Snow (2004) Review

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(More customer reviews)This TV movie is so much more than the made-for-tv holiday fluff that one often finds the networks cranking out each December. Snow is charming and loveable, with great characters and a winning role by the always-wonderful Tom Cavanagh. I watched it twice last year and am so thrilled that ABC Family decided to release the DVD. This is certainly a new holiday classic in my house!

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Warner Brothers Classic Holiday Collection, Vol. 1 (Boys Town / A Christmas Carol / Christmas in Connecticut / The Singing Nun) (2008) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great dvd collection with plenty of extras. For me the extras add so much to a movie. Since all of these movies have been around for a while I just want to make some comments about the extras.
Boys Town
Unlike a previous reviewer my copy of Boys Town came with some great extras. The disk is double sided with the one side having Boys Town and the second including the less successful sequel Men of Boys Town also starring Mickey Rooney and Spencer Tracy.
Other features include the featurette "The City of Little Men" which is a 10:56 long and includes Father Flanagan. "Girls and Boys Town" is a 2:07 look at the modern Boys and Girls Town. There is also and excerpt from "Good News of 1939" which is a 16:42 long radio broadcast with Tracy and Rooney in excerpts from the movie. This is sound only with no video. Also included are theatrical trailers from both movies.
Christmas in Connecticut
This includes a superb Oscar winning short called "Star in the Night" which is 21:24 long. It is a modern story about a man and his pregnant wife who stop at an inn on Christmas evening only to find that it is full. Included in the movie, set in the southwest of the United States, are three wise cowboys attracted to a star at a gasoline station at the inn. It is a great story and highly recommended. Also included is a theatrical trailer for the movie.
A Christmas Carol
This includes a number of great extras aside from the theatrical trailer. It includes "Jackie Cooper's Christmas Party" a 9:00 long featurette in which Jackie Cooper convinces the Metro Goldwyn Mayer studio to have a Christmas party for his football team and the servers include some well known stars of the time. There is a brief 1:41 film of Judy Garland singing "Silent Night" in front of a church choir. Finally there is an Oscar nominated cartoon called "Peace on Earth" which 8:47 long. This is the one feature I was troubled about. It is a cartoon that takes place after mankind has destroyed itself in a World War and the animals are the only ones left on the earth to sing holiday songs. While it makes a good statement about the dangers of war it is something that may trouble youngsters.
Singing Nun
Finally, there is the Singing Nun which includes a theatrical trailer. Importantly the movie does not include any chapters so if you want to skip to Debbie Reynolds singing Dominique you have to fast forward or use what ever chapter feature you have on your dvd player. This is the only disappointment in this great set of movies. The movie is fine but I like chapters on my dvd's.
This is a great set that is well worth the price. It is a treasured part of my Christmas movie collection.


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Item Name: Warner Brothers Holiday Collection, Vol. 1; Studio:Warner Home Video

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Bear in the Big Blue House: A Berry Bear Christmas (1997) Review

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(More customer reviews)I cannot even begin to express how much I love Bear! Sometimes I think I might like him even more than my 3 year old does. The show manages to teach a little of everything a young child needs. I really like that they manage to teach morals & kindness in a way that appeals to children. They also have a knack for helping with life issues as well, I think my daughter may still be in diapers if it wasn't for "Potty Time With Bear"! We used the songs, sayings, & imagery from the video while potty training & it really took the stress out. I can't say enough good things about this show. Jim Henson would be proud I'm sure!

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Bear smells the scents of pinecones, mistletoe and holiday cookies in the Big Blue House -- which means it's a special time of year! Bear and his friends learn about the various winter holidays: Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa and Winterberry...but most of all, they learn there is more to the holidays than receiving presents.In fact, the best present ever is seeing someone smile in gratitude after you have just helped him or her.The characters learn this lesson firsthand after helping a homeless dog find a home.Featured songs: "A Berry Bear Christmas," "Holiday for Everyone," "That's All I Want for Christmas," "What If," "Just Listen," "Woodland Valley Carols," "Legend of Winterberry," "What Did I Get For Christmas," "The Best Present Ever" and "Winter Berry Reprise."

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Snowglobe (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)Originally aired in 2007 as a tv movie on ABC Family's "25 Days of Christmas" package, Christina Milian stars as a harried single woman living in the same apartment building as her overbearing Italian mother, played by the Soprano's shrink Lorraine Bracco. Christina works at her mother's deli as well, and fantasizes about escaping to the perfect community. A package arrives for her that contains a mysterious snowglobe. One night after her family tries to take over her apartment, even trying to force her to move to a smaller apartment in the building, she retreats to her bedroom to study her newfound toy. She shakes it, and is magically transported to a "perfect" place, where everyday is preparing for Christmas. But soon she begins to realize it's not so perfect after all, though nothing sinister is going on. Then her friend in this fantasy land manages to come through to her world, and the misadventures begin. Along the way, she realizes her life isn't so bad after all, and her boyfriend in real life might just be Mr. Right.
Although children under 10 might not understand Christina's adult problems, it should be suitable for all family members.

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A Holiday for Love (1996) Review

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(More customer reviews)I love Christmas movies and I also love Christmas themed romance books and this movie though not adapted from a romance book really seems like it could have been. It is about an executive working for a large company that makes farm equipment, the company is having finincial problems and thinks that by cutting jobs at the factory level that it will get itself out of finincial trouble so they send several executives to several small towns to go undercover and investigate how eficient the factories are being run and to make up a report to see if the factories should be closed. Tim Matheson reluctantly goes to a smalltown in Nebraska which actually was his hometown that he moved away from when he was a child and his mother left his father. He winds up getting stranded in a blizzard and meets a young widow and her daughter played by Melissa Gilbert and Michelle Tractenberg and spins a tale that gets out of control when he pretends to be a big buyer of farm equipment that the townspeople think will save their factory and town and then he falls for Melissa Gilbert's character which is complicated by the fact that she happens to work at the factory with her father and brother and that closing it down will not only put her and her out of a job but her family and the majority of the towns people too which would destroy their economy and he starts to feel guilty about his deceiving everyone, including the woman that he loves and another factor is that she is dating the sherrif played by Travis Tritt who is suspicious of him and his motives. This is a very good movie and Tim Matheson, Melissa Gilbert and Michelle Tractenberg were all very good but so was country singer Travis Tritt as the sherrif and I must say that even though I enjoyed the romance between Tim Matheson and Melissa Gilbert's character's Jake and Emma I still felt bad for Travis Tritt's character Tim but as it appeared that local gal Betsy had a crush on him and they were sitting together at the Christmas dinner at the retirement home that perhaps Tim and Betsy got together. I very highly recommend this movie which was originally a made for CBS television movie with the title Christmas in my Hometown and has been rerun ever since with that same title every December on Lifetime TV but when it was released on DVD the title for some reason was changed to Holiday For Love which is a nice title but I prefer the original title, Christmas in My Hometown! This DVD is out of print and hopefully it will someday be rereleased with the original title.

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A Christmas Carol (1984) Review

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(More customer reviews)Christmas just isn't Christmas unless you watch at least one version of A Christmas Carol, and this is by far my favorite. George C. Scott gives one of the greatest performances I have ever seen an actor give; he truly becomes Ebenezer Scrooge to the fullest degree possible. Scott can say more with just the slightest hint of a facial movement than many actors can say during the course of an entire movie. All of the performers here are excellent, bringing to life adored characters such as Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and Scrooge's nephew Fred. All four spirits are remarkable, none more so than Scrooge's old partner Jacob Marley; having Marley's jaw drop after untying the burial cloth holding his mouth closed is an important aspect of the story and certainly does make an impression on the viewer. This is just one example of the moviemakers' faithfulness to Charles Dickens' original story; another would be the inclusion of the two miserable children, Ignorance and Want, beneath the robes of the Ghost of Christmas Present.
This timeless tale works extremely well on its own, but the unsurpassed acting skills of Scott make it almost more than real. The change wrought in him during the course of the night, as he changes from a man of crass materialism and unkindness to a repentant soul pleading for a chance to change his ways, is powerfully presented and really touches the viewer emotionally. The simple happiness revealed in the lives of Bob Cratchit and others are as heart-warming as the forgotten mistakes and pains of a younger Scrooge are agonizing. If there is any heart out there that is not touched by the goodness and courage of Tiny Tim, I don't even want to know about it. No matter how many times you watch this movie, it proves itself capable of bringing a tear to your eye, a lump in your throat, and ultimately the very spirit of true holiday cheer and Christian charity that Dickens intended it to convey.
I cannot say I have seen every adaptation of A Christmas Carol, but I really cannot believe any other version could exceed the quality and emotional impact of this one. No matter how many times I read the story or watch the movie, it remains a source of eternal joy to me. This is more than a movie for me; it is an important and necessary part of each and every Christmas holiday season.

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Christmas elicits nothing more than "Bah, humbug!" from Ebenezer Scrooge (Scott), a miser whose sole pursuit of financial success has left him a bitter and lonely old man. But a ChristmasEve visit from the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future ultimately teaches him to open his heart to the spirit of Christmas and to the joys of friends and family.

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Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas (Deluxe Edition) (2000) Review

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(More customer reviews)Many kids
Enjoy Christmas
They like it a lot
And this film
Is about the Grinch
Who did not
The film gives the background, and fills in some blanks
The Grinch as a child was subjected to pranks
He fancied a Who, with the name Martha May
He tried to impress her and to his dismay
They laughed at his efforts, his gift and his face
So he destroyed the classroom and fled from that place
Then,
He moved to Mount Crumpet
And made him a home
While the green hairy creature seethed under the dome
Until one cold day at the town Christmas party
When young Cindy Lou showed him how to be hearty
Then Mayor May-Who went and spoiled all the fun
By taunting the Grinch 'til he came all undone
He went up his mountain, and he started scheming
And when he was through he was smiling and beaming
He'd ruin their Christmas; he knew what to do
Revenge is the sweetest when it's overdue
If you've read the story you know how it ends
How the Grinch stole that Christmas from his former friends
So what happened next?
I won't give it away
This Christmas this movie will show every day
So if you're a Grinch you can run, but not hide
As you try to stifle the feeling inside
Just gather the kids for a clean yuletide treat
Merry Christmas to all!
(Now this poem's complete)Amanda Richards, December 10, 2006


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The bitter Grinch plots to steal Christmas from Whoville.Item Type: DVD MovieItem Rating: PGStreet Date: 08/22/06Wide Screen: noDirector Cut: noSpecial Edition: noLanguage: ENGLISHForeign Film: noSubtitles: noDubbed: noFull Frame: noRe-Release: noPackaging: Sleeve

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Disney's Sing Along Songs - 12 Days of Christmas Review

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(More customer reviews)My four year old has learned a lot from this video. If your child likes Disney characters then this is a must buy. Yes, it
is shorter than a movie. But my son likes me to watch it with him and we sing and dance to each song. I'm glad it's not a 2 hour movie! He sees the words across the screen and is learning new words that way. Xmas is over but we watch it everyday.

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Holiday in Handcuffs (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have liked Melissa Joan Hart since her days on Clarissa Explains It All so I was pleased to see she was back on TV again. This movie takes place at Christmas time and is basically a story about a woman who sees herself as a failure through her family's eyes and is hoping that bringing home her successful boyfriend for Christmas will prove she finally got something right, until he dumps her Christmas Eve and leaves her hanging.
She sees a very handsome man at the diner where she is working and tells her mom everything is hunky dory and kidnaps the handsome guy and takes him hostage (hence the handcuffs). From here the plot unravels in the typical romantic comedy faire where he is trying to convince everyone he's been kidnapped and she says it's a kind of joke he likes to play and we all get our happy ending. As I have said, it is the typically romantic comedy plot but there are some very funny moments and I can definitely see myself watching this movie again. If you like MJH, you will enjoy this movie.

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All I Want for Christmas Review

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(More customer reviews)True this is not the movie described above. But it is a cute christmas movie that was on the Hallmark channel last year.
Its about a boy who hears about a contest that would grant 1 child's christmas wish. So he asks for a husband for his mom and wins. Making it a very interesting holiday season.

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A Grandpa for Christmas (2007) Review

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(More customer reviews)A Grandpa for Christmas is a heartwarming tale of reconciliation. Ernest Borgnine is his usual somewhat crusty but loveable self, and Juliette Goglia, who plays his granddaughter, gets to show off her beautiful singing voice. If you like a story about family members coming together for the first time and helping each other, this movie is for you. I've seen it on TV twice. Now, I'm buying it!

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An estranged family discovers that to understand the past, they first have to face it. For a dear old man on Christmas, the reward is being called Grandpa for the first time in his life. Eighty-year-old Bert Riley is a former movie tough guy living comfortably and surrounded by good friends all vets from Hollywood s Golden Age. With a scrapbook full of memories, life has been pretty good to him. But he never expected any more surprises out of it. That s before he receives word on Thanksgiving that Marie, the estranged daughter he hasn t seen in decades, is in the hospital following a car accident. What s more, Becca, the ten-year-old granddaughter he s never even met, is moving in with him!

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Holiday Inn (Special Edition) (2006) Review

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(More customer reviews)I just finished watching the newly released Special Edition of Holiday Inn. I was AMAZED at the clarity of the picture. I've never seen a print of this film looking so pristine. Even on just a regular, 20" non-HDTV set, the hairs askew on top of Bing's toupee during the famous White Christmas scene are plainly visible. Now if you can see single hairs on a person's head during a medium shot on a small television set, that's a stunningly clear picture!
The audio as well is crisp and clear with rich bass and treble tones. If you watch the film with the audio commentary on, you'll hear the dulcet tones of Ken Barnes relating some fascinating tidbits about the making of the film, the songs (one particularly interesting part concerns the verse to White Christmas), the cast, etc. All is enhanced by sound bites from Bing and Fred Astaire themselves in archive audio material from the 1970's. As an example, Bing speaks of the continuing sales of his recording of White Christmas as late as 1974, how he felt it was due in part to people giving the record as a Christmas gift.
The real gems are the bonus features, particularly the 45 minute long mini feature A Couple of Song & Dance Men. Ken Barnes is joined by Fred Astaire's lovely daughter Ava sharing biographical memories of both Bing and Fred, along with trivia tidbits. Ava shows and reads some of the letters Fred Astaire wrote to his wife while on a USO tour in England with Bing in 1944, and telegrams to Fred from Bing, Cole Porter, and Irving Berlin are also shown on screen. All is pieced together nicely with song excerpts from Bing's films, coming attractions trailers, and newsreel footage, including Bing opening the Stage Door Canteen in 1944.
The other, shorter bonus feature runs 7 minutes and is titled All Singing - All Dancing. Ken shares some rare behind the scenes photos and techniques of how musical numbers were filmed, beginning with the early talkies. He shows how the orchestra and singer were together on the set and recorded as one.
The original theatrical trailer for Holiday Inn is also included.
All is wrapped up nicely with a slip-cover that goes over the DVD case. When compared with the two-on-one DVD of Holiday Inn and Going My Way that's been out for many years now, the difference in quality is plainly visible. The Holiday Inn print looks somewhat fuzzy or "muddy" in quality when watched after seeing the brilliance of the newly restored print used on this Special Edition.
In short, this is a DVD that's well worth having. If you want the definitive presentation of this classic Holiday film, this is it! Bravo Ken & co.

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HOLIDAY INN SPECIAL EDITION - DVD Movie

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