5 comments about A Season for Miracles - Hallmark Hall Of Fame.

1. A Season for Miracles was a predictable movie but a good one. I have read several good reviews about the movie so I want to concentrate more on the actors and actresses. Carla Gugino, whom I first saw in "The One," a SF movie with Jet Li about multiple universes did an excellent job playing Emilie Thompson kidnaping' her niece and nephew to prevent them from being sent to foster care. Her niece played by Mae Whitman again showed her acting talents. I saw her not too long ago in "Hope Floats," another movie I would recommend." And Patty Duke played a believable angel. She does good in these kind of parts. I remember her playing look alike cousins, Patty and Cathy Lane in a situation comedy years ago, and I saw every episode. I have seen many of her movies and would see a movie just because she was in it. Lynn Redgrave did a classic job as the judge. The two elderly sisters are someone I would like in my family. This was a fun movie and my wife and I found it quite enjoyable. We were a little disappointed as we both hoped the returning lawyer would also be as friendly as the rest of the townsfolk and would somehow find a way of letting Emilie and the children `inherit' the big house but it ended well as it did. This review was about the Hallmark movie presentation.



2. This is one (affirmative) family movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat on the first viewing. Will they be caught? Will the children be taken away from their aunt and given into the care of strangers? The fact that the man interested in the aunt is the local police captain adds to the tension. The resolution is credible and miraculous only for those who believe that nothing good ever happens.
   
   This movie does a good job of presenting life in a small town without turning the town into a make-believe toy town, as so many Disney movies do. And the children are real and believable without being brats. Moviemakers who think that children have to be brats in order to be real should watch this movie.
   
   If you like this movie, see the Little House on the Prairie series (if you haven't already). Also, Mary Christmas. Also, A Thanksgiving Miracle. All of these will lift your spirits and make you feel at home.



3. I LOVE THIS MOVIE,AND DESIRE TO REPLACE OUR VHS COPY TO DVD.WE WATCH IT ALL YEAR LONG,THOUGH IT IS A CHRISTMAS MOVIE.I LOVE ALL OF THE CAST.AND I LOVE THE FEELING THAT IT LEAVES ME WITH,AND WILL HAVE THIS ON MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING LIST FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS.



4. The best thing about this movie is the acting. All of the charactors filled their parts so well that you forget it's a made up story. Carla Gugino convincingly potrays Emilie Thomson - a strong young woman trying to do whats best for her "kids" while being torn between duty and love in a society where red tape sometimes gets in the way of human needs. Her romance with the young police officer, Nathan Blair, was touching. I just wish they had taken the extra mile with the faith thing. Patty Duke played as an angel, but there was nothing about God or Jesus. It's weird how you can talk about angels and no one gets upset, but if you talk about God and Jesus, some people will lable you as religious and narrow minded. I also wish that they hadn't made Nathan "turn" on Emilie when he discovered her true identity. This movie is too short for that to be put in without messing up Nathan's charactor development. It certainly didn't do anything to help with the progression of his and Emilie's relationship. Probably the only reason why they put it in there was for a suspense ellement, and to teach a sound bite lesson on forgiveness . . . but I think it would have been better without. Thus said, it was a nice show and I'd reccomend it.



5. I loved this movie from the moment I first came upon it. The plot is excellent and keeps you deep into the story wondering what will happen next. The actors are marvelous, each in his/her own way, very natural - in fact it reminds me of the old Jimmy Stewart movies that were so heart-warming, but this one is contemporary with modern themes. The film takes place at Christmas which is an added bonus. But I watch this movie throughout the year, whenever it comes on the Hallmark channel or if our family needs a group hug, I just pop it into the VCR. I highly recommend this film.

5 comments about Powerpuff Girls - Twas the Fight Before Christmas.

1. This was great. I don't see as many holiday episodes of the Powerpuff Girls as I do with other cartoons (IE Rugrats, SpongeBob SquarePants, ETC). In fact, this is the only holiday episode of PPG that I can recall. The plot was excellent. Buy this now if you're a PPG fan!!!!



2. Pincess Morebucks hatches the vileest scam ever and it's up to the PowerPuff Girls to save Chistmas!
   Santa is tricked into believing that all the world's children are naughty and Princess is the only good little girl in all the world.Princess does this because everybody keeps saying she's naughty and she's out to prove them wrong(such twisted logic!!!)So the PPGs set out for a race to the North Pole to let Santa (who is heartbroken over the assumed naughtiness of the world's chidren)know of his error
   Full of the action you've come to expect from the cutest of all super-heroes this one is a winner!!!



3. the video has been truly loved by our son since he received it for Christmas. The item came in before expected and we could not be happier. Thank you for your expedience.



4. "Twas The Fight Before Christmas" centers around the plot of spoiled Princess, who tricks Santa into giving a Christmas present only to her, and coal to the rest of the children all over the world including Powerpuff Girls. And what Princess gets is the superpower of chemical X, which allows her to fly like her hated Buttercup, Bubbles and Blossom.
   
   Special episode for PPG is nothing special as far as its story goes on, but still the film is fun, and would be a suitable choice for kids because it does not contain "violence" of ripping up monsters or knocking out poor Mojo Jojo. The most violent scene is its opening credit where three girls beat up the "villains" (as they did before the opening title appears in every episode). The story looks padded at times, with repetitious flying sequences, but overall it is OK though I still don't understand why the producers thought of pitting Girls against Princess, most annoying character in the series.
   
   But if you want some clever gags or wacky humor (like me), this special will be disappointing. I don't think PPG is intended solely for kids and actually its content is often meant for adult viewers. You don't find here the hilarious send-ups of the Beatles of "Meet the Beat Alls" or memorable new supporting characters (like Girls' new neighbor Robin with her funny one-liner), all of which are obviously aimed for adult audiences. There are some cultural references, and unlike the regular episodes the narration is recited in the style of "Twas The Night Before Christmas" with couplets, but not enough even for this comparatively short program.
   
   I think Santa would know everything about Powerpuff Girls if he is really Santa, and he wouldn't think they are really naughty; Princess would rather create her own chemical X using everything money can buy. The story is weak and full of plot holes, but all in all this is a decent film with the solid voice acting from the regular cast, enjoyable for the younger viewers and perhaps for some of the older ones.



5. Over the holidays, Cartoon Network broadcast many of its holiday-themed fare. Among the entries, were the Powerpuff Girls. The writing for this episode was particularly good. I liked the fact that Princess didn't know that the coal that found its way into her stockings, year after year, was Santa's way of telling Princess that she was naughty.
   
   Just when you think that Princess couldn't be any worse, she goes the extra mile. Princess' condecending "Santa-clod" speech was particularly shocking, but, Santa handles the situation very well.
   
   There aren't very many extras on the DVD. Overall, though, I'm very pleased with the feature.

No comments about The Littles: Christmas Special.

No comments about Adventures from the Book of Virtues: A Christmas Carol for Annie.

5 comments about The Cliff Richard Collection (The Young Ones / Summer Holiday / Wonderful Life).

1. I bought this collection because I'm a big Cliff Richard fan, and these musicals are a lot of fun. I was expecting an OK picture transfer onto DVD, because these are pretty old and I figured no one would really care.
   
   What a pleasant surprise!
   
   I had just bought a new HD-DVD player, and even though these aren't in HD, the picture quality is just stunning. All three are fine transfers, with good sound too.
   
   Like the other comments say, "Summer Holiday" is the best of the lot, but all three are good nostalgic fun.
   
   If you like 1960's era musicals, you can't go wrong with this set.



2. Looking at all the other reviews, I'm certainly in the minority when I say this collection of Cliff Richard movies doesn't hold up well today. The very essence of a good musical is good songs and I mean GOOD, MEMORABLE and ICONIC songs! In this case it was the title songs themselves, these were the big hits not to mention the big hit instrumentals from THE SHADOWS. Unfortunately, the movies were designed to highlight Cliff and not the greatest guitar group of them all. Now thats purely subjective on my part, but looking at THE YOUNG ONES, SUMMER HOLIDAY and WONDERFUL LIFE on a cinematic basis, they are as the main reviewer points out, just British versions of old MGM B-musicals. And when the Beatles came along in 1964 with A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, that old wornout musical formula was totally blown away.
   
   At the time when I was a kid, I actually went to see all three movies at the ABC cinema in my London neighborhood. ABC even produced them at their own studio. They were BIG hits and Cliff Richard was the biggest singer on the British pop charts. But all that was before pop groups REALLY started to take off both in Britain and the US. Unlike Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, Cliff's acting skills and charisma were not so electrifying. However again, if you're a long time dedicated Cliff Richard fan, anything he does is great. For me, THE SHADOWS should have been in the spotlight more!
   
   Looking back at the time in which they were made in the early 1960's, they were all-so innocent and naive to what was going on in the REAL world. The Cuban missile crisis, the Profumo sex scandal that brought down the British government, the JFK assasination and so on. What a contrast, but then movies are mostly made to be escapist entertainment. With that in mind, this collection is a good value moneywise at least. And like a lot of things that seemed so good when you were young, well you know what I mean...



3. In my teens, I missed watching The Young Ones and Summer Holiday because I was an Honor Student and refrain from watching too much movies, so now that I have been given the opportunity to have this collection, I appreciate it so much. I brought it to my sisters' house and watched all three movies on their big screen and everybody enjoyed them. The songs, the dances, the story line. Cliff may not be an actor worth receiving awards for his acting, but I think he is a natural. He just acts like normal teenagers would in his time, and his singing is superb and his dancing doesn't get behind all those dancers that were with him in the films. I wish I could get hold of 'Finders Keepers' too.



4. As a teenager in the Philippines, I saw the movies when they were first released, and Cliff Richard was the singing idol then. Getting hold of them through Amazon thrills me to pieces. This may not qualify as a review because I'm totally biased. I simply say that this DVD set is absolutely delightful. I'll never get tired of watching Cliff.



5. I was really pleased with the quality of the DVD. The actual movies brought back a lot of good memories.

2 comments about Punchinello and The Most Marvelous Gift.

1. As if Max Lucado's Punchinello books weren't wonderful enough, now we can choose from DVDs that help us instill healthy morals and values into our children. My one-year-old hates the television, which is truly a blessing, but can get a little frustrating if I need to distract him while Mommy takes care of a few business details. This is the first and only show he will watch. We haven't made it through the whole thing yet, but we get close!
   
   He loves to clap and sing along with the concert the Wemmicks produce for "Maker Day", their version of our Christmas Day. All the familiar characters are here, Lucia, Hans, and of course, our beloved Punchinello. Wonderful animation, a sweet story and a terrific message combine to show children another way to understand God's love for His creation.



2. This had some, what I consider, scary parts for younger children. I bought all the DVDs to this small collection and this is my least favorite. It still has a great message and catchy music, but still, a little scary in some parts. We watched it once and I won't bring it out again for awhile.

5 comments about The Ladies Sing the Blues.

1. They had prepared the way for so many female singers of today. Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, Lena Horne, Ethel Waters, and many more. With the stars that are jam packed inside this video, makes the video worth seeing. So if blues and the ladies that sing them interests you, then by all means, take advantage of this must see video; you'll be glad you did.



2. The songs may be "complete" as the DVD claims, but what isn't mentioned is the inane narration over the beginning of just about every clip on the disk, which spoiled much of the enjoyment for me. I bought the DVD for the Connee Boswell clip (love those Boswell Sisters), but after the narration there's just eighteen seconds of the song left. By the way, even accounting for the age/rarity of the clips, the quality of them often leaves something to be desired, as well.



3. I have to agree with one of the earlier reviewers: the complete "videos" on this tape are fantastic, but the narrated voice-over (delivered in a near-monotone) during the opening bits isn't of much use. Still, I use portions of this tape in my Jazz History class, and at least the narration backs up the info that students are given in their textbooks. In all, I like certain clips in here better than the Burns "Jazz" anthology simply because they ARE complete.



4. I used this as resource and display for a workshop on Jazz vocalists for the Sitka Jazz Festival. It worked out just fine-the footage and commentary was first rate.



5. I have to address the voice over first. I use this dvd for my class to inform students who never heard of most of these singers. I find the voice over puts the era in perspective. The dvd is a knock out. Beautifully sung throughout. There's style, intimacy and passion. I don't know a better example to show young adults the great and original singers the 30s were turning out.

5 comments about Christmas with Chanticleer - An Orchestra of Voices.

1. Beware... This is a very talented group that only a small minority of people will ever appreciate. Their artistic take on Christmas is cold. There was little to enjoy visually on the DVD. I did not like the song selection or poetic license taken. This is a group of tenorists that are more interested in precision than passion. I had to laugh.



2. A DVD from a live performance, you'll be amazed at the outstanding performance from this group, and charmed at the simple Christmas quality it delivers. (None of the overblown, sequin-filled extravaganzas that bury you in forced Christmas cheer.)
   It you enjoy the reflective warm feeling of Christmas, this is the DVD for you. You won't hear musical performances better than this.



3. Christmas with Chanticleer was originally a Christmas gift from my son and became a gift for several friends who had a love of music as we do. I first listened/watched this DVD as we were together Christmas morning and had to completely stop the festivities to focus completely on the music and the movement on the DVD. Chanticleer's style is pure and transporting. The venue - the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC - was the perfect venue for resonance and mystery. The music was haunting and lovely. A favorite.



4. This was Chanticleer prior to the departure of most of its members, and their sense of ensemble, nuance and dynamic shading are a wonder. A group can only achieve that kind of precision and sensitivity by singing together for months and years. They have so refined the art of listening to one another that they phrase and breathe almost as one organism rather than 12 separate singers. Some of my favorite selections are Rosas Das Rosas, Village Wedding, Christmastime Is Here, and the spirituals medley of Joseph Jennings at the end is both exhilarating and inspiring. My only minor disappointment was that one solo and refrain of Biebl's Ave Maria were ommitted in the editing .. perhaps they had an off night in this performance of it. I heard them perform it live in their first Carmel Mission performance and it was stunning.



5. I happened upon this performance on PBS several years ago and was mesmerized. The music itself is gorgeous, but listening to it while viewing the Medieval and Renaissance art is exquisite.
   
   This is a must-have in my Christmas collection, and I have bought it for several friends as well!

5 comments about Christmas at the Biltmore Estate.

1. This video was absolutely marvelous. Eveyone should not only enjoy Judy Collins beautiful voice, but the beautiful Christmas songs she chose to share with everyone. The great pictures of the Biltmore Estate were breathtaking and a place that I plan to visit at some time. It it my hope that there will be a multitude of people who purchase this DVD, and take the time to just sit back,relax, and enjoy the beautiful music and Ms. Collins back up orchestra which was excellent. I am so happy that I purchased Christmas at the Biltmore Estate.
   Barb Hall, San Angelo, Texas



2. I had purchased the video and the CD previously. I found both of those outstanding so decided to purchase a number of the DVD's as Christmas gifts this year. Judy Collins is one of a kind and the Biltmore House is one of a kind. They are both first class and leave a lasting memory. Thank You for having them available. Maureen Johnson



3. I have really enjoyed the DVD and CD of Judy Collins---Christmas at the Biltmore Estate. I first saw it on PBS a number of years ago and have wanted it since. Very satisfied with this product.



4. Biltmore is a classically beautiful setting for a classic Judy Collins performance. The Charlotte Children's choir is a perfect accompaniment and the audience participation is delightful. Collins is in great voice and the dvd is extremely well done with selections that are not included in the cd version of the same concert.



5. WOW.....What a voice. What a story teller. What a choice of songs. This is the ultimate Christmas Music DVD. Judy Collins is a class act. This is absolutely beautiful. I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too.

1. Paul Winchell did a very good job at doing the voice of Tigger. This is a sweet and touching Pooh video. I am proud to have it in my collection. I just wish that it was longer than 40 minutes. This is a must watch video at Christmas time.



2. I grew up on Winnie the Pooh and it still remains one of my favorite series. The voice actors are wonderful, I always found Pooh's voice so soothing and calm. He reminded me of Mr. Rodgers who I loved, as I was never a fan of Sesame Street. Even though now I am an old teenager (I only thought a kid's review would be appropriate here)I still love this show and encourage kid's of all ages to watch it. When I first saw this special, I was only a few years old but I loved it. It is by far the best Pooh movie. A Christmas Classic for all ages (along with the snowman). It is so wonderful to have such great friends at pooh corner!



3. I loved this video when I was little and I still do!I`m sure you will enjoy it!



4. This is one of the better Christmas specials for young kids and was a favorite of my teenager when he was little. Pooh, Christopher Robin and the rest of the gang all write a letter to Santa Claus to tell him what they want for Christmas. After mailing the letter, Pooh realizes he forgot to ask for a gift. The gang then try and get the letter back and send it north but it just blows back. They soon realize it's Christmas Eve and it's too late. Pooh then tries to disguise himself as Santa to give the gang a nice Christmas and eventually everything works out in the long run.
   
   A very good special with heart and laughs. The animation is very good unlike the regular Pooh TV show of the 190's and the late Paul Winchell does the voice of Tigger. Delightful and kids will love it.



5. One of my goals it to help families not by films that they already have. If someone had the DVD A Very Merry Poor Year, it contains this story of Pooh and Friends trying to get their wish list to Santa Claus before Christmas. Pooh and Piglet find the letter did not make it too Santa, so they try to give everyone their wished for gift. Of course everyone does not understand why Santa would give them gifts that are not really what they wished for. Pooh is reveled as Santa and explains how sorry he did not send the letter the right way. Christopher Robin comes bearing Santa's gifts and everyone learns the care about each other more than they care about presents and that Christmas is really about love and friendship.