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twistedtummies2 · 2 months

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Top 7 Leprechauns Onscreen

St. Patrick’s Day is one of the odder holidays on the calendar. Ostensibly, it is a celebration of Ireland itself; a tribute to its culture, history, and folklore alike. However, at least outside of Ireland - such as in the United States, where the filthy American swine writing this happens to come from - it seems to be treated more as just a day of partying. It’s an excuse to booze up, eat merrily, and wear lots and lots of green. That’s not bad in and of itself, but it emblematic of how commercialized things can get, I suppose; I have no idea how the date is celebrated in other places around the world, including Ireland, mind you.

Again, filthy American swine, that’s me. 😛

Nothing speaks to all this better than the treatment of arguably Ireland’s most famous figure of folklore and legend: the leprechaun. Leprechauns have become mascots for Ireland and St. Patrick’s Day as a whole; a lot of people probably don’t even recognize or know the actual legends behind these little fairy shoemakers and their crocks of gold. However, they have become just as popular and recognizable as other holiday icons, such as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. They are the fanciful embodiment of Ireland, in popular culture, and for better or worse, they are as popular as they are whimsical. Ever since I was a child, I was fascinated by stories about leprechauns; something about these little spritely creatures in their green coats, cobbling shoes and playing tricks, guarding heaps of treasure, just stuck in my imagination in a lot of ways. Part of this may be that I am actually a large part Irish myself, and I’ve looked into the legends and songs about these fair folk with great interest. Of course, with this fascination comes exposure to another medium: the screen. Leprechauns have appeared numerous times in films and on television, and it’s easy to say that these treatments have done just as much for their reputation and popularity as anything else. I thought it would be fun, this St. Patrick’s Day, to cover some of my favorite interpretations of these strange creatures from movies and TV. I’ve decided to make this a brief Top 7, partially because it’s hard to sort things out after that number…but also because, hey, if we’re celebrating and chatting about “the luck of the Irish,” might as well use the “lucky number seven” as our guideline, eh? So, without further ado…here are My Top 7 Screen Portrayals of Leprechauns!

7. The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold.

We’re starting off this countdown with a weird one, folks. If you haven’t heard of this somewhat obscure holiday feature, I wouldn’t blame you. This half-hour special was the creation of Rankin/Bass; a company most well-known for their various Christmas cartoons, such as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and The Year Without a Santa Claus. “The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold” was one of their final holiday creations, released in 1981…and you can tell they were REALLY struggling to come up with new ideas for such things. The special is a bizarre hybrid of Christmas cartoon and St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Starring Art Carney as Blarney Kilakilarney (yes, really), the story focuses on the troubles a family of leprechauns face when a wicked banshee, known as Old Mag the Hag, tries to steal all their gold. Mag, you see, needs to have gold in her hands by Christmas morning, or else she will be destroyed, transformed into nothing but a puddle of tears. Mag is imprisoned in a magic pine tree for her evil ways, but a hundred years later, a young cabin boy named Dinty Doyle (played by Broadway-bred actor Ken Jennings) digs up the tree. Mag escapes, summoning a storm and leaving Dinty shipwrecked on the island where all the leprechauns live, and now he and the Little People must try to cooperate to defeat Mag and return home. The special isn’t that great, to be honest; it’s got lots of problems, and it’s obviously quite peculiar. However, I have a soft spot for it: I watch it almost every year. Something about it is fun and comforting, even if it isn’t necessarily the best of Rankin/Bass’ work, and it’s always stuck with me. It’s just my kind of weird and silly; if you think it sounds interesting, consider looking it up and giving it a watch yourself.

6. Finian’s Rainbow.

This colorful 1968 feature - based on the play of the same name - is an early success of legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. It’s weird to think that only a few years after this movie was released he would go on to debut “The Godfather,” really. The film stars Fred Astaire as con-artist Finian McLonergan: an Irish immigrant to America, who plans to try and make his way in the world via a crock of gold he stole from a leprechaun. The leprechaun, Og - played by Tommy Steele - is slowly turning human, for the longer a leprechaun goes without their gold, the less of a leprechaun they really are. Finian buries the treasure near Fort Knox, of all places, where a series of magical misadventures take place, involving a racist Senator, quarreling farmers, and several musical numbers. The movie is mostly fun, somewhat farcical, and highly satirical…but there is one stumbling block I have to point out: the aforementioned racist Senator gets punished for his wicked ways at one point by being turned into an African American himself. No, the Senator is not played by an African American actor, so…yeah…you can probably guess the awkwardness that arises as a result of that. It’s an unfortunate element in an otherwise great picture, and the main reason I don’t feel I can rank this in the top five. If you think you’d have difficulty watching this movie due to that issue, I wouldn’t blame you…but if there’s one thing this film teaches, it’s the importance of an open mind and an understanding of how times change. That, and that leprechauns are just as nimble on the dance floor when they’re human height as they are when tiny.

5. Wearing of the Grin.

This classic Looney Tunes cartoon is another favorite of mine around St. Patrick’s Day, and - being only about seven-and-a-half minutes in length - it’s an easy viewing for anybody. This short stars Porky Pig, who ends up lost in the middle of Ireland during a thunderstorm. The porcine traveler decides to take shelter inside an old castle, ignoring warning signs to “Beware of the Leprechauns!” This decision quickly comes back to bite Porky in his curly tail, when he ends up being victimized by a pair of leprechauns - O’Pat and O’Mike - who, believing he’s after their pot of gold, force Porky to wear The Green Shoes. This doesn’t seem so bad at first, but it turns out the shoes are alive, and as long as Porky wears them, he’ll be forced to dance an Irish jig non-stop. Porky manages to escape the fiendish footwear, but the shoes themselves give chase, determined to continue the punishment. It’s a typically silly, slapstick bit of goofiness, but there’s also a sense of atmosphere and danger to it you wouldn’t expect, and the visuals get more and more absurd the longer the short goes on, making it quite a feast for the eyes. It’s a hilarious and creative piece of Chuck-Jones-born buffoonery; exactly what a Looney Tunes fan would want for St. Patty’s.

4. Luck of the Irish (2001).

I actually am aware of two films with this title. The first was a 1948 feature, which - by all accounts - has nothing to do with the one we’re talking about here. I sadly have not seen that movie yet (although I would very much like to), so if you’re familiar with it, let me know what you think. For now, let’s focus on our actual topic: this 2001 TV film was made for the Disney Channel. As most people may tell you, Disney Channel movies tend to be hit or miss; some of them are actually quite a good time, considering the low budgets many of them have to work with, while others are…frankly rather painful to sit through. This one, I feel, is in the former category, and it’s actually developed a bit of a cult following for good reason. The story focuses on a young lad named Kyle Johnson, who seems to always have good fortune thanks to a lucky gold coin he wears around his neck. When the coin is stolen, however, not only does Kyle find bad luck following him wherever he goes, but he starts to undergo some strange physical transformations: he starts to grow shorter, his hair turns red, his ears become pointed, etc. It’s ultimately revealed that Kyle is actually half-leprechaun, and the one who stole the coin is a wicked fairy-man by the name of Seamus McTiernen (played by, of all people, Timothy Omundsen). Seamus is trying to steal all the leprechauns’ gold from around the world to become King of the Leprechauns; it’s now up to Kyle to stop him…via a basketball game. OF COURSE! A CLASSIC MANEUVER! PATTON HIMSELF NE’ER HAD BETTER STRATEGY! (pauses) Yeah, like I said, this film is wacky. But it’s a good kind of wacky; if it sounds up your alley, give it a look-see.

3. The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns.

While not received well at the time of its release, this 1999 TV miniseries has since gained a cult following and much more acclaim. Personally, I love it. The story is essentially an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo & Juliet,” but with an Irish flair. The tale begins when an American entrepreneur, Jack Woods, goes to Ireland for a vacation in the countryside. He soon finds out that his holiday home is frequently visited by the Little People. It turns out the leprechauns are engaged in a feud with the fairies (or the pixies, rather, since leprechauns typically are a sort of fairy). This becomes a problem when the fairy princess, Jessica, falls in love with a young leprechaun named Mickey. Chaos ensues as a result of the tryst between these star-crossed lovers, causing the feud to escalate into an all-out war. At the same time, Jack has to deal with some troublesome affairs of the heart all his own, as he becomes infatuated with a lady named Kathleen. Eventually, the two love stories collide, only heightening the stakes. The miniseries combines many elements of Irish folklore and myth together in its runtime, and treats these elements faithfully while at the same time making various changes to the concepts for its own purposes. It also features a great cast, including some rather surprising performers, such as Whoopi Goldberg. While not as well-known as some of the other items on this list, it’s well-worth checking out.

2. Lucky Charms.

Well, you can’t talk about leprechauns without bringing up this classic cereal and its mascot, can you? I remember loving Lucky Charms as a kid…which is funny because, the last time I tasted it as an adult, the flavor…ah…left much to be desired, to put it in the least offensive terms. Looking back, I think the primary reason I loved this cereal so much came from the TV commercials, starring Lucky the Leprechaun. The advertisements for this children’s breakfast staple have a long and interesting history behind them on their own terms, but the basic formula has always remained the same: Lucky is an eccentric little leprechaun, whose greatest treasure is not a crock of gold, but instead a bowl full of Lucky Charms. In the universe of the commercials, the marshmallows in the cereal actually give him different magical abilities he can use to his advantage, as he tricks and escapes his ever-persistent pursuers, who yearn to steal his delicious(?) frosted oats. Unlike many leprechauns in fables and folklore, Lucky - while occasionally and suitably mischievous - isn’t a malicious character in any way; if anything, he’s just trying to escape from those darn kids that never leave him alone! He’s friendly, playful, and sometimes can even be a hero…as far as the thirty-second-to-a-minute-long commercials he’s in will allow, anyway. It’s no surprise this cereal was and remains so popular; the idea of the great chase is an indelible concept, the magic and whimsy of the visuals and storytelling always allow for creative fun, and the charm of a leprechaun character was certainly a lucky break for advertisers. (pauses) Yeah, that was a bit forced, I’m sorry. Bottom line, it’s telling that, even to this day, if you say “leprechaun,” more people will say something about Lucky Charms than arguably anything else.

1. Darby O’Gill and the Little People.

I have a theory that every person, particularly Disney fans, has that one live-action Disney movie that they love which most other people seem to forget about. For me, that movie is “Darby O’Gill and the Little People.” The film focuses on the many misadventures of an old Irish storyteller, the titular Darby O’Gill. The grand old timer is a sort of “frienemy” to the King of the Leprechauns himself, Brian Connors. When Darby is in danger of losing his job, King Brian decides to help…by kidnapping Darby and forcing him to stay forever in his underground palace. (It’s the thought that counts, I guess.) Darby soon turns the tables on the King, though, and instead ends up kidnapping HIM, and refuses to let him go back to his kingdom until Brian grants him three wishes. (Keep your Aladdin jokes to yourself, please.) Top it off with Darby’s daughter falling in love with a young farmhand (played by Sean Connery, of all people), hijinks with the town bully, and the creepy appearances of a mysterious Banshee, and it’s wily shenanigans all around. The film is totally over-the-top, and absolutely plays up to Irish stereotypes more than anything else, but that’s honestly part of the fun: it’s got a campy sense of humor about itself, but it also has a lot of real magic, heart, and even a sense of prevailing danger. It feels like an old Irish fairy legend brought to life, which is fitting since the Disney team actually took inspiration from a bunch of old Irish fairy legends in crafting the script. There’s even an episode of the old Disneyland TV show, which acts as a sort of “mockumentary,” showing Walt meeting Darby and the Little People and learning all the folklore about Brian and his fellow imps. (That’s pretty cool, too, by the way; check it out if you can find it.) The film is probably most well-known for its special effects, most of which are still REALLY impressive, even to this day; heck, even if you know how they were done, you still find it hard to see through them or believe they could work the way they do in the final product. If you haven’t seen this film, I do highly recommend it…BUT, a word of caution: do NOT watch the version on Disney+. For some baffling reason, the Disney+ version redubs some of the actors and has a few minor edits, which really don’t do the movie any favors. If you want to watch this film, buy the DVD, or see if you can find a better copy elsewhere online. You won’t regret it; I certainly never have. I watch this film (and the Disneyland episode accompanying it) every St. Patrick’s Day, and that’s a tradition I never plan to cease. When I think of leprechauns, Irish myths, and all the trappings that come with those things, this film is the first thing that comes to mind. For these reasons above all else, King Brian and his friends in this movie take top marks on this list.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

The Wee Men/Leprechaun’s Gold. (Two cartoons by Noveltoon that are based on classic leprechaun myths.)

Rupert and the Leprechauns. (An episode of the UK animated series “Rupert;” quite cute.)

Jack the Giant Killer. (This movie features a leprechaun called “Imp” as a major character. You can thank Rifftrax for my knowledge of this one. XD )

Leprechaun (1993). (I actually am not a big fan of this movie, or the series it spawned, but it felt physically wrong not to acknowledge Warwick Davis here.)

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rankinbassheadcanons · 2 years

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ATTENTION ALL RANKIN/BASS LOVERS!

Universal has teamed up with Warner Brothers Studious and is releasing a collection with EVERY Christmas special they ever made (yes, even the obscure ones. It’s about $50-$60 on Amazon (but Walmart has it for cheaper with a longer wait)

It’s been years since we’ve gotten any news like this so it’s super exciting that we’re finally getting FED.

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dexiscrankinrankin · 2 months

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day 🍀🌈

Have some rushed doodles of these two fuckos from that one wacky Leprechaun Christmas special lmao

#rankin bass #my art #fanart #the leprechauns christmas gold #artist on tumblr #dinty doyle #colleen

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rankinbass-hobbit · 2 months

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#rankin bass the leprechaun's christmas gold #studio m.o.m.#m.o.m. studios #rankin bass #remind magazine

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ashtonisvibing · 5 months

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I watched the leprechaun’s Christmas gold last night! It was very cute! 🥺☺️

YAYAYA I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKED IT!!!!!! \o/

such a silly goofy movie i love it :}}}

#ashton is answering #the leprechaun's christmas gold #admittedly i forgot that we talked about our favorite franklin-bass movies djkdsjhfsjhksdf #i gotta get around to watching jack frost while it's still winter-

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can-of-pringles · 1 year

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Anthony Hope? What are you doing here /j

#I'M SORRY IT'S THE OUTFIT #the leprechaun's christmas gold #rankin bass #anthony hope

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jellofangy · 1 year

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2023 is almost upon us so I thought it's time to revisit some randomly picked art from 2022. Happy New Year-

NOTE: Template is not mine and instead belongs to EspiPhantom on Deviantart.

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ellie88-blog-blog · 5 months

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Leprechauns, Gold and Christmas?

The writer reviews 1981’s “The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold," criticizing its lackluster story, forgettable songs, and problematic Irish accents. Despite these shortcomings, they suggest viewers form their own opinion about the movie.

Getting back to my Rankin/Bass marathon, after a bout of sickness, I’m taking a look at 1981’s “The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold.” If you know this one, congrats because I’ve tried to mention this movie to friends and have gotten crazy looks. I cannot say I remember this one very well, I just know I’ve seen it a few times. I don’t recall it airing very often, nor do I think it was a movie we look…

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#Art Carney #Christine Mitchell #Christmas #Christmas in Killarney #comedy #Family Films #fantasy #Ken Jennings #Movie Review #musical #Rankin/Bass #The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold

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erstwhile-punk-guerito · 1 year

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#the leprechauns’ christmas gold #art carney #jules bass #arthur rankin jr.#1981

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outtoshatter · 5 months

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This week's author spotlight is: the wonderful @raisesomehale! So many delightful fics to choose from!!

One-shots:

Beyond the Canyon Nook | T | 7k tags: spark Stiles, magical realism, found family Summary: Stiles has retrieved countless children from the shadows.

But Eli is the first child Stiles has found alone.

All I Want for Christmas, is You | E | 6k tags: post-canon, pack feels, Christmas fluff Summary: The sight of him is like whiplash.

Stiles and Derek have managed to keep up a reasonably active text-ship for the last few years (heavily due to Stiles’ undying persistence on the matter) but Derek’s recent inclination to jump around between continents paired with Stiles’ grueling school schedule has resulted in them not having been in the same room since Stiles left for Brown the summer after he graduated.

He’s broader. Taller. Hair buzzed short like it hasn’t been since he was a sophomore in high school, a scar nicked into the corner of his left eyebrow that Derek remembers hearing the story about (a frisky leprechaun with a bad sense of humor and a hard-on for blades.)

And when Stiles’ eyes catch sight of Derek across the room, his grin glitches into shock and he lets go of the door.

Which must be safety-weighted, considering the force with which it slams backwards against Scott.

Club Serenade | T | 822 tags: DJ Stiles, Bartender Derek, sexual tension Summary: Stiles, popular DJ at the Hale's club The Wolf Den, catches the attention of the bartender and part owner, Derek.

Serenading ensues.

Multi-Chaptered Fics:

Define "Dating" | T | 7k | 6 chapters tags: 5+1 things, oblivious Stiles, didn't know they were dating Summary: “You and Derek text each other memes?” she sounds both surprised and delighted - but more surprised.

“Well,” Stiles says, “I send memes. Derek sent me a picture of a newspaper comic strip, once.”

Lydia says, “Oh my god.”

- OR the 5 times people point out that Stiles might be dating Derek + the 1 time Derek tells Stiles they're dating himself.

Bite the Moonlight & Bleed Gold | E | 87k | 18 chapters tags: magical creatures, BAMF Derek, Creature Stiles, angst, mutual pining Summary: Seven years after being tricked and imprisoned by the Argents, Derek Hale finds himself off the blistering coasts of Antarctica aboard the Argentum Domina, an illegal prison ship out of which the Argents operate their behemoth, underground poaching empire. Bitter and packless, Derek spends his days working off his servitude by poaching creatures for Gerard to sell on the Black Magic Market, no future or end in sight. Until, Allison Argent brings him a capture case with a reward price so ludicrous that he has no choice but to accept.

The only problem is, the target creature shouldn't even exist.

Derek is flung fast into the deep webbings of a bigger mystery than he could have ever imagined. And discovers that, like this enchanting creature, not everything is as it seems.

Bonus wip:

light a spark | T | 37k | 9/15 chapters so far! tags: canon divergence, fluff and humor, energy bond Summary: “It’s not” - Derek cuts off as quickly as he starts, teeth gritting with frustration - “It’s not like the others it’s… There’s a reason I came to your house last.”

Stiles’ eyebrows raise. This is hands down the weirdest Derek has ever acted around him, and it’s making him curious.

“And that reason being…?” He rolls the sleeves of his flannel up to his elbows and leans against his desk to start untying his shoes.

“I need” - Derek grits through clenched teeth - “Your help.”

Stiles just blinks at him, shoes in his hands. “That was excruciating to witness, just so you know.”

Go check out raisesomehale's AO3 page and don't forget to mind the tags, leave a kudos and maybe even a comment!

#sterek #sterek fandom #teen wolf #author spotlight #raisesomehale #stiles stilinski #derek hale

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princesssarisa · 6 months

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I was going to wait till December to share this poll, but so many Christmas decorations are popping up everywhere that I already have the spirit and can't wait anymore.

If you grew up with the classic Rankin/Bass animated Christmas specials – both stop-motion and traditional animation – which one is your favorite?

#poll #christmas #holiday #rankin/bass #christmas specials #holiday specials #rudolph the red nosed reindeer #the little drummer boy #frosty the snowman #santa claus is comin' to town #the year without a santa claus #'twas the night before christmas #jack frost #nestor the long-eared christmas donkey #pinocchio's christmas #the life and adventures of santa claus

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etakeh · 5 months

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I wrangled a collection of Rankin Bass Christmas specials - not just Rudolph and Santa Claus is Coming to Town. No. I got the...other ones.

Thought I should watch them all, if they're as fun as the others.

They aren't, and I understand why they didn't become Christmas Classics.

Jack Frost - ok, with a good bit of "how to not be an ass when you've been friendzoned".

First Christmas Snow - boring. Nuns, orphans, sheep. Angela Lansbury I guess, but not worth it.

Leprechaun's Christmas Gold - ? I mean ? I thought it was going to be a cautionary tale, like, "don't pull up trees on mysterious islands", but it turned out to be more like "don't get tricked by banshee or your husband will go out for a pack of cigarettes and never come back".

Pinocchio's Christmas - this is when I started skipping the songs. What an annoying little shit. Geppetto has a wig.

Rudolph's Shiny New Year - I hate baby noises, and I don't like Jerry Lewis impersonations, even if they are by a cave man. "It's ok that people laugh at you, it means you make them happy" wow that was some bullshit.

But if you want to be fully horrified?

Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey

What the fuck even.

Only pain.

Romans stealing the livestock for slaves - yes, they use that word - never to be heard about again.

Nestor spending the night in a storm under the dead body of his mother. Awesome. "Whatever happens, you must be brave" she says.

I'm trying not to nitpick a dead donkey, but there was a sheltered cliff wall like 5 feet to their left.

Yes, that's his mom. "The lord works in mysterious ways," says the narrator.

It's ok though, he finds a cherub (?) and then finds Jesus.

Oh I should mention that the story is being told by his great-great-child of some type, who now works for Santa as a dray horse basically.

So anyway I don't think I can watch anymore. Sorry. There are so many and I just...can't.

(I did watch the Life and Adventures of Santa Claus, which was bonkers enough to merit its own post though. Image-heavy let me tell you.)

#rankin bass #christmas #holiday specials

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astercontrol · 3 months

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Latest news from the Asterbrain Pattern-Recognizer: How a butt joke led to a religious analysis of the whole TRON 1982 cast.

So, today, for… strange and mysterious Aster-specific reasons… I was looking for a character who could be written as Catholic.

And because Tron is always on my brain, I went straight for those characters.

Now, though I was technically raised Roman Catholic, my own family's faith and customs were pretty secular, and I certainly never developed any notion that I could know other Catholics on sight.

And, while TRON leans heavily into religious themes from the Program viewpoint, the Users don't say or do much that would indicate their own religion. All I can think of, offhand, is a few references to Christmas-- so brief and vague that they might not even be enough to imply anyone being Christian.

So, we might just have to go by character names... and the associations that an audience familiar with stereotypes and archetypes would have with them.

Alan Bradley: Both given name and surname seem to be British in origin; could be coded as Anglican or Methodist or some other form of Protestant, but in the absence of other clues I don't think viewers would give much thought to his religion or his ethnic background. He's basically designed to look like 1980's American audiences' idea of the most normal, standard everyday guy.

Lora Baines: Probably also of British origin, though that spelling of the first name is uncommon. Like Alan, there might be some vague assumption of Protestantism, but not a whole lot of thought given to it.

Walter Gibbs: Last name, again, seems to come from England, and the actor's accent sounds to me like maybe it's attempting to be British… but that might just be how older Hollywood actors had been trained to talk, back then. I hear similar voices in old movies a LOT. Again I'm not sure audiences would immediately think anything about his religion (although his line about programs and their "spirits" ties very closely into the… animism of the whole digital-world side of things).

(Wow, so far lots of names from England, and lots of reinforcement of the idea that those names are so default as to go unnoticed. Probably says something about society, and/or about me and my viewpoint on it. ...Moving on.)

Ed Dillinger: that surname seems to have originated separately in both Germany and England; going by his accent it's clearly England, so audiences would probably guess Anglican. (If they thought anything about that name at all beyond the 1930's gangster connotation.)

Roy Kleinberg: very unambiguously Jewish name, thank you Legacy and The Next Day! (as of 1982 we only knew him as Popcorn Coworker, which could have been anything, since there is, to my knowledge, no religion with dietary restrictions against popcorn.)

Kevin Flynn: ...okay! this is the most Irish name I have seen in a long time! We may have our Catholic-coded character, folks. (Although he might be primarily "luck of the Irish" coded, LOL.)

(they found him under the rainbow, like a leprechaun on his pot of gold)

And, completing this analysis, I've found that it felt much more worthwhile than the joke I had in mind when I started.

Truly, the journey outweighs the destination here.

Yes, my idea did require a Catholic and someone else unfamiliar with Catholicism-- the joke itself remaining agnostic on which of them, exactly, was being made fun of.

But it was such a silly, throwaway joke that could have been a two-line shitpost, and certainly did not NEED to be about Tron characters.

My mind, though, will go off on whatever tangents it wishes.

....the butt joke, in case you wanted it:

"So, you Catholics only listen to the Pope when he is… talking out of his ass?" "His seat, man. Cathedra means seat."

#tron #tronblr #tron 1982 #kevin flynn #headcanons #humor

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jurakan · 5 months

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Merry Christmas Eve Eve Eve! May I have a fun fact?

Alright, let’s talk about the Leprechaun Christmas special, because I mentioned it an @afanofmanyhats asked about it. Today You Learned about The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold.

Do the children still know of the Rankin-Bass Christmas specials? They were stop-motion animated movies like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and all? They used to show on ABC Family (which is now Freeform) all December. Some were adaptations, like that one and The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. Others were original Christmas stories. And then you have… whatever this is. I somehow caught it airing and I’ve never seen it since, but recently a friend of mine brought it up, and a lot of it came rushing back to me.

I remember being utterly baffled by this for existing. It’s quite obviously a stretch for a Christmas film premise, but someone went and made it! So it’s A Thing.

I’m going to be real with you: I don’t remember all the details off the top of my head. The fan wiki (yes, there’s a fan wiki for Christmas specials) has a full summary. The gist of it, to the best of my ability, is that a young Irish sailor boy goes ashore to a small island to grab a tree for the crew to use as a Christmas tree, but he happens to pick the one tree that has an evil banshee/hag imprisoned under it. This evil hag is after the gold of some leprechauns that live nearby, and they’re less than thrilled about that, so they had Saint Patrick, or a leprechaun equivalent, trap her in a magical spring under a tree.

I’m not making this up:

Our Irish sailor boy learns from a friendly leprechaun the history of the tree, the island, and the gold, and then has to do some sort of quest to re-capture or vanquish the hag/banshee. Also at one point the banshee turns into a beautiful woman to trick the sailor boy or something.

Look it’s really, really weird. Weirder than the usual Rankin-Bass stuff–not because the Plot is that much weirder, but it’s not based on anything other than “What if we made a Christmas special featuring leprechauns?”

[Also according to the wiki, Rankin wanted to have a treasure hunt contest to go along with the special, but it didn’t pan out because they were scared it’d put kids at risk.]

Anyhow! Yes! This is a real thing!

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#Rankin Bass #Christmas #Fun Fact Friday #Today You Learned #leprechauns #Ireland

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chibeast · 2 months

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for those of you oldies who don't have young niblings/siblings/cousins, they've turned st Patrick's day into a magic gift holiday, like Christmas and Easter. All my niblings made "leprechaun traps" at school - and they brought them home this weekend to leave out. The idea is, you lure in a leprechaun with fake gold, etc, and once they get trapped, they leave you a present for your ingenuity before magicking themselves away. And they usually also play a little prank on the kids, too - like dyeing something green like their milk or even the toilet water.

I don't mind a bit of fun, honestly, but it feels like elf on the shelf all over again. Very pinterest mom-coded.

#st patricks day #leprechaun traps

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a30somethingslookatpopculture · 4 months

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Top 10 Holiday Themed Horror Movies

(In no particular order)

Any holiday goes! With the exception of one, I will be avoiding more than one film from a franchise. Because otherwise, I could just fill this list with Friday The 13th films and call it a day. But the one I am making an expectation for is self explanatory, as it's COMPLETELY different from the rest of the series.

Friday The 13th

Yes, it is holiday themed in name only, but hey, any excuse for me to watch slasher films every F13, i’m in! There’s nothing I can say about this film that I haven’t said a thousand times before. It is my favorite movie of all-time

My Bloody Valentine (OG)

Hearts ripped out & sent in heart shaped Valentines with fun poems…A killer who emerges on February 14th to kill those who have parties that day? Sign me up! This one required just a little bit of internal debate, because I thoroughly enjoy the remake as well. But I ultimately decided on the original. I am an 80s Slasher movie junkie! That being said, I love the look and feel of this film more. The spx are so fantastic that even the director threw up at the sight of one of them. That’s pretty awesome to me! I also love the authentic look of the mine (coal mining means a great deal to me). The laundromat scene is probably one of my top favorite horror movie scenes. And shoutout to “The Ballad of Harry Warden” that plays at the end, too! It’s a bop! (Gosh, am I old for using that term? lol)

Halloween III: Season Of The Witch

To me, this is the ultimate Halloween movie! It captures both the spooky, horror atmosphere as well as the commercialism of the holiday. And a bonus, the masks are modeled after classic Halloween figures.

Halloween

It’s Halloween, everyone’s entitled to one good scare! Halloween is the better movie, I just have a soft spot in my heart for III. Again, there’s nothing I could say about 1978’s Halloween that hasn’t been said before. It is probably THE holiday movie of all holiday movies.

Gremlins

As much as I love Christmas, most films I wait until December to watch. But Gremlins is one that I can watch at any time of the year, and I'm always down for it. I adore it! It captures the feel of Christmas so perfectly. Snowy landscapes, the decor, caroling Mogwai/Gremlins, kills using Christmas items, Gismo is even given as a Christmas present!

Black Christmas

This is one of the earliest Slasher movies, starring the great Margot Kidder. It takes the classic killer calling from inside the house trope and makes the most magical time of the year scary. There’s nothing I can say about this one that hasn’t been said before. It’s well worth the watch!

Silent Night, Deadly Night

Another Christmas one, because how could I not? This time, Santa is our killer. Sort of. It’s very festive and has some gory-good kills! Here’s looking at you, antler scene!

Leprechaun

The great Warrick Davis is a cunning and witty leprechaun in this one, who kills for his gold. It’s a fun St. Patrick’s Day watch each year that's full of laughs (any of the films really, but especially this one). And hey, we have to thank this movie for jumpstarting Jennifer Aniston’s career!

Trick 'r Treat

This one tells five separate but interconnected stories on Halloween night. Each spooky, and fun in their own way. But little “Sam”, a supernatural trick or treater, is the real star of the film. He‘s there to enforce the “rules of Halloween” with his candy themed weapons! He’s oddly adorable.

Happy Death Day

Groundhogs Day…but on your Birthday? What a wonderful idea! Add in being killed over and over again on your special day. What a wild concept.

Honorable Mention: My Bloody Valentine (Remake), Thankskilling, Valentine, Jack Frost, Krampus, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Jaws - those two totally count in my mind lol

#my blog #top 10 #horror movies #Friday The 13th #My Bloody Valentine #Leprechaun #Silent Night Deadly Night #Happy Death Day #Gremlins #Halloween #Halloween III Season Of The Witch #Trick R Treat #Black Christmas

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