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amediaI know I've seen this before (many years ago), but we watched it tonight, and I have comments!
We got the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy version of the Snow Miser-Heat Miser song free from Amazon a year or so ago, and liked it a whole lot, and then we heard that there was a whole Miser Brothers special, and so we wanted to watch that, but we needed to trace its lineage first, so we recorded the ur-text, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and watched that tonight.
I have thinkings to share.
1. The plot makes no sense. Most of the desiderata are achieved very quickly and the rest of the episode involves people running around trying to do things that don't need to be done.
2. Early on, Mrs. Claus considers posing as Santa Claus, since he doesn't feel up to doing his toy-delivery gig. Three things about that:
2a. She sings a really nice song about how anyone can be Santa, which I really liked because of course when you go out you see Hispanic Santas, black Santas, etc., and I thought the song had a great (and timely) message. (I mean, timely now--I don't know how timely it was in 1974.)
2b. Then she gives up on the idea for no apparent reason. Well, obviously, the real reason is that the story would be over in the first ten minutes, but that's the plot machinery creaking.
2c. As part of the introduction to the song, she mentions that she often fantasizes about playing Santa. I half-expected to see a strap-on and a copy of "Bend Over Boyfriend" on her dresser.
3. The Snow Miser-Heat Miser song is head-and-shoulders above everything else in the show.
3a. At certain angles, Snow Miser looks a lot like Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor.
3b. Heat Miser's hair looks like a Chihuly glass sculpture.
4. It's not quite as bad as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, which I'm pretty sure I ranted about a long time ago, but the way the characters kept saying that there would be no Christmas without Santa puts this into the Anti-Grinch category. Some very sweet and touching things happen, but clearly Christmas is still all about presents.
5. The title does not fit the story. Together with #1, this gives me the impression that this was really not very well thought out.
We got the Big Bad Voodoo Daddy version of the Snow Miser-Heat Miser song free from Amazon a year or so ago, and liked it a whole lot, and then we heard that there was a whole Miser Brothers special, and so we wanted to watch that, but we needed to trace its lineage first, so we recorded the ur-text, The Year Without a Santa Claus, and watched that tonight.
I have thinkings to share.
1. The plot makes no sense. Most of the desiderata are achieved very quickly and the rest of the episode involves people running around trying to do things that don't need to be done.
2. Early on, Mrs. Claus considers posing as Santa Claus, since he doesn't feel up to doing his toy-delivery gig. Three things about that:
2a. She sings a really nice song about how anyone can be Santa, which I really liked because of course when you go out you see Hispanic Santas, black Santas, etc., and I thought the song had a great (and timely) message. (I mean, timely now--I don't know how timely it was in 1974.)
2b. Then she gives up on the idea for no apparent reason. Well, obviously, the real reason is that the story would be over in the first ten minutes, but that's the plot machinery creaking.
2c. As part of the introduction to the song, she mentions that she often fantasizes about playing Santa. I half-expected to see a strap-on and a copy of "Bend Over Boyfriend" on her dresser.
3. The Snow Miser-Heat Miser song is head-and-shoulders above everything else in the show.
3a. At certain angles, Snow Miser looks a lot like Jon Pertwee as the 3rd Doctor.
3b. Heat Miser's hair looks like a Chihuly glass sculpture.
4. It's not quite as bad as 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, which I'm pretty sure I ranted about a long time ago, but the way the characters kept saying that there would be no Christmas without Santa puts this into the Anti-Grinch category. Some very sweet and touching things happen, but clearly Christmas is still all about presents.
5. The title does not fit the story. Together with #1, this gives me the impression that this was really not very well thought out.
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Date: 2013-12-30 04:59 am (UTC)ROFL at the glass sculpture!!!! Brilliant!!!!
I remembered parts of this very vividly. The Misers and their little vaudeville routines, of course. And also, for some reason, Vixen with socks on her ears.
The stop-motion animation seemed a lot jerkier and more rushed than Rudolph, which was rather annoying.
I, too, wondered why Mrs. Claus abandoned her masquerading plans for no apparent reason, but your reason of 'so the plot could carry on' makes (the only) sense. Also, I thought it was so sweet how instead of having pure white hair she had those little butterscotch strands still mixed in there.
Mother Nature was absolutely awesome, as was her parklike environment. She had a bird's nest on her hat, for goodness sake. With a bird on it. I mean... best character who was only onscreen for thirty seconds EVER. She should have gotten her own freaking series.
I had to look up desiderata. "Desiderata" (Latin: "desired things") Cool.
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Date: 2014-01-02 03:18 am (UTC)I agree--I loved the little butterscotch strands! ("Butterscotch" is exactly the right word for them, too. *glitchnod*)
Mother Nature reminded me of the margarine commercials, the one that said, "It's not NICE to fool Mother Nature!" She had great presence! (both the margarine one, and this one).
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Date: 2014-01-03 04:52 pm (UTC)Do you mean 'Santa Claus is Comin' To Town', where he's young and red-haired and meets the lovely Jessica? I watched that one this year, too, and cried when they got married. :D
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Date: 2014-01-20 07:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-21 12:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-20 07:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-01 03:39 am (UTC)OMG, he does!