No comments about Madeline: Winter Vacation.

1 comments about Global Access Visual Passport to German (Global Access DVD).

1. A reasonably priced brief introduction for tourists. You won't learn German with this package but you may learn enough to feel a bit more comfortable traveling to Germany. The language learning lessons are short and painless.
   
   The travel DVD is just like watching a travel show on TV.
   
   This is a good product for the price (assuming your goal is NOT to learn to speak German) but I was hoping for a bit more "content". Buy this if you want an easy to enjoy introduction to Germany in preparation for a vacation.

1 comments about Raggs Kids Club Band "Holiday Jam".

1. This is an awesome flick. My kids just loved every minute of it. The skiing scenes are really cute. It is a true rock 'n' roll band for kids but one I can feel safe allowing my children to watch. I would highly recommend it. The music is great too.

5 comments about Little Drummer Boy Book 2.

1. Loved all three videos. Mainly bought them cause I had recorded them from tv. yrs. ago and tapes were wearing out. Enjoyed them just the same. Would recommend.



2. The tax collecter song is AWESOME!!! i rewind this movie over
   and over again just to watch that song. Aaron also sings the reprise of the song. i have to admit, there is probbally a diffrent actor for Aaron in this one. his voice sounds higher.



3. It's So Awesome. The Movie Starts When We See The Little Drummer Boy Named Arron Playing His Drum To The Baby Jesus. Then One Of The Three Wise Men Named Melchior Told Him That He Was Going To See A Friend Of His A Man Named Simeon. Then We See Simeon At His House Looking At The Little Cute Silver Bells. Then He Looked At The Big Silver Bells. Then There Was A Knock On The Door. And It's The Tax Collecter. And He Demanded Simeon To Pay His Tax's. Until He Discovered The Silver Bells. Then The Tax Collecter And His Men Took The Bells Away. Then We See Arron With The Donkey And The Cute Little Lamb And The Camle. And One Of The Wise Men Melchior Is Riding On The Camle. Then Simeon Told Them That The Tax Collecter And His Men Have Taking The Bells. Then The Three Of Them Were Comming Up With A Plan To Get The Silver Bells. So If You Want To Know What Happens Next. Then You Should Buy This Movie. It's A Great Christmas Present For Your Little One.



4. Rankin/Bass studios hardly ever made sequels of any of their holiday specials, but this 3 pack has two sequels! First is the sequel to the Drummer Boy that plays every Christmas, but the sequel is harder to find. At the time I wrtie this, I do not think this has been on DVD yet. Next up is the true Frosty sequel, which is pretty rare as well. There is another awful show made by another studio that gets added to some tapes with the original Frosty, but THIS one is the true Frosty sequel, made by the same studio and producers as the first one. Last we have Pinnochios Christmas, made years later than most of the studio's Christmas shows. It is worth seeing to see how far their stop motion skills had come by then. Get this set while you can, it is worth every penny.
   
   Rankin/Bass Studio. Their studio has brought us such memorable holiday classics such as Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, Year without a Santa Claus, Nestor the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, Mad Monster Party, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Mouse on the Mayflower, Here Comes Peter Cottontail, Cricket on the Hearth, the Stingiest Man in Town, Jack Frost, Rudolph's Shiny New Year, the First Easter Bunny. They also made non-holiday films such as the Hobbit, Flight of Dragons, the Last Unicorn. It is incredible that one company is responsible for all those TV specials, 95% of the ones we see every year. Their work includes standard animation, stop-motion animagic, and live action.
   
   I hope this comes out on a restored DVD soon, I have bought all the other Rankin/Bass that have been released on DVD.



5. This followup show to the original is very well thought out and carries on the Christian theme of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ.

4 comments about Perry Como - Christmas in the Holy Land.

1. Wonderful to have Perry in your living room again at Christmas time but unfortunately this video falls short. There isn't alot of Christmas-y material in it and I was left disappointed. Only die-hard Como fans will truly enjoy this video!



2. You won't find it here. This video is good, but if you're looking for a Christmas-y feel by watching the visuals, you'll be disappointed. But if you close your eyes and listen to Perry's wonderful voice, especially on "Ave Maria," it'll sound a lot like Christmas.

   Although this video isn't as traditional as some others of Perry's, it is an interesting video. I've visited Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the surrounding areas, so the video was a wonderful trip down Memory Lane for me. I liked the native songs of the area, especially "Tradition" and "Havah Nagilah."

   This 48-minute video was shot in 1980, and there is a dated feel to it. But I like that, so I didn't mind.

   If you're looking for a non-traditional Christmas video, this is good for a once-a-year addition to your favorites. I have the double set, which also includes Perry Como's Early American Christmas. I think the set is referred to as Perry Como's Christmas Classics.




3. This video was another wonderful find. Perry Como's Christmas In the Holyland is more of a documentary, than Christmas special, with some beautiful scenes shot in the Garden of Gethsemene, Tiberius, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem. I have visited the Holyland, and it was wonderfully nostalgic, to revisit some of those historically significant places once again. Perry treats his guests to a lovely repertoire of Christmas hymns, and I waited and waited and waited to hear Richard Chamberlain sing a lovely hymn or two or three!
   
   I love Perry Como, and I loved the Holyland, but I bought this video because my favorite actor, Richard Chamberlain, was billed as Perry's guest. Richard was wonderful, sharing historical data, and reading scripture, with his beautiful, rich, mellifluous voice. Amidst the wonderful dancing, Hebrew traditions, and various singers, I waited and waited and waited some more, just to hear Richard Chamberlain sing. What was Perry thinking? He had this great actor/singer with him in the Holyland, and we didn't get to hear one carol from his highly valued vocals. Once I got over that disappointment, I could reluctantly, if even a bit resentfully, relax and enjoy the warmth and joy of Christmas, in the Holyland.



4. Upon my first viewing and review, I basically panned this video. Since then, I have watched it many times over and have decided that this is one of Perry's finest Christmas specials. If you are a Christian or a Catholic (like Perry), you will find the hairs on your arms standing up. You can tell Perry feels the same way. This is how Christmas started and Perry takes you there in a way that no other could. Buy this video if you can - it's worth it! This IS Christmas!

No comments about Lonely Planet Six Degrees Series 1: Sydney.

5 comments about Scrooge.

1. This Legend Films edition of the 1935 "Scrooge" derives from the commonly revived hour-long abridgement, prepared for the educational market in 1941. This shorter version is widely available on many budget labels, but Legend offers it now in color.
   
   Legend has done an excellent job with the added color, favoring muted tones befitting the drab settings and various "gaslight" scenes, and reserving brighter colors for certain effects (the Ghost of Christmas Present materializing against a verdant background; the Christmas morning greeting Scrooge).
   
   The leading actors make this version worthwhile. Sir Seymour Hicks is in complete command as Scrooge; he played the role hundreds of times on stage, and this writer is convinced that Dickens scholar W. C. Fields watched Hicks's body language and muttered asides closely. Donald Calthrop is still the best Bob Cratchit in the movies, hitting just the right notes of pleasantness in the upbeat scenes, and humility and sensitivity in the sad ones. Robert Cochran is fun to watch as Scrooge's determinedly happy nephew (and Hicks counters some of Cochran's lines with ad libs!). Henry Edwards's direction is attentive to the Dickensian style and mood, with noteworthy touches (Cratchit is seen outdoors without an overcoat, a small but faithful detail).
   
   This DVD also includes four Christmas-themed cartoons, including the best print we've ever seen of Max Fleischer's "Christmas Comes but Once a Year" and a better-than-usual print of the Little King cartoon "Pals" (retitled "Christmas Night").
   
   The abridged version of "Scrooge" was intelligently edited in 1941, and the action does play very well in streamlined form. It's an excellent novelty in color, even if the source print has "second-generation" limitations. The picture and sound quality are quite acceptable (considering that this public-domain title has been copied and recopied over the years, the prints are variable and it's tough to find a good source print, and Legend found one). You'll probably reach for this color version again each Christmastime, but a production this good makes you want to see more of it. The full experience of the Hicks "Scrooge" is the full-length version, which is a better print running about 20 minutes longer, and is also available on DVD on at least two labels. Too bad Legend grabbed the wrong version off the shelf; otherwise this would have been an unqualified five-star recommendation.
   
   If you've never seen Sir Seymour in action, by all means do. He'll probably be a regular visitor at your house for years to come. If you're curious about the complete feature, here's a link: Scrooge.



2. To anyone looking to buy the Sir Seymour Hicks version of "Scrooge" - DO NOT BUY THIS ONE! LEGEND FILMS should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves in offering this abridged version and leading the unwary buyer to believing it to be the complete version. I watched the film last year on the IMAGE label and enjoyed it very much. It is flawed, but has some truly wonderful sequences that should not be missed. But if you watch this truncated version you will miss some of the best parts - twenty minutes worth! And the full version has arguably the best ending to any Scrooge movie I've ever seen - and I have seen them all. (I won't give the last scene away and spoil it - but you will not find it in LEGEND's disc! The ending actually brought a tear or two to my eye - it is that emotionally touching.) Now, LEGEND packaged the disc beautifully - and the Menu screen is beautiful and I could run it all day as background to opening presents on Christmas Day...and it is nice to see color in this film, but NOT at the price of missing twenty crucial minutes! And the b&w transfer on LEGEND is NOT better than that of IMAGE's. LEGEND would have done better if they skipped the cartoon extras (delightful though they are) and given us the missing minutes of this enjoyable and atmospheric film. So - buyer beware!!!!



3. We are "A Christmas Carol" family. My dad read the story to us as children every year and we'd sit at his feet and mouth the words along with him. Thankfully, he taped his reading on cassette before he passed and his younger grandchildren can have the same experience we did. Before he did that, I read it to my son. With these credentials, we know the story. This version, with Marley's ghost visible to only Scrooge, yielded one of the most hilarious and memorable Christmas Eve lines yet. Family and guests hung on every word as we reverently viewed the film in our darkened family room. Right after Marley announces that no one else can see him but Scrooge, my son says, "Do these chains make me look fat?" That's the closest I've ever come to the oft used ROFL***.
   
   The 1952 version is my favorite followed by Mr. Magoo and the Muppet's versions in no particular order proving again that some people's taste is all in their mouths.



4. This movie would have made Charles Dickens proud. It is the best. I recommend it to anyone who likes classic Christmas movies!!



5. I think we own all Scrooge and I never saw one I did not like including this DVD.

No comments about David Copperfield Christmas.

5 comments about Holiday Heart (2000).

1. This was actually a very good movie. I would always walk by it at Block Buster and never pick it up because I just cannot see "big-burly" Ving as a transvestite. But while at a friends house she had it and I watched it. It was very good.
   
   It's worth adding to your collection.



2. This was a great movie. I bought it for my girlfriend. I watched it with her and loved it.



3. I really enjoyed watching this movie, it was so touching and brung out the true meaning of Love and Forgiveness. The acting was wonderful and on point.



4. Ving Rhames & Alfre Woodard in the same movie why would it not be good. This movie will have you laughing and also touch your heart. Ving Rhames a cross-dresser and Alfre Woodard a recovering drug addict and her daughter Nikki are given shelter to by Holiday (Ving Rhames)Hard times fall on mother and daughter and Holiday is stuck in the middle trying to hold the small family together. Holiday has past issues of his own that he must face in order to help his new found friends.



5. Love this movie. It shows how love is unconditional, between mother and child. How even a gay male figure can take on the mother and father role of a child.

2 comments about Young Pioneers Christmas.

1. I saw this movie on T.V. last year and I have been trying to locate a copy on video so that I can use it as a family teaching tool. Every year we get so caught up in the materialism of Christmas and we sometimes forget just how blessed we really are. The young pioneer family in this movie shows how love conquers all and that we should be joyous and thankful for all that God gives us, all throughout the year. It really changed my attitude towards the whole gift-giving process; We should all give and receive from the heart and not be concerned about monetary value. I highly recommend this movie for families every where! God Bless...



2. This is a wonderful family Christmas movie.I first saw it many years
   ago and have never forgotten it. I was so glad that I found a copy
   at Amazon.com.Watching this movie really makes you appreciate the
   simple things in life. This movie is so good it will make you laugh
   and cry.