Transformers: Beast Wars- Season One

Brace yourself to relive some of the most epic TRANSFORMERS battles and non-stop action adventures through the 15th Anniversary release of BEAST WARS. In 1996, TRANSFORMERS fans were introduced to this stunning saga between the heroic MAXIMALS and the evil PREDACONS where these powerful TRANSFORMERS disguised themselves as some of the fiercest and most ferocious animals on Earth. In a flash of an instant, these beasts turned into battle-tested robot warriors ready for combat. Created by Hasbro and produced by Mainframe Entertainment, the hugely successful animated series TRANSFORMERS: BEAST WARS ran for three successful television seasons and garnered an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation.

On June 7, 2011, Shout! Factory, in collaboration with Hasbro, Inc., will unleash the TRANSFORMERS: BEAST WARS Season One 4-DVD set, featuring all 26 visually stunning episodes and exciting bonus features. A must-have for fans and families, this DVD set promises to keep you on the edge of your seat with exciting adventures.

TRANSFORMERS: BEAST WARS Season One 4-DVD set

Synopsis:
When the descendants of the treacherous Decepticons — now known as PREDACONS — land on a mysterious planet in search of a powerful fuel known as Energon, it’s up to Optimus Primal and the heroic Maximals to stop them before they conquer the universe!

Bonus Features Include:
Maximize! Creating A New Breed of TRANSFORMER
Art gallery
Original character models



I'm kind of embarrassed to say how geeked I was to get this DVD. Apparently I dropped my Girl Card many years ago, because I've always enjoyed the Transformers cartoons when I was a wee lass. By the time 1996 rolled around, I was in my early twenties, and never saw any of the Beast Wars cartoons.

In fact? When I received this in the mail? I began to sing:

TRANSFORMERS!
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE!
TRANSFORMERS!
ROBOTS IN DISGUISE!

I'm a huge geek. I make no apology for it.

Thankfully, I have a son who is a huge geek as well and he was completely stoked to get to watch these. The animation was pretty amazing, especially compared to the old school version I used to watch.

Apparently there is also a complete collectors editon 8-DVD box set coming out soon. Christmas presents anyone? You can preorder it right here!

Lemonade Mouth: Extended Edition

When five ragtag freshmen first meet in detention, it seems they have nothing in common. But, through music, they bond and find they have the makings of the greatest high school garage band in history! Disney invites audiences of all ages to turn up the music and have some fun with the highly-anticipated 2-Disc DVD + Digital Copy debut of Lemonade Mouth, the hit Disney Channel Original Movie.


I'm going to be totally honest. I really didn't expect to enjoy this movie at all.

See, I'm a mother of two young teenagers (as much as that pains me) and we have enough drama on a daily basis to make pretty much want to pull my hair out. The synopsis of this movie says "Lemonade Mouth is a resonant, music-filled movie about five teens who break through become the voice of their generation". I've listened to their generation. It's usually pretty whiny.

I'm a huge sucker for movies that are filled with music, and this movie is based on a book (I'm also a sucker for movies based on books), so I decided to give this movie a shot.



To continue being totally honest? I actually really liked the movie.

The basic plot is that a group of five kids come together, not just to become a musical group but also to stand up and be heard about various issues. They really connect with all the kids who feel like they aren't part of the popular crowd. Conflict arises with the rival band "Mudslide Crush", as both groups want to win the Rising Star music competition. Sounds like a lot of other movies, right?

What set this movie apart was the music. What a talented group of kids!



The DVD had some cool extras and my daughter (a Chorus geek by her own admission) loved the "Rock-A-Long" version of the movie. The lyrics would appear on screen so she could sing along. If you have an aspiring singer in your house I'm sure they will love it too! You might even find yourself singing along.

Gnomeo and Juliet on DVD and Blue-ray!

This coming summer to the U.S., don’t miss the chance to bring home GNOMEO & JULIET - the hilarious twist on William Shakespeare’s legendary tale Romeo & Juliet as you’ve never seen it before, perfect for the whole family. Enter the secret world of garden
gnomes and meet two adorable gnomes from completely different worlds who fight the odds to be together. From a director of Shrek 2, and featuring fun, all-new music by Sir Elton John, the out-of-the-ordinary animated comedy GNOMEO & JULIET releases on Blu-ray™, Blu-ray 3D™, DVD, Movie Download and On-Demand – May 24, 2011.


Uniquely packaged with families’ top of mind, GNOMEO & JULIET will be made available for
purchase by Walt Disney Studios as either a 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray 3D + DVD with Digital Copy), a 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray 2D + DVD) and/or a 1-Disc DVD. Disney Blu-ray Combo Packs provide families with an enhanced entertainment experience –with the value and flexibility to enjoy your favorite movies on a variety of platforms of choice. And for those who enjoy to learn more about the making of the film,GNOMEO & JULIET discs come enclosed with never-before-seen bonus features including “Elton Builds A Garden,” “Frog talk with Ashley Jensen,”, “Crocodile Rock Music Video featuring Elton John and Nelly Furtado.” And for those who purchase the Blu-ray Disc, it includes hours of extra exclusive bonus features including alternate endings, deleted scenes and more.

GNOMEO & JULIET is brought to life by the extraordinary voices of Golden Globe nominee James McAvoy (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe) as Gnomeo; Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) as Juliet; Academy Award winner Michael Caine (Inception) as Lord Redbrick; Jason Statham (The Trasnsporter franchise) as Tybalt; Ashley Jensen (TV’s Ugly Betty) as Nanette; Patrick Stewart (X-Men franchise) as William Shakespeare; Ozzy Osbourne (TV’s The Osbournes) as Fawn and Maggie Smith (Harry Potter franchise) as Lady Blueberry.

Bonus Features:
DVD & Movie Download:
• Elton Builds a Garden
• Frog Talk with Ashley Jensen
• “Crocodile Rock” Music Video, featuring Elton John and Nelly Furtado
Blu-ray:
• DVD Bonus plus:
• 2 Alternate Endings with Filmmaker Introductions
• Deleted & Alternate Scenes with Filmmaker Introductions, including:
o 1 Alternate Opening
o 1 Alternate Scene
o 6 Deleted Scenes
• The Fawn of Darkness, featuring Ozzy Osbourne

I had extremely high hopes for this DVD. I mean come on. Shakespeare, Patrick Stewart AND Ozzy Osbourne? How can you miss with that combo?



As I suspected, this was a winner all the way around. Even my husband, who generally ignores most things animated, thought this one was funny and cute. It's geared more toward the younger crowd (it has a G rating), but I found it very enjoyable.



The premise of the movie is pretty basic "star-crossed-lovers" and "falling in love despite your differences" tale, but the music and characters made it really pop. There were plenty of pop-culture references (the mafia! Loved!). I found the movie very clever and even though I knew the basic premise before I even started watching the movie, I found dozens of little "surprises" throughout.

The bonus features are always my favorites, so here's an alternate ending clip you might enjoy:


This movie was funny and smart and suitable for everyone. I just gnome you'll love it!

The Wild Thornberrys- Season One

Produced by Klasky-Csupo for Nickelodeon, The Wild Thornberrys premiered in September 1998 and aired until 2004 with reruns airing on Nicktoons and CBS from 2002-2007. The Wild Thornberrys DVD release has long been anticipated by fans but has not been available in stores until now.

The hit series follows the Thornberry family as they travel the world in their Communications Vehicle (or CommVee) looking for rare animals to film. After an encounter with an African shaman, their youngest child Eliza was given the power to speak to animals! Every episode in this adventure-packed DVD set follows Eliza as she comes face-to-face with an assortment of animals, continents and danger. Encounter wildlife in all its natural glory and eavesdrop on Eliza’s conversations with silverback gorillas, pythons, crested grebes, tapirs, capybaras, antelopes and opossums while the CommVee travels on!

Vibrant animation, exotic locations, charming storytelling plus an all-star voice cast, including Lacey Chabert (Party Of Five), Tim Curry (The Adventures Of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius) and Flea (The Red Hot Chili Peppers) make season one of The Wild Thornberrys an epic family adventure. Featuring all 20 action-packed episodes, the collectible 4-DVD box set is priced to own at a suggested retail price of $29.93 and will no doubt attract a new audience of kids as well as young adults who grew up watching the television series.

The release of these DVDs is part of Nickelodeon’s commitment to bring back classic shows. Nickelodeon will also launch a new nighttime programming block this fall on TeenNick called “The ‘90s Are All That!,” featuring a rotating selection of iconic live-action and animated shows from Nickelodeon’s 1990s.



I cannot tell you how excited I was to receive this DVD. My children were born in 1998 and Wild Thornberrys was one of "our" favorite shows when they were still small. I loved the plucky heroine of the series Eliza Thornberry and I especially loved how she could talk to the animals. Plus, how cute is she? I love when the lead character has glasses! My son always enjoyed it just as much as my daughter, and that's a big plus.

I anticipated that I would watch this alone, but as soon as I put the first DVD in (there are four in this set) my daughter came out of her room with her headphones in hand. My son was right behind her and the three of us cuddled on the couch as we made our way through all the episodes we had forgotten.

This series encompasses a lot of my favorite things about cartoons- it's very funny and smart, has a strong female lead that isn't so "girl power!" that boys are turned off, and it has lots of opportunities for education what with all the animals that Eliza comes in contact with. It's a simple, Nickelodeon classic and I'm so glad we had the opportunity to rediscover it.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie's Masquerade with Mickey Mote

Parents and their preschoolers are invited to join in the ultimate masquerade party with Minnie, Mickey and pals in a fun-filled collection of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse latest episodes that celebrate themes of friendship, teamwork, sharing and problem solving. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie’s Masquerade is the perfect gift to dress-up your Valentine’s Day, available on Disney DVD today from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

This latest release features four playful Minnie-themed adventures previously seen on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse TV show, a never-before-seen episode, and a free paper mask with festive embellishments that kids can personalize. And as a special option for consumers, Disney has packaged a version of the DVD to include the exclusive Mickey Mote – a child-friendly handheld remote control, shaped like Mickey
ears, that takes children’s viewing experience to a whole new level of play. The DVD and Mickey Mote Play Set is the ultimate value for moms and equally fun and engaging for kids! The Mickey Mote uses infrared wireless technology and may not be compatible with all devices.

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse: Minnie’s Masquerade starring Disney’s Fab Five -- Minnie, Mickey, Donald, Goofy and Daisy – takes viewers on an all new adventure as they dress-up in their favorite costumes for Minnie’s Masquerade Ball. In this episode, Minnie needs some help getting everything ready for her party including making royal crowns for their costumes, searching for Sir Goofalot’s lost shoe, stringing
up paper lanterns and much, much more. At the ball, Professor Von Drake hosts the great Clubhouse Costume Show and gives out prize ribbons to all the friends who have dressed up in some funny and fancy costumes. All it takes is a heaping helping of imagination…and the right Mouseketools.


About Disney’s Exclusive Mickey Mote:
Disney’s Mickey Mote works with any Disney Preschool DVD that includes the Discovery Mode™ feature – an interactive “Watch & Play” feature on the DVD. All parents have to do is program the remote control - there’s an easy and quick set-up guide in each DVD- and select the Discovery Mode feature on the menu screen. Within minutes, kids will be easily responding to questions, throughout the story, about scenes they just watched by pressing one of four color-coded buttons on the device -- a yellow star, green circle, orange triangle or blue square – to click in their responses. Discovery Mode features include two levels of play, which provides more challenging questions as the child grows.

The Mickey Mote can be used with any Disney Preschool DVD that includes the Discovery Mode feature.



My little babies are almost thirteen, so they were a little old for this particular DVD, so I borrowed a friend of mine's three-year-old son to help me preview this movie. We had such a fun time watching these wholesome, fun Mickey Mouse Club episodes, that it made me long for another little one (just for the fun remote!).

I really liked that the episodes weren't as long as a movie...this particular little friend of mine has to have frequent potty-pet-the-dog-ask-for-a-cookie breaks, but he was okay with watching an entire episode at a time. I had no compatibility issues with the Mickey Mote, and my friend's son very much enjoyed getting to press the big, brightly colored buttons. We both really enjoyed the interactive aspects. He got to "be" part of the story, which was a huge amount of fun.

This DVD is great for both girls AND boys and it would make an excellent Valentine's Day present!

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2!

From the creators of Beverly Hills Chihuahua, everybody’s favorite talking Chihuahuas are back in a comedy that’s a pack of outrageous fun for the whole family. Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents, Papi and Chloe, upside down when their playful puppies present one challenge after another. But, when their human owners find themselves in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them—because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.
Featuring an all-star cast, including George Lopez (voice of Papi), and complete with a litter of bonus features, this heartwarming tale of the meaning of family, friendship and loyalty is a special breed of fun—times five.



Okay, as I've admitted before? I'm a complete sucker for dogs. I really thought the first installment of the Beverly Hills Chihuahua movies was cute and if you're like me, you'll like one as well.


This is a straight-to-DVD movie and I often feel like those aren't as good as the movies that are released into the theater but in this case, I think it was comparable. In this movie, we get to meet the whole "family" of dogs, and those puppies? Good Lord. I think they made me ovulate. So adorable!


Disc 2 has a cute blooper reel...I'm a huge sucker for bloopers too. There is also a music video by Bridgit Mendler which was very well done.

This would make a very cute Valentine's gift for your favorite dog lover!

Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 Sneak Peek!

Coming February 1st!