DVD Reviews: A Christmas Story and Shrek the Halls
The holidays are sneaking up on us and we've got a couple of season-friendly DVDs for you to check out and/or gift to pals. One is a beloved classic in a very cool box set; the other takes a popular green ogre and his family on a holiday adventure.
From Warner Home Video
A Christmas Story: Ultimate Collector's Edition
This is one DVD that most folks dig out every Christmas. It's hilarious and heartwarming. In case you have been deprived of the warm and fuzziness of A Christmas Story here's the haps: In the 1940's, tween Ralphie Parker (Peter Billingsley) is picked on by local bullies but longs to triumph by asking his reluctant parents (Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon) to allow him to ask Santa for a prized ""Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two Hundred Shot Model Air Rifle" (a BB gun). Mom is sure her son will shoot his eye out and dad is too busy freaking out over winning a prize; a butt-ugly, semi-sexy leg lamp that mom refuses to display in the house. Parents bicker and Ralphie plots until finally, a calm holiday season is achieved.
This DVD comes in a really cool gift-pack. It's a big cookie tin with the two disc DVD, a cookie baking kit (apron and film-appropriate cookie cutters) and a Recipe Cookbook with several treat-making how-to's and lots of pictures from the film. Cool!
Special Features: On Disc One, you get the original Commentary with director/producer Bob Clark and now adult actor Peter Billingsley that talks about the location and film process. Laid back, not hilarious but interesting. On Disc Two, the "Another Christmas Story" documentary provides interviews with the cast members on making the film and their own holiday experiences. The "Jean Shepherd Original Readings" give you the original author's downhome stories. There are two featurettes focusing upon the movie's iconic props: "Get a Leg Up" is about the legendary sexy leg lamp as you hear from its creator. "History of Red Ryder" talks about the Daisy Air rifle company and why young guys were so B-B gun nuts way back then. There are a couple of games "Triple Dog Dare" and "Decoder Ring". Easy but fun and there are some interviews with the now-adult young stars.
Wrapping Up: This Two-Disc Special Edition DVD isn't really new. The same one (in different packaging) has been around for about 4 or 5 years but this ultra-cool, nostalgic cookie tin set will make you and your buds smile as you bake cookies and take a blast to the past when there were no i-pods, cellphones or other electronic marvels but kids and teens still plotted to get that special holiday gift. This cool presentation of a Christmas classic makes a great gift and a great addition to your own collection.
From Dreamworks Home Entertainment
Shrek the Halls
Taking place after the third Shrek film, this short special tracks Shrek as he tries to have a first Christmas with his new family. Donkey tells him how he needs to make it special and he wants to do so for Fiona and the kids but all his friends, including Puss N Boots and the Gingerbread Man, have their own version of holiday stories and fun and they just take over, resulting in well-meaning chaos.
Special Features: These extras don't seem all that related to Shrek but they are appealing. There are two sing-along songs that use animation from Madagascar; "The 12 Days of Christmas" and "Deck the Halls" which feature the feisty penguin characters from that film and yeah, I admit this is cute and fun to sing along with. "Gingy's Dunking Game," is a matching game that has various levels of difficulty. Kinda sweet. You also get "Shrek's Carnival Craze Party Games" which are meant to install on your PC; a bowling game, a tricycle race and javelin toss but these would be more for your younger siblings.
Wrapping Up: This DVD is really short (at about 28 minutes) so you might want to run it as the "cartoon" after watching A Christmas Story for example. The jokes come very fast but the music is a lot of fun. This one is worth a rental this holiday season or, certainly a buy if you are a big Shrek fan or want a complete Shrek collection.
