My favoritest Christmas special ever

[happysnowman]

Do any of you guys remember those claymation Christmas Classics that come on every year. There's no way that you guys wouldn't know what I'm talking about, unless of course you were raised in an underground cave in the Appalachians. Anywho do you guys like watching those? What are your favorites? I love the one about Rudolph and the island of misfit toys, it's something that I think I'll be watching as I breathe my final breath. Well, not really, but you get the point right? Hehe. Anyways, they have a dvd boxed set with all 7 of the original stories, like Frosty, and all that great stuff. Does anyone think they'll get this for Christmas? They make great gifts, I got some for my friends and family. A friend of mine told me that they have it at Costco for like around $20 bucks, so that's a bargain! I wish I knew about that before I ordered them all online, but if you want to order them online you can still go to http://www.classicmedia.tv :D Merry Christmas everyone!

http://i199.photobucket.com/albums/aa62/Designstarphotos/ChristmasClassics_DVDset.jpg

[tv star collector]

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1964) is one Christmas show that I never
tire of seeing ... and I've probably seen it close to 43 times. A little trivia:
the story of Rudolph dates back to 1939, when Robert L. May (a Montgomery
Ward store employee) was commissioned to write a children's story. Needless
to say, the tale he wrote has become a classic. Rudolph first hit the big
screen, in 1944, in a Max Fleischer animated cartoon short. In 1947, Johnny
Marks wrote the famous song, and Gene Autry turned it into a hit. It sold two
million copies the first year and has since sold over 150 million. Next came an
annual DC comic book and a Little Golden Book. Then, in 1964, Rankin/Bass
produced the most-familiar animated version, narrated by Burl Ives. Billie
Mae Richards supplied Rudolph's voice. The lovable misfit did indeed, as the
song says, "go down in history."

[comedyfreak]

Rudolph is my favorite Christmas special. I too never get tire seeing it every year.

[Hazel Anyday]

Rudolph, Frosty, all the specials in the box set you're talking about are not and have nothing to do with Claymation. Claymation is what was done with those Rasin Bran "Heard it thru Gravevine" ads and specials, it's also, more classicly how the Gumby TV show was done. :talk:

The Rankin-Bass Rudolph and several other specials like it are animation using dolls or figures. It's not really Puppetmation because they weren't puppets, like was used in Thunderbirds, Stingray and the like. :talk:

Anyway, I love all those specials, Rudolph, Frosty and the rest in that box set, I watch 'em every year. :wave:

[coffield3]

I watched this for the first time last year on you tube, i dont think they have ever been aired over here in the uk? Anyway i loved it that much that i brought it on dvd! ;) Wai have you ever seen this aired in the uk? :)

[tv star collector]

Rudolph, Frosty, all the specials in the box set you're talking about are not and have nothing to do with Claymation. Claymation is what was done with those Rasin Bran "Heard it thru Gravevine" ads and specials, it's also, more classicly how the Gumby TV show was done. :talk:

The Rankin-Bass Rudolph and several other specials like it are animation using dolls or figures. It's not really Puppetmation because they weren't puppets, like was used in Thunderbirds, Stingray and the like. :talk:

Anyway, I love all those specials, Rudolph, Frosty and the rest in that box set, I watch 'em every year. :wave:

Thanks for clarifying that distinction. Stop-motion animation has been done
by several talented people over the years: Willis O'Brien (the original "King
Kong"), George Pal's Puppetoons, Art Clokey's GUMBY and DAVEY & GOLIATH,
the Rankin/Bass "Animagic" holiday TV specials, and Will Vinton's Claymation
the best-known being the California Raisins TV commercials) ... not to
mention the award-winning Wallace & Grommit (from Aardman Animations,
a UK studio). It's a long, time-consuming process; but some fans prefer it
over hand-drawn cartoons or CG (computer-generated). I personally have
liked all three types of animation, because I just look for an entertaining
story (although lately CG has been overdone, I think). Wallace & Grommit
proved that stop-motion animation can still bring people to theatres (the
same studio also gave us the popular movie "Chicken Run" a few years ago).

[dav4463]

Santa Claus is coming to town is my favorite.

I love the Burger Meister Meister Burger!

[D-Dey]

It's a tough choice for me, but the period between 1964 and 1971 has always had the best Christmas Specials, IMHO. Not because I was born in 1965, and those took place in my early childhood, but because this was the period when television was turning out the first and most memorable animated Christmas Specials. Check out the Christmas episodes of most of the TV shows today and how many of them use these as references. Even non-Christmas television uses them. The one thing I'd like to know about "Rudolph" is where they got all that blizzard footage in the beginning.

[Mikado]

I loved Rudolf when i was a kid (Even if the Sasquach-like character scared the cr... out of me), but, I find it too long and childish now, I'd rather watch the Charlie Brown special with the little tree! (Which Ive watched almost every year since its original telecast on CBS)