Christmas wouldn't be as much fun without snow, right?  Well, the first true sign of winter is the frost on the ground and the windows. And we all know who's responsible for that right?  Jack Frost... When Jack Frost falls in love with a mortal, he makes a deal with Father Winter to become mortal in order to win her hand.  Soon, however, Jack discovers that he may need to sacrifice all he wants in order to save her from an evil king.. . This is one of the more whimsical and relaxing specials done by Rankin-Bass.  The story is fun and lighthearted, while also moving at a decent pace. This gives an interesting exploration into the character, that is enjoyable and relatable in some ways. I also have to say that the stop motion animation is pretty smooth as well- and I love the fact that despite it being made fifteen years after their first special " Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer ", the character design and visual style still is in keeping with those that came be...

  We're back with a look at another one of the "classic" Christmas specials by Rankin-Bass.  This week, we check out one of my personal favorites, " The Little Drummer Boy "... Aaron was a young boy who was filled with love and joy... and the ability to make his animal friends dance by playing the drum given to him by his parents.  When bandits destroy the innocent life he had, Aaron comes to hate humanity. A chance encounter with three travelling kings puts him on the road to rediscovering what it means to love again... The story for 1968's " The Little Drummer Boy " is a fair bit deeper (and darker) than the others by Rankin-Bass, which might account for why it's one of my favorite ones.  The themes of innocence lost, childhood rage at that loss, and learning to accept and move forward from that loss is certainly a fascinating counterpoint to the theme of holy redemption and faith. Of the Rankin-Bass specials I've watched, I'd have to...

  The holly jolly season is upon us!  And that means that the Christmas specials are going to start floating across the airwaves to our TV's.  Families will sit down together, sip hot chocolate and watch them- or they'll have them playing in the background while decorating the Christmas tree. Some holiday specials are more "special" than others.  They have a warm, cozy, firelit place in our hearts and lives.  As 2020 comes to a close, we need the coziness that such nostalgia, and routine brings to our upturned lives. And I'd have to say that, of the specials out there- the ones by Rankin-Bass are probably at the top of list of heart warming childhood cheer. This week, I'm going to review the very FIRST Rankin-Bass Christmas special- the one that kicked off a long history of being part of the closeness and traditional Christmas viewing: 1964's " Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer "! This special was based on the 1939 poem by Robert Lewis May (which hi...