Skipping Christmas
by JOHN GRISHAM
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (29 October, 2002)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

John Grisham turns a satirical eye on the overblown ritual of the festive holiday season, and the result is Skipping Christmas, a modest but funny novel about the tyranny of December 25. Grisham's story revolves around a typical middle-aged American couple, Luther and Nora Krank. On the first Sunday after Thanksgiving they wave their daughter Blair off to Peru to work for the Peace Corps, and they suddenly realize that "for the first time in her young and sheltered life Blair would spend Christmas away from home."

Luther Krank sees his daughter's Christmas absence as an opportunity. He estimates that "a year earlier, the Luther Krank family had spent $6,100 on Christmas," and have "precious little to show for it." So he makes an executive decision, telling his wife, friends, and neighbors that "we won't do Christmas." Instead, Luther books a 10-day Caribbean cruise. But things start to turn nasty when horrified neighbors get wind of the Krank's subversive scheme and besiege the couple with questions about their decision.

Grisham builds up a funny but increasingly terrifying picture of how thistight-knit community turns on the Kranks, who find themselves under increasing pressure to conform. As the tension mounts, readers may wonder whether they will manage to board their plane on Christmas day. Skipping Christmas is Grisham-lite, with none of the serious action or drama of his legal thrillers, but a funny poke at the craziness of Christmas. --Jerry Brotton, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (868)

Funny and heartwarming a christmas classic
I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. i shows how the holiday season is way to much comercialized. It is very funny and it's very heartwarming. It's fun to read what the characters are doing becouse it's so true we would be doing the same as them if we were in the same situation. A christmas classic.

A satire or a Christmas carol?
Luther and Nora Krank have seen it all happen too many times before: the ridiculous frenzy and overblown ritual of celebrating Christmas. This year it is definitely going to change: the Kranks are going to skip Christmas. But as easy it was to enter a travel agency and book a Caribbean cruise on the luxurious Island Princess instead, so difficult it becomes to withstand the moral pressure their neighbours on Hemlock Street are putting on them to keep the Christmas spirit alive. But Luther is determined to go ahead with his crazy idea, no matter what it takes.

With Skipping Christmas John Grisham is again trying out something completely different. Where he already diverted from his proven concept of legal thrillers to socially engaged drama with A Painted House, he now tries to expand his craft by writing a satirical novel. And a fine job he did, indeed. Skipping Christmas has turned out to be a well composed and warm fairytale that comes with quite some funny episodes. Don't expect anything as hilarious as the books of Terry Pratchett, to name but one, but for example Luther's quest to put a Frosty on his roof will sure cause some smiles.

Nevertheless what did disturb me is the topic addressed in this book. The first part of the novel gives a frightening view on a society that has made the commercially driven rituals of Christmas into a religion on its own. While reading the book it becomes clear that in the world depicted by Grisham escaping the Christmas frenzy is almost impossible. I silently hope that this is more fiction than reality, but you never know for sure. The funny part is that the ending is in complete contrast to the tone that was set in the beginning of the book. Now I do wonder if this venomous twist was introduced with just a commercial purpose. If not then this makes Skipping Christmas a wonderful masterpiece of satire that in the end makes fun of itself.

Actually, there are definitely two ways of reading this book: as a satire or as a Christmas carol. You decide. But your choice reveals a lot of who you are... beware!

The Man with No Name should visit this town
This hard mechanical tale has none of the warmth of a traditional Christmas story. It almost makes me wish for the generic Christmas clichés. When the Kranks decide to skip Christmas, the retribution for their lack of conformity makes up 90% of the book.

The story is set on a street called Hemlock, which is an accurate moniker for the poison people that live there. This horribly intrusive community is reminiscent of Stalinesque Russian with neighbors spying on each other and even reporting each other to the police when they get out of line. It's supposed to be done for comedic effect, but instead comes across as mirthless suburban tyranny.

The Shields through most of the book are symptomatic of the festering evil of the neighborhood. The re-appearance of breast cancer in the Shields family is used as an obvious "heart-string pulling" device to evoke the holiday's "good will toward men" which is missing from the rest of the narrative.

In the warm and fuzzy conclusion, the neighborhood pitches in to save Christmas for the Kranks. You can almost hear the neighbors tallying their markers and preparing their told-you-so comments for the coming year. Luther Krank gives a gift to a neighbor and says "no string attached." He'd best keep his own marker for the gift since the strings of all the neighbors are being weaved around him and his wife.

The moral lesson of the book appears to be: conform and everyone will like you - but resist and you will be punished relentlessly. What a nice holiday message.

... Read more

Isbn: 0385508417
Subjects:  1. Christmas stories    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. General    5. Humorous    6. Fiction / General   

The Christmas Train
by David Baldacci
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (04 November, 2002)
list price: $19.95 -- our price: $13.57
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (113)

Nice diversion, a "feel good" tale of second-chance love...
This is no masterpiece you will need to own or to read a second time, but it is worth reading once if you are a romantic at heart, or are curious about what a cross-country train trip is like these days. Tom and Eleanor are the main characters, lovers who broke up several years before the book opens, and who are reunited (to the astonishment of each) on an Amtrak adventure. There are fascinating details about how the passenger train crews do their jobs, and how train travel, usually safe, can have its perils. Many of the secondary characters are delightful. The novel ends with a couple of surprises I did not see coming, which is always nice.

A Train ride like a Sleigh ride --- with Santa
The title does not mislead you. If you are looking for light easy entertainment, this is the book for you. At the start you sense there will be a happy ending. This book can be used as an antidote if you have recently been reading dark heavy books whose characters you know from the start are not all going to be living happily ever after at the end (I'm thinking of some of Dostoyevsky's works).
Max Powers, the movie maker, is the ultimate match maker and social engineer (or a Santa Claus exerting maximum power to do good?).He manages to turn "real life" into a classic happy-ending Hollywood movie (when they do make a movie based on this book I hope they don't get confused).
Everything, indeed, is alright with the world at the end.And on top of all that you get to experience long-distance train travel without leaving home.

Soothing change of pace
I've been reading a lot of espionage and fast-paced novels lately. When December hit, I thought it a good time for a change for a bit. I decided to pick this up for a nice quick read. I'm pretty thankful I did.

In all honesty, when reading this book, I found myself jumping on-line and seeing how practical the prices were for train rides! What this book did for me, was slow me down a little bit and tell me to remember to enjoy everything thrown my way.

I liked the main character, Tom Landon, and found this a very cute read. The character development wasn't bad, and the pace was steady. The pace of some of the dialogue was a bit wavy, but on the other hand, I found myself letting out audible chuckles here and there.

I have no real complaints about this book, and would recommend it to anybody looking to slow down the pace of there lives and have them look around. ... Read more

Isbn: 0446525731
Sales Rank: 145003
Subjects:  1. Christmas stories    2. Fiction    3. Fiction - General    4. General    5. Journalists    6. Literary    7. Railroad travel    8. Fiction / Literary   

Alfie the Christmas Tree
by John Denver, Jean Pidgeon
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 November, 1990)
list price: $9.95
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (4)

A great book for all year.
I purchased ALFIE online auctionit took me 3 tries to obtain it.It waswell worth the time, moneyand wait.I haveJohn on CD reading it and nowto have the bookto go along with is a joy, my children grew up on John'smusic and they at a young age picked up on his concern for all livingthings, they have instilled in their children the same love of allthingsand to take care not to harmany of God"s beauty he gave us to enjoy,and to pass them along unharmed and unchanged to futuregenerations.Greatbook read it and remember it.

Wonderfully touching work that stays close to the heart.
John Denver always seems know the right words. I read and reread this imaginative pieace of work and felt a true reminder of the meaning of Christmas. Thanks John!

Heartwarming, thought provoking message.
Love the book, Alfie the Christmas Tree. The message is simple, yet encourages all who read it to remember all living things during the Holiday Season. And I quote Mr. Denver,"Say a prayer for the Wind, and the Water, and the Wood, and those that live there too". ... Read more

Isbn: 0945051255
Sales Rank: 1004328
Subjects:  1. Children's All Ages    2. Children: Grades 3-4    3. Christian life    4. Christmas    5. Christmas trees    6. Fiction    7. General    8. Juvenile Literature    9. Trees   

Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect
by Dick Schneider, Richard H. Schneider, Elizabeth J. Miles
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 September, 1988)
list price: $18.00 -- our price: $7.20
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (9)

My Favorite Christmas Story
I get a new Christmas Story book every year.I stumbled across this one several years ago and it instantly became my favorite.I look forward to reading the message each year and it is now a favorite gift to give to friends.

One of the best books I've ever read!
I am 6 years old and my mom read this book to me tonight. This book is not scary. It's good because it teaches you about the love of Jesus Christ.

A Holiday Must for All Children
This poignant tale of a generous little tree who gives wholly of himself to those around him reminds us all of the true message of Christmas and the sacrifice that each parent makes for his child.It's a moving legend forall ages and a wonderful gift for loved ones. ... Read more

Isbn: 0687453631
Sales Rank: 248673
Subjects:  1. Children's 9-12    2. Children: Babies & Toddlers    3. Christian life    4. Christmas trees    5. Fiction    6. Holidays & Festivals - Christmas    7. Juvenile Fiction    8. Kindness    9. Trees   

The Snow Tree
by Caroline Repchuk, Caroline Repchuck, Josephine Martin
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 October, 1997)
list price: $15.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (6)

Great Christmas Story
I'm 11 years old and will read it to a group of 1st graders at my school.I really liked the book especially all the colors against a white background and bumpy texture of the pages.The pictures are great too.Itshows how each of the animals gave gifts to make a Christmas Tree for themto share.I think the 1st graders will really like it, I did!

New-agey book is creepy
We received this book as a present and it really creeped me out.The illustrations and relief paper were overwhelmed by the vapid story.The animals attempt to be profound in an atheistic manner.The story achievesnothingness perfectly!

none specific christmas fable
Caroline Repchuck has written a christmas fable for all religions, races or creeds. It is simple in it's form, but abundant in it's sence of wonder. Our 2 year old daughter insists on constant rereadings of it. It has becomea real family favourite, and quickly takes on the characteristics ofsomething much older and wiser than most modern childrens books. Buy it.Yes there is a serious tone, but speaking it aloud makes one feel like awise old inuit shaman passing pearls of infinate and ancient wizdom down tohis loved ones. A classic, and beautifully illustrated too. ... Read more

Isbn: 0525459030
Sales Rank: 522083
Subjects:  1. Animals - General    2. Children's 4-8 - Picturebooks    3. Children: Kindergarten    4. Christmas trees    5. Color    6. Fiction    7. General    8. Holidays & Festivals - Christmas    9. Juvenile Fiction    10. Nature & the Natural World - General    11. Snow    12. Winter   

White Christmas
Director: Michael Curtiz
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (22 September, 1998)
list price: $9.95 -- our price: $9.45
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This semi-remake of Holiday Inn (the first movie in which Irving Berlin's perennial, Oscar-winning holiday anthem was featured) doesn't have much of a story, but what it does have is choice: Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, an all-Irving Berlin song score, classy direction by Hollywood vet Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood), VistaVision (the very first feature ever shot in that widescreen format), and ultrafestive Technicolor! Crosby and Kaye are song-and-dance men who hook up, romantically and professionally, with a "sister" act (Clooney and Vera-Ellen) to put on a Big Show to benefit the struggling ski-resort lodge run by the beloved old retired general (Dean Jagger) of their WWII Army outfit. Crosby is cool, Clooney is warm, Kaye is goofy, and Vera-Ellen is leggy. Songs include: "Sisters" (Crosby and Kaye do their own drag version, too), "Snow," "We'll Follow the Old Man," "Mandy," "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," and more. Christmas would be unthinkable without White Christmas. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (126)

One of the best Holiday movies ever!
I've watched this movie my whole life and have looked forward to watching it every year on television.This year, we finally splurged and bought the dvd. The color is just beautiful on it and it was done so very well. I really appreciate owning it now and getting to watch it whenever I choose. This is truly a timeless story - watching Crosby honor a WWII veteran - it's just nice to see the way things used to be in a simpler time, unaffected by the various occurrences today. It certainly would be nice to go back in time and have a holiday like this movie portrays. It's certainly romantic and something everyone should have as their holiday traditional movie watching!

My Favorite Holiday Movie
Danny Kaye is my favorit comedian of all time.This movie gives him a chance to show his comedy as well as the handsome dramatic actor too, well sort of.Danny and Bing are absolutely wonderful in this movie.It is a must see for all of you who enjoy the classic musicals with a real plot.The scenes are beautiful and the on screen chemistry between the actors and actresses is perfect.Buy this in place of "It's a Wonderful Life," and watch it throughout the entire year!

Best Movie Ever!!!!!!
White Christmas is the best movie ever made. It is feel good, heart warming entertainment. It is even fun to watch in the summertime! I could watch it every day. By far, my favorite part is the Sister song. If you don't like this movie, you are crazy!!!! ... Read more

Asin: 6300215695
Subjects:  1. Christmas   

It's a Wonderful Life
Director: Frank Capra
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (20 August, 2002)
list price: $9.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Now perhaps the most beloved American film, It's a Wonderful Life was largely forgotten for years, due to a copyright quirk. Only in the late 1970s did it find its audience through repeated TV showings. Frank Capra's masterwork deserves its status as a feel-good communal event, but it is also one of the most fascinating films in the American cinema, a multilayered work of Dickensian density. George Bailey (played superbly by James Stewart) grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls, dreaming dreams of adventure and travel, but circumstances conspire to keep him enslaved to his home turf. Frustrated by his life, and haunted by an impending scandal, George prepares to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. A heavenly messenger (Henry Travers) arrives to show him a vision: what the world would have been like if George had never been born. The sequence is a vivid depiction of the American Dream gone bad, and probably the wildest thing Capra ever shot (the director's optimistic vision may have darkened during his experiences making military films in World War II). Capra's triumph is to acknowledge the difficulties and disappointments of life, while affirming--in the teary-eyed final reel--his cherished values of friendship and individual achievement. It's a Wonderful Life was not a big hit on its initial release, and it won no Oscars (Capra and Stewart were nominated); but it continues to weave a special magic. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Features

• Black & White
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (242)

Jimmy Stewart at his absolute best...
The quintessential holiday Christmas classic, It's A Wonderful Life has dominated the seasonal television landscape with its story of love, friendship, and one man's exceedingly relevant life. Filmed in 1946, this Frank Capra masterpiece opened in theaters to a lukewarm reception, but quickly rose in stature following repeated annual television airings in the 1960s to present day. The film is centered around the life of George Bailey - a likeable, ambitious resident of Bedford Falls who harbors dreams of grandeur, but begins to question the meaning of his life when things don't work out according to his plan.

When the story begins, George is a young boy employed by Mr. Gower, the neighborhood druggist. Mr. Gower, having just received news of his son's death - and engaged in the act of getting drunk - inadvertently places poison in a medicine bottle. George discovers the mistake and doesn't deliver the medicine, thus averting a major disaster. The opening scenes also show George saving his brother from certain death by pulling him out of a frozen pond where the ice had broken.

From there, the story jumps several years into the future, where a grown up George harbors dreams of world travel, exploration, and the construction of large buildings. But he ends up staying in Bedford Falls to work for his father's business, a small savings & loan (and the only financial institution in Bedford Falls not owned by the miserly Mr. Potter). Eventually, George falls in love with childhood friend Mary and the two wed, choosing to renovate an old house in Bedford Falls.

When the Great Depression strikes, George uses his own money, ingenuity, and personal demeanor to stave off a bank run that threatens to close down the family business. In so doing, George keeps Mr. Potter from using his numerous resources to force a takeover bid of Bailey Savings & Loan. Thus, he saves the town's residents from being subjected to a Potter monopoly with possibly disastrous consequences. Along the way, George is tempted with offers of riches and travel by Mr. Potter, but he turns him down - opting instead to work for the benefit of the community.

Things seem to be going well for George until his Uncle Billy absentmindedly leaves the daily deposit of the business in a newspaper that he throws in Mr. Potter's lap (while boasting about the military honors bestowed on George's brother). While George and Uncle Billy frantically search for the misplaced $8,000, Mr. Potter sees his opportunity to ruin the Bailey Savings & Loan once and for all. When George appeals to Potter for help, Potter threatens to call the authorities.

Disillusioned, George leaves Potter's office and wanders into the night. After leaving the local bar, he runs his car into a tree and then walks over to a nearby bridge. While on the bridge, George contemplates suicide as a way out. But before he can commit the act, a man falls into the water below. George jumps in to save him, and later finds out that the man's name is Clarence. Clarence claims to be angel working to get his wings. He jumped into the water to save George, and when George wishes he had never been born - Clarence aims to show George exactly what the world would be like had he never been born...

What he sees leads George to believe that his life was more than worth living. He decides to return home to his wife and children and face the consequences of the misplaced money. When he returns home, he finds that people from all over Bedford Falls have come to donate their own money to bail out their good friend George and the community fixture, Bailey Savings & Loan. Clarence receives his wings, and George Bailey is thankful for his numerous blessings.

It's A Wonderful Life is almost magical in its idyllic portrayal of Depression-era, small-town America. The characters (with the exception of Mr. Potter), harkens back to a simpler time when public attitudes toward morality prevailed, where neighbors knew each other by name, and where communities helped each other out. In addition, George Bailey and his friends are likeable people, developing a rapport with the audience that makes the viewer actively root for them and care about what happens to them. This personal connection with the audience (and the audience ability to relate to questioning the meaning of one's life) may well be the key to the enduring success of the story. Having spent over five decades as the number one Christmas movie, It's A Wonderful Life ranks as one of the greatest films of all time.

The DVD Report

IT S A WONDERFUL MOVIE
LA PRIMERA VEZ QUE VI ESTA PELICULA REALMENTE.. ME CONMOVIO.. UNA HISTORIA QUE TE LLEGA AL CORAZON.. TE HACE PENSAR COMO UNO PUEDE INFLUIR EN LAS DEMAS PERSONAS SIN DARSE CUENTA.. CREO QUE LAS ACTUACIONES ESTAN MUY BUENAS... UN EXCELENTE GUION... UN GRAN ELENCO...ES LA PELICULA.. QUE TODA LA FAMILIA DEBE VER

SALUDOS

Almost the best movie I have ever seen! I love it !
This is such a great movie I don't really know where to start.First of all, I love Jimmy Stuart. He is so awesome in this though. Its a great story that really touches anyone except the most heartless bastard. I watch it every Christmas season more than 1 time. I remember seeing it as a kid and loved it then too. Anyone who doesn't enjoy this movie is a heartless bastard is all I have to say. Jimmy Stuart and Donna Reed have excellent chemistry and Mr. Potter is an ass. Great movie. Watch it with soemone you love! ... Read more

Asin: 630289915X
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-drama   

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Director: Kizo Nagashima, Larry Roemer
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (11 September, 2001)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.48
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This classic 1964 television special featuring Rudolph and his misfit buddies set the standard for stop-motion animation for an entire generation before Tim Burton darkly reinvented it in the early 1990s. Burl Ives narrates as Sam the Snowman, telling and singing the story of a rejected reindeer who overcomes prejudice and saves Christmas one particularly blustery year. Along the way, he meets an abundance of unforgettable characters: his dentallyobsessed elf pal Hermey; the affable miner Yukon Cornelius and his motley crew of puppies; the scary/adorable Abominable Snow Monster; a legion of abandoned, but still chatty, toys; and a rather grouchy Santa. In addition to the title song that inspired it, this 53-minute tape is crammed with catchy tunes such as"Silver and Gold" and "Holly Jolly Christmas." Those who grew up looking forward to watching Rudolph every Christmas season will undoubtedly be able to recite the quotable quotes ("I'm cuuuute. She said I'm cuuuute." "Herbie doesn't like to make toys.") as well as any Casablanca cult audience. --Kimberly Heinrichs ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Animated
• NTSC

Reviews (107)

A true children's Christmas classic...
One of a plethora of animated Christmas classics created in the 1960's - A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966) come to mind - this rendition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is unique in that it uses stop-motion animation instead of cartoons to tell its story. Sam the Snowman (voiced by Burl Ives) brilliantly narrates the tale of an awkward reindeer and his struggle with discrimination. Along the way, he sings a number of holiday classics such as "Silver and Gold," "Holly Jolly Christmas," and of course - "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer".

The story begins when Rudolph's father, Donner, tries to cover up his son's shiny, bright red nose with a disguise. When Rudolph attends a flight training school for young reindeer, he encounters Clarice - a young doe who thinks that Rudolph is cute. This revelation causes Rudolph to leap into the air and fly around the sky like a seasoned aviator. But when he lands, the nose disguise falls off and Rudolph's red honker is exposed to the scorn and ridicule of the young bucks in flight school. Clarice is the only one who doesn't view Rudolph as an outcast freak, but her father quickly escorts her out of the presence of such a "monster".

Following this episode, Rudolph runs away only to meet up with an outcast Elf named Hermey who has committed the unforgivable sin of not wanting to make toys. Contrary to the social conventions of his time, Hermey wants to be a dentist. Feeling unwanted, Rudolph and Hermey decide to run away together. But in due time, they encounter the dangerous Abominable Snow Monster - a giant, hairy beast who crushes anyone who leaves Christmastown. Aiding in their rescue is Yukon Cornelius, a burly prospector who chops off a piece of ice with his pick ax, allowing Rudolph, Hermey, and himself to float away from the Abominable Snow Monster (who can't swim).

After floating through the night, the three characters discover The Land of Misfit Toys - an island of handicapped, screwed-up toys rejected by elf quality-control managers and forced to live away their best years in an icy wasteland. Our three heroes can relate to the misfit toys, and Rudolph promises to inform Santa of their status the next time he sees him.

When Rudolph sneaks away in the middle to return home, he meets up with Clarice (who ran away from home to search for him), and the two of them get cornered by the Abominable Snow Monster. But Yukon Cornelius faces down the Monster, and together with Hermey, he coaxes the beast into a trap - where Hermey neutralizes the Monster by pulling out his teeth.

Meanwhile, Christmastown is covered with a thick fog, and Santa ponders the cancellation of Christmas. But when he sees Rudolph's bright red nose glowing in his workshop, Santa asks Rudolph to guide his sleigh through the night. With Rudolph taking the lead, Santa swoops down on Christmas Eve just in time to rescue the depressed residents of The Land of Misfit Toys and deliver them all to expectant boys and girls who will love them for who they are.

This breakthrough Claymation classic is essential for any child's Christmas experience (and that of adults who grew up watching much-anticipated annual holiday special on TV). That's why this ranks as a definite "must-see" by any standard. But undoubtedly, we all owe a special thanks to Montgomery Ward - the giant retail chain that created Rudolph as part of a promotional gimmick one fabled Christmas season decades ago. For after all, it just wouldn't be Christmas without Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer...

The DVD Report

Great special-except for one detail
This is a great holiday special. I especially like the Island of Misfit Toys detail. The only reason I gave the special 4 stars rather than 5 stars is the detail in which Hermey pulls out the Bumble's teeth to make him safe(this could not be done to real-life animals that bite, for they cannot live without their teeth.I think this is improperly teaching the viewer that an animal who bites can have its teeth pulled to make it less harmful to humans.Therefore, I believe that this segment can easily send the wrong message to children.) Nevertheless, the special shows how okay it is to be different. Sometimes I cry when I watch the Island of Misfit Toys segment, but light up again with a smile when I see the misfit toys being dropped out of the sleigh at the end. If you have the older VHS, be sure to upgrade to this DVD version with the original song, "We're A Couple of Misfits." The "Fame and Fortune" song is included as a bonus feature.

Never Be Late For Elf Practice Again -- Thanks To This DVD!
First televised on NBC-TV on Sunday, December 6, 1964 (but usually associated with CBS-TV due to that network's many airings of the program throughout the succeeding years), the animated color TV Special "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" has now turned forty years of age (as of this writing), and has endured for all those years as an annual staple in many American homes.

The DVD edition I'm reviewing here is the one issued by "Sony Wonder" and "Golden Books Family Entertainment" (1-Disc version). It provides a very good-looking Full Frame (1.33:1) video image of the perennial "Rudolph" Christmas Special; with a Dolby Digital soundtrack recorded in 2-channel (original) Mono.

This particular version of "Rudolph" is quite unique actually, in that it is the "unaltered" version of the TV Special, as it aired originally in 1964. Which means that one song which has been routinely cut out of subsequent broadcasts of the program is presented uncut within this DVD version. That song being "We're A Couple Of Misfits", sung by Rudolph and dentist-to-be "Hermey" near the beginning of the show. This song was replaced in 1965 with the "Fame And Fortune" song instead.

The alternate song used in that scene ("Fame And Fortune") is included, however, as a separate Bonus Feature on this DVD. .... To tell you the truth, I prefer the "Fame & Fortune" number to the original "Misfits" tune. And I can see why the producers of the Special decided to make the switch during the second broadcast of the program in 1965. "F&F" is a better ditty, IMO. And, obviously, others thought so as well. Hence, the substitution.

This DVD contains the complete, uncut version of "Rudolph" (with a total run time of 51 minutes, 32 seconds). This is significant (and most welcome), because after the first few broadcasts on network TV, as we all know, many cuts and edits were made to the original print, so that more and more commercials could be jammed into the one-hour network timeslot over the years. It's doubtful we'll ever encounter this original "51-minute" version on network television again, due to the ever-increasing sponsors' demands for prime-time air time.

All of the rarely-seen snippets of the "Rudolph" Special are re-inserted into this full-length DVD version -- clips like: the "Peppermint" scene at the tail-end of the special, where Yukon Cornelius discovers "a peppermint mine! Yahooo!" .... And: the complete musical numbers ("Jingle, Jingle, Jingle!" and "We Are Santa's Elves") are fully intact on the DVD; whereas, in many chopped-up prints, one (or both) of these songs have either been severely truncated or cut out entirely. It's nice to be able to see the "whole" show via this nicely-done "Sony" DVD release.

This disc has a few nice add-on bonus supplements, too. In addition to the aforementioned bonus song ("Fame And Fortune"), there's also a Rudolph trivia game, an original TV promo, some ads for other "Golden Books" holiday DVD titles, and a fun and informative 11-minute "introduction" by producer/creator Arthur Rankin.

In addition, you can access English Subtitles in two different ways on this disc -- there are the traditional "captions"/(subtitles) that can be turned on at the bottom of the screen. Plus, this DVD offers what is called "Read-Speak Action Captions", which show the words on the screen in a unique, 3-D kind of fashion, displaying the words in large print right beside the mouths of each character speaking, one word at a time. An interesting alternative to the normal captioning process.

Chapter breaks are also included on this disc, with a whopping total of 27 "Scene Selections"! My goodness, some three-hour movie DVDs don't have this many Chapter Stops! :) *

* = NOTE: The "Read-Speak" Captioned version of "Rudolph" (which can be accessed via the Bonus Features area) does not have any "Chapter" breaks included.

An added word or two about the "TV Promo" on this disc --- This is a nice little bonus, which runs for 59 seconds and exhibits very good color and overall picture quality. It's an original 1966 NBC-TV promo that informs the viewers that "Rudolph is coming on Sunday, December 4th, on the General Electric Fantasy Hour" program.

A word about the DVD Menus ..... I'm not a big fan of "Animated Menus" on DVDs, but this disc's Menu system is an exception. For some reason, I really like these Menus, which offer up cheery music and cute animated sequences. The Main Menu puts the viewer right into the Christmas spirit, featuring falling snow, a decorated Christmas tree, and "Rudolph" looking skyward, complete with batting eyelids and a bright glowing nose. While the various Sub-Menus also have animated moving pictures and a "falling snow" background as well. Each Sub-Menu features a different character from the "Rudolph" Special.


Some additional "Rudolph" Notes and Trivia and Miscellaneous Ramblings :-) ..................

>> The voice talent for "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer" was supplied by Burl Ives (Narrator/"Sam"), Billie Mae Richards ("Rudolph"), Paul Soles ("Hermey"), Larry Mann ("Yukon"), and Alfie Scopp ("Head Elf").

>> I hadn't realized this trivial tidbit until recently ...... Comet (the reindeer coach) was voiced by Don Adams (of "Get Smart" TV fame).

>> I've often wondered how many little kids who have watched this "Rudolph" Special were suddenly scared to death that Christmas might be "cancelled" (as feared in the show due to foul weather). LOL!

>> Has anyone (besides me) ever noticed with amusement that the gruff voice of the "Head Elf" dramatically changes, somehow, just before he begins to direct his "Elf Chorus" in the song "We Are Santa's Elves"? Throughout the majority of the show, Mr. Head Elf is the very coarse-sounding 'meanie' -- when he dishes out some of my favorite lines from the show, such as: "Now you come to Elf Practice and learn how to wiggle your ears, and chuckle warmly, and go "hehe" and "hoho", and important stuff like that! A dentist! Good grief!" .... And yet, in the "chorus" scene, his voice changes completely. He sounds a bit wimpish when he utters: "Now let's try out the new elf song I wrote; and remember, it's for Santa." (LOL!) This sudden and drastic vocal-cord switch always cracks me up when I watch this program.

------------------------------

The "Rudolph" TV Special is truly an American tradition. A must-see each December. And now, via this nice uncut DVD edition, the adventures of our antlered hero with the crimson-colored snoot should remain crystal-clear and in pristine condition forever. ... Read more

Asin: B00005M2FD
Subjects:  1. Christmas   

A Charlie Brown Christmas
Director: Bill Melendez
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (24 August, 2004)
list price: $9.95 -- our price: $9.45
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This television classic features the Peanuts characters in the story of Charlie Brown's problematic efforts to mount a school Christmas pageant. Everybody's on board: Lucy, Snoopy, Schroeder, Pig-Pen, but the biggest impression is surely made by Linus, who stops the show with his recitation from the gospels of the story of Christ's birth. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• HiFi Sound
• Animated
• NTSC

Reviews (93)

A true holiday classic...
Charles Schultz cast the gold standard of annual holiday classics with his 1965 creation of A Charlie Christmas. This animated, made-for-TV special features all the familiar Peanuts characters (although I've always wondered why the comic strip was titled Peanuts and not Charlie Brown?) - Lucy, Snoopy, Schroeder, Linus, Sally, Pig-pen, and Woodstock all make appearances. But the enduring popularity of this classic stems not from its storyline, but its invocation of childhood nostalgia and memorable Christmas music (everyone on earth has heard the song the characters sing in the closing credits).

For those who need refreshing (because I don't know anyone who hasn't seen it), A Charlie Brown Christmas covers title character Charlie Brown's search for the true meaning of Christmas. When neighborhood friend Lucy dispenses her usual five cent advice, she encourages Charlie Brown to take on the job of director in the school Christmas play. But none of the other kids take their new director seriously, and when Charlie Brown passes over several Christmas trees which he believes embody the commercial exploitation of Christmas (and brings back a sagging relic of branch instead), the other kids fire him as director. Meanwhile, Snoopy is involved in decorating his doghouse with colorful flashing lights and other knick-knacks in an effort to win 1st Prize in a Christmas decorating contest. In the end, the other kids feel they've been too hard on Charlie Brown, and fix up his tree into a brilliant display Christmas beauty. Linus reveals the true meaning of Christmas by retelling a segment from the Gospels that recounts the story Jesus Christ's birth. Charlie Brown is finally happy and everyone sings Christmas carols.

One of the better parts of this TV special is when Charlie Brown goes hunting for a Christmas tree. Some of the trees are aluminum, which you rarely see today (especially those trees with the rotating colored lights underneath). Simply put, A Charlie Brown Christmas is a breath of fresh air - a thoughtful, funny, and highly entertaining show that the whole family can enjoy together. Parents and children are connected by the shared experience of this annual holiday affair, and parents don't have to worry about their children being exposed to a Janet Jackson "costume malfunction"!

The DVD Report

Don't listen to the others!
Absolutely awful.

I watched this Christmas special with an effort.When I think of bad Christmas movies, it's Santa Claus (1961), Santa with Muscles, Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

I can't believe this won an Emmy, Hollywood's most famous TV award!I would have to be on drugs in order to recognize it as such.

I beggar you not to listen to the others!It's not a Christmas classic, they're lying.How can a Christmas movie have touching up on a perfectly innocent tree, teasing C.B. because of the Christmas tree, and Lucy at the end saying dialogue that I try to forget:

"Charlie Brown IS a blockhead...but he gave us a nice tree."

Something that Ed Wood would perpetrate, in my highly professional opinion.

Must have for Xmastime
Even though this TV is now almost 40 years old, it has surely stood the test of time and is still relevant today. Basically, Charlie Brown is upset that Xmas has become too commercialised. He wants to enjoy it but can't because of the shallow, money-grabbing opportunity he sees all around him.

The gang try to cheer him up by letting them direct their Xmas play. He finds it a major stain at first but soon finds it easy being an artistic tyrant. But they need an Xmas tree and the only one Charlie can afford is practically a twig. It needs a lot of love, which the gang sure do give it.

Also this TV special also features something damn rare in Xmas movies these days; an actual dedication to Jesus. Now, I am not a puritan Christian but there are sooooo many movies that try to find the TRUE meaning of Xmas but none ever mention the birth of Jesus. Weird eh? Definitely one of the better Xmas specials and miles better than Mr Magoo Xmas Carol or Denver the Last Dinosaur Save Santa.

Second on this DVD is It's Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown. When compared to the original Charlie Brown Christmas this TV special seems to be less social commentary and more an excuse for gags. It's more cartoony and has more obvious laughs rather than any irony or important things to say.

There's another Xmas play in this 'un. Peppermint Patty is refusing to do any homework and is annoyed that Marcie is playing Mary and she is left with the thankless role of a sheep. Still, she's determined to steal as much scenery as possible. Charlie Brown is selling his old comics to buy an Xmas present for his wannabe girlfriend and his sister Sally has only one word to say in the play 'HARK' but she ends up yelling 'HOCKEY STICK' instead.

More like a series of Peanuts vignettes than a real TV special. But still nice.


The shorts are presented in perfectly adequate 1.33:1 fullscreen, as drawn, with Dolby Mono and Stereo tracks. There are no extras. Also, the Coca-Cola sponsorship ads have been edited out of this DVD. ... Read more

Asin: 6304209266
Subjects:  1. Children's Video   

Dr. Seuss - How the Grinch Stole Christmas/Horton Hears a Who
Director: Ben Washam, Chuck Jones
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (07 October, 2003)
list price: $8.93 -- our price: $8.48
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This all-time classic now has Horton Hears a Who! on the samevideo for a great double bill.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
To heck with the kids--this is one of the best holiday presents you can give yourself. Adapted from the children's book byDr. Seuss, this charming story is one to watch every holiday season. It is just edgy enough to help you forget the more cloying aspects of Christmas, yet it is also sweet enough to remind you of the reason for all that holiday cheer. Animation genius Chuck Jones directed this 1966 television production featuring the voice of Boris Karloff as the mean greenie. Bitter and selfish, the Grinch decides to steal Christmas away from the Whos, the sweet little folk who live at the bottom of his mountain home. When little Cindy Loo Who returns his hateful act with kindness, she melts the old miser's heart. There are many reasons to watch this: inventive wordplay, Karloff's impressive narration, and a very memorable soundtrack. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Horton Hears a Who!
Chuck Jones was chief animator on this lively adaptation of the famous book by Dr. Seuss. The story of a friendly elephant named Horton who discovers--deep inside a daisy--a tiny city called Whoville with tiny, intelligent residents--this film (fleshed out a bit from the source) is strong on character and has striking, appealing visuals. The little folks of Whoville, with their natural air of aristocracy, are a kick, and when they come to see Horton as a hero for his democratic view of all life big and small, the effect is quite touching. This should be a real treat for kids already familiar with the book, and just might inspire those who haven't read it to pick it up. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Animated
• NTSC

Reviews (108)

A Christmas television classic for the ages...
One of only a handful of essential, "must-see" animated Christmas classics, How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a Dr. Seuss holiday masterpiece. Created in 1966 on the heels of the phenomenal success surrounding such TV specials as A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964), the Grinch has morphed into a sacred annual Christmas rite perfect for any child from one to ninety-two.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas tells the story of a lumbering green monster who has a heart seven-sizes-to-small. Living with his dog in a mountaintop cave high above the town of Whoville, the Grinch (voiced by Boris Karloff) hates all the Whos, but what he hates worst of all is their happiness and celebration at Christmas. So the Grinch (smiling an evil Grinch grin) hatches a plan to steal Christmas. Fashioning reindeer horns for his dog and Santa suit for himself, the Grinch drives a sleigh down into Whoville while the Whos are asleep on Christmas Eve. He steals their lights, their ribbons, and their bows. He steals their boxes, packages, and bags. He steals wreathes and Christmas trees and even their Roast Beast (why that evil Grinch even stole the Who hash). And only thing he left behind was a crumb far too small for even a mouse. Caught in the act of stealing a Christmas tree by tiny little Cindy Loo Who, the Grinch tells an evil lie about taking the tree to his shop to fix the lights and sends the girl back to bed.

Leaving Whoville with his bounty, the Grinch starts off the highest mountain peak where he plans to throw all the Who stuff off a cliff. But first, he waits to hear the cries of pain from the Whos as they wake up to find all of their things long gone. Instead, every Who down in Whoville gathers together to sing a song. They aren't sad. In fact, they seem to be glad. The Grinch ponders this unaccounted for event and discovers the true meaning of Christmas. In an effort to save the sleigh full of Who stuff from falling off of the cliff, his heart grows seven sizes on that day, and he gains the strength of seven Grinches times ten. He rides the sleigh full of presents back into Whoville, where he celebrates Christmas with the Whos and even carves the Roast Beast...

Created under the direction of Chuck Jones (creator of famed Warner Brothers characters Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, and Pepe Le Pew), How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a masterful production with stellar voice-overs, imaginatively drawn characters, and Karloff's impressive narration. Several songs interspersed throughout are memorable in and of themselves (such as "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch"). In a nutshell, no celebration of the Christmas holidays is truly complete without at least one viewing of How The Grinch Stole Christmas...

The DVD Report

Why Isn't the Grinch Bright Green?
Because he wasn't bright green in 1966. Lots of reviewers complain about the Grinch's color. This DVD contains the original TV broadcast where the Grinch was a yellowish-green (pea green) color. This is not a digitally enhanced version and neither the product description, nor the DVD case itself, mislead you into thinking it is - I can't spot those words anywhere on my mine. The Grinch had no color in the book, and I would think Dr. Seuss had some say in what color Chuck Jones made him in the original animation. The "ugly" color (as some people would call it) just personifies the Grinch's character - he wasn't meant to be "bright and merry". If it suited Dr. Seuss, it suits me. You'll notice that the Christmas trees and wreaths are their proper green color when in the same frame as the Grinch - it's unlikely that just the Grinch's color would fade or deteriorate, and not any others. Being that it's not digitally enhanced, it does suffer from the "graininess" of the original film, but it's minimal.

All that aside, hopefully a digitally enhanced DVD version ison the way for all who prefer a greener Grinch. Other reviewers have noted the short clips of digitally enhanced animation shown in the short documentary entitled "TNT's How The Grinch Stole Christmas! Special Edition" in the special features section of the DVD, but fail to mention the disclaimer that's at the beginning of it: "This film is a demonstration of work in progress." Which means back in 1996, when the documentary was made, they were in the middle of digitally enhancing it (evidently deciding that a bright green Grinch looked better/more commercial than a pea green Grinch in the process). That was over 8 years ago, and I personally don't know if the digitally enhanced version has been shown on TV or not. I also haven't seen the VHS version, but did notice it's cover says "New Digitally Enhanced Version" on it (unlike this DVD, which doesn't). Maybe what's in the documentary on this DVD is what's on the digitally enhanced VHS version, but for whatever reason, they haven't released a digitally enhanced DVD version yet.

If what you want is the classic animation in its original state, this is for you.

cheerful and alluring
the ending is brilliant
Borlis Karloff is creepy as the voice of the Grinch. and alluring as the narrator. Chuck Jones is a brillaint cartoonis. as is Dr Seuss who made many lovely books. both of these 2 toons on dvd are timeless. I must of seen the Grinch one 100 times on tv at least. you can never get sick of it. it may be short in time span. but the Grinch tale is so powerful that in 24 minutes you grow to realize that Christmas is not about gifts and toys. it's about being together with loved ones and family. that and don't steal things from others. it's a touching classic story. when I have kids someday I'll have them watch this with me. it's really a touching story. Horton hears a who. is adorable. funny. and just amazing all in one. give it a try if you haven't already. I have this on dvd and love it every time I watch it ... Read more

Asin: B00004VVP8
Subjects:  1. Children's Video   

Miracle on 34th Street
Director: George Seaton
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (16 October, 2001)
list price: $9.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The original 1947 version of this Valentine Davies story follows the misadventures of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) as he gets a job playing Santa Claus at Macy's department store in New York City. Natalie Wood is the little girl who tells him she doesn't believe in Santa, and Maureen O'Hara and John Payne are the couple who help Kris through a trial in which he must prove he's the jolly fellow from the North Pole. A sweet movie and perennial Christmas favorite, this is one of those movies that gets under your skin and must be revisited every so often. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Features

• Black & White
• Closed-captioned
• THX
• NTSC

Reviews (73)

Classic radio show gave additional insight to movie theme
This is a great movie,as many have posted before me. However, after hearing the classic radio show (heard it on Sirius)originally aired around the same time as the orginal movie release, I learned something entirely new about this old classic I enjoyed for many years. In the classic radio show at the end when the lawyer talks with Santa about the house, he learns that Santa set the entire sanity trial up, Santa knew the lawyer could not afford the house unless he bacame a famous lawyer, and by going to trial it made the lawyer famous. I never realized that Santa set it all up by making them think he was crazy, but it makes sense that Santa could be that smart.

Please ignore the remakes and see this magical original
Many of us have seen Miracle on 34th Street many times (once a year), and for me it never wears out.Just seeing Edmund Gwenn convince the sceptical, but adorable Natalie Wood that he's Santa is always both moving and hilarious.The theme is that sometimes good (Gwenn) triumphs over evil (Sawyer) with a little luck and magic (unfortunately not this year though.)
The way the plot is put into place is masterful and George Seaton's direction flawless.Maureen O'Hara and John Payne (Gailey) do a great job and if you listen carefully you can hear O'Hara's Irish accent creep in.Also great is the judge played by Gene Lockhart who gives his role just the right dash of comedy, as well as William Frawley (better known as Fred on I Love Lucy).
The swipe it takes at psychiatry is too mild though.It depicts Sawyer as a fake psychiatrist...not challenging the legitimacy of psychiatry itself.However the message gets subtly through...there are those in the profession "with no humanity" as Kris Kringle puts it.
Even though you know the outcome it's still great to watch the triumphant result of Gailey's efforts, as well as Kringle's winning over of everyone at the end.
To me THIS is the quintessential Christmas film, not Wonderful Life or Christmas Carol which are too sentimental and dated.Miracle is intelligent, human, and timeless.

A Classic and a Gem
Great movie, even after all these years.Black and white or colorized, you can't go wrong.

Edmund Gwenn as Santa is the heart and soul of this movie.He is as we all imagine (and hope) Santa to be.It almost hurts when we see the other characters not actually believing he is the one and only Saint Nick.

But the other actors are also top notch...except for Maureen O'Hara.She may be the nicest lady in the world ... I don't know ... but she almost single-handedly torpedoes this movie.It achieves classic status despite her.

The guy who plays the lawyer, he is excellent.A nice understated but still believable performance.And Natalie Wood is cute and believable as the little girl.But the rest of the cast is a superb collection of unique characters who really fill out the movie nicely.

One last thing ... the one scene I like (love) best is the one where the little Dutch girl, who can't speak English, comes to sit on Santa's lap.A priceless, priceless moment.
... Read more

Asin: 6301442962
Subjects:  1. Feature Film Family   

Sleepless in Seattle
Director: Nora Ephron
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (30 January, 2001)
list price: $9.95
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The director and stars of 1998's You've Got Mail scored a breakthrough hit with this hugely popular romantic comedy from 1993, about a recently engaged woman (Meg Ryan) who hears the sad story of a grieving widower (Tom Hanks) on the radio and believes that they're destined to be together. She's single in New York, he lives in Seattle with a young son, but the cross-country attraction proves irresistible, and pretty soon Meg's on a westbound flight. What happens from there is ... well, you must have been living in a cave to have let this sweet-hearted comedy slip below your pop-cultural radar. There's little complexity or depth to writer-director Nora Ephron's cheesy tale of a romantic fait accompli, and more than a little contrivance to the subplots that threaten to keep Hanks and Ryan from actually meeting. But the purity of star chemistry here is hard to deny, and this may be the first film to indicate the more serious and sympathetic side of Hanks that is revealed in later roles. With its clever jokes about "chick movies" and repeated homage to the classic weeper An Affair to Remember, this may not be everybody's brand of amorous entertainment, but it's got an old-Hollywood charm that appeals to many a movie fan. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (127)

A Classic
Sleepless In Seattle is movie that sticks with you. You could watch it over and over and over again and not get tired of it.

Set in Seattle, and unlike many think, a very romantic city, the story follows a widower named Sam(Hanks) and his son Jonah (Malinger), and a reporter for the Baltimore Sun, Annie(Ryan).

After Jonah calls a advice radio station about his widower father, Annie, on the other side of county in Baltimore becomes very interested in Sam. Through story, both Sam and Annie contemplate meeting after Annie sends a letter to them. In the end their meeting happens just like in the old movie Annie and Becky(O'Donnell) had watched over and over again.

Sleepless In Seattle is a classic and a great movie.

EXCELLENT!
An outstanding romantic comedy, Sleepless in Seattle, brings to the screen the love story between a recently widowed father of one from Seattle and a bride to be from New York, with all the ups and downs that that entails!
It is a film about human relations, hope and second chances, but most importantly about trust, love, and inner strength.
Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and the rest of the cast, have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are exceptional to say the least!All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few laughs, not to mention a few tears.The film is simple enough, but does a great job of describing people's every day lives and the problems they face.It just goes to show that simplicity is often far better than complexity, when trying to present issues of a human nature.
The setting, the plot, the dialogues and the music are all wonderful!
In short, Sleepless in Seattle is a movie definitely worth watching and one to seriously consider adding to your movie collection!

Great movie
As much as i hate to admit it, i love sleepless in seattle. This coming from a 16 year old sophomore in high school...I first watched this movie with my mom a long way back when it had just come out, and i enjoyed it more because my mom told me it was good rather than because i actually liked it. But as i got older, and watched it more, i found out that the movie is just brilliant. A GREAT story, and a wonderfully directed film by Nora Ephron. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan are M-O-F-E (made for each other, watch the movie) in romantic comedies. Great movie. (oh, and the person who reviewed this before me, says that the 10th anniversary edition is missing the broom closet scene...i dont know if thats just their version, because i know that scene is in this DVD. And i double checked to make sure i had the 10th anniversary edition, and i do. Just pointing that out.) GREAT MOVIE, A CLASSIC...BUY IT ... Read more

Asin: 6302936381
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

When Harry Met Sally...
Director: Rob Reiner
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (02 November, 2004)
list price: $9.94 -- our price: $9.44
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Nora Ephron wrote the brisk screenplay for this 1989 romantic comedy, director Rob Reiner made a nicely glossy New York story (very much in a Woody Allen vein) out of it, and Billy Crystal's unstoppable charm made it something really special. Crystal and Meg Ryan play longtime platonic friends who keep dancing around their deeper feelings for one another, and Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher are their respective pals who fall in love and get married. Ryan doesn't get a lot of funny material, but her performance is typically alive and intuitive, and she more than holds her own with Crystal's comic motor mouth and sweet sentimentality. Reiner is on comfortable ground, liberated from the burden of making serious statements in the lead-footed manner of subsequent features.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• Dolby
• NTSC

Reviews (192)

Before Harry married Sally
Before Harry Burns(Billy Crystal) married on-and-off sweetheart Sally Albright(Meg Ryan),they were college students. However,before Harry married Sally,Harry married and got divorced from another woman. Harry once believed that a man and a woman could not be friends platonically. What a bunch of bull! Giving moral support are Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher(Kirby co-starred with Crystal in 1991's CITY SLICKERS). Several years after Harry and Sally lost touch,they met again on an airplane. They keep running into each other all the time! Memorable scenes include Sally faking an orgasm in a restaurant. Many of the patrons look at her in great disbelief! Harry and Sally once meet at a wedding reception for Jess(Kirby) and Fisher's character. Harry and Sally end up in a private argument ending with a "f--k you" and a slap in a face from Sally to Harry. After many lonely days and lonely nights for Harry,he and Sally finally fall in love again at a New Year's Eve party. They never broke up again and finally became husband and wife. We also see other couples in the film telling how-we-met stories. Yes,the last told one was by Harry and Sally. Crystal's longtime friend Rob Reiner directed this initially bittersweet film and it also was 1989's highest-grossing films. Surprisingly,it never inspired a sequel. That same year,Reiner himself married his current wife,Michele Singer. Ryan was always one for romance films,subsequently appearing in FRENCH KISS,SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE,YOU'VE GOT MAIL and PRELUDE TO A KISS to name a few. Also take note in the college scenes,set in the 1970's,Crystal looks like how he did when he was Jodie Dallas on the ABC sitcom SOAP,which ran from 1977 to 1981. Ryan was a teenager back then. Crystal himself was married to his current wife Janice(the Crystals wed in 1970).

wonderful story, well-written, wrong actor
Great romantic comedy. Though I don't like Ryan and Crystal as a couple, I find him rather annoying. However that didn't stop me from watching it over and over. totally worth the watch.

It Had To Be You.
Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) meet each other after graduating from college. Both are moving to New York City and Harry needs a ride there. Harry learns of Sally through a mutual friend and the mutual friend gets them to ride together across the country to New York City. Before leaving, the two had never met. What follows is a rode trip that firmly embeds each of them in the heart and mind of the other. After getting to New York, they part ways and don't see each other for years. Then a random encounter at the airport brings them together again. Fast-forward five more years and another random encounter brings them together in a bookstore. From there they become friends, then the best of friends, and eventually lovers. The last part of the movie deals with whether two people who are sleeping together can still remain friends.

WHEN HARRY MET SALLY was directed by Rob Reiner and like most of the films from the first half of his career as a director it is a gem.The screenplay was written by Nora Ephron and earned her an Oscar nomination and much of the dialogue in the film is pure gold. Due both to Reiner's direction and Ephron's writing, there is a lot of truthful insights scattered throughout WHEN HARRY MET SALLY. Men and women do think differently at times and the way the two sexes view the world is explored fairly accurately throughout most of the movie. For example, Sally doesn't see herself as a high-maintenance woman, but she really is and as Harry points out high-maintenance women who don't think they are high-maintenance are some of the most difficult women to deal with.

Crystal and Ryan give two of the most memorable, if not meaningful roles of their careers thus far. The movie also offers strong supporting performances by Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby as two friends Harry and Sally try to set each other up with, but who end up falling in love and getting married themselves.

Despite all of the positives there's one thing about WHEN HARRY MET SALLY that bothers me to this day: the sex. Granted that hardly anything is ever shown, but there is a great deal of talk about it.In fact, that's the whole premise of the movie: can a man and a woman be friends without having sex?I admit that I am "old fashioned" in many of my ways, but in my opinion WHEN HARRY MET SALLY would have been an even more powerful, emotional, and truthful movie if Harry and Sally hadn't slept together until after they were married. They have this decade long friendship without having sex, then boom: they have sex and the movie is pretty much over. It seems almost like a cop-out. Still, the movie does a fairly decent examination of the relationships between a man and woman who truly love each other. Plus it's got some great lines and scenes and it has a happy ending. Too bad it couldn't have been a perfect ending. ... Read more

Asin: 0792837207
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

You've Got Mail
Director: Nora Ephron
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (04 May, 1999)
list price: $9.94 -- our price: $9.44
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

By now, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan have amassed such a fund of goodwill with moviegoers that any new onscreen pairing brings nearly reflexive smiles.In You've Got Mail, the quintessential boy and girl next door repeat the tentative romantic crescendo that made Sleepless in Seattle, writer-director Nora Ephron's previous excursion with the duo, a massive hit. The prospective couple do actually meet face to face early on, but Mail otherwise repeats the earlier feature's gentle, extended tease of saving its romantic resolution until the final, gauzy shot.

The underlying narrative is an even more old-fashioned romantic pas de deux that is casually hooked to a newfangled device.The script, cowritten by the director and her sister Delia Ephron, updates and relocates the Ernst Lubitsch classic The Shop Around the Corner to contemporary Manhattan, where Joe Fox (Hanks) is a cheerfully rapacious merchant whose chain of book superstores is gobbling up smaller, more specialized shops such as the children's bookstore owned by Kathleen Kelly (Ryan).Their lives run in close parallel in the same idealized neighborhood, yet they first meet anonymously, online, where they gradually nurture a warm, even intimate correspondence. As they begin to wonder whether this e-mail flirtation might lead them to be soul mates, however, they meet and clash over their colliding business fortunes.

It's no small testament to the two stars that we wind up liking and caring about them despite the inevitable (and highly manipulative) arc of the plot. Although their chemistry transcended the consciously improbable romantic premise of Sleepless, enabling director Ephron to attain a kind of amorous soufflé, this time around there's a slow leak that considerably deflates the affair. Less credulous viewers will challenge Joe's logic in prolonging the concealment of his online identity from Kathleen, and may shake their heads at Ephron's reinvention ofManhattan as a spotless, sun-dappled wonderland where everybody lives in million-dollar apartments and color coordinates their wardrobes for cocktail parties. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• NTSC

Reviews (499)

One of the best romantic comedies.
Genre: Romantic Comedy

Genre Grade: A+

Final Grade: A

This is my most favorite romantic comedy of all time, for those of you who don't know. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan have more chemistry on screen than any of their other pairings in movies. The movie might be a remake of a classic, but this version has its own great moments as well. It's just an overall great movie. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who hasn't had the pleasure in seeing it before.

Ryan and Hanks always make for screen magic...
Despite its overly commercial purpose (AOL advertising), You've Got Mail still manages to come off as a quaint and likeable romantic comedy. Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan attempt to replicate the onscreen magic of Sleepless In Seattle, when the pair took the Hollywood box office by storm. You've Got Mail doesn't live up to the standards of Sleepless In Seattle, but it is a good romantic comedy when judged solely on its own merits. Hanks and Ryan both turn in performances which amplify the likeability of their respective characters, and the screenplay - despite some flaws - manages to create a viable plotline that keeps the audience interested. That's why You've Got Mail is a favorite of so many movie lovers...

Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) runs a well-known children's bookstore that's an icon of the community (her grandmother started it years before). However, the sustainability of her business is put into question when a large retail bookstore chain (similar to Borders) opens right across the street. The Fox Books store soon becomes a headache for Kelly as she butts heads with the arrogant and profit-oriented son of its founder, Joe Fox (Tom Hanks). Further disturbed by a stagnant relationship with her boyfriend Frank (Greg Kinnear), Kelly logs online where she strikes up a friendship with an unknown man in the city. Battling life's travails by day, Kelly finds her solace via the emails she trades with this unknown man...

But what Kelly and her arch nemesis Joe Fox don't know is that every time they log onto the web and hear "you've got mail," they're actually corresponding with one another. Without the conflict of the competing business ventures entering into their relationship, the two are a perfect match for each other. When Joe discovers (through one of Kathleen's emails) that the woman he's been contacting is the crazy bookstore owner across the street, his encounters with Kathleen become less confrontational from his end. He develops a strong love for Kathleen, but needs to uncover a method by which he can reveal the secret. When Kathleen's bookstore is driven out of business by the massive discounter Fox Books, Joe fears that revealing his identity will cause him to lose Kathleen forever...

A romantic storyline at its core, You've Got Mail has a few plot flaws that stand out. One is that a major, faceless discount corporation could drive a well-established, well-run small business out of town. Loyal customers, especially for a niche store that sells only a particular type of book, would not be driven away by the opportunity to save three percent on their purchases. Also, the idea that these two could communicate for so long without discovering each other's identity stretches reality. It's not impossible, but for such a central plot point, you would think it could have been done better.

Overall, however, You've Got Mail is Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan putting forth their best. Each has a unique screen presence that attracts the opposite sex, keeping the film out of the realm of 'chick flick' and more in a category where everyone can equally enjoy the film. You've Got Mail, although a cliché of the bygone dot com era, is still a highly entertaining and interesting film. The cast manages to save the screenwriter, and Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan utilize their mass appeal to make You've Got Mail a definite must-see movie...

The DVD Report

WONDERFUL!
An outstanding romantic comedy, You've Got Mail, brings to the screen the love story between two bookstore owners: one of a large chain of book superstores and the other of a local children's store.Things are not that easy, however, for the two, since the former is to a great extent responsible for putting the latter out of business...
It is a film about human relations, hope and second chances, but most importantly about trust, love, and inner strength.
Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and the rest of the cast, have truly outdone themselves with their performances, which are exceptional to say the least!All the actors, without exceptions, give it their 100% and it really shows (the chemistry is AMAZING)! Very well written and very well presented, the movie is without a doubt guaranteed to provide more than just a few laughs, not to mention a few tears.The film is simple enough, but does a great job of describing people's every day lives and the problems they face.It just goes to show that simplicity is often far better than complexity, when trying to present issues of a human nature.
The setting, the plot, the dialogues, the humor, and the music are all wonderful!
In short, You've Got Mail is a movie worth watching and even though it is not quite as good as Sleepless in Seattle, it is definitely a keeper! 4½ Stars
... Read more

Asin: 6305368139
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

The Shop Around the Corner
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (11 January, 2000)
list price: $19.98
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

One of the most charming and romantic films around, this 1940 comic romance finds James Stewart (Vertigo, It's A Wonderful Life) working in a small shop in Budapest and longing for a girl to call his own. His coworker, Margaret Sullavan, feels the same, and soon they are both corresponding and falling in love with their respective pen pals. What they don't realize is that they are writing to and falling in love with each other, but the problem is that they can't stand each other in person. The beguiling nature of the mistaken identity formula that influenced countless films is done to perfection here, and the wry combativeness and delightful banter between the two leads makes this a very special film. --Robert Lane ... Read more

Features

• Black & White
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (62)

Three cheers for Frank Morgan!
Frank Morgan? I thought this was a Jimmy Stewart/Margaret Sullavan film you're probably saying to yourself.Well, it is, but good ole Mr. Morgan provides that little extra which makes this film a classic---in my opinion, at least; disagree if you're so inclined after seeing this film, but do make an attempt to catch it, regardless.The story is told above (and by other reviewers ad nauseum---amazing how many reviewers think they are the only one speaking of the topic at hand) so I won't go into the particulars of this film.And while I'm in a critical mood, why does everyone have to compare this film to its remakes?I, for one, hate remakes with a passion (James Mason's "A Star is Born" being the only remake as good as the original that comes to mind off hand).Why even go see such commerical cash-cows?Movie studios executives must be laughing to the bank everytime they put Jude Law, Brad Pitt---or whomever, in roles played by accomplished talented actors of the past.So, what about this idea: If you have ever seen "It's a Wonderful Life," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "The Good Fairy" (wonderfully funny film with Ms. Sullavan and Mr. Morgan), or just relish the pictures made before WW2 especially, then do view this film when the opportunity presents itself.Ignore the remakes---and not even ackowledge them---while partaking of the great films that get way too little publicity as it is.(See my "So you'd like to watch films that evince who we are" amazon guide, if you're looking for other cinematic treats.It can be accessed by clicking on my name, thence on "So you'd like to...").Cheers!

Jimmy Steward.Tom Hanks.Kind of interchangable
aren't they? One could play the life story of the other. This one is Jimmy Steward circa 1940, The Shop Around the Corner.It launched a whole bunch of remakes.
Two lonely people fall in love as pen-pals in pre-war Budapest. Unbeknownest they also work together in the same shop & have developed a healthy dislike for each other. Of course the complications & subplots take off from there as in any romantic comedy. This is one of the best. Eventually it all straightens out, boy gets girl etc. It is a bit dated & amusing as part of the cast has a Hungarian accent & some don't. It is still the best, the original & a classic.

Wonderfully crafted romantic comedy
Ernst Lubitsch's gentle comedy weaves together seamlessly and beautifully a handful of narrative strands, chiefly the shakey romantic development of stars Stewart and Sullavan's unusual relationship.

The story is believably told and engagingly acted by a cast that also includes Frank Morgan alongside the two perfectly matched leads. Script is witty, and the design of the production is quite charming. German-born Lubitsch, one of many great directors to leave Germany in the 1920s and '30s to pursue a career in Hollywood, brings the Eastern European setting to life convincingly. A fine film and a classic. ... Read more

Asin: B000021Y6M
Subjects:  1. Feature Film-comedy   

Home Alone
Director: Chris Columbus
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (21 August, 2001)
list price: $9.98 -- our price: $9.48
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Now and forever a favorite among kids, this 1990 comedy written by John Hughes (The Breakfast Club) and directed by Chris Columbus (Mrs. Doubtfire) ushered Macaulay Culkin onto the screen as a troubled 8-year-old who doesn't comfortably mesh with his large family. He's forced to grow a little after being accidentally left behind when his folks and siblings fly off to Paris. A good-looking boy, Culkin lights up the screen during several funny sequences, the most famous of which finds him screaming for joy when he realizes he's unsupervised in his own house. A bit wooden with dialogue, the then-little star's voice could grate on the nerves (especially in long, wise-child passages of pure bromide), but he unquestionably carries the film. Billie Bird and John Candy show up as two of the interesting strangers Culkin's character meets. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern are entertainingly cartoonish as thieves, but the ensuing violence once the little hero decides to keep them out of his house is over-the-top. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Features

• Color
• Closed-captioned
• HiFi Sound
• NTSC

Reviews (125)

Very Enjoyable Movie
I recently bought this DVD, and i must say it just doesn't disappoint. I remember it was one of my many favourite movies when i was growing up, and it was always fun. Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern give tremendous performances in this movie too. The casting is just so perfect..Macaulay Culkin as "Kevin"..Catherine O'Hara as "Kevin's Mother"..Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as the frustrated and bumbling burglars..right down to "Kevin's" brother, who's name escapes me right now, and John Candy, who has a small part as the "Polka King of the Midwest". But really every actor in this movie seems to just be so natural for the parts they play.

If you haven't already seen this movie, i suggest you do so as soon as possible. It's truly a classic and will have you laughing at the ingenius ways "Kevin" booby-traps his house. The movie starts out with "Kevin's" family getting ready for a Christmas Vacation to France, that they'll go on the next morning. "Kevin" is left on the outer it seems, as his family have no time for him while they all pack their belongings for the trip. He then gets into a fight with his older brother and is sent up to the attic to spend the night. The next morning, the family sleeps-in and in the hurry to the airport, forgets that Kevin is still up in the attic..

The movie really picks up though, when the burglars (Pesci and Stern) finally try and enter the house. Their plan at first seems to be about stealing valuables, but it quickly turns to "Get that kid!!", which in turn produces some of the funniest material in a Family/Comedy i've really ever seen. "Kevin" is just a genius with how he rigs the house as a massive booby-trap basically, and the burglars are extremely funny with the way they get so frustrated.

This DVD also comes with Scene Access, allowing you to immediately go to any scene in the movie without fast-forwarding. It also has Multiple Language Subtitles, and the Original Movie Trailers for Home Alone 1, 2 and 3. With 3, in my personal opinion, being the least appealing of the series.

I think this movie is a classic, and will have you laughing along with it until the end. It's a great comedy, that you don't have to watch with anyone if you don't want to. You can watch it by yourself and get just as much enjoyment out of it. I also suggest seeing Home Alone 2, which is a pretty good sequel that keeps most of the same cast from the first movie, such as Macaulay Culkin, Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci to name a few.

The Quintessential Family Comedy
If Christopher Columbus discovered America, then Chris Columbus rediscovered American comedy. From "Mrs. Doubtfire" to "Nine Months", he has directed some of the finest contemporary comedies of the 1990s'.

But no matter what Columbus does, his crowning achievement will always be 1990's "Home Alone". Between Columbus's skillful directing and John Hughes' brilliant script, this film represents what American comedy should be.

The plot of the film is quite simple yet somewhat unrealistic, which is where the movie's impeccable charm lies. Eight - year - old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin before he met Michael Jackson) is the black sheep of his loose Chicago family. His parents (Catherine O'Hara and John Heard) treat him like a child, while the rest of his family - including smarmy Uncle Frank, older brother Buzz and the bedwetting Fuller (brother Kieran) - treats him like trash. After getting into a huge fight with them the night before a Christmas vaction to France, Kevin wishes that he doesn't have a family. His mom says she hopes his wish comes true. The next day, the family wakes up late and is in such a rush to get to the airport that they leave Kevin asleep in the attic. Thinking his wish has come true, Kevin lives it up at home. Little does he know, burglars Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) are home alone, too, and taking advantage of it as well.

This is a true holiday classic that you can watch any time of year. If you're one of the five people who have never seen this movie, please do so.

Home Alone Review
This is one of the greatest movies ever made. I've been watching it since I was a little kid and I never get sick of seeing it.It has to do with a young kid by the name kevin who accidentally gets left home alone while the rest of his family goes on vacation.They finally realize he's not with them and they get worried trying to find every possible way to get back home.While kevin is at home he's thrilled at first but comes accros 2 burglers robbing the neighborhood.They try to get his house but he sets up tons of traps that help keep him protected, and this is what makes it such a great movie. ... Read more

Asin: 6302091632
Subjects:  1. Feature Film Family