A Freezerburnt Christmas

Featuring the voice talents of Saturday Night Live alumni Darrell Hammond, Horatio Sanz, and Chris Parnell (playing the pitiful protagonist), this 1997 stop-motion clay-animated holiday program follows a friendly ice cream man named Freezerburn. Coming up short on the rent is a common occurrence for the F-man, whose paychecks from Frosty Hearts Ice Cream are teeny (especially thanks to Freezerburn's generosity--he sometimes takes buttons if kids don't have cash!), but even though life is sometimes tough, Freezerburn stays positive, always ready to lend a helping hand--especially when his buddy Professor Crenshaw is robbed of a newly-created “heavy gravity formula.” Discovering the thief's (a villainous businessman named Sualc Atnas--an archrival of Santa Claus--who wants to put Kris Kringle out of business and corner the market on presents) evil plan to stop Santa's sleigh, Freezerburn heads to the North Pole with his penguin pal Chill in tow (and the professor's pretty niece Anna), determined to stop Sualc and his cronies and save Christmas. The DVD includes a making-of featurette and a trivia game. A 22-minute trifle with its heart in the right place, this is a strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (J. Williams)