The Great Muppet Caper / Muppet Treasure Island - December 10, 2013

[Nionel]

I was not expecting this at all, but I'll be very happy to purchase this on day one. I wasn't expecting Caper to drop until next year, possibly as a tie in with the new movie dropping in theaters, bit it's great to see the original three movies all on Blu finally.

[Barry the Nomad]

Echoing others thoughts, it is a very odd combo. I'd guess Great Muppet Caper is the big one that everybody really wants, and Treasure Island is the one that Disney assumed wouldn't sell as well alone, so they bundled the two. Not unlike the Walt Disney Classics that get bundled with their DTV sequels.

While a Caper/Manhattan combo would make more sense, Disney doesn't own it. Ideally, they should have bundled Christmas Carol and Treasure Island last year. At least with those two it is sequential and there is a literary theme. Very happy to finally get these two, and hope there are bonus features and that the video quality is great.

But how will I order my shelf now??

[RipleyLV426]

Originally Posted by Barry the Nomad

Echoing others thoughts, it is a very odd combo. I'd guess Great Muppet Caper is the big one that everybody really wants, and Treasure Island is the one that Disney assumed wouldn't sell as well alone, so they bundled the two. Not unlike the Walt Disney Classics that get bundled with their DTV sequels.

While a Caper/Manhattan combo would make more sense, Disney doesn't own it. Ideally, they should have bundled Christmas Carol and Treasure Island last year. At least with those two it is sequential and there is a literary theme. Very happy to finally get these two, and hope there are bonus features and that the video quality is great.

But how will I order my shelf now??

Haha, I hear ya on that one! Pretty solid price at $20.99 so far ($10 a movie). Wonder if there will be a $3 off coupon or something. Think I'll lock this one in for now.

[HomerThompson]

Hopefully it'll have some nice special features for both. At least the original trailers.

[THS]

Originally Posted by Barry the Nomad

Echoing others thoughts, it is a very odd combo. I'd guess Great Muppet Caper is the big one that everybody really wants, and Treasure Island is the one that Disney assumed wouldn't sell as well alone, so they bundled the two. Not unlike the Walt Disney Classics that get bundled with their DTV sequels.

While a Caper/Manhattan combo would make more sense, Disney doesn't own it. Ideally, they should have bundled Christmas Carol and Treasure Island last year. At least with those two it is sequential and there is a literary theme. Very happy to finally get these two, and hope there are bonus features and that the video quality is great.

But how will I order my shelf now??

I'm In the same boat. I've been pondering how I should order them, but ultimately, the way you have it posted above is the way I will be doing it. Even if Treasure Island is on the left, it still makes more sense to make sure Caper goes after the original classic.

[Frightener22]

The only thing that bugs me from a picky collectors perspective is how "Muppets Take Manhattan" and "Muppets From Space" stick out like sore thumbs since they have no slipcovers. Typical, Sony, real typical

[CaptainYoda]

I will get this for sure. The cover is an interesting made up image that somewhat references the two movies split down the middle.

And love the price. They must have thought they would not sell well enough on their own so Disney bundled them. Even though, they really dont go together. But I will be glad to have them in my collection!

[J. Severe]

Hope Disney puts more effort in this release than they did for their last 2 Movie Collections. Would like non-static menus and a decent amount of bonus features. Each film having its own disc would be nice too but I'm not holding my breath.

Nevertheless, more Muppets on Blu-ray is always a good thing!

[Snowmaker]

Originally Posted by Cahleb

I'm bothered that Muppet Caper isn't on the left side.

and the muppets will all be officially on blu-ray now.

Nope. Still waiting for :

WTVD's 1987 Broadcast of a "Muppet Family Christmas" - YouTube

Love the commercial for Leonard Part 6 at 43:18.

[Barry the Nomad]

Originally Posted by Snowmaker

Nope. Still waiting for :

Love the commercial for Leonard Part 6 at 43:18.

Well, to be fair, all the theatrical movies will be on blu-ray come this release.

Would be nice to have a blu-ray of the tv movies.

[Arlington]

Don't studies show that, in terms of graphic design, more peoples' eye travel to the right? That's the more dominant side? Maybe that's why Caper is on that side

Regardless, thrilled to have it...Caper is my favorite Muppet film!

[zafisher94]

Cool! I'll certainly be picking these up eventually. And I agree in regards to the double feature. It really screws up how I was going to display them, but oh well, I'll live.

[starkrogersthor91]

Originally Posted by Frightener22

The only thing that bugs me from a picky collectors perspective is how "Muppets Take Manhattan" and "Muppets From Space" stick out like sore thumbs since they have no slipcovers. Typical, Sony, real typical

I've held out on getting Muppets take Manhattan and Muppets From Space in the hope that Disney would attain the rights to them at some point down the line and do a release with slipcovers that would fit in properly with the rest of the films... but what are the chances that this will happen??

[grassmonk]

The only thing that makes me sad is that The Muppet Movie is the only one that isn't a combo pack (Amazon had an exclusive combo pack for The Muppet Christmas Carol). My kids like to watch movies in the car, and they love the Muppets. I still have my original DVD release of The Muppet Movie, but when the Blus come out I like to replace them with combo packs and give the old DVD to my sister. (She's built quite the DVD collection from me.)

Actually on topic, I've only seen The Great Muppet Caper once, and I don't remember liking it that much. Guess I'll give it another shot in December. I do like Muppet Treasure Island though.

[Thomas Guycott]

Originally Posted by Arlington

Don't studies show that, in terms of graphic design, more peoples' eye travel to the right? That's the more dominant side? Maybe that's why Caper is on that side

Disney Marketing Department: "Kermit has to be on the left side because he needs to be 'first.'"

[OneWayFilms]

Shoot, I would have even taken a double feature with THE MUPPET MOVIE & THE GREAT MUPPET CAPER over CAPER sharing it with TREASURE ISLAND.

(sigh)

[mcfddj74]

Originally Posted by ChuckT43

I have been wanting Treasure Island. Now if ever we can see a Muppet Family Christmas. Probably no time soon though.

Muppet Family Christmas was released on VHS from Disney first & then reissued by Columbia Pictures/Sony on DVD. However the Columbia pictures release is missing footage..

Thank god I have a DVD copy from the original airing !!!

Here's a detailed list of edits from the last release....

A Muppet Family Christmas has been released on video in both 1994 and 1998 and on DVD in 2001. However, every commercially available version in the United States and Canada has scenes edited out due to music rights problems. When this special originally debuted on television, the full rights to the songs were only secured for television.

Because the US song rights are different than for other countries, the PAL video release available in Europe does not contain the music edits the NTSC videos suffer. All video releases derive from the 1989 edit, which contains less incidental music, and puts dissolves between scenes that originally faded to and from black for commercial breaks. (NBC added their own fades when airing the special.) The 2001 DVD is a shorter cut of the 1989 edit.

The red "A Muppet Family Christmas" logo seen in the first shot of the film was added for the home video releases of the special. In the original cut of the special, the logo is seen over Ma Bear's farmhouse at the end of the song "We Need a Little Christmas." However, it was slightly reworked for future television airings. This brief musical interlude was edited from the master and the logo was reinserted separately. Because this new master was of higher quality, it has been used for all subsequent TV airings and home video releases.

The snowman musical and comedy number with Fozzie is completely gone on home video. In the original version the song "Sleigh Ride" is sung. Rowlf begins playing the song on Emily Bear's out-of-tune piano. Rowlf says he "loves out-of-tune pianos" while Sprocket watches him play. Fozzie, the Snowman, and penguins sing outside. This cut is due to rights with the song.

The Muppet Babies singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" is removed. Included in the broadcast version of the special are the baby versions of Piggy, Kermit, Fozzie, Rowlf, Scooter, Animal and Gonzo. In the edited versions, they begin the home movie and Animal immediately bursts through the screen – the whole home movie and song is cut, again due to music rights.

Miss Piggy and the Muppets singing "Home for the Holidays" is not shown in the edited version. After Miss Piggy arrives and Kermit mentions that she always likes to make an entrance, the edited release cuts immediately to the beginning of the Carol Sing Medley. The entire song, along with Miss Piggy falling on the icy patch is removed. This is due to music rights.
A brief segment (5 seconds) where Fozzie and Elmo light the Christmas tree only appears in the original 1987 version.

Kermit and Piggy singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and Statler and Waldorf singing "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" are both removed from the Carol Sing Medley on the R1 DVD, again due to music rights

The scene with Fozzie and Ma hanging stockings is removed. In the scene, Emily Bear (Ma) hangs Fozzie's stocking on the fireplace. Fozzie mentions that he's a grown bear, alluding to the fact he doesn't need it anymore. When Emily reaches to take it down, Fozzie decides it's OK to leave it up. This lost scene is due to the master used to create the releases. Henson remastered the special in the late 1980's for television reruns. The scene with Fozzie and Ma was cut from the master. Because the new master was of higher quality, it's been used for subsequent TV airings and video releases.

The original 1987 airing featured a Muppet Family Christmas bumper in between commercials, with Kermit in front of a Christmas tree saying "A Muppet Family Christmas will return in a moment" and Fozzie behind him, playing with two little stuffed bears as if they were puppets.

The ABC, NBC, and DVD versions all have different end credits (changes to font or copyright info, as well as corporate logos).

When this special aired on Nickelodeon, the following edits occurred: The title was seen in the first shot, instead of after the "We Need a Little Christmas" number; the music that played before Rowlf arrives to the farmhouse is cut; and the Turkey meeting Camilla is cut (the scene fades to black after the turkey says, "This is starting to be fun.").

When Fozzie and Emily Bear check off a list of who is sleeping where, a shot of a fireplace is shown over their beginning dialogue (originally, they were seen the whole time they were checking off sleeping arrangements); Fozzie and Elmo decorating the tree is cut; a shot of the tree is shown over dialogue of Fozzie getting ready to tell everybody that his mother has an announcement, as opposed to him being seen (this followed Fozzie and Elmo putting the tree up).

So if it ever does arrive on DVD again or even blu-ray, chances are it will still be the butchered version.

[HomerThompson]

Yikes! No wonder I never really got into A Muppet Christmas even after countless recommendations. Seems all the real "Christmas" stuff about it was gutted. Think I'll watch that YouTube version this Christmas.

[Jasonic]

That is just about the oddest double feature I've seen. Especially in comparison to the other muppet titles.
I love both movies, but for The Great Muppet Caper being my favorite Muppet movie, was really hoping to see it by itself.

[Cahleb]

I was just thinking, the reason they put Muppet Treasure Island could be for people who have their collections alphabetized. If they would have put The Great Muppet Caper it would have landed in the G's instead of the M with all the other Muppet films. Is it a stretch or could it be it? lol