Anyone here pick up 'Emmet Otters Jug Band Christmas'? (1 Viewer)

[David Rain]

Ok, I ordered the new version as soon as I heard it was out. I have to say it's a mixed blessing. The extra features are quite nice including a making-of doc and some bloopers from the production.

However, the show itself still has not been done properly. And this, after 2 separate DVD releases. Yes, Kermit is completely missing. However, if you are new to this special then it's edited so that you would never know he had been there. I still hate that he's not there but it apparantly was not possible. Funny how Disney claims to be a "family" studio but they didn't seem to care about how families would react to a beloved character like Kermit being missing from a beloved Christmas show like this.

My main compalaint, however, is the way this show is edited. The main event is NOT the original unedited HBO version. Not only is there the Kermit issue but dialogue and snippets of scenes are gone. But here's the kicker: most of those edited-out parts ARE included in the bonus features ! HUH ? If those sections were available for this release then why weren't they edited back into the show where they belong ?

Among the snipped sections are the "fall off the dock" comment, Wendell discussing his fishing, one of the "fish oil" discussions, Emmet asking about Christmas and a quick bit if dialogue between 2 characters who are backstage at the talent show.

According to the bonus features the original HBO airing included only an edited version of the "When The River Meets The Sea" song reprise at the end. Thankfully, the full version of that reprise is included in the main show. You can see the edited version as a bonus feature.

I still love this show but we are left with yet another frustrating version of it. It makes me want to oil a fish.

Say, you got any mashed potatoes ?

 

[Sean*O]

Yes, I asked myself the same question about why the missing material was there in the supplements (from what I could tell from the exact same elements used for the feature) but was not edited back into the feature?

I suppose someone could just rip the DVD to hard drive, and do it themselves with decent video editing sotware.. but why wasn't it done in the first place for this release?

I wonder if it was done just to use "Deleted Scenes" on the DVD as a selling point? If they had put what is there back in, I believe there would be no "Deleted Scenes" on this DVD.

 

[MarkHastings]

but the Kermit scenes weren't part of the original, so the issue Disney had with those scenes should be irrelevant.

 

[MarkBirds]

Thanks, David Rain, for the review. You deserve some mashed potatoes for that.

I'm really sorry to hear how this has been hacked up. What a bummer. But, at least it's available.

Oh, and if they didn't want those things to roll, they shoulda made 'em square!

 

[David Rain]

I'm wondering if perhaps the only way to get the original HBO version is to hunt down the VHS release ?

 

[Dorrie_W]

I bought the 2001 edition the day it came out and I think the fall off the dock line is there unless it's just embedded in my memory. My version has the songs "Aint No Hole In The Washtub" I mean how can you have Emmitt without that song?

 

[Dorrie_W]

Hey David Rain thanks for your review of the new set.

 

[Bonnie*F]

Stopped in at the local WalMart earlier this week and they had a couple dozen copies - right beside A Charlie Brown Christmas.