Product Description

Every Who down in Who-ville likes Christmas a lot & ; But the Grinch who lived just north of Whoville did NOT! So the cuddly as a cactus Grinch (with termites in his smile and garlic in his soul) tries to wipe out Christmas for the cheerful Who-villians, only to discover: Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more! Magnificently narrated by Boris Karloff and animated by cartoon legend Chuck Jones, it's an award-winning Who-roast-beast-feast of a holiday classic!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2614 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2000-10-31
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Enhanced, Full Screen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 60 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
This all-time classic now has Horton Hears a Who! on the same video for a great double bill.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas
To heck with the kids--this is one of the best holiday presents you can give yourself. Adapted from the children's book by Dr. Seuss, this charming story is one to watch every holiday season. It is just edgy enough to help you forget the more cloying aspects of Christmas, yet it is also sweet enough to remind you of the reason for all that holiday cheer. Animation genius Chuck Jones directed this 1966 television production featuring the voice of Boris Karloff as the mean greenie. Bitter and selfish, the Grinch decides to steal Christmas away from the Whos, the sweet little folk who live at the bottom of his mountain home. When little Cindy Loo Who returns his hateful act with kindness, she melts the old miser's heart. There are many reasons to watch this: inventive wordplay, Karloff's impressive narration, and a very memorable soundtrack. --Rochelle O'Gorman

Horton Hears a Who!
Chuck Jones was chief animator on this lively adaptation of the famous book by Dr. Seuss. The story of a friendly elephant named Horton who discovers--deep inside a daisy--a tiny city called Whoville with tiny, intelligent residents--this film (fleshed out a bit from the source) is strong on character and has striking, appealing visuals. The little folks of Whoville, with their natural air of aristocracy, are a kick, and when they come to see Horton as a hero for his democratic view of all life big and small, the effect is quite touching. This should be a real treat for kids already familiar with the book, and just might inspire those who haven't read it to pick it up. --Tom Keogh

Additional Features
Without a new cover or much fanfare, this new edition of the hallowed Christmas film has several additional extras. Best is TNT's 25-minute documentary from 1996. Phil Hartman hosts this easy-going look at the history and creation of Grinch. Composer Albert Hague and vocalist Thurl Ravenscroft are featured in more detail in a shorter featurette, "Songs in the Key of Grinch." The commentary by animator Phil Roman and voice actress June Foray (Cindy Low Who) is trivial. The quality of the digital enhancement is not as wonderful as expected. Color definition is better, as are the cuts between scenes. While some dirt has been cleaned up, the print is still not pristine by any means. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews

The Grinch is GREEN!!!
I just purchased this new anniversary edition of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" (50th for the book and 40th for the special). First, this is a single disc release - not the two-disc set that was originally announced. I stuck the disc into my player to check it out and I was pleasantly surprised. "The Grinch" has been cleaned-up and looks beautiful. And, yes, the Grinch is now GREEN! YEA!!! But be warned, "Horton Hears A Who" has NOT been cleaned-up. It is the same version that appeared on the previous release. There is a new special feature that looks interesting. BUT, there are a few things that have disappeared: Chapter stops for both specials are GONE!, Subtitles for both specials are GONE!, and the commentary for "The Grinch" is GONE! I suppose I can live without those in exchange for a green Grinch, though it is disappointing. Be prepared for the missing features if you plan to upgrade. I do recommend this, though, as "The Grinch" looks so much better than the previous release.

***UPDATE*** 11/9/09
This anniversary edition has been discontinued and replaced by a very similar edition. The new 2009 edition was actually created in 2008 (the trailers are for upcoming DVDs - one year ago) and there are a couple of changes. First, the "Horton Hears A Who" feature has been dropped, I assume, because it has since gotten its own release. Second, the audio commentary has been restored. And third, the subtitles have been restored. Chapter stops are still missing but that is ok as the special is only 25 minutes or so. I had a lot of trouble getting this edition. I went through two copies from Amazon (and got a full refund), a copy from Target, and a copy from Warner Brothers itself (they replaced the Target copy). The problem was that the cover was from the new 2009 version but the disc was the 2006 disc. I finally found a correct version at Walmart today. There is no way to know if it is correct until you open it. The 2006 disc label says "50th Birthday Deluxe Edition" while the 2009 disc label just says "Deluxe Edition." The transfer itself is still the color-corrected, green-Grinch version found on the 2006 DVD.

Color Comparison available on DVD itself
If you compare the colors of scenes from How The Grinch Stole Christmas with the exact same scene in the TNT special on the same DVD, you will notice a definite difference. The one has a Grinch that is mustard while the other has a Grinch that is definitely green. How anyone can say that the one Mustard Grinch is normal needs to check out the color of the Grinch in the TNT special.

Accept No Substitutes
The Grinch, who lives just north of Whoville, is tired of listening to their Christmas celebration each year. But this year, he's going to do something about it. Disguising himself as Santa, he sneaks down into the town to take everything Christmassy, and everything else, from them. But will that stop Christmas from coming? Is he beyond enjoying the season himself?

What can I say; this is a great holiday special. There were only a handful I had to watch every year growing up, and this is one of them. That's extended to my adult Decembers as well. It keeps the story simple, not trying to expand it needlessly like the recent live action movie did. And the songs add to the fun, especially "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." That song alone is worth watching the special for.

This DVD is a great way to own this classic. The picture and sound are good. I can't really tell that much difference in how the Grinch is supposed to look, and to me this is a minor issue anyway. The extras are a mixed bag. The audio commentary isn't that great because it's obvious that they really don't have that much to say. However, the special about the making of the cartoon and the separate interview about writing the songs are both interesting.

This disc also includes another cartoon from a Dr. Seuss book, HORTON HEARS A WHO. I had never seen this special before I bought the disc, but I'm not a fan of it. Not sure why because I like the book. Maybe if I'd seen it as a kid I'd feel differently.

Ultimately, the reason to get this DVD is the classic Christmas special that headlines the disc. Watching it always brings the warm fuzzies of Christmas past for a visit. You can't go wrong getting it.