PB & Julie + Julie C. Trivia

Pop Quiz: New Year’s Movie IMDb Trivia – with Answers!

Name the movie that depicts a New Year’s Eve celebration based on the trivia pulled from its IMDb page.

In the opening scene, set in 1977, [title character]’s hair is styled after that of Farrah Fawcett from the popular TV series Charlie’s Angels. It was the most widely copied women’s hairstyle of the era. [1989]
Hyman Roth’s character is loosely based on real-life mobster Meyer Lansky. Lansky, who was living in Miami at the time of the film’s release, reportedly phoned Lee Strasberg and said, “Now, why couldn’t you have made me more sympathetic? After all, I am a grandfather.” [Hint: won the Best Picture Oscar – 1974]
Several funny moments in the film came about by accident. Mortimer Duke (Don Ameche) having trouble catching the money clip wasn’t supposed to happen that way, but the actors kept going with it and not breaking character, so it was kept in the movie. Ophelia’s Swedish disguise came about because Jamie Lee Curtis couldn’t do the correct Austrian accent. [1983]
Alfred Molina wore noise-canceling earpieces to appear oblivious to the sound of the firecrackers. The involuntary flinching of the other actors in the scene was genuine. [1997]
The famous interior “capsizing” sequence was done in two parts. The first part had the hydraulically-controlled set tilted to its maximum 45 degrees. The cameras were then stopped and the set was redressed so that the floor (deck) became the ceiling (overhead), and vice versa. The actors were then returned to the set which was then tilted further to complete the sequence. [1972]
The scene between Tom Hanks and Victor Garber crying over the movie The Dirty Dozen was completely improvised. [1993]
C.C. Baxter is given a ticket to The Music Man and asks Fran Kubelik to meet him at the Majestic Theater on 44th Street. The Music Man ran at the Majestic from December 19, 1957 to October 22, 1960. It won the 1958 Tony Award for Best Musical. [Hint: won the Best Picture Oscar – 1960]
First-time producer Betsy Beers was a huge Elvis Costello fan and told him on set that Imperial Bedroom was her favorite album. He was pleasantly surprised and told her, “No one ever mentions that album.” He became instrumental in securing rights to songs they never could have afforded on their limited budget and even recommended little-known artists to whom the characters would likely be listening in 1981. [1999]
The exterior shots of the firehouse were filmed at Hook & Ladder 8 in the Tribeca neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. [1989]
The name “Norma Desmond” was a combination of silent film star Mabel Normand and director William Desmond Taylor, whose still-unsolved murder is one of the great scandals of Hollywood history. On the morning of February 2, 1922, Taylor – who had been romantically involved with Normand – was shot and killed in his Hollywood bungalow. His killer was never identified. [1950]
The drawings in the tail section of [film title] were illustrated by Jean-Marc Rochette, the original artist of the graphic novel Le Transperceneige. [2013]
As of 2020, this is the only PG-rated movie directed by the Coen Brothers. All of their other films have carried either R or PG-13 ratings. [1994]
Chuck Jones, who directed the animated opening and ending segments, starred as Mr. Jones in the original 1984 film. [1990]
One of three movies – the other two being Apollo 13 and The Green Mile – in which Tom Hanks and Gary Sinise appear together. All three movies were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, but only [film title] won. [1994]
This was the Disney Channel’s most successful movie at its time, with 7.7 million viewers for the premiere broadcast. [2006]
The shot of Will reflected in the mirror when he is depressed was actually taken when Hugh Grant was taking a break. The directors [the Weitz brothers] noticed him doing this, and from behind he looked depressed, so they shot it without him knowing. [2002]
This film was referenced in the movie Sleepless in Seattle, in a scene where Rita Wilson’s character explains the story to Tom Hanks [and Victor Garber] and breaks down in tears doing so. [1957]
During the car burning scene, Angela Bassett’s monologue was completely improvised. [1995]
This was Daniel Day-Lewis’s final film role. On June 20, 2017, he announced that he was retiring from acting. [2017]
All the scenes in the [film title] were filmed last, after the cast got to know each other. The dialogue in those scenes is a combination of scripted and improvisational. Although not part of the “boys’ club”, Ellen Barkin got along well with the actors. Steve Guttenberg later noted how she was “really cool to talk to” and would set him straight about his own problems with women. [1982]

#1 – When Harry Met Sally

#3 – Trading Places

#6 – Sleepless in Seattle

When Harry Met Sally…
The Godfather Part II
Trading Places
Boogie Nights
The Poseidon Adventure
Sleepless in Seattle
The Apartment
200 Cigarettes
Ghostbusters II
Sunset Boulevard
Snowpiercer
The Hudsucker Proxy
Gremlins 2: The New Batch
Forrest Gump
High School Musical
About a Boy
An Affair to Remember
Waiting to Exhale
Phantom Thread
Diner

#7 – The Apartment

#8 – 200 Cigarettes

#18 – Waiting to Exhale

#19 – Phantom Thread

Pop Quiz: Winter Horror IMDb Trivia – with Answers!

Name the winter-set horror movie based on the trivia pulled from its IMDb page. Answers in photo collage form; collage by Nikki K. (find her on Facebook @horrorfrenzy). Thank you, Nikki!!

Stanley Kubrick decided that having the hedge animals come alive (as they do in the book) was unworkable, due to restrictions in special effects, so he opted for a hedge maze instead. [1980]
The title of the film (as well as the novel upon which it was based) refers to the fact that, according to myth, vampires must be invited in before they can enter someone’s home. [2008]
The sounds of the vampires were created through a mix of the screams of the actors with recordings of local death metal singers and various marsupials. The signature roar of the vampires was the actors screaming while inhaling. [2007]
Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider is the voice from the top of the mountain who announces “Last chair is through.” Dee’s son Cody was the director’s assistant on the picture, and cameos in the lodge wearing a Twisted Sister t-shirt. [2010]
Max’s mom alludes to “the noodle incident” that estranged the family from a neighboring one. The noodle incident was often referred to but never explained in the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strip, and [film title] also leaves it unexplained. [2015]
After seeing The Shining (1980), Rob Reiner was inspired to make a movie based on a Stephen King novel. He ended up directing two Stephen King adaptations, Stand By Me (1986), based on King’s novella The Body, and this film, based on King’s 1987 novel of the same name. [1990]
Unused music composed for this film was later used by Ennio Morricone in Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight. Ironically, Morricone’s [film title] score was nominated for a Razzie for worst score, while his score for The Hateful Eight won him an Oscar. [1982]
The second of two ghost story horror pictures that veteran actors John Houseman and Melvyn Douglas made in a two-year period (the first films were The Fog and The Changeling, respectively). [1981]
Originally, Stripe and Gizmo were the same character. This changed when executive producer Steven Spielberg insisted one of the [title characters] be a good guy with whom the audience could identify. Director Joe Dante has said that this decision was the reason why the film is so fondly remembered. [1984]
Partially, and very loosely, inspired by the “Donner Party” disaster of 1847. [1999]
Graphic designer Burt Kleeger created the infamous poster art of Santa going down the chimney with an axe. [1984]
Oliver Reed was arrested by the Canadian police during the production of this film after he made a bet with someone that he could walk from one bar to another without wearing clothes in freezing cold weather. [1979]
Hauser Hall is a reference to Kaspar Hauser, an enigmatic child who turned up in a German town in the 16th century. Hauser’s origin is considered a great mystery, akin to the Bermuda Triangle, the Mary Celeste, or Count St Germain – very fitting for a film about the equally mysterious Dyatlov Pass. [2013]
Thomas Jane starred in the film because his mother, a big fan of Stephen King, told him to. Jane would later star in two more King adaptations, The Mist (2007) and 1922 (2017). [2003]
The movies Grace and the children watch at [film title] are The Thing (1982) and Jack Frost (1998), which both feature snowy settings.
Zach Gilford and Connie Britton also starred together in Friday Night Lights. [2006]
The hotel room in which Ingunn is killed and later the others hide is room number 237. This is an homage to The Shining (1980), in which the notorious room number was also 237. [2006]
When Emma Roberts read the script for the film, she couldn’t sleep afterward because it scared her so much. [2015]
The Nazi zombies in this film are a combination of typical zombies in popular culture and ancient Norse mythical beings known as draug. A draug is an undead being who would inhabit graves, often the graves of important men, as they often had treasures in them. A draug would protect these treasures as if they were their own. [2009]
Originally conceived for theatrical release, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Paramount decided to change its release strategy and make it a Paramount+ exclusive, making this the first film in the franchise to not be given a theatrical release. [2021]

Top row, L to R: #1 – *The Shining*, #2 – *Let the Right One In*, #3 – *30 Days of Night,* #4 – *Frozen*; Second row, L to R: #5 – *Krampus*, #6 – *Misery*, #7 – *The* *Thing*, #8 – *Ghost Story*; Third row, L to R: #9 – *Gremlins*, #10 – ***Ravenous*** , #11 – *Silent Night, Deadly* *Night*, #12 – *The Brood*; Fourth row, L to R: #13 – *Devil’s Pass*, #14 – ***Dreamcatcher***, #15 – *The Lodge*, #16 – *The Last Winter*; Bottom row, L to R: #17 – *Cold Prey*, #18 – *The Blackcoat’s Daughter*, #19 – *Dead Snow*, #20 – *Paranormal Activity: Next of Kin*

Pop Quiz: Holiday Movies by Minor Character – with Answers!

Name the holiday movie by three minor characters and the film’s year of release.

Gus Polinski, Officer Balzac, Uncle Frank McAllister [1990]
Mr. Gower, Harry Bailey, Cousin Tilly [1946]
Gimbel’s Manager, Miles Finch, News Reporter Charlotte Denon [2003]
Jamie’s Bad Brother, Natalie’s Replacement, Billy’s Video Vixen [2003]
Eliot Loudermilk, Mouse Wrangler, Frank as Child [1988]
Big Johnson, Little Johnson, Thornburg’s Assistant [1988]
Detective Nunzio, Judy the Elf, Judy the Waitress [1994]
Sheriff Frank, Mrs. Deagle, Bank Teller [1984]
Grover Dill, Freight Man, Black Bart [1983]
Movie Trailer Narrator (voice), Arthur’s Nurse, Graham’s Friend [2006]
Todd Chester, Margo Chester, Frank Shirley [1989]
Joe Jr., Ashley Bacon, Man in Peter’s Room [1995]
Christina Whoterberry, Officer Wholihan, Crazy Mose [2000]
Heritage Club Doorman, Penelope Witherspoon, Duke & Duke Receptionist [1983]
Bob Chipeska, Milwaukee Mom with Photo, Woman in Food Court [2003]
Commander Thorp, Techie, Al the Security Guard [2022]
Oogie Boogie, Corpse Kid, Harlequin Demon [1993]
Julian Shellhammer, Judge’s Clerk, Child on Santa’s Lap [1947]
Lumpy, Dumpy, Clumpy [2015]
Organ Grinder, Shreck Security Guard, Cobblepot Supporter [1992]

Catherine O’Hara and John Candy (Gus Polinski) in #1 – *Home Alone*

Grand L. Bush (Little Johnson) and Robert Davi (Big Johnson) in #6 – *Die Hard*

Polly Holliday as Mrs. Deagle in #8 – *Gremlins*

Home Alone
It’s a Wonderful Life
Elf
Love Actually
Scrooged
Die Hard
The Santa Clause
Gremlins
A Christmas Story
The Holiday
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
While You Were Sleeping
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
Trading Places
Bad Santa
Violent Night
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Miracle on 34th Street
Krampus
Batman Returns

Nicholas Guest and Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Todd and Margo Chester in #11 – *National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation*

Oogie Boogie (voiced by the late, great Ken Page) in #17 – *The Nightmare Before Christmas*

Pop Quiz: Holiday Television IMDb Trivia – with Answers!

Name the holiday-themed television series or special based on the trivia pulled from its IMDb page.

“Shiny Happy People” by R.E.M. is played in the beginning of the New Year’s Eve party scene. This was the original theme song from the pilot. [Episode title “The One with the Monkey”, 1994]
Chuck Jones, a lifelong lover of Rudyard Kipling, was inspired to cast Boris Karloff as the [title character] after hearing a recording of Karloff reading Kipling’s Jungle Book stories. [Special, 1966]
The fictional store at which Sheldon buys Penny’s gift is called Le Bain Quotidien (daily bath), a pun on the phrase ‘le pain quotidien’ (daily bread). [Episode title “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis”, 2008]
Fred Willard is credited as “Phil’s Dad” in the end credits and not “Frank Dunphy.” [Episode title “Undeck the Halls”, 2009]
Broke many of the rules prevalent for animated holiday specials during the 1960s: it didn’t make use of a laugh track, real children were used for the character voices instead of adult actors imitating children’s voices, and Biblical references were used to illustrate the true meaning of Christmas. [Special, 1965]
The holiday of “Festivus” was created in 1966 by Daniel O’Keefe, the father of Dan O’Keefe, one of the show’s writers. He invented many of the traditions later included in the [series title] episode, including the airing of grievances. [Episode title “The Strike”, 1997]
Desmond’s condition following the mishap during the helicopter flight to the boat is very similar to that of Billy Pilgrim, the main character of the novel Slaughterhouse-Five, who becomes “unstuck in time” and has multiple experiences in which his consciousness jumps backwards and forwards to different points within his own lifespan. [Episode title “The Constant”, 2008]
When Bart is imagining what Christmas would be like in juvenile hall, the Christmas tree in the detention center looks just like the one Charlie Brown brought back to the theater on A Charlie Brown Christmas. [Episode title “Marge Be Not Proud”, 1995]
A stuffed penguin is on a table during a scene in which Charlie and Ms. Landingham are discussing why Ms. Landingham is depressed over Christmas. This is the same penguin called “Hugsy” that Joey from Friends gives away to Rachel’s daughter Emma. [Episode title “In Excelsis Deo”, 1999]
One of the [radio] callers in this Christmas-themed episode is played by Rosemary Clooney, who starred in the classic holiday film White Christmas. [Episode title “Miracle on Third or Fourth Street”, 1993]
The animation was “shot on the 2s”. Instead of shooting one frame of film and then moving the puppet, two frames of film were shot before moving the puppet for the next exposure. This saved time and, therefore, money. The “jerky” motion which resulted became part of the Rankin/Bass style. [Special, 1964]
Edward Asner plays Maurice, who tells Scully that he knows people in the ACLU. Asner was involved with the ACLU in his real life as an activist. [Episode title “How the Ghosts Stole Christmas”, 1998]
The bar scene where Don and Joan have a drink after test driving the Jaguar bears some resemblance to the famous Edward Hopper painting “Nighthawks”. [Episode title “Christmas Waltz”, 2012]
References are explicitly made to Alien (1979), a significant film in the career of John Hurt, who would later go on to play the Time War incarnation of the [title character]. [Episode title “Last Christmas”, 2014]
Burgermeister Meisterburger accidentally sits on a toy soldier’s bayonet. In the next scene, he has a pillow strapped to his rear. [Special, 1970]
The closest Benihana to Scranton, PA is actually nearly 2 hours away in Plymouth Meeting, PA. [Episode title “A Benihana Christmas”, 2006]
The “HI TED” writing on the pavement mirrors the “HI BOSS” from “The Diamond Dogs” in season one. [Episode title “Carol of the Bells”, 2021]
Jackie Vernon, who voices [title character], was known for his drab stand-up comedy acts and X-rated jokes. Gene Wilder and Art Carney were also considered for the role. [Special, 1969]
Jamie Lee Curtis was a fan of [series title] before joining the cast in season two. She said that as soon as she saw the first episode, where Sugar/Natalie asks Carmy about their mother, she “knew that she would play her.” [Episode title “Fishes”, 2023]
Janine (Quinta Brunson) hands a non-holiday-themed cookie to a student who is a Jehovah’s Witness. Quinta was raised as a member of that religious faith. Jehovah’s Witnesses typically don’t celebrate Christmas, which is why the cookie is blank. [Episode title “Holiday Hookah”, 2022]
The title is based on a “mondegreen” (a misheard, spoonerized, or comically misinterpreted phrase from a song or poem). The title comes from the lyric “all of the other reindeer” from “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. [Special, 1999]

**Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, and Jim Parsons in #3 – *The Big Bang Theory*, “The Bath Item Gift Hypothesis”**

**Sonya Walger as Penny Widmore in #7 – *Lost*, “The Constant”**

Friends
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
The Big Bang Theory
Modern Family
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Seinfeld
Lost
The Simpsons
The West Wing
Frasier
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
The X-Files
Mad Men
Doctor Who
Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town
The Office
Ted Lasso
Frosty the Snowman
The Bear (fun fact: Jamie Lee Curtis won a Primetime Emmy Award for her performance)
Abbott Elementary
Olive, the Other Reindeer

**Edward Asner and Lily Tomlin in #12 – *The X-Files*, “How the Ghosts Stole Christmas”**

**Steve Carell, Ed Helms, and John Krasinski in #16 – *The Office*, “A Benihana Christmas”**

**Jamie Lee Curtis in #19 – *The Bear*, “Fishes”**

Pop Quiz: Holiday Movie IMDb Trivia – with Answers!

Name the holiday-themed movie based on the trivia pulled from its IMDb page.

The voice of the jack-in-the-box laugh is that of Dal McKennon. The audio clip is taken from Lady and the Tramp (1955), in which McKennon performed the voice of a laughing hyena. [2003]
While making this film, cinematographer Jan de Bont got trapped in an elevator. This later gave him the inspiration for the opening scene of Speed (1994), which he directed.[1988]
An elaborate fantasy sequence, in which Ralphie joins Flash Gordon to fight Ming the Merciless, was filmed but dropped from the final cut. [1983]
The original title of the film’s script was Stop Me. It was director Bob Clark who came up with the film’s title, saying that he liked the irony of something dark occurring during such a festive holiday. [1974]
In this film, the Ghost of Christmas Past claims she can remember nearly 1900 years, implying that unlike the book and other film versions, this spirit is the universal ghost of all past Christmases, instead of the ghost of Scrooge’s personal past. [1992]
The kid who asks for a snowboard in the video letters is Kurt’s actual grandson, Bing Bellamy, whose mother is Kurt’s daughter, Kate Hudson. [2018]
The locomotive in the movie is based on the Pere Marquette 1225, a restored steam locomotive located in Owosso, MI. Many of the film’s train sound effects are recordings of the actual train. The train runs between Owosso and nearby Ashley during the holiday season. [2004]
In 2010, as part of the Wall Street Transparency and Accountability Act, which was to regulate financial markets, a rule was included which barred anyone from using secret inside information to corner markets, similar to what the Duke brothers tried to do in the movie. Since the movie inspired this rule, it has since become known as the Eddie Murphy Rule. [1983]
After failing to get the Christmas lights to work one last time, [main character] takes his frustration out on the plastic decorations in the front yard. [Lead actor] actually broke his pinky finger while punching Santa Claus. He resorts to kicking and clubbing the decorations after that. The film kept rolling, and the take was used. [1989]
In an interview for television, [legendary makeup and special effects artist] Stan Winston told a little anecdote about how his crew were collecting the mechanical penguins after a day’s shoot, and found one of the live penguins snuggled up asleep against a mechanical one. [1992]
The airport greeting footage at the beginning and end of this movie is real. Writer and director Richard Curtis had a team of cameramen film at Heathrow airport for a week, and whenever they saw something that would fit in they asked the people involved for permission to use the footage. [2003]
Bedford Falls is a fictional town in upstate New York, as seen on the death certificate telegram received by Mr. Gower. It is a combination of two real towns: Bedford Hills (in Westchester County) and Seneca Falls (midway between Rochester and Syracuse). [1946]
Zero’s nose is actually a tiny glowing jack-o’-lantern. [1993]
“The Trolley Song” was ranked #26 and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was ranked #72 by the American Film Institute in 2004 on the 100 Greatest Songs in American Films list. [1944]
Many of the scenes were filmed at Fairhaven High School in Fairhaven, Massachusetts in February 2022 during the school’s February break. At this time, the area received a snowstorm, to the delight of the film crew since many of the scenes took place during a snowstorm. They took full advantage of the weather and the snow you see in the film was from an actual snowstorm. [2023]
Unbeknownst to most parade watchers, Edmund Gwenn played Santa Claus in the actual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade held on November 28, 1946. He fulfilled the duties of most parade Santas, including addressing the crowd from Macy’s marquee after it was over. [1947]
When the Ghost of Christmas Present (Carol Kane) first appears in the movie, she says to Frank Cross, “I’m a little muddled.” This is a direct quote from Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz when she first meets Dorothy in Munchkinland. [1988]
The exterior of the McAllister residence was filmed in front of a house in the outskirts of Chicago. Because it was too small for filming inside and Chicago didn’t have large movie studios, the interior was completely built inside an abandoned high school. [1990]
When Irving Berlin won an Oscar for his song “White Christmas” from this movie, he became the first artist to present himself with an Academy Award. [1942]
Miles’s (Jack Black) studio setup, seen in the opening scene, with keyboard, monitors, sound modules, etc., was copied directly from the studio of Hans Zimmer, who composed the score for the film. [2006]
Zach Galligan had already auditioned for parts with Phoebe Cates before and felt very comfortable with her. When it came to the session, he rested his head on her shoulder and gazed at the camera. Executive producer Steven Spielberg said, “Oh my God, look at that! He’s in love with her already. I don’t need to see anything else.” [1984]

Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche as the Duke brothers in #8 – *Trading Places*

Elf
Die Hard
A Christmas Story
Black Christmas (fun fact: Bob Clark also directed A Christmas Story)
A Muppet Christmas Carol
The Christmas Chronicles
The Polar Express
Trading Places
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Batman Returns
Love Actually
It’s a Wonderful Life
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Meet Me in St. Louis
The Holdovers
Miracle on 34th Street
Scrooged
Home Alone
Holiday Inn
The Holiday
Gremlins (fun fact: everyone was in love with Phoebe Cates in 1984)

Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present in #17 – *Scrooged*

Kate Winslet and Jack Black in #20 – *The Holiday*

Pop Quiz: Holiday Movie Quotes – with Answers!

I’ll give you a quote from a holiday movie and the year of release, and you name the movie’s title.

“Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” (1946)
“He looks like a deranged Easter bunny!” (1983)
“WORSE? How could things get any worse? Take a look around here, Ellen. We’re at the threshold of hell.” (1989)
“Don’t you got any Christmas music?” “This *is* Christmas music.” (1988)
“You smell like beef and cheese, you don’t smell like Santa.” (2003)
“Keep the change, ya filthy animal!” (1990)
“Look Mister, there are some rules that you’ve got to follow.” (1984)
“Sometimes you have to *slap* them in the face just to get their attention!” (1988)
“We’ve got to find Jack! There’s only 365 days left until next Halloween!” (1993)
“Iris, if you were a melody… I used only the good notes.” (2006)
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! And when I wake up, I’m gettin’ a CAT scan!” (1994)
“$45 for a Christmas tree and they don’t deliver? You order $10 worth of chow mein from Mr. Wong they bring it to your door.” (1995)
“Ho Ho holy shit.” (2022)
“Why, to the North Pole, of course! This is [FILM TITLE]!” (2004)
“Inside a snowflake like the one on your sleeve, there happened a story you must see to believe.” (2000)
“Oh, Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind… and that’s what’s been changing. That’s why I’m glad I’m here, maybe I can do something about it.” (1947)
“If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that [FILM TITLE] is all around.” (2003)
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a real family Christmas like this before. Thank you, Mary.” (2023)
“You’re catnip to a girl like me. Handsome, dazed, and to die for.” “Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it.” (1992)
“We came up here for the snow. Where’re you keepin’ it?” “Well, we take it in during the day!” (1954)
“You’ve been Christmas Caroled, bitch!” (2022)

ANSWERS:

“Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.” – IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE
“He looks like a deranged Easter bunny!” – A CHRISTMAS STORY
“WORSE? How could things get any worse? Take a look around here, Ellen. We’re at the threshold of hell.” – NATIONAL LAMPOON’S CHRISTMAS VACATION
“Don’t you got any Christmas music?” “This *is* Christmas music.” – DIE HARD
“You smell like beef and cheese, you don’t smell like Santa.” – ELF
“Keep the change, ya filthy animal!” – HOME ALONE
“Look Mister, there are some rules that you’ve got to follow.” – GREMLINS
“Sometimes you have to *slap* them in the face just to get their attention!” – SCROOGED
“We’ve got to find Jack! There’s only 365 days left until next Halloween!” – THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS
“Iris, if you were a melody… I used only the good notes.” – THE HOLIDAY
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night! And when I wake up, I’m gettin’ a CAT scan!” – THE SANTA CLAUSE
“$45 for a Christmas tree and they don’t deliver? You order $10 worth of chow mein from Mr. Wong they bring it to your door.” – WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING
“Ho Ho holy shit.” – VIOLENT NIGHT
“Why, to the North Pole, of course! This is [FILM TITLE]!” – THE POLAR EXPRESS
“Inside a snowflake like the one on your sleeve, there happened a story you must see to believe.” – HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS
“Oh, Christmas isn’t just a day, it’s a frame of mind… and that’s what’s been changing. That’s why I’m glad I’m here, maybe I can do something about it.” – MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
“If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that [FILM TITLE] is all around.” – LOVE ACTUALLY
“I don’t think I’ve ever had a real family Christmas like this before. Thank you, Mary.” (2023) – THE HOLDOVERS
“You’re catnip to a girl like me. Handsome, dazed, and to die for.” “Mistletoe can be deadly if you eat it.” – BATMAN RETURNS
“We came up here for the snow. Where’re you keepin’ it?” “Well, we take it in during the day!” (1954) – WHITE CHRISTMAS
“You’ve been Christmas Caroled, bitch!” – SPIRITED

Pop Quiz: Holiday Movie Homes – with Answers!

Name the holiday movie based on a still of a character’s residence or place of employment and the year of release.

ANSWERS:

It’s a Wonderful Life
The Holiday
Elf
Home Alone
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Die Hard
A Muppet Christmas Carol
A Christmas Story
While You Were Sleeping
White Christmas
The Santa Clause
Gremlins
Scrooged
Miracle on 34th Street
The Nightmare Before Christmas
The Polar Express
Eight Crazy Nights
Last Christmas
Happiest Season
Black Christmas
The Holdovers

Pop Quiz: Holiday Song Lyrics – with Answers!

Name the holiday song based on a snippet of its lyrics.

“With the kids jingle belling / And everyone telling you ‘be of good cheer‘”
“And every mother’s child is gonna spy / To see if reindeer really know how to fly“
“You’re a bad banana / With a greasy black peel“
“Take a look in the Five & Ten / Glistening once again / With candy canes and silver lanes aglow“
“Where the treetops glisten / And children listen / To hear sleigh bells in the snow“
“What a bright time, it’s the right time / To rock the night away“
“Come and trim my Christmas tree / With some decorations bought at Tiffany’s“
“Tell me, baby, do you recognize me? / Well, it’s been a year, it doesn’t surprise me“
“Oh ho, the mistletoe / Hung where you can see“
“Well, way up North where the air gets cold / There’s a tale about Christmas that you’ve all been told“
“Later on we’ll conspire / As we dream by the fire“
“Fireside is blazing bright / We’re caroling through the night“
“Sleigh bells in the air / Beauty everywhere“
“Mistletoe hung where you can see / Every couple tries to stop“
“My name’s D.M.C. with the mic in my hand / And I’m chillin’ and coolin’ just like a snowman“
“Said Santa to a boy child ‘What have you been longing for?’ ‘All I want for Christmas is a rock and roll electric guitar“
“The party’s on / The feeling’s here / That only comes / This time of year“
“We’re snuggled up together / Like two birds of a feather would be“
“One seems to hear words of good cheer / From everywhere filling the air“
“It doesn’t show signs of stopping / And I brought some cord for popping“
“They’re singing ‘Deck the Halls’ / But it’s not like Christmas at all“
“I wanna wish you a merry Christmas / From the bottom of my heart“
“The boys of the NYPD choir were singing ‘Galway Bay’ / And the bells were ringing out for Christmas Day“
“Here we know that Christmas will be green and bright / The sun to shine by day, and all the stars at night“
“Just being in your arms / Takes me back to that little farm / Where every wish comes true“
“Decorations of red on a green Christmas tree / Won’t be the same, dear, if you’re not here with me“
“The moon and stars / Seem awful cold and bright / Let’s hope the snow / Will make this Christmas right“
“She didn’t see me creep / Down the stairs to have a peep“

“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” (#3)

“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”
“The Christmas Song”
“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch”
“It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”
“White Christmas”
“Jingle Bell Rock”
“Santa Baby”
“Last Christmas”
“A Holly Jolly Christmas”
“Little Saint Nick”
“Winter Wonderland”
“This Christmas”
“Christmas Time Is Here”
“Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
“Christmas In Hollis”
“Run Rudolph Run”
“Wonderful Christmastime”
“Sleigh Ride”
“Carol of the Bells”
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
“Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”
“Feliz Navidad”
“Fairytale of New York”
“Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas)”
“Christmas Tree Farm”
“Blue Christmas”
“Thank God It’s Christmas”
“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”

“Christmas in Hollis” (#15)

“Fairytale of New York” (#23)

“Thank God It’s Christmas” (#27)

Hip to be gnosis

As a fan of both music and the visual arts, I’ve always been obsessed with album art. “What does this artwork mean? How does it relate to the songs? Why was this color palette chosen?” Bonus points for an elaborate gatefold or inner sleeve. In my teens, posters of my favorite covers hung on my sunny yellow walls. One year for Christmas, I was gifted The Album Cover Album (below, left), a collection of album artwork presented by two of the industry’s all-time legends. The first was English artist Roger Dean, famous for his work with Yes, a professional relationship that persists to this day. Dean designed the band’s trademarked bubble logo, first seen on the cover of 1972’s Close to the Edge (below, right), as well as covers for artists like Uriah Heep and the logos for record labels Virgin and Fly. The second artist was the late, great Storm Thorgerson, which brings us to the topic of this post – Hipgnosis, the English art collective responsible for some of the most iconic covers of the album-rock era.

Hipgnosis formed in 1968 when Pink Floyd asked their art school friends Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell to design the cover for their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (below). After graduating from the Royal College of Art in 1970, the pair set up a studio at 6 Denmark Street in the West End borough of Camden, a popular neighborhood for music publishing houses and recording studios. The name Hipgnosis came from graffiti the two found on their apartment door; they appreciated the pun on the word hypnosis (as do I) as well as the duality of something being “hip or fresh” as well as “related to ancient learning”. Thorgerson and Powell were eventually joined by musician, artist, and photographer Peter Christopherson.

In 1973, their covers for Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon and Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy made Hipgnosis the most sought-after album cover designers in the business. Over the next ten years, Hipgnosis designed some of the most creative album covers of the rock era, working with such artists as Genesis, Peter Gabriel, ELO, Paul McCartney, 10cc, and The Alan Parsons Project. They received five Grammy nominations for their work, including Houses of the Holy, Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, and Paul McCartney and Wings’ Wings over America (below) – though they never took home the prize.

Hipgnosis’ work was characterized by quirky humor, surrealism, and visual puns. Most of their covers were photography-based and manipulated using one of the earliest forms of photoshopping. They were also fond of creating packaging extras such as stickers and fancy inner sleeves. In short, their art was a feast for the eyes and the mind that sometimes eclipsed the music inside.

Hipgnosis disbanded in 1983, with the three members pursuing successful solo careers. Below is a gallery of their most famous covers.

Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd was Hipgnosis’ first and best client. Guitarist David Gilmour, who joined the band in time for their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets, had been friends with Storm Thorgerson since their teens. Thorgerson continued to work with the band until his 2013 death. Their most famous collaboration is certainly 1973’s The Dark Side of the Moon, seen in the featured image at the top of this post. TDSOFTM is generally considered one of the greatest album covers of all time, but it inexplicably did not yield Hipgnosis one of their five Grammy nominations (they did receive a nod that year for Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy – more on that in a minute). Among the other iconic covers Hipgnosis designed for Pink Floyd are 1970’s Atom Heart Mother (below, left), 1975’s Wish You Were Here (below, center), and 1977’s Animals (below, right).

Led Zeppelin

Hipgnosis first worked with Led Zeppelin on their 1973 masterpiece Houses of the Holy. The gatefold cover, a collage of photographs taken of two child models at the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, is one of their greatest creations. The photographs were taken in black and white; a tinting accident in post-production achieved the final, breathtaking result.

FUN FACT: The Houses of the Holy cover art was inspired by Arthur C. Clarke’s novel Childhood’s End, in which a seemingly benign alien race ultimately brings about the end of humanity.

Another creative collaboration with Led Zeppelin was 1979’s In Through the Out Door, which featured a cover made to look like plain paper wrapping and one of six black and white inner sleeves that changed to color when moistened with water.

Hipgnosis designed three other album covers for Led Zeppelin: 1976’s Presence (below, left) and The Song Remains the Same (below, center), and 1982’s Coda (below, right).

Oh, and Hipgnosis also designed the band’s iconic logo (below) in 1973.

Genesis/Peter Gabriel

Hipgnosis created four covers for Pink Floyd’s prog-rock counterparts, Genesis, including 1974’s The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (below, left), 1976’s A Trick of the Tail (below, center), and 1978’s …And Then There Were Three… (below, right). When original frontman Peter Gabriel left the band in 1975 to pursue a solo career, he continued his professional association with Hipgnosis.

The artwork for Gabriel’s first three solo albums—all of which are self-titled—is so iconic that the designs became the unofficial titles. Gabriel’s 1977 debut (below, left) is known as “Car,” his 1978 follow-up (below, center) “Scratch,” and his 1980 third album (below, right) “Melt.”

Paul McCartney/Wings

Among Hipgnosis’ designs for Paul McCartney and/or Wings are 1973’s Band on the Run (below, left), 1975’s Venus and Mars (below, center), the aforementioned Wings at the Speed of Sound, and McCartney’s 1982 solo effort Tug of War (below, right).

FUN FACT: Band on the Run‘s cover, which evokes a group of escaped convicts caught in a prison searchlight, features the band along with six other celebrities, including actors James Coburn and Christopher Lee. Due to an exposure issue, both the photographer and the subjects had to hold their positions for several seconds, a task made more difficult because everyone was apparently in a “substance haze” after a party at the McCartney home.

The Alan Parsons Project

Hipgnosis and Alan Parsons began a decades-long collaboration in 1976 with Tales of Mystery and Imagination (below, left). In addition to albums like 1978’s Pyramid (below, center) and 1982’s Eye in the Sky (below, right), Hipgnosis designed my favorite TAPP cover…

…their 1977 masterpiece I Robot (below, left). After Hipgnosis disbanded in 1983, Storm Thorgerson also created the cover for 1984’s Ammonia Avenue (below, right); the two definitely feel like they belong in the same universe, don’t they?

FUN FACT: In addition to the stylized robot with an atom brain, the I Robot cover features a photograph of Thorgerson’s assistants in the escalator tubes of Terminal 1 at France’s Charles de Gaulle Airport (taken without the airport’s permission).

As mentioned at the top of this post, Yes worked with Roger Dean throughout the first several years of their career. But they took a break from Dean in the late 1970s, using Hipgnosis to design 1977’s Going for the One (below, left) and 1978’s Tormato (below, right) – though both covers retained Dean’s band logo.

Bad Company

Hipgnosis designed five covers for Bad Company, including their 1974 self-titled debut (below, left), 1975’s Straight Shooter (below, center), and 1979’s Desolation Angels (below, right).

Hipgnosis created the covers – complete with light bulb motif – for ELO’s first three albums, 1971’s The Electric Light Orchestra (below, left), 1973’s ELO 2 (below, center), and 1973’s On the Third Day (below, right).

UFO and Hipgnosis collaborated on seven straight albums, from 1974’s Phenomenon through 1981’s The Wild, the Willing and the Innocent, including 1977’s Lights Out (below, left), 1978’s Obsession (below, center), and the 1979 double live album Strangers in the Night (below, right).

Rainbow

Hipgnosis created three covers for Ritchie Blackmore’s post-Deep Purple project Rainbow: 1981’s Difficult to Cure (below, left), 1982’s Straight Between the Eyes (below, center), and 1983’s Bent Out of Shape (below, right). The latter was Hipgnosis’ final cover before their 1983 dissolution.

10cc

Hipgnosis designed eleven covers for 10cc, including 1974’s Sheet Music (below, left), 1977’s Deceptive Bends (below, center), and 1978’s Bloody Tourists (below, right).