Dangerous Universe

TV

This time of year I always get into the Christmas spirit and put on some of my favorite holiday movies like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon as well as rewatch some very special Christmas episodes of my favorite TV shows.

Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire

The very first episode of The Simpsons was in fact a Christmas special that aired on December 17, 1989. If you want to see just how good The Simpsons was when it was an animated show about people rather than a cartoon about broadly drawn characters as which it has become you should check out this very first one.

Sherlock — “The Abominable Bride”

While most of the modern Benedict Cumberbatch Sherlock episodes were set present day, the special 2015 Christmas episode “The Abominable Bride” was set in a more appropriate Sherlocky year of Christmastime, 1895.

Space: Above and Beyond — “The River of Stars”

Not too many hard-edged sci-fi shows have a Christmas episode, yet “The River of Stars” from Space: Above and Beyond was the exception.

Community — “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas”

Right at the height of the greatness that was Community came the fully animated Christmas episode “Abed’s Uncontrollable Christmas” that had lots of laughs along with lots of tears and would go onto cement this series into the annals of history.

Batman: The Animated Series — “Christmas with the Joker”

In this episode that originally aired in 1992 Batman, in fact, did not smell nor does (spoiler alert) the Joker get away.

Black Mirror — “White Christmas”

It really isn’t the holidays without watching one of the most depressing episodes of Black Mirror ever in one entitled “White Christmas.” Divided into three chapters, each starring Jon Hamm and each more downbeat than the last, “White Christmas” begins with murder and ends with a man trapped in hellish loop of December 25th where the song “I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day” is on a constant, never-ending loop.

Happy holidays!

True Detective season 3 commercial

Star Trek: Discovery season 2 commercial

Movies

Glass trailer

Godzilla: King of the Monsters trailer

What To Watch This Week

Tuesday

Last fall’s thriller Bad Times and the El Royale is available on digital download today.

Wednesday

Mary Poppins Returns for a sequel more than 50 years after the original in theaters. Let’s put it this way, when the previous Mary Poppins movie was released The Beatles had only just arrived in the US.

Friday

The one movie I thought would never get made since the character was the butt of many a joke for years, DC’s Aquaman, hits theaters today.

The sixth film in the 11 year old Transformers franchise, this one taking place in the 1980s, Bumblebee is released to movie screens today.

The Netflix original movie Bird Box, about people who kill themselves after seeing some paranormal thing and the survivors having to wander the world blindfolded otherwise they’ll suffer the same fate, is available today.

The second season of the HULU series Marvel’s Runaways is available today.

Cool Sites

Lost Media Wikia — We explore and hunt for lost media and we use teams, and our fellow community members to contribute.

The Reading & Watch List

• An Oral History of The Dark Knight’s Pencil Trick
• ‘Walking Dead’ Co-Creator Frank Darabont’s $280M Suit Against AMC Headed to Trial
• The Hardest Effect I Ever Pulled Off 36 filmmakers, cinematographers, and effects artists on making the impossible happen.
• In 1947 LIFE Magazine Asked Some Comic Strip Artists to Draw Their Famous Characters Blindfolded. The Results Are Interesting and Hilarious!
• The Jurassic Park film that was never made

Cool Movie Posters of the Week