A Muppet Family Christmas & The People Under The Stairs

MarcoBiscotti · 12-05-2003, 07:57 AM

Okay, I have a few questions...

Does anyone know if the R2 edition of "A Muppet Family Christmas" is a more complete version of the television special than the current U.S. release and also whether it's presented in it's o.a.r. and whether the video transfer is superior or equal? I'm considering purchasing it because I don't currently own the R1 version but I am aware that it's been severely butchered by cuts and edits due to song licensing, etc. and I've also learned that the R2 European release is actually a double feature presented with Jim Henson's "The Christmas Toy" which is currently not available in R1 format as of yet. I'd appreciate some feedback on which disc to spring for as I'm looking for the most complete version out there on DVD - with the highest picture quality, etc.

Also, this is a little off-topic but I didn't want to start a whole new thread in another forum for such a trivial matter but I just recently purchased the R1 edition of "The People Under The Stairs" the other day, and I was wondering whether anyone else has a peculiar looking white box on the back of their cover art for no apparent reason? I know this is stupid and not a big deal, but I was trying to figure out if my copy had a print error or something because there appears to be a plain white square about 5" in length around the upper right hand corner of the back of my dvd cover. The rest fo the cover art appears fine but than there is a white box which I can;t figure out why it would be there, right above the screen captions from the dvd on my cover. I just found it weird and was wondering if anyone else had this too? It was purchased retail btw...

MarcoBiscotti · 12-06-2003, 07:22 AM

Nobody owns A Muppet Family Christmas in R2 that can make comparisons?

Bob Graham · 12-06-2003, 09:16 AM

I ordered it last week. I'll report when it arrives.

MarcoBiscotti · 12-07-2003, 08:28 AM

Thanks Bob, have you seen the R1 edition by any chance to make the comparissons?

Please let me know when you recieve it!

~ Marco.

AndrewWickliffe · 12-08-2003, 09:32 AM

I looked into this last Friday.

The R2 Muppet Family Christmas is the cut version.

You can get the info on what's missing at imdb.

The dealbreaker for me was that many of the cuts were Fozzy scenes . . .

**HTF Ads**

MarcoBiscotti · 12-09-2003, 07:44 AM

Thanks Andrew but I can't seem to find the information posted at IMBD, would you mind linking me to that section of the site.

BTW, I'm 100% positive that this is an edited version, I just want to know whether or not it's a more complete version than the current R1 US edition...

AndrewWickliffe · 12-09-2003, 10:38 AM

Let's see if I can sneak past the 20 post requirement for links :

us.imdb.com/title/tt0251282/alternateversions

Bob Graham · 12-17-2003, 11:28 PM

Got the DVD today and have mostly good news to report.

The version on the British DVD is the 47 minute version referred to at the IMDB. Of the six scenes listed at IMDB as cut, five are included on the British release: 1.) Rowlf playing the piano which dissolves into 2.)Fozzie and the Snowman; 3.)The Muppets watching home movies of themselves as babies and making comments; 4.)Miss Piggy singing "No Place like Home for the Holidays" when she arrives at the house: and 5.) Statler and Waldorf singing "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" (All of these scenes feature a musical number and were probably cut due to rights/royalty issues).

The only scene I couldn't find (and I hven't watched the DVD all the way through, just scanned it looking for the cut material) is Fozzie's Mom putting up his Christmas stocking.

Disc looks fine. Colors and detail are a little soft, but this is probably due to the age of the production (it was made 16 years ago). All this and the excellent "Christmas Toy", too (which I like even better than the similarly plotted "Toy Story").

I'm extremely glad I got it and would recommend it over the US release.

Charlie O. · 12-19-2003, 12:14 PM

This should help

http://www.dvdcompare.org.uk/compari...e.php?fid=2510

AndrewWickliffe · 12-19-2003, 12:28 PM

So ...

I just bought the Jim Henson VHS that doesn't have the added footage (the 47 minutes referred to on the box must mean the previews) and the UK DVD is fine.

Guess I'll have to get the UK DVD now (which is what I was going to do in the first place).

Is there any reason UK DVD sites info on their DVDs (amazon, blackstar, or bensonsworld) always seems so incomplete?