Bear in the Big Blue House: A Berry Bear Christmas [VHS]

Bear in the Big Blue House: A Berry Bear Christmas [VHS]
by Jim Martin, Richard A. Fernandes

Bear in the Big Blue House: A Berry Bear Christmas [VHS]

List Price: ~~$9.95~~
Category: VHS Video
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Product details

Actor: Lynne Thigpen, Noel MacNeal, Peter Linz, Tyler Bunch, Vicki Eibner
Director: Jim Martin, Richard A. Fernandes
Producer: Andy Yerkes
Writer: Andy Yerkes
Producer: Brian Henson
Producer: Erica Levin
Writer: Ajamu Walker
Writer: Mitchell Kriegman
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
Running Time: 30 minutes
Release Date: 2000-08-29
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Studio: Sony Pictures

VHS Movie Reviews of Bear in the Big Blue House: A Berry Bear Christmas [VHS]

Movie Review: The spirit of Christmas lives in the house of blue
Summary: 5 Stars

I can't believe they haven't released this on DVD! I don't usually go for "generic holiday" stuff, but good old Bear manages to be profoundly true to the spirit (and spirituality) of Christmas even when he's scrupulously calling it "the winter holidays." The message for young children is that Christmas (or whatever you celebrate) isn't about getting presents; it's about showing love and kindness to others. The young animals in the Blue House learn this lesson when their argument about opening presents is interrupted by the howls of a homeless dog. They welcome him in and, with the help of the magical Winter Berry, help him find a home. I think my 3-year-old got the message on his own level: after watching the video a couple of times, he responded eagerly when I suggested we put some money in the Salvation Army kettle for people who have lost their homes. Later he said he wanted to be a builder and build homes for people who don't have any. It's difficult to communicate concepts like charity and social justice to small kids, but I think the Bear managed it nobly, without ceasing for a second to be fun and endearing. Three cheers for the Bear and the Winter Berry!

Movie Review: Please Come Out on Video!!
Summary: 5 Stars

I have to agree that this is a great, great video for kids to help them learn about all the winter holidays. My kids have both been watching it since it first aired on the Disney Channel and I have to admit that it's now one of my favorite holiday videos, too. However, I have to agree that the VHS quality is very poor. We are now on our second tape, which I bought about a year ago, and the picture quality is noticably poorer than when we received it and we've only watched it 5 or 6 times. I would dearly love to see this come out on DVD so my kids don't lose an excellent (and informative!) video. So, 5 stars for Berry Bear Christmas, but 3 for video quality.

Movie Review: Great Holiday Special, VHS Presentation Leaves Something to be Desired
Summary: 4 Stars

"Bear in the Big Blue House" is a wonderful holiday special featuring your favorite friends at the Big Blue House, some returning guests and a brand-new character. In this special, "A Berry Bear Christmas," Bear and his friends celebrate Christmas, but also examine Hanukah and Kwanzaa. They also participate in Bear's favorite winter tradition --- the search for the winterberry and learn about the true spirit of the holidays.

Things start out with everyone wanting to be involved in the decorating and everyone wanting lots of presents. But then they hear a howl and take in an old dog called Jack who doesn't have a home. They vow to give him his best holiday celebration ever and learn that there's more about the holidays than just presents and such. Some may feel that this is PC nonsense, but like anything else in the Big Blue House, this issue is handled with sensitivity and class. They really did a great job.

This special is packed with wonderful holiday songs of all types. "That's All I Want for Christmas" is an over-the-top hoot, in which "Santa Hogg" is piled with the children's Christmas wishes --- all the way up to a hundred trillion clams for Pip and Pop. On the very opposite end is "What If?" in which Tutter speculates what it would be like if he and his friends didn't have the Big Blue House to live in.

My main complaint with this production is how it's packaged and the quality of the tape. Things seem well enough, with Hi-Fi sound and close-captioning. There are also previews in the beginning for "The Trumpet and the Swan," "Dragon Tales" (on VHS and DVD) and other "Bear in the Big Blue House" VHS releases. But this release is recorded in SLP mode, rather than SP, which really degrades the quality, especially upon repeat viewings. Additionally, there is editing --- this was originally a two-part special aired with two separate end-credit sequences and it's been edited into one continuous special. Finally, this video contains the standard "Bear in the Big Blue House" VHS boilerplate about "Each show also includes the following songs: Welcome to the Blue House and Goodbye Song." However, "Welcome to the Blue House" is not in this special, as it's replaced in favor of the holiday opening --- "A Berry Bear Christmas." The "Goodbye Song" is only performed once, at the very end, due to the editing.

I gave this four stars. It's really more like three-and-a-half and I could have easily chosen three, but I'm in a holiday mood.

Movie Review: Great Video, Terrible Quality...
Summary: 4 Stars

We just purchased this one for our Bear-loving kids, and it's typical GREAT Bear quality in content. I'm sure we'll watch it again and again (and again). But I had to come online and check out the reviews here. Our VHS tape is extremely poor quality! My husband immediately asked if something was wrong with the TV--because the colors looked muted. But it's the tape. Grainy picture, washed-out colors. It looks like these were mass-produced the worst way--it reminds one of a bootleg tape, actually!

Forgive me for reviewing the picture quality instead of the content, but I thought other buyers would like to know before they purchase. I doubt the kids will care, and now that I see that other buyers have had this problem, we won't be taking it back to the store. But honestly, I wish they had a DVD of this one! They may soon, and when they do, we'll be replacing this VHS pronto.

Movie Review: My daughter loves this tape!
Summary: 5 Stars

My little girl can't get enough of Bear. This special, in particular, has been a favorite of hers. The songs are fun - with a lot of Christmas spirit! There's always a touch of humor for adults with Bear and the Big Blue House, so it's a pleasure to watch this one again and again.

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Summary of Bear in the Big Blue House: A Berry Bear Christmas [VHS]

Bear smells the scents of pinecones, mistletoe and holiday cookies in the Big Blue House -- which means it's a special time of year! Bear and his friends learn about the various winter holidays: Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa and Winterberry...but most of all, they learn there is more to the holidays than receiving presents. In fact, the best present ever is seeing someone smile in gratitude after you have just helped him or her. The characters learn this lesson firsthand after helping a homeless dog find a home. Featured songs: "A Berry Bear Christmas," "Holiday for Everyone," "That's All I Want for Christmas," "What If," "Just Listen," "Woodland Valley Carols," "Legend of Winterberry," "What Did I Get For Christmas," "The Best Present Ever" and "Winter Berry Reprise."

The friendly home-owning grizzly and his pals celebrate the traditions of a secular Christmas but pay more than a passing nod to both Hanukkah and Kwanzaa in this 50-minute holiday video. Agenda items include a gift exchange and a visit to Santa Hog at the mall, but everything is put in perspective when the household discovers a homeless hound bellowing outside their door. They invite him in, share the holiday, find him a home, and learn a valuable lesson. Meanwhile, "Shadow" shows up to sing about the other two holidays in accompaniment to shadow cutouts. The bear, twin otters, lemur, mouse, and little bear were created by the Jim Henson folks, but they have none of the cleverness or occasional bite of the Sesame Street gang or the Muppets. The earnest Bear is kin to another outsized softie of a (purple) predator; they're both strictly for the kiddies. Ages 2 to 7. --Kimberly Heinrichs

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