66 - Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas

Ho ho ho, all you rad dudes and dudettes! Christmas is here on 90s Disney! Join AJ, Mike, and Chris Minotti as they unwrap the often-overlooked holiday treasure, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas. From festive fun to Forte's chilling villainy, we dive into the magic, the music, and the madness of this direct-to-video Disney sequel. Whether you're nostalgic for your VHS collection or curious about forgotten Disney Christmas lore, this is the episode for you! In This Episode:🎥 The Enchanted Christmas Origins: A deep dive into the 1997 direct-to-video release. How Disney expanded their animation studios in Canada to capitalize on direct-to-video success. The scrapped sequel concept featuring Gaston’s vengeful brother, Avernon. 🎶 Music and Magic: Meet Tim Curry as Forte, Disney’s first fully CG-animated villain. Explore the festive soundtrack by Rachel Portman, including As Long as There’s Christmas and Forte’s villain song Don’t Fall in Love. Paige O’Hara’s surprise Christmas carol album—yes, it’s on Spotify! 📜 Plot Highlights: How the story retcons Beast’s curse and places Christmas at its emotional center. Belle’s attempts to bring holiday cheer clash with Beast’s Christmas trauma. Forte’s sinister plan to keep the curse intact and a snowy showdown in the Black Forest. 🎄 Legacy and Reception: With 7.6 million VHS copies sold, it’s the fourth-highest-grossing direct-to-video animated film of all time! Critics called it a “soggy Christmas fruitcake,” but fans still find nostalgia in its quirky charm. The film’s role as a proving ground for digital animation techniques that influenced future Disney features. Nostalgia Factor: Why does no one talk about this movie? AJ shares childhood memories of the Paige O’Hara Christmas album, and the brothers compare this forgotten gem to other Disney direct-to-video sequels. Is The Enchanted Christmas a hidden holiday classic or a Disney curio? Share your memories! Email us at [email protected] or leave a comment on Spotify.