Home / Movies / This Gnarly ‘Black Christmas’ Teddy Bear is All I Want for Christmas Artist Lee Howard is the mad genius behind Quiet Room Bears, which he describes as “one of a kind, individually numbered horror art bears.” Ever since 2001, the self-taught artist has been turning teddy bears in gruesome monstrosities, and though there are other artists out there doing the same thing, it was Lee Howard who did it first and it’s Lee Howard who does it best. Speaking of doing it first and best, the same can be said of Bob Clark’s Black Christmas, which helped launch the entire slasher movement and in doing so, helped changed the game entirely. The seminal 1974 slasher film is widely considered to be the very best Christmas-themed horror movie ever made, and Lee Howard recently paid tribute to it with an incredible custom-made bear. As Howard explained to us, it was whipped up for the film’s 40th anniversary: Two years ago, the good folks at Anchor Bay Canada contacted me and asked if I would be interested in making an official Black Christmas Quiet Room Bear to bring & give away at the 40th Anniversary screening in Toronto, hosted by Black Christmas star Art Hindle, and Rue Morgue magazine.
I tried to incorporate elements of the movie into it, of course, like the plastic bag over its head (underneath was half a woman’s face, half human skull), I had a phone receiver under its rib cage (surprisingly hard to find a phone receiver in today’s day and age), and put working Christmas lights into it! Howard even put the Black Christmas bear into a rocking chair. Check out the coolest holiday horror decoration EVER. Night Shift DaddyPreSchool-Grade 1-In a lovely rhythmic text, a little girl describes her routine with her father as evening comes: "Night shift Daddy swings me high,/shares his milk and apple pie,/rocks me in the rocking chair,/reads to me and Teddy Bear." Then he goes off to work as his daughter watches from the window. In the morning just the reverse happens: the little girl and her daddy eat breakfast together and then "I lead him to the rocking chair,/then read to him and Teddy Bear," after which she tucks him into bed before going out to play. The soft, dark, jewel-toned illustrations evoke feelings of coziness, underlined by the pet cat pictured on almost every spread.
The love between the two protagonists is beautifully conveyed, by both words and pictures, making this a perfect bedtime read-aloud, especially for families in which an adult works the night shift. A unique and special treat. School Library JournalJudith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. "...with accompanying illustrations painted with the dark tones of night and winter, this loving story is perfect for bedtime sharing." Children's Literature "In this cozy lap-read each full-page illustration is exquisitely rendered in deep, rich tones sure to invoke sweet dreams." Mr. Boogedy is a 1986 made-for-television family film,[1] and failed pilot[2] directed by Oz Scott and written by Michael Janover, which originally aired as an episode of "The Disney Sunday Movie." It tells the story of a gag gift salesman and his family moving into a new house in New England which they soon find to be haunted by ghosts from the colonial period.
The film's sequel, Bride of Boogedy, aired in 1987. Thrilled to finally move into a full-sized house in Lucifer Falls, New England, Carlton and Eloise Davis along with their children Jennifer, Corwin, and Aurie arrive at their new home on a dark, gloomy night. As they enter and search for a light switch, they are spooked by an old man named Neil Witherspoon who warns them about the house's tragic history telling them to beware of the Boogedy Man. After Mr. Witherspoon leaves, the family checks out their new home. While Corwin and Aurie inspect the ground floor, Jennifer looks around upstairs. She hears someone sneezing and sees a blue light emanating from behind the door at the end of the hallway, but when she opens the door the room is empty. Meanwhile, the boys have made their way to the house's eerie basement, where Aurie finds a toy rocking chair that fits his teddy bear perfectly. Just when it seems that they might find something supernatural, Carlton flips on the lights, which show nothing but old furniture and other clutter.
The boys grudgingly return upstairs, but on his way up, Aurie notices that his teddy bear has disappeared. The next morning, the family gathers for a breakfast filled with gags: funny glasses and rubber eggs that squirt water. Jennifer complains about the strange sneezing, but Carlton reassures her that ghosts aren't real. That night, Jennifer walks down the hallway, drawn by the sneezing and the strange glow (now green) from the door at the end of the hallway. She opens the door, only to be blasted with bright lights and a strange wind. She faints as maniacal laughter is heard. Later that night, her family wakes her, and she informs them that she saw the Boogedy Man, describing him as having a yucky, grilled cheese sandwich like face. Opening the door, Carlton discovers green footprints running up the wall of the room. He peels a few off the wall, and is able to stick them to himself, prompting him to quip "Honey, look, the Boogedy Man walked all over me!" He assumes that it's all part of a gag set up by Mr. Witherspoon.
After Corwin and Aurie witness the kitchen cabinets and appliances move on their own, they go into town with Jennifer to look for answers. They find the Lucifer Falls Historical Society, which is run by Mr. Witherspoon. Amused by the children's curiosity, he produces an old pop-up book and tells them the tale of William Hanover, a grouchy old pilgrim man who fell in love with the lovely widow Marion 300 years ago. Marion did not reciprocate his feelings, so Hanover struck a deal with the Devil selling his soul for a magic cloak which granted him mystical powers. He kidnapped Marion's son Jonathan and, casting his first spell, accidentally destroyed his own house (located on the same spot as the Davises' current home), killing himself, Jonathan, and Marion. All three remained as ghosts; Boogedy and Jonathan (who had a cold when he died) are trapped inside the house, and Marion is unable to enter and get her child back. The children return home and tell their parents about the situation, but Carlton and Eloise are more interested in showing off their new gags, such as a lifesize mummy.
As Carlton begins to assure the children that the house isn't haunted, paranormal activity peaks: the harpsichord plays on its own, the lights flicker, and the mummy appears to come to life, dancing wildly, prompting Eloise to exclaim "That's it – time to call a realtor !" Eloise and the children are scared enough to leave, but Carlton convinces them to stay for the night, camped out together in the living room. Eloise wakes up for a midnight snack, and encounters the ghost of the Widow Marion, who relates her story from outside the back door. Eloise wakes the rest of the family, and explains to them that Marion told her the only way to get rid of Boogedy is to take away his magic cloak. The Davises arm themselves with household items and head upstairs to search for Boogedy. Aurie hears a noise, and goes off on his own, towards the basement; Corwin notices his absence and follows. Carlton, Eloise, and Jennifer approach the door at the end of the hallway, but discover that the glowing green light is this time nothing more than a green light bulb—Boogedy tricked them.
In the basement, Corwin finds Aurie struggling to recover his teddy bear from the thief, who turns out to be young Jonathan's ghost, who still has a cold after all these years. He explains that he borrowed it only because he was lonely. Feeling sorry for him, Aurie lets him borrow the teddy bear, and Jonathan tells them stories about the previous families that Boogedy chased away. They're interrupted by heavy breathing; Mr. Boogedy is coming. The boys run upstairs, reuniting with the rest of their family in the living room as Mr. Boogedy appears with a bright flash of green light. The Davises run for cover behind boxes of gag items, with Boogedy shocking anyone who nears him with bolts of electricity from his fingers. Corwin attempts to attack Boogedy, but he uses his magic to turn his assault against him. Boogedy likewise uses magic to disable Carlton, Jennifer, and Eloise. Aurie grabs the vacuum cleaner and sneaks behind Mr. Boogedy, shooting the plastic balls at him. Boogedy, not deterred, takes control of the vacuum, making it chase Aurie around the room.