What would the Holidays be without our beloved Frosty’s Winter Wonderland, Smurfs Holiday Celebration or ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas? It sure would be a lot less fun; Warner Bros agreed and decided to offer one of our readers all three DVD’s this Holiday Season to spread the cheer.
Let me introduce you real quick to each movie and then be sure to enter our Giveaway below. You don’t want to miss out on the fun and introduce your little ones to these wonderful Holiday Classics that we all grew up with and fell in love with each holiday season.
Twas the Night Before Christmas:
Animators of all things Christmas, Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass (Frosty the Snowman) take on the famous poem by Clement Moore. Narrated by Joel Grey, the story opens on the night before Christmas, but the reading of the poem must be stopped when two creatures in the house begin to stir: family men Mr. Trundle and Father Mouse. Their restlessness stems from the fact that Santa is angry at the residents of Junctionville, returning all their letters without even opening them. The reason? Somebody wrote a letter to the editor of the paper saying that he doesn’t exist. In an attempt to fix the situation, Mr. Trundle, a clockmaker, comes up with a plan to lure Santa into town with a clock that will sing an enchanting song at midnight. When the clock doesn’t work on its first test, the townsfolk lose all faith in him. Turns out the cause of all the trouble is Albert, a book-smart young mouse who thinks he knows the truth about Santa Claus. There are a few good songs in the 23-minute program, whose the moral is: don’t believe the kids on the playground if they say that Santa doesn’t exist
Smurfs Holiday Celebration:
This double bill brings together a pair of prime-time episodes from the animated Hanna-Barbera series, which ran on NBC from 1981 to 1989. In the first, “The Smurfs’ Christmas Special” (1982), the blue creatures with the white hats prepare for the holiday by decorating the tallest tree and making a great pudding, which looks like a cauldron full of lumpy cotton candy. At the same time, two children, William and Guinevere, and their grandfather travel through the snowy woods to their uncle’s house. The unbridled enthusiasm of all these merrymakers grates on the nerves of curmudgeonly wizard Gargamel and his cat, Azrael, who join forces with a dastardly bandit to spoil their fun (Gargamel is looking for gold, the bandit for revenge). In the process of setting things right, the Smurfs sing “Goodness Makes the Badness Go Away,” which offers a hopeful message, though two performances seems like one too many. In the second special, “‘Tis the Season to Be Smurfy” (1987), the toadstool dwellers introduce Wild Smurf to his first Christmas, while Grandpa Smurf (voiced by Jonathan Winters) and Sassette foil a pickpocket and help out doll maker Gustav and his sick wife Elise (though listed first on the cover, this episode actually plays second). The lessons of the set include forgiveness, sharing with the less fortunate, and looking after the elderly, especially those without a support system. Tiny viewers may find the ravenous snakes, rats, and wolves frightening, but this brief, if enjoyable release is otherwise appropriate for all ages.
Frosty’s Winter Wonderland:
It’s no secret that sequels to classic TV specials rarely stack up–they’re usually guilty of getting too fancy with characters and story lines, causing irritating fissures to form in our perceptions of the originals. Lucky for a new generation of holiday viewers, that’s not the case with Frosty’s Winter Wonderland. In fact, lining up a Frosty double feature at home in which the original is directly followed by the new title is a fully cringe-free proposition, thanks mostly to the down-homey, pleasant narration of Andy Griffith and the near-perfect portrayal of the Frosty we all know and love by Jackie Vernon. The Wonderland dialogue doesn’t trouble itself with tiresome throwbacks, and even the plot isn’t overly ambitious: Frosty, lonely at the North Pole, is bent on keeping his famous promise to the kids that he’ll be back again someday, so when the news of a snowstorm in their town reaches him, he waddles off. But once the belly-whopping’s run its course, he’s lonely again. The children, hoping to salvage Frosty’s stay with them, hit upon a solution: they’ll build Frosty a wife. Crystal fits every snowman’s fantasy of a dream bride, but will jealous Jack Frost sabotage their wintry wedding? For all classic Christmas special fans who harbor hopes that the fun can continue, it’s worth finding out. Kids 2 and older will love the songs and the still-intact dribbles of silliness.
Where to buy:
Each DVD can be purchased separately through Amazon.com, Wal-Mart.com or any of your favorite movie retailers across the nation. These Holiday Favorites have a retail price of $14.98 – $24.98.
Win it:
One lucky 2Boys+1Girl=OneCrazyMom reader will be able to add all three Holiday Classics to their Movie collection this Holiday season; just be sure to enter our Giveaway below. This Giveaway retails for approx. $55.
I was not compensated for this post/giveaway. The info came directly from WarnerBros or their PR company, they will also provide the prize pack to the winner. Facebook is not associated with this Giveaway and is hereby released from any and all liability.
sheila says
my fav is Rudolph!
thank you!
momma2100 at live dot com
beveanne mckinley says
national lampons christmas vacation
erma says
I love a dog named christmas
Ed Nemmers says
“It’s A Wonderful Life”!
heather merlino says
BC’s Thanksgiving
lucas nelson says
national lampoon christmas vacation