Bad Santa (2003) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are a fan of Bad Santa, DO NOT BUY THIS DVD. I bought it expecting extended and restored scenes, instead I got a totally different ending and hilarious scenes cut out.
This version ends with the little boy outside trying to clean up the blood on his front steps rather than giving the bully a swift kick in the nards.
One of the scenes cut out is the scene in the gym where Willie and Marcus are trying to teach the little boy how to defend himself. That was one of the funniest scenes in the movie.
The packaging is deceptive. If they had said, "new ending" on the notes, I would have left it alone. It didn't and I wasted my money. I thought I would come on here and post a warning.

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Hollywood favorites Billy Bob Thornton (THE ALAMO), Bernie Mac (MR. 3000), and John Ritter (TV's 8 SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER) star in the year's most-talked-about comedy hit, BAD SANTA. You'd better watch out -- Santa Claus Willie T. Stokes (Thornton) is coming to town and he doesn't care if you've been naughty or nice. Willie's favorite holiday tradition is to fill his sacks with loot lifted from shopping malls across the country. But this year his plot gets derailed by a wise-cracking store detective (Mac), a sexy bartender (Lauren Graham -- TV's GILMORE GIRLS), and a kid who's convinced Willie is the real Santa Claus.

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Make the Yuletide Gay (2009) Review

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(More customer reviews)The college dorm's resident "out and proud" gay couple, Olaf ("Gunn") and Nathan, are going home to spend Christmas with their respective families, and those families couldn't be more different. Whereas "trust fund baby" Nathan's parents are rather cold, status-seeking yuppies, Olaf's parents are a couple of former hippies who start decorating their home for the holidays months before. When Nathan's parents stand him up to go on a holiday cruise, he decides to surprise Olaf by joining him at his parents, only to find out that his parents have no clue that he is gay. Nathan immediately tries to "butch it up" a bit, but is disappointed and hurt that Olaf is unable - more like unwilling - to introduce him as his boyfriend.
A sweet and engaging, though somewhat corny, story about honesty, self-acceptance and - ultimately - the meaning of love. Newcomer Keith Jordan does a first-rate job as the emotionally conflicted Olaf, and is surrounded by an excellent cast of veteran character actors, including Derek Long ("3-Day Weekend" and several other gay films) as Olaf's stoner dad, actress/voiceover artist Kelly Keaton as his jolly mother, Hallee Hirsh (who played Dr. Greene's daughter on "ER") as Olaf's supposed girlfriend Abby, Alison Arngrin (best know as Nellie Olsen on "Little House on the Prairie") as Abby's mom, Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher on "Star Trek: TNG") as Nathan's mom, and Adamo Ruggiero (Marco for five seasons on "Degrassi: The Next Generation") as Nathan. The direction and technical aspects seem flawless, and there are even a half dozen or so original songs on the soundtrack. DVD isn't rated, but would likely be PG; definitely a film you could (and should) share with your parents and younger siblings. Popular at several gay film festivals, and in a limited theatrical run, this just might become a timeless gay holiday classic. Watch out for the mistletoe over the doorway, and I give "Yuletide" a full five stars out of five.

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A whimsical gay romance with a heart of gold, Make the Yuletide Gay follows a young gay couple Nathan and Gunn as they face their first Christmas apart. Sweet-natured Gunn (Keith Jordan) has to go right back in the closet to survive the holidays with his wacky Wisconsin parents, and cutie-pie Nathan (Adamo Ruggerio, Degrassi: The Next Generation ) is preparing to spend another Christmas with his cold-hearted parents. When Nathan surprises everyone by turning up on Gunn s doorstep, the couple is hilariously forced to juggle a hetero charade with their gay reality. With its bright, witty dialogue and handsome cast, Yuletide is one holiday treat you ll want to savor many times over.

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The Santa Clause (Widescreen Special Edition) (1994) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are looking for a great, feel-good holiday movie that everyone can enjoy, this is your movie. It is not just another typical cartoon, though. There is a nice mix of comedy, drama, and great holiday fun to turn this into the next holiday classic.
We begin with Scott Calvin, a divorced businessman with a child. His wife has got another man in her life that Charlie, their son, looks up to, while Scott is still alone. It is Scott's turn to take Charlie for Christmas that year, but Charlie is less than enthusiastic about staying with his work-involved, unattentive father. Nothing goes well for them that night with dinner (it is actually quite a humorous affair), and you can sense the distance between the father and son.
Later on that night is when things change. Scott scares Santa Claus into falling off of the roof. Charlie nags Scott into putting on the Santa suit and getting into the sleigh. From that point, there is non-stop action until morning as Scott finishes up Santa's job. At the North Pole later that night, Scott finds out that he is now subject to the Santa Clause and that he has become the new Santa whether he wants to be or not.
The next morning, Scott wakes up and assumes that it was all a great big dream. He is in for a rude awakening, though, when Charlie remembers the whole thing and insists that it happened. Scott spends the year denying that tey took a trip to the North Pole. All the while, his body undergoes some pretty hilarious changes in preparation for the upcoming Christmas.
Along with Tim Allen as Scott Calvin/Santa Claus and Eric Lloyd as a very cute little Charlie, there is a great supporting cast to add to the movie. Judge Reinhold plays as Charlie's role model and his mother's (played by Wendy Crewson) new boyfriend. He is a dull psychiatrist that manages to add his own humor to the story with his disbelief of Christmas and his loud sweaters. There is also the unforgettable David Krumholtz as the elf Bernard. Bernard has been around for quite a long time (just ask him) and has dealt with more than one Santa. Charlie takes a liking to him and he becomes a very integral part of the movie.
This is a great holiday movie for anyone and everyone. The blend of comedy, fantasy, and touching real-life issues (like family and divorce) will make it an instant classic.

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Superstar comedian and Golden Globe(R) winner Tim Allen shines bright in Disney's magical, larger-than-life hit comedy that "People" magazine dubbed "The most playfully amusing, inventive cinematic ... fable in several decades!" Now in this all-new special edition DVD release, your entire family can enjoy never-before-seen bonus footage, interactive games, and more, making this original holiday classic a joyful new experience!

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My Little Pony - A Very Minty Christmas (2005) Review

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(More customer reviews)My daughter is a big fan of Dora The Explorer & Sesame Street. Occasionally I can get her interested in something else. I've had some luck with the Richard Scarry videos, Winnie The Pooh, Strawberry Shortcake, and the Backyardigans so far. Suprisingly, she actually likes to watch the previews on all these videos. And I noticed she got very excited during the preview to A Very Minty Christmas that was on the Backyardigans DVD. She started saying "Pony!" everytime it would come on, so I decided to get this DVD for her. SHE LOVES IT! Just after the first viewing, she was ready to watch it again. The ponies and Ponyville are all so pretty and girly, which is probably why she likes it. Or it could be because they remind her of her grandma's Carousel collection, which she has also taken a liking to.
I'm actually excited that my daughter has shown interest in My Little Pony since I loved them when I was a kid in the 80s. And also that means I can be on the lookout for more DVDs and toys. I already got her the Minty pony for Christmas :).

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Barbie in The Nutcracker (2001) Review

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(More customer reviews)Beautiful. Exquisite. Captivating. There aren't enough superlatives to describe the quality of Barbie's first, and hopefully not last, movie. I bought this for my daughter thinking that it would be fun video for her to watch (Barbie lover that she is at 2 1/2) as the holidays approach. I didn't expect to fall in love with it myself. In amazing computer animation, the Nutcracker is retold through the eyes of Barbie playing both the roles of Clara and the Sugarplum Princess. The story is strong, with lots of action and tenderness: the plotline includes, of course, Prince Eric as the Nutcracker, the Mouse King and his legions, and lots of adorable sugarplum fairies. The dance sequences will take your breath away as the graphics artists have integrated actual footage of the dancing of the New York City Ballet into their computer animated scenes. I only wish there had been more of them, but I will take quality over quantity! A few of the scenes were a little rough for my 2-year old, but really no worse than a Disney movie. Even if you're not a fan of Barbie, pick up this movie for its sheer storytelling and visual value. All in all, I have to say that this is destined to become a favorite for girls (including us moms!) of all ages.

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This modern adaptation of the holiday classic casts Barbie in two roles, Clara and the Sugarplum Princess, as she embarks on a musical fantasy adventure for girls of all ages. New York City Ballet's Peter Martins choreographed this wonderful animated film, with music by The London Symphony Orchestra, and featuring the voice of Tim Curry as the Mouse King.

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Frosty's Winter Wonderland/Twas the Night Before Christmas (1974) Review

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(More customer reviews)What a deal, two rare Rankin/Bass hoiday specials available for the first time on DCD, and we get 2 for the price of 1.
FROSTYS WINTER WONDERLAND: Just like the song says, Frosty comes back again someday. Frosty returns to play with the children, but Jack Frost is envious of him. He tries to steal Frosty's magic hat to take his powers. The children build Frosty a wife named Crystal according to magic instructions from Frosty. When Jack Frost finally gets Frosty, it's his wife that must save him with love.
The studio that made the first hour long cel animated Frosty special that first aired on CBS television in 1969 is Rankin/Bass Productions, the kings of holiday specials. That show was based on the original song written in 1951 by Steve Nelson and Jack Rollins. The studio made a terrific half hour sequel in 1976 for ABC television titled "Frosty's Winter Wonderland". That special starts right where the first one left off. The character design was by Paul Coker Jr., who did the same work for the first special, so the visual continuity works very well and the characters have that classic Rankin/Bass 'look'. He also did the unique lettering for the credits in both specials. The famous voice actor Paul Frees stars as Jack Frost, and the policeman. Frees was a regular in studio productions and had also voiced the policeman, ticket seller, and Santa Claus in the original. Jackie Vernon voiced Frosty just like he did before, and Selly Winters is his new wife. The writer for both Rankin/Bass shows was Romeo Muller, and Maury Laws returned as the musical director. Interestingly, while Rankin/Bassis known for the high quality of their original songs, they used Christmas standards in their sequel. While the first show was narrated and sung by Jimmy Durante, the second time we had the voice talents of Andy Griffith. Nothing against Andy, but it is a big change. 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS: The story of two families, one human family of Joshua Trundel the clockmaker, the other a mouse family that lives in their house. In Junctionville, all letters to Santa have been returned and the townsfolk are worried. Turns out that Santa is upset at a letter from "all of us" to the editor in the paper, saying that he didn't exist. A young genius mouse named Albert turns out to be the culprit. The town starts the Joshua will build a special clock to encourage Santa to come by singing a song "Calling Santa" at midnight on Christmas Eve. But the clock breaks down too. The people turn against Joshua, and he starts losing customers. Soon enough, his family is starving, and so in turn is the mouse family. It is eventually found that Albert is responsible for the clocks malfunction but did not do it on purpose. He is sorry, but his dad encourages him that sorry is not enough, you must fix what you did wrong. If Albert can fix the clock in time, then Christmas may be saved yet, along with the reputation of Joshua.
Rankin/Bass Studio created this wonderful traditional cel animated special for CBS televison. It first aired on December 8, 1974 in a half hour format on CBS television. The screenplay was by Jerome Coopersmith, inspired by the Clement Moore poem, it does not literally follow the lines of the poem until near the end. The memorable song "Calling Santa" is one of best songs to come from the studio. Also has the songs "Even a Miracle Needs a Hand" (really good), and "Give Your Heart a Try". Character design was by Paul Coker, Jr. who designed the characters appearance for nearly every holiday special from the studio. With musical direction by Maury Laws... Yes, he was the musical genius behind the Rudolph special and it shows. The songs are really good in this special. Lyrics were written by Jules Bass. The actual songs and narration are performed by Joel Gray, and he voices the character of the human father Joshua. Tammy Grimes stars as Albert Mouse, and George Gobel as Father Mouse. John McGiver as the Mayor.

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Studio: Warner Home VideoRelease Date: 10/03/2006Rating: Nr

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