Reviews (67)

Streisand's First, Streisand's Best
Wow. One usually becomes a Streisand fan after seeing this movie. I certainly did. Streisand's movie debut begs the question: "Is a nose with deviation such a crime against the nation?" (sung by Fanny Brice's mother in the film). Barbra is Fanny is Barbra. When Streisand as Fanny tells Omar Shariff as Nick that he made her feel "beautiful", who can not love this woman?

The new DVD includes a restored version of the film and an incredibly clear soundtrack. Unless you saw the limited theatrical release this summer, then you have probably never seen FUNNY GIRL in its widescreen presentation. For years I had watched a faded pan-and-scan VHS version. Barbra's hilarious business of straightening her dress in the "You Are Woman" scene is completely cut out in pan-and-scan! Director William Wyler shot the film with a lot of widescreen compositions that the pan-and-scan versions always butchered. Thank you, Columbia, for this restored, widescreen DVD!

I remember watching THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT and seeing highlight clips from famous musicals. They showed "Don't Rain On My Parade" from FUNNY GIRL ...Barbra on the tug boat holding that note ("Paa-aa-raaaaaad-de") as the camera revealed the Statue of Liberty. I was thrilled. The DVD contains a theatrical short that shows behind the scenes footage of how they shot the entire "Parade" number -- really incredible footage!

The movie's second act, a bit slow, gives Streisand the chance to show her acting chops!

"My Man" at the movie's end features a "live" Streisand vocal as she cries on stage then triumphantly finishes. That scene won Barbra the Oscar. It is truly incredible.

I am disappointed that the DVD did not include more of the scenes I've always heard about but never seen. The AFI tribute (on ABC earlier this year) remains the only place you can see scenes from the Swan Ballet number that were cut. Also, I wish there was a Streisand commentary. Can you imagine the reflections about making this film that she could share?

People who see FUNNY GIRL are the luckiest people in the world.

The Greatest Star Comes to DVD - Worth the Wait!
First off - the DVD: It's a letterbox transfer of pristine new print that has been digitally restored (sometimes frame by frame) back to its original condition. Funny Girl hasn't looked this good in thirty years - so if you've only seen it on VHS or TV, you're in for a visual treat. I saw the restored print on a huge screen this past fall, and believe me, this transfer does it justice. In addition they have included the pre-show and intermission music as well. The additional documentary material is nothing to write home about. But I think whoever did the DVD menu deserves kudos for styling it like the New Amsterdam theater marquee from the first shot of the movie, with highlights from the film playing in the background. Very appropriate and very clever.

Funny Girl is A.) the musical biography of comedienne-singer Fanny Brice, and B.) the Oscar-winning film debut of 26 year old Barbra Streisand. As theatrical history lesson it's pretty flawed - (Arnstein was Brice's *second* husband, for example). The Streisand - Brice connection is strong, however. Fanny, like Barbra, wore her Jewishness as a badge of honor - in contrast to most Jewish performers of the day, who tried to blend in as much as possible. As a matter of fact, the "You Are Woman, I Am Man" seduction scene plays like a Brice "Follies" sketch.

And as a star vehicle for Striesand, it's a winner. When she belts out "I'm the Greatest Star" at the beginning of the picture you will understand what it feels like to be in the presence of raw, pure talent. At the end of them film when she falters on the opening words of "My Man", you'll remember what it feels like to watch your beloved walk out of your life.

William Wyer seems to be aware that he's launching a new star. The way he introduces Barbra - that long walk with her back to the camera in the leopard coat - ending with the first teasing glimpse of her face in the mirror - "Hello, gorgeous." It was certainly a closeup that many film folk were sure would have audiences recoiling in horror. Certainly plain looking Barbra couldn't make it as a movie star. Well, it's not news anymore, but certainly a surprise at the time, Barbra photographs beautifully. Even Barbra-hater Rex Reed had to admit at the time, "It took the combined efforts of God knows how many people to do it, but I'll be damned if they haven't made her beautiful!"

Omar Sharif plays opposite Barbra, and he holds up his end of the film nicely, no small feat when you consider that the script gives him little to do and the entire property has been tailored to Streisand's strengths. No one else registers, with the possible exception of Kay Medford as Fanny's mother. (Poor Anne Francis sued Columbia after the film was released, claiming Streisand had her cut out of the finished film. Most of you are sitting there thinking, "Anne, who?")

All in all, one of the better Sixties Broadway musical adaptations. (Note: Funny Girl was nominated for Best Picture in 1968. It lost to another Columbia Pictures musical - Oliver! If you liked Funny Girl, check out Oliver! - it's a better movie, even though it has no star names over the title. More 1968 Oscar trivia - Barbra won for Best Actress in a tie with Kathrine Hepburn of "Lion in Winter". In Oscar balloting there can only be a tie when there are the exact same number of votes. Why do I mention this? Well, it just so happens that because of her "special stature" in the industry, Barbra Streisand was admitted as a voting member of the Academy that year - with the release of just her first film. I wonder who she voted for???? If she hadn't been given special treatment, maybe Kate Hepburn's name would had been the only one announced that night!)

Best Musical
I saw this movie as a teenager and loved it. Barbra Streisand is timeless. I can't wait to add Funny Girl to my collection.

"He's got polish on his nails."
The ultimate showcase for an actress, Barbra Streisand's highly publicized film debut in FUNNY GIRL met every single expectation and then some. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1968, and it's very easy to see why. The film has many great qualities: It's expertly directed by three-time Academy Award winner William Wyler (the finale of the "Don't Rain On My Parade" number is just as astonishing as the chariot race in Wyler's BEN HUR), the storyline is extremely compelling, Omar Sharif is an incredibly suave and charismatic leading man, the supporting players are perfectly cast (particularly Kay Medford, Lee Allen, and Walter Pidgeon), and the song score (primarily by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill) is first-rate.

However, virtually everything that FUNNY GIRL has working for it would be worthless without Barbra Streisand's absolutely phenomenal performance. I honestly cannot think of enough good descriptive adjectives to do justice to her amazing performance in this film. She handles drama, comedy, music numbers, and tearjerking sentiment with equal aplomb, and she does it all better than any actress before or since. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had no choice but to honor her with the Oscar for Best Actress (in an extremely rare tie with academy favorite Katherine Hepburn; only the second tie in Oscar history to date), it is a performance that is nothing less than perfect.

About the DVD: Columbia-Tristar has done an excellent job in bringing FUNNY GIRL to DVD. The restoration of the original source elements may have taken nearly three years to complete, but it was time well spent - the picture quality is gorgeous! Sure, there are a few nicks on the print, but the color, sharpness, and virtually everything else is nearly flawless. Quite possibly one of the best vintage transfers yet. The sound is also excellent, and while there are no new features included (only vintage featurettes - I expect we'll see a special edition re-issue in the future) the menu design is fantastic.

She "IS" The Greatest Star
My dad was a movie projectonist when I was growig up and he took me to see Funny Girl when I was in the 4th grade. I saw that movie 5 times that week and a total of 26 times in every movie theater in town. What an impression it made on me as a yougster, that if you believed in yourself there isn't anything that you can't do. Of course it is my favorite movie of all time and one that I watch over and over again as if I had never seen it before. I see something new every viewing. Do you want to see one of the greatest performances of all time, then watch her perform "I'm The Greatest Star" and then watch it again and again, there has never been a debut performance like this one and probably never will again.

I have been the BIGGEST Streisand fan since and have followed her through all her movies, saw her twice in concert and have everything she has recorded, albums, tapes, 45's, CD's, foreign releases and hard to find classics, every movie poster, every book written about her and every magazine cover she has been on. This collection started back in 4th grade and now I am 47 years old so you can imagine the collection. Of it all Funny Girl has to be the shining moment . If I could have just a few hours with Ms. Streisand I would thank her and ask hundreds of questions, we are only seperated by 2 degrees of seperation, maybe that day will come! Buy this movie, if you are not a fan, you will be--I PROMISE. ... Read more

Reviews (209)

A Christmas Classic!
The film that inspired a whole generation of exterior illuminators! Subsequent to the release of this film, houses soon began Christmas-light makeovers, which I think really adds to the atmosphere of the season! Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are superb in this John Hughes classic Christmas comedy - as is Randy Quaid. Clark W Griswold Jnr is anxious to have the 'perfect' old fashioned, fun, family Chritmas. But, as usual, nothing goes according to plan: Getting stuck under a truck in the opening minutes... becoming psychotic over the failing of the thousands of lights he's added to the building... ruining the Christmas of Tod and Margo (their yuppie, bourgesois next door neighbours)...Eddie (Quaid) kidnapping Clark's boss because Clark didn't recieve his bonus cheque, needed to pay for a swimming pool...a storm sewer exploding (and the poor cat!)...the tree getting burnt...etc...Leading to the house teetering on 'the threshold of Hell'! There are many great moments in this movie. My personal favourite is when he takes Eddie and the kids sledging: a silicone-based kitchen lubricant Clark's company invented is smeared onto his sledge, propelling him like a rocket! The scenery is so Christmassy here. I have a selection of Christmas movies I stack around the video at this time of year. Christmas Vacation takes prime position. I have seen it *so* many times yet I am still not bored with it. Note: There is mild bad language in the PG version, but for those with younger children, some versions have worse. I really don't know why Hughes had to do this; this film could be accessible to all, as with Miracle On 34th Street (Hughes' remake). As is usual with John Hughes, those typical huge mansions (as with Home Alone, Ferris Bueller and Uncle Buck) feature. The photography is very Christmassy and it just might get you in the mood... The DVD has the trailer (including the other Vacation trailers), different language options, production notes etc... I am glad to have found a site that sells those reindeer egg nog glasses too!

At Long Last!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, after all this time, Warner Brothers have come to their senses. On October 7th, we will be treated to a heftly helping of one of the greatest Christmas films to ever grace the silver screen............in WIDESCREEN.

I was extremely disappointed with the previous DVD release of this film which contained a pan & scan presentation and nothing more than a theatrical trailer in the extras department.

What we have here is a special edition of this great movie, which will contain audio commentary from both Beverly D'Angelo and Chevy Chase, a "making of" featurette, as well as other stocking stuffers which have yet to be disclosed at this present time.

Being a huge fan of this movie, I honestly can't wait for this release. "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" has become a holiday tradition in my home, and to be able to see it the way it was intended to be seen is truly a treat for me.

Aside from the features of the disk, the film itself is the true gift. One of the funniest movies today which still withstands the test of time even 15 years later. The premise is simple. Clark W. Griswold (Chevy Chase) is hell bent on having an old-fashioned family Christmas in his home, relatives and all. Of course, the hilarity kicks in when things start to go awry. There are so many hilarious scenes in this movie, it would be difficult to list them all. You have everything from an electrocuted cat, to a house with the brightest Christmas light display known to man. Let's not forget the dried up turkey, the saucer sled and the dog/squirrel chase! There's so much more I could say to praise this movie, but if you haven't already seen it, [I won't say more]

The Griswalds are great
The group at national lampoon have a real winner in this one. It is the christmas from hell, and about the greatest christmas comedy there is. It is decided to have an old fashion christmas... all the family on both sides gathering together to celebrate christmas, and the joy of family. Well, it is national lampoon, so you know thats not all together whats going to happen. When you mix in-laws, snooty neighbors, alcohol, and the less desirable part of any family, you get something great! It's 97 minutes of National Lampoons best!

Phenominal
This has to be one of the best "Vacation" movies made yet. I cannot express this enough. It's definitly on my list of all time Christmas Classics, and you can still watch it throughout the year!

The "Vacation" movies really dig into almost any typical American's search to make the perfect vacation, life, experience for their family. Chevy Chase and Beverly DiAngelo just highlight it and make it all funny. I have had many friends and neighbors we could dub "the Grizwolds" over the years because of the bumbling things they've tried to do and these movies hit home, especially Christmas Vacation.

Buy it, love it!

The Griswold Family's Christmas From Hell
It's amazing that Chevy Chase wasn't maimed or killed during the making of this movie. I know, there were plenty of stunt players who fell off the roof, crashed through the attic, were flung about into brick walls, etc.---but still! Chevy, who had a well-publicized stint in the Betty Ford Clinic for addiction to painkillers (due to extreme back pain caused by, of all things, his numerous falls on "Saturday Night Live" in the 1970's while spoofing then-President Gerald Ford---how ironic is that???), certainly took on a certain level of risk in reprising his role as the perpetually clumsy, but good-intentioned, WASP patriarch Clark Wilhelm Griswold, Jr. in this, the third installment of the VACATION series by Chase's old comedy troupe, National Lampoon.

Having not seen (as of yet, believe it or not) either VACATION or EUROPEAN VACATION, I was a bit unfamiliar with the main characters; however, CHRISTMAS VACATION got me to know them real fast. I have to admit, I have not been a Chevy Chase fan since the '70's, during and immediately after his SNL days. (Let's face facts, the show made him an instant star, but he was never really one of the funniest members of the Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Players.) However, I believe that he gives a truly inspired comedic performance in CHRISTMAS VACATION. I'm not even referring to the copious physical comedy he displays. I'm actually talking about his comedic acting! I love the manic energy with which Chase infuses his role, and the crazed look in his eye when his character is pushed over the edge. Beverly D'Angelo, as patient but frequently unamused wife Ellen, provides a good low-key foil for his over-the-top antics. She's well-cast and, I must say, beautiful.

As far as acting talent goes, this film has no shortage in this department. A pre-stardom Juliette Lewis is welcome as Griswold daughter Audrey, and a very young Johnny Galecki is engaging as her kid brother Russell (three years before he was cast as Darlene's lazy boyfriend David on the hit TV show "Roseanne"). We also get memorable performances from E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, an unrecognizable Dianne Ladd, and a hysterically funny William Hickey. Rounding out the mix is Randy Quaid as filthy slob Cousin Eddie (who parks his trailer in the driveway), Nicholas Guest and Julia-Louis Dreyfus as the bland and stuck-up neighbors next door, and Brian Doyle-Murray who serves up good moments as Clark's old crabby boss.

The problem with CHRISTMAS VACATION is that, while it does contain some very funny scenes with lots of great, memorable one-liners, it is marred by inferior direction on the part of first-time director Jeremiah Chechik. He tends to interlace the fast-paced physical scenes with long, slow ones that grind the movie to a dead halt every time. While I didn't expect the level of non-stop, lightning-paced zaniness a la AIRPLANE!, these extended slow breaks (that usually focus on a character staring dreamily into the sky) are awkwardly placed and paced, and thereby create an uneven viewing experience. However, John Hughes' smart and wickedly funny script pretty much saves the day. I wouldn't add this to the list of perennial must-see Christmas films (such as A CHRISTMAS STORY or IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE), but CHRISTMAS VACATION does offer a lot of fun for the whole family (except for kids under the age of 10, as the language is well-seasoned with four-letter words). If it does nothing else, this film should make you feel a lot better about your Christmas!

MODERATELY RECOMMENDED ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Scorsese Over All!
I didn't think much of the Woody Allen segment (although he's one of my favorite filmmakers) and I hated the Coppola piece but I'm still giving this one 5 stars because of "Life Lessons" which in the first of three short films in this collection. No other movie that I can think of better illustrates the creative thought processes of the artist (Nick Nolte) or their sense of lonely isolation. He cannot live without women and even hilariously tells his young assistant, and I quote from memory, "I don't know anything about love? I was married and divorced four times before you were even born!" Nolte is tortured by his desires and his isolation but even lust will not allow him to compromise his artistic integrity. When Arquette pleads with him concerning whether she has any talent or not, Nolte refuses to lie to appease her. Instead he elects not to answer her question which infuriates her even more. Although he is downtrodden throughout much of the film the ending is a happy one. I own the VHS and have seen the 40 minutes of "Life Lessons" at least seven times over the years. I highly recommend it.

2/3 of a good film
There are two-thirds of a good movie in this movie, as New York's three most famous directors each contributed a short film about an aspect of New York life. The opening short, "Life Lessons" by Martin Scorsese and starring Nick Nolte and Roseann Arquette is a unforgiving look at the competitive, abusive, almost cannibalistic world of a megalomaniacal painter. I read somewhere that this short is flawed because Nolte's character doesn't change. That is not a flaw; that's the point. The ego of a successful artist, according to Scorsese, will not soften, will not learn what a conscience is, will not admit that there are other artists in his/her world. Even when the artist recognizes talent in someone else, it is quickly dismissed. The ego lords over all.

The final short film, "Oedipus Wrecks" by Woody Allen is typical comic genius. The plot is simple. Woody takes his overbearing mother to a magic show, and the magician makes her disappear. Completely disappear. The magician himself doesn't know how he did it. When mom appears as an apparition in the clouds, and speaks to the entire population of Gotham about her son, the laughs are endless.

In between these two films is one directed by Francis Ford Coppola. I can't tell you what it's about. I have yet to sit through more than ten minutes of it.

They are all good, but...
I cast my vote Woody's way. I just love the interaction between the over-the-top characters, wonderfully portrayed by Allen, Julie Kavner, and yes, Mia is good too -- can't always say that...

The real gem here is one of the final performances by Mae Questel, who once upon a time played "Betty Boop." Soon after this performance she began to decline due to Alzheimers.

This is the zany, neurotic fun that made Allen's early comedies my favorite part of his opus. Once upon a time when I was a teacher, I used "Oedipus Wrecks" with my students as a "visual short story." I had them write the ending of the story before they saw it. We had great fun with it.

Second I'd vote for Coppola's "Life Without Zoe" based, again, on the performances, especially Heather McComb's debut. She hasn't done much of note since, but I really enjoyed her here.

Scorsese's "Life Lessons" felt flat to me, despite Nolte and Arquette, both of whom I usually really like. It seemed talky and more like some of Allen's later work. There is a germ of a good idea here -- sexual obsession versus art and getting on with one's life, but I felt the film just didn't deliver.

I skipped everything but Life Lessons.
But that is an absolutely amazing film. I lived in that world for a very long time, and then got out. The film is dead ON in its presentation of the art world during that era, but what struck me most was the absolute dispassionate fairness with which the two main characters, a famous painter and his young "assistant," are presented.

Here are two people using each other, and at the same time dazzled by each other, each in a completely different way. We are given just a glimpse of the tenderness they must have shared early in their relationship when the dazzlement would have been enough to make them believe that what they felt was love.

The same story could have been told about any of the other NYC worlds where people tend to love mostly their own ambitions and only secondarily the idea of someone else. You get the feeling, watching Nolte, that he's on to himself, but doesn't have a choice. As really none of us does, when it comes to being what we are, and whom we love.

New York, the unperishable
Three directors to approach the diversity of New York.
Scorsese depicts the life of a painter in this city. He is a cannibal and needs to possess a younger woman, slightly artistic to find his momentum and his inspiration. He is the absolute vampire who sucks life out of her till she rebels and goes away, but he needs this resistance for inspiration to work.
Coppola looks at the city through the eyes of a young girl, the daughter of an internationally famous photographer, her mother, and an internationally famous flutist, her father. She lives in that rich world without any parents with her most of the time and finds a sudden pleasure when she can take a plane with her mother to fly to a concert of her father's somewhere in the wild wide world. Is that a life for a child ? It sure is the life of the children of that class of world-wide artists and celebrities and New York is an excellent base for them to grow somewhat normally.
Woody Allen goes back to his obsession of a Jewish possessive mother who cannot accept her son to be an independent person. She meddles and the trick is her disappearance and reapparition in the sky of Manhattan talking for weeks to everyone in the street and developing a consciousness of everyday life problems. New York, in that vision, is seen as the ultimate mother and the primeval family.
New York is thus shown as a multifarious entity where people live in a world of their own, a world suspended in mid air, somewhere in another space and time. Outlandish, eerie and fascinating. Nothing can destroy a city like this, and the vision of the twin towers of the WTC are there to remind us of that absolute perennity in resurrection if necessary... ... Read more

Amazon.com

You know exactly what you're getting in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation: another goofball, slapstick comedy of chaos and catastrophe with Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) and family. This time, there's no traveling involved: Clark and Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo) prepare for a nice Christmas with the kids (played by none other than Juliette Lewis and Roseanne star Johnny Galecki), when their home is invaded by backwoods cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) and his brood, along with assorted other crazy and/or stuffy relatives. Complications, of course, are inevitable. The film is preceded by National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) and National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985) and followed by National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation (1997). Directed by Jeremiah Chechik, who went on to do Benny & Joon and the Sharon Stone remake of Diabolique. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (209)

A Christmas Classic!
The film that inspired a whole generation of exterior illuminators! Subsequent to the release of this film, houses soon began Christmas-light makeovers, which I think really adds to the atmosphere of the season! Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are superb in this John Hughes classic Christmas comedy - as is Randy Quaid. Clark W Griswold Jnr is anxious to have the 'perfect' old fashioned, fun, family Chritmas. But, as usual, nothing goes according to plan: Getting stuck under a truck in the opening minutes... becoming psychotic over the failing of the thousands of lights he's added to the building... ruining the Christmas of Tod and Margo (their yuppie, bourgesois next door neighbours)...Eddie (Quaid) kidnapping Clark's boss because Clark didn't recieve his bonus cheque, needed to pay for a swimming pool...a storm sewer exploding (and the poor cat!)...the tree getting burnt...etc...Leading to the house teetering on 'the threshold of Hell'! There are many great moments in this movie. My personal favourite is when he takes Eddie and the kids sledging: a silicone-based kitchen lubricant Clark's company invented is smeared onto his sledge, propelling him like a rocket! The scenery is so Christmassy here. I have a selection of Christmas movies I stack around the video at this time of year. Christmas Vacation takes prime position. I have seen it *so* many times yet I am still not bored with it. Note: There is mild bad language in the PG version, but for those with younger children, some versions have worse. I really don't know why Hughes had to do this; this film could be accessible to all, as with Miracle On 34th Street (Hughes' remake). As is usual with John Hughes, those typical huge mansions (as with Home Alone, Ferris Bueller and Uncle Buck) feature. The photography is very Christmassy and it just might get you in the mood... The DVD has the trailer (including the other Vacation trailers), different language options, production notes etc... I am glad to have found a site that sells those reindeer egg nog glasses too!

At Long Last!!!!!!!!!!
Finally, after all this time, Warner Brothers have come to their senses. On October 7th, we will be treated to a heftly helping of one of the greatest Christmas films to ever grace the silver screen............in WIDESCREEN.

I was extremely disappointed with the previous DVD release of this film which contained a pan & scan presentation and nothing more than a theatrical trailer in the extras department.

What we have here is a special edition of this great movie, which will contain audio commentary from both Beverly D'Angelo and Chevy Chase, a "making of" featurette, as well as other stocking stuffers which have yet to be disclosed at this present time.

Being a huge fan of this movie, I honestly can't wait for this release. "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" has become a holiday tradition in my home, and to be able to see it the way it was intended to be seen is truly a treat for me.

Aside from the features of the disk, the film itself is the true gift. One of the funniest movies today which still withstands the test of time even 15 years later. The premise is simple. Clark W. Griswold (Chevy Chase) is hell bent on having an old-fashioned family Christmas in his home, relatives and all. Of course, the hilarity kicks in when things start to go awry. There are so many hilarious scenes in this movie, it would be difficult to list them all. You have everything from an electrocuted cat, to a house with the brightest Christmas light display known to man. Let's not forget the dried up turkey, the saucer sled and the dog/squirrel chase! There's so much more I could say to praise this movie, but if you haven't already seen it, [I won't say more]

The Griswalds are great
The group at national lampoon have a real winner in this one. It is the christmas from hell, and about the greatest christmas comedy there is. It is decided to have an old fashion christmas... all the family on both sides gathering together to celebrate christmas, and the joy of family. Well, it is national lampoon, so you know thats not all together whats going to happen. When you mix in-laws, snooty neighbors, alcohol, and the less desirable part of any family, you get something great! It's 97 minutes of National Lampoons best!

Phenominal
This has to be one of the best "Vacation" movies made yet. I cannot express this enough. It's definitly on my list of all time Christmas Classics, and you can still watch it throughout the year!

The "Vacation" movies really dig into almost any typical American's search to make the perfect vacation, life, experience for their family. Chevy Chase and Beverly DiAngelo just highlight it and make it all funny. I have had many friends and neighbors we could dub "the Grizwolds" over the years because of the bumbling things they've tried to do and these movies hit home, especially Christmas Vacation.

Buy it, love it!

The Griswold Family's Christmas From Hell
It's amazing that Chevy Chase wasn't maimed or killed during the making of this movie. I know, there were plenty of stunt players who fell off the roof, crashed through the attic, were flung about into brick walls, etc.---but still! Chevy, who had a well-publicized stint in the Betty Ford Clinic for addiction to painkillers (due to extreme back pain caused by, of all things, his numerous falls on "Saturday Night Live" in the 1970's while spoofing then-President Gerald Ford---how ironic is that???), certainly took on a certain level of risk in reprising his role as the perpetually clumsy, but good-intentioned, WASP patriarch Clark Wilhelm Griswold, Jr. in this, the third installment of the VACATION series by Chase's old comedy troupe, National Lampoon.

Having not seen (as of yet, believe it or not) either VACATION or EUROPEAN VACATION, I was a bit unfamiliar with the main characters; however, CHRISTMAS VACATION got me to know them real fast. I have to admit, I have not been a Chevy Chase fan since the '70's, during and immediately after his SNL days. (Let's face facts, the show made him an instant star, but he was never really one of the funniest members of the Not-Ready-for-Prime-Time Players.) However, I believe that he gives a truly inspired comedic performance in CHRISTMAS VACATION. I'm not even referring to the copious physical comedy he displays. I'm actually talking about his comedic acting! I love the manic energy with which Chase infuses his role, and the crazed look in his eye when his character is pushed over the edge. Beverly D'Angelo, as patient but frequently unamused wife Ellen, provides a good low-key foil for his over-the-top antics. She's well-cast and, I must say, beautiful.

As far as acting talent goes, this film has no shortage in this department. A pre-stardom Juliette Lewis is welcome as Griswold daughter Audrey, and a very young Johnny Galecki is engaging as her kid brother Russell (three years before he was cast as Darlene's lazy boyfriend David on the hit TV show "Roseanne"). We also get memorable performances from E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, an unrecognizable Dianne Ladd, and a hysterically funny William Hickey. Rounding out the mix is Randy Quaid as filthy slob Cousin Eddie (who parks his trailer in the driveway), Nicholas Guest and Julia-Louis Dreyfus as the bland and stuck-up neighbors next door, and Brian Doyle-Murray who serves up good moments as Clark's old crabby boss.

The problem with CHRISTMAS VACATION is that, while it does contain some very funny scenes with lots of great, memorable one-liners, it is marred by inferior direction on the part of first-time director Jeremiah Chechik. He tends to interlace the fast-paced physical scenes with long, slow ones that grind the movie to a dead halt every time. While I didn't expect the level of non-stop, lightning-paced zaniness a la AIRPLANE!, these extended slow breaks (that usually focus on a character staring dreamily into the sky) are awkwardly placed and paced, and thereby create an uneven viewing experience. However, John Hughes' smart and wickedly funny script pretty much saves the day. I wouldn't add this to the list of perennial must-see Christmas films (such as A CHRISTMAS STORY or IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE), but CHRISTMAS VACATION does offer a lot of fun for the whole family (except for kids under the age of 10, as the language is well-seasoned with four-letter words). If it does nothing else, this film should make you feel a lot better about your Christmas!

MODERATELY RECOMMENDED ... Read more

Reviews (5)

the real popeye
i took a chance on this dvd and i dont regret it!
ali baba and sinbad are approx. 15 minutes each and are worth the price of the disc.
i remember seeing these two classics in black and white on tv when i was a kid,and i had a cheap video tape of ali baba,but the dvd version is much better quality.the sound track is clear enough to hear all of popeyes hilarious mutterings.the other two cartoons are okay,but the 1956 animation just does not compare to the 1930"s ali baba and sinbad,.........the word "classic" really applies here.

Fun but flawed
Well, this isn't the definitive version of Popeye cartoons on DVD. The film is a little scratchy and jumpy, but it is no better or worse than I've seen on TV. The four cartoons are fun and a pleasure to watch. The animated menu is pretty cool, and I like the little Popeye as he cruises around on camel back.

The true classic, "Popeye Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves," is available on another collection, so I mainly bought this for "Popeye Meets Sinbad The Sailor." "Sinbad" has a great song and is a very fun cartoon. I am glad to have it. "Ancient Fistory" and "Cookin' With Gags" are fine. I would have liked to have seen more than four cartoons on the disk.

As with many of these cartoon DVDs, the extras consist of addvertisements for other collections. It would be nice to see a little more, but I was happy with the purchase

Nice to Rent, but Not to Buy
I found this DVD for rent and I am glad that I did. The transfer appears to have either been horribly botched or done from a low quality original. This is sad.

Does anyone have a print of "Ali Baba" where the soundtrack in the final big fight scene is in sync ? I have not seen one yet.

One star 'cause someone took the effort to put these classics on DVD, but 0 stars for the lack-of-quality of the effort.

A mixture of good and bad
You get four cartoons:

Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (D. Fleischer), Ancient Fistory, Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Theives (D. Fleischer), Cookin' with Gags

The two Dave Fleischer-directed cartoons are classics, and Jack Mercer's (voice of Popeye) mutterings are hilarious. I didn't care for Ancient Fistory and Cookin' with Gags - too much slpastick without a good supporting script.

The scene selection menu is pretty good - all four cartoons appear in animated frames, and Popeye zooms around the menu on camelback!

The video transfer is mediocre and probably limited by the source material. There's a good bit of jumpiness in the frame and I noticed some digital artifacting in certain scenes.

Worth having just to say you have Popeye on DVD.

Buy this for the History, not the Quality
I was very unhappy with the Tech Quality of this DVD. The master they used for the "Popeye meets Sinbad the Sailor" short was very bad. It almost looks like they found the film in someones basement.

If you want to see some history making animation this might be worth the $10 but don't expect any better quality that you get on TV.

I give it 0 stars for the quality and 2 for the animation history. ... Read more