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Ten Essential Christmas Specials You Should Be Watching This Holiday Season

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The holidays are upon us once again and That’s My Entertainment is giving you the top ten essential Christmas specials you should be watching this holiday season.


10. “Mr. Hankey, The Christmas Poo”
This classic South Park episode, while a little unorthodox, is a delightful tale of loving thy neighbor, regardless of their faith. Young Kyle Broflovski is ridiculed by his peers for being the only Jewish kid in school during Christmas time. He finds solace in his belief of Mr. Hankey, a talking, Christmas-themed piece of feces that brings gifts to children of all faiths. While the crude humor of South Park may be off-putting to some, it doesn’t shy away from the fact that the true meaning of the holidays is to love and cherish each other.


9. “A Flintstone Christmas”

An oldie, but a goodie! While this Christmas special may seem a bit cliched by today’s standards, this special set the standard for so many that followed. The story follows Fred and Barney taking over for old Saint Nick after a sprained ankle has him laid up for Christmas Eve. Packed with classic Flintstones humor, music, and holiday cheer, this special is a must for the holiday season.


8. “The Fairly Oddparents: Christmas Every Day”
This special ventures into the realm of magic as young Timmy Turner wishes for his favorite day of the year to repeat itself everyday. His eccentric Fairy Godparents Cosmo and Wanda make it so, but after week’s worth of Christmases, the world begins to fall into upheaval. Not to mention all the forgotten holidays (The Easter Bunny, The April Fool, etc.) that want revenge for taking away their time with the children of the world. It’s up to Timmy to beat the other holiday spirits to Santa and help reverse his wish. This special is a classic for kids that grew up in the early 2000s and may be one of the best episodes of The Fairly Oddparents ever written. Filled with clever humor, heart, and an incredibly catchy musical number by Guy Moon, this special is a must-see.


7. “Spongebob Squarepants: Christmas Who?”
Good ol’ Spongebob has been around long enough to have garnered two Christmas specials, but the original to this day still withstands the test of time. In “Christmas Who?” our square friend is introduced to the Christmas holiday by Sandy the squirrel, who is baffled to find that the undersea residents of Bikini Bottom have ever heard of Christmas. Spongebob shares Sandy’s tale of Santa with all of his friends, who then quickly begin writing their Christmas wishes. Squidward, however, remains skeptical as always. Packed with a ton of heart, Christmas cheer, and a knockout original song, this special has become a classic.


6. “Hey Arnold!: Arnold’s Christmas”
This classic 90’s series has delivered some of the best episodes ever written for television and this special is no exception. The episode begins with everyone’s favorite football head choosing his neighbor, Mr. Hyunh in the annual boarding house Secret Santa. While attempting to find out what Mr. Hyunh might like, Arnold discovers that Mr. Hyunh has a long lost daughter that he was separated from during the Vietnam War. Arnold and his best friend Gerald set out to track down Mr. Hyunh’s lost daughter, but several obstacles keep presenting themselves. This episode is notable for straying from the typical children’s Christmas specials and doesn’t include Santa. It stays grounded in reality and focuses on a boy’s journey to bring a broken family together again. It’s safe to say that “Arnold’s Christmas” is necessary viewing.


5. “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas”
This classic tale has been adapted for the screen a whopping three times (the most recent is now in theatres). It’s hard to imagine a Christmas without watching the original animated classic on television. Featuring a script nearly identical to the original text, along with spectacular direction by Chuck Jones and the legendary Boris Karloff as the voice of the Grinch, this special will always succeed in making our hearts “grow three sizes” at Christmas time.


4. “A Charlie Brown Christmas”

It goes without saying that this timeless classic deserves an annual viewing. It’s really hard to find anyone that hasn’t seen this timeless tale, which was actually the Peanuts’ first venture into animation. The special follows Charlie Brown as he struggles to find the true meaning of Christmas underneath the big, flashy commercialism. It isn’t until a disgruntled Charlie walks out on directing the annual Christmas play that the children surround him and lift his spirit with song. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is not to be missed.


3. “Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town”
This classic Rankin/Bass special (along with many others) is featured on repeat in many households this time of year. Narrated by the legendary Fred Astaire, this classic stop-motion film provides an interesting backstory for Kris Kringle (Mickey Rooney). As a baby, he was left on the doorstep of the toy-making Kringle family. Upon adopting and raising him to love toys and children, young Kris sets out to deliver the gifts to the children of the nearby Sombertown. Little does he know that toys have been outlawed by the heartless Burgermeister Meisterburger. Packed with delightful songs, humor, and a brief political undertone that doesn’t condescend to the audience, “Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town” is a timeless holiday classic.


2. “Frosty the Snowman”

Another Rankin/Bass classic, “Frosty the Snowman” does not follow the duo’s signature stop-motion and instead follows standard 2D animation. Nevertheless, this classic tale inspired by the Jack Rollins tune never fails to warm all of our hearts during the holiday season.


1. “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”
This Rankin/Bass classic may very well be the best. It’s always the first to air on television every year, signaling the start of the Christmas season. We all know the song. We all know the story. What we take away from Rudolph is the message that it doesn’t matter what you look like; it’s what’s on the inside that always counts. There has been some recent controversy surrounding the special, with audiences seeming the bullying scenes “too inappropriate” for young viewers. In reality, the scenes are tame, but it is important that children do see this special as the end message is clear that bullying is ultimately not okay and that one should always love thy neighbor regardless of their flaws.

Be sure to check out all of these classic Christmas specials this holiday season!

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Dune Part Two: The Lisan Al Gaib comes for you!

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Welcome back to our struggle for control of the known universe already in progress, the continuation of the journey of Paul Atreides from exile to Emperor, Dune Part Two

So when we last left our intrepid if dubious heroes, House Atreides had been betrayed and virtually destroyed, by a combination of House Harkonnens surprise attacks and the added treachery of Emperor Shaddam and his Sardaukar. Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), the last surviving heir (so far) of House Atreides and his mother Jessica, have taken refuge on the desert planet of Arrakis amongst the indigenous Fremen, and as far as most are aware, the other remnants of House Atreides are dead as well. And here is where we catch up with everyone, as the struggle for Atreides emergence and dominance begins in earnest! 

The Emperor’s daughter Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) is known for her many skills, but her copious note-taking and writings on the large events shaping her world come to the forefront as she takes counsel with her father amidst games of chance on their homeworld. Her life is one of luxury and privilege but alas, Irulan is a trained Bene Gesserit and is well aware that in all likelihood, she will be used as a pawn in the marriage games empires have to go through. Bet she never imagined it could be to a House everyone swore had been utterly destroyed. 

Meanwhile, on Arrakis, Paul is trying to integrate himself into the Fremen way of life, which is admittedly far different from the life he led back on the Atreides homeworld of Caladan. (If nothing else, Caladan has vast oceans.) The Fremen are fiercely independent, gloriously strong fighters, survivors who dare to ride and revere the giant sandworms that inhabit their planet that they call Shai-Hulud, and rightfully distrustful of outsiders. After all, the previous stewardship of Arrakis belonged to House Harkonnen, known for their cruelty and glee at hunting Fremen and torturing their victims, sometimes for weeks at a time. But Paul won his and Jessicas way into the Fremen by fair combat against Jamis, and if nothing else, the Fremen are firm in their beliefs of the old ways. 

Or rather, the elder Fremen are, most particularly the famed Fedaykin fighter and Naib (leader) of Sietch Tabr Stilgar (Javier Bardem) is adamant in his unshakable belief that Paul is the foretold Lisan Al Gaib, the Voice from the Outer World, that will lead the Fremen to peace and paradise. Stilgar’s steadfast belief in Paul’s potential only grows, and he manages with just that to convince a great many of the other Fremen elders. The younger generation of Fremen however, of which Paul’s beloved Chani (Zendaya) is a part, generally scoff at the legends of otherworldly prophets and Arrakis as a fabled green, wet heaven. In the beginning, Paul himself swears he doesn’t want to be the Messiah, only a Fremen fighter amongst the rest of them, hundreds of years of the Missionaria Protectiva, the Bene Gesserit practice of spreading useful religious propaganda as seeds on various planets, is working double-time against him. It doesn’t help that Paul’s mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is expounding on that myth as much as she possibly can. 

And why would she do that? Survival yes, but also, Jessica is a thoroughly trained Bene Gesserit and knows of plans within plans within plans. Jessica also has many secrets of her own, and one very important one happens to be that she’s pregnant with Paul’s sister. The Bene Gesserit bodily control may be something out of legend, but even Jessica, possibly Reverend Mother Mohiam’s best and most fractious student, will have trouble with the trial the Fremen are insisting she go through to become truly one of them. The Reverend Mother equivalent of Sietch Tabr, known as their Sayyadina, is old and dying, and the Fremen have to have a Reverend Mother. Jessica tells Paul this much and explains that each culture is different in their trial to become a Reverend Mother, so she honestly doesn’t know what to expect. The reality happens to be worse than she could’ve imagined – Jessica must drink the Water of Life, a deadly poison that comes from Shai-Hulud (sort of), and come out the other side of it. And Jessica manages to do it, barely, with almost all of the consequences going to the poor fetus in her womb, the girl that will grow to become Alia Atreides, an insane legend in her own right. But for now, the unnamed fetus is awake and aware and full of the memories of generations of Bene Gesserit women that came before her – before she was even born

Paul participates in razzia raids amongst the Fremen as they work to take out the spice mining operations of the Harkonnens, immerses himself in the vastly different desert culture of his chosen people, and perhaps most importantly, his romance with his beloved Chani only grows stronger. After declaring his desire to join the fierce fighter elites amongst the Fremen known as Fedaykin, Paul is told by Stilgar that he must summon and ride one of the giant sandworms, the embodiment of Shai-Hulud where the Fremen get their terrible tooth Crysknives from. And after much sendup, in a glorious scene of blinding sand and huge monstrous killer worm-riding, Paul is triumphant and riding atop the sacred creature, his Maker hooks set properly to control the great beast, waving at great distance to his fellow Fremen as Chani looks on in bemusement. 

But that’s all external, and inside Paul is beginning to become divided on what he wants to do. As Jessica pushes the Protectiva hard amongst the women and priestesses of the Fremen, she is also pushing her son to become much larger than he ever wanted to be, if nothing else a conqueror can take revenge for the destruction of House Atreides and the death of her beloved Duke Leto. Paul may have earned his place amongst the Fremen and been given new names – Usul, meaning the strength of the base of the pillar, as his private name within the Sietch; and Muad’Dib, from the small mouse survivor of the desert, well versed in desert ways, called ‘Instructor-of-Boys’ in Fremen legend, as his open-use name – but now everyone wants Paul to be something greater, and potentially more destructive, than what he currently is. It only gets worse when Paul begins to suffer prophetic dreams, and visions when he’s awake, prodding him further to his destiny as an epic conqueror of worlds. Nothing can be done for it, Paul convinces himself that he must take the Water of Life himself, to awaken the sleeping prophet inside himself, and allow him to hopefully See a path through the future. 

The problem with that plan, is that Bene Gesserit are almost exclusively all women, and only they are supposed to know how to transmute poisons internally, along with all sorts of other “witchcraft”. But Jessica has been training Paul in forbidden Bene Gesserit ways all his life, and as much as Paul might rail and even quail against it, there is no denying his incoming destiny, crushing any resistance he may have with all the force of a giant sandworm hunting a spice blow. And even when Paul has finally given in and taken the cursed substance almost mockingly called the Water of Life, it falls to another strong and prophetic in her right female in his life, his beloved Chani, to save him from himself. But even Chani can’t stop Paul’s destructive destiny as the conqueror of the known worlds, guilty of slaying millions upon millions of people in his quest for vengeance, thinly disguised as peace. 

Over on the Harkonnen homeworld of Geidi Prime, “Beast” Rabban (Dave Bautista) is disgusted and enraged at the continuing Fremen raids against the Harkonnens on Arrakis, and terrified of what his uncle the notoriously cruel Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard), will do to him in response. The Baron’s nephew Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), heir apparent or na-Baron to House Harkonnen, demonstrates his blood-inborn savagery in a slaughter of the remnants of House Atreides gladiator-style, as his birthday celebration. Pleased with the spectacle, the Baron commands Feyd-Rautha to take control of the fight against this Fremen rebel known as Muad’dib, as Rabban is proving himself more and more useless. And any tool or toy that the Baron finds broken or unusable, is destroyed before being discarded. 

As the legend of Muad’dib grows off Arrakis and circulates among the Imperial worlds, the Emperor grinds his teeth in frustration and the Bene Gesserit, led by Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) as the Emperor’s Truthsayer, begin pushing forward their plots and machinations. Lady Margot Fenring (Lea Seydoux), a criminally underused character in this respect, demonstrates her willingness to be a pawn in Bene Gesserit machinations, but never forget, strong Bene Gesserit women have been breaking their own rules for generations. Just look at what Jessica did. 

As the raids and rebellion on Arrakis continue, both the Emperor and the Baron become more and more desperate, sending in mercenaries and smugglers in the hopes they might have more luck. And aboard one of those smuggler’s vessels happens to be an old hand at being a smuggler himself, the warrior troubadour with the scarred face given him by “Beast” Rabban himself, Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin). Reunited with his beloved Duke’s only son, Gurney finds himself swept up in the legend of Muad’dib in the making along with everyone else, though at least from Gurney’s point of view, Paul is using the messianic angle to take revenge for House Atreides. 

Finally, in an act of what could be considered the ultimate in arrogance, Emperor Shaddam Corrino himself comes to Arrakis, along with Princess Irulan and many others of his Court, the Baron, and Feyd-Rautha in tow as well, to crush this upstart Muad’dib and his Fremen warriors. Sadly for all that the powerhouse actor Christopher Walken plays him, Emperor Shaddam Corrino is shown as a doddering old man, cowed in the face of Muad’dib’s overwhelming vitality and growing-ever-stronger legend. And there is where we will end the review, for the final confrontation between all key players in the Known Universe is full of spoilers and derivations from the original opus of Frank Herbert’s novel Dune

For those of you who stuck around long enough to get to the end, after all, Dune Part Two is almost three hours long itself, if you are fans of the original novel and the zany Lynchian masterpiece that was the first Dune film, you may be disappointed or even angered at the changes made to the story for the climactic end scenes. Director Villenuve has an eye for making grand epic scenes like Paul’s sandworm ride but can be a bit scattered when it comes to piecing the story together with all the key players needing to be involved in a way that can be understood by any layman. Dune in any form is a rich, vast universe of storytelling, and even an almost three-hour-long sequel simply can’t cover every last bit that’s in the novels. But if nothing else, the film is an overwhelming feast for the eyes and should bring a whole new legion of fans to the many worlds contained within Dune

If you want to dive further into the Dune-iverse, do yourself a favor and read the Dune prequel books written by Herbert Jr. and Kevin J. Anderson. Until then, dive into the sands of Arrakis along with Shai-Hulud and scream vengeance to the skies with Paul Muad’dib Atreides in Dune Part Two, in theaters now! 

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Thatsmye Interviews: Les Weiler on Henchin’: the Series

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The 8 Episode Series Tries To Encompass A Lot Leaving Fans In A Cliffhanger.

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The 2010 “Avatar: The Last Airbender” movie by M. Night Shyamalan faced criticism for its deviations from the beloved animated series. The film struggled with pacing, casting, and a lackluster script, disappointing fans who cherished the source material. In contrast, the 2024 Netflix series has generated positive buzz for its commitment to diverse casting, adherence to the original storyline, and improved character development. The series seems poised to capture the essence of the animated show, offering a fresh and faithful adaptation that resonates with both new and existing fans.

Even though the Netflix series comes closer to the core ideals of the animated series, I feel it lacks heart. Many scenes barely scratch the surface of the relationships between the characters and the push-and-pull relationship between Aang and Zuko. I will admit the CG versions of Momo and Appa are just so gosh darn cute.

The 8 episode series tries to encompass a lot leaving fans in a cliffhanger. It’s worth a watch and I am hanging on for the next season to be announced.

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