The X-Files: "How The Ghosts Stole Christmas"

Premiered December 13, 1998.

It's Christmas Eve, somewhere in Maryland.  FBI Agent Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) has called his partner Agent Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) to a stakeout of an abandoned mansion.  Scully is a bit annoyed, since she has lots of Christmas presents to wrap. 

Mulder tells her that on December 24, 1917, two star-crossed lovers named Maurice and Lyda killed each other in a suicide pact.  Their ghosts haunt the mansion every Christmas Eve.  In fact, every couple that has lived in the house since then has all died tragically on Christmas Eve.  Scully doesn't believe in ghosts and dismisses Mulder's story.  

Once they enter the house, Scully notices a clock that is keeping perfect time.  They investigate further and notice a fireplace where the fire has just been extinguished.  The agents notice a creaking under the floor boards, so Mulder lifts up the boards and discovers two dead bodies.  Scully and Mulder realize that the bodies bear a strong resemblance...to themselves!  

When Scully runs out of the library, a door slams behind her.  Mulder opens it and discovers the doorway has been bricked over, trapping him.

Suddenly, a man (Ed Asner) appears and asks Mulder what he's doing there.  He analyzes Mulder, telling him that his quest to learn the truth will drive him insane and that he tolerates Scully's skepticism because he's desperately lonely. 

Elsewhere in the house, Scully encounters a woman (Lily Tomlin).  She says that Scully's life must be "awful," since she spends so much time with Mulder chasing after things she doesn't believe in.  The woman states that the only pleasure Scully gets out of life is proving Mulder wrong.  

Scully and Mulder soon learn that the people in the house are the ghosts of Lyda and Maurice.  Will Mulder and Scully make it out of the mansion alive? 

RigbyMel says:

I remember seeing this creepy and festive episode of The X-Files back when it originally aired.  It made quite an impression on me then and holds up well 20+ years later.  There are also some aspects of the episode that have an unexpected and interesting resonance in light of references to the 1917/18 flu pandemic and our current ongoing coronavirus situation. 

"How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" is a Christmas cracker of a ghost story as well as a meditation on loneliness during the holiday season or otherwise.  It's also essentially a 4 person play with the not-necessarily benevolent spirits played by the delightful Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin wrecking pop-psych havoc upon Mulder and Scully's own loneliness and their fears about their worst impulses.  The quality of the acting makes or breaks an episode like this and all 4 actors are definitely up to the task. 

The Christmas season is literally the darkest time of the year and so we often celebrate with lights and warmth and feasting to counteract the darkness.  However, that darkness also manifests in the sense of loneliness and melancholy that many experience during the season. 

Moreover, there is a wonderful tradition of ghostly tales and stories associated with the holiday season with which "How the Ghosts Stole Christmas" slots in nicely.  There are even some direct references to the granddaddy of all ghostly Christmas tales, A Christmas Carol -- we see a clip of the Alistair Sim version of the tale on Mulder's TV late in the episode.  Also, corpses under the floorboards really takes the whole tombstone with your name on it thing on it to another level in terms of Christmas Yet To Come!

Although Maurice and Lyda's analysis of our heroes has some truth to it, the ghosts miss the fact that ultimately Mulder and Scully's friendship/partnership is more important to them than their flaws as individuals.  When Mulder and Scully are able to actually communicate (in pools of blood) they are able to overcome the ghosts' head games and make their escape from the haunted mansion.  Their ghostly encounter leaves them with a new and deeper appreciation of their friendship and for the spirit of the holiday season.  They even exchange gifts with each other -- aww! 

I also guarantee that you will never hear Bing Crosby's version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" in quite the same way after watching this episode.  

This X-Files episode is heartily recommended -- but not for the faint of heart. 

RigbyMel's rating:

4 candy canes! 

J.A. Morris says:

I'm mostly in agreement with my co-blogger here.  The X-Files was a show I usually watched when it aired and I remember enjoying this episode when it premiered.  

I'll echo what RigbyMel said about the light and darkness that are both present during the holiday season.  "How The Ghosts Stole Christmas" begins in an extremely dark place, with a story of two lovers who took their lives on Christmas Eve.  However, at the end of this episode, Mulder and Scully realize that there is more goodness than darkness in the world and that having each other (even if they drive each other crazy at times) is better than having no one.  

I'm a big fan of both Ed Asner and Lily Tomlin and they're great in "How The Ghosts Stole Christmas."  Both actors bring the perfect amount of humor and horror to their characters and they play well off Duchovny and Anderson.  

One thing I noticed while re-watching this episode:there are few traditional Christmas symbols to be found here.  No Christmas trees, no Santas, no wreathes, no Nativities.  We get a quick glance at Mulder and Scully's Christmas gifts at the end, but that's it.  Yet this is most definitely a Christmas episode in every other sense.  

During its run, The X-Files generally had two types of episodes:(1)"The Monster Of The Week" Episodes and (2) Episodes that built on the big conspiracy that lurked in the background of the series.  I always preferred the "Monster" episodes and this holiday episode certainly falls into that category.

"How The Ghosts Stole Christmas" is recommended to all fans of Christmas entertainment who like a little bit of darkness and horror to go with their eggnog and hot chocolate.  It's especially recommended for fans of Lily Tomlin and Ed Asner.  

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 candy canes!

Muppets Haunted Mansion

Premiered October 8, 2021.

One hundred years ago, on All Hallows' Eve, the a magician known as the Great MacGuffin disappeared in a haunted mansion.  In the present day, on Halloween night, Gonzo The Great (Dave Goelz) and his friend Pepe the King Prawn (Bill Barretta) are participating in a fear challenge in the very same mansion, which is believed to be the most haunted mansion in the world.  Gonzo is especially excited about this, since MacGuffin is his favorite magician.  Pepe is along for the ride because he believes the mansion will be filled with partying celebrities.

At the same time, their friends Kermit the frog (Matt Vogel) and Miss Piggy (Eric Jacobson) are hosting the Muppets' annual costume party.  They're disappointed Gonzo and Pepe won't be attending. 

Upon arrival at the mansion, Pepe and Gonzo are greeted by the caretaker (Darren Criss) and several ghosts. 

Inside, they meet their "Ghost Host" (Will Arnett), who gives them a tour of the mansion and explains the terms of the challenge: Inside the mansion's walls, they must face all their fears bravely.  Pepe and Gonzo must stay in the mansion all night but if they fail to do so, they will be trapped inside forever!  The host says the house is filled with spirits that will respond to their "sympathetic vibrations."  

Throughout the evening, they will encounter lots of interesting characters, including:

Madam Pigota, the spirit of a psychic medium who speaks in rhymes.  She gives clues to Gonzo and Pepe that may help them find a way out of the mansion.

Gauzey the Hat Box Bear (Eric Jacobson), a comedian who performs at the mansion's vaudeville show.

Constance Hathaway (Taraji P. Henson), who tells Pepe she wants to marry him. 

And John Stamos! 

Unbeknownst to Pepe, Constance has killed all five of her previous husbands and their ghosts are now stuck in the mansion.  She plans to kill Pepe after marrying him.  Gonzo figures this out and tries to intervene.

However, Gonzo has his own problems.  The ghost host informs him that if he wants to survive the night, he must go to room 999.  Inside that room, Gonzo must face his greatest fear.

Will Gonzo and Pepe make it through the night?  Or will they be trapped in the Haunted Mansion forever?

J.A. Morris says: 

Since the Jim Henson's death, the Muppets haven't always been handled well.  Muppet movies and TV have been very inconsistent in recent decades.  What Henson and his collaborators understood was that Muppets programming needed a combination of child-like sentiment and a little bit of edgy humor.  I'm happy to report that Muppets Haunted Mansion reminds me a lot of the humor of The Muppet Show and the early Muppets films.  

Gonzo and Pepe get the spotlight here, instead of usual "leads" like Kermit or Miss Piggy.  Dave Goelz (of the the original Muppeteers) and Bill Barretta do a nice job carrying the special.  All the other Muppet performs are good as well, especially puppeteers who play the Electric Mayhem band.  Their performance of "Dancing In The Moonlight" is a nice moment.  

The human actors in Muppets Haunted Mansion are also entertaining.  Will Arnett brings just enough spookiness and mystery as the mansion's ghost host.  Taraji P. Henson is great as the murderous Constance Hathaway.  Most of Henson's scenes feature her interacting with Pepe.  It takes a lot of talent to believably interact with a king prawn.  

Lots of famous actors make cameo appearances as ghosts.  I don't have the time or space here to name of all of them, but it's worth noting that the late Ed Asner plays one of the ghosts.  It's one of his final roles and it was nice to see him here

The only problem I had with Muppets Haunted Mansion was the performance of the song "Grim, Grinning Ghosts," a song that originated at Disney's Haunted Mansion theme park attraction.  It's one of the best original songs written for their parks. 

I didn't have a problem with Darren Criss' performance of the song, I just thought "Grim, Grinning Ghosts" deserved a bigger number than what we get here.  The special's major production number is reserved for the original song "Life Hereafter," which I also enjoyed.  

I enjoyed Muppets Haunted Mansion more than any recent Muppet production and I hope it's the start of a new "golden age" of Muppets film and TV.  It's highly recommended to fans of Muppets fans of every age and it's something I figure I'll watch often around Halloween in the future.

J.A. Morris' rating:

4 jack o'lanterns!

RigbyMel says:

Having a nostalgic affection for both the Muppets AND Disney's celebrated Haunted Mansion dark ride, I was quite intrigued when this Muppets special was announced for Disney+.   I was also a little bit nervous about it because, as J.A. Morris points out above, post-Henson Muppets output has been on the uneven side.  

It turns out that this new special contains enough Muppet mayhem and Haunted Mansion spookiness to make my nostalgic heart very happy indeed. 

Not only was the story fun, but there were all kinds of cool little Easter eggs (Halloween treats?) sprinkled throughout.   

For instance, we see Mah Na Mah Na candelabra in the stretching room near the beginning of Gonzo and Pepe's adventure. 

When Statler and Waldorf show up, they heckle the proceedings from a "Doom Buggy" - the mode of transit park guests take during the actual Haunted Mansion dark ride

There are also appearances by some pretty old school Muppets like Wayne and Wanda.   

Plus the "casting" of the Muppets in various ghostly Haunted Mansion roles was pretty darned inspired -- and we even get non-sequitur screaming goats thrown into the mix for good measure!

It is quite evident from all the clever meta-humor and an optimal balance of spooky and funny that the writers (Bill Barretta, Kirk R. Thatcher, and Kelly Younger) love the Muppets and the Haunted Mansion and they've done a great job of bringing the spirit of Jim Henson and his creations to the screen in this special. 

 

Muppets Haunted Mansion is the Muppets/Halloween/Haunted Mansion (monster?) mash-up we didn't know we needed and is recommended viewing for Muppet fans and Haunted Mansion fans of all ages. 

RigbyMel's rating: 

4 jack o'lanterns! 

In which we pay a visit to the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention

This past Friday, we attended the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention - an annual event which takes place just outside of Baltimore, Maryland.   It features a mix of celebrity appearances, scholarly talks and many vendors offering all sorts of memorabilia and lovingly created fan art. 

We had a great time and took part in many of the activities that the convention had to offer. 

J.A. Morris auditioned for an old-time radio drama (A lost episode of Gang Busters.) produced & performed by the Gotham Radio Players.  Sadly,  he was not chosen, but we enjoyed listening to the final performance -  they only got 1/2 an hour of rehearsal! 

The Gotham Radio Players perform an episode of Gang Busters.

Julie Newmar, the definitive Catwoman and Elizabeth Shepherd, the original Emma Peel were part of a great panel discussion about their careers.  

We also attended award-winning author Garyn G. Roberts' lecture about the life and work of the late, great Ray Bradbury. 

Ray Bradbury and friend

We've been fans of Bradbury's work for some time and found much to enjoy in Roberts' talk.  For the record, we blogged about an adaptation of Bradbury's "The Halloween Tree" last year.  

RigbyMel with K-9 -- but ready to run if that Dalek behind me noticed I was there!

We even got to visit the TARDIS and some Doctor Who prop replicas thanks to the TARDIS Photo Booth. 

J.A. Morris exiting the TARDIS

We got to meet Robert Loggia.  Best remembered from his roles in the movie Big and the series T.H.E. Cat, he's one of the best character actors of all time.    

J.A. Morris and Robert Loggia

And Ed Asner,  who was every bit as salty, and funny and awesome as one would hope he'd be.  Asner has appeared in quite a few Christmas-themed productions (Elf, The X-Files, various holiday episodes of Mary Tyler Moore), we plan to review some of them this season.  

Asner says we're off the naughty list!

But our favorite celebrity that we got to hang out with was our friend Joanna Wilson of Christmas TV History.com.   She gave a lecture entitled "Entertaining Spirits: The Many TV Adaptations of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol".

Joanna and RigbyMel 

Her presentation was very informative, even for Christmas junkies like ourselves.  We both met her in 2010, we've done guest reviews on our respective blogs, it was great to see her in person again.

The Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention was a fun experience.  Future MANC events are well worth checking out if you get the chance.

-- RigbyMel and J.A. Morris