Christmas Carol/Jingle All the Way [2 Discs] DVD

A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale of one man learning the true meaning of Christmas is brought to the screen once again in this made-for-TV movie. Ebenezer Scrooge (George C. Scott) is a cynical old man whose greatest concern is money, and who regards compassion as a luxury he can't afford. On Christmas Eve, Scrooge is visited by the ghost of Jacob Marley (Frank Finlay), his former business partner, who arranges for Scrooge to be visited by three spirits in an attempt to show him the error of his ways -- the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Angela Pleasence), Christmas Present (Edward Woodward), and Christmas Yet to Come (Michael Carter). The spirits force Scrooge to examine the failings of his own life, as well as the bravery and optimism of his loyal but ill-treated employee Bob Crachit (David Warner). A Christmas Carol also features Susannah York as Mrs. Crachit, Anthony Walters as Tiny Tim, and Joanne Whalley as Fan. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Jingle All the Way
The true meaning of Christmas -- desperate last-minute shopping -- is the subject of this holiday-themed comedy. Howard Langston (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a mattress salesman with a bad habit of putting his work ahead of his family. His son Jamie (Jake Lloyd), who wishes Dad would pay more attention to him, wants only one thing for Christmas -- a Turbo Man action figure, with all the accessories. Howard promises both Jamie and his wife Liz (Rita Wilson) that there will indeed be a Turbo Man under the tree for Jamie on Christmas morning, but come December 24, Howard realizes that he hasn't actually bought the toy yet. Seemingly it would be no great problem to head on down to the toy store and pick one up, but it just so happens that Turbo Man has been the hottest ticket of the holiday season, and literally thousands of parents are scrambling for the last few action figures. Howard then spends a hilariously hellish Christmas Eve madly scrambling from store to store in desperate search of a Turbo Man; in the course of his adventures, Howard keeps crossing paths Myron Larabee (Sinbad), a postal worker who wants a Turbo Man even more desperately than Howard. And on the home front, Howard has to worry about Ted Maltin (Phil Hartman), an annoyingly perfect suburbanite obsessed with Christmas who has eyes for Liz. This was the second film for child actor Jake Lloyd, who three years later would gain international attention when he was cast as the young Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Cast George C. Scott as Ebenezer Scrooge Arnold Schwarzenegger as Howard Langston Sinbad as Myron Larabee Phil Hartman as Ted Maltin Rita Wilson as Liz Langston Robert Conrad as Officer Hummell James Belushi as Santa Claus Martin Mull as DJ Jake Lloyd as Jamie Langston

Crew Thomas Fichter - Art Director Paula DuPre Pesman - Associate Producer Judy Taylor - Casting Joel Kramer - Coordinator Jay Hurley - Costume Designer George Parra - First Assistant Director Brian Levant - Director Richard Vane - Director Steve Boyum - Second Unit Director Wilton Henderson - Editor Kent Beyda - Editor Richard Vane - Executive Producer David Newman - Composer (Music Score) David Newman - Songwriter Leslie McDonald - Production Designer Victor J. Kemper - Cinematographer Mark A. Radcliffe - Producer Chris Columbus - Producer Michael Barnathan - Producer Ronald R. Weiss - Set Designer John H. Anderson - Set Designer Edward Tise - Sound/Sound Designer Gregory L. McMurray - Special Effects Supervisor Glenn Neufeld - Special Effects Supervisor Peter Burrell - Unit Production Manager Randy Kornfield - Screenwriter Thomas Fichter - Art Director Paula DuPre Pesman - Associate Producer Judy Taylor - Casting Joel Kramer - Coordinator Jay Hurley - Costume Designer George Parra - First Assistant Director Brian Levant - Director Richard Vane - Director Steve Boyum - Second Unit Director Wilton Henderson - Editor Kent Beyda - Editor Richard Vane - Executive Producer David Newman - Composer (Music Score) David Newman - Songwriter Leslie McDonald - Production Designer Victor J. Kemper - Cinematographer Mark A. Radcliffe - Producer Chris Columbus - Producer Michael Barnathan - Producer Ronald R. Weiss - Set Designer John H. Anderson - Set Designer Edward Tise - Sound/Sound Designer Gregory L. McMurray - Special Effects Supervisor Glenn Neufeld - Special Effects Supervisor Peter Burrell - Unit Production Manager Randy Kornfield - Screenwriter

A Christmas Carol
(not reviewed)
 

Jingle All the Way
A thoroughly enjoyable family comedy, this holiday film represents the high water mark of director Brian Levant's career, one marked by a specialization in light, intentionally fatuous comic fare. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays, as usual, a thinly veiled variation on himself, the "funny" version recognizable from Twins (1988), Kindergarten Cop (1990), and Junior (1994). The rest of the cast plays against the star's mountainous gravity, however, with delightful results; in particular, Phil Hartman has oodles of fun as an oily neighborhood lecher, mocking and lampooning his leading man's stoic demeanor and sheer physical size. As the film's mailman foil, stand-up comic Sinbad is not utilized very well by the script, which never seems quite sure if he's a villain or not. Performances and clear character motivations are beside the point, however, as the script does its job, delivering the gift of many memorably amusing moments. Among them: scenes in which the star is attacked by a rogue band of elves, another in which he's attacked by angry mothers at a mall, and yet another in which he shudders to imagine his son growing up to be a boozing postal worker. There's also some fun with a rented reindeer and Schwarzenegger in a superhero costume, which is probably where he belongs. It's certainly not witty enough for the stage, but Jingle All the Way is a fun seasonal treat that will probably be popping up on cable TV as a December programming staple, one in which weary parental shoppers will grimace and guffaw to recognize themselves. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, French Sound Processing: DDS2.0: Dolby Digital w/ 4 channels of sound from a 2-channel stereo mix. Additional Features: cc A Christmas Carol: Aspect ratio: 1.33:1 Interactive menus Scene selection Languages: English Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1: Pre-1954 Standard 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: PG DVD Discs Included: 2 DVD Sides: 3 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: 188 min   DVD Chapters: Disc #1 -- A Christmas Carol 1. Main Titles [:05] 2. Quite a Powerful Speaker [2:25] 3. Humbug [1:24] 4. The Poor Will Suffer [4:17] 5. "Who's Calling Me?" [:54] 6. A Visit From Marley [:23] 7. The Ghost of Christmas Past [4:46] 8. Old Fezziwig [2:20] 9. Love Lost [1:32] 10. The Ghost of Christmas Present [6:06] 11. The House of Bob Cratchit [2:17] 12. Christmas Blessing [5:26] 13. Nephew's Party [1:53] 14. A Place Like Many [4:24] 15. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come [1:17] 16. "Those Are My Things" [4:47] 17. Goodbye, Tiny Tim [3:11] 18. Change of Heart [:51] 19. Christmas Day [3:37] 20. Ebenezer's Christmas Wish [1:31] 21. Cratchit's Surprise [5:10] 22. End Credits [2:29] Disc #2, Side A -- Jingle All the Way 1. Main Titles: Men of Action [7:57] 2. Jamie's Christmas Wish [:49] 3. The Hunt Begins [4:58] 4. Howard Meets Myron [1:21] 5. This Is War [1:14] 6. Good Neighbor Ted [2:14] 7. No Team Player [3:48] 8. Mall Madness [:17] 9. Back Door Santa [2:05] 10. You Never Keep Your Promises [2:04] 11. Coffee Talk [2:10] 12. An Explosive Situation [2:27] 13. Breaking and Entering [4:15] 14. The Wintertainment Parade [3:24] 15. Ted's Comeuppance [3:04] 16. Showtime [:22] 17. Pick a Kid [2:56] 18. Dementor and the Demon Talk [3:56] 19. Fly, Turbo Man [4:49] 20. That's My Dad! [5:17] 21. End Credits [1:40] 22. Here We Go Again [:38] Disc #2, Side B -- Jingle All the Way 1. Main Titles: Men of Action [7:57] 2. Jamie's Christmas Wish [:49] 3. The Hunt Begins [4:58] 4. Howard Meets Myron [1:21] 5. This Is War [1:14] 6. Good Neighbor Ted [2:14] 7. No Team Player [3:48] 8. Mall Madness [:17] 9. Back Door Santa [2:05] 10. You Never Keep Your Promises [2:04] 11. Coffee Talk [2:10] 12. An Explosive Situation [2:27] 13. Breaking and Entering [4:15] 14. The Wintertainment Parade [3:24] 15. Ted's Comeuppance [3:04] 16. Showtime [:22] 17. Pick a Kid [2:56] 18. Dementor and the Demon Team [3:56] 19. Fly, Turbo Man [4:49] 20. That's My Dad! [5:17] 21. End Credits [1:40] 22. Here We Go Again [:38]