Gobbledygeek episode 489, “Geek Challenge: White Christmas vs. Eyes Wide Shut,” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

Hang your stockings by the chimney, roast some chestnuts on that open fire, and prepare yourself for a very special Twisted Christmas installment. Our annual yuletide derangement has morphed into a Geek Challenge, featuring two obviously similar films: Paul has challenged Arlo to Michael Curtiz’s holly jolly classic White Christmas (1954), and in turn Arlo has thrust upon Paul Stanley Kubrick’s festive psychosexual nightmare Eyes Wide Shut (1999). Paul has some harsh words for Kubrick’s orgy, Arlo cringes at old-timey patriotism, and both of our boys come away filled with a little less Christmas cheer. Oh, and who is Danny Kaye again?

NEXT: for our season finale, we become real boys for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.

BREAKDOWN

• 00:00:52  –  Intro / Paul and Arlo’s Holiday Spirit
• 00:11:15  –  Eyes Wide Shut
• 01:12:40  –  White Christmas
• 02:02:00  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

• “35 Surprising Things About ‘White Christmas’ That Even Movie Buffs Don’t Know” by Asher Fogle and Janaya Wecker, Good Housekeeping
• “‘Eyes Wide Shut’ at 15: Inside the Epic, Secretive Film Shoot that Pushed Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman to Their Limits” by Amy Nicholson, Vanity Fair
• “Debunking the Myths Around Eyes Wide Shut, Stanley Kubrick’s Final Film” by Katherine Jane Alexander, AnOther

MUSIC

• “Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing” by Chris Isaak, Forever Blue (1995)
• “Masked Ball (1999 Extended Mix)” by Jocelyn Pook, Flood (1999)
• “Musica ricercata, II (Mesto, rigido e cerimoniale)” by Dominic Harlan, Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
• “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing” by Danny Kaye, Selections from Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” (1954)

GOBBLEDYCARES

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ 
• Abortion Funds in Every State: https://bit.ly/AbortionFundsTwitter
• Support AAPI communities and those affected by anti-Asian violence: https://www.gofundme.com/c/act/stop-aapi-hate
• Support the AAPI Civic Engagement Fund: https://aapifund.org/
• Support Black Lives Matter and find anti-racism resources: https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/
• The Trevor Project provides information and support to LGBTQ youth: thetrevorproject.org
• Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ 
• US (877) 565-8860
• Canada (877) 330-6366
• National Center for Transgender Equality: transequality.org
• Advocate for writers who might be owed money due to discontinuance of royalties: https://www.writersmustbepaid.org/ 
• Help teachers and classrooms in need: https://www.donorschoose.org/
• Do your part to remove the burden of medical debt for individuals, families, and veterans: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/
• Register to vote: https://vote.gov/