Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22274 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-04-23
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Box set, Limited Edition, PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 2
• Running time: 184 minutes

Synopsis
With an all-star ensemble cast of the UK's most loved actors including David Jason, Ian Richardson, Peter Guinness, Marc Warren and Tony Robinson, Hogfather brings Pratchett's infamous 'Discworld' to life.

Discworld is a world very similar to our own - if you overlook the fact that it is flat, and balanced on four elephants, which in turn are standing on the back of a giant turtle. The inhabitants of Discworld have their own version of Christmas, Hogswatch, and their own version of Santa, the Hogfather - who is pulled across the sky in a hog-drawn sleigh.

This year, however, something is amiss, when on the night before Hogswatch, Death (voiced by Richardson, Bleak House), who is responsible for escorting all beings to the afterlife, notices that the Hogfather's life-timer is lying broken on the floor of his castle. Could it be that Hogswatch will not happen this year?

With much of the fabric of reality dependent on the human power of belief, Death swaps his black shroud for a false beard and red coat to make sure that the children of Discworld remain blissfully unaware of the Hogfather's absence. With the help of his faithful servant Albert (Jason, A Touch of Frost, Only Fools and Horses) Death dutifully travels from house to house delivering gifts, leaving his granddaughter Susan (Michelle Dockery) to find the real Hogfather before belief in him, and subsequently Discworld is destroyed.

Synopsis
In this live-action adaptation of the Terry Pratchett book of the same name, the inhabitants of Discworld celebrate a form of Christmas called Hogswatch, where the Hogfather travels in a hog-drawn sleigh, delivering presents to children. In this world, the fabric of reality is predominantly dependent on the power of belief. So, when the Hogfather mysteriously disappears, Death dons a red coat and false beard and sets about delivering all the presents before the children of Discworld notice that anything is amiss. Of course, he cannot do it all alone, and enlists the help of his trusty servant Albert (David Jason, ONLY FOOLS AND HORSES). Meanwhile, Death’s granddaughter Susan (Michelle Dockery, CONSENT) searches for the Hogfather before belief in him disappears, leading to the destruction of Discworld. This adaptation of THE HOGFATHER is the first time a live-action version of a book by the hugely successful author Terry Pratchett has been made and it manages to be an entertaining Christmas family tale. With a sizeable budget and a charismatic performance by David Jason, THE HOGFATHER brings Discworld fully to life. This limited edition version includes a note to Terry Pratchett fans.

Customer Reviews

Mis-casting in the Hogfather
Like most of the people who watched the film 'The Hogfather', I enjoyed the story-line and the special effects; the problems start, I'm afraid, with the casting of Albert (David Jason). While I am aware that a big name will 'pull' watchers, and there are not many names bigger than Jason's, I don't really believe that Terry Pratchett needs this. His name, and his writing, stand on their own. As an avid, or as my wife and kids say, fanatical reader of Pratchett, I can envisage people (actors)who would be perfect in the roles of characters written by this brilliant author, and David Jason is NOT and never could be Albert. The obvious choice - or choices - would have been either Eric Sykes, or the Hogwart's school caretaker in the Harry Potter films. For heaven's sake, David Jason does not resemble in any way, shape, or form, the character written by Pratchett: he would, however, make a great garden gnome.
By the way, Susan Sto Hellit and Mr Teatime the assassin were perfectly cast, and I loved the little cameo at the end which featured Terry Pratchett himself as the toy-shop owner.
The same mistake has been made in 'The colour of magic'. What on earth induced the film makers to cast David Jason as Rincewind? Look at all of the Pratchett illustrations which show Rincewind, and tell me that there is any physical resemblance. Jason is a brilliant actor; I have no problem with that. His reputation and acting abilities are legend: but casting directors should get a grip and first try reading the books they make into films.

Pants
Yawn - as a long time Pratchett fan this sent me to sleep. Not sure about the cracking pace suggested by another viewer - it was tedious. Although the cast was excellent the distinctive Pratchett humour didn't translate at all. Sorry try again please.

Words from the wise
Terry Pratchett fans long waited for the transformation of Discworld tales into visuals. Computer games, animations and stage productions were all right in their place, but film adaptations are the mark of success. Pratchett resisted adaptations because most producers "didn't get it". Vadim Jean "got it" and has made the story of "Hogfather" into a fine film presentation. As a TV production, there are limitations and omissions, but these do not detract from the success of Jean's efforts to bring Pratchett's story of intrigue, power and imagination to the small screen.

But what of the newcomer to Pratchett and his Discworld? Will they gain the same satisfaction from the visual presentation of one of the more compelling [and best-selling] authors of the past generation? The DVD opens with a Bang. Not a very Big one, but enough to discharge a wondrous sight - a disc sitting atop four elephants who stand on the carapace ["shell"] of a giant tortoise. The vision certainly imparts the feeling that something unusual will follow. Which it does: a young governess is reading "Jack And The Beanstalk" to a pair of youngsters on Hogswatch Eve. Tucking them in, Susan notes: "If you don't believe in the Hogfather, there won't be any presents." It is the film's key statement.

For the Hogfather has gone missing. This may be because the Auditors of the Universe, who resent life and loathe humans because they're unpredictable, have commissioned Guild of Assassins to have the Hogfather "brought to an end". The Guild's Head assigns the job to a young Assassin, Mister Teatime ["Tee-ah tim-eh, most people get it wrong, Sir."] who has already devised a plan to accomplish it. Teatime gathers a team to put his plan into effect. This scheme starts by kidnapping the Tooth Fairy. Wot?

Meanwhile, across town, the wizards of the Unseen University are experiencing some bizarre events. Strange new beings enter their lives - not entirely strange, however, since they all seem to represent tales of their childhood. Among the wizards is one who has constructed HEX, a "thinking machine". You can tell what it is from the label "Anthill Inside" pasted on one side. Archchancellor Ridcully is suspicious of such devices, but thinks he can make HEX do his bidding by mere shouting.

Throughout these events, an Anthropomorphic Personification, known as Death, feels an imbalance in the universe. Discovering the Hogfather has failed to go out on his rounds delivering gifts, Death dons a red suit, a false beard and, with his assistant Albert, undertakes the role. Death is interested in humans, finding their habits and prejudices fascinating, and he wants to know more about them. The rituals of Hogswatch [Christmas] are but one aspect. Those rituals extend from deep time and are thereby fundamental. Resolution of the Hogfather's disappearance and the Teatime Gang's invasion of the Tooth Fairy's castle are gently woven into the film's concluding scene. There are many threads and the novice Discworld viewer will note there are many levels to the story. That's what turns the first Discworld encounter into a habit.

There are "big names" in this film - listed lead David Jason does a fine job as Albert, while Ian Richardson's voice of Death is peerless. The surprise here is Michelle Dockery, who picks up this film early and keeps it essentially hers throughout. She is relatively unknown, but won't be after this. As a robed "skellington", Death is hardly visually appealing, but Richardson's inflections on Pratchett's text keep us smiling. Unlike many "fantasy" or SciFi films, "Hogfather" relies on little in the way of "special effects beyond Death's character. Some snow stops falling and a few sparkling things are used, but the story is too straightforward to need extra dazzlement. As with Pratchett's stories it's the characters and what they tell us that counts. Watch this and see. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]