Customer Reviews

Snoopy Double Feature Vol. 7 (Play it Again/She's a Good Skate) [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The 1st episode is the 1st Charlie Brown special of the 1970's. In Play It Again, Charlie Brown, Lucy longs for a warm gesture from Schroeder. Peppermint Patty suggests Lucy book him for a gig at the PTA meeting. Schroeder is naturally flattered. But his enthusiasm soon turns to resentment when he discovers he's expected to play rock music with Charlie Brown (guitar), Pig Pen (drums), and Snoopy (standup bass). And Schroeder can't be bothered with too many things not related to Beethoven.

The 2nd episode (She's a Good Skate, CB) is the 1st Charlie Brown special of the 1980's. Peppermint Patty shows her more feminine side when she enters a figure-skating contest. Snoopy is her grumpy, demanding coach. Marcie gives her advice and tries to make Peppermint Patty a dress (which looks more like a straightjacket with its lack of sleeves!). With the error rectified, Peppermint Patty is ready to skate away! But something else goes wrong, and it's Woodstock to the rescue!

NOTE: The latter episode is one of the 1st times adult voices are featured in a Charlie Brown special.

"She's a Good Skate" is a classic. To see the ever rough Peppermint Patty sliding gracefully over the ice...to hear the grumbling of Snoopy as her coach...to hear Woodstock save the day...PLUS Marcy is, as always, a riot paired with Peppermint Patty...you must see this! The subtle and sometimes not so subtle humor of Charles Schulz shines brightly in this episode.

Two charming Charlie Brown specials are on this tape - while lesser-known than other good ones like "It's the Easter Beagle," "It's a Mystery," and the other single-special videos, that doesn't make these any less entertaining.

"Play it Again" lets Schroeder take center stage - and Peppermint Patty (this must be one of her first "leading roles"); it also has one of the funnier sight gags in the specials, or the strip ("Beethoven now comes in spray cans!")

"She's a Good Skate" is one of my favorites of all the specials - the animation looks great (especially all the backgrounds, and the fact that the skaters move fluidly - unlike Linus' skating in "It was my Best Birthday Ever"), the gags are great (like Patty's skating dress! And Snoopy the "crabby, but great" coach), and the music all sounds good as well, even if it's not a Vince Guaraldi score - and Woodstock's shining moment is quite remarkable, to say the least!

These are always a pleasure to watch!

Indeed, Snoopy is just about the crabbiest skating coach there ever was, plus he has no shoulders to cry on. But he does have some helpful tips, and can sew a nice skating dress.

She's a Good Skate is my favorite Peanuts special and probably for the ending. You don't really think much of little Woodstock sitting by and watching Peppermint Patty skate until disaster strikes at the competition and he has to step in. And as soon as I got an iPod I bought the insturmental "O Mio Babino Caro" because this special turned me on to it. This special features, as another reviewer said, a rare understandable adult voice, as well as a lot of Snoopy "talk", and the work of a professional whistler.

I think I'm in the minority when I say I didn't care for Play it Again, but I won't say anything else against it. Other viewers enjoyed it and this video (and later DVD???) would be worth purchasing for me just because of She's a Good Skate.

"Play It Again, Charlie Brown" is the finest Peanuts episode ever created. In fact it may be the finest animated production in history. Other than, perhaps, Citizen Kane, it may be the greatest cinematic triumph of this or any age.

Charlie Brown's voice was done with such perfection, such angst and pathos, that it brought tears to this viewers eyes. You must rush out and buy as many copies as possible to distribute them. You will be doing the world a great service!!!