Simply A Masterpiece

It is a performances centric movie

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Excellent but underrated film

While I loved the Charlie Brown Christmas, I must say I always liked the Great Pumpkin one more. Where else could you get Snoopy really fighting hard in his Sopwith Camel? I also enjoyed the Santa Claus/Great Pumpkin/God angle to Linus, being the character which once more displays his devotion to a superior being, though misguided in this case. He knows there's something greater out there and he reaches for it.I also enjoy all the Halloween artwork within the episode, and as I saw this for the first times, parts of it actually scared me a bit in the old days.The thing I enjoy the most about it though, is a spin I have put on it and this is where my time warp heading comes in. There are a few references not only to Linus having done this in years past, but also Linus is promising to do it again, as the Great Pumpkin devotee. So to me, this is the most poignant example I can think of as a Flying Dutchman episode, without it being made to put such a point across. I like to see it as Linus and company having to relive this day every year. The rest of the year some of the other Charlie Brown specials would apply to their lives of course, but between all of those, they live ordinary lives as kids, with something different always going on. They never age, but this special they must always relive in particular, because Linus keeps making the yearly fool of himself.BTW, the idea that at least three houses carried rocks in their house and had it available to any kids they didn't like is pretty lame. As well, the Charlie Brown kicking Lucy's football is always kind of weird, because despite how much Chuck isn't liked, you would think he could at least get Linus to hold a ball for him, and yet Lucy and him behave as though he will never be able to kick a ball because she will always yank it away. In a sense, the football antics could be another thing that are caught in The Flying Dutchman aspect to Peanuts, as Chuck never gets anybody else to hold it and he never learns much from it.So next year, I will once more watch The Great Pumpkin episode, fully expecting them to be still fully caught in their time warp.

In 1950, cartoonist Charles Monroe Schulz created the well-known and timeless comic strip Peanuts, and the series became an essential part of pop culture. In 1965, animator Bill Melendez and television producer Lee Mendelson collaborated with Schulz to create the first ever animated cartoon based off the comic strip, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and it became such a success that the Peanuts name was becoming known in the media of animation as much as the media of newspaper comics. So naturally, they were told to create another blockbuster, and the result was the timeless classic It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. I watch this film every October, and to this day, it never fails to impress me.Why is this still beloved? Well for one thing, the jokes, while simple, are hilarious, whether it be the great verbal jokes interacted by the Peanuts gang, the visual gags and pantomime done by Snoopy, or the famous "I got a rock" moment...need I say more? Not to mention, the special tackles Linus being obsessed with a spirit of a holiday that isn't even real without making him feel that he is wrong for having his own cherished beliefs, despite what others might say. Let's face it, we've all had things we've obsessed over that we never wanted to get rid of, making Linus the most relatable character in the entire special.The animation, while cheap, adds in to the simplistic charm of the Peanuts franchise, with the true highlight being the WWI flying ace scenes. Even though Peanuts was never originally meant for animation, Bill Melendez and his team of animators really embrace the artsy feel of France during the 1910s, and really recreate Snoopy as his own lovable alter ego. The characters in the special may come off as mean, but it's no more different as to how kids in real life would act, and even Sally who loves Linus had the right to call Linus out on his obsession. The voice-acting from child actors, while kinda stale at times, remains wonderfully authentic to how kids truly sound. Oh, and the music by Vince Guaraldi will always remain timeless.Well, October 2017 may be over, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy The Great Pumpkin anytime. In fact, why are you still reading this review? Go check it out now. You might gain back a moment of your childhood that you forgot about years ago, and will be thankful that you got it back.

Fifty years ago in 1966, the television special "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" aired as "A CBS Special Presentation In Color" on October 27,1966. It was the third Peanuts special(and the second holiday themed special,following the phenomenal success of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in 1965 that became a colossal hit)to be produced and animated by Bill Melendez and was written by Charles M. Schulz,based on his Peanuts comic strip and serving as executive producers Lee Mendelson along with Bill Melendez with the original theme music composed by Vince Guaraldi. "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" was also the first Peanuts special to use the titular pattern of a short phrase,followed by the main character "Charlie Brown", a pattern which would remain the norm for almost all subsequent Peanuts specials for many years. The initial broadcast of "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" took place in prime-time on Thursday October 27,1966 on CBS-TV In Color ,preempting "My Three Sons" on it's regular schedule. The original sponsors,as seen during the opening sequences(almost never seen afterward in its entirely since the original telecast)were The Coca-Cola Bottling Company and Dolly Madison Snack Foods which would go on to be a longtime co-sponsor of the Peanuts specials that originally aired on CBS. From the original telecast it was a colossal hit and the animated special was nominated in 1967 for three Prime Time Emmys including Outstanding Children's Program, Outstanding Animation Director(Bill Melendez),and Outstanding Outstanding Animation Writer(Charles M. Schulz). It was also nominated in 1967 for the Golden Globe for Best Animated Special. "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" really encapsulates childhood, the camaraderie and the spirit of Halloween in this classic tale of Charlie Brown and his friends going out for trick or treats and seeing Charlie Brown and his bag of rocks while everybody else gets candy and goodies; Linus and Sally waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive while Charlie Brown and the gang get invited to Violet's Halloween party. The classic Snoopy and the Red Baron(in one of the greatest animated scenes ever)sets the tone for what's to follow. The scene where Sally really gives Linus the scolding of his life is the best of this holiday special where Sally misses Halloween and Treats while calling Linus "You Blockhead!" while sitting all night in a pumpkin patch waiting for the Great Pumpkin to arrive but instead rises Snoopy from the patch. The musical score from Vince Guaraldi is in regards a classic among classics and the score is just as brilliant today as it was when audiences first heard this back in 1966. I heard there is a soundtrack album to this television special too."It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" aired annually on CBS from 1966 until 2000 with ABC picking up the rights beginning in 2001(as with all of the Peanuts specials)where it airs annually during the Halloween season. Until the 2013 broadcast, the other Peanuts special "You're Not Elected Charlie Brown" aired immediately after "It's The Great Pumpkin" as if the emphasize the proximity of Halloween to Election Day. Also,the Great Pumpkin is mentioned in "You're Not Elected Charlie Brown" which aired twice on ABC in 2014. When ABC aired the first-ever animated special based on the "Toy Story" movies titled "Toy Story of Terror" that animated special "It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" immediately followed afterward. Even after its initial broadcast more than 50 years ago this Peanuts special still entertains while enjoying the holiday spirit. So, here's a golden 50th anniversary to the Great Pumpkin and Charlie Brown.

"It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is a timeless animated family animated classic. This cute cartoon short is sure to please the kids (and a few adults) on Halloween.After recently re-watching this film short, I can't decide who I felt more sorry for Charlie Brown, who kept getting rocks instead of candy for Halloween treats, or Linus, who still did not see the Great Pumpkin rising out of the pumpkin patch... lol.If you or your kids have not seen this timeless Peanuts classic then you should give this short film a watch this Halloween season - it's sure to give you a few giggles.10/10