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Review Universal Pictures UK / Postman Pat - Magic Christmas [1981]
Actors & Directors
  • Ken Barrie
  • Archie Panjabi
  • Chris Taylor
Release date: 2005-11-14
Run time: 51 min.
RRP: £16.99
Price: £2.99

Review Postman Pat - Magic Christmas [1981] / Universal Pictures UK:


Actors & Directors
  • Hal Smith
  • Will Ryan
  • Wayne Allwine
  • Alan Young
  • Eddie Carroll
  • Burny Mattinson
Release date: 1996-11-11
Run time: 24 min.
Creator: Tony Marino
RRP: £8.99
Price: £19.98

Review Mickey's Christmas Carol / Walt Disney Home Video D201882:


Review 2 Entertain Video / Little Women [1970]
Actors & Directors
  • Angela Down
  • Stephen Turner
  • Stephanie Bidmead
  • Janina Faye
  • Jo Rowbottom
Release date: 2000-01-24
Run time: 203 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £14.99

Review Little Women [1970] / 2 Entertain Video:


Review / Dr. Dolittle 2 [2001]
Actors & Directors
  • Kyla Pratt
  • Steve Carr
  • Raven-Symoné
  • Eddie Murphy
  • Kristen Wilson
  • Cedric the Entertainer
Run time: 87 min.
Creator: Larry Levin
Price: £3.28

Review Dr. Dolittle 2 [2001]:

Doctor Dolittle Betty Thomas directs and Eddie Murphy stars in Doctor Dolittle, the 1998 hit film which, while ostensibly aimed at children, has a high quotient of hip and even mildly gross humour. Murphy stars as John Dolittle, whom we see as a child talking to a neighbourhood dog who explains that the reason mutts sniff each others' butts is to assess their characters when first meeting them. Little John promptly tries this out on being introduced to his school principal. Warned off such social eccentricity, Dolittle stops talking to animals and as an adult becomes a respectable doctor running his own medical practice-until a bump on the head revives his capacity to understand animals, whereupon mayhem, mortification and a menagerie of needy and freeloading creatures are heaped upon his ordered existence. Murphy plays it relatively straight. It's the animals, some of them vividly enhanced by Jim Henson's animating team, who provide the real laughs here, and a thoroughly worldly, wisecracking bunch of characters they prove to be. There's a couple of hard-boiled, squabbling rats, a pigeon who complains of impotence, Rocky the guinea pig (voiced by Chris Rock) with a neat line in hip backchat, while Albert Brooks voices the gruff, melancholy tiger whose life Dolittle must try to save. A sweet but by no means saccharine comedy. -David Stubbs Dr Dolittle 2It's only a marginal improvement, but Dr Dolittle 2 defies the odds by rising above its popular 1998 predecessor (and once again, let's not confuse these movies with the earlier Rex Harrison musical). Eddie Murphy plays the title role with ease and with the confident professionalism of a comedian who knows when to share the spotlight-especially when he's being upstaged by a bunch of animals who steal all the punch lines. [+]
And once again the film is aimed at a pre-teen audience: so many of those punch lines involve flatulence, bodily functions and frequent use of the word "butt". The difference this time is that Dr Dolittle has settled into his talk-to-the-animals routine; his 16-year-old daughter (Raven-Symone) is getting to be a feisty handful (it turns out she's coping with a hereditary gift); and his lawyer wife (Kristen Wilson) is representing him in a trial against corporate villains who want to clear-cut a local forest. Naturally, the local critter mafia (their Don is a beaver. fuggeddaboudit!) want Dolittle to fight for their cause, and this involves the successful mating of an endangered bear and a domesticated circus bear who's forgotten all the bear necessities of life in the wild. The bears are voiced by Lisa Kudrow and Steve Zahn and they almost steal the show, but the whole menagerie (with digitally animated "talking") is equally amusing. Adults might wish that the filmmakers had tried harder to make a truly memorable sequel, but this is a movie for kids, and they're going to love it without quibbling. -Jeff Shannon, Amazon. com.

Review Channel 5 / Little Red Riding Hood
Actors & Directors
  • Nathan Aswell
  • Lillian Carlson
  • Takashi Masunaga
  • Toshiyuki Hiruma
  • Chera Bailey
  • Tony Ail
  • Kathleen Barr
Release date: 1998-02-16
Run time: 47 min.
Price: £2.99

Review Little Red Riding Hood / Channel 5:


Review Walt Disney Home Video / Mr Magoo [1997]
Actors & Directors
  • Daws Butler
  • Pete Burness
  • Jim Backus
Release date: 2006-02-06
Run time: 84 min.
Creator: Dick Shaw
RRP: £14.99
Price: £3.21

Review Mr Magoo [1997] / Walt Disney Home Video:

Someone got the rather inspired (but ultimately misguided) idea to match Hong Kong action director Stanley Tong with comedy stalwart Leslie Nielsen in this dim-witted live-action Disney version of the vintage cartoon, in which the very near-sighted tycoon bumbles his way into the heist of a giant, priceless ruby known as the Star of Kuristan. The result is an abundance of slapstick humour related to Mr. Magoo's visual impairment (prompting a brief protest during the film's 1997 release by the National Federation of the Blind) and a tired plot involving a lovely jewel thief (Kelly Lynch) who'll stop at nothing to get her stolen jewel back. Of course, Magoo manages to foil the thieves at every turn, even though he's frequently unaware of his unintentional heroics. This standard family fare from Disney (best suited for kids 12 and under) will probably play better on home video, but you'll have to watch and listen closely for the few jokes that really pay off. -Jeff Shannon, Amazon. com.

Review Brainy Baby / Brainy Baby: ABC's [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Release date: 2002-08-12
Run time: 45 min.
Price: £2.85

Review Brainy Baby: ABC's [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Brainy Baby:


Review Hit Entertainment / Oswald - Hats Off To Oswald
Actors & Directors
  • Michael McKean
  • Gary Martin
  • Fred Savage
  • Crystal Scales
  • Eddie Deezen
Release date: 2004-01-19
Run time: 56 min.
Creator: Dan Yaccarino
RRP: £4.99
Price: £0.89

Review Oswald - Hats Off To Oswald / Hit Entertainment:


Review Mia Video Entertainment Ltd / Animalympics - The Movie [1979]
Actors & Directors
  • Gilda Radner
  • Billy Crystal
  • Harry Shearer
  • Steven Lisberger
  • Michael Fremer
Release date: 1996-07-08
Run time: 78 min.
Creator: Roger Allers
RRP: £9.99
Price: £34.99

Review Animalympics - The Movie [1979] / Mia Video Entertainment Ltd:


Review Warner Home Video / The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
Actors & Directors
  • Jack Haley
  • King Vidor
  • Richard Thorpe
  • Victor Fleming
  • Frank Morgan
  • Bert Lahr
  • Ray Bolger
  • Mervyn LeRoy
  • Judy Garland
Release date: 2001-11-05
Run time: 101 min.
Creator: Edgar Allan Woolf
RRP: £14.99
Price: £3.56

Review The Wizard Of Oz (1939) / Warner Home Video:

Like the Tin Man's heart, the true test of a real classic is how much it is loved by others. The enduring charms of The Wizard of Oz have easily weathered the vicissitudes of changing fashions making the film one of the world's best-loved, most-quoted and frequently imitated movies. It's now as ubiquitous an American pop-cultural icon as McDonald's, making judging the movie purely on its own merits an almost impossible task. Judy Garland's tragic later life, for example, makes her naïve and utterly beguiling Dorothy seem all the more poignant in retrospect. But this at least is clear: much of this movie's success depends on the winning appeal of Garland's "Everygirl" figure, who creates the vital identification and empathy necessary to carry the audience with her into the land of Oz. We always care deeply about Dorothy, her quest for home and the strength of her friendship with her companions. Garland's assured dancing and singing routines with her ideally cast Broadway comedy co-stars Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley are still endlessly delightful, of course, and the songs and score (by Arlen, Harburg and Stothart) are as good as anything in the Hollywood musical canon. It is Garland's deeply felt rendition of "Over the Rainbow" that is both the film's emotional core and the reason why adults as much as children the world over still respond so strongly to this movie. So long as people long for home and the love of their friends and family, the nostalgic appeal of Oz will never fade. On the DVD: another splendid digital restoration from the MGM vaults keeps this wonderful classic as vivid and alive as it was back in 1939, if not more so. [+]
The 1. 33:1 picture is clear and defined, bursting with the vibrant colours of Oz (you can even see the wires holding up the Lion's tail). Even more remarkably, because the original microphone tapes have been preserved the soundtrack has been remastered in 5. 1 stereo, thereby accentuating the lush tones of the MGM orchestra and Garland's famous singing. The disc is also chock full of extras, including outtakes, audio sequences, composer Harold Arlen's backstage movies, extracts from earlier silent Oz films, clips from the Academy Awards and interviews with the stars among many other fascinating nuggets. The new 50-minute documentary hosted by Angela Lansbury, and irritatingly narrated in the present tense, is oddly the weakest part, with too little hard information and too much padding about how everyone loves the movie. The only gripe is Warners' trademark cardboard slipcase, which is awkward and easily damaged. But this is still an essential disc for the young at heart everywhere. -Mark Walker.

Review Universal Studios / Ghost Dad [1990] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Sidney Poitier
  • Christine Ebersole
  • Kimberly Russell
  • Denise Nicholas
  • Bill Cosby
  • Ian Bannen
Release date: 2005-03-01
Run time: 83 min.
Creator: Terence Nelson
Price: £3.55

Review Ghost Dad [1990] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Universal Studios:


Review Columbia TriStar / The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T [1953] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Hans Conried
  • John Heasley
  • Mary Healy
  • Peter Lind Hayes
  • Roy Rowland
  • Tommy Rettig
Release date: 2001-04-24
Run time: 92 min.
Price: £27.09

Review The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T [1953] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Columbia TriStar:


Review Goldhil / Little House on the Prairie: The Pilot [1974] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Lindsay Greenbush
  • Melissa Sue Anderson
  • Melissa Gilbert
  • Michael Landon
  • Karen Grassle
  • Michael Landon
Release date: 2003-07-08
Run time: 95 min.
Creator: Don Balluck
Price: £6.10

Review Little House on the Prairie: The Pilot [1974] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Goldhil:


Review Warner Home Video / Switching Goals [1999]
Actors & Directors
  • Kathryn Greenwood
  • Eric Lutes
  • Mary-Kate Olsen
  • Ashley Olsen
  • David Steinberg
  • Robert Clark
Release date: 2004-07-19
Run time: 85 min.
Creator: Matt Roshkow
RRP: £13.99
Price: £2.25

Review Switching Goals [1999] / Warner Home Video:

Originally made for American TV, Switching Goals stars Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen as super-identical twins who are actually total opposites. OK, it's not the freshest concept in the universe, but the teen divas (who also exec produce-as they did in their Passport to Paris) are an undeniable favourite with little girls. Here, they're Sam, the athletic one, and Emma, the fashion-conscious one. Their indulgent dad (Eric Lutes) coaches a soccer team and their workaholic mother (Kathryn Greenwood) is a psychologist. Look for a switch, the truth to be revealed, and all to end well. This TV movie should appeal to girls between 4 and 10, especially if any of them are handy on the soccer pitch. -N. F. Mendoza, Amazon. com.

Review GT Media / Snowglobe [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Lorraine Bracco
  • Ron Lagomarsino
  • Ennis Esmer
  • Luciana Carro
  • Josh Cooke
  • Ron Canada
Release date: 2008-10-07
Run time: 90 min.
Creator: Garrett Frawley
Price: £6.31

Review Snowglobe [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / GT Media:


Review Warner Home Video / A Christmas Story [1983] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Colin Fox
  • Les Carlson
  • Yano Anaya
  • Melinda Dillon
  • Peter Billingsley
Release date: 2000-09-26
Run time: 94 min.
Price: £9.74

Review A Christmas Story [1983] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Warner Home Video:


Review Republic Pictures / The Bells of St. Mary's [1945] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • William Gargan
  • Ruth Donnelly
  • Ingrid Bergman
  • Leo McCarey
  • Bing Crosby
  • Henry Travers
Release date: 2003-09-23
Run time: 126 min.
Creator: Dudley Nichols
Price: £6.57

Review The Bells of St. Mary's [1945] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Republic Pictures:


Review Warner Home Video / Gunga Din [1939] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • George Stevens
  • Robert Clampett
  • Joan Fontaine
  • Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
  • Cary Grant
  • Victor McLaglen
  • Mel Blanc
Release date: 2004-12-07
Run time: 117 min.
Creator: Charles MacArthur
Price: £9.53

Review Gunga Din [1939] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Warner Home Video:


Review Walt Disney Video / Return to Halloweentown [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • David Jackson
  • Judith Hoag
  • Joey Zimmerman
  • Kristy Wu
  • Sara Paxton
  • Lucas Grabeel
Release date: 2007-08-28
Run time: 88 min.
Creator: Paul Bernbaum
Price: £9.80

Review Return to Halloweentown [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Walt Disney Video:


Review Warner Home Video / The Batman: The Complete Third Season (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Danielle Judovits
  • Evan Sabara
  • Alastair Duncan
  • Ginny McSwain
  • Kevin Michael Richardson
  • Rino Romano
Release date: 2007-04-10
Run time: 30 min.
Creator: J.D. Murray
Price: £10.48

Review The Batman: The Complete Third Season (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Warner Home Video:


Browse Family Favourites:

Models & Brands:
Postman Pat - Magic Christmas [1981], Mickey's Christmas Carol, Little Women [1970], Dr. Dolittle 2 [2001], Little Red Riding Hood, Mr Magoo [1997], Brainy Baby: ABC's [2002] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Oswald - Hats Off To Oswald, Animalympics - The Movie [1979], The Wizard Of Oz (1939), Ghost Dad [1990] (REGION 1) (NTSC), The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T [1953] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Little House on the Prairie: The Pilot [1974] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Switching Goals [1999], Snowglobe [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC), A Christmas Story [1983] (REGION 1) (NTSC), The Bells of St. Mary's [1945] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Gunga Din [1939] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Return to Halloweentown [2006] (REGION 1) (NTSC), The Batman: The Complete Third Season (REGION 1) (NTSC)

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