A DVD review.
For a long time, Chanukah was the retarded, bastard, red-headed stepchild of Christmas. Even Jews thought they were perpetuating stereotypes when you consider they were having an 8-day festival to celebrate the economical use of lighter fluid. However, all that was to change with the 1995 release of Lambchop’s Chanukah, from the mind of the Kurasawa of the sock puppet – Shari Lewis.
This holiday season, Porter – your webmaster – in a fit of Amazon-induced dementia, sent yours truly the gift that says “I make poor purchasing decisions” – a DVD of this seminal television masterpiece (tee hee – “seminal”). For the benefit of those of you who have not yet added this to your DVD shelves, allow me to humbly offer the following review.
Lambchop’s Chanukah opens with Shari in a Southern California open-air market dancing and singing about Chanukah. Shari is radiant in a rare scene where she is unencumbered by her puppet creations. Of course, Shari’s success rests on her puppets, but Lambchop – the Holmes to her Conan-Doyle – is both blessing and curse and viewers should enjoy these puppet-free moments in this well-choreographed opening. Dancing through the market with her grocery bags, Shari runs into Pat Morita (as you do) and informs him that she is preparing a Chanukah dinner and he should attend. In short order, Shari extends invitations to both Alan Thicke and Lloyd Bochner – whom children will no doubt recognize from his role as Cecil Colby on TV’s Dynasty.
The DVD then follows the rather cliched parallel plots of potato pancake preparation/Chanukah play performed for Pat Morita by socks and Charlie Horse’s attempts to win a superhero design contest. Nonetheless, the production is generally so strong that you can forgive the fairly cookie-cutter plot.
From a dazzling latke preparation musical number to a show-stopping “8 Days of Chanukah” tour de force, the musical extravaganza is impressively performed and choreographed. If you want your kids to learn to dance by swaying back and forth rhythmically and sort’ve flopping their arms listlessly around, then they need look no further than Lambchop for inspiration. Special mention must also go to Pat Morita, Alan Thicke, and Lloyd Bochner for taking on dual roles as both themselves and Charlie Horse’s aborted superhero ideas. Alan Thicke especially shines with his inflatable muscle outfit and his spot-on Austrian accent in these scenes.
The guest stars in general are very strong. Pat Morita uses this role to finally break out of his typecasting as Mr. Miyagi and reminds us that he also had the range to play Arnold on Happy Days. Alan Thicke shakes off Jason Seaver and really nails the part of Alan Thicke with a zany performance that could give Gary Coleman at the top of his game a run for his money. Finally, Lloyd Bochner… well, what more is there to say about Lloyd Bochner? He’s always good.
The Lambchop regulars are generally strong. Shari Lewis, freed from the constraints of a half-hour show can barely contain her glee to be making latkes. Lambchop is her usual bubbling sweetness and practically beats us senseless with adorability. Charlie Horse starts off somewhat off his game, but picks up his performance in the second half before practically blowing the doors off the place with his role in the Chanukah play.
The same cannot be said for Hush Puppy, however. With a southern accent that sounds like a cross between a resident of Hazzard County and Mammy from Gone with the Wind, Hush Puppy’s performance is poor through the entire special. Unable to portray pathos and utterly unconvincing at showing excitement, he appears to be phoning in his performance from the moment he appears on screen. One can only hope that he picks it up in the companion special on the DVD – Shari’s Passover Surprise – where, according to the box, he carries a major subplot involving matzah.
In short, though, Lambchop’s Chaunkah is a holiday delight that is sure to thrill you and your family over and over again. With interactive menus, chapter access, and Spanish subtitles, the DVD is packed to the gills with special features!! Definitely worth having Porter buy it for you and send it to you. And tell him I sent ya!