Wordiezett
So much average
Hayden Kane
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Tymon Sutton
The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.
gavin6942
Two hosting prehistoric dinosaurs guide you along a typical small town's Christmas choral celebration. There's just one catch, the entire town population is made out of clay! Special Guest Stars: The California Raisins! Apparently today this special is hard to track down, with the only DVD release having some pretty awful sound quality (a shame considering this is basically a musical with clay over the top). And yet, it seems to be well-remembered by those who saw it all those year ago.I was able to track down a copy and was impressed by what I saw. Some, like the Raisins, were how I recalled them. But there are some very interesting interpretations of Christmas songs that need to be heard.
Xander Seavy (RiffRaffMcKinley)
This is, I believe, the greatest TV Christmas special of all time!Will Vinton's signature stop-motion animation is in peak form here, with astonishingly well-realized characters, seamless frame-by-frame movement, and fantastically designed sets. Also, whoever wrote this obviously knew exactly what they were doing because the jokes are terrific and the songs are presented in an oddly logical order.And, of course, the dinosaur hosts are amazing, especially the food-minded Herb, who has a constant quest to discover both the ultimate Christmas snack food and the actual lyrics to "Here We Come A-Wassailing."The best scene is the "Angels We Have Heard on High" sequence, featuring a ballet performed by walruses De Margo Pontoon and Sir Rudolph Nerves-on-Edge. If you go a holiday season without watching this... well, what the heck *are* you watching?!
pmiller067
I was lucky enough to have done all of the music for this production. It was one of the most fun and rewarding projects I have ever worked upon.I am pleased to say that it was finally released on DVD. I am not thrilled to say that the audio quality of the DVD version is of very good quality. It sounds as if it was dubbed from an old mono soundtrack, and certainly does not hold up to even the original television dubs (and certainly not the original masters that I have).But that said, I truly enjoy seeing the comments, and feel very gratified that so many continue to name this special as one of their favorites. As many of my family members (including my two daughters) sang parts on this project, it is especially fun to see and hear again.There is talk of a 25th reunion of some of the cast, and perhaps even a concert of some of the music (including the record we did from this for Atlantic records). We'll see...In any case- thanks again for the kind comments.Patric J. Miller
Heather Smith
In an age of computers, it is refreshing to go back and watch something like this. Nowadays it would be CGI but back then they knew the value of stop motion. Witty, charming and enjoyable, the comedy of Herb playing against his straight man Rex works wonderfully. The songs are stylish, and the religious overtones are of course present, but not dominant, allowing people to choose to believe in what they will and still enjoy the show. The Californian Raisons are held back until the end, with a questionable carol to their lips (is Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer really a carol?) and the work in expression on these characters is simply wonderful. I think there's only one way to summarize this programme: Joy to the world.
