Hellbound: Hellraiser II

 Hellbound: Hellraiser II was released on December 23rd, 1988. 

Hellbound: Hellraiser II

Directed by Tony Randel, who was on the editing team for the original movie, with Clive Barker writing and executive producing. 

Clive Barker and Oliver Smith as skinless Frank

The returning actors are Clare Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Sean Chapman and Oliver Smith as “Skinless Frank”.  

William Hope and Ashley Laurence

Doug Bradley, Nicholas Vince and Simon Bamford return as the cenobites with Barbie Wilde replacing Grace Kirby from the original film. 

The Order of the Gash

Doug Bradley as Captain Elliot Spencer

Introducing Kenneth Cranham and Imogen Boorman and William Hope.

Imogen Boormam

Kenneth Cranham as the Doctor

The Mummy (1932)

The Mummy was released nationwide on December 22nd, 1932. 

The Mummy (1932)

Directed by Karl Fruend and starring Boris Karloff, Zita Johann, David Manners, Edward Van Sloan, Bramwell Fletcher and Arthur Byron. 

“Karloff the Uncanny”

• 

  Boris Karloff and Bramwell Fletcher 

  
  

  

  David Manners

  
  

Make-up artist Jack Pierce

• Stranger than "Dracula" ... More fantastic than "Frankenstein" ... More mysterious than "The Invisible Man"

Julie Delpy

Julie Delpy was born in Paris, France on December 21st, 1969. 

Julie Delpy

She holds dual citizenship in America and France. 

Killing Zoe (1993)

But I’m a Cheerleader (1996)

An American Werewolf in Paris (1997)

The Passion of Ayn Rand (1999)
with Eric Stoltz, Helen Mirren and Peter Fonda

Before Sunrise (1995)

Before Sunset (2004)

Before Midnight (2013)

The Countess (2009)

Jenny Agutter

 Jenny Agutter was born on December 20th, 1952 in Taunton, Somerset, England. 

Jenny Agutter

Best known for her roles in Logan’s Run, An American Werewolf in London and Child’s Play 2.

Logan’s Run (1976)

An American Werewolf in London 
with David Naughton (1981)

Child’s Play 2 (1990)

Nancy Loomis

 Nancy Kyes, known professionally as Nancy Loomis, was born on December 19th, 1949. 

Nancy Kyes

Known mostly for her work in John Carpenter films.

She is the only actor to be featured in the first 3 Halloween movies, Halloween, Halloween II and Halloween III: Season of the Witch. 

Nancy with P.J. Soles and Jamie Lee Curtis

She was also in Carpenter’s The Fog and Assault on Precinct 13. 

Assault on Precinct 13

Janet Leigh and Nancy Loomis in The Fog (1980)

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
with Tom Atkins

She was married to Tommy Lee Wallace, another Carpenter collaborator, and they have two children together. 

Wallace and Loomis

Relevant:

John Carpenter

Jamie Lee Curtis

P.J. Soles

Donald Pleasence

Nancy Loomis

Debra Hill

Tommy Lee Wallace

Tony Moran

Will Sandin 

Neighbors (1981)

Neighbors was released on December 18th, 1981. 

Neighbors (1981)

The black comedy is based on the Thomas Berger novel of the same name. Directed by John G. Avildsen (Rocky and Karate Kid) and starring John Belushi in his final movie role. It also stars Dan Ackroyd, Cathy Moriarty and Kathryn Walker. 

Walker, Belushi, Moriarty and Ackroyd

Near the end of pre-production, Belushi and Ackroyd decided to switch roles. Belushi played a mild mannered suburbanite and Ackroyd the garish swinger. The exact opposite of their typical characters. 

Ackroyd and Belushi

Belushi had recently become a die hard fan of the punk band Fear and brought them in to do a song for the credits. He even sang back up vocals on the track. When execs shot the song down, Belushi made it up to the band by pulling some SNL strings to get them on the show as musical guest… 

…. but that’s a whole different train wreck. 

Fear Frightens Saturday Night Live

The song that never was

A dark and strange movie with a troubled production that wasn’t received all too well. Naturally I love it. 

Elvis Costello Plays the Wrong Song on SNL

 On December 17th, 1977, Elvis Costello made his debut performance on Saturday Night Live. 

He was set to play the prepared single, “Less Than Zero” (which hadn’t been hitting right with American audiences). A few bars in to the performance he stopped the band and announced that “There’s no reason to play that song here”. They tore into an anti-corporate rock song that they had been working on but not yet recorded called “Radio, Radio”. 

This earned Costello a spot in an elite club of performers to be banned from the show by creator Lorne Michaels.

Fear Frightens New York City

Costello was a last minute replacement for the Sex Pistols, who had visa issues and had to cancel. Chances are they would have been banned as well if they would have been able to make it.

The Sex Pistols and The Filth and the Fury

Costello returned almost 22 years later on the September 25th, 1999, 25th anniversary special in epic fashion. The Beastie Boys had begun to perform “Sabotage” when Costello rushed the stage, uttering the same words he did in 1977. Elvis Costello and the Beastie Boys then tore into “Radio, Radio” live on SNL once again. 

Saturday Night (Live)

Ludwig van Beethoven (probably)

 It’s quite possible that Ludwig van Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany on December 16th, 1770. 

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

No one is quite sure as it was so long ago and no birth record was ever located. Also his father was always ambiguous about his age as he was touting his son as a child prodigy and may have been dishonest about his actual age on occasion.

Ludwig’s Birthplace in Bonn

It is known that he was baptized on the 17th and it was common practice to have a newborn baptized within a day. So most scholars agree that Beethoven was born on December 16th, give or take.