What’s up, dudes? I’ve got Mike Westfall from Advent Calendar House, Chad Young from Horror Movie BBQ, and Tommy Coombs the Pop Daddy here to talk about the Halloween episode of the 1990 syndicated show/game show “Video Power!” Hosted by Johnny Arcade, what began as a show of video game tips and cartoon intermissions morphed into players competing at video games for the opportunity to run through the maze to win ultimate prizes!

In this season 1 Halloween episode, Johnny opens the show dressed as the vampire Count Arcadula. He interviews some kids in the crowd to see what Halloween costume they’re wearing. Following this, he gives tips on Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse and Frankenstein for the NES.

During the animated Power Team segment, Mr. Big uses a train full of kids as bait to trap the heroes. When the Power Team arrives, Max Force, Kuros, Tyrone, and Kwirk vie against the traps and devices set to ensnare and destroy them. Luckily, with help from animated Johnny and Bigfoot, they scape and foil Mr. Big’s plans.

Costumes? Check. Eerie music? Uh huh. Vampire teeth that fall out? Looking at you, Johnny! So grab your controller, hope in Bigfoot, and try to win with this episode on “Video Power!”

Advent Calendar House
FB: @adventcalendarhouse
Twitter: @adventcalhouse
IG: @adventcalendarhouse

Horror Movie BBQ
FB: @HorrorMovieBBQ
Twitter: @HorrorMovieBBQ
IG: @horrormoviebbq

The Pop Daddy
FB: @ThePopDaddy
Twitter: @ThePopDaddy
IG: @the_popdaddy

Give us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

What’s up, dudes? La la la la la la! They’re three apples tall, and Jeff Loftin from Lost Christmas is here with me to talk all about their Christmas adventures! Yes, it’s “The Smurfs Christmas Special!”

In this 1982 special, the Smurfs prepare their smurfberry pudding as they trim the tree. When Greedy eats the last walnut, they venture into the woods. Meanwhile, a grandfather is regaling his two grandchildren with tales of Santa Claus when their sleigh overturns. Of course, the children leave to retrieve help and run into Gargamel. After sending them away, he’s visited by a diabolical stranger who offers him a Smurf-destroying scroll in exchange for the two children.

Luckily, the Smurfs run into the children who think Papa Smurf is Santa Claus. Unfortunately though, the stranger apprehends the children and Gargamel and begins a ritual to send them all to hell. The little blue guys show up and sing their Christmas tune “Goodness Makes the Badness Go Away.” The stranger vanishes, and the Smurfs make a Christmas wish to restore their village. Oh, and the kids are saved . Gargamel gets nothing.

Brainy Smurf? Check. Papa Smurf? Got ‘im. June Foray Smurf? Only if it’s Jokey! So grab your Phrygian cap, speak in Smurf-talk, and sing along to this episode on “The Smurfs Christmas Special!”

Lost Christmas Podcast
FB: @LostChristmasPodcast
Twitter: @LostChristmasP1
IG: @lostchristmaspodcast

Give us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

What’s up, dudes? Happy Halloween! I’ve got Anthony Caruso from ‘Tis the Podcast here to dive into the 1981 TV movie “The Munsters’ Revenge!” 15 years after the show ended, the gang returned—with recast children—to clear their names! Doppelgängers of Herman and Grandpa are committing crimes because of Sid Caesar, and the Munsters are on the lam! Will they capture Dr. Diablo in time for Lily’s Halloween party? Hop in your Dragula, put on some surf music, and speed into this episode to find out!

‘Tis the Podcast

Give us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

What’s up, dudes? It's spooky season! So that means I've got Anthony Caruso from ‘Tis the Podcast with me to talk the Mistress of the Dark! That's right! This episode is all about Elvira! From MTV specials to comics to her own feature film, we get into all of it!

In "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark," the goth beauty inherits a decrepit New England mansion and a old recipe book. Spoilers: It's actually a spell book, and she's descended from a line of witches. There's an uptight Puritanical town, an evil warlock uncle, and a group of hormonal teens! When they attempt to burn her at the stake, she conjures a storm to put it out, then tackles her maniacal uncle! Eventually, with her newly inherited money, she finances her own Vegas show!

In Elvira's Haunted Holidays, the titular heroine plays the Scrooge character and is visited by three ghosts. First, she's visited by the Ghost of Christmas Past who shows her making bat garland and burning down her schoolhouse. The next ghost shows her New York City's Christmas spirit which she promptly lambasted for its greed. Finally, the Ghost of Christmas Future shows her a desolate wasteland, which changes her attitude about the holiday. Cue the horror hostess sic'ing a bat on some creeps.

Ancient family spell book? Check. Witty quips and zingers? Uh huh. Dangerous food monster? Only if it's really gross! So grab your magic ring, hop in your convertible, and take a ride to this episode!

‘Tis the Podcast
FB: @tisthepodcast
Twitter: @tisthepod
IG: @tisthepodcast

Give us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

What's up, dudes? I've got Ken Kessler from Sounds of Christmas and Scott Leopold from Holly Jolly X'masu here to talk the mutant disco/no wave album “A Christmas Record!” From ZE Records, it was a triumph of experimental Christmas music.

Founded in 1978 by Michael Zilkha and Michel Esteban, ZE was one of the most popular rated labels, capturing the emerging New York sound of the period. They gained exposure through a distribution deal with Island Records. In fact, before long they had signed such acts as Kid Creole, the Waitresses, Was (Not Was), Cristina, and James White. Called “the best independent record label in the world” and “the world’s most fashionable label,” they closed their doors in ‘84.

In 1981, ZE released a Christmas compilation album as a lark. Of course the album is noted for standout alternative tracks “Christmas Wrapping” and “Christmas on Riverside Drive.” Davitt Sigerson’s “It’s a Big Country” is a folksy little ditty that plays as a newsletter of sorts, tucked into a Christmas card. Unfortunately, some of the songs don’t quite hit as hard. Suicide’s “Hey, Lord” is a depressing number and Alan Vega’s “No More Christmas Blues” feels like just the opposite.

Synthesizer? Yep. Funk rhythms? Got ‘em. Bummer Christmas songs? For sure! So grab your record player, put “A Christmas Record,” and listen to this episode!

Sounds of Christmas
FB: @SOCMusic
Twitter: @SOCMusic
IG: @socmusic

Holly Jolly X'masu
FB: @HollyJollyXmasu
Twitter: @HollyJollyXmasu
IG: @hollyjollyxmasu

Give us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

What's up, dudes? I’ve got artist, author, and adventurer Ryan Estrada here to talk about his new book “No Rules Tonight” on Christmas in Korea in the ‘80s! Curfews and banned books and dance clubs! Oh my! It’s a fascinating look into true events!

Kim Hyun Sook is in college, and she’s being eyed as the new leader of the Banned Book Club. To top it off, it’s Christmas Eve, so traditionally this is when the Dance Club heads up the mountain to par-tay!

Speaking to the true story that inspired both books, Hyun Sook said, “Banned Book Club is a story about the harsh realities we faced while living under a dictator. But at the time, we did not think about ourselves as living in a dystopia. We dealt with many problems and tried to make the world a better place, but we were still living our lives, making friends, falling in love, and having fun. I wanted to make a book about finding the joy in life when the world doesn't seem to want you to be happy. About discovering yourself in a world that seems hostile toward your very existence. Banned Book Club was about the sacrifices we made, the truths we hid, and the dangers we endured. I want readers of ‘No Rules Tonight’ to understand that the most important step to make the world a better place is
to be your true, authentic self.”

Give us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

What's up, dudes? Jeremy Phelps the Alamo City Santa and Sean Sotka from the Christmas Podcasts Podcast join me to talk all about 1980’s “The Christmas Raccoons!” It’s an ”Inception”-like dream/reality hybrid of pink aardvarks lumber barons and talking raccoons. It’s also Canadian and narrated by Rich Little.

The trees begin to disappear rapidly. Someone is cutting them down, and Ranger Dan has to solve the mystery. As he goes off into the wilderness leaving his poor children at home, some plucky raccoons soon find their own dwelling chopped. Ralph, Melissa, and lazy Bert were decorating for Christmas too. What a shame.

As they investigate, they mistake the ranger’s children for the tree cutters and sneak into their cabin. It turns out, however, that the culprit is Cyril Sneer. The raccoons, along with their new sheepdog friend Schaeffer ambush Cyril, and get him to discontinue his assault on the Forest. Subsequently they move into the tree in front of the cabin.

College educated nerdy son? Check. Raccoon stockings? Got ‘em. Christmas tree Yggdrasil upon which Midgard hangs as an ornament? Definitely! So grab your coat, put on your scarf, and sled down to this episode on “The Christmas Raccoons!”

Christmas Podcasts Podcast
FB: @christmaspods
IG: @christmaspods
Twitter: @ChristmasPods

Give us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!

What’s up, dudes? What if Kevin McCallister had a mullet and was super into Rambo? Now we’ve got “Dial Code Santa Claus” or “Deadly Games” or “Game Over” or “3615 code Père Noël”! Yes, this many-titled French film is bonkers, and I’ve got Jeff and Jay from Horror for the Holidays with me to talk about it!

Thomas is an incredibly intelligent young boy whose mother is a wealthy store manager. On Christmas Eve, he makes contact with a vagrant (escaped mental patient?) through a pre-internet Minitel. Subsequently the vagrant poses as Santa, and even goes so far as to get a job at the manager’s store. He’s summarily dismissed after slapping a child.

Eventually, wanting revenge and to play with Tommy, he hijacks a store can and drives to his house. Tommy, with an out of control mullet and a Rambo attitude, has to defend his house and his diabetic grandfather from the psychotic Santa. He “Home Alone”s his house and with his technological genius, sets up traps to counter the dog-killing intruder. Cut to a Bonnie Tyler song.

Trapdoors? Check. Flocked beard? Got it. Grandpa hiding in a suit of armor like Gossamer from Looney Tunes? For sure! So grab your arm band, load a toy grenade with gunpowder, and stop wacko Santas with this episode on “Dial Code Santa Claus”! Or “Deadly Games,” or…

Horror for the Holidays
TikTok: @horror4holidays
Twitter: @horror4holidays
IG: @horror4holidays

Give us a buzz! Send a text, dudes!

Check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Totally Rad Christmas Mall & Arcade, Teepublic.com, or TotallyRadChristmas.com! Later, dudes!