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PEANUTS CLASSIC HOLIDAY COLLECTION
Review by Michael Jacobson
Creator:
Charles M. Schulz
Audio: Dolby Mono
Video: Full Frame
Studio: Paramount
Features: Three Bonus Features
Length: 75 Minutes
Release Date: October 4, 2005
"Of
all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest!"
I
once saw an interview with producer Lee Mendelson where he talked about the year
CBS contacted him about doing a Peanuts holiday special.
He got on the phone with comic strip artist Charles M. Schulz and told
him he had sold "A Charlie Brown Christmas".
What was "A Charlie Brown Christmas", Schulz queried?
Mendelson didn't know, but suggested the artist get to work right away.
That
1965 special has been a Christmas tradition for forty years now, and the magic
has passed from one generation to the next.
It not only perfectly captured the wonderful Peanuts characters,
but expressed the true meaning of the holiday, as Schulz insisted the passage
from the book of Luke describing the birth of Christ be used.
Now
it, and two other holiday staples have been included in one nicely packaged box
set. The Peanuts Classic Holiday
Collection is a joyful treat that will keep families smiling and ready for
the big celebrations from October through the end of the year.
Here is the rundown:
"MERRY
CHRISTMAS, CHARLIE BROWN!"
The
one that started it all is just as winning as ever. Not only did this show become a staple of the Christmas
season, it also laid the groundwork for all future Peanuts television
specials, with the prevailing holiday themes and the terrific, unforgettable
music by Vince Guaraldi and his trio. In
this initial offering, Charlie Brown struggles with the true meaning of
Christmas in the face of endless commercialism.
It takes his friends and a little pathetic tree to make the real spirit
of the holiday come to life for him, and us.
"My
grandmother lives in a condominium."
We
can be thankful that the Peanuts gang returned for this holiday treat.
Charlie Brown and family are going over the river and through the woods
to grandmother's house for the big day. The
problem? Peppermint Patty and
friends have invited themselves over to Chuck's place for dinner.
Can he, Sally and Snoopy make the day bright using a feast of toast and
popcorn...or will Charlie Brown end up as the turkey?
"I
got a rock."
Charlie
Brown doesn't fare much better at Halloween, what with his costume problems and
bad luck at trick or treating. But
come on...Halloween isn't nearly as important as the other two holidays, so the
spirit stays light and the humor constant.
The centerpiece is, of course, Linus' neverending faith in the Great
Pumpkin, and Sally's regret at having spent her whole Halloween in the pumpkin
patch waiting for the elusive visitor!
Owning
these on DVD for yourselves and your children is a great way to insure your
holiday fun gets off on the right foot. In
fact, you may notice some things in these specials you'd forgotten...over the
years, as commercial time increased, some trimming had taken place with this
classic cartoons. But now, thanks
to DVDs, they are fully intact and won't play Grinch with your festivities.
It
was a sad day when Charles Schulz finally left us after decades of great
entertainment in our newspapers, on TV and in films. But the magic of what he created will never leave us.
These programs are the proof in the pudding.
Video
***
It's
still sometimes hard for me to believe that two of these shows have been around
longer than I have. It's even
harder to believe when you watch them on DVD.
They've held up well, and enjoy a clean, crisp presentation on disc.
Not much in the way of aging artifacts to speak of, and the colors and
lines have been maintained quite well.
Audio
**
The
mono mixes are passable...not much dynamic range existent or required.
The spoken words are fairly clean, and Vince Guaraldi's music sounds as
great as ever. A little background
noise here and there, but nothing distracting.
Features
**
Each
disc includes an extra Peanuts TV special: "The Mayflower Voyagers" and "You're Not
Elected, Charlie Brown" are both good, but I was partial to "It's
Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown". That's
the one where Sally is in the school Christmas play...her job is to say
"Hark!", and then Harold Angel starts to sing.
Summary:
