White Christmas

Starring:Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, Vera-Ellen, Dean Jagger, Mary Wickes, John Brascia, Anne Whitfield, Leighton Noble, Sig Ruman, Hal Taggart, Lorraine Crawford, Kenner G. Kemp, Sayre Dearing, Les Clark, Glen Cargyle, Marcel De la Brosse, Percy Helton, Dick Stabile, Richard Keene
Director: Michael Curtiz
Studio: Paramount
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

For anyone who views holiday gatherings with equal parts joy and dread, The Family Stone offers plenty of comedy to identify with. Writer-director Thomas Bezucha's slapstick premise begins when Everett (Dermot Mulroney) brings his fiancé Meredith (Sarah Jessica Parker) home to meet his family for Christmas. It's an instant disaster when parents Sybil (Diane Keaton) and Kelly (Craig T. Nelson) agree with their gay, deaf son Thad (Ty Giordano, who is actually hearing impaired), pot-smoking son Ben (Luke Wilson) and daughters Amy (Rachel McAdams) and Susannah (Elizabeth Reaser) that Meredith is way too uptight to be welcomed into their family. Meredith recruits her sister Julie (Claire Danes) to help her thaw the Stone family cold front, and after building a solid emotional foundation for his holiday comedy, Bezucha starts to stack the deck with plot developments that, while heartwarming, border on the absurd. You either go with the movie's flow or you don't, and with this appealing cast (featuring some really nice work by Keaton, Nelson, Parker and Danes) it's easy to forgive Bezucha's unlikely blend of yuletide cheer, petty animosities, and romantic tables turned in the blink of an eye. Toss in a case of terminal illness and you've got a sad-happy tearjerker that works in spite of itself. If you don't recognize at least part of your own holiday clan in The Family Stone, you probably haven't been paying attention. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Sarah Jessica Parker, Diane Keaton, and Rachel McAdams lead an all-star cast in The Family Stone. Join the eccentric Stone family for a holiday gathering filled with unexpected surprises. Before the festivities are over, love affairs will unravel, new ones will form, outrageous secrets will be revealed and the family will come together like never before.

Customer Reviews:

The family Stone.......2007-06-08

This movie has a great cast and is funny and serious at the same time, has a great family story that is typical of todays families that seem to get together only once or twice a year. I have watched it several times already and have enjoy it each time I watch it.

Outrageous.......2007-05-28

With 167 reviews in the can already, I can only say that I really hated this movie. Thankfully, I saw it on DVD and was able to stop whenever I wanted, which was often. The movie was simply overdone to the point of viewer exhaustion. If you have to see it, rent it or catch it on a movie channel. Don't waste your money on this bad flick.

Wonderful, quirky, unexpectedly touching film.......2007-05-23

Anybody who has a family that is "different" or has had to go through hard times together will appreciate this movie. All of the reviews that spoke about this movie being "unrealistic" should really get a clue. Realistic is very relative (there are some families where the kids go nuts and murder the parents - would that have been more realistic?). I thought the family dynamics in this film were excellent and well-acted.

It is easy to see why the family Stone doesn't like the eldest son's prospective fiance, Meredith (played by SJP to a "T"), because in the beginning she is so, well, unlikeable! Its easy to believe that the family's opinion of Meredith is so heavily influenced by the youngest daughter Amy (played by my favorite actress Rachel McAdams, and anyone who has said, "who is she" should see the amazing movie "The Notebook"), who met Meredith at a prior time and didn't like her. Why? Because how many times has your sister/brother/daughter gone on about a person that they don't like and has made you dislike them? This is because you tend to side with the person, who, DUH, you've known all your life as opposed to someone you've never even met.

Some of the plot lines may have been a bit far-fetched, i.e. the brother falling for his girlfriend's sister and the girlfriend falling for her boyfriend's brother in the matter of a day. But what this really meant to illustrate, is, that a) you never know when you are going to find true love b) you shouldn't walk away from it just because it may not be the perfect timing c)life is too short to spend it with the wrong person. I thought the scene with Meredith's sister Julie (played by Claire Danes who looked beautiful in this movie) and Everett (the oldest son) where she talks about the man with the "hole in his heart" is really a foreshadowing metaphor for Everett, who is with Meredith but is obviously walking around with a big hole in his heart that needs to be filled.

Addressing the terminal illness part - if you watched the movie you know that the mother is dying of breast cancer (DUH for all the people who asked, "what kind of cancer is she even dying from anyway"). The scene that OBVIOUSLY demonstrates that is when she opens her shirt to reveal her mastectomy scar. While some people were offended by that, the fact that she is not ashamed of this disfigurement and that her husband isn't turned off by it just demonstrates the depth of their love for each other. Other reviews have remarked that well, she looked healthy, which I think is just an absurd remark. The movie didn't show her on a treadmill for God's sakes. It even shows her napping in the middle of the day. People are so over-critical. I'm sure nobody wanted to be beat over the head with overwrought scenes of the mother showing how ill she was. Plus she was trying to keep it a secret from her children.

The last scene that I'm going to get on my soapbox about is the Christmas Eve dinner scene. The one where Meredith makes the well-intentioned but cruel remark about the gay son Thad not being "normal" and being "challenged" because of his sexual orientation. People are outraged because they thought the family's reaction to her statement was too mean. And I challenge everyone who thinks that to put themselves in that family's shoes. I have a deaf mother and I am fiercely overprotective of her, even to a fault. Our culture is not friendly to people who are different - everyone knows that. Is it so hard to believe that a close-knit family like the stones would overreact when an outsider criticizes a family member? Especially one that has probably had to deal with more than his share throughout his life?

Sorry for the novel. I just get so irritated when people criticize things without truly thinking it through. This is an excellent movie and I highly recommend it.

zero.......2007-05-04

This movie went in the garbage because that is what it was. If you love God , this is not a movie for you.

What a Movie.......2007-04-04

Although marketed to be another awkward comedy like what poor Ben Stiller had to face in Meet the Parents, The Family Stone is anything, but simply eccentric. Yes, the fiance is uptight, grating and at times humorless, but this movie is far less about uncomfortable comedy than about uncomfortable reality. In truth, its an intense drama about life, love, growing up, growing old and facing death with only your family(as dysfunctional as everyone's are)to hold it all back with you. Superb performances from the unconventional cast and Diane Keaton's character is especially nuanced and heart-breaking in her depth and courage.

Average customer rating:

A personal favourite
A Christmas Classic...
Holiday Favorite
last minute x-mas gift
One of the best Christmas movies

White Christmas
Starring: Bing Crosby , Danny Kaye , Rosemary Clooney , Vera-Ellen , and Dean Jagger
Director: Michael Curtiz
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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A Christmas Carol (Original B&W Version)

ASIN: B00004YNIX
Release Date: 2000-11-21

Amazon.com

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

Customer Reviews:

A personal favourite.......2007-05-26

Firstly, I should disclose that I've never seen IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE - I was never able to catch it when I was a kid, nor as an adult. I watched White Christmas when I was 12, and was completely enchanted by it. Twenty years later, and it still a film that holds tremendous charm for me.

We live in such a selfish postmodernist cynical world - optimism and hope are in short supply, especially in a generation of adults raised on a narrow-minded pop-culture diet. Don't get me wrong, Star Wars is great, but every now and then I need a reminder that being kind to another human being isn't something to be sneered at. White Christmas is that film.

Bing Crosby is paired with Danny Kaye, which surprised me initially considering he's usually seen with Bob Hope. There's a different energy there, but it's no less fun to watch. Bing Crosby brings his wonderful voice, and Danny Kaye brings his humour and sense of fun. Perfect. Rosemary Clooney and Vera Lynn are wonderful as the Haines sisters. And Dean Jagger is very dignified as General Waverley. Mary Wickes is also fun to watch as the nosy Emma Allen. The only jarring note (for me) is an odd modern dance number right in the middle of the film. Whuh? That sequence hasn't at all dated well.

For me, this is the film that I try and watch every Christmas. And with its appearance on DVD, I finally (at last!) have a permanent copy of my favourite Christmas film! Isn't technology wonderful?

A Christmas Classic..........2007-05-21

White Christmas is a classic that should not be missed. The singing and dancing is amazing, with stellar performances by all four of the leads. The story itself is cute, and if the final scene doesn't bring a tear to your eye you are heartless. It is nostalgic, touching, and you should definitely add it to your holiday movie collection. This one is not to be missed!

Holiday Favorite.......2007-04-03

This is a holiday favorite in our house. However, we watch it even when the holiday is gone. I has amazing actors like Bing Crosby and his wonderful voice. The story is sweet and definatley a favorite. I love old movies and this one is on the top of my list.

last minute x-mas gift.......2007-03-08

it plays! works like a movie off the shelf, unbeatable price.

One of the best Christmas movies.......2007-01-22

One of the best Christmas movies. Our family has been decorating our Christmas Trees for over 20 years, and this is the movie that we watch each time. We needed to get it on DVD because the VCR version probably won't last much longer.

Average customer rating:

Fun & Educational
Awesome as usual!!!
Magic School Bus
Bet for kids
The Magic School Bus - Holiday Special

The Magic School Bus - Holiday Special
Starring: Karen Bernstein , Josh LaBove , Rita Moreno , Don Dickinson , and John White (III)
Director: Charles E. Bastien , and Larry Jacobs
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Magic School Bus: Catches a Wave

ASIN: B00006G8K3
Release Date: 2002-10-08

Amazon.com

Kids learn about the world around them and how to care for it in this trio of engaging adventures based on Joanna Cole's bestselling books. In the title story, Miss Frizzle's class gets a clever tutorial on the wonders of recycling when Wanda makes a regrettable wish to abolish it forever. Faster than you can say "tin can," the Friz whisks her students into the future to discover the perils of a world without recycling. Dolly Parton lends her voice in a guest appearance while several holiday tunes add seasonal mirth. In the other episodes, Phoebe and friends receive a hands-on lesson about the extreme conditions of the desert and how native plants and animals not only survive, but flourish. Then, it's on to the rainforest as the students celebrate Earth Day uncovering the interdependent relationships of cocoa trees, midge flies, and mud wallows. An informative Q&A session follows each 30-minute story to reinforce concepts and clarify fact from fiction. The series never wanes in quality and creativity and remains exemplary edutainment for ages 6 and older. --Lynn Gibson

Description

In HOLIDAY SPECIAL, it's the last day of school before the winter holidays and Wanda plans to see the Nutcracker ballet. But during a trip to Murph's (Dolly Parton) recycling plant, the toy soldier she needs to get into the theater accidently becomes a plastic pellet! The DVD includes two additional magical adventures to celebrate the season: In ALL DRIED UP, the always-caring Phoebe goes on a crusade to save the animals and plants of the desert -- and discovers how well they take care of themselves! In IN THE RAINFOREST, it's Earth Day and the kids discover how cocoa pods, mud puddles, and bugs all play a part in the wondrous web of life.

DVD Features:
DVD ROM Features
Other:Take a field trip interactive adventureThe Magic School Bus Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Fun & Educational.......2007-05-14

I love the Magic School Bus series. It teaches Science in a fun & educational
manner.

Awesome as usual!!!.......2007-05-14

I had never seen this one before, but I, as always, was soooo impressed with how educational-creative-colorful-funny-great characters-and Dolly Parton too!!! Great for the whole family!!!

Magic School Bus.......2007-05-14

Magic School Bus videos are excellent educational tools for children. This product was delivered quickly and on time and was exactly as specified in the description.

Bet for kids.......2007-01-18

The magic school bus are kids classics....no matter what their ages, children pick up great science info in these videos...Ms frizzle rocks

The Magic School Bus - Holiday Special .......2007-01-05

First-rate educational entertainment for the whole family.

Average customer rating:

The family Stone
Outrageous
Wonderful, quirky, unexpectedly touching film
zero
What a Movie

The Family Stone (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Claire Danes , Diane Keaton , Rachel McAdams , Dermot Mulroney , and Craig T. Nelson
Director: Thomas Bezucha
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B000EMGJ72
Release Date: 2006-05-02

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

The family Stone.......2007-06-08

Outrageous.......2007-05-28

Wonderful, quirky, unexpectedly touching film.......2007-05-23

zero.......2007-05-04

This movie went in the garbage because that is what it was. If you love God , this is not a movie for you.

What a Movie.......2007-04-04

The Original Television Christmas Classics

Average customer rating:

memories
THESE ARE CLASSICS AND SHOULD BE TREATED BETTER THAN THIS!
Love the Christmas TV classics
Christmas Classics
Christmas Classics

The Original Television Christmas Classics
Starring: Jimmy Durante , Billy De Wolfe , Jackie Vernon (II) , Paul Frees , and June Foray
Director: Arthur Rankin Jr. , and Jules Bass
Manufacturer: Classic Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

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( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Year Without a Santa Claus / Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey / Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (50th Birthday Deluxe Remastered Edition)
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A Charlie Brown Christmas
Frosty's Winter Wonderland/Twas the Night Before Christmas

ASIN: B000GFRI7W
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Description

The Ultimate Holiday Entertainment Collection!

DVD 6 Pack: The Original Holiday Classics
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus is Comin' To Town
Frosty the Snowman
Frosty Returns
The Little Drummer Boy
Cricket on the Hearth
Bonus! Holiday Music CD

1. Santa Claus is Comin' To Town
2. The First Toymaker to the King
3. Put One Foot in Front of the Other
4. No More Toymakers to the King
5. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
6. Jingle Jingle Jingle
7. We're a Couple of Misfits
8. There's Always Tomorrow
9. Silver and Gold
10. The Most Wonderful Day of the Year
11. A Holly Jolly Christmas
12. Fame and Fortune

Bonus! Music Video Collection
Destiny's Child
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"
Mariah Carey
"Santa Claus is Comin' To Town"

Your Favorite Stars in Their Very Own Christmas Classics Music Videos!

Customer Reviews:

memories.......2007-05-31

I grew up with these Christmas stories year after year. I now have children who can enjoy them too. Many of these shows are not on like it used to be. It is also great having them in one set.

THESE ARE CLASSICS AND SHOULD BE TREATED BETTER THAN THIS!.......2007-03-08

This review would have 5 stars,but for the lack of care for these treasured classics. Especially Rudolph! Come on! Watching this is a yearly ritual for cryin' out loud! The prints are not that bad,but they are dirty and should have been cleaned up. It is a good collection,but there are a number of other Rankin & Bass classics yet to be released to DVD. Get on the ball and restore all of these old friends and put them out in a complete box set. You'll sell millions of these every year! for years to come!

Love the Christmas TV classics.......2007-01-19

Most of the animated classic Christmas TV shows are included (except the California Raisin). Overall good selection, but unfortunately the DVD case uses a cheaper more fragile plastic that was shattered during shipping.

Christmas Classics.......2007-01-18

Everything I expected...and more. The product was good, the delivery time was good, and the price was resonable. What more could I ask?.

Christmas Classics.......2007-01-18

I loved this set of dvd's and found that it was least expensive on amazon.

The Original Television Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town / Frosty the Snowman / Frosty Returns / The Little Drummer Boy)

Average customer rating:

The nastalgia is nice...
All Corny, just like we remember~ I LOVE it~
Great Product and Price
A great compilation of Rankin-Bass products
LOVED IT

The Original Television Christmas Classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer / Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town / Frosty the Snowman / Frosty Returns / The Little Drummer Boy)
Starring: Burl Ives , Billie Mae Richards , Paul Soles , Larry D. Mann , and Stan Francis
Director: Kizo Nagashima , Larry Roemer , and Arthur Rankin Jr.
Manufacturer: Classic Media
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

The Year Without a Santa Claus / Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey / Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (50th Birthday Deluxe Remastered Edition)
Peanuts Holiday Collection (A Charlie Brown Christmas/A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving/It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown)
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Frosty's Winter Wonderland/Twas the Night Before Christmas

ASIN: B0002I82Z0
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Description

The original television holiday classics now are available with deluxe packaging and a 12-song music CD with music from the all-time favorite television specials known the world over!

"Frosty the Snowman:" When Frosty the Snowman comes to life, he must weather a storm of adventures and the dastardly plans of an evil magician before he can find safety and happiness at the North Pole.

"Frosty Returns:" This is the adventure of a little girl named Holly and her very special friend, Frosty the Snowman. Holly has to convince the people of Beansboro to save the magical winter dust--and Frosty--when a power-hungry tycoon invents a product that will eliminate snow. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer:" Christmas has been cancelled! Or, it will be if Santa Claus can't find a way to guide his sleigh through a fierce blizzard. Rudolph to the rescue!

"Santa Claus is Comin' to Town:" A cheery, delightful story tells how Kris Kringle got his start as the world's most famous gift giver by struggling to bring toys and happiness to the children of Sombertown.

"The Little Drummer Boy:" In this touching Christmas classic, an evil man kidnaps an orphaned drummer boy. After he escapes, he searches for his camel and finds him at the birthplace of the baby Jesus. Having no gift for him, he gives the only gift he has--a song on his drum.

All five titles are on three discs and contain Spanish-language tracks.

Customer Reviews:

The nastalgia is nice..........2007-05-16

It's nice at Christmas time to be able to pull this out and remember what Christmas was like as a kid. I've got several of the other stop-action movies as well, a worthwhile purchase!

All Corny, just like we remember~ I LOVE it~.......2007-01-26

Its nice to own the classics in ONE package, no more searching each year for the copies made from television. Great picture and sound quality.

Great Product and Price.......2007-01-16

Excellent product, price and shipping. This is a must for Christmas season with children.

A great compilation of Rankin-Bass products.......2007-01-12

This has been my daughter's favorite DVD(s) for more than a year. It has just about every stop-motion movie/show they made, plus two Frosy movies. It is only missing The Year without a Santa.

Nice packaging and a great value.

LOVED IT.......2007-01-11

It's great, all the cartoons i used to watch every christmas of my childhood. Picture quality is great too!!

A Christmas Carol (2 versions: Colorized & Original Black and White)

Average customer rating:

Sim IS Scrooge!!
A Christmas Carol (50th Anniversary Edition)
A Christmas Carol (1951)
A work of art with a little extra
THE Standard...

A Christmas Carol (2 versions: Colorized & Original Black and White)
Starring: Alastair Sim , Kathleen Harrison , Mervyn Johns , Hermione Baddeley , and Michael Hordern
Director: Brian Desmond Hurst
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Miracle on 34th Street (Special Edition)
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A Christmas Carol
White Christmas

ASIN: B00000F168
Release Date: 1998-10-28

Amazon.com

This is the desert-island choice of the many versions of A Christmas Carol, with a magnificent, full-bodied portrayal of Ebenezer Scrooge by Alastair Sim that leaves everyone else in the dust. Lean and direct, this film's version of the story wastes no time trying to impress viewers with the magical nature of the spirits' visitations. Director Brian Desmond Hurst keeps the focus on Scrooge's life story, beautifully simplifying and underscoring the theme of lost women with a haunting musical refrain from the folk song "Barbara Allen." Sim's commitment to the role is at times astonishing; his Scrooge's Christmas-morning ecstasy is a marvel of giddy technique. Watch for Patrick Macnee (Steed in The Avengers) as the young Jacob Marley--the actor made his screen debut in this 1951 production. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Sim IS Scrooge!!.......2007-06-29

A lot of men have played Ebenezer Scrooge over the years, but NONE with the accuracy, passion and believability of Alastair Sim... This man simple BECAME Scrooge! All performances from then on were merely attempts to capture the magic he captured in this brilliant adaptation of the classic Christmas tale.

(Okay so maybe Michael Caine in the MUPPET VERSION but I digress...)

This story remains a classic... and the original version with Alastair Sim is one to be enjoyed by generations.

My dad enjoyed it as a child. I enjoyed it as a child and now my son enjoys it... A tradition in the truest sense.

A Christmas Carol (50th Anniversary Edition).......2007-06-28

Absolutely the BEST version ever! Alastair Sim IS the best Scrooge ever!

Christmas Eve is not the same without this movie playing at least once in the family room. We have watched this since I was a child and hoped to for many more years to come.

A Christmas Carol (1951).......2007-06-25

Based on Charles Dickens's most widely read and enduring story, this definitive 1951 British version, better known as "Scrooge," outdoes all others for atmosphere and, of course, characterization. The incomparable Alastair Sim, a gifted actor who seamlessly inhabits his role, makes you believe he is Scrooge. Skillfully directed by Brian Desmond-Hurst, "Carol" is tight at roughly eighty-five minutes, yet remains extremely moving, with Sim's droopy eyes projecting all of Scrooge's terror, shame, and regret. By contrast, his outright giddiness at the film's conclusion will leave you feeling just the same way--very much in the holiday spirit.

A work of art with a little extra.......2007-05-28

Clearly the best version I have ever seen.It has been a family tradition for all of the family to sit and enjoy this classic. Before VCR came along I always searched the T.V guide to be sure it was being aired on Christmas eve.

One little tidbit, when Scrooge is joyfully romping around the bedroom on Christmas morning,he is looking in a mirror. If you look closley you will see the director in the mirror as well in both scenes.

THE Standard..........2007-04-22

1951's British version of "A Christmas Carol" is perhaps the standard movie edition of the popular Charles Dickens classic. Delivered in crisp black and white, with its focus on the original story and not on special effects, it delivers the haunting message of Dickens' novella in a way that the many subsequent versions do not.

Alistair Sims is superb as Scrooge, easily and believably making the transition from grasping miser to a reformed man of Christmas spirit. We see Ebenezer rise from neglected schoolboy to poor but generous clerk to rich and ambitious businessman to stingy miser before confronting the three Christmas Spirits who change his life. His transformation is delivered with obvious physical joy, as he capers like a schoolboy and humbles himself to visit his disowned nephew.

Brian Hurst's direction is direct and brisk, as an excellent cast steps through the story in just 86 minutes, without missing a single key element. The Bob Crachitt family is especially well-cast, their sequences together fairly hum with genuine family feeling.

Unlike many of the later versions, this production makes the point that Ebenezer Scrooge must be frightened into good sense by the three ghosts, not entertained by them. At the same time, the ghosts are presented as the ultimately humane spirits they must be to give Scrooge hope for redemption.

This movie is highly recommended to fans of a great Christmas classic and those looking for a Christmas movie that imparts a real message.

Classic Christmas Collection (It's a Wonderful Life / White Christmas)

Average customer rating:

It's a Wonderful Life is not color
Wonderful sincere schmaltz
Movies ok, but....
Two Feel Good Holiday Classics To Be Watched ANYTIME You Need A Lift
It's a Wonderful Life

Classic Christmas Collection (It's a Wonderful Life / White Christmas)
Starring: James Stewart , Donna Reed , Lionel Barrymore , Thomas Mitchell , and Henry Travers
Director: Frank Capra , and Michael Curtiz
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Holiday Inn (Special Edition)
Miracle on 34th Street (Special Edition)
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A Christmas Carol (Original B&W Version)
A Christmas Story (Two-Disc Special Edition)

ASIN: B000HWZ4KM
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Description

This 2pk includes 2 of Christmas's all-time classics - It's A Wonderful Life 60th Anniversary Edition and White Christmas

Customer Reviews:

It's a Wonderful Life is not color.......2007-06-05

Just so no one else buys this and thinks they are getting a color version of this movie. It's in Black and white. In the descripion on Amazon it says it is in color. The color version is only on VHS.

Wonderful sincere schmaltz.......2007-05-07

Yes, from all I've seen it was a pretty wonderful life, for most Americans, from 1945 to 55 when we ruled the world. Both of these movies capture some of that unquestioning nationalistic sentimentality and disingenuouness that would finally evaporate completely in the jungles of Viet Nam. For now though we had a ton of food and tent space and it was worth a try since nothing we did ended badly, yet.

Jimmy Stewart is perfectly cast as the George Bailey,kindhearted but bitterly disappointed by life so far. With techniques that borrow heavily from AA and Charles Dickens he is finally convinced that his life has been is a force for good. The sentiments are soggy but the movie has an almost noirish realism especially in the nightmare of what his quaint small-town turns into without him.
This movie ends with a rousing "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and "White Xmas' ends with a rousing, (What else?")"White Xmas" as the long-awaited snow falls behind them. There is no pretense of realism in this movie, and much of the enjoyment here is just the tremendous camp fun especially with Dany Kaye devouring the set in every other shot.

Movies ok, but...........2007-03-24

The movies were great and what I wanted, with one exception... In the description it states that they are in color, where in fact "White Christmas" is in color but "It's A Wonderful Life" is not. That is the only gripe that I have about this duo-set. I have been trying for several months to get a copy of the colorized version of "It's A Wonderful Life". I saw this advertized as color and ordered it. I received it and watched the movie, only to find out that it is not in color, but in fact black & white. I am very disappointed of this fact.

Two Feel Good Holiday Classics To Be Watched ANYTIME You Need A Lift.......2007-02-10

You do NOT have to wait until Christmas to open this gift. Frank Capra's wonderful film of 1946, may be enjoyed anytime of the year. "It's A Wonderful Life" is THE feel good movie of the all time.It should be watched anytime you need a lift!(Okay, Okay , you can watch it at Christmas time too!).

ASC(Angel Second Class), Clarence Oddbody needs to get his wings.George Bailey is desperately in need of an Angel. So the powers up above arrange a meeting. It's a story made in heaven.

Clarence gets to view George Bailey's life from the time he was a young boy until the present, when George is having so many problems he thinks he would be better off if he'd never been born (it may be safe to say we have all had days like that!). We watch as George touches the lives of so many from boyhood to adulthood. He saves his brother's life,he stops his boss(a druggist) from making a fatal mistake, he saves the family business, "The Building and Loan Assoc" from the hands of the Scroogelike Mr. Potter, is friend and mentor to so many, and although never gets to follow his dreams of travel, settles down with the girl next door in his town, "Bedford Falls".

But things start going amiss for poor George,an accidental misplacement of a large sum of money, and the auditor showing up just at the wrong time, causes George to face loosing everything he THINKS is important. He's on the bridge, ready to pack it all in when his guardian angel Clarence shows up in the nick of time.Clarence shows George what life would REALLY be like if he was never born. It's not good! George must realize that "It's A Wonderful Life" before he can exist again.

Jimmy Stewart plays George Bailey. He is just tremendous in this role. We see the full range of his talents as he runs the course of going from carefree, to distraught, to bitter and finally elated with life as he discovers Zuzu's petals have reappeared in his pocket.The petals that disappeared from his pocket when he disappeared from existence. Henry Travers is Clarence and there has never been a more cherubic angel than he. Donna Reed as Mary(George's wife) is exceptional at making a wonderful life for George and looking great doing it. And Lionel Barrymore is the mean Mr. Potter who we love to hate. There are so many other famous faces to look for that do such a superb job, here are a few...the great character actor Thomas Mitchell is the forgetful "Uncle Billy", Lillian Randolph is "Annie", the housekeeper, Beulah Bondi as Mrs. Bailey, Ellen Corby, the lady who only wants $17.50, Gloria Grahame is Violet and don't miss Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, mischievous as ever at the pool scene.

So it's clear as a bell(oh..I think an Angel just got his wings!)if you're feeling a little down, watch this movie and like Zuzu's petals, your smile will reappear.

"White Christmas"...The film is a treasure. Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye,Rosemary Clooney,and Vera-Ellen are the stars of this 1954 musical with songs by Irving Berlin that you'll want to sing along with and keep humming long after the film has ended. Directed by Michael Curtiz it's a feel good film that although takes place during the Christmas season, is another one that you can pull out and watch anytime of the year.

Bing and Danny were Army buddies, now a successful song and dance team and are out to help their favorite old retired General(Dean Jagger),who is having trouble coping with retirement. The General is now running a country inn in Vermont, but the big problem is there is no snow to bring up the tourists. Bing and Danny to the rescue, as they turn the inn into a showcase of talent, and fall for the Haines sisters along the way. Can these wonderful voices also bring the snow out of the sky?...well..you know.

This film is filled with Berlin's wonderful tunes. When Bing takes Rosemary's little hand in his and croons "Count Your Blessings" to her..well it's movie heaven. Rosemary also treats us to several numbers, Vera-Ellen does some fabulous hoofing, and Danny clowns and keeps us smiling like only Danny can. And how much fun is it watching Bing and Danny do the "Sisters" number together?...alot! Then there's the goose bump evoking, wonderfully nostalgic scene of the four of them singing "White Christmas" together with the Winter Wonderland of Vermont as a backdrop.I would be remiss if I didn't mention the wonderful character actress Mary Wicks, she's a great busy-body who causes misunderstandings, and also keep an eye out for George Chakiris and Barrie Chase.

Thanks Paramount for bringing us this great old classic holiday films on in one package.

Happy Year-long Viewing, ...Laurie

It's a Wonderful Life.......2007-02-03

A Christmas classic. All these years later, life can still be the same as in this movie. Lot's of us are always striving, longing for a "better" more exciting life and many times if we stepped back and looked at ours it couldn't get any better, we just need to appreciate what we have and make the best of our life.

Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical

Average customer rating:

Nuncrackers
Nunsense, can't go wrong, but liked the original actors better
Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical
Christmas Cheer
"Mt. St. Helen's version of the Nutcracker"

Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical
Starring: Rue McClanahan , John Ritter , Yolanda Vega , Sarah Donalds , and Bambi Jones
Director: David Stern (IV) , and Dan Goggin
Manufacturer: White Star
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Nunsense 3 - The Jamboree
Nunsense
Nunsense 2: The Sequel
Nunsense (1986 Original Off-Broadway Cast)
A Tuna Christmas

ASIN: B0000BWVAK
Release Date: 2003-08-12

Customer Reviews:

Nuncrackers.......2007-05-06

I ordered this to add to my collection. It was ok. Not as good as Nunsense. Kind of slow. It has a few good songs.

Nunsense, can't go wrong, but liked the original actors better.......2007-01-25

Funny, Hilarious. But it does have some slow parts, sad parts, touchy parts and narrated parts by John Ritter.
Not all original cast members from Nunsense.

Sister Amnesia was HILARIOUS.

Great holiday show. Can't wait until their next one.

Can't go wrong with these Nuns at a great price!

Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical.......2007-01-10

I enjoyed the antics of the nuns, but was disappointed that the original cast was not there. The characters were there, but not the original actresses that portrayed them, with the exception of Amnesia and Mother Superior.

Christmas Cheer.......2006-11-10

Start with the Nuncrackers script and you'd have to be pretty bad to produce a bomb. Well, this cast and crew ain't bad and the production does full justice to a hilarious script. The crazy Nunsense convent is doing a Christmas TV special and, of course, Murphy's Law is the first of the Rules of this Order. Try not to shoot eggnog out your nose at the cooking sequence and don't plan on sitting still through their take on "We Three Kings". I just wish we really could order their advertised products.

"Mt. St. Helen's version of the Nutcracker".......2006-01-16

Thank the Deity, someone had the good "nunsense" to bring back the original Sr. Mary Paul and Rue McClanahan. What happened to Srs. Robert Ann, Mary Leo, and Mary Hubert? Though cute and entertaining, the original cast is still the best. In addition. let Sr. Amnesia take care of Sr. Mary Annette, the puppet. If you're a Nunsense fan, I'd recommend buying it, but beware, it's not as good as 1 and 2.

Average customer rating:

Bing Crosby Double Feature
A true Christmas Gem
Old-fashioned sentimentality at its best
Going My Way/Holiday Inn
Real Christmas

Going My Way/Holiday Inn
Starring: Bing Crosby , Barry Fitzgerald , Frank McHugh , James Brown (II) , and Gene Lockhart
Director: Leo McCarey , and Mark Sandrich
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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White Christmas
The Bells of St. Mary's
The Bishop's Wife
Christmas in Connecticut
Miracle on 34th Street (Special Edition)

ASIN: B00001TZ6P
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Amazon.com essential video

Going My Way
This irresistible Oscar winner from writer-director Leo McCarey (An Affair to Remember) stars Bing Crosby as a low-key, crooning priest who joins the parish of a no-nonsense but sweet old Irish man of the cloth (Barry Fitzgerald). While Bing turns local toughs into a choir, the elder priest worries over the church building fund and whether he'll get a chance to see his old mother back in Ireland before she dies. One would have to have a heart of stone not to be won over by this charmer, with a lovely ending guaranteed to make you bawl for a week. --Tom Keogh

Holiday Inn
This perennial, Christmas-season favorite from 1942 teamed Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire as entertainers (and rival suitors of Marjorie Reynolds) running an inn that is only open on holidays. It's a great excuse for lots of singing and dancing, seamlessly wrapped in a catchy story, and Astaire's frequent director Mark Sandrich (Top Hat, Shall We Dance) doesn't let us down. The Irving Berlin numbers (each one connected to a different holiday) are winners, with Crosby's warm performance of "White Christmas" a movie touchstone. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Bing Crosby Double Feature.......2007-06-22

Conceived from an idea by composer Irving Berlin, Mark Sandrich's "Holiday Inn" is a humorous, festive Crosby/Astaire musical that finds both performers in tip-top, toe-tapping form. Famous for introducing "White Christmas," the best-selling single of all time and an instant favorite with troops overseas, "Inn" is consistently tuneful and entertaining with a sublime Berlin score that covers not just Christmas, but all major holidays. Watch for the July 4th rave-up "Let's Say It With Firecrackers," one of many musical highlights.

A true Christmas Gem.......2006-12-27

Going My Way deservedly won 7 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Story. It is such a warm story written and directed by Leo McCarey (who also wrote Love Affair, Bells of St. Mary's and An Affair to Remember as well as directed the latter two).

The movie's warmth owed much to the wonderful performance of Barry Fitzgerald (Best Actor in a Supporting Role), as the lovable and respectable elderly Father Fitzgibbon, despite his old school of strict rules and hardships expected of a clergyman. And Bing Crosby(Best Actor), as Father O'Malley, came to rescue the old church with utmost regard of Father Fitzgibbon's delicate feeling. Bing Crosby's portrayal of a sensible, upright Father who enjoyed a close relationship with the younger generation was most impressive. The joyful and buoyant Father O'Dowd (Frank McHugh) provided the optimistic mood often needed to uplift the morale of the other two Fathers. The personal sacrifice made by Fitzgibbon, his longing to see his mother far away, the subplots of a radiant contralto of Metropolitan Opera Association (Rise Stevens) with a gold heart, the father and son money lenders, a naïve run away 18-year old (Jean Heather) all make a wonderful story.

In addition, there is much good music performed by Bing Crosby (Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ra, Silent Night, Swinging on a star - Best Original Music) and Rise Stevens (Ave Maria, Habanera of Carmen)with the Robert Mitchell Boychoir. There is just a right balance between the good Christmas spirit and delightful Christmas music. It leaves you adoring the kindness and integrity of these good characters while humming the beautful tones.

For a different kind of light and highly entertaining holiday treat, Holiday Inn must be the one. White Christmas sung by Bing Crosby, first solo followed by duet with Marjorie Reynolds, in the first half hour of the movie alone is a classic number not to be missed. However, the movie offers much more than meets the eye.

The idea of having a holiday inn which opened for 15 holidays throughout the year is ingenious. In no more natural setting can numbers be inserted at Christmas, Lincoln's birthday, Valentine's Day, Washington's birthday, Easter Parade, Independence Day as in this movie. The elegant and radiant Marjorie Reynolds sang beautifully with Bing Crosby and danced gracefully with Fred Astaire, so was Virginia Dale. Added to it the lively performance of the trio's agent (Walter Abel) and Bing Crosby's cook Mamie(Louise Beavers) with two cute child actors. This is such a warm and delightful holiday movie that one can enjoy all 100 minutes of singing and dancing.

Old-fashioned sentimentality at its best.......2006-03-19

(GOING MY WAY reviewed as a single feature on videocassette.)

We are in an entertainment age of rampant violence, language, and sexuality. On a recent Monday, I watched two tapes worth of HBO shows. I could actually feel my soul corroding from violence in the admittedly well acted THE SOPRANOS, very strong language in the beautifully designed DEADWOOD, and sex scenes with full nudity in the new BIG LOVE. They make me want to cancel my subscription to HBO and go back to bygone Hollywood on Turner Classic Movies.

Producer/director/co-writer Leo McCarey's GOING MY WAY (1944) won a whopping seven Oscars the same year as such powerhouses as DOUBLE INDEMNITY, LAURA, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, and SINCE YOU WENT AWAY. It is a sweet and likeable movie. Not great art, but very pleasant and soul-restoring. We have Oscar winners Bing Crosby as progressive young Father O'Malley and Barry Fitzgerald as the aging conservative Father Fitzgibbon interacting at venerable St. Dominick's.

GOING MY WAY runs an overlong 126 minutes and is constructed as a series of interacting plot strands. G-rated juvenile delinquents become members of the church choir and (off-screen) go with Father O'Malley to a baseball game. They later sing a song for Rise Stevens (of the Metropolitan Opera) as Genevieve Linden. Father O'Malley was the first person to praise Genevieve, who in turn gives encouragement to the boys, who subsequently sing the lovely and Oscar-winning "Swinging on a Star."

Fitzgerald's Father Fitzgibbon is an endearing character who has a bottle of whiskey hilariously hidden inside a bookcase music box that plays "Toora, Loora, Loora" all the time. The same lovely, sentimental song figures prominently in the very poignant final scene. Watch Father Fitzgibbon's expression when he realizes he has eaten a stolen turkey (by two of the boys) at Thanksgiving. And watch him play golf with Father O'Malley and mistakenly, happily think he has gotten a really good score.

Then there is Carol (pretty Jean Heather), a runaway teenager who eventually marries a World War Two (1944 movie) soldier named Ted, whose father (Gene Lockhart) holds the mortgage on St. Dominick's. Lockhart does something nice with that mortage at Christmas time in the final reel. Ted asks dad to "look after Carol while [he is] away. She'll grow on you." On the sidelines is Frank McHugh, always fun, as Father O'Dowd.

I like GOING MY WAY quite a lot. It is very sentimental, but (to rewrite the final line of Preston Sturges' great 1941 SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS) there is a lot to be said for sentimentality and old-fashioned virtues in our frenzied and cynical computer age.

Going My Way/Holiday Inn.......2006-02-24

Going My Way is a wonderful movie. All the actors are great to watch. The story keeps your interest. I love listening to Bing
Crosby sing. His voice is so easy to listen to.

Holiday Inn is a wonderful entertaining movie. It's not only a musical, it has very funny parts in it. It's a wonderful Holiday or anytime movie. Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire are fabulous actors.

Real Christmas.......2006-02-24

Great idea to combine two clasics on one CD. They are as good as the first time I saw them and never lose their charm

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