesterday and noticed that I had over 120 hits on Halloween, much to my surprise. I thought people would be much too busy to read many blogs on that day. I then noticed that I had quite a number of hits from England on this one day, which I also found odd. Then I noticed why.

The Guardian is a long running and well established newspaper and Web site in the UK. In their Technology section, they gave a shout-out to my blog in an Internet reviews column. Awesome! Thanks to column author Johnny Dee for highlighting my site. Read the column here!

On, one more thing:

GO PHILLIES!

Welcome, New Readers, to my 2-Year Anniversary!

Hello everyone! I hope you all enjoyed my contributions to the Countdown to Halloween. I'm sure many of you are sad to see the season go, but cheer up kitten! November is a great month. The crisp autumn air, walks through the fallen leaves--it's a nice month to take a breather and experience some serentiy before the holiday rush. And a great way to do that--read my blog! And if it's not so serene, read my blog anyway :)

Friday, October 30th marked my 2-year anniversary as a blogger. I've been thrilled to write it since then, and I like to take a few moments to look back at the previous year to see how the blog shapes up. Last year I started highlighting posts that I thought represented most clearly the goal of the blog, which posts were more popular, and which posts I simply like as my favorites. I label these posts "The Best of Me and You." My latest entries into this category for 2009 include:

The Flintstones Christmas Episode
Saturday Supercade
My Saturday Morning Recreated feature
And Now a Public Service Announcement---From Superman!
Commercials for Zeller's Department Stores Starring Batman

There will be others as well. This feature should be especially helpful for new readers who have just discovered my blog this past month. Please also feel free to check out all of my archives via the labels to the right. If you are a new reader, please stick around! I'm delighted to have you here.

Thanks!

Happy Halloween 2009!

Happy Halloween indeed! As I will be crazy busy with family activities tomorrow, today will be my last post for the Countdown to Halloween. I can't begin to tell you how honored I've been to be a part of it, and for you to be a part of this blog. I've made several new friends thanks to this event, and I can't thank you enough. The first words of my blog's title are "Me and You," and that aspect of blogging is very important to me. Let's check out my last Halloween offerings together!

I had a few videos hanging around, and didn't know what to feature today, so I said what the heck and decided to post several things. First up, two clips in honor of the classic film Halloween. Here is a look at the real life locations used in the film as they look today.



Here are some "deleted scenes" from the first film. No not really, but these scenes would have made for a much funnier film!



Here is an old silent film strip from 1948 describing the history of Halloween. It's interesting to see how Halloween looks both the same and different then and now.



Finally, here is the "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence from Disney's Fantasia, a beautiful yet chilling way to close out the Countdown to Halloween.



Once again, THANK YOU for joining me this month. I've had an absolute blast doing this, and can't wait to do it again next year. Until then, there's still plenty of great blogging to take place, especially between now and the end of the year. Please stay around, there's more great stuff on the way. Thanks, and one last time, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

"The Telltale Heart" animated short

Today's find is, like yesterday's post, courtesy of a mention by the Saturday Supercast's Halloween podcast. The classic Edgar Allen Poe story "The Telltale Heart" is rendered in animation by legendary animation studio UPA. It's very aytpical of cartoons of its time (1954). Very creepy. Enjoy!

Tomorrow will likely be my last post for the Countdown to Halloween, as I will be busy on Halloween itself, so please stick around for one last post with me then. Thanks!

Oh, one more thing:

Raggedy Ann & Andy and the Pumpkin Who Couldn't Smile

I have the gang at the Saturday Supercast to thank for the idea for today's post. Here is a great late 70s special I haven't seen since possibly that long ago. Raggedy Ann & Andy starred is a couple of TV specials around this time, as well as a full-length feature film, all produced by legendary animator Chuck Jones.

Here, Ann and Andy help unite a lonely boy who isn't permitted to go trick-or-treating with a lonely pumpkin no one wants. Whether you've seen this before or not, and whether you have children or not: do yourself a favor, sit down and watch this delightful special. Thanks!





Oh, one more thing. GO PHILLIES!!!!!

It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Classic Promo

It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. We know it, we love it. It's on tonight! 8pm ET/PT, 7pm CT/MT on ABC. It's not Halloween without it. See it with someone you love.

Here are two quick tags to the opening credits that typically aired during the 80s acknowledging the main sponsors.




Thanks!

"Vampz" Animated Short Film

This is the last week of the Countdown to Halloween.

AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!

That means I'm sad it's wrapping up. I've had such a great time taking part in this, both in posting my own stuff as well as enjoying what everyone else has done. The last three months of the year are always the best time for blogging, and this year has been the best yet. Of course, we still have a few more days of the Countdown to go.

We start this last week with a short CGI-animated film called "Vampz." It involves two vampire siblings and a twist on sibling rivalry. Very cute, very well done. Enjoy!


VampZ_medium
Uploaded by MaNoViLLe. - Click for more funny videos.

Soupy Sales R.I.P.

This is a brief interruption of the Countdown to Halloween to note that comedian Soupy Sales died this morning at the age of 83. I've featured Soupy on this blog twice before, and you can find those posts here.

Mr. Show, "Monster Parties: Fact or Fiction?"

If you're a fan of the 90s HBO comedy series Mr. Show, you're in for a treat. Here is a parody of the typical "unexplained mystery" series as it explores "Monster Parties: Real or Imagined?" Could a monster mash really happen? Of course not, but that doesn't stop the cast from having fun with the idea! Thanks to friend Stephanie Roulias for this find.

Mighty Mouse, "Frankenstein's Cat"

That's right, it's Frankenstein's cat on the prowl. Who knew Frankenstein even had a cat? Enter Mighty Mouse to save the day!

80s Horror Movie Trailers

I have to admit something. Despite my love of Halloween and doing all this Halloween blogging, I'm not a horror guy. At all. I don't watch many horror movies, as I'm such a squemish person, and in most cases have made effort to avoid most of them. Even when I was a kid, I would hate when commercials for horror movies came on TV; I would often leave the room.

That doesn't mean, however, that such images didn't stay with me. Here are several trailers for 80s horror movies that I remember when I was growing up.

Funhouse (directed by Tobe Hooper):



The Boogens. What a name!



I didn't know Albert Finney and Gregory Hines were in Wolfen!



The 80s remake of Invaders From Mars. This is a movie I did see, and it was actually quite awesome!



The Beast Within. Ronny Cox is always welcome in a film.



Ghoulies. I just DVR'ed this the other night. If I'm lucky, I may actually get the chance to watch it. The "Trivial Pursuit" girl is Mariska Hargitay from Law & Order: SVU!



Terrorvision. I saw this on broadcast TV one Saturday afternoon in the late 80s/early 90s. Being on free TV plus the comedy made this a more palatable horror film for me.



Scanners.



The legendary Basket Case. My family rented this one night and my very young self foolishly hung around for some of it. Big mistake!



The last film I have is one that blends humor and horror equally well, which isn't easy to do without being a spoof. The Stuff. Smart, witty, with just the right amount of chills. Well done! Starring SNL's Garrett Morris and two more Law & Order alums, Michael Moriarty and Paul Sorvino. Two trailers, no less!

Pac-Man: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Pac-Man

Rolling along in the Countdown to Halloween, we stop at one of my pet topics--Pac-Man, the game, his image, and yes, his cartoon series. Here, Pac lets out his wild side thanks to some bogus power pellets in "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Pac-Man." Enjoy!

UPDATE AS OF 8/23/2010: Looks like this episode has been deleted from YouTube, and I can't find it anywhere else, sorry. I'll keep the post in case the episode appears in the future. Thanks!

More Halloween TV Commercials

Remember in my last post about Halloween commercials that I said there aren't that many Halloween commercials out there? Boy, was I wrong! I've found quite a few more cool TV commercials since then. Here they are!

The first is an absolute hoot. It's a commercial from the very early 70s for Orange Shasta soft drink with Frankenstein's monster, named Igor here. I love the grainy film, which gives it a horror movie type of feel. And Igor's grin is hilarious. Plus, John Fiedler and Tom Bosley! Thanks to Professor Brian O'Blivion of the Cathode Ray Mission blog for bringing this to my attention!



Pepsi will help you kick off a great Halloween party!



Toys 'R' Us used to have great commercials. Here is a really cool example for Halloween. Be careful, the volume is quite loud.



Here is a quick one for Dunkin' Donuts that debuted a year or two ago and is still airing this season.



This next commercial is for spending Halloween at Universal Studios. I love the self carving pumpkin at the end.



This is a fun one for Jiffy Pop popcorn featuring a witch who likes to cook.



Here is another witch commercial from the UK for Orange movie theaters, featuring the most famous witch of all.



Back to food, here is a Cap'n Crunch commercial with zombies. That's an unlikely combination.



Lastly, this commercial is the most tame but also my favorite of the bunch. It's a simple, sweet ad for Rick Krispies featuring a mom and her kids making Rick Krispy Treats for the big day. It's not scary, spooky, and features no monsters, but it does feature family members sharing time with each other for one of the most fun days of the year. What more can you ask for?

Mighty Heroes, "The Ghost Monster"

Today I offer more spooky cartoon awesomeness. A creepy ghost monster has come back from a hundred-year slumber to terrorize the peaceful citizens of Good Haven. Who can stop such a monstrosity? The Mighty Heroes, of course!

UPDATE AS OF 8/24/2010: YouTube has deleted the video. Sorry! Perhaps in the future I'll find it again.

A Scary Movie...Or Is It?

Today I present a short film that seems very eerie and spooky...but then, well, watch it first.



Now that you've seen it, I can spoil it. This was an intermission film created by film students at the University of Arizona for use at the campus movie theater and was used rather frequently, according to a former student at the time. Oh those crazy college kids!

Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling: Rock 'n' Zombies

In cas you haven't guessed by a lot of my posts in my blog's history, I kinda like the 80s. A big part of 80s pop culture revolved around pro wrestling, notably the WWF (now the WWE). No one was a bigger wrestling star than Hulk Hogan. One example of this is this Saturday morning cartoon series Hulk Hogan's Rock'n'Wrestling. It's not that big of a difference, really; the actions of wrestling stars are often cartoonish anyway.

This episode teaches a very important message: wrestling managers should never build amusement parks over graveyards. Heck, that's just common sense. How many times do people have to build things over graveyards? It never works out!





UPDATE: Holy crap! Just hours after posting this, I learned that Captain Lou Albano, legendary wrestling manager and one of pro wrestling's most colorful and well-known characters, passed away this morning at the age of 76. I had no idea when I posted the cartoon, I swear! My, that's eerie. Thanks to Rich Dart of Dartman's World of Wonder for letting me know in the comments section.

Ghostbusters Trailers, Real and Imagined

After a brief acknowledgment of that other October holiday, we're back to Halloween awesomeness. Today I present two film trailers, both for the same film--sort of. First, the trailer for one of my favorite alltime films--Ghostbusters!



Next, another trailer for the film, had it been made in the 1940s and starring comedy legends of the time. Can you imagine what an incredible movie this would have been?



And lastly, just for the hell of it, here is the music video for the theme song by Ray Parker Jr. Thanks!

Countdown to...Columbus Day?

Here I am, a few hours early, posting this Sunday night instead of Monday morning, outside of my pattern of early weekday morning blogging lately, so I can get this to you before a day off tomorrow. Tomorrow is, or course, Columbus Day, and although we are indeed counting down to Halloween all month long, I thought it still appropriate to acknowledge the day, after which, we ramp up the Halloween goodness.

Here is a fun Bugs Bunny cartoon in which he assists the sailor in discovering America. Enjoy "Hare We Go!"



Here is another Columbus cartoon that I'd never seen until researching for this post. Here is an educational approach to the Columbus story. Very interesting!


003 classic cartoons christopher columbus - MyVideo Schweiz

We'll be back with more Halloween goodness Tuesday. See you then!

Amateur Psycho Remake--With Toys

Today we take a look at a remake of the classic film Psycho--but not the color film by Gus Van Zandt. No, this remake was done by a complete amateur. In black and white video tape. With toys.

Yes, toys. Take a look!

Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends: The Triumph of the Green Goblin

Today we go back to the early 80s (my favorite era) for a great episode of Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. Peter Parker and his super-powered pals are at a Halloween party (actually, it's just a generic costume party, but let's pretend it's a Halloween party) where they run into Spidey's greatest villian, the Green Goblin (who also showed up in last year's Halloween celebration). Enjoy!

Jonathan Coulton, Re: Your Brains

Have zombies ever been more popular that today? Just look at the last five years or so for all the zombie films that have been released with both fan and critical acclaim (Zombieland being the latest example). There's just something terrifying about the thought of being attacked by monsters who were once our friends and loved ones. But can you imagine being attacked by a coworker?

Singer/songwriter Jonathan Coulton has, and he's done so with a great sense of humor--and rhythm! Here he is performing his hysterical song "Re: Your Brains." Enjoy!



For more info, songs, and concert dates from Jonathan Coulton, check out his site. For those here in the Philadelphia area, he'll be appearing at the Worlde Cafe Live on Thursday, December 3rd.

Popeye, Fright to the Finish

Today we take a look at a classic cartoon battle for love, between sailors Popeye and Bluto for the hand of sweet, thin Olive Oyl. Bluto uses Halloween night as a chance to get in good with Olive, but Popeye will have none of that. Enjoy!

Halloween TV Commercials

Hello once again to Me and You's Countdown to Halloween. This time we'll take a quick look at some Halloween TV commercials. I love to post holiday-related commercials, as they're usually one of the first signs that a holiday season has begun (gotta love commerce). Unfortunately, you don't see many Halloween commercials at all anymore, so they're a bit hard to come by. Let's see what I've found today.

From the late 70s, here is a commercial for Play-Doh Haunted House playset.



Here is Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, pitching for Coors Light.



Here is a surprisingly creepy commercial for McDonald's that apparently aired in another country.



Here is a fun commercial from Target back in 2001. Target always has fun with their Halloween promotion in their stores, but this is the first time I've seen a commercial from them.



Finally, here is a foreign commercial that starts out rather terrifying and then takes a strangely comic turn at the end. The product is for a men's deodorant spray. Be warned if you're the squemish type, as the commerical is quite intense for most of it.

Hummmm ............ haaaaaaaaa hummm
Uploaded by _006-serie-TS_. -

See you back for more ghoulish fun tomorrow! For more Halloween commercials, click to my post from last year here.

Real Ghostbusters: Halloween II 1/2

Welcome to Day 2 of the Countdown to Halloween! Today, in honor of Shawn Robare's Real Ghostbusters animation cel marathon, I present a Halloween-themed episode of the cartoon series. The characters seen in Shawn's header for his cel showcase can be seen in this episode. Here the boys (and Slimer) take on the literal spirit of Halloween itself, Samhain. Enjoy!

Halloween 2009 Opening Ceremonies

Welcome boys and ghouls to this year's Countdown to Halloween at Me and You and a Blog Named BOO! I am absolutely thrilled and chilled to take part in this spooktacular online celebration. This is the first time I've participated in a project with other Web site owners, so this truly is a treat for me.To those who are longtime readers, thanks for being part of the fun. And for those who are here for the first time, I welcome you with open arms, and I hope you like it here so much you stick around after Halloween is over. Please be a blog follower, and you can also follow me on Twitter.

Most of the Halloween material I've collected for this month so far consists of Halloween-themed or spooky-themed cartoons, but my programming won't necessarily consist entirely of that. Unless a post states otherwise, this will largely be a family-friendly affair, so bring the kids along. Also, I likely won't be posting every day until Halloween, but I'll post as much as I can.

Lastly, please also check out the great Halloween posts of the past, as I have some pretty awesome stuff in the archives, if I do say so myself.

OK, enough talk, let the 2009 Halloween season officially begin!