emmet otter's jug band christmas 720p download free Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas. This page may contain affiliate links. This means at no additional cost to you we may receive a commission if you purchase a product from one of our links. We only recommend products we love. On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: Emmet Otter’s Jugband Christmas. Honestly, I had no choice but to end this series with ’s wonderful Christmas special which first aired December 1978. It has been required holiday viewing for me since the early 80s, and I consider it to be the best Christmas special of all time. Young Emmet and his “ma” Alice have been struggling financially and emotionally ever since the death of his father/her husband. Alice takes in laundry to bring in extra income, while Emmet does whatever odd jobs he can find using his dad’s old tool chest, sometimes along with his buddy Wendell. As Christmas approaches, Alice would love nothing more than to get Emmet the guitar he admires in the music store window as they stroll downtown. And Emmet longs to find a way to bring home a piano for his mom. They both painfully realize that their meager funds make each of those goals very unlikely. It is announced that a talent show will take place in Frogtown Hollow on Christmas Eve, the winner of which will receive $50. Emmet and his friends decide to put together a jugband and enter the contest; however he must put a hole in his ma’s washtub to make a bass. Likewise, Alice decides to enter the contest as well, but she doesn’t have enough money to buy material for a dress, so she is forced to sell the tool chest Emmet uses for his odd jobs. Who wins the contest? I wouldn’t dare spoil the ending for those who haven’t had the experience of getting to know Emmet and Alice and all their friends and neighbors. Suffice it to say, sacrifices are made, lessons are learned, and this Christmas Eve will be a night that will change their lives forever. Of all the films and specials reviewed in this series, I whole-heartedly urge you and your entire family to take an hour to sit down and enjoy this one together. The songs will be stuck in your head for days, weeks, and possibly even months and years afterwards. I’m pretty sure I know each and every one of them by heart. The relationships between the characters, particularly between Emmet and Alice, are poignant and remarkably human, even though there’s not a single homo sapien to be found. And most importantly, whenever I sit down and watch this remarkable Christmas special, the spirit of the holiday becomes omnipresent . This is the definition of timeless entertainment. A family struggling to make ends meet, the dreams we often stifle because they seem too impossible to achieve, the questionable things we often do for unquestionably noble reasons. This was first released nearly 40 years ago, but the themes of this special are pertinent yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Forgive me if my effusive praise is a bit hyperbolic, and perhaps no program is able to live up to such superlatives, but this is a very personal choice for me. It’s one of the most wonderful and moving artistic experiences I can imagine, and more than any other movie or documentary or special, it conveys the spirit and magic of Christmas. Isn’t it funny how a few puppets made of felt and glue can move a jaded, often cynical 43 year old man to such superlatives? That’s a Christmas miracle in itself. This title is currently available for rental on Vudu or for purchase by clicking here. By the way, if you happen to watch this on DVD, don’t miss the wonderful behind the scenes documentary about the making of this classic. You will see bloopers, the faces behind the voices, remembrances by those who worked with and knew Jim Henson, and other fascinating tidbits. I certainly hope you’ve enjoyed this series! It has been thrilling for me to revisit some old favorites, to discover some new ones, and to share with you my love and passion. Please revisit my introductory page here for a list of all 12 movies and specials I’ve reviewed for you this month. I wish you all the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of times in 2017! 12 Days of Movies. Need suggestions for you holiday viewing? Have no fear, help is on the way! Get 12 days of top Christmas movie recommendations to stream or rent (and which to avoid at all costs!) Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription to 12 Days of Christmas Movies. Watch Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. This movie was one of the first ever to be televised via cable television in homes back in the early 1980's; for many viewers it signifies a turning point in television as it was previously known, and the beginning of an enigma. With state-of-the-art puppetry, the story of this sweet little otter named Emmet, is brought to life. Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas is symbolic of the holidays, with the quaint heartwarming story centered around a lovable main character, Emmet, who wants to buy something special for his hard-working mother this Christmas. His dear friends, who also play in a small jug-band alongside Emmet, help him to brainstorm ultimately making a sacrificial decision in an effort to enter a contest in hopes of winning first prize. With the prize money, Emmet knows that he can buy his mother the gift she truly deserves: a piano. Emmet is determined to win for his mother, despite the choices that he must make in order to pay the contest entry fee. Adding to the angst is Emmet's biggest competition, a hard-playing, tough talking rock band that also have their eye on the top prize. Emmet is confident and sure that if he can just garner the money to enter the contest, that his band is sure to win. Meanwhile, Emmet's mother has similar aspirations. Upon hearing of the upcoming Christmas eve talent contest, she also decides to enter- also relenting to temptation and making a tough choice that could have repercussions later. She is certain that her lovely singing voice will be enough to capture the judges' attention and win the contest. She daydreams of winning to buy Emmet the store- bought gift that he has been pining for: a guitar. This story is sweet and appropriate for all ages; there are few that won't enjoy this tale of simplicity, sacrifice, and inspiration. the puppetry at first glance appears a bit awkward, but as the story moves forward, the viewer forgets that the cast are indeed puppets rather than living characters. This is a classic movie that should be on everyone's favorite holiday movie list! Adding to the angst is Emmet's biggest competition, a hard-playing, tough talking rock band that also have their eye on the top prize. Emmet is confident and sure that if he can just garner the money to enter the contest, that his band is sure to win. Meanwhile, Emmet's mother has similar aspirations. Upon hearing of the upcoming Christmas eve talent contest, she also decides to enter- also relenting to temptation and making a tough choice that could have repercussions later. She is certain that her lovely singing voice will be enough to capture the judges' attention and win the contest. She daydreams of winning to buy Emmet the store-bought gift that he has been pining for: a guitar. This story is sweet and appropriate for all ages; there are few that won't enjoy this tale of simplicity, sacrifice, and inspiration. the puppetry at first glance appears a bit awkward, but as the story moves forward, the viewer forgets that the cast are indeed puppets rather than living characters. This is a classic movie that should be on everyone's favorite holiday movie list! Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is a 1977 drama with a runtime of 48 minutes. It has received poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 8.1. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas is a one-hour Christmas television special produced by , based on the 1971 children's storybook of the same name by Russell Hoban. It first aired on the CBC on December 4, 1977 [1] [2] and then on HBO on December 17th the following year, before making its first network television broadcast on ABC on December 15, 1980. It has since re-aired on Nickelodeon in the 1990s, then on the Odyssey Network in 1999, and most recently aired as part of ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas in 2015. Contents. Synopsis. Emmet and Alice Otter row from Waterville to Frogtown Hollow. In this one-hour musical Christmas special, tells the story of widow Alice "Ma" Otter and her son, Emmet, who live along the river in the village of Frogtown Hollow. Ma and Emmet struggle to make ends meet through odd jobs and projects for neighbors and villagers, but this Christmas they dream of having enough money to buy each other a special gift. Known for their musical abilities, the Otters are encouraged by their friends to enter a local talent contest. The mother and son reminisce about Pa Otter, who serves as the inspiration for them to enter the show. The menacing Riverbottom Nightmare Band. Without each other's knowledge, Ma and Emmet prepare for the talent contest in the hope of winning the fifty-dollar prize to buy Christmas gifts for each other. To do so, Ma hocks Emmet's tools for dress fabric. Meanwhile, Emmet turns Ma's washtub into a bass and assembles Wendell Badger, Harvey Beaver, and Charlie Muskrat into a jug band called the Frogtown Hollow Jubilee Hug Band. The Frogtown Jubilee Jug Band performs the song "Brothers" at Waterville's annual Christmas Eve talent show. At the contest, Emmet and the Frogtown Jubilee Jug Band perform a quickly-written song titled "Brothers" (due to another contestant, Yancey Woodchuck, performing the song they themselves had originally planned to sing, "Barbecue"), and Ma Otter sings a solo number, "Our World". Unfortunately, they both lose to a hard rock group formed by a unruly gang of woodland creatures who call themselves the Riverbottom Nightmare Band. On the way home, Emmet and his jug band perform "Brothers" together with "Our World" after Ma realizes how well the two songs fit together. They are overheard by one of the contest's judges, Doc Bullfrog, who happens to own a local restaurant called the Riverside Rest, and he offers them a job as musical performers at his restaurant. Songs. The cover to the soundtrack album. The songs for Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas were written by Paul Williams, who is known for his 1970s pop hits "(Just an) Old-Fashioned Love Song" and "We've Only Just Begun." Williams would later write songs for in three later productions, (1979), The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), and A Muppets Christmas: Letters to Santa (2008). "The One Bathing Suit": A standard "keeping warm while you're rowing song," affectionately mocking Emmet's grandmother and her oversized swimwear. "Ain't No Hole in the Washtub": Ma and Emmet sing this song to cheer themselves up after thinking about their dear departed Pa Otter. "When the River Meets the Sea": A gospel number sung by Ma and Emmet, about the hope of redemption. Reprised at the end of the special with the Jug Band, to honor Pa Otter about their new permanent jobs. "Barbecue": A rousing song rehearsed by Emmet's Frogtown Hollow Jubilee Jug Band. The band plans to perform this song at Waterville's annual Christmas Eve talent show, but another entrant, Yancey Woodchuck, steals their thunder by singing the song before Emmet's band comes on. "Our World": The song that Ma Otter sings at the talent show. At the end of the special, Ma and Emmet's band sing both songs, blending them into a harmony. "Brothers": The song that the Frogtown Hollow Jubilee Jug Band performs at the talent show. It's a good song, but it's missing something. "Riverbottom Nightmare Band": A menacing song sung by the Riverbottom Nightmare Band, about how bad and disrespectful they are. "Brothers in Our World": A mash-up of the songs "Our World" and "Brothers", by Ma and the Jug Band, which Doc Bullfrog hears and offers permanent jobs for them. " Production. Don Sahlin works on various Emmet and Ma puppets. The special utilized a number of different puppetry methods. The main puppets used were the usual Muppet hand puppets, but the characters were frequently represented by marionettes as well. It also utilized the Bunraku and Black Theater techniques. This was also one of the first Muppet productions to use radio control puppet effects, designed by Faz Fazakas. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas also featured extensively platformed-up sets, all created with great attention to detail. Jim Henson explained: “ Emmet Otter was the first time we had gotten into those kind of elaborate sets where we had floors in the interiors and we would take a wide- angle shot with characters coming up through holes in the floor. Or we'd cut into the set and remove the floor and have the characters moving through space in waist shots. That was the most elaborate production we had gotten into at that point. Frog Prince had been platformed-up and was always platformed-up, but in Emmet Otter … we'd go right into a scene. We'd have the whole set in three dimensions… rigged so we could pop parts and come out through the openings, which is really time consuming… [3] ” Reception. John J. O'Connor gave the special a very positive review in The New York Times on December 15, 1980 for its ABC airing: “ Jim Henson and the Muppets are on a dazzling winning streak these days… Mr. Henson has produced and directed one of the most charming Christmas specials of the last several years… Once again, Mr. Henson's creations verge on the marvelous, perfectly capturing the Wind in the Willows aspects of Emmet Otter's story… These really are the nicest folk on the river -- and on prime-time television. ” In 1981, the special was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children's Program. However, it lost to Donahue and Kids . In 2008, the special was adapted into a live musical stage show, featuring a mix of live actors and stage puppets built by the Jim Henson Company. Paul Williams wrote four new songs just for the stage adaptation, as well as finishing up "Born in a Trunk", a song he originally wrote for the television special. The musical premiered at the Goodspeed Opera House on December 7, 2008, and ran until January 4, 2009. The show ran again, this time with the title shortened to Jim Henson's Emmet Otter , from December 5, 2009, to January 3, 2010. Home video releases. In 1983, Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas made its home video debut as one of four Muppet Home Video titles (alongside Hey Cinderella! , The Frog Prince , and The Muppet Musicians of Bremen ) that were released on VHS and Betamax under the heading "Tales from Muppetland", by Silver Eagle Records. The four specials were also released in two volumes on RCA SelectaVision CED discs; Emmet Otter shared its CED disc with The Muppet Musicians of Bremen . 1983 also saw the release of the four specials in the UK by RCA/Columbia Pictures Video (the forerunner to Columbia Tristar Home Video), again under the Muppet Home Video banner. There were two volumes, each containing two programmes. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas was featured on the first volume with Hey Cinderella! These programmes appear to be the same versions as released by Silver Eagle Records in the US. Buena Vista Home Video released Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas on VHS, under the Jim Henson Video label, in 1996. In 1998, Columbia Tri-Star Home Video released Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas under its new "Jim Henson Home Entertainment" line, and in 2001 released the same version on DVD. In 2005, HIT Entertainment released an Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas: Collector's Edition DVD featuring deleted/alternate scenes, outtakes, an in-depth documentary and other new bonus features. HIT Entertainment would issue the special on DVD again in 2008, but with none of the bonus features from the previous release. It was released on DVD again, this time by Gaiam Vivendi Entertainment, on October 8, 2013. A 40th Anniversary Edition DVD was released by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment on October 10, 2017; it reinstated some of the bonus features from the 2005 DVD and was also the first DVD release of the special to include Kermit's scenes intact. However, like the 2015 ABC Family broadcast, it was cropped to 1.78:1 widescreen. In December 2018, the special was paired with the episode "The Bells of Fraggle Rock" for a series of theatrical screenings by Fathom Events. This was followed up by a Blu-ray release on December 18th, which included the special in both its original aspect ratio as well as the 2017 DVD's widescreen presentation. The disc included the same bonus features as the 40th Anniversary Edition DVD plus a new retrospective featurette titled "Memories of the Jug-Band", which had also appeared with the Fathom Events screenings. Emmet otter's jug band christmas 720p download free. The Otters were poor: to begin with. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. The wondrous tale of Emmet Otter…. and his magical, mystical Jug Band. Ok, so the whole 50 minute movie could easily be summed up in a paragraph. And not only is his Jug Band not mystical, they fail in their goals. Spoilers behind! No big deal. I’m kind of assuming that anyone reading this post has already seen this and is only here to humor me, or to relive their EOJBC memories and nostalgialize their lost youth. On the cover of the dvd that we looked at yesterday, who is front and center? That is right, none other than Kermit the Frawg. But if you are looking for Kermie in the movie, you better look fast, because this is about the only time we see him: Kermit's cameo scene. Kermit is here to tell us the story. Kermit enters the scene riding a bike. I always loved it when they would show him riding a bike, like in the iconic scene in . Seems like these shots would be a pain in the ass for the Muppeteers. Kermit runs into the sign pointing the way to the sleepy communities of Waterville and Frogtown Holler which is where Emmet and his Ma live. First Appearance of the River Bottom Nightmare Band. A group of bad muppets, the Riverbottom Gang, who will later become the River Bottom Nightmare Band, aka “the Nightmare”, pull up and hassle the frog. I included this shot because it was their first appearance, and the only appearance of any of the characters in this prologue. The bad guys steal Kermit’s scarf and ride off in their noisy jalopy. I’ve always thought it was cool how the car actually rides off. I guess it was remote controlled or something. You already hate these guys though, because anyone who picks on Kermit has got to be the worst person ever. They also have some sort of tale on their antenna. Possibly a raccoon. Being as the Riverbottom Gang are animals, I’m guessing the presence of this tail also means they are murderers. You wouldn’t hang a human tail from your antenna would you? Apparently EOJBC originally aired on HBO in 1977. I had no idea that HBO was that old. If you would have asked me last week, or ten minutes ago before I looked it up, when HBO came on the scene, I would have thought it was firmly in the 80’s. Like 1983 or so. Also, I guess they didn’t just show movies, but actually had some really good stuff early on. EOJBC is only about a thousand times better than Entourage. But this explains why I never saw it as a kid. My parents couldn’t even get cable out where they lived until I had already moved out of the house. Look at this set! How elaborate is that. According to the Muppet wiki, EOJBC was the most technologically-advanced Muppet production to date, and included the most elaborate sets that Henson and Co. had ever produced. This overhead view of Frogtown Holler shows how large some of these sets were. The first appearance of Emmet and his Ma comes right after a Robert Altman style “tracking-shot-with-lots-of-characters-doing-different-things”. Here we see Emmet and Ma rowing down the river, delivering the laundry that Ma has washed for money. There are a lot of little communities like this around here, they’re like little swampy redneck Viennas, where the streams and rivers are the roadways. Ma and Emmet are singing as they row down the river, something you better get used to. I guess now is as good a time as any to say that Ma’s singing voice grates on my nerves worse than two pieces of styrofoam being rubbed together. I also think that this special can be cheesy as hell at points. Just to get that out of zee way. Remember when I said that the entire story of EOJBC could be summed up in a paragraph? Well, here it is, followed by pictures that breeze through the whole story like the Mucho Macho burrito from los tacos through my digestive tract. Be wary, friends, the spoilers are ahead and they’re coming fast and furious: Emmet Otter and his mom are poor. Ma washes clothes for a living while Emmet does odd jobs for folks around town. They find out about a talent show that offers a cash prize. Desiring to buy each other presents, they both enter the contest, unbeknownst to each other. Emmet knocks a hole in Ma’s washtub, thereby ending her career, so that he can start a Jug Band to enter the Contest with. Ma sells the tools that Emmet uses for his odd jobs in order to purchase fabric to make a nice dress to wear in the Contest (this makes no sense to me). Along the way, they get hassled by the Riverbottom Gang. In the end, both Ma and Emmet lose the talent show to the Riverbottom Gang who show up as a rock band called “the Nightmare”. After the show, Emmet and Ma sing together and the owner of a local restaurant, upon hearing them, hires them to be his house band, giving both of them a job. The End. It sounds almost nihilistic that they don’t win in the end, and that the Riverbottom Gang never gets punished for their evil deeds, like a kid-friendly No Country for Old Men, but I guess in the end the message is that, even though they didn’t win the contest, their talent together got them a job. Or something like that. Now here’s the story, told in pictures: "Whatchoo lookin at?" Real quick, I wanted to point out how similar the talent contest in EOJBC is to the Muppet Show. It’s basically a zany variety show with acts like this “dancing horse”. Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas (stage show) Costume design sketches by Gregg Barnes for Emmet, Ma, Wendell and Stan. The Goodspeed stage. Jim Henson's Emmet Otter , originally titled Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas , is a live-action stage musical adaptation of the 1977 television special Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas . The show first opened on December 7, 2008 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut and ran until January 4, 2009. The show was developed by Goodspeed Musicals and the Jim Henson Company. The show returned to Goodspeed for the 2009-2010 season; running from December 5th to January 3rd. The production features a mix of live actors and stage puppets built and refurbished by the Jim Henson Company. Paul Williams returned to write four new songs just for the stage adaptation, and finished "Born in a Trunk" which he originally started for the television special. In addition to the extra songs, other changes were made in adapting the musical from the television special. Some are minor, such as merging Yancy Woodchuck with the fruit stand owner; while the most significant update is that of a framing device added by way of two new characters, Russ and Jane, a contemporary father and daughter who read the storybook together one Christmas Eve. In a move similar to The Wizard of Oz and Labyrinth , Jane ultimately finds herself within the context of the story itself. Another new character is Madame Squirrel, something of a leader for the acrobatic squirrel characters that appeared in the special (they themselves having been upgraded to more scenes for the stage version as well). Opening night of the show included attendees and (Nelson having been the original puppeteer for the title character), and the Goodspeed Opera House went on to honor Paul Williams with the Goodspeed Award for Outstanding Contribution to Musical Theatre in 2010. For the second run of the show, the show's title was changed, and shortened, from Emmet Otter's Jug-band Christmas to Jim Henson's Emmet Otter . [1] The script was slightly reworked for this run: instead of Jane becoming a part of the story, she remains a separate character. "Trust", a new song written for the stage version, was rewritten to be sung by Emmet instead of Jane, although Jane sings a reprise of the song during a brief fantasy sequence when she tries to leave her house only to encounter the squirrels. To replace a moment in the original script where Jane gives up her spot in the talent contest to allow Alice to sing, a new character "John Deer" was created, who only manages to get on the stage before becoming frightened by the spotlight and running away. A majority of the original cast members and puppeteers reunited for a one-night only concert at 54 Below in New York City on December 15, 2015, with Paul Williams and Marilyn Sokol in attendance. The script was further modified to completely remove Jane and Russ's subplot, though Kate Wetherhead (Jane) participated in the performance as the narrator. The musical will have its official New York premiere, once again under the title Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas , at the New Victory Theater from December 6, 2021 through January 2, 2022. Gattelli will return to direct and choreograph the production with puppets by the Jim Henson Company. [2]