A quarter-century ago, the popular acceptance of VCRs gave a boost to companies that didn't contain the names Walt Disney and Jim Henson. It was kids' products and porn that did the most to boost video sales. Initially, DVD manufacturers directed their marketing campaigns toward those who would benefit most from the technological advantages of the format—adult fans of studio films. While VCRs were often used as high-tech baby-sitters, DVDs were pretty much reserved for grown-ups.
That's all changed. DVD hardware is now so inexpensive that some players cost less than the tab for a long afternoon's worth of baby-sitting.
I was reminded of these changes by the unexpected avalanche of G-rated Christmas titles, and the PG-13 Eight Crazy Night from Adam Sandler, that landed on my front porch a few weeks ago. Arriving as they did in mid-October, I thought the timing premature, but then I remembered that the final tick of the clock Halloween night signals the official beginning of the Christmas season.
Sandler's brand of humor is an acquired taste that, even after Punch-Drunk Love and Anger Management, I've yet to acquire. So, sue me. Sandler co-produced and voiced the lead character in Eight Crazy Nights, alongside SNL pals Jon Lovitz and Rob Schneider, which, typically, documents the evolution of a small-town ne'er-do-well from blissful immaturity to relative adulthood. Included in Columbia's two-disc set are videos of Sandler's "Chanukah Song" and the short film, A Day With the Meatball, as well as nine other featurettes and commentary.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow
In the days before prime-time became the sole reserve of Dick Wolf, Jerry Bruckheimer and David E. Kelley, no holiday season was complete without several star-studded specials dedicated to the "true spirit" of Christmas. Hallmark Cards produced and sponsored dozens of these, and many have now become available on DVD. They include: Maureen O'Hara and Richard Thomas in The Christmas Box, packaged with Timepiece, starring James Earl Jones and Ellen Burstyn; Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Santa Claus; Katharine Hepburn's interpretation of Truman Capote's One Christmas; the World War II drama Silent Night; and A Christmas Visitor, set on the eve of the first Gulf War.
Last year's follow-up to Disney's surprise 1994 blockbuster The Santa Claus did decent business, but not quite what the studio expected. In its DVD release, The Santa Claus II—also starring Tim Allen as the bearded one—should easily make up for any disappointment in Accounting. The package overflows with extras, not the least of which is an interactive activity disc, perfect for digital baby-sitting. And yes, the DVD version eliminates the The in the film's title, as well as —The Mrs. Clause. Don't ask.
Also from Disney came the animated seasonal features Winnie the Pooh: Seasons of Giving and Olie's Winter Wonderland. Made-for-television updates of The Music Man and Eloise at the Plaza should provide cheer around the tree, too.
Unfortunately, neither version of Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is yet available on DVD.
Still time to take flight
Winged Migration, a nominee for a Best Documentary Oscar last year, is another G-rated feature that fits the mood of the season ... in this case, autumn. Five camera crews worked three years to document the migrations of birds over 40 countries and seven continents.
Peeking over the grassy knoll
Another rite of November is, of course, our commemoration of the death of President John F. Kennedy. On this, the 40th anniversary of his assassination, Warner Bros. is releasing a re-mastered version of Oliver Stone's controversial and provocative JFK, with 17 additional minutes of narrative and a documentary, Beyond JFK: The Question of Conspiracy. No matter how you feel about Stone's theories, it's a heck of a movie. This time around, try to concentrate on the acting instead of the conspiracy.