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So… look. There’s no way of getting around it. Whether you like it or not, you’re pretty much trapped in this nasty little two-week cycle we otherwise call… The Holiday Festive Season! Yeah, we know. We feel your pain in so many ways… and so does Adult Swim. Following up on the release of its not-as-relaxing-as-it-may-sound “Adult Swim Yule Log” last weekend (more on that below), Cartoon Network’s late-night programming block is sharing a step-by-step guide to doing what needs to be done to make it to January 2, 2023, in one (slightly sane) piece. And it’s brought in an impressive line-up of friends to help make its case, including Rick and Morty, Eric Andre, Robot Chicken, The Boondocks, Smiling Friends, King of the Hill, Bob’s Burgers, Futurama, YOLO, Metalocalypse, and more.
So from getting into the holiday spirit to the importance of family at this time of the year (though based on the clips provided, we’re guessing they’re offering this ironically), here’s a look a Adult Swim’s guide to surviving the “festive” season:
Adult Swim Yule Log Had Some Truly Horrific Implications
With Rick and Morty wrapping up its sixth season last Sunday, millions of viewers were left with one less distraction from the mind-blowing stress of the holidays. So when we heard that Cartoon Network’s late-night programming block had the Adult Swim Yule Log set to run immediately following the animated series finale, it made perfect sense. What better way to slide into the start of three weeks of holiday sales, year-end lists, and resolutions destined to fail by February 1st than with a little crackling solitude that didn’t require changing the channel? But then… things took a turn. Our festive yule log that was crackling from the fire and the holiday music that was adding to the glow slowly… went away. And then we realized… this is Adult Swim! Had we not learned from April Fool’s Day? Because our Adult Swim Yule Log suddenly became… The Fireplace, a live-action horror feature written & directed by Casper Kelly (Too Many Cooks; co-creator, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell) and starring Andrea Laing (The Game) & Justin Miles (Half Baked 2).
Filmed in Adult Swim’s hometown of Atlanta and utilizing local talent from the area, the only thing we knew about the feature was the logline: “Get in the holiday spirit with this cozy, crackling fire.” What we got was something that included lethal aliens, a possessed (and very pissed off) flaming log, a “Texas Chainsaw Massacre”-like family, and some impressive camerawork and editing that kept us glued to the screen. A quick FYI? The version of The Fireplace that dropped on Adult Swim was a censored surprise for viewers, with an uncensored version of the feature currently streaming on HBO Max on Monday. That’s important because the film comes with a heads-up about violence, adult language, and some brief nudity. Here’s a look back at the point during the “yule log” when it became clear that things were about to take a very twisted turn:
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