. . . and MADELINE'S CHR!STMAS is head and shoulders above most of the other seven parts making up the 2005 Passport Video DVD titled RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER AND FRIENDS (and also seems to be slightly better than this 1990 remake, meaning that the original 1951 four-minute, 26.5-second Music Box Recordings version of our beloved story from Cool Laboratories, Inc., will SAVE 20 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME while providing a better viewing experience; since it is in the Public Domain, the Corrupt Corporate Trumpsters will not make a dime, either, which is why there's no mention of it on this ad-crammed site). Storyteller Irene Wicker is more than adequate in her rendering of Ludwig Bemelman's Yule Tide entry for his orphanage series. Even when she's speaking as the Rug Merchant-Magician, her inflections always are just right. Bemelman's gift is avoiding the predictable rhyme or anticipated plot turn as his tale progresses. Visually, Science Pictures, Inc., of New York augments the typical pan-and-scan of the book's original crude-but-quaint artwork with such touches as animated snowflakes and the self-cleaning dishes visually "jumping back to their shelves." Though the conclusion of this saga is actually kind of sad if you stop to think about it, what is Christmas without the Blues?
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
