4 comments about Babes In Toyland.

1. My 3 1/2 yr old has watched this over and over. She loves Tom the Piper's son, and Mary (of little lamb fame). She also loves the music. The bad guys are not too scary for a three year old (at least not mine).



2. My 2 1/2 yr old daughter LOVES this movie. She watched it so often at grandmas it broke. I found another copy and shes happy again. She likes Humpty Dumpty the best and the goblins also.... Thanks!!



3. Some of the music written for the operetta by Victor Herbert
   did not appear in this video, but I still liked it very much.
   At least the stirring "March of the Toys" was included. Barnaby
   was shown as he was-- a real meanie. It is odd that he forbade not only TOYS for Jack and Jill but locked them in the attic and would not let them eat! Was he THAT bad in the original oper-
   etta?



4. I have 3 boys 8,5, and 3 and this is a favorite with each of them as they grew up!! My little one is really nuts about this movie. I love the music and the catchy tunes. I am continually amazed by Christopher Plummer who is the voice of Barnaby... he is just one of the best. I grew up loving him in the Sound of Music and now his talent is being enjoyed by my boys. It takes a real talent to pull off the Barnaby character. Don't pass this up!!!!

2 comments about Christmas in New York.

1. I BOUGHT THIS DVD HOPING TO SEE AND FEEL LIKE I WAS IN NEW YORK AT CHRISTMAS TIME, AND I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! I AM SO GLAD THAT I BOUGHT IT! I WILL PROBABLY WATCH IT YEAR AROUND! YOU TOO, WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED IF YOU BUY THIS DVD!



2. For those who've experienced the magic in THE CITY for the holidays AND for those who never have as well...this is an excellent holiday-mood video.
   
   GREAT gift item too - tops my list.

4 comments about Davey and Goliath's Holiday Spectacular.

1. This item is set to release 10/18/2005. But also scheduled to release in October/November, 2005 are Volumes 2, 3, and 4. What isn't clear so far, is that the Holiday Spectacular IS Volumes 2, 3, and 4 in one package, according to the distributor's website: Starlight Home Entertainment. So save your money and just buy this one 3 disk set. You get 18 15-minute episodes, plus three 30-minute Holiday-themed episodes (Halloween, Christmas, New Years) for a total of 6 hours of viewing.



2. Amazon has posted the contents of the 3 individual DVDs that comprise this set, but they haven't duplicated that information here so I will. This set will contain the following episodes:
   "The Zillion Dollar Combo", "Good Neighbor", "The Wild Goat", "Big Apple", "Ready or Not", "Kum Ba Ya", "Officer Bob", "The Runaway", "Lemonade Stand", "Bully Up A Tree", "Doghouse Dreamhouse", "Jeep In The Deep", "A Diller A Dollar", "Boy In Trouble", "Who, Me?", "Who's George?", "Rags and Buttons" and "The Dog Show", as well as the 3 aforementioned holiday specials: "Halloween Who-Dun-It", "Christmas Lost and Found", and "New Year Promise".
   
   Quite a lot of episodes for the money, definitely a good deal.



3. i remember getting up t 6 a.m. on a sunday morning and watching at least two fifteen minute episodes of this classic childrens show. great dvd package.



4. I never missed this as a child. When I found it on DVD I was so excited. Got it for my God children. Very good morals that never get outdated. The anamation is still cool today. They are digitally remastered and much beter than I remember on TV Great for children to learn right from wrong and it doesn't preach any certain religion even though the Lutheran Church produced them. Lessons on being kind to one another, telling the truth, Minding your parents, Not stealing. What American children need before so much super heros and violent cartoons.

1 comments about Holiday Affair.

1. I was looking forward to watching this DVD and adding it to my Christmas viewing collection. The script is very similar to the original 1949 movie; sometimes word for word; though some of the scenes and script were modified and changed for the television broadcast.
   
   The picture quality on this DVD however, is extremely, very poor; and I wouldn't have purchased it, if I had known before hand.
   
   Interviews with the performers and vintage commercials are also on this DVD at the end of this production, which was originally a live broadcast. However, The Truman Show was funny, but this was `for real' blatant, commercial phoniness; constantly conversing about how good LUX soap is and how they didn't use any other brand; and the constant false smile that Otto Kruger wore throughout, looked too painful to uphold.
   
   Many whom enjoy archive viewing such as this, may find the commercialised conversation to be quite amusing and part of the entertainment; and it would be generally recommendable if it wasn't for the almost blurred picture quality throughout this entire DVD.
   
   The sponsorship tooting their whistle at the end of the show would have left me less cynical and more entertained, if it wasn't for the almost unwatchable quality of this DVD which was certainly un-digitally re-mastered.

5 comments about Abbott & Costello - Christmas Show.

1. Every year, I look forward to new Christmas releases of shows and specials from long ago. This year, I was thrilled to find out that the original Christmas special from Abbott & Costello's Colgate Comedy Hour would be released.
   
   This was long overdue, but worth the wait- it's wonderful. It features a restored, colorized version of the hour long special, as well as the original black and white version, for those who want it just as it was shown. Abbott & Costello's routines are very well timed, as usual. It's fun to see them in a different light, compared to the many Universal monster spin-offs that we all love. Sprinkled in between the acts are original commercials for household items like Palmolive soap, and Colgate toothpaste, and last but not least there are special guest appearances from musical talents such as Margaret Whiting, the Four Pipers, Al Goodman and his orchestra, and other great guests such as Tom and Jerry the acrobats.
   
   The bonus features add a nice touch to this nostalgic release. There are individual Christmas messages promoting the Christmas Seals program from stars like Virginia Mayo, Rosemary Clooney, Ingrid Bergman, Gary Cooper, Ray Milland and many more (8 different messages to be exact). These add even more holiday enjoyment, reminding us of those times when issues like tuberculosis were at the forefront of our every day living.
   
   So, when you choose this great vintage treat, sit back, relax and enjoy your Christmas season with two of the funniest men of all time, and Christmas wishes from our very best stars. This is not only a piece of our holiday history, but it's something any family will enjoy, young or old.



2. This 1952 episode of "The Colgate Comedy Hour" has made the rounds before, but Legend Films now offers a new colorized version. This writer wondered whether a kinescope (a black-and-white reference copy filmed off a TV monitor) could be effectively colorized, and the answer is a definite yes.
   
   Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are at their very best in these Colgates, performing their familiar routines in front of a studio audience. The shows were broadcast live, so the anything-can-happen atmosphere is electric, giving Bud and Lou new spark. This one is notable for three routines: Bud trying to get Lou assaulted so they can collect damages; Lou singing "White Christmas" with Al Goodman's orchestra, leading into the old Milt Britton arrangement of "Poet and Peasant" where the musicians make a shambles of the stage. By far the funniest bit is the "recipe" routine, in which Lou stuffs a Christmas turkey... with Bud! Lou can't stop breaking up when he prepares Bud's "noodle" for the turkey, and this delightfully low comedy routine is worth the price of the DVD. There is also a lengthy variation of the team's "Pack, Unpack" routine involving Christmas presents, which looks under-rehearsed: the cast members casually improvise most of their dialogue on stage.
   
   Veteran comedy foils Sid Fields and Dorothy Granger are on hand, with musical specialties by The Nicholas Brothers, Margaret Whiting, The Four Pipers, and dance team Buster Shaver and Olive Brasno, plus Tom & Jerry, a good acrobatic act. The vintage-1952 commercials are also included.
   
   Great print quality (especially for a kinescope) and great entertainment for the whole family. This new color version is highly recommended.



3. This DVD is a must for Abbott & Costello fans. This show reminds of the old Carol Burnett Show in a sense where Lou tries to hold a straight face while delivering his lines, but fails. This makes it all the more funny. This DVD also showcases a good variety of guest stars.



4. The very positive reviews for this disc persuaded me to purchase it, and I was not disappointed. There is a spontaneous, under-rehearsed quality to the sketches and it makes for some hilarious moments. Lou's frequent ad-libs add to the fun, something you don't get to see in their films. The makers of this disc are to be commended for providing great sound and video, and for the inclusion of the original television commercials.



5. Abbott & Costello have always been favorites of mine...this
   christmas DVD did not disappoint.

3 comments about Herbert Von Karajan - His Legacy for Home Video: J.S. Bach - Violin Concerto in E Major.

1. Although this is about as far from an authentic Bach performance as you can get (the performance notes acknowledge this), it is impossible not to like the performance here, especially the Magnificat. File this performance as a big, late Karajan, symphonic Bach performance, and pick up Gardner's version when it comes out as an antidote. The only bad thing about the DVD is the hopelessly pompous performance notes. Highly recommended.



2. I found this DVD a delightful treat, and it has become one of my favorites. First and foremost, I am a fan of J.S. Bach, and Herbert Von Karajan. One of the bonus's here is watching the performance of Sophie Ann Mutter with this legendary conductor and the Berlin Philharmonic - in her mid-twenties. Another bonus is watching Mastro Karajan not only in his usual conducting role, but also playing the harpsichord in both pieces. Even though I have never heard the compliment of full orchestra in a Bach concerto before, I don't think Mr. Bach would have minded, and I considered it an exciting departure. The Magnificat was exceptional and if you have some good sub-woofers, you'll pick up the low 50hz organ notes that accompany this piece.

   The video was excellent as with most of the Sony productions, and the audio was stupendous. This was a live performance and it is about as Deutsche as it can get. Here we have a German conductor, a German violinist, conducting and playing with a German Orchestra for Germans.




3. Purists close your eyes and ears for this one. If you are one of those people who need to have 300 year-old music performed on 300 year-old instruments by 300 year-old people (OK, I exaggerate), you will hate this performance. The Berlin Philharmonic at the peak of their "Karajan sound" capabilities throw the full weight of their symphonic splendour at this Bach program. I love it in its own right. Karajan was never known or liked for his baroque conducting, in fact he was despised for his interpretation of the Brandenburg concertos, but this is still a great, great recording, especially with the exceptional Rias Rundfunkchor performing Bach's Magnificat. Real goose-bump stuff. And we need not talk about the untarnished skills of the young Ann-Sophie Mutter playing in perfect harmony with her great menthor's conducting. If you have a Gardiner or a Hernoncourt or a Herrwhege recording of these pieces at home: go ahead, get this one, it's a guilty pleasure, but it works.
   As for sound and video quality: all DVDs from this Karajan series are exceptionally good considering that the original material was recorded 20some years ago. They leave nothing to be desired.

5 comments about Halloween 5 - The Revenge of Michael Myers.

1. This film is not the worse of the series, that is the next Halloween movie. H-5 was ok before I saw Halloween- Curse of MM, and it explained all the confusing things in H-5. Now I look at H-5 and blame it for creating the trash to come.
   
   The film is not as bad as I am making it sound. It has it's moments of being fun mindless entertainment, but nothing ground breaking or amazing. I think the film was rushed and it shows in the movie. The guy in black running around was just stupid, and the ending sucked to this movie. That is just saying it bluntly. It will have you wondering what the hell is going on. And you discover Michael's tattoo, when did he get that? I didn't like that in the film either. It was almost like they were hinting he was in a cult... oh no...
   
   But if you love the Halloween series, and think you will miss something if you dont see this movie, you wont. You can skip 5 and 6. Halloween Resurrection ignores 4,5,and 6 anyways. But H-5 does have it fun moments, as I said. But don't expect the first three (ignoring H-3) Halloween films.



2. The spooky atmosphere makes these films. I recommend this Film to anyone. My favourite movies are pts 1-5. Pt 1 - 3 brings me back to my youth and the DVD transfers are fine, if you are after something intelligent, this is not for you, for the films are a fun and entertaining session of good-looking horny teens getting slashed. Not great but what the hell its all popcorn stuff anyway. If anyone is interested in Halloween collectables, email taylor5821@hotmail.com



3. I was in the mood for some Slasher movies and this along with part 4 made a nice double feature. The sound and picture quality on the Divimax disc was good. There were some minor extras on the disc that I found entertaining well.
   
   While the movie wasn't as good as part 4 was, it still managed to entertain and keep us in suspense.



4. I would have to say the Halloween 5 and The curse of Michael Myers are the worst of the bunch. and as a lot of Halloween fans will say "halloween 3 does not count". That being said, I would say I enjoyed the directors commentary of Halloween 5 because it gave the director a chance to defend his choices of why he did what he did. I think it's much better than sitting through the whole movie wondering "why did they do something stupid like that". I dont agree with most of his choices but at least I understand his mind set a little better. Besides, hardcore halloween fans have to buy every Michael Myers related offering anyway so why should this one be any different than the twelve copies of the original Halloween we buy just because it comes in a different style case?



5. Halloween five?
   Wasn't one and two enough?
   Clearly not for Hollyweird, who insists on beating the franchise to death for every last penny.
   Michael survives yet again to terrorize everyone in the most gruesome fashion.
   This film doesn't even resemble the original in any way and the story is getting cornier with each installment.
   A psychic connection???
   It reeks of desperation the Hollyweird's part for a story line of ANY kind.
   And Michael getting broken out by the person in black sets up part six which is also a disaster.
   For hardcore Halloween fans only.
   I can't recommend this, it's just your standard blood and guts with a sorry story line.

5 comments about Barney's Christmas Star.

1. This is another Barney DVD that has no menu. Once you put it on you must fast forward through the initial advertisements and then you can play the Barney portion. Without a menu it is basically a glorified VHS tape that the best you can do is fast forward to get to a certain spot. There is also no spanish sound track. If you want a VHS-like product that should last longer than a tape you might be interested in this. As far as the story goes I would opt for The Night Before Christmas. That story is more little kid friendly and more entertaining. The Christmas Star didn't hold the interest of my 3.5 or 1.5 y/o children. With The Night Before Christmas they request to see it all the time. The Night Before Christmas DVD also functions like a DVD.



2. This is our first Barney dvd and my 22 month old daughter loves it. I just skip the "commercials" at the beginning by hitting the "chapter" button on my remote. The characters touch on the ways some different cultures celebrate the holidays and sing several songs -- some traditional Christmas songs as well as others like "Just Imagine" which my daughter and I loved. Its cute and fun and well worth the money I spent.



3. What is it about Barney that acts like ether on the toddler set? Just when you thought the big guy couldn't get any more annoying, he reappears with a whole new cast of wide-eyed stage brats entirely consumed with finding the star for the community Christmas tree. Along the way, your senses are numbed by an array of perky holiday songs sung by perky holiday kids, in whose dictionaries the word "overacting" apparently doesn't appear, Barney spewing a constant barrage of pithy, brilliant truths, merry-yet-creepy, nails-on-chalkboard chuckles, and the inevitable appearances of twin-lap-dogs-of-Satan Baby Bop and B.J. Attempt to watch this with your kids and you'll quickly realize you're on a slow trip to nowhere, your hair turning white overnight, inundated with the keep-it-simple-stupid philosophy of Barney's world, but one glimpse of the rapture in their eyes as they're riveted to the set, leaving you a few free moments to clean out the sink before something in there grows legs and runs away, somehow makes the price of this video all worthwhile. Anyone who's ever criticized the use of a television to babysit a kid has obviously owned neither. In spite of Barney being some sort of deity at my house, my dream is still to one day set him on fire. Live with it...



4. My kids love this movie, no matter what time of year it is they still want to watch this one, so I would have to say it is great!



5. I got this movie from a friend and was glad I didn't buy it myself. It is kind of boring and not nearly as good as "Barney's Night Before Christmas". If you are looking for a video that talks about other holidays besides Christmas, keep looking. In this video, Barney and friends sing a Hanakuh song and a Kwanza song and show a festive table for each holiday, but they do not explain anything about those holidays. The songs last 2-3 minutes and then its back to the Christmas celebration. Some of the Christmas/winter songs in the video are well done, but the search for the star in the attic takes too long and has too much dialouge. Although, my 2 1/2 year-old twins do like the nutcracker drummer scene and the ballerina scene.

No comments about Angel in the Family [Blu-ray].

5 comments about A Christmas Wish (aka The Great Rupert).

1. Based on other reviews I bought this dvd as I love Christmas-Family shows. It was good but I didn't think it was a classic. It was like a long tv episode for me as most of the footage is shot in the little apartment the family lives in. I really didn't like the commentary, Terry Moores comments about her wild life and her "shoulda coulda been top billing" kind of ruined the movie for me.



2. If you are looking for a movie to watch on Christmas day with your family, in addition to the well known Christmas classics of your collection, I would recommend this unknown movie starring Jimmy Durante. This is a heart warming story of a true Christmas spirit, much similar to Scrooge, involving the family of Mr. Amendola (Jimmy Durante), his wife Mrs. Amendola (Quinie Smith), and their only daughter Rosalinda (Terry Moore.) Jimmy Durante offers a brilliant performance as a faded vaudeville star who rents an apartment just before Christmas holidays during Great depression. With serious financial problem on one hand, on the other, they face the challenges of their penny pinching land lord, Mr. Dingle (Frank Orth) who is interested in collecting the rent money but not fix the apartment. He is a real Scrooge in person! But his wife Mrs. Dingle (Sara Haden) and their only son Peter Dingle (Tom Drake) are very compassionate and caring. One day during the prayer of Mrs. Dingle, she a finds large amount of cash ($100 bills) falling through the big hole on her roof. The family comes to believe that it is cash from heaven, a true Christmas miracle indeed! Actually this money belongs to Dingle who gets a check from his gold mine stock every week, and hides the cash in his attic which is innocently tossed by a squirrel named Rupert. Rupert belongs to the last resident of the apartment, Joe Mahoney (Jimmy Conklin) and The Great Rupert was his vaudeville act. This squirrel returns to the apartment when Joe releases him because he doesn't have a job and no money!
   
   Mr. Amendola uses his suddenly found riches to help the community by starting various businesses and offer employment. Every one in town gets suspicious about his wealth including; local law enforcing authority, IRS, and FBI. In the meantime, when Dingle losses on his investment, the checks stop coming and his luck turns ugly. When his house burns in an accidental fire; he believes that all his hidden stash is lost. Then the kind hearted Amendola steps in to help him rebuild the house. At the same time the authorities find the case of Amendola's wealth is complex to solve and hard to prosecute, and they decide to leave him alone.
   
   Tom Dingle who is in love with Rosalinda does everything to impress her, and to his disappointment she dates a wealthy song promoter named Chick Chandler (Phil Davis), but in reality she is in love with Peter Dingle, a penniless songwriter. The movie pitches the kind hearted souls of Amendola family and Dingle family together to teach the true spirit of Christmas to Mr. Dingle and the law enforcement agencies. The highlight of the movie also includes the special-effects of pioneer George Pal, and the technique of animated puppetry to bring life to the title character a lovable squirrel that rescues a family of vaudeville performers during the Christmas time.
   
   Christmas Classics:
   1. It's A Wonderful Life (Two-Disc Collector's Set) (B/W & Color)
   2. It's a Wonderful Life (60th Anniversary Edition)
   3. Scrooge (1935)
   4. Scrooge
   5. The Bishop's Wife
   6. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Special Edition)
   7. Home Alone
   8. Home Alone 2 - Lost in New York
   9. Miracle on 34 TH Street
   10. Miracle on 34th Street



3. Really bad especially in color...save your money, unless you are a really diehard old movie fan. I do mean diehard. Get The Bishop's Wife instead with your money



4. We enjoyed the interaction between characters in this movie. It is one we can watch with the whole family. The unselfish person has the most in the end.



5. We have a tame (uncaged) squirrel and a bagpiper in the family so when I saw this dvd in a used bookstore I had to buy it. I put it on today, intending to grab 5 minutes to see how they managed the puppetry. The next thing I knew my entire family was riveted and laughing out loud, so we dropped everything and watched the whole thing. It was much better than I'd have expected. It's a great story, and my son kept saying it was essentially the same tale as a favorite childhood book called The Sqouse about a half squirrel, half mouse.
   
   THe behavior of the squirrel, especially when she (Rupert is actually played by a female) found the money, was dead on, except that she would have feathered her drey (nest) with the bills instead of tossing them away. Leaf sized paper and fabric is a favorite of our squirrel. Today I retrieved a chiffon scarf, a WW2 food ration book ( it was my MIL's) and some jewelry from our squirrel's drey.
   
   We all found the characters interesting and more complex than found in most movies of the era, and even though some of the time their actions made little sense (the author was quite lazy when it came to moving the story along), this didn't detract from the overall film, because the whole premise was a bit goofy to begin with.
   
   When the movie ended each of us named someone we want to share it with, and hours later we're still laughing at some of the antics.