The Show
Every year, society seems to become a bit more cynical, and so the story of The Year Without a Santa Claus only becomes more relevant. Old Saint Nick has lost his jolly, living as he does in a world that has stopped believing in him, or at least stopped appreciating the joy he tries to spread each year. And so he decides to sit this Christmas out, an announcement which is particularly bad news for the little ones.
But Mrs. Claus is a crafty broad, so she concocts a plan whereby a pair of elves goes in search of Christmas spirit to cheer up Santa, a quest fraught with unexpected perils and pleasant surprises. Thirty-six years after its TV premiere, this stop-motion-animated holiday treat still entertains; a brisk, bouncy blast of heart-tugging nostalgia most memorable to some for the introduction of the singing, feuding brothers, Heat Miser and Snow Miser.
The Picture
While not reference-quality, this high-def edition is the best that this holiday classic has ever looked. Pillarboxed on HDTV big screen to its original aspect ratio of 4:3, the video (in truth a series of precisely manipulated still photos) is bright and sharp beneath a thin veil of grain and noise. The weave of the tiny cloth costumes and even the textures of the characters' doll faces are plainly evident in virtually every shot. At this level of clarity, there are very few secrets, so be prepared to explain the now-visible thin black wires to the kids.
The Sound
The audio here is the previous generation's Dolby Digital 5.1, although channel-wise it might be overkill for Santa. I did notice a touch of echo in one scene that I never had before, and the soundfield opens up pleasantly during the songs, and I could hear birds chirping behind me when we visit Mother Nature. But the deliberate remixing that puts voices into the surrounds, or a few token effects here and there made me wonder if it's ultimately more distracting than essential.
The Extras
Beyond the featured presentation, which runs less than an hour without its commercial breaks, we are treated to the companion pieces Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey (24 minutes) and Rudolph's Shiny New Year (50 minutes). Both of these are delivered in a low-bitrate VC-1 format that looks more or less like standard-def. The same holds true for the two featurettes, originally released in 2007. "We Are Santa's Elves" is a 17-minute profile of Arthur Rankin Jr. and Jules Bass, the men behind Rankin/Bass who produced so many of those memorable holiday specials, and the ten-minute "School of Stop-Motion," a casual analysis of the art form from the perspective of The Chiodo Brothers, with a special appearance by the master, Ray Harryhausen.
Disc Two is a DVD copy of the three shows and the two featurettes.
Final Thoughts
Chalk this one up as an indulgence for Mom and Dad, who might be old enough (as I am) to remember fondly the initial airing of The Year Without a Santa Claus. This Blu-ray combo pack delivers respectable high-def for them in the home theater, and a convenient DVD for the kids' room or car.
Product Details
Where to Buy:
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