5 comments about Pee Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special.

1. WOW! It's been a while since I have seen this on prime time television in 1988. I will admitted this is just plain stupid Chrismas fun but I enjoyed this immensely! Pee Wee Herman and a host of great stars including Cher, Oprah Winfrey, k.d.lang,Whoop Goldberg, Grace Jones, Frankie and Annette and the whole Playhouse gang! This is a delightful holiday special with the insane humor the series was known for. Thanks for finally put it on DVD!!!!



2. I was thrilled to finally find this available for purchase!! We recorded this on VHS when originally shown on television. But tapes get old and now the boys are grown and the poor tape was getting passed around every Christmas. I immediately bought four copies and it is exactly (though, of course, minus the '80s commercials-awwwww)just like the original network showing. Pure PeeWee, pure camp. Thanks! I love it!!



3. i love pee-wees playhouse and had to have this. it's pretty ridiculous and will probably be used as background entertainment at future christmas parties... sitting down to watch it once was enough. My favorite part might have to be kd langs performance, it was a perfectly psychotic song & dance routine (while wearing a dress!!) i was actually embarrassed for her.



4. My sister laughed at me for even buying this, but before we knew it, we were watching and reminiscing and having a great time. Watching this Christmas special brought me back to all those Saturday mornings as a child, watching Pee-Wee's Playhouse.
   There are so many celebrities on this show. I think my favorites were Frankie Avalon, Annette Funicello, and Little Richard.
   Bottom line: Very cheesy, but if you were a fan of Pee-Wee growing up, you will not want to miss out on this!



5. I used to watch this movie every Christmas with my family. We had lost the tape a few years ago, and when I found this dvd we started the tradition once again.

5 comments about The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey.

1. This was a very good family friendly movie. There were some excellent lessons about ridiculing people who are different, recovering from deep losses and respecting others.
   
   It is all about relationships and how deep personal losses don't have to destroy your life. There was some cute dialogue between the little boy and Jonathan Toomey as the new nativity set was carved.
   
   This is not the Bourne Identity, so don't expect fast paced action. This is more about human beings than car crashes and pyrotechnics.
   
   The only reason I didn't give it a better review is that there could have been more chemistry with the actors. The emotions were a little flat, so it is not as good as it could have been.



2. Loved the movie as much as the book. Was very true to the book. I laughed and cried. It touched my heart.



3. i loved this film haveing lived all most the same story luckly i had 3 uncles to steep in i was 5 when my father died i hated him for that but learned like Jonathan life can be special plus my last name is TOOMEY.The movie looked great on my new LCD what thay can do with CG is wonderfull.



4. I was given this movie by my mother-in-law to watch over the Christmas holiday. My only regret is that I did not watch it sooner. This is a beautiful and sincere Christmas story that truly touches the heart. I highly recommend this movie with a nice cup of hot chocolate, warm Christmas cookies, and a handkerchief--you will need it!!



5. This was a wonderful story of a family that kept their priorities straight no matter the loss of family and leaving a home they loved.
   The story is based on another man who lost his wife and ended up being loved and cared for by a family who lost their father and husband. No matter the situation we can still be an encouragement to others if we get beyond our pain. I highly recommend this movie for the entire family.

5 comments about Sesame Street - Elmo's World - Happy Holidays.

1. Elmo's World Happy Holidays is a great DVD. It is educational as well as entertaining. Elmo learns about Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza. This DVD mesmorizes my 20 month old daughter. She has been watching it for months. It is guaranteed to stop her tantrum and give me 50 minutes to clean the house, do laundry, etc.



2. Although I generally love Elmo's World DVDs, I found the bias in this one troubling. Why is Kelly Ripa telling people about Kwanzaa? Shouldn't a black host be informing kids about this holiday? Kelly says she has never been to Africa. Well that's helpful. And then we get Kelly's take on Hanukkah, which also seems off. Really, she shouldn't be talking about either holiday.
   
   Don't be fooled, this one's about Christianity and Christmas. This may seem extreme, but I really feel the subtext of this video is "if you aren't Christian, you are second class and you get a second class holiday." I expect more from these Sesame St videos, because so many supposedly intelligent people are supposed to be involved in making and approving them.



3. We used to get this from our library every year. This would have been the third year to watch it for my soon to be five year old daughter but when I went to place it on hold at the library website I found out that their only copy had been lost. How could I not spend nine bucks to complete my daughter's Christmas? She was so excited when I pulled it out of the box and wanted to watch it right away. She really would have flipped if she had known that there were also pink magnetix in the box. LOL!



4. I bought this DVD approx. a month before Christmas for my almost 2 year old daughter. She watched the Elmo Happy Holidays DVD EVERY DAY and never got tired or bored of it. The DVD is entertaining, educational and fun to watch. It is a wonderful DVD for any child who loves Elmo and well worth the money.



5. As an adult it is sometimes difficult to fully comprehend the impact of Elmo, but my kids really love him. This, according to them is a real favourite. It is however holiday oriented, but they do not mind and want to watch this one any time of the year actually. As I wrote, for an adult, this is inexplicable, but...it is better than other programmes, so I can only listen to their recommendation.

5 comments about A Christmas Carol: The Musical.

1. This "A Christmas Carol" movie was only shown on TV once, and our family really enjoyed it. I was excited to find it on Amazon, so I ordered it. When watching the movie, however, at times the top 1/8" of the screen would get wavy. I'm not sure if that was because we were watching the movie in on a HD TV without an upconverter DVD player or what.
   
   As for the actual movie itself, it's once of the best versions of "A Christmas Carol I've ever seen. Kelsey Grammer made a great Scrooge and he can really sing. Marley is played by Jason Alexander and his song with Scrooge is scary and funny at the same time! Jesse L. Martin of "Law & Order" played the ghost of Christmas present - he has a beautiful voice. I even cried when I saw Tiny Tim's grave.
   
   I would recommend this version of "A Christmas Carol" highly.



2. I tried several times to watch this movie all the way through, and it was just impossible. The movie, and all the actors in it, totally miss the gloominess of Charles Dickens' writing style. It doesn't FEEL like the story should.
   
   I think that the transformation that comes over you as you watch this movie should be such that your grouchiness melts away as you see that the world does not revolve around just you, but involves the lives of others. And, you have the unique ability to change people's lives for the better with every interaction you have with them. Unfortunately, no transformative feeling can come of this movie because the characters are unconvincing at best (all of them), and my opinion is that there is something really wrong with the director.
   
   In this version, Scrooge usually has a smirk about him, it seems like he's already found the Christmas spirit--even in the beginning. The Ghost of Jacob Marley is just a joke. It's like he's trying to make light of his situation... I just could not watch that part. It made me want to puke. Who came up with that GOD AWFUL song?! The Ghost of Christmas Past is wearing a stripper outfit and seducing Scrooge in bed! I'm sure there's more, but I don't want to remember it.
   
   If you want to see something that TOTALLY misses the mark, and is practically impossible to sit through unless you're chained to your chair, this is it!



3. A Christmas Carol musical was a complete hit with me & my kids. It is now weeks, almost a month after Christmas, and my kids are still singing the songs from this movie. I saw the live version of this musical years ago (under another production, of course) and fell in love with the music & production. I highly recommend this musical version with Kelsey Grammer. I didn't think Grammer would be able to pull it off but his love for the character & musical abilities prove to be pretty decent and maybe even worthy of Broadway some day.



4. This is a relatively recent version of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. It is well made and Kelsey Grammer does a great job as Scrooge. One way that it differs from the novel, besides the fact that it is a musical, it goes into a little more background into how Scrooge became so miserly. SPOILER....In this version Scrooge's father is sent to Debtor's Prision when Scrooge was just a child. I would highly recommend this DVD to anyone who appreciates a good Christmas tale.



5. I couldn't believe my eyes, that anyone would knock this excellent version of the famous old tale, but to each their own I suppose. but to the one star rating which only slanders this marvelous production I can only say take it as a Bah Humbug and didmiss it. I am a collector of antique Christmas of many diverse avenues so of course I had to have every issue of this ever filmed, mainly because I love the old Carol, not just because I collect Christmas mind you, it's just a lovely story that I really love because what's better than seeing someone go from a hard hearted grump to a tender hearted Christmas lover!! God Bless old Scrooge, and I'm sure He did, in every person who ever was born anew in Him from any wretched past. You know, I even have this old classic on a series of 78 records I play on my wind up record player, the one with Basil Rathbone as Scrooge. I even have the 1910 version from Thomas Edison's Studios. Well, when I found this one I'd overlooked it for a couple years and then didnt get to watch it at Christmas the year I bought it due to watching so many other Christmas Movies I have, 86 total. So during the Christmas season of 2007 I made a point to watch it. Glad I did too! It's wonderful, the scene where Marley's Ghost comes to Scrooge,, well, I dont like to blow anything so I'll just say it was very imaginative the way they added a new flair to that sequence, very good indeed!!! So glad I bought a new plasma 50 inch HDTV last summer, movies like this are so perfect on the new HDTV's. In my humble opinion, you cannot compare this musical to the 1970 musical with Albert Finney, Apples and Oranges, my God we're talking about 34 years difference for Pete sake. Because I love them all for their own merits I don't compare them anyway. but I can assure you this is a great DVD to own, not at all a flop as another viewer claims. He/she probably doesnt believe in Santa Claus either, lol, enough said. the bottom line is simply this; If you love watching different versions of "A Christmas Carol" then by all means add this great one to your collection and I promise you you'll be glad you did. I'm a 53 year old Christmas lover who knows a good thing when I see it, I even gave copies of this on DVD to friends last Christmas if that says anything. If you are considerng buying this on DVD, rest easy knowing its a good buy.

5 comments about Black Christmas (Special Edition).

1. WOW, so glad I finally watched this, the master granddaddy of slasher films. It's easy to realize the influences it had on the genre. I even think it gave some ideas to some comedy films, and I'm not talking about satire. It had the belligerent Santa cussing in front of little kids, plus children given alcohol.
   I was expecting way more blood and guts to cover up a weak storyline. I'm glad I was wrong.
   This is an amazing script, wonderfully paced, superbly directed, surprisingly well acted, and overall hugely influential. A must own!



2. Well I sat through the horrendous Black Christmas remake from a couple years back, and thought to myself "What could have warranted such a terrible attempt at remaking a horror film?". To find out I sat down and watched this 1974 original expecting the worst, only to discover that this original is a real gem!
   
   The fact that the film is set in a sorority house is about the only similarity between this great original and the terrible remake. While the 2006 version attempted to provide some elaborate back story on the killer, he remains a complete mystery here yielding steady tension throughout the entire film. The trouble begins with a slew of obscene phone calls to the house, and soon escalates to murder and disappearances. As the sorority house members are slowly picked off one by one, this tension grows all the more intense resulting in a very unexpected ending.
   
   I did have a few slight gripes about Black Christmas. For one it just took a little too long to get rolling, after the initial murder there is not much else happening in the film until about forty minutes in. There are some relevant plot points contained in this period, but it certainly could have been shortened a little bit for the sake of continuity. The other thing was the flurry of obscenity and crude sexual banter spewing from the sorority member's mouths. I am not offended by any of it, but it sort of came off as weak and stupid attempts at comic relief, and it certainly added nothing to the movie.
   
   All in all these flaws can be easily overlooked considering that the tension and atmosphere of Black Christmas is something that is rarely achieved. I consider this movie a horror classic, and I can easily see how it could have influenced slasher movies to come such as Halloween. See this one at all costs, avoid the remake like the plague.



3. terrifying slasher film. the scariest and most intelligent of the genre. the voice of that maniac over the phone crawls under your skin. careful about reading too much info from reviews and other sources about this movie. the plot can easily be ruined. now available in a new special edition release! time to upgrade.



4. This movie is pre Halloween by Four years and is really the standard by which all films of it's kind should be judged. Very Very Scary ! This little film has everything going for it... The 2007 Black Xmas Sucks and should never be watched.



5. ...in a theater and it scarred me tremendously. As an adult, nothing special. Some good creepy moments, but over all very typical 70's horror movie. There is noticable camera work (subjective angle shots by the psycho killer) that was adopted by John Carpenter four years later in Halloween. Halloween is two stars superior to this movie. Can I recommend it? Only if you are a huge fan of horror from all time periods and do not expect too much from this film. Don't get me wrong. Its not a bad movie, just not as great as many of the reviews I see glorifying it. You will have to decide on your own about whether its worth a purchase or not. It does not have the re-watchability factor like Halloween does. Its not the ending on either film, but the journey along the way that brings you back again and again or not. I just didn't think this journey was worth much of a second time around.

5 comments about Holiday in the Sun.

1. This is the worst movie/video in the history of cinema/ anorexia. It is so fake, like all the others. They save people, their is some loser slut girl who wants to be mean to them and steal the two "hot" guys that they found in the Mary-Kate and Ashely "BANK OF BOYS AND CHEESEY COMEBACKS". Thier is 2 bad guys in this movie, Brianna Wallis, and Champlain (who named him, Shwine and Shwodka), and they "beat biranna" and save the world from champlain and his smugiling ways. They are rich pansies who have a dad who is a CEO of a huge company/ superhero/ pilot. who has planes and limos all over the world. and their is their dads partenr in bissness who has a son who likes MK and in one scene wears his trowsers too low and you can see his Crotch line. They get everything their way and have everthing. the guys they like are ugly and need traning bras because they "work out" too much. Ahsleys boyfreind goes to jail, the stop champlaine, and are announced heros. They are really shallow and care more about guys named Scott, Jordan, and Griffin, (all boy's names who are oozing stupitiy) than thier own family. They ignore curfue and get rewarded with dates and fun, they do it agian and are punished with a 50 second time out, they do it agian with an ugly yatch and save the world. The songs are luckily not sung by them but they stink anyway. THIS THING STINKS.



2. I didn't really like this film I thought it was to slow and boring. It mainly about mary-kate and ashley and they find boyfriends and it goes on very slowly. Not my cup of tea but thats just my oppion I think a lot of people won't like this film. You know I do love mary-kate and Ashley but just not in this film. Although I think New york minute is very good (with mary-kate and ashley). i wasn't dissing you girls but not very good.



3. Along with Our Lips Are Sealed, Passport to Paris, and that one movie that took place in Italy, the Olsen twins have made another crappy film.
   
   Between desperate Griffin trying to help clueless Scott get Madison to think he's "smart" and Jordan being Mr. Cool over Alex...what's the difference between Madison and Alex??? This movie truly stinks.
   
   It's all MK and Ash having fluffy fun at an island resort, and then saving the US from Champlain.
   
   Give this movie to an 8-year-old girl for Christmas...they'll love it.



4. Mary-Kate and Ashley are spending Winter Break at the lavish Atlantis, Paradise Island resort in The Bahamas. Their parents bring them along, but that means they have to miss their school trip to Hawaii with all their friends.
   
   Determined to make the best of the situation, the girls decide there's only one thing to do: unleash a tropical hurricane of off-the-hock action and head-over-heals tropical romance.
   
   But, amid the yachts, private jets, waverunners, scuba diving, motor scooters, horseback riding and moonlit strolls, Mary-Kate and Ashley stumble across an antiquities smuggling ring! Mary-Kate and Ashley discover the time of their lives on their...
   
   Holiday in the Sun!



5. This by-far my favorite Mary-Kate and Ashley movie! The others were pretty good but I just can't get this one out of my head. The girls go the the Bahamas and there is adventure, romance, and just plain fun. Every since I've watched this I have wanted to go visit The Atlantis. The movie starts out with 2 girls and their parents doing vacation at the Bahamas. Of course they are heart broken because all their other friends got to go to Hawaii. They meet with the family friends and the adventure begins. The scrawny young friend they used to have is now a VERY cute, not so scrawny young man. There is also an employee at the resort that turns a couple of heads himself. They catch crooks, swim with dolphins, shop in some cool locations, and fall for the best guys, lol. Anyone that likes M-K and A movies will definitely love it. You won't be able to resist.

5 comments about Silent Night, Deadly Night.

1. So great!
   I waited 29 long years to see this, my mom would never let me see it, and by the time I grew up, the video stores no longer had it. It actually had a great story, and was pretty gory and filled with nudity, which is what I expected from 80's B horror. I was shocked that the story was so engaging, especially given the subject and genre. You should see this movie, but make sure no kids who believe in Santa accidently see this, it could be scarring.



2. I waited for so long for this to come to DVD! I watched this over and over as a kid and was always freaked out my the grandfather in the nursing home more then anything... This is a classic slasher film with all the right elements in perfect amounts. The story is based on a unique concept and also becomes a holiday classic for the horror genre. This is a must have in your slasher collection!



3. This is an awesome classic 80's slasher! I don't see why all the hippie moms tried to ban this movie! Billy Caldwell is haunted by his parents' murders by a Santa Claus and when he gets a job at a toy store, his boss makes him wear a Santa Claus suit. Later, Billy cracks and turns into a killer Santa and punishes the naughty on Christmas Eve. A nun from Billy's Orphanage and a Detective try to stop 'Santa' before he kills again.
   
   
   MERRY CHRISTMAS IN JULY!!!!



4. Lilyan Chauvin delivers an Oscar-winning performance as the control freak, Mother Superior, in "Silent Night, Deadly Night." I hated Mother Superior with a passion. She was very cruel, sadistic and self-righteous; she is very instrumental in causing Billy to grab an ax and "punish" all sinners, including some bullies who are sledding down a hill.
   
   Though not on a par with Bob Clark's classic "Black Christmas" of 1974, "Silent Night, Deadly Night" is an enjoyable entry in the Christmas holiday slasher fare. Anchor Bay did an excellent job of presenting this movie in its original uncut version. The theatrical version nearly cut out ten minutes from the beginning, which was instrumental in explaining Billy's fear that Santa Claus would punish him. The additional footage showed the killer Santa Claus robbing a convenience store and shooting dead the attendant; it also shows Billy's visit with his grandfather in the insane asylum.
   
   The movie has a high body count and the action is well paced. However, the acting could've been better. The actor chosen to play Billy was too "pretty." When he was wearing the Santa Claus suit, he looked very feminine - almost like a man in drag.
   
   "Silent Night, Deadly Night" is highly recommended for those who enjoy holiday slasher fare. It is actually one of the better entries.



5. Contravery! Where? I didn't see any! Real low budget! I loved how they made such a fuss on the cover, tricked me into buying it! A waste of a movie.

3 comments about Trailer Park Boys: Xmas Special - The Dope and Liquor Edition.

1. Having seen all seasons, it was great to see this Christmas Special
   that i never saw before. The Christmas special is a must for your
   collection.
   When the series first came out, i said to myself ...oh no..here we
   go again with a show, full of swearing and selfish actors ...but
   all of a sudden lots of my friends suggested giving the series
   another look...and i did. Excellent has become the word of the day. The show provides alternative entertainment compare to lots of crap out there. I hav'nt seen one borring episode yet....i keep on laughing and amazed at Ricky ...bubbles...Randy and all others for the way they are improving and addressing their characters on the show.
   I rather watch this stuff than murder and mayhem that lies on
   the other side of the entertainment box. Enjoy



2. Thanks Amazon for the late X-Mas gift. I ordered this on 11/20. Got my email today 12/6/06 from Amazon letting me know that it will be shipped 1/7/07. Gee Thanks! At first it was 3 to 4 weeks. Now it says 3 to 5 weeks.
   
   In any case, I have seen this DVD and for any Trailer Park Boys fans its worth it. Very funny! I just wish they were back on in the States again. Damn you BBC!



3. A very funny commentary on life int trailor park. I think it is very true however sick it might be.

5 comments about The Ultimate Bob Hope Collection (The Great Lover / How to Commit Marriage / The Lemon Drop Kid / My Favorite Brunette / Paris Holiday / The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell / Road to Bali / Road to Rio / The Seven Little Foys / Son of Paleface).

1. we have a deaf family member who excitedly ordered this set after reading the Amazon specifications which stated that the movies contained on this set were closed captioned. They are not. We were very disappointed and had to return the package to Amazon for refund. Attention all deaf and hearing impaired Bob Hope lovers! No closed captions or subtitles on this set makes for a DVD box that deserves only two stars (one star for the lack of captions, four stars for the movies).



2. While not the place to look if one is seeking booklets of material, outtakes, interviews or other special features, this set of 10 movies delivers quality production and sound on each of the films. Though the packaging is quite bulky, it obviously can be rectified by purchasing any variety of DVD holders.
   
   Inexpensive should not be confused with cheap. This is an inexpensive means to supplement or compliment any DVD collection with some of the most popular and vastly underrated movies of Bob Hope.



3. Yeah, what a mess. I bought this 10 movie set in the stupid box and had to return it. Most of the spindles were broken and the discs were just banging around in the mail. I`d like to buy it again, but not until they design a better and safer package. Too much to ask ?



4. All the names in movie reviews call "The Private Navy of Sgt. O'Farrell " a BOMB, but nothing could be less true! This is a later Hope movie, full of the unexpected, giving us a lighter view of WWII in the South Pacific. This film combines the hilarity of Bob Hope with the comic genius of Phyllis Diller, giving us the answer to the big question: what do a bunch of army and navy men do on a tropical island with no women and no beer?! The answer? Try to get nurses flown in, and get Diller and a bunch of male nurses insted; then, go after a sunken supply ship full of beer yourself! In between, find your long lost love (Gina Lollobrigida).
   At 24, I am the 2ed of 6 children, and this movie never fails to get a laugh and smile. So I say, watch it and decide for youself!



5. This was the first set of movies that I ever bought of Bob Hope and I had high expectations and all my expectations were met. I am also a huge fan of the black and white movies and I was very happy to see how these movies were restored so well. How to Commit Marriage is the only one in color. My favorite of the movies is My Favorite Brunette. Bob Hope does an amazing job and I laughed throughout the whole movie. It's a classic that will entertain for years to come. In The Seven Little Foys Bob Hope's character is mean to his children and wife and I did not enjoy watching this movie because of that. He was not the same funny person as in all his other classics. Not saying Bob didn't do a fantastic job in the movie, i just like seeing him being silly. The Private navy of Sgt. O'Farrell was similar in the fact that I did not like his character but I enjoyed it more then the Seven Little Foys. The Great Lover, Paris Holiday, Son of Paleface, Road to Bali, and Road to Rio are all great great movies and show the side of Bob that got him famous. I highly recommend this set to anyone looking for just good family movies to watch. They are still funny today without crude humor. This set also lets you see the different sides of Bob and how talented he really was. He was not only a fantastic actor and comedian but an extraordinary human being who did a lot for a country at a time of war.

5 comments about Barney's Night Before Christmas.

1. It looks like it was made in the late 80s early 90s but the songs aren't annoying and my 3 year old daughter likes it enough to ask for it. If you're looking for a "true message of Christmas" video, though, this isn't it. In Barney-land, as always, Christmas is about "sharing".



2. Thank you so much.



3. It's a cute movie, but my daughter wasn't interested in it. I have a 15 month old who loves the Barney tv show, but this movie doesn't have the vibrant colors and obvious joy that the tv show has. This movie would be good for a child who is older, like 3 or 4.



4. Super DVD. My two year old granddaughter wants this DVD playing every time she visits. We probably will wear it out. When it finishes she will say "AGAIN, PLEASE". She is now signing and dancing along with the music. The colors along with Santa's Work Shop just catch the eye of the little ones. Definitely worth the purchase price.



5. This video is wonderful! My three-year-old niece watches in amazement, when she's not singing along. My 6-year-old sister still watches it. The bonus features are great too. Definitely a must have.