New Holiday DVD Releases 11/03/09

FRAGGLE ROCK: A MERRY FRAGGLE HOLIDAY

Music, fun, and holiday adventures with the Fraggles! Come along with Gobo, Red, Boober and the whole Fraggle gang for three wintry adventures bursting with wonder, laughter and rockin’ music! Whether it’s celebrating the annual Festival of the Bells or learning the value of generosity, the Fraggles discover that although the meaning of the season is different for everyone, it’s the power of friendship that truly makes the holidays special. So grab a scarf, cuddle up with a bowl of warm radish soup, and join the festive magic down in Fraggle Rock!


MICKEY'S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS

Celebrate the season with Disney's most popular holiday movie ever! Starring Mickey Mouse and 35 of the world's most beloved characters, this one-of-a-kind adventure joyously captures the spirit of Christmas and is sure to delight the entire family. When a huge snowstorm leaves everyone stranded, Mickey and all of his guests at The House Of Mouse, including Pooh, Belle, Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel and many more of his old and new friends, break out the cookies and hot chocolate to help Donald mend his tattered Christmas spirit. The fun starts when Minnie pulls out their favorite holiday home movies and everyone starts to reminisce. Their magical memories soon put everyone in the Christmas mood -- even grumpy Donald, who ultimately becomes the star of the evening. Featuring four unforgettable holiday tales, including The Nutcracker, Mickey's Christmas Carol, Donald On Ice and Pluto And The Christmas Tree, plus an epic finale of The Best Christmas Of All, this holiday treat is bound to become a tradition for you and your family.


TCM GREATEST CLASSIC FILMS COLLECTION: HOLIDAY (CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT / A CHRISTMAS CAROL / THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER / IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE)

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (1938) Reginald Owen portrays Charles Dickens’ holiday humbug Ebenezer Scrooge, the miser’s miser who has a huge change of heart after spirits whisk him into the past, present and future. From sets to stars to story, this triumphant adaptation adds a glow to the season. Like Tiny Tim’s benediction, it blesses us – every one. CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945) A magazine columnist totally devoid of the homemaking skills espoused in her column had better get some fast: her boss has invited himself and a recently returned war hero to her home for Christmas. Laughs, romance, holiday cheer: that’s the recipe Barbara Stanwyck and a stellar company follow in this perennial favorite. IT HAPPENED ON 5TH AVENUE Home for the holidays! GI families hit by the post-World War II housing crunch take over an abandoned New York City mansion. THE SHOP AROUND THE CORNER In the third of their four screen pairings, Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart engage in retail romance wrapped in the ribbon of director Ernst Lubitsch’s trademark touch of wit and charm. They play bickering store clerks who are unknowingly secret pen pals. Your patronage will be cheerfully rewarded when you watch this enchanting tale.


NATIONAL LAMPOON'S CHRISTMAS VACATION (ULTIMATE COLLECTOR'S EDITION)

Chevy Chase, star of National Lampoon's Vacation and its sequel, is back as the paterfamilias of the Griswold family (including Beverly D'Angelo as his missus) to skewer the Yuletide season. Chevy mugs, trips, falls, mashes his fingers and stubs his toes as he prepares to invite numerous dysfunctional relatives to his household to celebrate Christmas. Amidst the more outrageous sight gags (including the electrocution of a cat as the Christmas tree is lit) the film betrays a sentimental streak, with old wounds healing and long-estranged relatives reuniting in the Griswold living room. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation was still capable of attracting an audience five years after its release: It was one of the top-rated seasonal TV specials of 1994, outrating even the first network telecast of It's a Wonderful Life.


WHITE CHRISTMAS (ANNIVERSARY EDITION)

White Christmas is a treasury of Irving Berlin classics, among them "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," "Sisters," "Mandy," and the beloved holiday song, "White Christmas." Two talented song-and-dance men (Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye) team up after the war to become one of the hottest acts in show business. One winter, they join forces with a sister act (Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen) and trek to Vermont for a white Christmas. Of course, there's the requisite fun with the ladies, but the real adventure starts when Crosby & Kaye discover that the inn is run by their old army general who's now in financial trouble. And the result is the stuff dreams are made of.


IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (TWO-DISC COLLECTOR'S GIFT SET)

George Bailey has so many problems he is thinking about ending it all – and it’s Christmas! As the angels discuss George, we see his life in flashback. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence. Clarence then shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for all of his good deeds over the years. Will Clarence be able to convince George to return to his family and forget suicide?


THE GHOST OF GREVILLE LODGE

Teenager James Greville has lived in children s homes for nearly nine years: ever since his parents died when he was six years old. So it comes as a shock to find that a distant family member has traced him, and invited him to his home. So begins James trial two-week holiday at his Great Uncle s (George Cole) country manor: Greville Lodge. James spends most of his time alone exploring the sprawling Greville Lodge and soon discovers that the Lodge has many secrets, including doors to the west wing which have been sealed shut. Once night James wakes up to find himself in front of one of the doors and this time it opens! Through the doors, the mysteries of Greville Lodge are revealed.


DORA THE EXPLORER: DORA'S CHRISTMAS CAROL ADVENTURE

When Swiper tries to swipe the Christmas Star from Dora’s Nochebuena Party, he lands on Santa’s naughty list. To get back on the nice list, Dora must help Swiper travel to the past, the present, and the future to discover the true spirit of Christmas. Will you help too? Filled with original songs and exclusive extra scenes, this all-new Christmas special, exclusive to DVD, will become a holiday favorite for the whole family!


THOMAS & FRIENDS: HOLIDAY EXPRESS

All aboard for snowmen, Christmas trees and festive train rides! When you ride the rails with your jolly friends, you never know what to expect. Enjoy exciting adventures filled with lucky trucks, Christmas puddings, surprise parties and much, much more. Join Henry, Emily, Percy, and Thomas for trainloads of fun in the HOLIDAY EXPRESS!


CHRISTMAS TOWN

Disillusioned Liza McCann and her son travel to Hollyville to visit her estranged father. The town's profuse decorations and intense Yuletide spirit exasperate Liza, who has hated the holidays ever since she was a little girl. But a series of magic and inexplicable events force Liza to rethink everything she thought was true. Will the magic of this Christmas town help Liza reconnect with her father and open her heart to the true spirit of the holidays? Heart-warming and fun for the whole family, CHRISTMAS TOWN stars Nicole de Boer (DEAD ZONE), Patrick Muldoon (STARSHIP TROOPERS), Garry Chalk (DECK THE HALLS), and Gig Morton (SNOW BUDDIES).


HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Meet Elmer (Mickey Rooney), an old man with precious little to show for his long life other than a few meager possessions and a handful of homeless acquaintances. Elmer is a cheerful, petty thief getting by on a smile and an ingenuity that with his advancing age is beginning to fail. While breaking into a car, Elmer is caught by the owner, a stiff-lipped man named Reg, who has no patience for a common criminal and who is not one bit sentimental about it being the holiday season. In exchange for his freedom, Elmer goes to work for Reg doing odd jobs to compensate for the damages. Amanda, Reg s adorable 6 year-old, and Elmer take an immediate liking to each other. The little girl is convinced that Santa has brought her a grandfather for Christmas. Good performances and a touch of the supernatural help along a solid sentimental journey.


MERRY SITCOM! CHRISTMAS CLASSICS FROM TV'S GOLDEN AGE

Tis the season to be jolly, and there is no better way to get in the holiday spirit than with this first-ever collection of timeless Christmas-themed episodes from the shows you grew up with, but never outgrew. So forget the Yule log! This year, gather your loved ones around the warm glow of your television set, because you are all cordially invited to share the holiday season with your favorite friends and families from TV s golden age of comedy!


CHRISTMAS IN WONDERLAND

During a holiday shopping trip to the mall, young Brian (Matthew Knight) and his little sister, Mary (twins Amy and Zoe Schlagel), find a sack of cash. An amazing shopping spree ensues -- that is, until the crooks who lost the counterfeit dough come looking for it. Chris Kattan and Patrick Swayze co-star in this yuletide treat that was shot on location in one of the world's largest shopping destinations: Canada's West Edmonton Mall.


BARRY MANILOW: HAPPY HOLIDAY!

Barry Manilow returns to 'A&E Live By Request' for his first ever holiday-themed television special. Join Barry and his special guests - Jose Feliciano and Cyndi Lauper - as he takes telephone requests from home viewers for their favorite Christmas songs, including 'Jingle Bells,' 'White Christmas,' 'Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,' 'It's Just Another New Year's Eve,' and more. Originally broadcast from New York City on a snowy December night in 2003, this show is one of the highest rated 'A&E Live By Request' performances and will be sure to get you in the Holiday spirit!


CHRISTMAS STORY

This Christmas, a great secret will be revealed. Have you ever wonder how Santa Claus came to be Santa? A long time ago, the world's greatest story was born when a young boy named Nikolas took on a mysterious mission and created a legend that would be carried on from generation to generation. This magical and heartwarming tale of how the gift giving tradition was created will bring holiday joy to the entire family!


ONE CHRISTMAS

Truman Capote's classic Depression-era short story is well served in One Christmas, an earnest holiday heartwarmer from the folks at Hallmark Entertainment. It's got all the sentiment one would expect from a Hallmark TV movie, but director Tony Bill knows just how to moderate the maudlin and focus on genuine emotions (as he did for his big-screen releases Untamed Heart and A Home of Our Own). Of course it never hurts to have Katharine Hepburn on board for some high-class pedigree: In her final performance the Hollywood legend goes out on a high note, delivering a pivotal scene about living life with no regrets, and she may just as well be describing her own independent spirit. The great Kate plays a wealthy New Orleans socialite whose spinster niece (Swoosie Kurtz, giving the film's best performance) is vulnerable to the gold-digging charms of a con artist (Henry Winkler) whose estranged 8-year-old son (T.J. Lowther, from Clint Eastwood's A Perfect World) has arrived from Alabama with high expectations that his father can't meet. Dashed hopes and cynical behavior threaten to ruin the boy's Christmas, but Bill and his esteemed cast stay true to the well-earned sentiment of Capote's story, arriving at a moment of fatherly redemption that is nicely accented by Van Dyke Parks's understated score. You'd have to be a Scrooge to disapprove.


SCRUFF: A CHRISTMAS TALE

You won't believe the trouble that this cute little dog gets into! Meet Scruff, a puppy with endless curiosity and energy to spare. It's Christmas Eve and Scruff has some tasty treats that he won't share, but after meeting the ghosts from Christmas past, present and future, he learns the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of friends and sharing.



HANDEL: MESSIAH (CHOIR OF KING'S COLLEGE)

The dispatch with which this recording of the 5 April performance of Handel's Messiah at King's College Chapel has appeared is impressive given the larger range of elements involved, including the Academy of Ancient Music and four soloists alongside the King's College Choir. The first choral concert transmitted live to 85 cinemas, Stephen Cleobury's interpretation ticks all the boxes, with choir and orchestra impeccably balanced, and soloists glowing.


THE HOLIDAY KITCHEN

70 delicious video recipes over 2 hours of content! On the Menu: Thanksgiving Turkey, Classic Eggnog, Pumpkin Ice Cream, Gingerbread Cookies, Knife Techniques, Making Pie Pastry Dough, French Onion Soup, Stuffed Mushrooms, Delicious Cranberry Sauce, Artichoke Dip, Roasted Winter Vegetables, Dinner Rolls and much, much more.



ANN NESBY'S SOULFUL CHRISTMAS

Taped in front of a live audience at the Gospel Music Channel studios in Atlanta, GA, Ann Nesby's Soulful Christmas will air several times this holiday season on the Gospel Music Channel. This DVD features brilliant performances of the Christmas classics "Silent Night," and "O Come All Ye Faithful" and our favorite timeless hit "I Believe." Being her first Christmas project and first long-form music DVD, makes it an instant keepsake!


READ & SHARE-JESUS SERIES-CHRISTMAS

Share the joy and wonder of Christmas with the children in your life. Animated straight from the pages of the popular Read and Share Bible, The Jesus Series introduces children to the life of Christ in a powerful new trilogy.