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32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Review From The Peanuts Gallery (2), February 15, 2010
This review is from: Peanuts: 1970's Collection, Vol. 2 (Be My Valentine Charlie Brown / You're a Good Sport / It's Arbor Day / What a Nightmare / It's Your First Kiss / You're the Greatest) (DVD)
Peanuts specials are timeless classics with wonderful moral lessons and clean/clever humor that you can't find presented the same way nowadays. The peanuts will always have a more adult sense of awareness but still never lose their innocence. This 1970's Volume 2 Collection will contain the following six remaining specials from the later half of the 1970's on 2 discs:
Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown (Aired: 1/28/1975)
One of the last peanut specials to become a true perennial classic. With Valentine's Day approaching, the gang prepares in various ways. Charlie Brown waits at the mailbox, Linus buys a box of candy for his teacher (while Sally thinks it's for herself), Snoopy puts on a dramatic "Pawpet" show, and the school has a Valentine's Day party.
You're A Good Sport Charlie Brown (Aired: 10/28/1975)
Peppermint Patty gets good ol' Chuck to participate in a motocross race which has many challenges, including a mysterious Masked Marvel.
It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown (Aired: 3/16/1976)
While researching a report on Arbor Day, Sally enlists the gang to turn Charlie Brown's ball field into a garden and orchard, complete with a tree on the pitcher's mound and scarecrow in the outfield. During the first game of the season against Peppermint Patty's team, the plants turn out to be an unexpected advantage. This lesser appreciated classic is still shown in most elemtary schools on Arbor day.
It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown (Aired: 10/24/1977)
Charlie Brown must escort the Little Red-Haired Girl to the homecoming dance, even though he has trouble kicking the ball during the homecoming football game.
What A Nightmare, Charlie Brown! (Aired: 2/23/1978)
Making it's DVD debut on this set. Having eaten too much, Snoopy dreams he's an Alaskan sled dog. (I don't know why but this has always been a personal favorite).
You're The Greatest, Charlie Brown (Aired: 3/19/1979)
Charlie Brown participates in the Junior Olympics Decathlon, competing against several other contestants, including the Masked Marvel.
Also included in this set is an all new featurette: "You're Groovy, Charlie Brown: A Look At Peanuts in the 70's"
These specials are being presented remastered, and so far have looked great, in their original Full Frame video format with English Mono Audio. There are also English subtitles.
I grew up in the nineties but still grew up watching these specials. Not only did I enjoy the perennial classics that aired each holiday but I enjoyed all the other specials. I vividly remember watching, What A Nightmare, Charlie Brown!, and being drawn in by the minimal amount of dialogue. I'd give anything that makes the Peanut specials available five stars but I can't recommend these particular sets highly enough for fans who finally want to own all the specials in nicely done chronological sets.
These specials are all classics and are perfect for parents looking for suitable programming for their children or for adults who grew up watching them and want a chance to reminisce on past days and simpler times. Now fans can start looking forward to Peanuts: 1980's Collection 1 (which should contain She's A Good Skate, Charlie Brown through to at least the one hour special, A Charlie Brown Celebration). Thanks For Your Time.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Last of the "classics", and farewell to Vince Guaraldi. It goes downhill on disc #2., June 5, 2010
This review is from: Peanuts: 1970's Collection, Vol. 2 (Be My Valentine Charlie Brown / You're a Good Sport / It's Arbor Day / What a Nightmare / It's Your First Kiss / You're the Greatest) (DVD)
First the me say to those who already have the 5 previously released specials on DVD, you may want to think twice about buying this just to get "WHAT A NIGHTMARE, CHARLIE BROWN".
"Nightmare" is the first real CLUNKER in the Peanuts specials. It is not really a Peanuts special as it only features Snoopy, with a guest appearance by Charlie Brown. None of the other kids are there. You basically have to sit through 20 minutes of Snoopy growling at sled-dogs who are trying to take things away from him. There is almost no dialog for the middle 20 minutes as the sled-dog owner is an adult who only talks with the sound of a muted trumpet. "Nightmare" would have worked as a brief throw-away segment of another special, much like the Snoopy v.s. Red Baron segment in "Its The Great Pumpkin". There is just not enough to carry an entire 25 minute special.
That said, I will point out the highlights.
"BE MY VALENTINE,CHARLIE BROWN (1975)" is a true "classic", you will never tire of seeing it. The only thing I find odd about it is that by this time we already know that Peppermint Patty has a crush on Charlie Brown, the very next special continues that one-way romance. So why does Charlie Brown not receive a Valentine Card from her? This story seems to happen as if it were earlier in the series.
"YOU'RE A GOOD SPORT, CHARLIE BROWN (1975)" introduces a new sport to the kids, motocross. This may be the first attempt to update the series for modern kids. It is still a lot of fun, but lacks that classic quality.
"ITS ARBOR DAY, CHARLIE BROWN (1976)" is sadly the last special to be scored by the great Vince Guaraldi, his compositions continue to carry you along in this humorous tale of baseball season colliding with tree-planting season.
Is it just a coincidence that the quality of the Peanuts specials take a nosedive with the passing of Vince Guaraldi? I know he was not the director or producer of these specials, but could he have had that much influence on the productions?
"WHAT A NIGHTMARE, CHARLIE BROWN (1977)" is what you will be saying after watching this mess. Some of Vince's compositions are repeated here, but most of this poorly conceived film is brandished with synthesizer music (popular in the 1970's). Is the new composer's name really Ed Bogus?
"ITS YOUR FIRST KISS, CHARLIE BROWN (1978)" suffers from an all-too-serious football game story line & synthesized non-Guaraldi music. It is still fun to watch, but does not feel like a classic Peanuts Special. There is just not enough time devoted to fun in this one, the competition is serious.
"YOU'RE THE GREATEST, CHARLIE BROWN (1979)" continues the sports theme of this set (3 of 6 are sports related) as the gang tries for the Junior Olympics. This one is much more fun to watch & gives hope for the continuing series. You even start to get used to Ed Bogus' music compositions.
The bonus material about the comic strips in the 1970's tells us nothing new, but it is fun to watch the old home-movies of "Sparky" Schulz. A better bonus would have been a discussion of how to handle the series with the passing of Vince Guaraldi. There was no mention of his passing in this set.
The series really starts to fall apart with disc #2. And the 1980s would bring about more misses than hits. The series would turn to doing musicals & celebration specials, many are not on DVD. If these sets continue, there would be two from the 1980's with 7 specials in each set (2 of which are hour long specials). And none of these, with the possible exception of 1986's HAPPY NEW YEAR, CHARLIE BROWN, is of classic quality. I could be wrong as I have not seen many of the 1980's specials since their original broadcast, but there may be a reason they are not repeated on TV. So this 1970's set is the last of the "classics".
Oh, and somebody goofed on the disc images of this set, the picture of disc #2 is for "YOU'RE A GOOD SPORT, CHARLIE BROWN" which is on disc 1. And the image on disc 1, while a generic shot of Charlie Brown & Snoopy on his doghouse, is for "ITS A NIGHTMARE, CHARLIE BROWN" which is on disc 2.
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1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Perhaps the most well-rounded volume in the series so far, June 12, 2010
This review is from: Peanuts: 1970's Collection, Vol. 2 (Be My Valentine Charlie Brown / You're a Good Sport / It's Arbor Day / What a Nightmare / It's Your First Kiss / You're the Greatest) (DVD)
Get ready for more wholesome Charles M. Schulz fun; Warner Brothers has released the follow-up volume to their first Peanuts 1970's Collection. Just like in previous collections, there's a distinct mix of classic cartoons that have become holiday staples and others you might never have seen before unless you've previously purchased the double-feature DVD releases that were par for the course until Warner Brothers started its anthology trend. Additionally, one of the cartoons gets its first-time-ever release on DVD in this collection. Finally, you can toss out that VHS copy.
Be My Valentine Charlie Brown (1975)
Depending on whether or not you think the sanitized trend of every kid giving a valentine to every other kid in their grade is a smart emotional buffer or ridiculous, the story of this cartoon has a different meaning. Charlie Brown, for whatever reason, has a really bad track record when it comes to getting valentines on Valentine's Day. He has lots of friends, but he's never anyone's valentine. Ever. So, the homely little boy that everyone likes sets out to be anyone's valentine so he can get a card. It's a bittersweet idea based on an unfortunate happening that has been phased out thanks to the school system's "give everyone a card" policy.
You're a Good Sport, Charlie Brown (1975)
Remember when Charlie Brown chose a po-dunk, little tree for Christmas and everyone ridiculed his decision? Well, it wasn't the last time that happened to him. This time around it's the laughable little motorbike he buys for a motorcross which he enters with his friends. Does Charlie Brown win? Does he ever really "win"?
It's Arbor Day Charlie Brown (1976)
Charlie Brown loves his baseball field. His team rarely (if ever) wins, but that field provides him with some sense of ownership. He's very possessive and takes pride in it and the team he leads while playing on it. So when the field is converted to a garden in honor of Arbor Day, Charlie Brown obstinately goes forth with a game against Peppermint Patty regardless. He may not like the new state his field is in, but he finds his team plays better than ever before (or rather, the other team doesn't play quite as well).
What a Nightmare, Charlie Brown (1978)
This is the cartoon that is just now getting its DVD debut, and it might not be hard to understand why. While it offers some very sparse levels of the cutesy comedy Snoopy is known for, the majority of it is a very off-color story about Snoopy having a nightmare about being a sled dog in the arctic and changing to meet the harsh conditions and stronger nature of his teammates. What an odd Peanuts cartoon, but here it is. The strangeness alone makes it worth a view.
It's Your First Kiss, Charlie Brown (1977)
This cartoon might have the best setup of all those in the set, and provides the best scope of just what it is Peanuts offers. Everyone knows Charlie Brown loves the red-headed girl. He pines, he loves, he yearns. When he learns that he'll have the chance to impress her at the football game (can you guess it yet?) his heart jumps. This will be his chance. But lo and behold, who is holding the football for his big moment? That's right, Lucy. So Charlie Brown continues his streak of misplaced faith, poor guy. But still, two classic Peanuts elements in one cartoon.
You're the Greatest, Charlie Brown (1979)
Remember earlier how we talk about how Charlie Brown never wins anything ever. We'll eat half our words here, with a side of fries, as Charlie Brown proves himself somewhat of a pro as he enters (not entirely by choice) the decathlon, the most grueling event in his school's Olympics. It's kind of like Charlie Brown with a Vengeance. You expect him to get snuffed or trip up as Marcie or Snoopy go whizzing past, but he holds his own. Charlie Brown finally has his day (sort of).
DVD Bonus Features
A decent documentary featurette examines the progression of this iconic cartoon and its lovable characters in a decade filled with polarizing national events. Considering the steady hand of the Peanuts cartoon features, the documentary makes for a very interesting watch.
Overall this is one of the better selections offered in the Peanuts collections so far. It offers a good mix and throws in the best elements of the series.
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DVD ~ Todd Barbee
DVD ~ Charles Schulz
DVD ~ Philip Shafran
DVD ~ Peter Robbins
DVD ~ Chad Webber
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