Gotham City Soul

Warning: This is not for people under the age of 18. Period.   So for the past couple of years I've tried to provide you with a holiday palate cleanser. Something to offset all the traditional Christmas/Hannukah/Winter Solstice/Kwaanza delirium that sets in right about now (although, is it just my imagination, or are people acting with a bit more restraint and common sense this year?) Top of my list of things to see and do this year is a film I haven't seen yet myself, but I've been told by a friend is good. Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale looks like just the sort of flick to put the edge on. Looks like the real Santa is a truly bad one and is being kept frozen in the arctic by scientists. It's playing in NYC until December 14, so catch it if you can. From scary to funny. From Mad TV: If you want to get back to scary Santa, here's an oldie but goody from 1972. What could be better than Joan Collins in a stand off with crazy Santa. I don't know what...

Last year’s Santa-Dote entry was so popular I thought I’d do another one to give people refuge from the stress that sometimes comes with the holidays. I’m a Christmas fool, being part German I am prone to what I call Weihnachtsdelerium, so I am not here to diss it but to add to your cheer by making you laugh. A couple of these things have nothing to do with Christmas such as the following throwbacks to my childhood (and some of yours too if you were born in the 1960s) I came across a Dragnet Christmas episode that was sweet and funny at the same time. Joe Friday and the gang have hearts just like the rest of us . The incongruity between their deadpan delivery and the holiday theme makes the show. For those last minute gifts and cards that look like they come from the Island of Lost Good Taste Regretsy Awesomely Bad Christmas Cards Awesomely Bad Christmas Gifts And for something different to ring in the new year, watch this performance by Babatunde Olatunji, the Nigerian drummer who ...

In an attempt to provide an antidote to some of the syrupy (and fake) nonsense that goes on at Christmas time, and to provide some dark humor for those out there who dread the holidays, I'm leaving our regularly scheduled program to bring you Santa-dote . Last year I wrote about St. Nicholas Day, and how it has a dark side (if you check that link out, take some time for David Sedaris's " Si x to Eight Black Men") . This year Santa Claus, who is a direct American descendant of St. Nicholas, gets a bit of a drubbing. I have nothing against Santa, just think that if you look at him from a certain perspective, he can seem frightening, absurd, or just damn funny. I had this conversation with my mom the other day where we were sort of taking issue with old Santa Claus. She said that nowadays they've got him running around Germany, amok, which would be fine with her, if he weren't an American invention . German kids are supposed to get their gifts from the Kristkin...