New 2016 Christmas DVD's & Blue Rays (1 Viewer)

[JamesSmith]

Dear Guys,

Any news of any new upcoming releases of Christmas Movies on DVD or Blue Ray for 2016? I was really hoping some older Seasonal unreleased films or tv shows would come out. I really would love to see Richard Williams version of A Christmas Carol come out on Blue Ray with some extras. Or Art Carney's The Great Santa Claus Switch. In my humble opinion, the older films were so much better as opposed to today's specials.

Every year I check on seeing what others think about this topic? And since I saw all the Christmas stuff out at Wall Mart today. TWO MONTHS EARLY. I thought I might bring this out again.

James

 

[JamesSmith]

Nobody wants to comment?

James

 

[Bob_S.]

Haha, Walmart isn't the only place. I've been in Home Depot and Lowe's and Christmas has been out for at least 2 weeks. Actually, I tend to get into the Christmas Spirit early but get burned out by the time December rolls around. Anyway, back on topic. I wish they would put out more older variety specials like Perry, Andy and Bing. Looks like a Bob Hope Christmas dvd is coming out but seems to be just highlights.

 

[davidmatychuk]

Yeah, what gives with the virtual absence of new Christmas home video releases in this cursed year? The new "It's A Wonderful Life" Blu-Ray is just a repackaging of the earlier 2-disc Paramount set. There's a new "Black Christmas", but a very fine new Blu-Ray came out last Christmas. Now, earlier in 2016 - before Easter, I mean - Olive put out "Christmas Eve" on Blu-Ray, and last year's "Love The Coopers", "The Night Before", "Krampus", and "A Christmas Horror Story" each followed their theatrical runs with Blu-Rays the usual two or three months later, but since then we didn't even get the normal annual promise/threat of a new Blu Alastair Sim "Christmas Carol". There's no Blu-Ray of last year's much-heralded Bill Murray Christmas special for him to plug and he is OMNIPRESENT these days? Where's the gorgeous Blu-Ray of Bill Forsyth's masterpiece "Comfort And Joy"? In a world where otherwise-decent Blu-Rays of "The Bishop's Wife" and the aforementioned "Christmas Carol" are missing actual chunks of dialogue, have we really run out of Christmas classics to remaster? Are the home video manufacturers fated to be visited by three spirits this Christmas Eve? Are there no Blu-Ray prisons? Are there no 4K UltraHD Blu-Ray workhouses?

 

[Matt Hough]

CBS did release last year's The Andy Griffith Christmas Special which I reviewed a few weeks ago.

 

[JamesSmith]

Yeah, what gives with the virtual absence of new Christmas home video releases in this cursed year? The new "It's A Wonderful Life" Blu-Ray is just a repackaging of the earlier 2-disc Paramount set. There's a new "Black Christmas", but a very fine new Blu-Ray came out last Christmas. Now, earlier in 2016 - before Easter, I mean -but since then we didn't even get the normal annual promise/threat of a new Blu Alastair Sim "Christmas Carol". There's no Blu-Ray of last year's much-heralded Bill Murray Christmas special for him to plug and he is OMNIPRESENT these days? Where's the gorgeous Blu-Ray of Bill Forsyth's masterpiece "Comfort And Joy"? In a world where otherwise-decent Blu-Rays of "The Bishop's Wife" and the aforementioned "Christmas Carol" are missing actual chunks of dialogue, have we really run out of Christmas classics to remaster? Are the home video manufacturers fated to be visited by three spirits this Christmas Eve? Are there no Blu-Ray prisons? Are there no 4K UltraHD Blu-Ray workhouses?

My sentiments exactly. I feel like crying. I've been waiting for years for an official Blu Ray release of Richard Williams A Christmas Carol. Other lost seasonal specials that had more heart than anything today's Hollywood people can do. What happened to us, people?

James

 

[Rick Thompson]

My sentiments exactly. I feel like crying. I've been waiting for years for an official Blu Ray release of Richard Williams A Christmas Carol. Other lost seasonal specials that had more heart than anything today's Hollywood people can do. What happened to us, people?

James

What's happened to us? For one thing, Christmas has in many ways been severed from its religious origins. In addition, religion -- particularly in this case, Christianity -- is not seen as something that adds value to a film. New television specials, unless they're on the Hallmark Channel, also need to be in some way skeptical of religion and traditional families. As Michael Kelly wrote, "The fault lies in the nature of modern intellectualism, which has at its core the adolescent notion that conventional lives of conventional values are somehow wrong: that they are not merely politically improper, but are, worse, uncool — not worth living, or at least not worth examining."

 

[JamesSmith]

Excellent answer! Rick. But does that still apply to digging up "old" tv specials and putting them out on DVD?

James

 

[Konstantinos]

I think Thunderbean will release a bluray with Christmas cartoons and various shorts (perhaps identical to the special disc of last year).

but yes, it's so sad that we don't have new releases of old films
(i repeat these from another thread)

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
I'll be Seeing You (1944)
In the Good old Summertime (1948)
Holiday Affair (1949)
All Mine To Give (1957)
The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971) (pilot of The Waltons)
Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas (1977)
One Magic Christmas (1985)
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
Prancer (1989)

 

[cinemiracle]

I think Thunderbean will release a bluray with Christmas cartoons and various shorts (perhaps identical to the special disc of last year).

but yes, it's so sad that we don't have new releases of old films
(i repeat these from another thread)

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
I'll be Seeing You (1944)
In the Good old Summertime (1948)
Holiday Affair (1949)
All Mine To Give (1957)
The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971) (pilot of The Waltons)
Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas (1977)
One Magic Christmas (1985)
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
Prancer (1989)

ALL MINE TO GIVE was a tearjerker to end all tear jerkers. I never forgot seeing it where I worked. MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER was another classic comedy.It is one of the most endeared comedies ever written.The Nathan Lane starring stage show is also brill

 

[cinemiracle]

ALL MINE TO GIVE was a tearjerker to end all tear jerkers. I never forgot seeing it where I worked. MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER was another classic comedy.It is one of the most endeared comedies ever written.The Nathan Lane starring stage show is also brill

Sorry-I accidentally entered my forum before I had finished it. The Nathan Lane stage show is also brilliant and I also have that on dvd. Not sure if it is still available, The remake of ALL MINE TO GIVE was disappointing and I wondered why they even bothered .It is almost forgotten now but the original is still remembered.

 

[LeoA]

I wish that The Night They Saved Christmas would finally get a proper region 1 release on DVD.

It was on a collection a while back called the '10 Movie Family Fun Holiday Pack', but from reports I saw, it was of worse quality than the old VHS release and it was stretched to 16:9 proportions (Which is especially inexcusable since virtually any DVD player can optionally stretch a 4:3 DVD to 16:9 proportions).

Quite a few people seem to have fond memories of this 80's tv movie and it still seems to be aired most years on television. Not something that can be said for most made for tv movies and is a testament to its popularity, I'd say.

So the demand would seem to be there to justify a little effort and a proper release.

 

[JamesSmith]

Have any of you noticed that a great many of the studios aren't putting as much effort into the Holiday Season like they used. I give NBC credit for doing a new musical every year to try to do something but family orientated (sometimes) and seasonal. But I don't see the DVD studios working on putting out new DVD's or Blu Rays of new or unreleased Christmas stuff. Going to Wal-Mart and checking their Christmas movies didn't reveal anything new (or last year)? Bring back those Christmas DVD workshops! Bring out that those Blu Ray Manufacturing jails!

James

 

[Carabimero]

James,

I hear you. But I think the golden age of discs is over. I have all my Christmas DVDs in a disc wallet and all my indexed Christmas episodes from series flagged and ready for holiday viewing. But I've stopped expecting much new each year. I've stopped going to Target and such looking for discs because I am always disappointed. I remember waiting outside Best Buy every Tuesday morning for years to get the newest releases EVERY WEEK. It was fun, but on the bright side, I am saving thousands of dollars these days.

 

[Scamp]

I wish that The Night They Saved Christmas would finally get a proper region 1 release on DVD.

It was on a collection a while back called the '10 Movie Family Fun Holiday Pack', but from reports I saw, it was of worse quality than the old VHS release and it was stretched to 16:9 proportions (Which is especially inexcusable since virtually any DVD player can optionally stretch a 4:3 DVD to 16:9 proportions).

Quite a few people seem to have fond memories of this 80's tv movie and it still seems to be aired most years on television. Not something that can be said for most made for tv movies and is a testament to its popularity, I'd say.

So the demand would seem to be there to justify a little effort and a proper release.

Didn't realize this film had any kind of dvd release before although it sounds as if it was a lousy one. I do have this one on VHS, and of course, always like to watch it when I catch its airing on TV. Would love to see a proper DVD and/or Blu-Ray release of this film.

Another film I'd love to see make a DVD appearance is Karroll's Christmas.

 

[JamesSmith]

I want The Great Santa Clause Switch & Richard Williams A Christmas Carol on Blu Ray?

James

 

[JamesSmith]

Is there anything we can do generate interest in our "lost" Christmas films to draw attention to them? Would writing to Criterion or Shout help?

Walked by Wall Mart today's Christmas selection of DVD's and CD's? Didn't look like there was anything new there.

James

 

[JamesSmith]

Well. Have any of you seen anything "new" that is worth mentioning? I did get a version of the Nutcracker this year on DVD and go the blu ray version of the 1951 British Christmas Carol.

More Christmas releases?

James

 

[Rick Thompson]

I think Thunderbean will release a bluray with Christmas cartoons and various shorts (perhaps identical to the special disc of last year).

but yes, it's so sad that we don't have new releases of old films
(i repeat these from another thread)

The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942)
I'll be Seeing You (1944)
In the Good old Summertime (1948)
Holiday Affair (1949)
All Mine To Give (1957)
The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971) (pilot of The Waltons)
Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas (1977)
One Magic Christmas (1985)
A Muppet Family Christmas (1987)
Prancer (1989)

Another very good Christmas-themed pic — The Gathering, starring Ed Asner and Maureen Stapleton — was issued on DVD by Warner Archive as MOD along with its sequel, starring Stapleton and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Among the supporting two supporting casts: Gregory Harrison, Stephanie Zimbalist, Veronica Hamel, Edward Winter, Lawrence Pressman, Jameson Parker and John Randolph. It's still available for $13.99.