Have you ever seen the Jim Henson’s movie Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas? I remember watching it on television when I was a kid.
I had mentioned it to my husband not too long ago. He too remembered seeing it as a kid.
Imagine our surprise when I we found out the movie was celebrating it’s 40th Anniversary this year.
WOW! WOW! WOW! Now I feel REALLY old!
I was sent a copy to review. It’s now available on Blu-ray and DVD.
The quality of the film is not that great (it’s not hi-def), but that OK because the original film is 40 years old. It’s going to show it’s age.
The characters in this film are all puppets. They are made by Jim Henson’s company, so they are like Muppets. In fact, Kermit the Frog makes an appearance in the movie. Even some of the voices sound familiar (I would swear the lead singe of the River Bottom Band is Cookie Monster from Sesame Street).
Emmet and his mother are not very well off. They scrimp and save every penny to get by. Ma does the laundry for other people and Emmet takes any odd job he can get.
One day they learn that the town is having a talent contest. Both Emmet and Ma have the same idea (unbeknownst to each other) to enter the contest to win the grand prize so that they can buy presents for one another.
They even go so far as to take from one another for the sake of winning the contest. Ma hocks Emmet’s tools to buy a material to make a nice dress and Emmet takes Ma’s washtub to turn it into an instrument.
Who will win the contest? Will either of them win? To find out you’ll need to pick up a copy of Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas. Look for it where ever movies are sold.
It was great to see this film again It’s been decades since I’ve seen it last. I didn’t remember most of it, except for the plot.
It does have “Christmas” in the title, and it is a “feel good” movie, but I wouldn’t classify it as a holiday film. This film could be enjoyed year round. It’s NOT filled with holiday tunes. I think most of the music is exclusive to this film (I don’t recall ever hearing it on the radio or in other soundtracks).
The most Christmas-like thing in the film is that they want to buy holiday gifts for one another.
Compared to today’s special effects, these puppets are not up to today’s quality. But that is OK. After all, the film is 40 years old. It’s not going to be like today’s puppets.
The great thing about this movie is that its something both young and old alike can watch and enjoy together. Little kids might not be too keen on the songs, but the story it’s self is great for every age. As I mentioned before, it’s a feel good movie with a great story.
There ares some bonus features available. I was surprise that there was considering 40 years ago we didn’t have DVDs and I didn’t think that kind of material found in the bonus feature section (like deleted scenes) would still be available.
Bonus features on the DVD include deleted scenes, the song “Born in a Trunk,” Outtakes and Behind the Scenes in Frogtown Hollow (the behind the scenes feature was my favorite).
If you are looking for a fun film for Family Movie Night, Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas would be a fun choice.
Below is a clip for your enjoyment.
Kimberly
*I received a free screener copy to review. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.