K.A.C. 2024 - T - 16 Days ...

 

     1984 - That about says it all for today's entry (and this year, come to think of it)! Should you want one of these beauties for your own, the link can be found here: 

     https://wildfoxtee.com/product/make-orwell-fiction-again-star-ornament/ 

     What about the year itself? Well, those who survived the Cabbage Patch Massacre of '83 were older, wiser and sadder ... two out of three, anyway.

    

     This year premieres my favorite filmic version of A Christmas Carol, with an all-star cast including George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge and one of my favorite actors, Edward Woodward as The Ghost Of Christmas Present, brimming with intensity as only he can do. As of this writing, it's streaming on Hulu, if you have that service.

     An article of note regarding this version is worth reading, particularly now, which sheds a new light on Scrooge and the story as social commentary:

     http://jadedskeptic.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-horror-ofchristmastime-christmas.html 

      Sadly, this version is in the news again, for an unfortunate and ironic reason. If you know the story, then you know at the end (spoilers!) when Scrooge is taken on a journey with The Ghost Of Christmas Yet to Come, he is shown his own gravestone, which is the final tipping piece to his redemption. As the Daily Mail (UK) reported on November 25th, 'Vandals destroy grave of 'Ebenezer Scrooge' made famous in film adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel A Christmas Carol' - link here: 

     https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14123603/vandals-grave-ebenezer-scrooge-charles-dickens-film-adaptation-christmas-carol.html 

     

     Still staying with Dickens, we'll close today with his surprising link to the most famous purveyor of early pantomime, Grimaldi the Clown. Want to know where all that disturbing clown imagery started? Sure you do! Step right up and read the articles below:

     https://daily.jstor.org/here-we-are-again-how-joseph-grimaldi-invented-the-creepy-clown/ 

     https://friendsofim.com/2021/02/01/the-clerkenwell-king-of-clowns-joseph-grimaldi-1778-1837/ 

     There you go ... now whatever you do, DON'T think about clowns under your bed as you go to sleep ... and my work here is done. I'll let myself out ... see you (maybe) tomorrow!