The Muppet Christmas Carol [DVD]

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Susana Polo: Oh, to the contrary. Though it was cut from the theatrical version, “When Love is Gone” was included haphazardly in home video versions. All the copies my family happened to own, from VHS to modern day, included the scene. It’s always been there for me. And yeah, I think it suuuuuuuuu— I mean, uh, I think it’s the weakest part of the film. But how did it hit you, fresh to the glory of Muppet Christmas Carol? The song was included for subsequent American video releases and TV airings of the movie prior to the 2012 Blu-Ray edition, which only includes the theatrical cut albeit with a different edit of the sequence. This version of the film has since aired on ABC Family and was released theatrically in 2020. The song is also removed in the UK and Region 2 DVD release. The issue of this cut was discussed by director Brian Henson in the film's DVD audio commentary recorded in 2002 (again, except on the UK DVD release, which omits the commentary as well). The scene was included as an extra when the film was released in the iTunes Store, and on Disney+ in 2019. Brian Henson announced at D23 Expo 2022 that starting on December 11, 2022 (exactly 30 years to the release date), the song would be reinstated into the film on Disney+ for the first time in high definition. This version of the movie was released two days early on December 9 under the "extras" section. As one would hope for any discrete scene in a movie, there are a lot of things that “When Love Is Gone” does for Muppet Christmas Carol, as you say, not least introducing a musical motif that is reprised in the very final moments of the film. If nothing else, it should be included in any release of the movie for the sake of preservation. These are things I believe wholeheartedly. Disney Princess: A Christmas of Enchantment • A Very Playhouse Disney Holiday • Disney Channel Holiday with funny 10-year retrospection from the three participants. With an irreverent tone and genuine insider insight (including some footage of the Muppeteers performing under the specially-built planks), this was a great and memorable featurette. It would have been a better and more relevant inclusion than the new Pepe Profiles piece and most Muppet fans would surely rather have this ported over than yet another cropped presentation of the movie. It's also disappointing that the film's original theatrical trailer wasn't included this time around either, because obviously it's sitting in Disney vaults and is free from any rights issues that might plague trailers for the Disney-acquired Muppet films.

The Muppet Christmas Carol to the screen were longtime head writer of "The Muppet Show" Jerry Juhl (penning the screenplay), original Muppeteer Frank Oz (serving as executive producer), and Jim Henson's son Brian (as producer and making his feature film directorial debut). This is the first of the Muppet movies in which the focus of the story revolves around characters played by human beings. However, several pivotal roles -- in particular, the three Christmas Spirits -- were portrayed by specially-created Muppet characters. It was at one time considered that well-known Muppets would be cast in these roles (Piggy, Scooter, and Gonzo, specifically) before it was decided that it would detract from the ominous effect the spirits would need to convey. [3] Tasha Robinson: OK, let’s clarify one thing: I saw The Muppet Christmas Carol for the very first time a week ago, thanks to friends who were appalled that I’d never watched it before and set up a group viewing online. (They actually found out last year at our group semi-hate-watch of White Christmas, and insisted on setting up this week’s screening nearly a year in advance. That’s dedication!) Why is the visual staging of this solo number so unutterably boring? She never even takes her hands out of her cute little Victorian muff. [ Ed. note: While gathering images to lay out this post I discovered that Belle is actually not wearing a muff at all, she just keeps her hands so still and pinned to her stomach for the whole song that I Mandela Effect-ed one into existence. I am noting this in case you too believed that Belle was a muff-wearer.] Why on earth wasn’t this number designed to be a shared song between Belle, young Scrooge, and older Scrooge from the get-go? We can still culminate with Belle and Present Scrooge harmonizing — that’s perfect and I have no notes. At last, The Muppet Christmas Carol is treated to a 16x9-enhanced widescreen transfer in the ratio it was originally seen in, 1.85:1. This presentation is a thing of beauty. It offers a vast improvement over the previous DVD release and praiseworthy color, contrast, and sharpness. The print is not quite immaculate but close to it and any imperfections are extremely minor. In short, it's everything you hoped for three years ago and probably even better thanks to advances in compression technique.

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A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008) • The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005) • Jim Henson's Dog City: The Movie Kermit's 50th Anniversary Editions: Muppet Treasure Island (1996) • The Muppet Movie (1979) • The Great Muppet Caper (1981) The Santa Clause (Special Edition) • The Santa Clause 2 • The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause • I'll Be Home for Christmas (1998) • Fred Claus Tasha: It’s only a few minutes! It isn’t that long! And it’s just about our last touchpoint for young, emotional Scrooge before his heart hardened. So he’s the focus here, not his minimally developed love interest! Only one supplement from the film's first DVD release has not been presented here, but it's a substantial one. "Frogs, Pigs, and Humbug: Unwrapping a New Holiday Classic" was a (then) newly-produced 22-minute making-of featurette hosted by Brian Henson, Gonzo, and Rizzo. It combined on-set interview clips with Michael Caine and some of the Muppet performers

Finally, Scrooge meets the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, a silent entity who reveals the chilling revelation that young Tiny Tim ( Robin) will not survive the coming year, thanks in no small part to the impoverished existence of the Cratchit family. Furthermore, it is revealed that when Scrooge's own time has passed, others will certainly delight in his absence from the world. Upon seeing his headstone in the cemetery, it is the final epiphany that convinces Scrooge to change his ways and makes him vow to celebrate with his fellow man.

For this 50th Anniversary DVD, Disney has recycled the animated menus from the studio's initial DVD release of The Muppet Christmas Carol. That's just fine because they're quite inspired and much more fun than your typical DVD menu. Kermit hosts the screen and tries to get you to make a selection if you begin waiting. Of course, his antics are more likely to encourage you to NOT make a selection and instead watch him grow mildly frustrated. That's the point. Aside from the new EasyFind menu icons, different highlighting cursors, and the obvious menu revisions/additions, they're exactly like the previous DVD, which for once, is a good thing. A seven-second Muppet Studios logo (accompanied by a few chords from "The Muppet Show" theme) now appears before the film starts. It's actually not a part of either version's video file, but plays as an introduction the way those annoying FBI warnings and the new and "improved" Disney DVD logo do. Bear in the Big Blue House: Visiting the Doctor with Bear • Early to Bed, Early to Rise • Storytelling with Bear • Sense-sational!

Tasha: Yeah, I’m sure not going to try to fight you on Muppet love songs in general. I’m entirely on board with the take that the Muppets are at their best when they’re wholly sincere, and my favorite Muppets songs tend to be the kind of achy melancholy songs Williams writes, including the ones I mentioned above and “When the River Meets the Sea,” a sweet holiday song about death. The bonus short "Gonzo: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Weirdo" is also great and hilarious! Read full review Ghost of Christmas Present (Tiny Tim, Scrooge, The Muppet Cast) – Finale – “When Love Is Found/It Feels Like Christmas” Susana: Bluntly, I think the whole scene needed to have been rethought before it was ever filmed. There’s the whole thing about how we are not invested in Belle and will not see her again the very moment the music ends on this song. But I have a lot more questions: If you enjoyed the Muppet Show in the 1980's or any of the Muppet movies that have been released like "Muppets from Space" or "Muppet Treasure Island", you will thoroughly enjoy this adaptation. Guaranteed, the children will. Read full review

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Theatrical Release: December 11, 1992 / Running Time: 86 Minutes (theatrical cut), 89 Minutes (extended cut) / Rating: G