Paramount’s Not-So-New ‘Peanuts’ Movie Collection Is A Disappointing Presentation

Courtesy: Paramount

It goes without saying that Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the rest of the Peanuts gang are among the most beloved figures in America’s pop culture history.  Their adventures on the printed page and on screen have brought together generations of audiences and have been seen around the world.  Now this week, four classic Peanuts feature-length films were re-issued yet again by Paramount on Blu-ray in what the studio has dubbed the Snoopy Collection.  That title for the collection is the starting point for what is otherwise a very problematic presentation from Paramount.  It will be discussed shortly.  The collection of the movies in this platform makes for its own share of problems and will be discussed a little later.  The average price point of this collection rounds out its most important elements and will be discussed later, too.  Each item noted is key in its own way to the whole of Paramount’s latest Peanuts movie collection re-issue.  All things considered, they make this re-issued set a dishonor to the legacy of Charles Schulz and to Peanuts fans.

Paramount’s newly re-issued Peanuts 4-Movie Collection is a disappointing presentation from the famed movie studio.  The concern comes right off the top in the set’s titling.  Paramount is marketing the re-issued collection as the Snoopy Collection instead of simply using the original title of the Peanuts 4-Movie Collection.  Such a title infers that all four movies in the collection focus on Snoopy, rather than the whole Peanuts gang.  The reality is that only one movie in the collection – Snoopy, Come Home – centers mainly on Snoopy.  The other three movies – A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown, and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown, And Don’t Come Back –focus on the whole group.  So in using the new title, Paramount is essentially lying to audiences.  That is, in itself very disappointing.  It is as if someone at Paramount set out to intentionally mislead consumers, expecting them to buy the set just because it has Snoopy on the cover and title; this even though audiences might already own the movies featured in the set.  Speaking of the movies featured in the set, they make up another concern surrounding the collection.

The movies featured in Paramount’s Snoopy Collection were already released together on DVD in 2016, also through Paramount.  What’s more, that single-disc collection is also widely available to purchase online and in stores.  The quality of the footage between the two collections is roughly the same.  There was no re-mastering in this latest case.  So to that end, audiences who might already own that single-disc collection have no reason to purchase this not-so-new collection.  As if that is not enough, all four movies are available by themselves.  A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy Come Home were re-issued by themselves in September 2016 on Blu-ray.  They were also re-issued in 2015 on DVD alongside this set’s other two movies.  So audiences who already own the aforementioned Blu-ray releases would essentially be buying those same two movies on Blu-ray again along with the DVD movies, except this time on BD, too.  Maybe audiences don’t own any of the movies or some mix and match, then sure, the set will be worth the purchase.  Those audiences who perhaps (like this critic) already own all four movies have zero reason to buy, though.  That applies whether audiences own the movies in their collection or in their standalone platforms.  Simply put, the presentation of all four movies here is just as little reason for most audiences to buy the set as the deceptive titling for the collection. 

Continuing from the set’s general presentation, its average price point is one more reason that audiences should leave this one on the shelves (physical and digital).  The average price point for the new BD presentation of the Peanuts 4-Movie Collection is $42.  That price was obtained by averaging prices at Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and Books-A-Million.  Amazon, Walmart, Target each list the set below that price, at $36.97, $38.99, and $29.96 respectively.  Audiences will note that Walmart’s listing is the lowest of that group, while the other two noted retailers’ prices are just below that point.  That is telling in itself.  Barnes & Noble Booksellers, and Books-A-Million meanwhile list the set at an extraordinary $57.99 and $44.99 respectively.  Keep in mind here that each set spreads the movies across four discs, so Paramount cannot use the excuse of extra material used to make the set for the exorbitantly high pricing.

By comparison, the average price point for the noted single-disc DVD collection is $11.19. That price was obtained by averaging prices at the same retailers used to get the average price point for the collection’s BD presentation.  Keeping this in mind, the average price point for the collection’s BD set is more than three times that of the collection’s DVD set.  Barnes & Noble Booksellers once again far exceeds the average, this time at $21.99.  Target and Amazon actually present the least expensive of the set’s listings in this case, at $7.59.  The short and simple of everything here is that the comparison of the DVD collection’s pricing to that of the collection’s new BD re-issue is stark and all the more reason for audiences to lean more toward the DVD collection than the BD set.  When this aspect is considered along with everything else noted here and the fact that both sets spread the movies across four discs, it all makes the not-so-new presentation among the most disappointing of this year’s new family DVD and BD box sets.

Paramount’s new Blu-ray re-issue of the Peanuts 4-Movie Collection is a disappointing presentation.  It does nothing but disrespect fans of the timeless franchise and the legacy of Charles Chulz, the creator of Good Ol’ Charlie Brown and company.  The problems with this set start before audiences even place any of the discs in the Blu-ray player’s tray.  Instead of just going with the same name as that used in the set’s 2016 DVD presentation, someone at Paramount instead tried to deceive audiences and change the set’s title to Snoopy Collection.  This is even considering the fact that the set features the same movies as those in the DVD set.  Only one of the set’s movies centers mainly on Snoopy, while the other three focus on the whole Peanuts gang.  So again, here is proof that someone at Paramount thought it smart to act like this set is something new when clearly it isn’t.  Speaking of the featured movies, they have – again – been presented together in a four-disc DVD set that is still widely available to this day.  Those movies are also available as standalone presentations, with two – A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Snoopy, Come Home – already available on Blu-ray by themselves.  The other two movies are available mainly on DVD.  Simply put, what all of this adds up to (no pun intended) is that Paramount is trying to pressure audiences to put that aside and let their fandom control them.  Audiences should not give in to this pressure if they already have these movies in their collective or standalone presentations.  The exorbitant price for this set is just one more reason that audiences should leave this set on the shelves if they already own its featured movies.  This set’s average price point is more than three times that of the set’s DVD presentation.  The separate listings are just as stark in their comparisons.  Keeping that in mind along with everything else noted, the people at Paramount should be ashamed for having dishonored Peanuts’ fans and the legacy of Peanuts’ creator, Charles Schulz with this set.  It all combines to paint Paramount as a company that (like Disney and Warner Home Entertainment) cares more about its bottom line than about actually entertaining audiences.  More simply put, it is a presentation that makes it look like Paramount cares more about quantity (how much money it can make) than about quality (actually offering content worth buying).

More information on these and other Peanuts releases is available online now along with all of the latest Peanuts news and more at:

Website: http://www.PEANUTS.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/snoopy

Twitter: http://twitter.com/snoopy

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Two New ‘Peanuts’ Music Playlists Streaming Online

Courtesy: Sugar Mountain PR

Peanuts fans have two new ways to celebrate the franchise’s history.

Craft Recordings has curated two new playlists that celebrate the music of Peanuts composer Vince Guaraldi. The playlists’ debut come less than a month after Craft Recordings debuted another playlist that features music from the Peanuts movies and TV specials.

The two new playlists are composed separately of “Easy Listening” and “Dance” songs that were featured in the noted movies and TV specials. Audiences will find that some of the songs featured in these two new lists are also featured in Craft Recordings’ initial Vince Guaraldi playlist, but are now more distinctly classified from one another in the noted new lists.

In related news, Craft Recordings recently premiered a new animated video for the beloved song, ‘The Great Pumpkin Waltz.’ The song is featured in the timeless Peanuts primetime TV special It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.

The video opens with Linus’ classic letter to The Great Pumpkin, asking for lots of toys. From there, the curtain lifts to show Linus in the pumpkin patch in which he waited all that fateful night with Sally for The Great Pumpkin. As the video progresses, a series of pumpkins and presents wrapped in orange with green ribbons fill the screen against a constantly changing backdrop, all the while the song playing over the video.

Courtesy: Craft Recordings

‘The Great Pumpkin Waltz’ was last featured on the 2012 CD re-issue of A Charlie Brown Christmas‘ soundtrack as one of two bonus tracks. The other bonus track was one of the songs from the Peanuts primetime Thanksgiving TV special A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Neither song is featured in Craft Recordings’ recently released vinyl re-issue of the soundtrack, which is at least the seventh of the soundtrack’s re-issues.

More information on this and other titles from Craft Recordings is available at:

Website: http://CraftRecordings.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/craftrecordingsofficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/craftrecordings

To keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

WB Home Video’s New ‘Peanuts’ DVD Set Will Entertain Audiences Of All Ages

Courtesy: Warner Brothers Home Video

Peanuts is one of the most beloved franchises both in the print realm and that of broadcast television, so it only makes sense that any number of DVDs and Blu-rays have been released (and re-issued) over the years featuring the franchise’s TV specials and comics adaptations.  Those specials and collections have been released in large part through Warner Brothers Home Entertainment.  Late last month, Warner Home Video released yet another new Peanuts collection in the form of Peanuts: Snoopy Tales.  This new two-disc collection of animated shorts is an intriguing new offering from Warner Home Video that is worth at least one watch.  That is due in part to the writing.  This will be discussed shortly.  The shorts’ artwork is just as important to note here as their collective writing.  That will be discussed later.  The voice cast’s work rounds out the set’s most important elements.  Each element is important in its own right to the collection’s overall presentation.  All things considered, they make Peanuts: Snoopy Tales a collection that is worth at least one watch.

Peanuts: Snoopy Tales is one of the most intriguing Peanuts offerings that Warner Home Video has released to date.  Even being so unlike almost every one of its predecessors, it is still worth at least one watch.  That is due in part to the collection’s overall writing.  Rather than presenting one or two specific stories, this collection presents 32 separate shorts. The shorts in question are comprised of Peanuts strips presented in newspapers throughout the years.  This means that while the stories are not new per se, the shorts give those strips a whole new life and identity here.  On the surface, this is a good thing.  On another level, the shorts’ segments are in themselves so short that audiences will be forced to devote their full attention to each short in order to fully appreciate each short and segment.  That can be both good and bad.  Keeping that in mind, the general writing involved in these shorts shows why it is so important to this collection’s presentation.  It is just one of the key elements to note in the collection’s presentation.  The artwork used in bringing the strips to life on the screen is just as important to the set’s collection as their collective writing and run times.

The writing and run times of the shorts presented in Peanuts: Snoopy Tales is collectively key to the set’s presentation because they are both good and bad all at the same time.  The segments that make up each short are lifted directly from Schulz’ famed comic strips.  They are also short in themselves, essentially forcing audiences to devote more time and attention to each one in order to appreciate the whole of each short.  It is certain to leave audiences divided.  On a more positive note, the artwork used to bring the strips to life on screen will unite audiences in applauding its look.  It is a near mirror image of the designs used in the segments’ print counterparts right down to the minutia of the segments’ backgrounds.  Even the Peanuts gang itself looks almost identical on screen here as they do in print.  Audiences will love that the animators went to such painstaking lengths to duplicate the look of the strips on screen all the way down to the lines showing Woodstock’s flight paths and his word bubbles complete with little lines to show his “words” among so much more detail.  Between these noted details and so much more, it becomes clear that the artwork used in this collection of Peanuts shorts is its most important positive.  While it might be the set’s most important element, it still is not the only remaining important element.  The work of the shorts’ voice cast is important to note, too.

The writing behind the shorts culled for Peanuts: Snoopy Tales and the artwork therein are both key elements to their presentation.  The writing forces audiences to devote their fullest attention to the shorts.  That can be both good and bad.  The artwork presented in each short is really the shorts’ cornerstone.  That is because it makes each short look just like the strips that are enjoyed every day in print.  Having noted all of this, the last element to note here is that of the voice cast’s work.  The voice cast impresses as it brings to life the Peanuts gang in each short.  While obviously not the same cast that brought the kids to life in the original TV specials (and likely not the cast that voiced the kids in the more recent TV specials from the 90s), this voice cast still does an impressive job of bringing Charlie Brown and company to life on screen.  Even as short as each segment is, the voice cast still entertains, paying homage to the work done by its predecessors.  The end result is a collection of performances that audiences of all ages will enjoy.  When those enjoyable performances are joined with artwork that makes Schulz’s comic strips jump from the page to the screen, what audiences get is an extensive group of Peanuts stories that the whole family will enjoy as long as they fully devote themselves to each adventure.

Peanuts: Snoopy Tales is a collection of Peanuts shorts that the whole family will enjoy as long as they fully devote themselves to the truly short stories.  As long as they do, they will find both the shorts’ artwork and the voice cast’s work to be equally worthy of praise.  Keeping that in mind, the combination of all three of these elements makes Peanuts: Snoopy Tales an enjoyable addition to any Peanuts fan’s home DVD library.  It is available now in stores and online.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

CMG’s ‘Lured’ Re-Issue Leads Phil’s Picks’ 2016 Top 10 New DVD/BD Re-Issues List

Courtesy: Cohen Media Group

It’s hard to believe but there are now only two weeks left in the year.  There’s still so much ground to cover before the year ends, too in terms of year-ender lists. This morning we move on again, staying still in the DVD and BD category, though.  On tap today we have the list of the year’s top new DVD/BD Re-Issues.

Included in this list are box sets and standalone DVDs/BDs.  So it’s a mix.  But it’s a solid mix.  Topping this year’s list of top new re-issues is Cohen Media Group’s re-issue of the 1947 thriller Lured.  The movie was one of star Lucille Ball’s very rare non-comedic roles, and she shines brightly in this movie.  The bonus commentary included in the movie adds even more to its viewing experience.

Speaking of bonus material, this critic took into account the re-issues’ bonus material as well as their packaging in assembling this list. It wasn’t easy.  But it is what this critic feels is a solid list nonetheless.  As a reminder, the list includes not only the Top 10 New DVD/BD re-issues but five additional honorable mention titles for a total of 15 titles.  That being said, here for you is Phil’s Picks’ 2016 Top 10 New DVD/BD Re-Issues.

 

PHIL’S PICKS 2016 TOP 10 NEW DVD/BD RE-ISSUES

 

1. Lured

 

2. Sudden Fear

 

3. Return of the Killer Tomatoes

 

4. Charlie Brown’s All-Stars

 

5. A Boy Named Charlie Brown

 

6. Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home

 

7. A Scandal in Paris

 

8. The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series

 

9. Transformers: The Movie

 

10. Bump in the Night

 

11. Kingdom of Zydeco

 

12. Hogan’s Heroes: The Complete Series

 

13. The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series

 

14. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

 

15. Beauty and the Beast

 

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‘Peanuts’ Movies Are New Again…Sort Of

Courtesy: CBS DVD/Paramount

Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang are coming to Blu-ray for the first time ever next week with the re-issue of two classic Peanuts movies—Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home and Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown.  The two new re-issues will be released Tuesday, September 6^th in stores and online. While not the first time ever that the specials have been released to the masses (they were released on their own standalone platforms and in a pair of multi-movie sets just last year along with the full-length Peanuts movies Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown and Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don’t Come Back) ) these latest re-issues are a good fit for anyone that might not have been lucky enough to get their hands on the specials’ DVD re-issues.  That is due at least in part to each movie’s general presentation. That will be discussed shortly.  The story behind each movie is just as important to note as each movie’s presentation.  That will be discussed later.  The movies’ pricing rounds out each presentation’s most important elements.  It brings everything full circle in the movies’ overall presentation. As important as they are to note, audiences should also keep in mind that CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount will be re-issuing them again later this fall in a new Blu-ray dual movie presentation just as they were last year in DVD format.  Keeping that in mind, while these re-issues are enjoyable in their own right, audiences might be better served to wait for that upcoming re-issue and hold off on these.

CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount’s new Blu-ray presentations of Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home and Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown are enjoyable new re-issues for anyone that might not already own the movies’ DVD presentation.  That is due at least in part to the movies’ general presentations.  The movies’ new Blu-ray presentations are exactly the same as that of their DVD counterparts.  Audiences get in each movie just the movies, nothing more, nothing less.  In other words they are bare bones releases just like their DVD counterparts.  This is important to note because there are so many studios out there who make each of their titles’ re-issues different from one another in one way or another.  That isn’t the case here.  The movies’ Blu-ray presentations are mirror images of their DVD counterparts except for their platforms.  Keeping that in mind, the stories behind the movies are just as important to note as the movies’ presentations.

Courtesy: CBS DVD/Paramount

The general presentation of Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home and Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown are key to note for each.  That is because each movie’s presentation is a mirror image of its DVD counterpart save for the fact that they are now on Blu-ray platform.  That means audiences both with and without the movies’ previous DVD re-issues will be on the same level in terms of what each title offers for entertainment.  Keeping that in mind, the movie’s stories are just as important to note as the presentations themselves.  Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home follows Snoopy as he suddenly packs up and leaves Charlie Brown one day without any explanation whatsoever.  At first everyone is left wondering why Snoopy left.  The final revelation as to Snoopy’s disappearance is one that will move audiences of all ages to both smiles and tears.  Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown is the first of the Peanuts movies to ever be created.  The movie follows Charlie Brown as he wins his school’s spelling bee and is sent to New York City to compete at a national level.  Meanwhile Charlie’s best friend Linus is in search of his beloved blanket after it “mysteriously” disappears.  Things seem to be going well for Charlie Brown at first.  But when the big day arrives, things don’t turn out quite as he (and his friends) had hoped.  The story still has a happy ending of sorts when it’s all said and done.  That being the case, its story is just as enjoyable as that of Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home. When the movies’ stories are set against their general presentation, the two elements join together to show even more why these new Peanuts Blu-ray re-issues are just as enjoyable as their recently released DVD counterparts.  The stories are general presentations of each movie are not the movies’ only key elements to consider.  Each movie’s pricing rounds out their most important elements.

The general presentation of Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home and Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown and the movies’ stories are both key elements of the movies’ new Blu-ray re-issues.  While each element plays its own important part in the movies’ collective presentation they are not the movies’ only important elements.  The movies’ pricing in their new Blu-ray re-issues are just as important to note as the other, previously noted elements.  Each movie’s retail MSRP is a little more than $17 each in its new Blu-ray platform.  That is according to Amazon.com, where audiences can order each movie online.  Wal-Mart lists each movie at the same price online. Best Buy has each movie listed at $17.99 in its new Blu-ray platform while Target doesn’t have either one listed.  Odds are when and if Target opts to include the movies in its online listings, that price will likely be close to the same if not the same as those listed here.  One can only hope that those prices will be lower in store.  Considering that each movie is presented in exactly the same fashion as their DVD counterparts, those prices far too high.  Given the price will be high simply because they are presented in Blu-ray.  But by comparison the movies’ pricing on DVD is only about eight dollars each.  That should make the movies’ Blu-ray platforms no more than $10 or $11 at the most…maybe $15, but no more than that.  Keeping this in mind, the movies’ pricing is perhaps their only downfall.  That is especially the case being that CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount are going to re-issue them again later this fall on a double-movie Blu-ray combo set; a set that will likely be an equal price for the two together as for just one movie on Blu-ray.  All things considered, CBS Home Entertainment’s Blu-ray re-issues of Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home and Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown are both enjoyable in their own right.  But any true Peanuts fan that doesn’t already own either movie on DVD will be better served to wait for the movies’ upcoming double-movie BD re-issue or to just pick up the movies’ DVD re-issues since they are the same as these re-issues and cheaper.

CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount’s new Blu-ray re-issues of Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home and Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown are both enjoyable in their own right.  Any true Peanuts fan will agree with that.  At the same time, true Peanuts fans will also question-along with this critic—if they were even needed.  That is because the general presentation of each movie is the same here as in their 2015 DVD re-issues.  There is no more or less in these re-issues as was presented in the movie’s 2015 DVD re-issues.  And the story presented in each movie is exactly the same as before, too.  The movies’ MSRP across the board in their new Blu-ray re-issues puts the final nail in their proverbial coffin.  While the movies are enjoyable thanks to their stories and their hand-drawn animation, that pricing—and the other  previously noted elements–proves that true Peanuts fans would be better served to purchase the movies in their DVD platforms if they don’t already own them.  Those that do already own the movies have no reason to purchase them again in these latest re-issues.  All things considered, even those that don’t already own these movies on DVD would be better served to purchase them on DVD (especially in their four-movie set) unless they can’t find them on DVD.  That is about the only reason that audiences should even consider purchasing them in their new Blu-ray platforms.

More information on these and other Peanuts releases is available online now along with all of the latest Peanuts news and more at:

 

 

 

Website: http://www.PEANUTS.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/snoopy

Twitter: http://twitter.com/snoopy

 

 

 

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Peanuts Double Feature Getting Blu-ray Treatment This Fall

CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Media Distribution will re-issue two classic Peanuts TV specials again this fall.

Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Peanuts: Snoopy, Come Home will be released in a special new Blu-ray double feature presentation this fall.  The TV specials will be released in one complete collection on Tuesday, November 1^st in stores and online.  Their upcoming joint release will two months after the two movies will be released in their own standalone Blu-ray packages.

The features’ standalone Blu-ray presentations will be released Tuesday, September 6^th via CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Media Distribution.  The specials were have also been released a number of times on DVD both by themselves and with other Peanuts specials in recent years.

Courtesy: CBS DVD/Paramount

Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown is the first of the Peanuts specials to ever be aired.  It follows Charlie Brown as he unwittingly becomes his school’s representative in the national spelling bee.  It all begins as Charlie sets out to disprove his fellow students who believe that he can’t even win the school spelling bee.  Along the way Charlie Brown’s best friend Linus deals with the disappearance of his beloved blanket as he tries to help Charlie Brown prepare for the spelling bee.  And back home scheming Lucy plans to take advantage of Charlie Brown’s potential success by naming herself his agent.  Of course things don’t turn out quite as she, Charlie Brown, or anyone else expect.  But the special still leaves audiences with smiles on their faces and feeling such support for everybody’s favorite underdog.

Courtesy: CBS DVD/Paramount

Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home presents a completely different story.  When Snoopy receives a letter in the mail, he suddenly leaves his doghouse and embarks on a cross-country journey.  The reason for Snoopy’s journey is a mystery to everybody including Charlie Brown.  That is until the contents of the letter are revealed.  What comes next is a deeply moving story that will move audiences of all ages to tears of joy.

Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home will both be available on Blu-ray on Tuesday, September 6^th.  Both titles are expected to retail for MSRP of $24.99.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Paramount, CBS DVD To Re-Issue Two Classic Peanuts Specials

CBS DVD and Paramount will re-issue two classic Peanuts TV specials this summer.

Courtesy: CBS DVD/Paramount

On Tuesday, September 6^th, CBS DVD and Paramount will re-issue the classic Peanuts specials Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home on Blu-ray.  It marks the first time that either special has ever been released on Blu-ray.  Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown is the first of the Peanuts specials to ever be aired.  It follows Charlie Brown as he unwittingly becomes his school’s representative in the national spelling bee.  It all begins as Charlie sets out to disprove his fellow students who believe that he can’t even win the school spelling bee.  Along the way Charlie Brown’s best friend Linus deals with the disappearance of his beloved blanket as he tries to help Charlie Brown prepare for the spelling bee.  And back home scheming Lucy plans to take advantage of Charlie Brown’s potential success by naming herself his agent.  Of course things don’t turn out quite as she, Charlie Brown, or anyone else expect.  But the special still leaves audiences with smiles on their faces and feeling such support for everybody’s favorite underdog.

Courtesy: CBS DVD/Paramount

Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home presents a completely different story.  When Snoopy receives a letter in the mail, he suddenly leaves his doghouse and embarks on a cross-country journey.  The reason for Snoopy’s journey is a mystery to everybody including Charlie Brown.  That is until the contents of the letter are revealed.  What comes next is a deeply moving story that will move audiences of all ages to tears of joy.

Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown and Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home will both be available on Blu-ray on Tuesday, September 6^th.  Both titles are expected to retail for MSRP of $24.99.

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment news and reviews in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

The Peanuts Movie Dishonors Charles Schulz’s Legacy

Courtesy: Blue Sky Studios

Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang are among the most iconic and beloved figures in American pop culture history.  More than sixty-five years ago Charlie Brown and company were first introduced to America.  Since that time generations of audiences have been introduced to the Peanuts gang both in print and on screen.  Being that the Peanuts franchise has proven to be since its inception one can’t help but wonder why in 2011 the new feature Happiness is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown was released.  That new take on the Peanuts gang proved to be anything but a success.  One would think that considering the lackluster response to that abomination of a Peanuts special, there wouldn’t be another attempt to update the Peanuts gang anymore.  That assumption obviously proved wrong as Blue Sky Studios—the studio behind the apparently never-ending Ice Age franchise—teamed up with Schulz’s son Craig and grandson Bryan, and Cornelius Uliano to develop a “new” (the term “new” is used very loosely here) Peanuts feature in 2015.  The feature, simply titled The Peanuts Movie, tried to masquerade as something new and original but in reality was anything but.  The reality of this creation is that it was little more than a quick and largely forgettable cash grab for Blue Sky Studios.  This is exemplified largely through the movie’s piecemeal story.  That will be discussed shortly.  While the story presented within The Peanuts Movie is anything but laudable, the movie isn’t a complete loss.  To its credit (or to the credit of those behind its design, rather) there obviously were painstaking efforts to actually recreate the original look of the Peanuts universe.  To that extent that part of the movie must be lauded.  While the movie’s look does its part to at least try to save the movie’s presentation it sadly isn’t enough.  Along with the movie’s story, its young actors pale in comparison to those that originally brought the Peanuts gang to life so many years ago.  Yes, there were various groups that voiced the characters in those features.  Some were better in those cases than others, too.  This is one of those cases in which the cast was not as laudable.  Due to this and, again, the movie’s hardly thought out script the end result of this movie is a work that is one of the worst of the Peanuts presentations in recent memory.

Blue Sky Studios’ new Peanuts presentation is one of the franchise’s worst presentations in recent memory if not its worst to date. It is clear in watching the movie, which comes in at less than ninety minutes, that it is really little more than a cash grab for Blue Sky Studios.  That is most obvious in the movie’s script.  The script, which was crafted by the father-son duo of Craig and Bryan Schulz (Charles Schulz’s son and grandson), and co-writer Cornelius Uliano makes absolutely no effort to pay any true respect to the legacy of Charles Schulz’s characters or his own legacy for that matter.  Rather it just tosses together elements of said classics haphazardly with no regard for any real storytelling.  It’s obvious in what they did that they hoped that viewers’ nostalgia would kick in and overpower their common sense when watching the movie, thus leading them to love this mess of a movie–even though they know they shouldn’t.  Even at its base the movie’s story is anything but original.  It tells a story of how Charlie Brown first met the little red-haired girl.  Did the world really need this?  The answer is a simple “no.”  The whole story follows Charlie Brown as he attempts (yet again) to impress the little red-haired girl.  Along the way father and son, along with Uliano, add in the underlying story of Snoopy’s ongoing battle with the Red Baron.  Again, did the world need this update, too?  Once more the answer is “no.”  The only positive to the whole thing is that the Schulz’s and Uliano kept alive the tradition of not naming the little red-haired girl.  That’s good because there were actually two little red-haired girls—Heather and Peggy Jean—in the original franchise.  Heather was the original red-haired girl.  Her name was revealed in Happy New Year, Charlie Brown.  Peggy Jean was introduced in It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown.  Other than that, there is little to nothing redeeming about this movie’s script.  Because of this one can only wonder if the movie is worth even one watch.  It would be worth just one watch in order to see the disservice that it has done to the Peanuts legacy and that of Charles Schulz.  For all of the cons presented by The Peanuts Movie’s script the movie isn’t a total loss believe it not.  Those responsible for the movie’s look are to be applauded for their efforts.  That is because they obviously made a concerted effort to make The Peanuts Movie actually look, stylistically, like the original Peanuts TV features.  They didn’t just go the all-too-commonly used CG route in doing so either.  Rather its look boasts more of an odd, almost claymation look crossed with a hand drawn look.  Claymation likely wasn’t used in the special’s creation.  Odds are those behind the movie’s look did use CG.  But in using it to make the movie look so much like those aforementioned specials, they did an excellent job of attempting to actually pay tribute to that look.  It would have been so easy for them to just go the standard cookie cutter CG route.  But they opted not to go that route.  To that end they are to be applauded.  That is because the end result of that choice is a movie that is redeemed solely by that final look.  Sadly, it’s the movie’s only redeeming element.  For all of the positive that is offered by the movie’s look the work of the movie’s young cast counters it.

The people who were responsible for the look of The Peanuts Movie are to be commended for their work on the movie.  Sadly they are the only people involved in the movie’s creation to be commended.  The men behind the movie’s script did anything but pay tribute to the Peanuts legacy or that of Charles Schulz.  They are not the only ones involved in the movie that detracted from its enjoyment.  The movie’s voice cast put forth a valiant effort in their take on the classic characters.  Sadly they came up short in this case.  To their defense, though they are not the first group to tackle the Peanuts gang.  Those that are familiar with the classic Peanuts TV specials will recall that the voice cast did not remain entirely the same from one TV special to another.  And because of that some portrayals were better than others and vice versa.  This cast’s work is one of the lesser cases.  So many of the portrayals just felt forced here.  That is just this critic’s own interpretation of the cast’s work.  Again, the cast’s work wasn’t a total loss.  There have been far worse portrayals.  Marnette Patterson’s take on Lucy in It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown (1992) is one of those lesser portrayals.  Todd Barbee and Melanie Kohn  were a little bit concerning in It’s A Mystery, Charlie Brown.  So again, while this movie’s cast wasn’t the best of any Peanuts feature it is hardly the worst cast.  To that end the cast’s work does take away from the movie’s experience.  But it doesn’t do so to the level of the movie’s writing team.  Keeping this in mind, The Peanuts Movie proves in the end to be a forgettable and unnecessary incarnation of Charles Schulz’s timeless characters.  And hopefully it will be the last installment for a very long time.

Blue Sky Studios’ “new” installment in the long-running Peanuts franchise is its most forgettable and unnecessary installment.  While it isn’t a total loss of a movie it still proves to be a work that never should have seen the light of day.  That’s the case even with the work of those responsible for the movie’s look.  That is because the script proves to be little more than a quick cash grab for Blue Sky Studios that pays little to not homage to the legacy of the Peanuts gang and that of its creator.  The cast, while not the worst to ever take on the voices of the Peanuts gang, is also hardly the best to ever tackle them.  All things considered The Peanuts Movie proves in the long run to again be the franchise’s most forgettable installment and its most unnecessary, too.  With any luck, it will be the franchise’s last installment for a very long time.  That is because the world doesn’t need “new” installments of Peanuts specials to appreciate Charles Schulz’s creations.  All it needs is the classics.

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WHV Finally Gets One Right With Its New Peanuts Collection

Courtesy: Warner Home Video

This Thanksgiving, Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox will team up to bring audiences the first-ever big screen Peanuts adventure that (go figure) is simply titled The Peanuts Movie. Personal opinions aside, it is interesting to note that as the movie’s debut nears, so is Warner Brothers’ home entertainment division–Warner Home Video (WHV)–stepping up its re-issues of the classic Peanuts TV specials. Already released this year WHV has re-issued Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown. Officials with WHV have also announced that the organization will also release Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don’t Come Back) and He’s a Bully, Charlie Brown along with the company’s new compilation set Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection. The latter of the trio is currently planne for a nationwide release on Tuesday, September 15th. Though, interestingly enough it has already been released through Target likely via a special deal between the retailer and the people at WHV. For those that were not lucky enough to pick up the dual-disc collection in its original release via Target will be pleased to add it to their personal collections. The main reason that audiences will be pleased to add it to their collections is its featured specials. It features eleven classic Peanuts TV specials that while previously released on one platform or another are now collected into this much more ergonomic collection. This will be discussed at more length shortly. Another reason that the collection proves so interesting and worth the purchase is the material presented within each special. Audiences actually get to hear an adult talk for the first time ever in one special (She’s A Good Skate, Charlie Brown). And while most audiences are familiar with the classic Peanuts holiday specials, some will be surprised that there is another holiday special of sorts that is just as deserving of attention in the form of What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown? This special is a deeply moving Memorial Day special that will impact viewers of all ages. Last of note in regards to this collection’s positives is that classic hand-drawn animation style. The old school style of artwork is yet another example of what once made animated features truly animated and in turn truly entertaining. Each noted element shows in its own way that Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection is a surprising new release from WHV. It would be nice to think that maybe it marks the beginning of WHV finally moving in the right direction after having slid in the wrong direction for the past couple of years or so. One can only hope. Even if it is just a random diamond in the rough from the once powerhouse studio, it proves through all three noted elements together, to be one that any Peanuts fan will happily welcome into his or her home DVD library.

Warner Home Video has been noticeably declining over the course of the past two years or more. That is evident through every one of its releases both for families and for select audiences. Said releases have shown that someone(s) at WHV apparently did not and does not care about providing audiences with quality home releases. For all of the problematic releases that WHV has put out in stores over the past couple of years or so, finally a random diamond in the rough from WHV will be released very soon in the form of the new Peanuts collection Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection. This collection of TV specials includes eleven classic Peanuts TV specials that some of which were nominated for Emmy Awards while certain others actually received the coveted trophy. It should be noted that all eleven of the specials featured in this new double-disc collection have each previously been released via one platform or another. Some have been released on VHS while others have previously been released on DVD. Others have even been issued and re-issued on one platform then another. Despite this, some viewers out there might not have been lucky enough to add one, another or more of the featured specials up until this point. That being the case, all eleven specials show collectively to be of the utmost importance for all viewers. That is because more than likely among the legions of Peanuts fans around the world few to any likely have all of the included specials.

The inclusion of each of its specials in one collection is good for Peanuts fans everywhere in large part because having them all in one place means just that. It means that for the first time ever each one of the specials has been finally released on one platform on which all audiences can watch them. No one is left behind. On another level, for those that had one or more of the specials in question from their previous releases can finally eliminate those platforms (or at least most of them if they own the original VHS copies of said specials). That will ultimately lead to saved space for many fans on their respective DVD racks. Again, this might not apply for every Peanuts fan. But it will definitely apply to many fans. And that being the case, it makes the collection’s ergonomic factor that much more important to the whole of its success and enjoyment.

The episodes presented in Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection show clearly why they are within themselves quite important to the whole of the collection. Examining the episodes on a closer level, ther writing shows to be just as important to the collection as the episodes themselves. In examining the specials’ writing it becomes clear why they were either nominated or in some cases even won an Emmy. That is most evident through the surprisingly moving special What Have We Learned, Charlie Brown. This sequel of sorts to Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don’t Come Back) follows Charlie Brown and company on their departure from France. Along the way, the Peanuts gang happens to arrive at Normandy and the site of the Allied landing on D-Day. The history lesson provided by Linus upon their arrival is unbiased and moving all at the same time. The writers don’t pull any punches here, revealing that the Allied attack on Normandy was in fact anything but perfect. Linus notes in his lesson that weather conditions had ruined the mission so much that Allied commanders even considered pulling back. That is a lesson that sadly very few history teachers and professors alike will teach in the classroom. So it is nice to have that historical truth noted in a special that is aimed at younger viewers.

In another of the collection’s episodes, She’s A Good Skate, Charlie Brown, audiences actually get to hear an adult speak for the first (and probably only)time in the history of the Peanuts TV specials. The adult in question is Peppermint Patty’s teacher. She continuously calls on Patty as Patty continues falling asleep in class thanks to her early morning skating practice. Yes, skating. That is another reason that the writing in this special proves so notable. Anyone that knows their Peanuts history knows that Peppermint Patty is more of a tomboy than a girly girl. Heck, she was even voiced by males in a number of the specials. So having Patty taking part in a sport that is traditionally more aimed at females than males shows a completely opposite side of Patty and to the Peanuts universe in whole.  It is a change that all audiences will agree now in the 21st century is a welcome change.  It shows that it’s okay for a girl to be girly and one of the boys.  Simply put, it really serves to defy those strict, standard gender roles established by society.  Whether or not that is the reason that it at least received an Emmy nomination, it is one more reason that the writing behind this special stands out so strongly as one more part of the whole of the collection’s writing.

Why, Charlie Brown, Why? is perhaps the strongest evidence of the importance of the writing behind the collection’s featured episodes. This episode tackles the issue of cancer. On a more specific level, it tackles the issue of childhood cancer and the impact of cancer on both the victim and his or her friends and family. Its story centers on a young girl named Janet who is diagnosed with leukemia. It just so happens that she is friends with Linus and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Though, Linus is the main character of this story. That side element of the story’s writing will be discussed shortly. Sticking on the main topic, the manner in which the writers tackled the subject is hugely worthy of applause. It was handled with the utmost gentility and in a fashion that also made the topic accessible even for much younger viewers. That in itself makes this special more than just a special. It is special in every sense of the word. It’s just one aspect of the special’s writing that makes it so notable among the others included in this set. The fact that Linus was made the story’s central character makes it even more worth the watch. It’s not the first time that Charlie Brown took a back seat to his Peanuts pals. But it is one of the most successful episodes that featured someone other than Charlie Brown at the center of the story. That is especially the case as audiences see Linus actually lose his cool in a very rare instance. He loses it when another child makes fun of Janet for having lost her hair right in front of him. Audiences will find themselves cheering Linus on and even doing so with the slightest tear in their eyes. That rare moment really exemplifies the pent-up feelings that not only children feel in a situation such as that presented here, but grown-ups, too. So for that reason too, the writing behind Why, Charlie Brown, Why? shows even more the importance of the episodes’ writing in whole in examining the set in whole. It is just one more example of the importance of the writing within each of the set’s episodes. The writing within each of the remaining eight specials shows in its own way why the writing in whole is so important to the episodes’ enjoyment and the success of the set in whole. And together with the episodes themselves, both elements together make a strong argument why every Peanuts fan should have this new collection in his or her own home DVD library. They still are just part of the whole of the collection’s positives. Last of note is the animation style within each episode.

Both the episodes featured throughout the body of Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection and the writing within each special makes for plenty of reason for Peanuts fans to appreciate this latest collection of Peanuts classics. Of course what examination of such a classic collection would be complete without mention of the specials’ animation style. Every one of the specials featured as part of Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection was drawn by hand. That means that endless hours were spent bringing to leave each and every second of each special. Now being that each special runs roughly in the range of about twenty minutes (or just a little more in some cases), the math adds up to quite a bit of time spent on bringing each special to life for broadcast. That says a lot when these specials are compared to the largely CG presentations out there today that try to claim themselves as being animated. They are animated in name only. These specials show everything that was once great about true, animated features. Each one of the specials boasts a similar look. But there are also minute details within each special that set them apart. Audiences that have eagle eyes will catch that minutia. The same can’t be said of today’s CG creations. It really gives these classic specials a real soul and heart. Together with the episodes’ impressive writing and the episodes themselves all three elements come together to make Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection a clear must have for any real devoted Peanuts fan.

Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection is a must have for any real Peanuts fan. That is the case whether or not said fan already owns any of the specials presented here on their original release platforms. The collective writing presented within each of the collection’s makes the episodes and the collection in whole even more enjoyable. The standout animation style presented across each of the collection’s specials rounds out the presentation. It reminds audiences by comparison of what once made animation so great. The animation is original. Even the upcoming Peanuts Movie that is due out this Thanksgiving doesn’t entirely hold up to that style of animation despite the efforts of those behind the movie to make it look like the classics on which it is based. Each element in itself proves to be an important part of the collections’ whole. Altogether they make Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection a collection that any true-blooded Peanuts fan would himself or herself be honored to have in his or her home DVD library. Peanuts: Emmy Honored Collection is available now exclusively in Target stores nationwide. It will allegedly be available nationwide in other stores beginning Tuesday, September 15th. More information on this and other upcoming Peanuts releases is available online now along with the latest Peanuts news at:

Website: http://www.peanuts.com

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Twitter: http://twitter.com/snoopy

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Paramount Comes Up Short With Its New Peanuts Re-Issue

Courtesy: Paramount

This past February, Paramount released to DVD for the first time the 1977 Peanuts “movie” Race For You Life, Charlie Brown. Its recent release marks the first time ever that it has seen the light of day on DVD. It wasn’t even included on either of the Peanuts 1970s Collections released by Warner Home Video in 2009 and 2010 respectively. As long as audiences have waited for this movie to finally be released, its release back in February of this year proved to be anything but outstanding. Interestingly enough, WHV didn’t handle Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown. It was actually handled solely by Paramount, one of Hollywood’s Big 5 Studios. Considering this one would have thought that Paramount would have taken more pride in its product than WHV. Alas, that wasn’t the case with this release. It is a bare bones presentation lacking any bonus material for audiences. That will be discussed later. The movie itself presents an enjoyable story. And the overall presentation looks and sounds great. But that glaring lack of ANY bonus material hurts the overall product in a big way. The end result is a DVD that any Peanuts fans will welcome in their home library, but will do so very begrudgingly. It proves to be a DVD that Paramount should have handled far better than it did especially after making audiences wait nearly four decades for it to receive a DVD release albeit a DVD release that could have been far better.

Audiences have waited nearly forty-years for Paramount’s recent release of Race For You Life, Charlie Brown on DVD. Considering the wait, it goes without saying that the wait was not entirely worth it, going through this DVD. That will be discussed shortly. It isn’t all bad, though. The movie itself presents a fun story that takes both the Peanuts gang and audiences out of the typical world created by the Peanuts TV specials. Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz’s story takes Charlie Brown and company out of the comfort of their own neighborhood and puts them into the wilderness racing for not just camp pride but in fact for their own lives. Because it is such a foreign setting for the Peanuts gang, it also forces Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang to band together in order to survive. As ominous as it sounds, it is all entirely family friendly. Even more interesting to note is that the adventure forces Charlie Brown to show a side that was otherwise very rarely put on display in any of the Peanuts special before or after. Schultz even allowed Charlie Brown to end up on top for once. While there were some instances in which he came out on top in other Peanuts specials, those moments are rare. This being one of those rare instances, it makes the story all the more special. And together with the rest of the story, it makes the whole of the script behind Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown the key element that makes this DVD worth the purchase by any Peanuts fan.

Charlies Schulz’s script for Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown is one of the key elements that makes this movie worth the purchase by any Peanuts fan. It is not the only reason that audiences will enjoy it, either in its new DVD release. The movie’s overall look and sound is just as worth noting. And it will be discussed shortly. For now the focus will turn to the movie’s one glaring negative.That negative is the fac that the movie’s presentation is a bare bones presentation. There is no bonus TV special. There is no feature offering any background on what led to the story’s creation or any other bonuses. All audiences get aside from the movie is the movie’s original trailer. Had this piece been released like this from say Warner Home Video, that would have been expected. That’s because of WHV’s track record in recent years with both releases for families and grown-ups alike. But having been released by Paramount, one of “Hollywood’s Power 5 Studios,”it comes as something as a disappointing surprise. The movie comes in at a little more than an hour. So that had to have left some room for some extras. For whatever reason though, someone at Paramount decided not to include anything extra with the movie other than its trailer. One can only hope that when and if Paramount releases another Peanuts movie or TV special on stand-alone Peanuts movie and/or feature it will include at least a little more than what this one has offered audiences.

The fact that Paramount has offered audiences very little other than the original trailer for Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown as a bonus to the presentation is somewhat disheartening. It is disheartening considering the fact that every previously released Peanuts feature has included at the very least a bonus TV special and a little bonus featurette offering insight into the given presentations. As much as the overall lack of any bonus material hurts Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown’s overall presentation, at least audiences can look to the overall look and sound of the movie in its first-ever DVD presentation. It is presented in full 16:9 format instead of the standard 4:3 with the black bars on either side. What’s more it looks and sounds just as good as it did in its debut roughly thirty-eight years ago. This is something especially important to note. It is important to note because in comparison to some re-issues out there, said re-issues show that very little effort was taken to properly restore them. They look scratchy and sound just as bad. But as in the case with every previously released Peanuts feature, this one looks and sounds just as great as it did in its debut. Nothing was lost along the way in terms of updating the soundtrack and footage. That continued dedication to properly presenting Charles Schulz’s beloved Peanuts features coupled with the “movie’s” original script makes Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown well worth the purchase even despite its glaring lack of any extras. This being noted, Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown may not be the year’s best new DVD for children and families. But it is at least one of the year’s best.

Looking at Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown in whole, it offers audiences its own share of positives. Its script presents a wholly original story in comparison to the other features that make up the Peanuts universe. It also looks and sounds just as good as in its original debut some thirty-eight years ago. That is thanks to the efforts of those charged with resurrecting the movie. For all of its positives, it suffers just as greatly from its overall lack of extras. The only extra–if one wants to call it an extra–that the DVD boasts is the movie’s original trailer. That’s all. There is no bonus TV special. There is no extra feature offering any insight on the movie’s creation, etc. Because of this, major points are taken away. As troublesome as that lack of extras proves itself to be to the overall presentation of Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown, it still doesn’t hurt it enough to keep it from being added to any family’s home movie collection. It is available now in stores and online. All of the latest information on this movie and all of the latest Peanuts news is available online now at:

Website: http://www.peanuts.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/snoopy

Twitter: http://twitter.com/snoopy

To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it. Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.