It's a Wonderful Life [VHS]

It's a Wonderful Life [VHS]
by Frank Capra

It's a Wonderful Life [VHS]

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Product details

Actor: Donna Reed, Henry Travers, James Stewart, Lionel Barrymore, Thomas Mitchell
Director: Frank Capra
Producer: Frank Capra
Writer: Frank Capra
Writer: Albert Hackett
Writer: Frances Goodrich
Writer: Jo Swerling
Writer: Michael Wilson
Writer: Philip Van Doren Stern
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: English (Original Language), Analog
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC
Running Time: 130 minutes
Release Date: 1995-09-19
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Republic Pictures
Studio: Republic Pictures

VHS Movie Reviews of It's a Wonderful Life [VHS]

Movie Review: Here's a way to get into the holiday spirit
Summary: 5 Stars

Well, December is here, and it's now time to ramp up the anticipation for one of the most cherished holidays of all. You got it. It's time to dust off some DVD cases and get into the holiday spirit. And boy do we have a wide variety! There are dozens of films that we can enjoy watching during any time of December. Home Alone, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, A Christmas Story, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Elf, Miracle on 34th Street, and even Ernest Saves Christmas are ideal motion pictures for this time of year. Many people, however, consider It's A Wonderful Life to be the finest Christmas film, and it's not hard to see why. It's a loose adaptation of Philip Van Doren Stern's short story called "The Greatest Gift," and it tells of how wonderfully important your life really is, not only to yourself but to everyone that's close around you. It's well directed by Frank Capra, and it's one of the excellent motion pictures that that can really get you in the mood for the holiday spirit. Here's hoping that this movie will really last forever.

Grade: A

Movie Review: Imagine what the world would be like...if you were never born!
Summary: 5 Stars

"It's a Wonderful Life" is one of those films that should be at, or close to, the top of anyone's list of "must-see" movies. George Bailey (James Stewart) is at the end of his rope and he buys into Mr. Potter's (Lionel Barrymore) opinion that "he is worth more dead than alive". As a result of the prayers of his loved ones, George's guardian angel, Clarence (Henry Travers), comes to help. Clarence is somewhat inept as an angel and has only reached the rank of A1C (Angle first class). He has been promised that if he succeeds in helping George through his "critical night" he will finally earn his wings. Clarence learns that George, who dreams of traveling the world and becoming an architect, is a kind and generous fellow who constantly puts his dreams on hold when life gets in the way. George appears to take things in stride, especially after he marries Mary Hatch (Donna Reed) and becomes the father of four children. But one unfortunate Christmas Eve, George's Uncle Billy (Thomas Mitchell) misplaces $8,000 belonging to the Bailey Building and Loan. Even more unfortunate: the bank examiner wants to look at the books. A desparate George Bailey falls apart and in dispair decides to end his life. Enter Clarence...who gives George the "gift" of seeing what the world would be like if he had never been born. I don't want to spoil your viewing pleasure by revealing the details. Suffice it to say that there is a meaningful message in this wonderful film...that every life is of vital importance as it impacts every place and person with which it interacts. In addition to James Stewart, Donna Reed, Henry Travers, Lionel Barrymore and Thomas Mitchell the film also boasts wonderful performances by Beulah Bondi (George's mother), Gloria Grahame (Violet), and H.B. Warner (Mr. Gower). I personally prefer this black & white version. I like films to remain as they were created.

Movie Review: It's a Wonderful Life [Blu-Ray]
Summary: 4 Stars

It's a Wonderful Life [Blu-Ray]

This review is strictly for the blu-Ray. I have seen the remastered 60th Anniversay edition and now the the blu-ray 2009. The picture is stunning on the Blu, but the problem is the picture is cut off on the left and the right side of the frame not like the 60th Anniversary DVD which is almost fits the 16-9 ration and that does take away from the viewers experience...

Movie Review: Simply amazing.
Summary: 5 Stars

My friends, the Blu-Ray version of this film is nothing short of outstanding. Watching it recently, I could count the hairs on the actors' heads in some scenes. That's how crystal-clear the video is. It could have been filmed yesterday.

The backgrounds have been rendered exceptionally well. In one scene, George is standing in the office of the Building and Loan, gazing at a portrait of his father on the wall. Under the portrait is a paper containing a quote, presumably one of his father's. I won't spoil it here but the quote can be read clearly by the viewer. In none of the previous releases of this film (VHS, DVD) has the clarity of the video been so well rendered.

The Colorized version is a big improvement over previous releases as well. The colors are vibrant and bright. In previous releases the colors (or what there were of them) were dull and faded in appearance. The BR release is a welcome change from those earlier versions.

Movie Review: Is this a copy or an original ?
Summary: 1 Stars

This won't play on my DVD player.
I get the following mesage on my screen.
"this player is incompatible with the region marking of this disc"
They also promised is by the 24th of November and I received it on the 26th, the day after Thanksgiving. I am Verrrry disappointed.
I will be returning it.

Write your own review

Summary of It's a Wonderful Life [VHS]

Now perhaps the most beloved American film, It's a Wonderful Life was largely forgotten for years, due to a copyright quirk. Only in the late 1970s did it find its audience through repeated TV showings. Frank Capra's masterwork deserves its status as a feel-good communal event, but it is also one of the most fascinating films in the American cinema, a multilayered work of Dickensian density. George Bailey (played superbly by James Stewart) grows up in the small town of Bedford Falls, dreaming dreams of adventure and travel, but circumstances conspire to keep him enslaved to his home turf. Frustrated by his life, and haunted by an impending scandal, George prepares to commit suicide on Christmas Eve. A heavenly messenger (Henry Travers) arrives to show him a vision: what the world would have been like if George had never been born. The sequence is a vivid depiction of the American Dream gone bad, and probably the wildest thing Capra ever shot (the director's optimistic vision may have darkened during his experiences making military films in World War II). Capra's triumph is to acknowledge the difficulties and disappointments of life, while affirming--in the teary-eyed final reel--his cherished values of friendship and individual achievement. It's a Wonderful Life was not a big hit on its initial release, and it won no Oscars (Capra and Stewart were nominated); but it continues to weave a special magic. --Robert Horton

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Genres > Classics
Drama > Classics
Kids & Family > Holidays & Festivals > Christmas

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