Happy New Year's Eve! - A Very Merry Pooh Year

Disney, 2002

Voices of Jim Cummings, Peter Cullen, John Fielder, and Ken Sansom

Directed by Jamie Mitchell, Gary Katona, and others

Music and Lyrics by various

We end 2022 with our final visit to the Hundred Acre Woods. This is the last Pooh holiday direct-to-home-video "movie" I hadn't gotten to yet. We've seen how Pooh and his friends celebrate Easter, Thanksgiving, and Halloween. This gives us a two-for-one holiday, as we not only get to see the gang enjoy Christmas, but New Year's as well. It also continues the theme of Rabbit or someone else canceling a holiday when it doesn't go the way they planned. How does that work with the winter holidays? Let's begin at Pooh's house as he hides his present for Piglet and find out...

The Story: Pooh heads over to Rabbit's to decorate their shared tree. Roo's worried about Santa not being able to come. The others tell him the story of the Christmas before, when Pooh forgot to add what he wanted on their list to Santa. He retrieved it, only to be unable to send it back. Pooh and Piglet first try to play Santa themselves, but when the gifts they make their friends are less-than-perfect, Pooh vows to deliver the letter himself. The others are thrilled at first, but Piglet, and later, Christopher Robin, finally reminds them that their dear friend is more important than any gifts. 

Though this Christmas largely goes well, Pooh can't find Piglet's gift, and Tigger gets on Rabbit's nerves with his jingling bells. Pooh keeps looking for his buddy's present right up until New Year's Eve. Christopher Robin explains about New Year's and resolutions, inspiring Pooh to ask Rabbit if they can have a party at his place. Unfortunately, Pooh's distracted by honey, Piglet hides, and Tigger bouncing too much to actually ask. Fed up with them being inconsiderate and nearly breaking the carrot he's trying to grow to restart his garden, Rabbit claims he's leaving the Hundred Acre Woods. The others try to change their personalities to please him...but after they rescue him, Rabbit finally admits he likes his friends the way they are.

The Animation: As with most entries in this series, it's nothing flashy, but it gets the job done. Everything moves pretty well, and they even recolored Rabbit and redubbed Christopher Robin in the Christmas Too segment to make the special blend in better. I love how the animators made each character switch personalities, with Piglet getting giggly and bouncy, Tigger stiff and freaked out, Eeyore attempting to walk on two legs, and Pooh slumped over and gloomy.

The Song and Dance: If the flashback sequence is familiar, it's the 1991 Pooh Christmas special Winnie the Pooh and Christmas Too. Yep, this is another Pooh "movie" that's really a special with new material written around it. At the very least, it manages to use of more characters than the Halloween and Easter films, with Gopher and Christopher Robin appearing in Christmas Too and the New Year's party, and Christopher being the one who tells Pooh about the New Year. 

The New Year's segment is pretty funny, too. It's hilarious, seeing Pooh become gloomy and Piglet bouncing and Tigger being scared and Eeyore trying to walk on too legs and eat honey. 

Favorite Number: We open with a version of "Jingle Bells," as Tigger bounces with his new bells and the others decorate the tree. Pooh happily sings about "Snow Snows" as the others make snowmen and snowboard and Tigger continues to annoy Rabbit with his jingling. Pooh sings about a "Happy Pooh Year" after Christopher tells him about the holiday, and that there's "No, No Honey for Me" when he's trying to be Eeyore. The movie ends with Tigger and Rabbit making up and everyone singing "Auld Lang Syne" at Rabbit's house.

What I Don't Like: I wish Disney could just release these specials on their own, without the added filler. Not only was the Christmas special edited, but it and the New Year's segment have nothing in common with each other, other than revolving around winter holidays. The story for the New Year's segment even first appeared on The New Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. At least they gave Rabbit more of a reason for acting like a jerk this time. They shouldn't have invaded his house without his permission. And how does Owl keep getting left out? He's the only one who isn't seen, even in the Christmas segment, or even mentioned. 

The Big Finale: Cute enough way to pass an hour before midnight on New Year's if you're a big fan of Pooh and his friends. 

Home Media: Easily found on disc and streaming. Disney Plus has it for free with a subscription.

DVD

Blu-Ray

Disney Plus

And...happy New Year! Here's hoping all of you have a safe, happy, and musical 2023!

Musicals On TV - Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration

Disney, 2022

Starring H.E.R, Josh Grogan, Joshua Henry, and Rita Moreno

Directed by Hamish Hamilton

Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice

This is Disney's second shot at a hybrid live action-animated special after their Little Mermaid from 2019. Beauty and the Beast actually turned 30 last year, but no matter. It remains one of Disney's most beloved films, and one of their biggest properties. The live-action version was a smash in 2017; the Broadway stage show ran for 13 years and turns up frequently in regional theaters. How does this version measure up to those? Let's start with Groban and the chorus as they perform a prologue showing how the Prince became the Beast and find out...

The Story: Belle (H.E.R) feels out of place in her small French village. She's too intelligent for most of the peasants, including boastful hunter Gaston (Henry). After her eccentric inventor father Maurice (Jon Jon Briones) stumbles into the Beast's castle, Belle agrees to trade her life for his. All of the Beast's servants, who were turned into household objects, hope to bring the two together...but Gaston and his buddy LaFou (Rizwan Manji) are determined to force Belle to marry the muscle-bound lunk, whether she wants to or not.

The Song and Dance: Disney not only went all-out on this, they did a somewhat better job of integrating the animated and live-action sequences than they did with Little Mermaid. It's especially apparent in the opening, where we see Belle's original animator at work in the Disney Studios. Sketches blown through the door take us and Belle out into the courtyard, where the real story begins. I liked seeing the original sketches and some of the voice cast at work in between numbers, too. And the dedication to Mrs. Potts' original voice artist Angela Lansbury (who passed away in October) at the end of the title song was so sweet. 

Speaking of Twain, she ended up being the biggest surprise of the show. She made a warm and friendly Mrs. Potts, and her rendition of the title song was stunning. Martin Short and David Alan Grier had fun the few times they were allowed to interact as Lumiere and Cogsworth (despite the off-and-on French accent from the former). H.E.R was not only a lovely Belle, but is likely the only version of that character to ever get to play her title song on electric guitar. 

Favorite Number: As mentioned, they did a great job with the opening number "Belle." Sketches of the village provide the backdrop in the Animation Courtyard for the lavishly costumed characters as they sing about their day. There's even children "sheep" for Belle to read to. 

The reprise of "Belle" now celebrates all women who wish they could be so much more, as Belle imagines the women and girls of the town dancing with her. Disney hasn't done the pub stomp "Gaston" wrong yet. The hilarious paean to Gaston's over-the-top masculinity is as much of a hoot as it is in the animated and live-action movies, with Gaston knocking the table down and lifting a beer barrel barbell. "Something There" has an adorable touch with the kids dressed as birds dancing with Belle...but the Beast's stylized costume makes it hard to get any expression or figure out what he's singing. 

"Be Our Guest" is just as colorful here as it is in the film. I suspect the disembodied hands in the table tossing the food around may be a reference to the invisible servants in some versions of the original fairy tale. The amazing costumes here are particular stand outs, with candles popping out of tables and Short manically jumping all over. The title song is done simply, with Twain singing it over the animated sequence, but it does come off as a touch of elegance. Groban gets the equally elegant ballad "Evermore" as the Beast wishes he could figure out how to get Belle to love him.

Trivia: "Evermore" is from the live-action film. 

Look for Paige O'Hara (the original voice of Belle) as the book seller and Richard White (the voice of Gaston) as the baker in the "Belle" number. Composer Alan Menken can be seen as the piano-playing peasant in the opening and playing "Beauty and the Beast" with Twain. 

What I Don't Like: The animated sequences are somewhat better-integrated...but they're still there, and they're still not necessary. Disney does the live portions so well, I wish they'd go all the way and make a fully-live musical that doesn't rely on animation. The stagy numbers don't work with the animation, and the animation often undercuts the stage routines. And I love Rita Moreno much as the next woman, but you could see the bits with the actors recording their roles and the sketches on the DVDs for the animated films. Once again, it takes away from the live show. Disney needs to either do the stage show, or just show the animated movie, not both.

The Big Finale: In the end, while I liked this somewhat better than The Little Mermaid Live, I still think it's mainly for huge fans of Beauty and the Beast or Disney. Everyone else is fine with the live-action or animated versions. 

Home Media: It can currently be found streaming on Disney-owned ABC, Hulu, and Disney Plus, the latter two with subscriptions.

ABC

Disney Plus

Hulu

Dick Tracy (1990)

Touchstone Pictures, 1990

Starring Warren Beatty, Madonna, Glenn Headly, and Al Pacino

Directed by Warren Beatty

Music and Lyrics by Stephan Sondheim and others

While this isn't an out-and-out musical, it does have five songs by Sondheim. They're probably the most prominent work he did for films, and that alone makes this worth discussing. The Tim Burton Batman smashed all records in 1989, becoming by far the biggest hit of that year. Suddenly, all the major studios and many minor ones were combing through their archives for superheroes or comics characters who could be turned into an action extravaganza. Disney had high hopes for this, a more candy-colored and upbeat adventure straight from the Dick Tracy comic books of the 30's and 40's. How well did they and Beatty succeed? Let's start in 1938, with six of the most grotesque gamblers to ever get their faces from a Halloween mask shop playing illegal poker, and find out...

The Story: Those gamblers and their equally odd-faced boss Lips Manils (Paul Sorvino) are taken down by Alphonse "Big Boy" Caprice (Pacino) and his men. Big Boy wants Manils' criminal empire for himself, including his moll, Breathless Mahoney (Madonna). The murders are witnessed by The Kid (Charlie Korsomo), a street urchin who steals for Steve the Tramp (Tony Epper). Tracy (Beatty) catches the Kid stealing a watch and arrests the Tramp for abusing him.

He doesn't have as much luck making Caprice's crimes stick. Breathless won't testify against him unless he falls for her, but Tracy's too much in love with his girl Tess Trueheart (Headly). Tess wishes Tracy would settle down, but her mother (Estelle Parsons) knows he's not happy behind a desk. Tracy manages to do better after bugging Caprice's night spot the Club Ritz...but Caprice catches on. After Tracy is framed for murdering D.A Fletcher (Dick  Van Dyke) and Big Boy for kidnapping Tess, they realizes there's someone who has it in for both of them...someone who knows how they operate and wants them out of the way for good...

The Song and Dance: Along with another Disney release, The Rocketeer, this is my favorite of the stylish comic book action extravaganzas released in the early-mid 90's. They did an incredible job bringing Tracy's unfettered comic book world to life. The pounds of make up used to create those monstrous thugs and the bright rainbow crime-ridden city of the imagination surrounding them won much-deserved Oscars, as did Madonna's sultry solo "Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)." Since this is just before CGI became more common, those are matte paintings and real models used to give the movie its unique look. 

Pacino made a comeback here with his almost literal scenery-chewing as the head crime boss who can't understand how Tracy keeps eluding him. Madonna and Headly are also excellent as the two very different women in Tracy's life, one who wants him in bed yesterday, the other who just wants him safe. Kosomo is hilarious as the pick pocket who becomes one of Tracy's biggest advocates. 

Favorite Number: "Sooner or Later" is introduced in a simple club number, a dark background to Tracy's attempt to arrest Big Boy for killing Lips. The jaunty "Live Alone and Like It," performed by Mel Torme, accompanies a montage of Tess and Tracy buying good clothes for the Kid and trying to show him a good time...but his idea of a good time involves the words "When can we eat?" constantly. "Back In Business" is a montage for the chorus depicting how Big Boy really lets his thugs loose when Tracy is jailed for killing Fletcher, terrorizing every shopkeeper in the city. 

Shame we only get to see part of the big chorus routine "More." Breathless is seen leading the dancers through the catchy gold digging routine twice. Big Boy tries to keep the dancers moving through a late-night rehearsal, but even Breathless isn't feeling it. She and the girls have considerably more energy during their number at the aborted New Year's Eve party, even if we only see parts of it during Tracy's arrival and Big Boy and his gangsters trying to escape.

My favorite song here is one of Sondheim's best ballads. Madonna joins Mandy Patikin as pianist 88 Keys for the touching "What Can You Lose?" This accompanies another montage near the end, as Tracy despairs of capturing Big Boy, and Tess despairs of him ever admitting his feelings for her. 

Trivia: Al Pacino designed his own make-up for Big Boy, who looks little like his enormously overweight comic strip counterpart. 

While not the gigantic blockbuster Disney had hoped for, this still did fairly well during the summer of 1990 and was the biggest success of Warren Beatty's career. 

Beatty did all his own stunts, including the one where he jumps off a building and accidentally smacks his face into a light pole.

Tough guy actor Mike Mazurki's last film - he can be seen briefly as the older man at the hotel.

What I Don't Like: Cool as the makeup is, they hide a ton of cameos from some of the most popular actors of the 80's and early 90's. I didn't know everyone from Kathy Bates (as the stenographer) to James Caan (as the gangster Spud Spudoni who won't work with Big Boy) appeared in this film. I know a lot of guys who came for the truly unique gangsters and wish there was more of them and less of Tracy's relationships with the leading ladies. For all they build up Tracy's rogue gallery, they don't really do much with them. 

The Big Finale: One of the most underrated films of the 90's. If you're looking for something different in your superhero blockbusters or are a fan of Beatty, Madonna, Sondheim, or movies that just look cool, this trip to Tracy's rainbow world of cops and criminals is highly recommended.

Home Media: The action-movie-level violence is probably the reason this isn't currently on Disney Plus...but it's easily found everywhere else, including most streaming companies. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Christmas Short Subject Special - The Small One

Disney, 1978

Voices of Sean Marshall, Olan Soule, William Woodson, and Hal Smith

Directed by Don Bluth

Music and Lyrics by Don Bluth and Richard Rich

I'm sneaking one last holiday special in before the big day arrives. This debuted during a time of transition at the Disney studios. Many of the "old guard" animators who had been there since the 30's had passed on or retired by the late 70's. New animators began to step up to the plate, and with them came new ideas, like this lovely featurette. Originally debuting with a re-release of Pinocchio in mid-December 1978, it made its cable debut on HBO the day before Christmas Eve and has been a staple on cable and home media around Christmas ever since. How does the story of a little boy and his donkey friend look now? Let's begin with the "Small One" and his kid buddy (Marshall) as they start their day in the stables and find out...

The Story: Small One has grown too old to carry the heavy loads the boy's father (Soule) requires him to. He insists the boy take him into town and sell him for one piece of silver. Small One is too scrawny and diminutive to be of much interest to anyone but the tanner (Woodson), who just wants his hide. By the end of the night, they've almost given up finding a new owner...until a certain gentleman (Gordon Jump) asks the boy if he can buy the donkey to take his wife to Bethlehem...

The Animation: Gorgeous, some of Disney's best from the 70's. The subdued colors work with the rich backdrops and simple but well-rendered characters. There apparently was some reused animation, notably of Mowgli as the boy, but it doesn't really stand out that much. Bluth's hand can be seen in the sketchy, slender characters and wealth of detail. Truthfully, it looks more like a shorter version of his later films than a Disney movie, and it stands with the best of his work. 

The Song and Dance: One of Disney's sweetest shorts is a lovely and gentle retelling of the birth of Christ, from the point of view of the donkey who carried his parents to Bethlehem. Marshall, who had taken care of another beloved animal friend in Pete's Dragon the year before, does well as the little boy who has to let his friend go, whether he's singing about how they'll find him a good master, or defending him staunchly from the abusive and obnoxious auctioneer. Soule is warm but weary as his father; Williamson has a menacingly memorable cameo as the man who only wants Small One to use him for leather.

Favorite Number: The film opens with the title song, performed by folk artist Christalee. The slightly syrupy ballad gives us an idea of what's to come, as she sings of how "someone is waiting" for Small One. There's not a dry eye in the house after the touching "A Friendly Face," in which the boy wishes to find a kind owner for his adored friend while he takes care of him in the stable. "The Merchant's Song" is performed by three salesmen in Nazareth, who have no trouble swindling everyone they can reach out of whatever is in their pockets. This is contrasted with "Small One for Sale" as the boy tries get someone to take his pet, only to be constantly told he's not good enough.

Trivia: Don Bluth's directorial debut and his last film for Disney. 

Most copies seen nowadays (including on Disney Plus) were edited to include more points on the star in the finale and to change the lyrics in "The Merchants' Song" from "cheat a little harder" to "work a little harder," likely to avoid Jewish and Arab stereotypes. (The original prints can be found on older video copies of its late 80's "Mini Classics" release.) 

What I Don't Like: Slightly dark and subdued for a Christmas special. Many kids may be put off by the relatively mature story and this not being your typical colorful and noisy holiday show. It may be best watched with adults on hand to explain the Christian themes and assure them that things will turn out ok.

The Big Finale: This may be one of the best Disney animated films you've never heard of. Highly recommended viewing for fans of Bluth and those looking for great family holiday programming, especially stories revolving around the Nativity. 

Home Media: The two DVD collections this can be found on are expensive. You may be better off streaming it; it's on Disney Plus with a subscription.

DVD - Disney Animation Collection Vol. 7: Mickey's Christmas Carol

DVD - Classic Cartoon Favorites Vol. 9: Classic Holiday Stories

Disney Plus

Musicals On TV - The Gift of the Magi (1981)

SABC, 1981

Starring Bruce Millar, Roz Monat, George Korelin, and Patricia Sanders

Directed by Donald Monat

Music and Lyrics by Donald Monat

There's been at least three musical versions of the beloved O.Henry Christmas short story made for TV. Sally Ann Howes starred in one from 1958 and Debbie Boone did another in 1978, but all that exists of those online are photos of the latter and the soundtrack of the former. I did dig up this early 80's production from South Africa's public station, their equivalent of PBS. How does it come off now, and on the other side of the Atlantic? Let's begin in the tiny apartment of Della (Monat) and Jim (Millar) Young in 1902 New York as they prepare for the holidays and find out...

The Story: Della is upset because she doesn't have enough money for Jim's present. She wants to get him a nice chain for his heirloom watch. Her neighbor Mrs. O'Malley (Sanders) suggests she sell her beautiful long red hair. Desperate, she lets the wig maker Madame Sofronie (Annabel Linder) cut it off for twenty dollars. She does manage to buy the chain she wants so badly for Jim...but his surprise when he comes home makes both of them realize how much they love each other.

The Song and Dance: Surprisingly charming. The low budget and small cast works well with the story. Korelin and Sanders may be having the most fun as the Young's hilarious Irish neighbors who get the ball rolling on the idea of Della selling her hair. Monat's not bad as Della, especially trying to wheedle the salesman in the store into selling her the coveted watch chain cheaper. There's some decent music, too, including a chorus number and a song for the neighbors and for the lady who buys Della's hair. 

Favorite Number: We open with Jim singing how "It's a Shame" that he doesn't get to work quicker. He and Della go about their daily business "Getting Up In the Morning." Della bemoans that she's only been able to earn "$1.87" for Jim's present to Mrs. O'Malley. Madame Sofronie explains to Della that "Madame Sofronie Pays," though it's obvious she doesn't intend to pay enough. The department store staff and patrons sing of "The Joys of Christmas Shopping" as Della seeks the perfect gift. The O'Malleys explain how "The Irish Blarney" can help them through just about anything. Jim and Della end with telling each other how their sacrifices are like the gifts "The Magi" gave to the baby Jesus. 

What I Don't Like: This is obviously a cheap, made-for-South African TV production. The briefly-seen department store set is as lavish as it gets. It's not for those looking for a stronger story or a more colorful and fanciful holiday production. As much fun as the Irish neighbors are, sometimes their accents are a bit overdone.

The Big Finale: I'm glad I ran into this one. This sweet special deserves to be better-known outside of its native South Africa. Worth checking out if you love the story or are looking for something fun and low-key for the holidays. 

Home Media: As far as I can tell, it's only available on this side of the Atlantic on the streaming service Vimeo. 

Vimeo

Musicals On TV - The Littlest Angel (1969)

Hallmark/NBC, 1969

Starring Johnny Whittaker, Fred Gwynne, John McGiver, and Tony Randall

Directed by Joe Layton

Music and Lyrics by Lan O'Kun

Musicals and operas were a staple of Christmas TV viewing from the very beginning. The networks usually did one big Christmas musical show a year, a variety program or a big musical film. This continued into the late 60's, even as TV and music saw big changes. The Littlest Angel began life as a children's book by Charles Tazwell about a naughty little angel who eventually gives up what means most to him for the Baby Jesus. It had already been made into a (barely) animated short for school and church classrooms in 1950, but this was its first television adaptation. Does the story come off as heavenly now, or should it be left on Earth? Let's start with shepherd Michael (Whittaker) just before the birth of Christ as he follows a certain dove and find out...

The Story: After Michael goes off a cliff to follow the dove, he finds himself in Heaven, amid pink and white fluffy clouds. The fussy Angel of the Peace (McGiver) assigns kindly Patience (Gwynne) to be Michael's guardian angel and introduce him to Heaven. Michael just wants to go home and doesn't really feel like he belongs amid the perfect angels. He can't fly like the Flying Mistress (Connie Stevens) and won't sing with Gabriel (Cab Calloway) and his heavenly choir. He finally convinces Patience to let him get a certain box on Earth that holds all his most beloved treasures. 

Michael's shocked to find his parents don't see him, or know he's there. He's even more upset when he returns to Heaven and finds Patience is no longer his guardian. It seems the angels have a far more important little one to aid. Each Angel is supposed to give a present to the Baby Jesus. Michael has no idea what to give...but his present winds up being the most important of all.

The Song and Dance: Whittaker is good, but it's the adults who really stand out here. Gwynne is a revelation as the kindest angel Michael meets in heaven. He's sweeter than he was even as Herman Munster, plays well off the recalcitrant Whittaker, and has a lovely singing voice to boot. Cab Calloway gets to raise the roof with his one big number. Tony Randall is having just as much fun with his solo as the Greek philosopher Democratius who is convinced he's only dreaming Heaven, including Michael. Look for cameos by Connie Stevens as the angel who tries to teach Michael to fly and James Coco as his father, who wishes his son would learn to be a little more responsible. 

Favorite Number: We open with Michael playing his pan pipe and declaring "I'm Master of All I Survey" to his wooly charges. Gabriel and his choir gives the boy a rousing welcome to "The Heavenly Ever After." Michael isn't impressed by Patience showing him the midnight black heavens, wondering "Where Is Blue?" and the colors of Earth he's used to. Patience and the Flying Mistress tell Michael "You Can Fly," but it's not so easy for him. 

Patience remembers his own long-gone childhood when he talks to Michael and realizes how much they had in common "Once Upon Another Time." Democratius insists that, since he can't see, hear, or smell Heaven, "You're Not Real." Two angels (Lu Leonard and Mary Jo Catlett) have to disagree! Michael is delighted to find his box of treasures on Earth, remembering how "I Have Saved" every one. The angel choir returns to serenade the Baby Jesus with "I Bring You Good Tidings" and "May It Bring You Pleasure." 

Trivia: This ended up being one of Hallmark Hall of Fame's most popular productions of the late 60's and a huge hit for NBC. 

The Littlest Angel would be done two more times, as direct-to-video animated specials in 1997 and 2011.

What I Don't Like: The special effects haven't dated well at all, even for TV in the 60's. The green screen background for the clouds is painfully obvious. It never looks like they're really up in the clouds. Francis is on a wire with wind blowing around her, and the deep sky Michael wishes had more color is a model and a black screen. Even the costumes are a bit chintzy, with the angels in chunky white robes that flatter no one. No wonder Michael wouldn't wear them.

I haven't read the book, but from what I've gathered, the story is a bit changed. Michael is more rebellious in the first half of the book, raising a lot more heck among the angels before he gives up his treasures. I suspect the sequences with Gabriel and Democrious were probably added for the celebrity cameos, as neither add much to the story. And honestly, this is the second "family" musical I've done in less than a week that's had a rather dark story. A lot of kids may be upset by the sequence where Michael comes down to see his parents and they not only can't see him, but don't know he's died. 

The Big Finale: The reviews online indicate that feelings on this one are split. Some find it to be heartwarming and enjoy the music and the cast; others can't get past the cheesy production and morbid aspects of the plot. If you have fond memories of this from your childhood, or have children who may enjoy it and can handle the darker bits, it's worth checking out at least once for the cast and music alone. 

Home Media: Easily found on DVD and streaming. Tubi currently has it for free.

DVD

Tubi

Family Fun Saturday - A Cinderella Story: Christmas Wish

Warner Bros, 2019

Starring Laura Marano, Gregg Sulkin, Isabella Gomez, and Johannah Newmarch

Directed by Michelle Johnson

Music and Lyrics by various

Here's another one I didn't know about until a few months ago. I had no idea the Cinderella Story series continued on DVD and digital for over a decade after the first sequel Another Cinderella Story came out. How does this modern holiday fairy tale compare to the other movies in this series, as well as similar Christmas-themed musicals like The Mistle-Tones? Let's begin with our Cinderella in this entry, Kathrine "Kat" Decker (Marano), as she dreams of stardom at her favorite time of the year and find out...

The Story: At the moment, Kat lives with her snobbish stepmother Deirdre (Newmarch) and her two spoiled daughters, shy Grace (Chanelle Peloso) and obnoxious and Internet-obsessed Joy (Lillian Doucet-Roche). Kat works at Santa Land, a local Christmas amusement park, as an elf singer with her seamstress best friend Isla (Gomez). She has a crush on the new Santa Claus...who turns out to be Domenic Wintergarden (Sulkin), the song of wealthy Terrance Wintergarden (Barclay Hope). He tells her who he is, but she can't bring herself to give away her identity after Joy humiliated her online. 

Deidre's delighted when she gets an invitation to the Wintergardens' Gala Christmas Ball. Turns out it's for Kat, whose father was a good friend of Terrance's. Deidre takes the dress Isla bought for Kat and has it redone for Joy and burns the invitation Domenic gave her. She wants to pass Joy off as Kat and get at Terrance's money, as she's spent her own. Kat's upset when she's insulted by Domenic's rich friends, including his girlfriend Skylar (Maddie Phillips), and doesn't want to attend the Gala anyway...until her dog Bruno leads her to the letter that gives away her stepmother's plot and finally pushes her to reclaim her life and her identity. 

The Song and Dance: A few cute performances brighten this otherwise routine story. Gomez, who would later star in the remake of One Day at a Time, is lively and funny the few times we see her as Kat's supportive best friend. Sulkin is slightly more interesting than most of the love interests in this series, and even gets a really cute duet with Moreno mid-way through. And at least they do make some use of the Christmas setting, including Kat and Isla's fairly amusing jobs working for the barking drill sergeant manager (Garfield Wilson) in the awful holiday suit at Santa Land.

Favorite Number: We open with "The Best Christmas" over the credits as Kat dreams herself into a computer-generated winter concert fantasy. "Toys Toys Toys" is Kat and Isla's number as they sing about what Santa will hopefully bring all the children in the audience at Santa Land. Kat and Domenic perform a charming dance around Santa Land's attractions as they sing about how "Santa Brought Me to You." "What Elves are For" is the cheesy chorus number Kat inadvertently ruins at the Gala, including rock group The Math Club dancing with candy canes. We end with "Everybody Loves Christmas" as Kat makes her big debut at the Gala in a white gown Isla created, dancing with the chorus in strange white wire costumes.

What I Don't Like: Unfortunately has the same problems as the other musical entries in this series. The story is bland and has been done to death (including five other Cinderella Story films). Newmarch and the stepsisters are annoyingly over-the-top, and don't even get much of a comeuppance other than being escorted out of the Gala when their plot is discovered. Marano really isn't much better. Kat's too gullible and silly. Why would she believe a word her stepmother said, especially when she was well aware of how untrustworthy she was? 

There's also a lot of complaints online about the "autotuning" on the songs. I think what they mean is the songs have been too heavily processed and digitized, and they do sound a little off as a result. I'm more concerned about the music being stale pop that could fit into any Hallmark romantic comedy without missing a beat. It belies all the constant dialogue praising Kat's so-called "talent." 

The Big Finale: I think I'm the wrong audience for this series. Cute enough time-waster if you need background music for your 8 to 14-year-old girl's Christmas party or sleepover; completely unnecessary for anyone else. 

Home Media: Easily found on all major formats. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Cult Flops - Buttons: A Christmas Tale

Paramount, 2018

Starring Angela Lansbury, Dick Van Dyke, Noelle E. Parker, and Alvia Clark

Directed by Tim Janis

Music and Lyrics by various

This is another recent film I hadn't heard of until a few weeks ago. Despite its claim that it was in theaters, it apparently only made it to one theater before being withdrawn and wasn't released to streaming and DVD until almost a year later. This would seem to have been a labor of love for first-time director and screenwriter Janis, despite its poor reception. How well did he do with this holiday melodrama about orphans looking for love at Christmas? Let's begin with a hand leaving a letter for Annabelle Hill (Abigail Spencer) and her husband (Paul Greene) who are hoping to adopt a child and find out...

The Story: Little Emily (Parker) is brought to the orphanage by Mother Gertrude (Roma Downey) on Christmas Eve. She's convinced no one will want her, until kindly Rose (Lansbury) comes and reads her the story of another child who wanted to be adopted. Annabelle Kingsley (Clark) loses her sailor father (Ioan Gruffud) to a storm at sea, and her mother (Julia Burrows) to fever after she starts working at a mill. Annabelle also ends up working at a mill before she runs away. She once had a guardian angel (Van Dyke) who kept watch over her, but after the death of her father, she stopped believing in him. He's still watching over her, though, and will find her a loving home even on a cold and snowy Christmas Eve...and will help Emily find the perfect home, too. 

The Song and Dance: Touching movie features Lansbury's final performance as the mysterious older woman who actually relates most of the story. Clark's trying her best as the poor kid who has pretty much every terrible thing happen to her, and she at least works well with Van Dyke. Their two cheer-up numbers are among the film's few high-points. There's also some slightly decent cinematography in many real-life locations, including an authentic restored mill.

Favorite Number: Our first number comes from Annabelle's father, who insists that if "Angels Hear" his prayer, they should save his daughter when she has scarlet fever. Annabelle and her angel have two cheer-up dance routines, "Smile and the World Smiles Back at You" when her father is at sea, and his encouraging her to have "A Proper Attitude" during her town's 4th of July celebration. Her mother sings her a heartfelt "Lullaby" after her father dies. "All We Ever Do Is Work" lament the children laboring hard in that dirty mill sweatshop.

What I Don't Like: Janis' inexperience shows everywhere. The dialogue is stiff, most of the performances are dull, the CGI is almost as fake as the sets in Estella Scrooge,  the direction is amateurish, the songs are boring, and other than the kids' "Work" routine, they seem shoehorned in to lighten the mood. It doesn't really have much to do with Christmas until the end, either. And the kids making fun of her in the mill call her "Buttons" once, briefly. It's certainly not mentioned enough to be the film's title. 

Speaking of lightening the mood, this is one dark movie. Just about every melodramatic device that could be jammed into a plot turns up here, from the little girl losing both of her parents to her falling through the ice and the happy finale after so much misery. It's really depressing for both a so-called family film and a Christmas movie, maybe a little too depressing for sensitive kids (and some adults). 

And why have Kate Winslet and Robert Redford "narrate" when they barely get a line or two each? Lansbury does the bulk of the narrating. I know Redford said he's retired, but they could have at least found Winslet something more to do. 

The Big Finale: Too dark and depressing for my taste, but if you're a fan of Van Dyke or have more of a taste for heartwarming melodrama than I do, you'll want to take a look at this takes of orphans finding a home for the holidays.

Home Media: Despite its relative obscurity, it's easily found on DVD and streaming. 

DVD

Amazon Prime

Musicals On Streaming - Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol With a Twist

WitzEnd Productions, 2020

Starring Betsy Wolfe, Clifton Duncan, Lauren Patten, and Megan McGinnis

Directed by John Caird

Music and Lyrics by Paul Gordon

This apparently debuted during the difficult holiday season of 2020, when many productions were canceled or pushed back due to the pandemic. WitzEnd got around this by keeping the cast small, following strict Covid regulations, and filming on computer-generated sets. Oddly, there doesn't seem to be much about this online. I didn't hear anything about it when it came out, but its website trumpets it to the skies. How does this modern version of the most famous holiday story of all time look two years later? Let's start at the glass skyscraper in New York that's the home of Bleak House Insurance and find out...

The Story: Estella Scrooge (Wolfe) is the owner of Bleak House, a hard-hearted businesswoman who lives to please her stockholders and ignores the troubles of her assistant Betty Cratchitt (McGinnis). Estella travels to her hometown of Pickwick, Ohio to foreclose on the Heart House Hotel and build a shopping center in its place. Turns out it's run by her childhood friend Phillip "Pip" Nickleby (Duncan) as a home for misfits and people down-on-their-luck. Estella's insistence that she's shutting them down for the good of the community and to create jobs doesn't go over well with the residents, most of whom have nowhere else to go. 

After she's stranded there during a blizzard, they set her up in the honeymoon suite. No one ever goes up there because it's supposedly haunted. Estella doesn't believe it...until she's visited by four very peculiar and familiar ghosts on Christmas Eve. They teach her a lesson in faith, charity and kindness, and remind her that Christmas is about a lot more than a business transaction.

The Song and Dance: Great music and decent performances liven up this unique take a beloved story. Wolfe starts off better as the frosty businesswoman who thinks she can't let anyone into her life; Duncan is warm and sweet as the kind young hotel manager who used to be her best friend, way back when. Of the remaining cast, Lauren Patten as supremely sarcastic reformed thief Dawkins and Em Grosland as sweet receptionist Smike are by far the funniest and get the best lines. Phoenix Best gets special mention for playing twins Charity and Mercy Peckinsniff and managing to come up with convincing personalities for both. 

And if you're a fan of Charles Dickens' work, this will be a treat for you. There's references to Dickens' stories everywhere, from the name of the hotel and insurance company to the characters' names to who Estella's real parents turn out to be. You could spend a viewing just trying to count all the spoofs of and references to Dickens books and characters. 

Favorite Number: We open with the workers at "Bleak House" explaining what they do and why they're booming during a tough time - they spend the least amount possible on their clients, preferring to save their money for the stockholders. Estella remembers how her mentor Marla Haversham (Carollee Caramello) reminded her to "Never Look Down" or open up her heart to anyone. Phillip reassures the oddball residents of Heart House that they're "Almost a Family," and family takes care of each other. He won't let anything happen to them, "Not On My Watch." Estella tosses out a lot of talk about how tearing down the hotel will allow jobs to "Trickle Down," but no one is buying it. Dawkins, Smike, and the other residents call her a "Barbie Doll" with no heart. 

Marla Haversham wails about how she had been left at the alter and tried to keep Estella from following the same path, only to regret letting her freeze out her relationships. "Do You Believe?" She asks Estella. Estella doesn't, until a British rocker Ghost of Christmas past shows her how a "Minor Character" can become a major force in your life. The original Scrooge himself is the Ghost of Christmas Present, reminding Estella that there's an "Art to Christmas." Phillip admits he had "Great Expectations" for his relationship with Estella, and hopes they aren't dashed again. "The Best and Worst of Times" is Phillip's duet with Estella as they remember good times and Phillip hopes there will be more ahead, because "It's a Beautiful Night." In the end, Estella realizes that "It's a Far, Far Better Thing" to give than to receive...and to change now, before it's too late.

What I Don't Like: First of all, this is more-or-less a rock opera or comic operetta. There's actually very little spoken dialogue. If you're not a fan of musicals or of what amounts to a modern operetta, this probably won't be for you. It's also not for you if you don't know your Bleak House from your Great Expectations. You need to have at least a passing familiarity with Dickens and his books to understand a lot of the references and satire. 

Let's discuss the weird sets. This seems to have been intended for stage productions - the website emphasizes that a stage script is now available. That would explain the cheap and obvious CGI green-screen background and special effects. The actors are supposed to look like they're performing onstage, but it looks as fake as it is and is frankly more than a bit chintzy. There's also the Covid restrictions not allowing for much touching, which just looks kind of weird. And it's way too long. This didn't need to be two hours. Some of the many numbers could have been cut or dropped with none the wiser. 

The Big Finale: Worth checking out at least once if you're a fan of Dickens or stage musicals. 

Home Media: Easily found on many streaming sites. Tubi currently has it for free.

Tubi

Amazon Prime

Family Fun Saturday - The Christmas That Almost Wasn't

Childhood Productions Inc, 1966

Starring Rossano Brazzi, Paul Tripp, Alberto Rabagliti, and Lydia Brazzi

Directed by Rossano Brazzi

Music by Ray Carter; Lyrics by Paul Tripp

Our first holiday review takes us not only to the North Pole, but to Italy for this American-Italian co-production. Rossano Brazzi did several American films in the 1950's and 60's, including South Pacific. Tripp wrote the original book this is based on, but insisted on starring and writing the screenplay as well. Holiday fantasy movies for children's matinees were popular all around the world from the late 50's through the early 70's; many would turn up again on cable and independent stations, and later on video, in the 70's and 80's. How does Brazzi's attempt at a Christmas fantasy look today? Let's start in a city somewhere far away, and a long time ago, as lawyer Sam Whipple (Tripp) and the local kids prepare for the holiday, and find out...

The Story: Sam Whipple once wrote Santa as a boy thanking him for his presents and saying if he ever needed help, he should contact him. Santa (Rabaglitti) comes to him after the kids leave to announce today is the day. The nasty Mr. Prune (Brazzi) owns the mortgage on the North Pole and will throw him and his toys out if he doesn't pay by Christmas Eve. Prune hates Christmas, children, and everything to do with them. While Santa's head elf clerk Johnathan (Mischa Aurer) tries to figure out if Prune was ever a child, Santa and Sam first get a job to make the money. When that doesn't work, they turn to the most unlikely source.

The Song and Dance: This is really Brazzi's show, and he totally runs with it. He's reveling in every moment of over-the-top, campy villainy. As Mrs. Claus (Lydia Brazzi, Rossano 's second wife) points out, he acts more childish than the children he loathes. Tripp came up with some nice gags for him, including him wrecking havoc in the department store. Some of the music is surprisingly catchy, too, even when the lyrics are less-than-terrific. There's also the nifty and colorful animated opening credits sequence by Emanuele Luzzati that resembles a stained glass window or one of the stylized Christmas cards from this era.

Favorite Number: The catchy title song, performed by rock singer Glenn Yarbourgh, plays over the opening and closing credits and gives us an idea of what's to come. "Why Can't Every Day Be Christmas?" turns up twice, in the opening sequence as Sam and the children of the town trim their tree, and in the finale when Prune finally sees the light. Johnathan tries to keep the elves moving with the "Hustle Bustle" of the holiday season, but they continually slow down. "Kids Gets All the Breaks" laments Prune as he complains about people paying more attention to children than to him. He revels in telling the Clauses that "I'm Bad." 

Johnathan and the elves try to find rhymes for Prune as they search for his name in their books and point out that "The Name of the Song Is Prune." Santa wonders "What Children are Like?" as he prepares for his job as a department store greeter. Sam tells the children clamoring at the department store that it's "Time for Christmas."

Trivia: Riffed on by the revival of Mystery Science Theater 3000 in 2017.

What I Don't Like: Name a cliche that appeared in any "X saves Christmas" plot from 1966 (when the somewhat similar How the Grinch Stole Christmas also came out) to today and it probably originated in this movie. From Santa's dire predicament to the obviously evil rich jerk to the well-meaning everyman, this is nothing you haven't seen before. Frankly, the entire sequence at the department store is more there as padding and for slapstick than because it really has much to do with the film and probably could have been trimmed. 

And then, there's Sam. For a guy who claims to be a lawyer, he doesn't really do much to help Santa. He never insists on seeing Prune in court or reads him his rights or even really asks many questions. Tripp is bland and dull, and is frankly pretty useless. Rabaglitti isn't much fun as Santa, either. Even in the department store, he's more depressing than jolly. Brazzi's wife doesn't really have much to do but hand out tea until the end. Speaking of the end, what's with the sequence that uses stills to depict Santa and Mrs. Claus dropping gifts into houses? This was the only way they could afford to do it? It looks as strange and cheap as it is.

The Big Finale: This is another one that's probably best for families with young kids. They'll be able to enjoy the campy plot and ear-hogging songs more than most adults, who'll likely be too distracted by the cliches, bad dialogue, and cheap production. 

Home Media: Out of print and outrageously expensive on DVD. Your best bet is streaming, where it's usually found for free.

Tubi

Peacock

Pluto TV On Demand

The Smiling Lieutenant

Paramount, 1931

Starring Maurice Chevalier, Claudette Colbert, Miriam Hopkins, and Charles Ruggles

Directed by Ernest Lubistch

Music by Oscar Strauss; Lyrics by Clifford Grey

By 1931, musicals were out of fashion, and MacDonald had moved to Fox...but Chevalier remained one of Paramount's biggest stars, and Lubitsch their most popular director. Unlike many movies from this time that dropped their numbers, they felt confident enough to include five songs and borrow the plot from a popular European operetta, A Waltz Dream. Is this version also a dream, or should it be ignored by royalty? Let's begin with Lieutenant Niki von Preyn (Chevalier) in Vienna as he leads his troops and find out...

The Story: Niki is in love with Franzi (Colbert), the head of the all-female orchestra the Viennese Swallows. Niki tries to wink at her while standing with his troops during a parade honoring the visiting King of Flausenthurum (George Barbier), but it's intercepted by prim Princess Anna (Hopkins). Anna is offended at first, but Niki so charms her, she insists on marrying him. Niki, however, finds her pretty but too sheltered and continues his affair with Franzi. After Anna figures out what's going on, she insists on confronting her husband's mistress. Franzi can see she's crazy about him too, and ends up teaching her how to get a soldier to sit up and take notice. 

The Song and Dance: For all the trouble they went through during filming - the leading ladies didn't get along, Chevalier just lost his beloved mother, the New York studios where they filmed were notoriously cramped, Lubitsch was in the midst of a messy divorce - the movie came out as one of the sexiest and most elegant souffles of the early talkie era. Lubitsch's touch comes through loud and clear, from the wink that starts the trouble to the final shot of Chevalier coming out of his bedroom after he witnesses Anna's transformation. 

Chevalier radiates with charming touches of his own, including his reaction to Anna smoking and playing the piano after talking to Franzi. The leading ladies are each delightful, Hopkins innocent and charming, Colbert saucy and sensible. Despite the low-budget quarters, the costumes and sets are actually quite lavish and inventive, including a miniature train.

Favorite Number: Chevalier opens with his and his men's feelings on romance while on leave, "Toujours l'Amour In the Army." Niki serenades Franzi with "Live for Today" during their relationship before his unfortunate wink. They sing about their "Breakfast Table Love" as they continue their affair. He begs Anna to give him "One More Hour of Love." More worldly Franzi teaches sweet Anna how to get a man and really "Jazz Up Your Lingerie" in a lively and sassy duet. 

Trivia: A French-language version with the same three leads came out in October 1931. 

Paramount's biggest hit in 1931.

This was a lost film until a working print was discovered in Denmark in the early 90's. 

What I Don't Like: The fluffy story hasn't dated that well. Nowadays, Niki can come off as a bit of a sexist jerk for abandoning Anna, no matter how charming he is. Frankly, he wasn't worth their tears later. There's also this being an early talkie. While more technically advanced than either The Love Parade or Monte Carlo, some parts can still feel a bit slow or stilted. 

The Big Finale: Dated story aside, this charming confection is still highly recommended for fans of the three leads, Lubistch, or early sound cinema.

Home Media: Only on DVD as part of that Criterion Collection set with One Hour With You, Monte Carlo, and The Love Parade. 

DVD - Eclipse Series 8 - Lubitsch Musicals

Monte Carlo (1930)

Paramount, 1930

Starring Jeanette MacDonald, Jack Buchanon, Claude Allister, and ZaSu Pitts

Directed by Ernest Lubitsch

Music by Richard Whiting; Lyrics by W. Franke Harling

Let's return to the frothy world of Ernest Lubistch for our first two musicals this week. After the success of The Love Parade the year before, Paramount wanted to get Lubistch, MacDonald, and Maurice Chevalier back together. Chevalier, however, was already engaged elsewhere, so Paramount opted to try another beloved European performer. Scottish stage star Buchanon made a sensation in Andre Charlot's Revues in London and New York and in English silents and early talkies. Paramount thought his debonair man-about-town would be the perfect pairing for MacDonald's desperate countess in this frothy tale. Were they right, or should this be left at the alter? Speaking of, let's begin with massive royal wedding and find out...

The Story: Countess Helene Mara (MacDonald) flees her wedding (for the third time) with her maid Bertha (Pitts) to Monte Carlo, where she hopes to make her fortune. She does win money at the casino, only to lose it quickly. Count Rudolph Falliere (Buchanon) admires her spunk and tries flirting over the telephone the next day. When that doesn't spark her interest, he takes the place of her hairdresser and passes himself off as a commoner. She's not pleased with his lack of ability, but does like that his stroking her head softens a headache. 

Despite Rudy's ministrations, she's about ready to pack it in and marry her simpering fiance Duke Otto Von Liebenheim (Allister) for his money. She hasn't a sou. Rudy takes her money to win at the casino, but they run into the Duke there. She's delighted when he takes her out for a night on the town, and then when he goes to win her money. Bertha, however, reminds her that she's a countess, and he's a commoner, and she ends up sending him packing. It'll take a night at the opera Monsieur Beaucare and realizing how similar their stories are to finally get Helene to see the light.

The Song and Dance: MacDonald is the thing here. She runs with her rare chance to play solo, whether running away from her stultifying wedding in her slip or mussing her hair before Rudy can take her to the opera. Allister is also hilarious as her silly would-be groom who cares more about how his father feels than what his fiancee wants. Paramount spared no expense on the production, too. From MacDonald's gorgeous ruffly or sparkling gowns to the massive casino and hotel sets, everything is recreated in loving detail. Lubistch shows far more assurance than he did in Love Parade, with an even more fluid camera. Check out the "Beyond the Blue Horizon" number on the train and the range of responses at the opera, especially once she figures out how the opera relates to her current dilemma.

Favorite Number:  We open with the wedding chorus proclaiming this to be the Duke's "Day of Days"...until it starts raining on the ceremony. Rudy tries to impress MacDonald on the phone the day after he meets her at the casino with "Give Me a Moment, Please," but she doesn't think much of it or him. "Always In All Ways" is the big love duet for MacDonald and Buchanon after their night on the town. The Duke tells his fiancee "She'll Love Me and Like It," and that includes for his money. 

"Beyond the Blue Horizon" remains the standard here, and it gets a number more than worthy of it. As the train carries her away from her stiffing wedding, MacDonald joyfully sings of the new life just beyond the rolling hills seen as she leans out her window. It's an exhilarating moment, and one of the most delightful numbers in early sound cinema. 

What I Don't Like: Too bad the rest of the movie doesn't live up to that moment. The biggest problem is Buchanon. Man-about-town or not, he's too mincing and goofy to be believable as a guy who could win the countess' heart over her only slightly less-silly fiance. No wonder he went back to England after this and wouldn't try Hollywood again until the 50's. The plot's also ridiculously fluffy, even for Lubitsch musicals, and the songs other than "Horizon" and a few witty rejoinders aren't good enough to disguise the holes. 

 The Big Finale: Mainly for fans of MacDonald, Buchanon, or Lubitsch. Otherwise, see if you can find "Blue Horizon" online and skip the rest. 

Home Media: Only on DVD as part of a Criterion Collection set along with One Hour With You, The Love Parade, and The Smiling Lieutenant. 

DVD - Eclipse Series 8: Lubitsch Musicals

Animation Celebration Saturday - Nutcracker Fantasy

Sanrio, 1979

Voices of Melissa Gilbert, Christopher Lee, Jo Ann Worley, and Roddy McDowell

Directed by Takeo Nakamura

Lyrics by Randy Bishop and Marty Gwinn

Fans of anime or the Japanese character Hello Kitty will recognize the name Sanrio. Kitty first appeared in 1975 and was an instant sensation on both sides of the Pacific. She and her friends went over so well, Sanrio had enough money by the late 70's to break into movies. This would be their first attempt at a full-length non-anthology animated film, and their first go at stop motion. If it looks familiar, they brought in many animators who also worked on the Rankin-Bass specials in the US. Does this dreamy fairy tale reach the same heights, or should it be turned to wood? Let's start with the voice of an older Clara (Michele Lee) as she recalls her childhood and find out...

The Story: Young Clara (Gilbert) is excited to visit her Uncle Drosselmeyer (Lee) and Aunt Gerda (Lurene Tuttle), and especially to see her handsome friend Fritz (McDowell) the next day. Aunt Gerda reminds Clara that the Ragman comes and turns naughty children who won't sleep into mice, but Clara's too excited for sleep or to fear her aunt's stories. Her uncle brings out a nutcracker doll, claiming it's too homely for Clara to want. She loves it and says she'll sleep if she can keep it. 

That night, she wakes up to find mice stealing the Nutcracker away. She follows them, only to be knocked out when the Nutcracker defends her. She tells her aunt what happened the next morning, only for her aunt to insist she's talking nonsense. Clara's fevered mind takes her into a wild dream where she alone can rescue her beloved Nutcracker Prince (McDowell) from the Mouse Queen (Jo Ann Worley) and help save the Princess Mary (Robin Haffner) and her Doll Kingdom.

The Animation: While it does have a lot in common with the Rankin-Bass specials of this time, it's not quite as cartoony as many of them. The mice, especially the Mouse Queen's son Gaar, can be especially grotesque, and aren't cute at all. Princess Mary's palace is done in every eye-popping sherbet shade of the rainbow, a brilliant contrast to the dark forest Clara wanders in later and Aunt Gerda and Uncle Drosselmeyer's home. The design of the human characters hews more towards Rankin-Bass, with their round heads and wide blue eyes. 

The Song and Dance: This dreamy fairy tale is as far from Hello Kitty cuteness as you can get. (Though Sanrio did do a Hello Kitty Nutcracker TV episode for her 90's TV series that had a similar story.) It's actually based more after the original ETA Hoffman story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King than the ballet. No dancing candy here. This is closer to dark 80's fantasies like Labyrinth, with its themes of self-discovery and sacrifice. 

I'm impressed they got such a top-drawer cast for an English dub. Lee not only brings his usual gravity to Drosselmeyer and three look-a-like men his niece meets on her journey, he's reveling in his rare chance to play a non-villain. Worley's having a blast as the thoroughly evil Mouse Queen, and Gilbert is a darling Clara. 

Favorite Number: The movie's first number is the haunting "Dance of the Dolls" over Clara descending into slumber. (It's also heard during the credits.) It sounds like the best ABBA ballad you never heard. Lyricists Randy Bishop and Marty Gwinn also get the dark "Empty Heart" as Clara tries to find someone who cares enough to help her Nutcracker after Princess Mary rejected him. Lee lends his handsome deep baritone to "In Your Heart of Hearts" as a Street Singer who leads Clara to the mystical Queen of Time (Eva Gabor) and "Tick Tock Fantasy" when she comes downstairs. 

What I Don't Like: Not sure what audience Sanrio wanted to go for here. The death of the Mouse Queen and transformation of the Nutcracker are both pretty grisly for a children's fantasy, and Gaar's nearly terrifying, even before he goes after Clara in the end. Those who are more familiar with the ballet may be disappointed at many of the deviations here. As mentioned, there's no dancing candy or snowflakes. Fritz is a friend of Clara's, not her brother, and there's no party in the opening. The story isn't even set at Christmas. There's also all those silly wisemen who don't really help figure out how to save Mary frequently coming off as stereotypes (and annoying, even to Clara) and Clara frankly being a bit young to be interested in the clearly older Franz. 

The Big Finale: I'm glad I ran into this one. If you love the dark fantasies of the late 70's and 80's, I highly recommend looking around for this bittersweet romance. 

Home Media: The 2014 remastered version is easily available on all major formats. 

DVD

Blu-Ray

Amazon Prime

Cult Flops - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Sony Pictures, 2007

Starring John C. Reilly, Kristen Wiig, Jenna Fischer, and Raymond J. Barry

Directed by Jake Kasdan

Music and Lyrics by various

Weird Al is far from the first guy to parody the musical biography genre. Walk Hard debuted amid a string of hit rock and country bios, including Ray and Walk the Line. Writer Judd Apatow also came off a string of smash comedies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin featuring goofy man-children making their way through gross-out gags. Some of that figures into Walk Hard as well, but it mostly spoofs the cliches inherent in musical biopics as far back as the 1930's. How does the life story of fictional rocker Dewey Cox look today? Let's begin with two boys in 50's Alabama and their dreams and find out...

The Story: Dewey Cox was almost literally born to lose. He accidentally cut his brother Nate (Chip Horness) in half with a machete as a child in the 1930's, which is father (Barry) never forgave him for. He takes up guitar and learns to play the blues, then enters in a local talent contest. His simple song about holding hands causes his whole town to go crazy. His father turns him away, but his girlfriend Edith (Kristen Wiig) wants to marry him, despite him being 14 and her being 12.

They constantly have babies, but Edith claims he'll never make it as musician. She's right at first, until he replaces a singer in an African-American bar. Jewish record executive L'Chaim (Harold Ramis) manages to get out his first song, "Walk Hard." It's a smash hit that takes Dewey further and further from home, and more and more into the sex, drugs, and rock n' roll lifestyle. He ends up marrying singer Daphne Madison (Fischer) while still married to Edith. They divorce him, though Daphne eventually comes back. Not helping here is his father blaming him for his mother's (Margo Martindale) death when she falls out a window while dancing to his music.

Dewey gets heavily into the 60's counterculture scene, writing incomprehensible lyrics about his demons and partying with the Beatles and other popular groups of the time. Daphne and his band have had enough of his lunacy and leave him. By the 70's, he's starring in a cheesy variety show, but unable to write songs. He attempts to reconcile with his father, and though it goes badly, it does inspire him to spend more time with his own many, many children and get back with Daphne. It's not until a rapper samples his music in 2006 that his music is heard by a new generation, and he finds the inspiration to write one last magnum opus for his lost brother.

The Song and Dance: This one is about Reilly, the great music, and the creative gags. Reilly totally nails the role of the naive hillbilly whose music is a reflection of who he is, and who just wants his father to forgive him. He threw himself so hard into the film, he actually did a tour performing Dewey's songs. Fischer's also having fun as his second wife who is his equal in temperament and gullibility. Everything works with the gags, from the intentionally bad celebrity casting to the bright and over-the-top sets and costumes that recreate each time period in question. Great aging makeup on Reilly, Fischer, and his bandmates in the 90's and 2000's sequences, too. There's even a brief and nicely-done Yellow Submarine-esque animated sequence during Dewey's LSD trip. 

I'm surprised at how good the music is. The songwriters really did their homework. Everything from the title song to the weirdly psychedelic "Royal Jelly" sounds like they were written in the mid-20th century. Even the rap number "You Make Me So Hard" could pass for a real single from 2006, with its oddly gritty lyrics and constant use of older music. 

Favorite Number: Our first real number is the ballad Dewey performed at the talent show that caused all the commotion, "Take My Hand." It's about as innocuous of a squeaky-clean 50's ballad as you can get, but it still sends the town into a frenzy and makes a priest condemn it as the Devil's work. L'Chaim questions Dewey singing "(Mama) You Got to Love Your Negro Man" at the African-American bar, but it goes over with the crowd anyway. He starts off singing the completely inappropriate "That's Amore" for L'Chaim's fellow executives, but they don't really accept him until he busts out with a hard-driving "Walk Hard."

"Let's Duet" brings in Daphne (dubbed by Angela Correa), becoming spicier and more suggestive the further their relationship goes. "A Life Without You (Is No Life at All)" and "Darling" are Dewey's drug-fueled attempts to figure out what went wrong with his love life after the ladies walk out. "Guilty as Charged" is from his period in jail, as he admits he did some really dumb stuff. "Black Sheep" is his attempt at an artsy magnum opus. It's really an incomprehensible mush of lyrics and jangly melodies. "Royal Jelly" is even weirder, thanks to his drug trips. "Let Me Hold You (Little Man)" tries to get weepy, but comes off as more silly.

He's reduced to singing David Bowie's "Starman" in an astronaut suit during his 1976 variety show. The hilariously gritty rap song "You Make Me So Hard" samples "Walk Hard" and brings Dewey back into focus. An eclectic all-star trio - Jewel, Lyle Lovett, Ghostface Killah, and Jackson Browne - encore "Walk Hard" during the awards show. Dewey's finally able to sum up his crazy life - and make a song his brother would be proud of - with the finale "Beautiful Ride." 

What I Don't Like: If you know anything about Apatow's other films, that should give you an idea of what the jokes are like here. Lots of sex and body part gags, nudity, swearing, and violence with how Dewey's father and brother died. Obviously, heed the R rating. It also helps to have seen other recent rock biographies, including ones made later that follow the cliches. Some people will get what Apatow's going for here; others will wonder why this goofy idiot is throwing sinks around. 

The Big Finale: With a fresh wave of biopics out, now is a great time to revisit the hilariously tragic life of the greatest rock and roll legend who never lived. It's basically the Elvis movie from last summer played for comedy, and it's as wild as Dewey's musical legacy. 

Home Media: This review is based after the extended two-hour version, though the original theatrical 90-minute version is also readily available. 

DVD - Theatrical version

DVD - Unrated Extended Version

Blu-Ray - Theatrical Version

Amazon Prime