Hi, everyone!
It’s officially December, which means we can officially deck our jam session halls and unwrap our first set of…
Featured post
“Jammin’ with Jamie” Theme: “Christmas and Holiday Kickoff Choruses (2021)”!
Leave a reply
Featured post
“Jammin’ with Jamie”: Interview with Matt Hansel!
Featured post
“Jammin’ with Jamie” 200th Show
Hi, everyone!
On Saturday, November 2, Jammin’ with Jamie celebrated its landmark 200th show on 89.3 WNUR FM!
Since this show’s so special (and because there’s no copyrighted music in it), I posted it on my YouTube channel, along with bonus content.
So let’s get started!
Featured post
Thoughts On: “The Man Who Invented Christmas”
Hi, everyone!
Whew, what a year I’ve been having! But more on that in a post I’ll put up just before the new year…
Anyway, without further ado, last Sunday, December 17, I saw a film that inspired me to pen another installment in my series on holiday/Christmas/winter movies and specials.
What film was so special that it woke me out of my writing reverie (in terms of this blog, anyway)?
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)!
I do not own any of the following images or videos!
Here’s the trailer:
No, Mr. Dickens, I wasn’t trying to read over your shoulder! Don’t mind me!
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
Plot: Charles Dickens, after a rush of inspiration, tussles with writer’s block, deadlines, and personal struggles as he strives to crack his latest work… A Christmas Carol.
There have been nigh countless adaptations of A Christmas Carol, from film, to TV, to stage––– from verbatim, to musical, to modernized, to gender-flipped––– from live action, to animation, to The Muppets! If you like A Christmas Carol at all, you have your favorite version or versions. You have your favorite ghost, your favorite scenes, your favorite lines… this story touches the hearts and souls of so many. Some may say such nearly-universal appeal cheapens it: I say, it enriches it. How special to be able to take a singular story about one person’s extremely personal journey and make it accessible and even relatable to so many.
Full disclosure: I’ve loved A Christmas Carol and so many of its adaptations for as long as I can remember. In fact, my very first acting role was as The Ghost of Christmas Present (my favorite ghost in the story)! Even though I was twelve at the time, I still remember so many of my lines, and would love to be involved in another adaptation of the tale someday.
Since The Man Who Invented Christmas is still in theaters as of this writing, and I do highly recommend it, I’ll do my best to avoid any spoilers of surprise moments. However, everyone has different definitions of what counts as a “spoiler,” so I shall still include my traditional warning…
Spoilers lurk beyond this point!
Featured post
Christmas/Holiday Movies: “It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie”
Hi, everyone!
I had a pretty hectic Halloween season this year, so I wasn’t able to continue my series about Halloween movies. However, I know that my subsequent series on holiday/Christmas/winter movies (and specials) only had half the amount of entries… that is, only two. Yikes.
So, I’m going to rectify that this year, starting…
… now!
For those of you who are new (or just don’t remember), this is how this series works…
This month, I’m going to watch (and, in some cases, re-watch) some movies that are perfect for the holiday/Christmas/winter season. These are not reviews, because I’ll only be writing about films I love and recommend. There’s no plan, method, or scientific algorithm to what movies I’m going to watch or how I’m going to structure these entries. I’m just going to have fun with it, and I hope you will, too!
First up, a TV movie that I believe is ridiculously underrated…
It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)!
I do not own any of the following images or videos!
Here’s the trailer:
It’s ALWAYS a merry Christmas with The Muppets!
It’s a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie (2002)
Plot: The Muppets are putting on a big Christmas show to save their theater, but when everything goes wrong and Kermit the Frog’s spirit seems broken, an angel comes to show him what the world––– and his friends––– would be like if he’d never been born.
I also have a very personal connection to this movie, which you’ll have to read on to find out about!
Spoilers lurk beyond this point!
Featured post
Thoughts On: “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday”
Before we get started, follow Pee-wee Herman’s adventures on his official website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and his new YouTube channel, and join his FREE Premium Diamond Platinum Fan Club!
I’ve written about Pee-wee Herman twice before. Both times, I predicted I’d end up writing about Pee-wee’s Big Holiday when it was released on Netflix.
… I’m psychic!
I was so excited for Pee-wee’s Big Holiday that I stayed up until 12:00 am PT––– 2:00 am my time––– to watch it the second it premiered!
This was how I looked just before 2:00 am on March 18.
Thank goodness I was on a different floor with the door closed… otherwise, my constant laughter would’ve woken everybody up!
All of the following images, videos, and GIFs belong to their respective owners!
Here’s the poster…
That’s about how high I jumped every time I heard news about “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday.”
Here’s the trailer…
Pee-wee’s Big Holiday is written by Paul Reubens and Paul Rust, directed by John Lee, and produced by Judd Apatow. (You all know how much it means to me to see someone who’s both a writer and a performer!)
Let’s do this!
Featured post
Christmas/Holiday Movies: “The Muppet Christmas Carol”
I had so much fun writing about Halloween movies, I decided to extend the series and write about films perfect for Christmas/the holiday season! Most will probably be about Christmas, but I’m leaving myself wiggle room for other holidays and general winter movies.
Remember, these are not reviews: I’m writing about films and TV specials that I love and recommend.
My favorite Christmas movies generally have a nice mix of humor, fun, wackiness, and heart––– and some good music doesn’t hurt, either.
This first film has all of that, and more. Warm up your voices, because it’s time for…
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)!
By the way, if you like the Muppets, make sure you check out The Muppets on ABC!
I do not own any of the following images or videos!
Here’s the trailer:
I’m not sure why there’s music from Beetlejuice in the trailer, but it works.
I’m smiling already!
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
Plot: Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy, bitter businessman, despises Christmas and all forms of kindness and charity; but this Christmas, he just might get a chance to redeem himself…
Spoilers lurk beyond this point!
Featured post
Halloween Movies: “The Monster Squad”
This month, I’m going to watch (and, in some cases, re-watch) some movies that are perfect for the Halloween season. These are not reviews, because I’ll only be writing about films I love and recommend. There’s no plan, method, or scientific algorithm to what movies I’m going to watch or how I’m going to structure these entries. I’m just going to have fun with it, and I hope you will, too!
The one promise I’ll make is that I’ll only include spoilers after the jump.
For this inaugural entry, I’m going to write about a movie I just saw for the first time––– well, all the way through, anyway…
The Monster Squad (1987)!
I do not own any of the following images or videos!
Here’s the trailer…
I’ve known about The Monster Squad for a while, though I don’t know exactly how long. When you love the Universal Monsters as much as I do (and I’m sure many of you do), you read a lot about them and other films that reference or utilize them. I was bound to come across The Monster Squad at some point. And I did. I read about the plot, found out some trivia, and watched some clips. All signs pointed to this being a film I’d love.
So recently, I finally ordered the twentieth anniversary DVD online. I watched it with my family, who had never even heard of it until I told them about it. Luckily for all of us, my gut instinct turned out to be a bullseye: we loved every minute of it––– and if you love monster movies, you will, too!
Here’s the basic, spoiler-free rundown…
The Monster Squad (1987)
Plot: Some young friends obsessed with monsters suddenly find themselves face-to-face with the Universal Monsters and must stop Dracula’s plan before it’s too late.
Monsters: Count Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster, the Wolfman, the Gillman, and the Mummy
Scare Factor: It may be scary to kids about five years old or younger, but it all depends on the kid. If this kid has already seen some monster movies, especially ones with the Universal Monsters, he or she will probably be fine. For everyone else, watch it and have fun!
Gore Factor: The gore’s pretty minimal.
Family-Friendly Factor: There’s some scattered swearing and some suggestive comments. Some people may find a couple of words offensive.
Look out! Behind you!
ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK! Spoilers lurk beyond this point!
Featured post
“The Loneliest People…”
Featured post
Thoughts On: “Frozen”
Hi, everyone!
This is the first of what I hope to make a series of posts in which I write down and share my thoughts on various films. Some will be new releases you can experience in theaters, while others will be films you can check out on DVD. No matter which film I’m writing about, I will always take great care in regard to spoilers: if I feel compelled to write about one or more spoilers, I will mark them very clearly so you can choose to skip them and come back to read them later. (You’re welcome.)
I’m starting this series because I saw a film entitled, Frozen, and felt so strongly about it that I wanted to share it and my thoughts on it with anyone and everyone I could. This is why these posts are not intended to be “reviews” or summaries, as well as why I will neither be going out to see every single new release so I can post about it here, nor writing about every movie I do end up seeing. None of those prospects is why I started this series.
When the credits began rolling on Frozen when I saw it for the very first time, I had an overwhelming feeling (one of many, actually) that I just couldn’t shake, and didn’t want to, anyway: I have to tell everyone I can about this film. That feeling inspired not only this post, but this entire new series of posts, and I want to stay true to it.
All images belong to Walt Disney Pictures.
Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get to our inaugural “Thoughts On” post! The film: Frozen, from Walt Disney Animation Studios, originally released on Wednesday, November 27, 2013: Thanksgiving weekend. (You can check out Frozen‘s very “cool”––– pun intended––– official website here!) To start off, let’s get one thing straight…
“Jammin’ with Jamie” Theme: “Food Follies (2021)”!
Hi, everyone!
If you celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you all had a happy one! And if you don’t, I hope you had a happy Thursday!
While we’re still digesting everything we ingested on Thanksgiving, let’s fill up even more on a feast of…
“Jammin’ with Jamie” Theme: “Timely Tunes (2021)”!
Hi, everyone!
It’s officially Daylight Savings Time!
… Although, depending on where you are, just how much daylight time we’re saving is up for debate…
But whatever the case, we’re going to use our hour to the fullest by jammin’ to a ton of…
“Jammin’ with Jamie” Theme: “Haunting Halloween Hangover Harmonies (2021)”!
Hi, everyone!
Let’s be honest: our pumpkins are still holding strong, the leaves are still folding, and the monsters, ghosts, and other freaky fiends haven’t crawled back into the crypt yet! So why end the season just because of the silly calendar when clearly, it wants to be resurrected and live on? And hey, this way, while other people are revving up their holiday cheer, we can still be cheery by holding on to the spooky season!
So this week, let’s purge some of the excess spookiness with a stream of…
“Jammin’ with Jamie” Theme: ““Haunting Halloween Harmonies (2021)”!
Hi, everyone!
All Hallow’s Eve is right around that creepy corner… are you ready?
And this time, I don’t mean “ready” as in garlic, silver, spellbooks, beakers, etc.
I mean: do you have your costume ready? Your giant bag or pillow case ready? Your route all planned out? If you do, let this jam session be your tunes to jive to as you trick-or-treat! If you don’t, then let us motivate you to start getting ready now with a host of…
“Jammin’ with Jamie” Theme: “Macabre Monster Melodies (2021)”!
Hi, everyone!
Our jam session of spooky sci-fi songs that was originally scheduled to air October 9 ended up playing last Saturday, October 16, at 6 am ET/5 am CT, just before our regularly-scheduled jam session. If you’d like the recording of that jam session (or any other jam session), let me know!
This week, grab your stakes, silver, crucifixes, and any other protection you can think of, because we’re walking through the woods and heading down into the crypt for a mash-up of…
“Jammin’ with Jamie” Theme: “Spooky Supernatural Songs (2021)”!
Hi, everyone!
About last week…
I wrote, recorded, edited, and sent the show to WNUR as usual. However, due to an error at the station, it wasn’t uploaded and, thus, didn’t air. I’m working with the higher-ups to get the show aired ASAP. Stay tuned (pun intended) to find out when
Until then, I hope you’ve studied your spell books and crystal balls, and have your broomsticks ready, because it’s time to break out our cauldrons and wands and explore all the local haunted houses––– and haunted mansions––– and conjure up the finest…
“Jammin’ with Jamie” Theme: “Spooky Sci-Fi Songs (2021)”!
Hi, everyone!
Now that last week’s jam session has the spirit of the spooky season in our souls, let’s explore the many areas of the season!
I’ve rigged up all the equipment, pulled all the switches, and prepared all the chemicals, so put on your goggles, gloves, and any other safety equipment you think you might need in case our experiments go awry, as we examine our slab of…
“Jammin’ with Jamie” Theme: “Dungeon Dance Ditties (2021)”!
Hi, everyone!
It’s officially October, which means we can officially creak open the coffin of creepy choruses to celebrate the spooky season!
Due to various world events and technology events, we weren’t able to have any of our traditional Halloween jam sessions last year. So, since it’s been a bit, we need to do something to shake the dust off our bones and get grooving again!
And what better way to do that than with a deluge of…
“Jammin’ with Jamie” Theme: “Back to School Beats (2021)”!
Hi, everyone!
This time of year, so many students are headed back to the classroom, whether in person, virtually, or in a hybrid model.
It’s tough to return to pretty much anything after a break, especially with how chaotic things are right now with all sorts of things being cancelled, rescheduled, converted to virtual, or just left up in the air until further notice.
So, to help everyone with the transition, let’s study up to prepare ourselves with a backpack full of…