Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball (a J!-ENT Children’s DVD Review)

February 1, 2013 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

The latest adventures of “Dora the Explorer” in the latest DVD “Dora’s Butterfly Ball”. Featuring three fun, educational episodes for younger children, help Dora and friends help Mariposa the butterfly get to her Butterfly Ball in the sky, help her friend paint a mural and also help build a present for her father.

Images courtesy of © 2013 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. NICKELODEON, NICK JR., DORA THE EXPLORER and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. TM, ® & Copyright © 2011 by Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

DVD TITLE: Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball

DURATION: 69 minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Full screen format, Dolby Digital – English Stereo

COMPANY: Nickelodeon/Paramount

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: February 12, 2013

Created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes and Eric Weiner

Executive Producer: Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes

Story Editor: Rosemary Contreras

Supervising Producer: Jeff DeGrandis

Producer: Miken Wong, Marc Amiel

Supervising Directors/Consulting Producers: Kuni Tomita, Henry Lenardin-Madden

Directed by George Cialtas, Allan Jacobsen

Featuring the voices of:

Fatima Ptacek as Dora

Regan Mizrahi as Boots

Linet Adorno as Mariposa

Michael Longoria as Balloon Ride/Butterfly King

Dyllan Marshall as Baby Jaguar/Butterflies

Joaquin Mas as Singing Diego

Jacob Medrano as Diego

Alexandria Suarez as Backpack/Butterflies

Marc Weiner as Map/Fiesta Trio

Soar with Dora in these 3 colorful high-flying adventures! Loop-de-loop with pretty magic wings at the Butterfly Ball, explore art, and catch a runaway kite on Father’s Day! V monos!

Dora’s friend, Mariposa, needs to get to the Butterfly ball in the clouds. But Mariposa needs help in order to go up to the clouds to attend the ball and get her magical wings. Can Dora, Boots and Diego help Mariposa? Find out in “Dora the Exporer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball”.

Does your child enjoy “Dora the Explorer”? Or perhaps you are a parent who wants their children to watch a safe, educational animated show on DVD? With “Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball”, children will be treated with a new episode plus two bonus episodes of “Vamos a Pintar!” and “Feliz Dia de los Padres!”.

In this new DVD release, “Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball” features Dora and Boots along with Diego trying to help their friend Mariposa get up to the clouds for the Butterfly Ball in order to get her magical wings. Can they find a way to get her way up to the clouds?

For the bonus episodes, “Vamos a Pintar” features Dora and Boots painting a giant mural with Daniela and she needs Dora and Boots help in order complete it. Can you help them as well?

For the episode “Feliz Dia de los Padres”, Dora and her mother are working on a special present for her father for “Father’s Day”. Dora wants to make a kite, can you help her?

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball” may be heading to a new direction animation-wise as the animation is much more cleaner and vibrant. The backgrounds are well-detailed and CG generated. Even Dora, Boots and friends seem to have more shading for their colors and more frame animations. Even the map is now entirely in CG. The special is presented in full screen but is vibrant with the bright colors.

Audio is presented in Dolby Digital and dialogue and music is crystal clear.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball” comes with no special features.

EXTRAS:

“Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball” comes with a slipcover case and a sticker sheet.

Are you a parent looking for an educational DVD for your child? “Dora the Explorer” is definitely a series I recommend and with “Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball”, you get three recent episodes of popular animated series on DVD.

I know for my family and I would assume for many other families, “Dora the Explorer” has helped a lot of children. May it be to introduce them to Spanish or increasing their decision making skills, the series continues to be popular in America and in other countries.

And with the release of “Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball”, the three episodes help children learn about teamwork, a little Spanish and also creativity.

My young son literally grew up in his young toddler years watching Dora and through this series, it was very helpful in helping him develop skills on decision making and also learning a little Spanish. And I’m a true believer that these educational children’s shows is one of the reasons why he is doing so well in school.

I can easily remember watching him and seeing him really get into the series and taking part in the challenges. And now he’s older, doing exceptionally well in school but he has done well since kindergarten and even pre-school and I would like to think that children’s series such as “Dora the Explorer” were one of the reasons for why he is doing well.

Where most of the “Dora the Explorer” TV shows have been instrumental in teaching children Spanish and counting as well as teamwork, the same can be said about this latest DVD. You get a total of three episodes and while there are no special features, included for children is a sticker sheet.

Overall, “Dora the Explorer: Dora’s Butterfly Ball” is a perfect DVD for parents or relatives looking for safe, educational and fun episodes for children. Recommended!

Filed Under: Children's DVD/Blu-ray, DVD Reviews

Bubble Guppies: On the Job! (a J!-ENT Children’s DVD Review)

February 1, 2013 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Are you looking for a children’s DVD that is educational, fun but also helps promote school readiness? “Bubble Guppies: On the Job!” teaches children about various job occupations such as what is a doctor, dentist, firefighter and more! Featuring six fun episodes for young children… Recommended!

DVD TITLE: Bubble Guppies: On the Job!

DURATION: 6 Episodes (138 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Full Screen, Dolby Digital

COMPANY: Nickelodeon/Paramount

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: February 5, 2013

Created by Jonny Belt and Robert Scull

Executive Producer: Jonny Belt, Robert Scull

Supervising Producer: Ellen Martin

Casting by Maria Estrada, Leslie Zaslower

Featuring the Voices of:

Zachary Gordon as Gil

Brianna Gentilella as Molly

Jelani Imani as Goby

Reyna Shaskan as Oona

Eamon Pirruccello as Nonny

Angelina Wahler as Deema

The Bubble Guppies are discovering all types of jobs doctors, dentists, waiters, firefighters, zookeepers and more! Swim in to six underwater adventures all about different ways to work AND play with friends!

Get ready to dance and sing with the latest “Bubble Guppies” DVD titled “On the Job!”.

The children’s educational series featured on Nickelodeon, “Bubble Guppies” is created by Jonny Belt and Robert Skull and features a group of mermaid pre-schoolers. Similar to popular children’s series such as “Dora the Explorer” and “Blue’s Clues”, “Bubble Guppies” helps children with their social skills, science, math, literacy and more, as the pre-schoolers learn from their teacher (a fish named Mr. Grouper) and learn about stories in which the Bubble Guppies sing along too.

The series focuses on six kids, Molly and Gil (the main characters), Goby, Deema, Oona and Nonny who are taught by Mr. Grouper, an orange and yellow fish who tells the children a fairy tale. Because the kids have a wild imagination, Mr. Grouper would tell a fairy tale in which the kids imagine themselves being part of.

With the release of the DVD “Bubble Guppies: On the Job!”, this brand new DVD features six episodes (from season 1 and 2) with the children learning the various jobs that are out there.

Included are the following episodes:

Fishketball! – Nonny and Gil play catch but Nonny doesn’t know how to catch. So, Gil tries to teach Nonny about sports and sportsmanship.
A Tooth on the Looth! – Deema has a looth tooth and Mr. Grouper teaches the Guppies to learn about teeth and how to take care of them.
Build Me a Building! – Molly and the Guppies learn about building a building and what is needed.
The Grumpfish Special! – In this episode, the Guppies learn about food and how food is important to a restaurant. But they must deal with a grumpy customer named Mr. Grumpfish.
Call a Clambulance! – Oona and Avi are having fun but Avi broke his tail. So, he must go to the hospital and Avi learns about the ambulance and doctors.
Firefighter Gil to the Rescue! – Gil and Bubble Puppy are stuck in a tree and to rescue them, a team of firefighters come to their rescue. And the Bubble Guppies learn about firefighters.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“Bubble Guppies” is presented in full screen, Dolby Digital English Stereo.

The series is created in CG, while not as detailed when compared to Nickelodeon’s “Team Umizoomi” series, the series is still child-friendly as the characters are presented in an easy to watch, cute kid format as the children have big eyes and are often traveling in adventures. It’s a colorful series that I’m sure children will love.

As for audio, audio is clear and understandable. And with the many music tracks featured throughout the film and series, your young child will no doubt be dancing with the many musical tunes featured.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Bubble Guppies: On the Job!” comes with no special features.

EXTRAS:

“Bubble Guppies: On the Job!” comes with a slipcover.

“Bubble Guppies” is another wonderful entry for younger children and parents who are looking for an educational children’s DVD for their kids. The series is targeted for both boys and girls and similar to “Dora the Explorer” and “Blue’s Clues”, the series allows children to make decisions, improve their social skills, science, math and literacy. And of course, the series features a lot of music that will make your children dance and sing.

With “Bubble Guppies: On the Job!”, this is a pretty cool DVD as it helps children know about various job occupations. What does a doctor do? A dentist, waiter, firefighter and other jobs that they may not be familiar with. But also the importance of team work and friendship.

If anything, this is a series that will appeal to children and for parents who want something new and different from the older and longer-running series featured on Nickelodeon. I feel the series is also much more accessible because it features children in a school setting, having friends and of course, children of different ethnicities. So, for parents trying to ease their children into pre-school or kindergarten, “Bubble Guppies” is a series that can do just that.

Overall, “Bubble Guppies” is fun and educational children’s series that parents will definitely want to look into for children around 3-5 years old. If you are looking for a fun series that involves decision making with plenty of music, I definitely recommend “Bubble Guppies: On the Job!”.

Filed Under: Children's DVD/Blu-ray, DVD Reviews

Peter Pan: Diamond Edition (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Review)

January 29, 2013 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

For fans of this Walt Disney Animated Classic, “Peter Pan” will continue to entertain children and people today and tomorrow, as the film has done for the last 60-years. And in the case of “Peter Pan: Diamond Edition” on Blu-ray, it’s the definitive version of the film to own! Highly recommended!

TITLE: Peter Pan: Diamond Edition

FILM RELEASE: 1953

DURATION: 77 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, 1:33:1, English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks, Subtitles: English SDH and Spanish Subtitles

COMPANY: Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

RATED: G

Release Date: February 5, 2013

Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske, Jack Kinney

Play by J.M. Barrie

Story by Ted Sears, Erdman Penner, Bill Peet, Winston Hibler, Joe Rinaldi, Milt Banta, Ralph Wright, William Cottrell

Produced by Walt Disney

Music by Oliver Wallace

Edited by Donald Halliday

Featuring the Voices of:

Bobby Driscoll as Peter Pan

Kathryn Beaumont as Wendy Darling

Hans Conried as Captain Hook/Mr. Darling

Bill Thompson as Mr. Smee/Other Pirates

Heather Angel as Mrs. Darling

Paul Collins as John Darling

Tommy Luske as Michael Darling

Candy Candido as Indian Chief

Tom Conway as Narrator

The classic tale that taught us all “to believe” and first introduced us to the Darling children – Wendy, John and Michael – as they flew with Peter Pan and Tinker Bell past the second star to the right and straight on ‘till morning to the enchanted world of Never Land. Rediscover the magical adventure and relive childhood memories of this great bedtime story.

In the early 1900′s, Scottish novelist and playwright J.M. Barrie would go on to create the character Peter Pan.

First appearing in the 1902 novel “The Little White Bird”, “Peter Pan” (a.k.a. “The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up”) would be featured in a stage play in 1904, to be followed by a novel titled “Peter and Wendy” in 1911.

For a young Walt Disney, “Peter Pan” was one of Disney’s favorite stories growing up and back in 1935, he originally intended for “Peter Pan” to be the second Disney animated film after “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. Problem was that it took a number of years for hi to get the rights from Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, which J.M. Barrie gave the rights to.

And from the 1930′s and 1940′s, the film was being developed and many ideas for the storyline came into play, World War II would then delay “Peter Pan” into becoming an animated film as the U.S. military took control of the studio and had Disney working on propaganda films.

But eventually after 30-years of planning and delays, in 1953, “Peter Pan” would become the 14th film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series line and the $4 million dollar film would go to earn $87 million in the box office. With several video releases, a 2002 sequel titled “Return to Never Land” and CG animated films featuring Tinker Bell having been released on Blu-ray, “Peter Pan: Diamond Edition” will be released in HD on Blu-ray for the very first time in February 2013.

“Peter Pan” is set in Edwardian London where George and Mary Darling have three children, the eldest is Wendy, followed by John and Michael.

As the couple are preparing to attend a party, the two boys get in trouble by trying to act out a story of “Peter Pan” as told to them by Wendy.

George Darling is not so thrilled about the stories as he feels the children are getting out of hand and tells Wendy that she is getting too old to stay in the nursery with them and it’s time for her to grow up and have her own bedroom.

One night, as everyone has fallen asleep, Peter Pan and his little pixie, Tinker Bell, are trying to catch Pan’s shadow. The shadow leads them to the home of the Darling’s and is hiding inside Wendy’s dresser. When Peter Pan goes to get back his shadow, he awakens Wendy and the children.

Excited to find out that Peter Pan is actually real, Peter Pan explains that he enjoys listening to her tell stories about him. But not so happy is Tinker Bell, who is getting a bit jealous that Peter is talking to Wendy.

Meanwhile, a pirate ship that is near Never Land, with pirates commanded by Captain Hook are in discussion of plans for revenge against Peter Pan. Often directing his anger towards his sidekick, Mr. Smee, Hook wants revenge on Peter Pan for cutting of his hand (which was eaten by a crocodile).

And now Captain Hook wants to know the location of Peter’s hideout and the best person that may lead him there is Tiger Lily, the princess of the Indian tribe on the island of Neverland.

VIDEO:

“Peter Pan” is one of the most wonderful looking animated films that still looks magnificent 60-years-later. The artwork is highly regarded by artists and although not realistic, you get a feel of a painted style, a brilliant artistic use of paint in animation brought to Disney’s attention. The film was in development for over two decades and the overall look of the film is even more impressive on Blu-ray.

“Peter Pan: Diamond Edition” is presented in 1080p High Definition (1:33:1). The colors are vibrant, the blacks are nice and deep and the character designs and animation look absolutely cute but also its lines are absolute clean. But it’s how the artistic backgrounds and foregrounds compliments the animation is quite amazing!

“Peter Pan” has never looked this magnificent and I am impressed by how much of an upgrade this film looks compared to its previously awesome Platinum DVD release only four years ago. There is no compression artifacts, no banding, no scratches or dust, it looks perfect!

If you love this film, you definitely need to upgrade to Blu-ray because “Peter Pan” looks fantastic in HD!

Because the film is presented in 1:33:1, once again, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment brings back the “DisneyView” featuring the art of Cristy Maltese, so instead of the black bars on the side, you can opt for colorful artwork that matches the scenes of the film.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Peter Pan: Diamond Edition” is presented in English 7.1 DTS-HD High Resolution Audio and also French and Spanish Dolby Digital Language Tracks. It’s important to note that Disney chose to go with High Resolution audio over lossless DTS-HD Master Audio. But the audio is still fantastic as the music sounds so much crisper than it has ever sound before.

The soundtrack is not totally immersive, but there is good use of the surround channels during the action portions of the film. Needless to say, this is a wonderful lossless high resolution soundtrack and the best I have heard of “Peter Pan”.

As for subtitles, subtitles are in English SDH, French and Spanish.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Peter Pan: Diamond Edition” come with the following special features:

Storybook App – An app for your children to access coloring pages, puzzles, music, memory games and more.
Disney Intermission – Anytime you watch the film and press pause, you get a random interactive moment during the menu pause.
Introduction – (1:09) Featuring an introduction by Diane Disney Miller.
Disney View – While watching the film, you can add Disney View on the sides of the film featuring the artwork of painter Cristy Maltese.
Growing Up with Nine Old Men – (41:08) Walt’s original nine artists for Disney is well-known. But what about their personal lives? Ted Thomas, a son of one of the original artists, visits other children of the “Nine Old Men” to discuss how was life growing up with their father.
Deleted Scenes and Songs – Featuring two deleted scenes: The Journey Home and Alternate Arrival and two deleted songs: “Never Smile at a Crocodile” and “The Boatswain Song”
Disney Song Selection – Featuring the songs “The Second Star to the Right”, “You Can Fly”, “A Pirate’s Life”, “Following the Leader” and “Your Mother and Mine”.
Audio Commentary – Featuring the original audio commentary by Roy Disney.
Deleted Song – (2:22) The Pirate Song
Never Land: The Lost Song – (2:39) Richard M. Sherman talks about this lost song.
Music Video - “Never Land” – (3:16) Performed by Paige O’Hara
Music Video - “The Second Star” – (1:03) Performed by T-Squad.
You Can Fly: The Making of Peter Pan – (15:59) The behind-the-scenes story of how the story of Peter Pan would become an animated film.
In Walt’s Words – “Why I Made Peter Pan” – (7:46) Introduced by Ron Clements and John Musker, an audio of Walt Disney’s article of why he created “Peter Pan”.
Tinker Bell: A Fairy’s Tale – (8:27) The history of Tinker Bell.
The Peter Pan That Almost Was – (21:01) Ron Clements and John Musker introduce viewers to the various ideas that went into creating Peter Pan over its many years of being developed.
That Peter Pan Story – (12:04) A classic black and white documentary or newsreel of “Peter Pan”.

The story of “Peter Pan” is classic. A boy who never wanted to grow up, Neverland and the battle between Peter and Captain Hook is known to Disney fans. But during the time that “Peter Pan” was being developed by Walt Disney, suffice to say that “Peter Pan” was a story that captivated many readers and those who watched the play during the first half of the 20th century.

The film captures the innocence of children and the wanting of staying young, so you don’t have to grow up and worry about the things that teenagers or adults do. But “Peter Pan” is also a film that showcases the classic Disney era that showcases amazing use of color, art background with tremendous detail. Audiences were entertained by this animated film as it continued the visual artistry of the crew who worked on Disney films at that time.

While the animated film differs from its counterpart featured in the novels and the storyline was not as deep, it was an animated film that people needed to see. Especially several years after World War II, people wanted to be entertained and not necessarily needing something deep or emotional. The story was kept simple but yet, you are captivated by the film because whether you are a child or a child at heart, it’s that adventure of being a child and experiencing a magical world is quite fun. A lot of us have felt that moment where you know your child years are ending and not wanting to grow up. So, one can easily understand the characters of this film, but also enjoy the adventures of Peter Pan, Wendy, her brothers and the Lost Boys.

For those of us who grew up with the film, the film is nostalgic. Sure, not everyone will be pleased. As there are some who are very critical of how the Native Americans were portrayed in the film and then there are those who see characters to be sexist. Tinker Bell as the vindictive, jealous female who will go as far to have Wendy killed because she doesn’t like women around Peter Pan.

But this where good parenting comes in, to help children understand how times have changed and explain to them about it. Some can cry foul and how these classic film can be pushed off as entertainment for children, but once again, these classic animated films were a product of its time. Because there will be many films, from silent films, classic animated film to top films from the ’50s and ’60s and even films made today that people will find a problem with certain content. It’s about knowing what is right or wrong and teaching your children and having them learn from it.

As for the Blu-ray release, the Walt Disney stamp of approval of releasing these classic films in the best quality as possible continues with “Peter Pan: Diamond Edition”, the film looks absolutely pristine in HD. There is nothing about the film that makes you think it was created before 1953. The colors are vibrant, there are no blemishes that can be seen.

I know that with the “Platinum Edition”, there were some who felt the picture quality was changed slightly but from my own personal viewing, the film looked colorful, detail of the backgrounds and environments looked amazing and I saw no problems with artifacts or banding. The film looked fantastic! And that goes with the audio as well. And for a Diamond Edition release, you would expect a plethora of special features and you do get a good number. Some that are new and many from the past release.

Growing up, “Peter Pan” and “Captain Hook” were classic characters that showcased good vs. evil. While I enjoyed the film as a child, I must admit that it is not the most memorable Disney film nor is it a film that I watch often. I know that my wife enjoyed the film and can remember lyrics to the songs to this day, but for me it was more about nostalgia and watching it again with our child, who enjoyed the film.

The animation for “Peter Pan” still holds up to this day and with this Blu-ray release, I’m quite pleased with the Diamond Edition as it continues to carry the quality that Disney has done previously with their Walt Disney Animated Classics series on Blu-ray and really giving fans what they want in terms of pristine picture quality, crisp lossless audio and a plethora of special features.

Filed Under: Blu-ray Reviews, Children's DVD/Blu-ray

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (a J!-ENT Blu-ray Disc Review)

January 27, 2013 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is known to be a bad film. But it’s also enjoyed by its fans because that it’s become an annual Christmas favorite because of its Christmas sci-fi nature and kitschiness. So, for those who grew up watching this film will probably want to own it on Blu-ray. If you are a fan of the film, this Blu-ray is for you!

TITLE: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians

FILM RELEASE: 1964

DURATION: 81 Minutes

BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, 1:33:1, Widescreen, Monaural, Subtitles: English

COMPANY: Horizon Movies

RATED: NR

Release Date: December 4, 2012

Directed by Nicholas Webster

Screenplay by Glenville Mareth

Based on the story by Paul L. Jacobson

Produced by Paul L. Jacobson

Executive Producer: Joseph E. Levine

Associate Producer: Arnold Leeds

Music by Milton Delugg

Cinematography by David L. Quaid

Edited by William henry

Art Direction by Maurice Gordon

Set Decoration by Jack Writght III

Costume Design by Ramsey Mostoller

Starring:

John Call as Santa Claus

Leonard Hicks as Kimar

Vincent Beck as Voldar

Bill McCutcheon as Dropo

Victor Stiles as Billy

Donna Conforti as Betty

Chris Month as Bomar

Pia Zadora as Girmar

Leila Martin as Momar

Charles Renn as Hargo

James Chill as Rigna

Ned Wertimer as Andy Henderson

Doris Rich as Mrs. Claus

Carl Don as Chochem

A film this bad has never looked so good! Horizon Movies proudly presents a fully restored edition (from HD elements) of the notorious holiday classic. The Martians are irked that their children spend so much time watching TV shows from Earth that sing the praises of Santa Claus, so they decide to make a trek to the planet to capture Mr. Claus. During their mission, they also abduct two children who lead the aliens to the North Pole and Santa. The Martians take all three earthlings back to Mars, where, with the help of a native, they manage to spread Christmas cheer throughout the red planet. SCCTM took on newfound fame in the 1990′s after being featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 and became a holiday staple on Comedy Central in the years following its 1991 premiere, becoming one of the series’ most popular episodes. It has since found new life again in the 2000′s, having been riffed by Cinematic Titanic, which includes former cast members from MST3K, as of November 2008. Scenes from the movie were also used in both Comedy Central’s ”A Colbert Christmas” and ”Eloise at Christmastime”. SPECIAL FEATURES: ”The Retro Holiday Film Festival” that includes Vintage Max Fleischer Holiday Cartoons, Seasons Greetings from Classic TV Stars, Howdy Doody s Christmas Story, Rare, Remastered Holiday Commercials and much, much more!

It’s a film that has been voted as “one of the worst films ever made” and it’s also a film that has its fans because of its unusual sci-fi nature and that film is “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”.

Released back in 1964, the film is based on a story written by Paul L. Jacobson and is directed by Nicholas Webster (“Gone are the Days!”, “Mission Mars”) and a screenplay by Glenville Mareth.

The film would star John Call (“The Anderson Tapes”, “Hangman’s Knot”, “Fearless Fagan”), Leonard Hicks (“Route 66″), Vincent Beck (“Vigilante”, “…And Justice For All”) and would be the film debut for actress Pia Zadora (“Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult”, “Hairspray”, “The Lonely Lady”).

While the film was lauded for just being bad, it would gain in popularity after being featured in an episode of “Mystery Science Theater 3000″ in the ’90s and since then, the film would be shown on Comedy Central since 1991 and also featured on “Elvira’s Movie Macabre”.

And now, the film has been remastered for a Blu-ray release courtesy of Horizon Movies and was released in December 2012.

“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” takes place during Christmas and while Santa and his elves are preparing their toys to deliver and people of Earth are excited, the newscast with Santa Claus is being watched by two children living in Mars, Girmar (portrayed by Pia Zadora) and Bomar (portrayed by Chris Month). Not understanding why children want toys and not knowing what peace and joy is, their parents Kimar (portrayed by Leonard Hicks) and Momar (portrayed by Leila Martin) are concerned with their children.

They have been unable to sleep and there are reports that other children are behaving the same way throughout Mars.

Kimar, the leader of the Martians, and other fellow higher-ups of Mars have a meeting with the old Martian sage known as Chochem (portrayed by Carl Don) who tells them that the problem is that the children of Mars are distracted because in Earth, children are born to experience life, whereas in Mars, they are deprived of their childhood, fit with a device through their brains and have no individuality or freedom of thought.

And this problem has been going on for centuries and the only way to help the children is bring Santa Claus to Mars, so they can have fun.

And so, Kimar decides that they must go to Earth and bring Santa Claus to Mars. But against him is Voldar (portrayed by Vincent Beck), who feels that Mars should go back to its war-like style and that they should not worry about the children, nor should they care about this Santa Claus, but Kimar reminds him who is the leader of Mars.

So, the group takes off to Earth and while Earth spots the UFO and is reported on the news, the martians are confused as they spot Santa Claus in many street corners around the planet. So, they decide to land on Earth and end up kidnapping two children, Billy (portrayed by Victor Stiles) and Betty (portrayed by Donan Conforti), so they can take them to Santa Claus in the North Pole and also, because they don’t tell the government’s military that they came in contact with martians.

As the group head to the North Pole and the children try to escape thanks to the martian idiot Dropo (portrayed by Bill McCutcheon), they are re-caught by the martian’s giant robot and in the process, the martians head to the North Pole and break into Santa’s workshop where they kidnap him.

And now the martians, along with Santa, Billy and Betty are taken back home to Mars. Meanwhile, news on Earth causes fear and panic that two children and Santa Claus have been captured.

The martians have built an automated factory for Santa Claus to bring toys to the children of Mars and sees if it will aid in their health and happiness and bring them back to their original self, and while the martian children are happy, Kimar and Momar start to see that Billy and Betty are now starting to exhibit the worsened behavior of the martian children, and Momar suspects its because they were taken away from their families.

Meanwhile, Voldar and a few men are not so happy with Kimar bringing Santa and toys to their children, afraid it will make Martian society weak. And they plan a coup against Kimar to stop Santa and Christmas in Mars.

VIDEO:

“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is presented in 1:33:1 and while the film probably looks its best on Blu-ray, one should not think of this film to be pristine. The intro has some flickering and it’s important to note that on the rear of the package, the following message is featured: Due to teh rarity of materials available, the master for this film was created from a 16 mm European print secured by Holland Releasing with the HD telecine and color correction completed by Fotokem/Burbank. Since this print was originally created for television, it is presented in a 1:33:1 aspect ratio. The original theatrical release of this film was projected in a matted 1:85:1 with a safe top and bottom. As a result of the master having “removed the matte”, this presentation of the film actually reveals additional information on the top and bottom of the frame.

The film somewhat shows its age and is a bit soft, but it actually looks very good thanks to it being remastered in HD. I didn’t notice any compression problems at all. But picture quality does show the unbalance of makeup during that time (which was evident in the HD releases of the “Star Trek” television series on Blu-ray) but while not pristine, its the best that “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” will probably ever look.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”is presented in DTS-HD monaural. It does have its issues with it not being cleaned up but for those who love listening to “Hooray for Santy Claus” (sung by Pia Zadorra and other children) during the intro, this is the best you’ll hear of this song. Also, dialogue is understandable. Just don’t expect a clean lossless audio track as you will hear a bit of hiss and crackle.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” come with the following special features:

Santa’s Cool Holiday Film Festival - (46:17) Featuring many Christmas clips, animated shorts, commercials from the 1950′s-1960′s featuring the Nelsons, Shari Lewis and Lambchop and more. These are not separate and must be watched as a full featurette.
Trailer – (1:57) A newer trailer for “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”.
Stills Gallery – Featuring eight stills that can be viewed via your Blu-ray remote (or mouse/keyboard).

While “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” will be seen as one of the worst films of all time, for science fiction fans, it’s one of those films that people who believe in “it’s so bad, it’s good” will probably enjoy this film.

The whole premise of martians going to Earth to kidnap Santa Claus and bring him to Mars is really far out and makes you wonder if the writer was on some drug, but watching it today, you can’t help but enjoy it because it’s so bad.

You have a martian race who all wear these ugly green outfits, children on Mars who watch American television and martians who speak English. You have your idiot martian and as for Santa Claus, I don’t know about how others have felt over the years, but when I first watched this film, I felt Santa was a bit creepy.

And this film’s not going to win over sci-fans because costume design is terrible, makeup is not applied all that well (and the Blu-ray release makes these problems even more visible), special effects and set design is not all that great. But once again, this film has earned its reputation for being bad, but yet there are a legion of fans who need their fix on “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” because its bad. People who grew up with this film as they have grown up with other annual Christmas favorites such as “A Christmas Story”, “Home Alone”, “It’s a Wonderful Life” but instead of being a really good film, it’s more of watching this film because it’s so kitschy but so far out, that it makes you think if Glenville Mareth or Paul L. Jacobson were on drugs while creating this film.

But to this day, I still watch this film when it airs on television and now watching on Blu-ray, this time watching it with my 9-year-old and he found it to be amusing and entertaining.

As for the Blu-ray release, this is probably the best one is going to see of this film. While the picture quality and lossless track is not pristine, it still benefits from its remastering. So, for those hanging on to those old VHS tapes recorded from TV, go ahead and throw those away and get this Blu-ray instead. Also, for those who are nostalgic or are curious of older Christmas commercials or shorts, you get 46 minutes of classic Christmas clips from the ’50s and ’60s also included on this Blu-ray release.

Overall, “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians” is known to be a bad film but I have seen way worse films than this and dare I say, I’m always entertained by this film because of its far-out nature. But for parents, this is probably a holiday film that you want to show your young children as they won’t question the low production values or its crazy storyline.

And the film is enjoyed by its fans because it has become this annual Christmas favorite for some because of its Christmas sci-fi nature and uber-kitschiness. So, for those who grew up watching this film will probably want to own it on Blu-ray. If you are a fan of the film, this Blu-ray is for you!

Filed Under: Blu-ray Reviews, Children's DVD/Blu-ray, KINO VIDEO/INTL./LORBER

The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: When Trucks Fly (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

January 21, 2013 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Fun, safe, lighthearted and many positive lessons that your children will enjoy in the ten episodes featured in”The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: When Trucks Fly” DVD. Your children will love it!

DVD TITLE: The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: When Trucks Fly

DURATION: 110 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.0 Stereo

COMPANY: SHOUT! KIDS

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: February 19, 2013

Written by Adam Beechen

Directed by Don Kim

Production: Hasbro Studios, Nelvana and Pipeline Studios, Inc.

Featuring the voices of:

Stacey DePass as Boomer

Fabrizio Fillipo as Digger

Darren Frost as Rowdy

Gabriel Giammaria as Chuck

Gabriel Giulliani as Handy

Lauren Holly as Haulie

Lyon Smith as Rally

Joanna Vannicola as Biggs

Dale Yim as Soku

The unbelievably fun adventures of Tonka Chuck, The little dump with big dreams and his friends – Digger, Handy, Rowdy, Biggs, Boomer and Flip – continue with 10 more exciting cartoons from The Adventures of Chuck & Friends! Watch them roll, race and fly their way to adventure and friendship!

Chuck, Rally, Handy, Digger, Biggs, Soku, Rowdy and Boomer are back for brand new adventures for “When Trucks Fly”, the latest “The Adventures of Chuck & Friends” on DVD featuring 10 episodes!

Charming, fun and also featuring life lessons that will entertain your children, the CG-animated series “The Adventures of Chuck & Friends”. One of the popular children’s shows currently airing on the Hub’s daily block for children known as “HubBub”, “The Adventures of Chuck and Friends” focuses on a little dump truck named Chuck.

His parents include his mother Haulie (a forklift who runs a repair center) and his father Porter (a big rig that runs a retail store) and his big brother Rally, a race truck, which someday Chuck hopes to be.

While Chuck is a good friend to his buddies Rowdy ( a garbage truck), Handy (a tow truck) , Digger (a backhoe), Biggs (a monster truck) and Boomer (a fire truck), he can also sometimes be selfish.

But together, they make a great team and taking part in various adventures.

“The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: When Trucks Fly” comes with the following ten episodes:

When Trucks Fly – What happens when the trucks come up with a plan to all fly.
Unidentified Rolling Objects – Chuck goes checking for aliens after a meteor shower.
On a Role – Chuck tries to avoid trouble at the truck stop after meeting a TV villain.
Mystery He Rode – Chuck investigates of what happened to Rowdy’s missing horn.
Anchors Awheel – What happens when Chuck and friends try to make a boat.
Senses of Direction – A blind motorcycle teaches Chuck how to use his senses.
Super Sweeper Chuck- Chuck and friends create a sweeping mechanism.
Keep on Trackin’ – Chuck and friends search for hidden items in order to acquire their badges.
The Lost Hubcap of Gold – Chuck and friends use a treasure map to find gold.
Shine On – Chuck gets a new hood ornament and tries to do all he can to keep it clean.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

The episodes featured in “The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: When Trucks Fly” are presented in 1:78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.0 Stereo. While the concept is similar to Disney’s “Cars”, “The Adventures of Chuck & Friends” was designed for children in mind. Featuring bigger, colorful vehicles such as dump trucks, big rig’s and more, the style of the characters are similar to the big toys vehicles that young children play with and of course, the eyes and mouths on them.

The CG animation for the series is very good for a children’s series. The Audio is clear and understandable and for the most part, children should enjoy the look of this series.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: When Trucks Fly” comes with the “That’s How You Fly” Sing-Along video.

Parents looking for a fun and safe DVD for their young children, will definitely enjoy “The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: When Trucks Fly”.

“The Adventures of Chuck & Friends” features Hasbro’s entry to children’s animated series that feature adventure, fantasy but also showcasing teamwork among the many characters featured in the CG-series. And with Hasbro’s involvement, you know that this series is going to be loved by children because there is a toy line behind it. And because there characters are vehicles, there is no doubt that the series is targeted towards boys (who would most likely want their parents to buy them the toys), but also can be enjoyed by the girls.

For parents wondering how this series compares to other children’s series, I can easily say that it is similar to children’s shows that a feature a lot of imagination, adventures but also episodes showcasing one’s emotions and knowing to work as a team.

Also, it helps that each character has their own personality. Rowdy is a garbage truck that likes to have fun and get dirty, Boomer is a fire truck and good friend of Chuck’s, but at the same time, whenever a plan doesn’t seem to work, he is the first to have that gut feeling. There is also Flip, the acrobatic truck and Biggs, the monster truck and much more colorful characters that your children will see in this latest DVD release! No doubt that the many characters will also have children excited for the toy line.

The episodes featured in “When Trucks Fly” showcase Chuck and his friends working together and having fun adventures. For an episode like “On a Role”, children can learn the difference between an actor and a character that is seen on television, for “The Lost Hubcap of Gold”, what happens when the friends try to find gold, “Senses of Direction!” features Chuck learning from a blind motorcycle on the importance of one’s senses and more!

“The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: When Trucks Fly” features ten episodes from season one and two on a single DVD and each episode lasts about 10 minutes. As mentioned, the CG work is appealing and very colorful for children. The DVD comes with a sing-along special feature.

Overall, a fun, lighthearted DVD with many positive lessons that your children will enjoy in these ten episodes featured in”The Adventures of Chuck & Friends: When Trucks Fly” DVD. Your children will love it!

Filed Under: Children's DVD/Blu-ray, DVD Reviews

R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume Three (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

January 21, 2013 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

If your children are ready for a little horror and suspense, “The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume Three” from “Goosebumps” creator R.L. Stine, will surely give them and their parents a little scare!

DVD TITLE: R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume 3

AIR DATE: 2010

DURATION: 132 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Full Screen, 1:33:1English Dolby Digital, Closed-Caption

COMPANY: Shout! Factory

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: February 5, 2013

Directed by Neil Fearnley, James Head, Terry Ingram

Written by Dan Angel, Jed Elinoff, Scott Thomas

Based on the books by R.L. Stine

Executive Producer: Harvey Kahn, Dan Angel, Billy Brown, Kim Arnott

Co-Executive Producer: Kim Arnott, Jane Stine

Supervising Producer: Charles Lyall, Dawn Knight

Associate Producer: Oliver De Caigny

Music by John Sereda, Paul Michael Thomas

Cinematography by Michael Balfry

Edited by Lisa Robinson

Casting by Stuart Aikins, Sean Cossey

Production Design by James Hazell

Art Direction by Teresa Weston

Set Decoration by Gail Luining

Costume Design by Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh

R.L. Stine (Goosebumps) continues his reign as the undisputed master of children’s horror with the first stellar season of “The Haunting Hour”. Special guest stars Ariel Winter and Nolan Gould (Modern Family), Madison Pettis (Cory in the House), Robert Capron (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) and Jodelle Ferland (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse) takes you through five frightening stories guranteed to thrill you and your parents like never before.

R.L. Stine is well-known for his scary stories for children. From the popular horror popular horror fiction “Goosebumps” novels published by Scholastic Publishing and a Canadian TV series adaptation on the novels and from 1995-1998, “Goosebumps” would air in the US on FOX Kids, followed by the Cartoon Network in 2007-2009 and most recently through the Hub starting in Sept. 2011.

While R.L. Stine will always be known for his “Goosebumps” work, he also wrote anthology books titled “The Haunting Hour” and “Nightmare Hour” in 1999-2000 and the anthology would inspire a 2007 horror fantasy film “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: Don’t Think About It” and in 2010, some stories from the book and stories written by other writers would eventually lead to a TV series which would be broadcast on “The Hub”.

While the series is on its third season, Shout! Factory will be releasing volume 3 and 4 of the first season on DVD in February 2013.

“R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume Three” features the following five episodes:

Fear Never Knocks (Episode 11) – Jenny (Ariel Winter) discovers something creepy with her grandfather’s ancient recorder that he uses during his psychiatry meetings.
Best Friend Forever (Episode 12) – Jack (portrayed by Noulan Gould) could never handle a pet (they keep dying) and desperately wants one, so he decides to raise a zombie from the dead and keep it as a pet.
Black Mask (Episode 13) – What happens when Julie (portrayed by Madison Pettis) and Bil (portrayed by Ricardo Hoyos) try to change the past of children who they think had died with the help of a black mast which talks about the past…
My Sister the Witch (Episode 15) – Boy scout Pete (portrayed by Uriah Shelton) is excited to have his sister Alice (portrayed by Jodelle Ferland) back from boarding shcool, but his friend Reggie thinks she is a witch.
Catching Cold (Episode 27) – Marty (portrayed by Robert Capron) has fallen in love with Kreamy Kold ice cream and now has become so obsessed that he wants ice cream from the “Kreamy Kold” ice cream truck that he keeps missing when it goes by his neighborhood. But his local mailman tells him a story that there was once a boy who was so obsessed over the ice cream truck, the boy vanished and never returned.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“The Haunting Hour” series definitely fares much well over its “Goosebumps” counterpart, for the fact that it was filmed in 2010. Picture quality is good as one can expect on DVD and dialogue is clear and understandable.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume Four” comes with the following special features:

Behind the Scenes: Black Mask – (1:56) Madison Pettis and and Ricardo Hoyos talk about the episode they are in.
Original Promos – Featuring promos for “Fear Never Knocks”, “Best Friends Forever”, “Black Mask” and “Catching Cold”.

Children…are you ready for a little horror and suspense?

My son is practically scared when it comes to the horror genre or anything remotely scary on television. But when he turned seven years old, he was introduced to R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” books and he would continually check them out from the school library and loved it. It was a nice blend of horror, but not to the point where he would freak out.

He’s a bit older now and while he still reads the “Goosebumps” books, R.L. Stine’s “The Haunting Hour” features more modern stories than the ’90s television series and the scary factor is slightly elevated, so it’s targeted towards children who are slightly older. Also, these episodes feature talent that have been seen on other popular television shows, as well.

With volume three of “The Haunting Hour”, these episodes are rather creepy as “Fear Never Knocks” features a psychiatrist who uses a voice recorder given to him by fear and what happens when two children come into contact with fear. Then an episode that I never expected was “Best Friend Forever”, about a boy who desperately wants a pet, so he takes on a zombie as his new pet. You never expect to see something like this, so I was pretty surprised by this episode.

You also have “Black Mask” which was an interesting take on a mysterious black mask that was found and tells the tale of two children that may have perished or is it something else? And then you have episodes like “Catching Cold” about a boy who is obsessed with a certain ice cream that in order to get a lifetime supply of one, he must pay with his soul. And with “My Sister the Witch”, a story that involves witchcraft and also a little freaky!

So, you get five episodes that may or may not scare children. Having reviewed the older “Goosebumps” series, I do feel the “Haunting Hour” is slightly more scarier and for today’s audience’s, probably more relevant in terms of today’s technology and what they probably see on television right now. Also, with these episodes, most of the people featured in each story are older teenagers, as opposed to younger kids.

Other than that, “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume Three” is a safe horror series for children. There is no blood, there is no gross situations for this DVD at least. The acting is not always the best but for children, I don’t think they will care. If anything, they know what to expect from the R.L. Stine (or writers taking on episodes in an R.L. Stine kind of way) and if they are wanting a little scare, then “The Haunting Hour” is a series that they will enjoy.

Overall, if you have been wanting to get your children into watching horror/suspense or if they are really enjoying the R.L. Stine books, then definitely give “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume Four” a chance!

Filed Under: Children's DVD/Blu-ray, DVD Reviews

R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume Four (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

January 20, 2013 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

If your children are big fans of R.L. Stine’s “Goosebumps” books or if you want to slowly introduce your children to horror/suspense, you can’t go wrong with “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume Four”, five episodes that will give kids a little scare.

DVD TITLE: R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume 4

AIR DATE: 2010

DURATION: 132 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Full Screen, 1:33:1English Dolby Digital, Closed-Caption

COMPANY: Shout! Factory

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: February 5, 2013

Directed by Neil Fearnley, James Head, Terry Ingram

Written by Dan Angel, Jed Elinoff, Scott Thomas

Based on the books by R.L. Stine

Executive Producer: Harvey Kahn, Dan Angel, Billy Brown, Kim Arnott

Co-Executive Producer: Kim Arnott, Jane Stine

Supervising Producer: Charles Lyall, Dawn Knight

Associate Producer: Oliver De Caigny

Music by John Sereda, Paul Michael Thomas

Cinematography by Michael Balfry

Edited by Lisa Robinson

Casting by Stuart Aikins, Sean Cossey

Production Design by James Hazell

Art Direction by Teresa Weston

Set Decoration by Gail Luining

Costume Design by Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh

Children’s own horror master R.L. Stine (Goosebumps) returns with six creepy, crawly episodes of the Haunting Hour. Join special guest stars Debby Ryan (The Suite Life on Deck), Jake Cherry (Night at the Museum), Booboo Stewart (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn), Gabriel Basso (Super 8) and Landon Liboiron (Terra Nova) as they take you through five more bone-chilling tales of the Haunting Hour’s first outrageously fun season!

While the series is on its third season, Shout! Factory will be releasing volume 3 and 4 of the first season on DVD in February 2013.

“R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume Four” features the following five episodes:

Wrong Number (Episode 16) – Debby Ryan (“The Suite Life on Deck”) stars in this “Mean Girls” story of selfish and rude teenager Steffani (portrayed by Debby Ryan) and Taylor (portrayed by Sarah Dugdale) makes everyone feel worthless and bad about themselves. But what happens when these Mean Girls push their apartment neighbor, Mrs. Biazevich so far that she dies and comes back to haunt them.
Afraid of Clowns (Episode 14) – Chris (portrayed by Jake Cherry of “Night at the Museum”) has a fear of clowns but when the local carnival comes to town and his friends feel that Chris should get over his fear of clowns by going the carnival, will it help Chris?
Pool Shark (Episode 18) – Kai (portrayed by Booboo Stewart) has a fear of the water and his fear that a Nanaue creature swims in the pool. But is Kai losing his mind or is there a real Nanaue in the water?
Light’s Out (Episode 19) – Teddy (portrayed by Gabriel Basso) doesn’t believe the ghosthunting shows on television, but his sister Haley and friend Sean do. So, what happens when the three go on a real ghost hunt inside a haunted asylum which is said to be haunted by the evil doctor, Dr. Sturgess.
The Perfect Brother (Episode 20) – Josh (portrayed by Landon Liboiron) and Matt (portrayed by Gregg Sulkin) are brothers and while Matt is seen as the “perfect son”, things start to happen with Matt and his extreme parents appear to be trying to get rid of Matt.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume Four” comes with the following special features:

Behind the Scenes: Wrong Number – (2:17) Debby Ryan talks about bullying.
Original Promos – Featuring promos for “Afraid of Clowns” and “Lights Out”

For many children, “Goosebumps” was their first introduction to horror and suspense.

“Wrong Number” is probably the worst you can see of a teenager in terms of how they treat others, especially those older than you. The character of Steffani is a good example of teenagers who bully and like to make people’s life miserable. Spoiled and rude, it was good to see a karma-based episode. For “Afraid of Clowns”, for those who are scared of clowns period, will probably be scared by this episode.

“Pool Shark” is a more fantasy-based episode while “Light’s Out” is an interesting spin on the ghost hunting shows that are on television. What happens when a non-believer goes searching for ghosts to prove they don’t exist inside a haunted mansion? And “The Perfect Brother” is rather interesting because of it’s sci-fi twist.

Other than that, “R.L. Stine’s The Haunting Hour: The Series – Volume Four” is a safe horror series for children. There is no blood, there is no gross situations for this DVD at least. The acting is not always the best but for children, I don’t think they will care. If anything, they know what to expect from the R.L. Stine (or writers taking on episodes in an R.L. Stine kind of way) and if they are wanting a little scare, then “The Haunting Hour” is a series that they will enjoy.

Filed Under: Children's DVD/Blu-ray, DVD Reviews

Nickelodeon Favorites – Rootin’ Tootin Wild West (a J!-ENT Children’s DVD Review)

January 13, 2013 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

“Nickelodeon Favorites – Rootin’ Tootin Wild West” is recommended for parents with children who love to play cowboy or cowgirl and for parents wanting something educational and fun for their children. Featuring seven episodes from Nickelodeon’s top children’s shows, this DVD is recommended for younger children!

Images courtesy of
© 2013 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. NICKELODEON, NICK JR., DORA THE EXPLORER, GO, DIEGO, GO!, WONDER PETS, BUBBLE GUPPIES, NI HAO KAI-LAN!, TEAM UMIZOOMI, and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc.

DVD TITLE: Nickelodeon Favorites – Rootin’ Tootin Wild West

DURATION: 6 Episodes (137 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Full Screen, Dolby Digital

COMPANY: Nickelodeon/Paramount

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: January 29, 2012

Team Umizoomi

Written by Soo Kim, Michael Smith, O. Kevin Strader, Brian L. Perkins, Jennifer Twomey, Jeff Borkin, Sascha Paladino, Clark Stubbs

Produced by Soo Kim, Michael Smith

Dora the Explorer

Created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh and Eric Weiner

Go, Diego, Go!

Created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes

Bubble Guppies

Created by Jonny Belt and Robert Scull

The Fresh Beat Band

Executive Producer: Scott Kraft, Nadine Van der Velde

Wonder Pets!

Executive Producer: Josh Selig

You can count on your Nick Jr. friends to make learning math as easy as 1,2,3 in these five play dates! Count comets with Team Umizoomi, journey through school with Dora, figure out Blue’s favorite number, plus more!

Has your child ever wanted to be a cowboy or cowgirl? With the new children’s DVD from Nickelodeon titled “Rootin’ Tootin Wild West”, six episodes with a western theme will be available in January 2013.

Featuring seven episodes from Nick Jr. children’s shows such as “Bubble Guppies”, “Team Umizoomi”, “Dora the Explorer”, “The Fresh Beat Band”, “Go, Diego, Go!” and “Wonder Pets!” (note: “Wonder Pets!” comes with a second episode).

Included are the following episodes:

Bubble Guppies – “The Cowgirl Parade” - After Molly and Gil meet cowgirl Dusty, the two want to head to the Cowgirl Parade and learn what cowboys and cowgirls do.
Team Umizoomi – “Shooting Star!” – Shooting Star is a young horse who wants to be big like the other horses, so Team Umizoomi try to help her by finding four magical horseshoes that will make her grow.
Dora the Explorer – “Pinto, the Pony Express” - Dora and Boots ride on Pinto to deliver cowboy cookies to their friend Benny.
The Fresh Beat Band – “Hip Hop Hoedown” – The Fresh Beat Band are going to a hoedown! But they’re going to play country music and square dance, but because the music is different from what Twist is usually used to playing on his mix tables, what can he play?
Go, Diego, Go! – “The Great Roadrunner Race” – Diego is visting his friend Roady Roadrunner who is about to compete in a race but Roady is a bit nervous. So, Diego helps Road out.
Wonder Pets – “Save the Pony Express!/Help the Groundhog” – The Wonder Pets must help a Young Poony in the Old West to make her first delivery as part of the Pony Express. The second episode features the group trying to help a groundhog build a new home in the snowy forest.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

The episodes featured in “Nickelodeon Favorites – Rootin’ Tootin Wild West” are presented in full screen and in Dolby Digital stereo. Animation features vibrant colors and dialogue is clear and understandable.

Picture quality is dependent on the series as “Dora the Explorer”, “Go, Diego, Go!” are animation-based, “Team Umizoomi” and “Wonder Pets!” tend to combine CG, while “The Fresh Beat Band” utilizes real live actors.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Nickelodeon Favorites – Rootin’ Tootin Wild West” comes with no special features.

Are you a parent looking for a children’s DVD that your young children will love, episodes that are safe but also episodes that your children can learn from? Definitely give Nickelodeon’s “Rootin’ Tootin’ Wild West” a try as children can learn about cowboys, cowgirls and also about match, decision making, teamwork and more through these seven episodes.

With “Bubble Guppies”, “Go, Diego, Go!”, “Dora, the Explorer” and “Wonder Pets, these four episodes showcase the importance of teamwork and decision-making, while The Fresh Beat Band utilizes music to entertain the children and “Team Umizoomi” utilizing math.

And with Nickelodeon often releasing children’s DVD’s based on a certain theme, this is the first DVD compilation to feature episodes that revolves around the cowboy/cowgirl theme.

My child was raised watching these Nickelodeon educational children’s shows and I do believe that it helped in his development as he is doing exceptionally well at school, especially when it comes to decision making and also an appreciation for other cultures and languages.

Overall, your young children should be entertained by this DVD. All episodes are safe for children and parents will also be happy to know that they can learn from each of these episodes and also it will definitely help keep the children occupied as well.

Filed Under: Children's DVD/Blu-ray, DVD Reviews

SpongeBob SquarePants: Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay (a J!-ENT Children’s DVD Review)

January 3, 2013 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

SpongeBob and Sandy try to teach Squidward their “Kah-Ray-Tay” skills in “SpongeBob SquarePants: Extreme Kah-Ray-Tay”. The new DVD features eight episodes, including one 2013 episode! Recommended for the “SpongeBob SquarePants” fan!

DVD TITLE: SpongeBob SquarePants: Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay

DURATION: 88 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: Full Screen, Dolby Digital – English Stereo

COMPANY: Paramount Home Entertainment/Nickelodeon

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: January 13, 2013

Created by Stephen Hillenburg

Directed by Mark Caballero, Seamus Walsh

Writers: Derek Iversen, Tom Kenny, Mr. Lawrence, Dani Michaeli, Andy Paley, Richard Pursel, Paul Tibbitt

Supervising Director: Alan Smart

Featuring the voices of:

Tom Kenny as SpongeBob SquarePants

Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star

Rodger Bumpass as Squidward Tentacles

Clancy Brown as Mr. eugene H. Krabs

Mr. Lawrence as Plankton

Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy Cheeks

Prepare for a long and merciless helping of hilarity with this action-filled SpongeBob SquarePants collection. Check out Sandy’s sensei, an extreme sports team, a frozen competition, world record challenges, SpongeBob’s driving skills like you’ve never seen `em before, and lots more!

For over a decade, “SpongeBob SquarePants” has become such a tremendous hit for Nickelodeon and an animated series that many children have grown up with. A popular franchise which includes video games, the character featured on a variety of food products, toys, health-related items and more.

Needless to say, “SpongeBob SquarePants”, although not a series shown on broadcast television, has managed to become a character that is part of American pop culture and still shows no signs of waning, especially with a new group of young viewers every year.

In fact, the popularity of the series also extends worldwide and as the series is on its ninth season, with the release of “SpongeBob SquarePants: Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay”, fans get to see a recent 2013 episode plus episodes from season 8 and 9.

Created by Stephen Hillenburg in 1999, “SpongeBob SquarePants” is an animated series about a group of characters that live in the underwater city known as “Bikini Bottom”.

The main character of “SpongeBob SquarePants” are:

SpongeBob SquarePants - A energetic and naive sea sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea with his pet snail Gary and works as a cook for The Krusty Krab. He enjoys hanging out with his best friend Patrick.
Patrick Star – A pink starfish and the best friend of SpongeBob. Known for his ignorance and stupidity but still a good friend to SpongeBob.
Squidward Tentacles – An egotistical cephalopod (squid or octopus) who works as a cashier at the Krusty Krab and although he doesn’t care for SpongeBob, he tolerates him.
Sandy Cheeks – A squirrel who is a science genius and lives in an underwater dome who hails from Texas.
Mr. Krabs – The money-loving boss of The Krusty Krab restaurant and boss of SpongeBob and Squidward.
Plankton – The nemesis of Mr. Krabs who runs the rival restaurant, The Chum Bucket.

“SpongeBob SquarePants: Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay” features the following new episodes:

Episode 183b – Squid Defense – Squidward is robbed of his groceries, so he learns karate from SpongeBob and Sandy.
Episode 166b – The Way of the Sponge – When SpongeBob doesn’t impress Sandy’s sensei, she takes her sensei to one place where SpongeBob excels…
Episode 165a – House Sittin’ For Sandy – SpongeBob house sits for Sandy, but when Patrick shows up….Oh oh!
Episode 167a – The Krabby Patty That Ate Bikini Bottom - A Krabby Patty grows too large after Mr. Krabs adds Sandy’s scientific ingredients to it.
Episode 179a – Extreme Spots – SpongeBob and Patrick want to join Johnny Krill’s extreme sports team.
Episode 179b – Squirrel Record – Sandy tries to break many world records.
Episode 172a - Face Freeze – SpongeBob and Patrick get “face-freeze” after doing to many faces.
Episode 173b – Demolition Doofus – Mrs. Puff enters SpongeBob in a Demolition Derby.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“SpongeBob SquarePants: Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay” is featured in full screen and audio is featured in Dolby Digital English Stereo. Animation for the series, especially for these newer episodes are vibrant. Dialogue is front channel driven and understandable.

There are no subtitles but the episodes are in closed caption.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“SpongeBob SquarePants: Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay” comes with no special features.

It’s 2013 and to kick off the New Year, Nickelodeon will be releasing “SpongeBob SquarePants: Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay” featuring an episode from 2013 but also episodes from the current season nine and also last season.

With the title of “Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay”, there are two episodes which feature SpongeBob and Sandy in their “Kah-Rah-Tay” element. The first is the new episode “Squid Defense” featuring SpongeBob and Sandy trying to teach Squidward karate after his groceries are stolen The second is “The Way of the Sponge” as SpongeBob tries to impress Sandy’s sensei.

But you also get six hilarious episodes on this DVD, especially for fans who wanted to see more of Sandy. In “House Sittin’ For Sandy” SpongeBob taking care of Sandy’s house, but trouble comes when Patrick shows up. In “Squirrel Record”, Sandy wants to break all the records found in “The Guinness O’Ripley Enormous Book of Curiosities: Oddities & World Records” and in “The Krabby Patty That Ate Bikini Bottom”, Mr. Krabs uses Sandy’s growth serum on a Krabby Patty with enormous results.

You also get the the SpongeBob/Patrick craziness in episodes such as “Face Freeze” in which both are making too many silly faces that their face begins to freeze that way. In “Extreme Spots”, SpongeBob and Patrick want to join the Drasticals, an extreme sports team.

And in “Demolition Doofus”, what happens when Mrs. Puff enters SpongeBob in a Demolition Derby?

Overall, these new episodes are safe and for many seasons, the “SpongeBob SquarePants” series has been entertaining many children all world. So, if you are parent, you have nothing to worry about with this DVD. So, If you are looking for a fun gift or DVD release for your child or a friend/family member’s child or you are a person that is young at heart, “SpongeBob SquarePants: Extreme Kah-Rah-Tay” is recommended for the SpongeBob fan!

Filed Under: Children's DVD/Blu-ray, DVD Reviews

Nickelodeon Favorites – Let’s Learn 123s (a J!-ENT Children’s DVD Review)

December 31, 2012 by Dennis Amith · Leave a Comment

Parents looking for a children’s DVD that revolves around 123′s, we’ll find Nickelodeon’s “Let’s Learn: 123s” to be the DVD they want! Featuring six episodes from Nickelodeon’s top children’s shows such as “Team Umizoomi”, “Dora the Explorer”, “Blue’s Clues”, “Go, Diego, Go!” and “Wonder Pets!”. Recommended for parents and their young children who are starting to learn their 123′s!

DVD TITLE: Nickelodeon Favorites – Let’s Learn: 123s

DURATION: 6 Episodes (137 Minutes)

DVD INFORMATION: Full Screen, Dolby Digital

COMPANY: Nickelodeon/Paramount

RATED: NOT RATED

RELEASE DATE: January 15, 2012

Dora the Explorer

Created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh and Eric Weiner

Go, Diego, Go!

Created by Chris Gifford, Valerie Walsh Valdes

Bubble Guppies

Created by onny Belt and Robert Scull

Wonder Pets!

Executive Producer: Josh Selig

With the importance of educating young children who are trying to learn their ABC’s and 123′s, Nickelodeon will be releasing two DVD’s in January 2013 to help aid parents who need that extra help in getting their children ready for pre-school and kindergarten.

With many DVD’s featuring their popular Nick Jr. lineup, “Let’s Learn ABC’s” and “Let’s Learn 123′s” will feature six episodes tailored to helping children learn. With “Let’s Learn 123′s”, kids can learn how to count with Team Umizoomi, journey to school with Dora, figure out Blue’s favorite number and more!

Included are the following episodes:

Team Umizoomi – “Counting Comet”/”Super Soap!” – Featuring two Team Umizoomi episodes, “Counting Comet” is about a baby comet who likes to count but hurts himself when he falls to Earth. In “Super Soap!”, Silly Bear gets messy and he needs some super soap to help clean him up.
Dora the Explorer – “Pepe’s School Day Adventure” - Dora must help Pepe the Pig plan his popcorn party at school.
Blue’s Clues – “Numbers Everywhere!” – In this episode, Blue and Joe explore numbers, counting and basic arithmetic.
Go, Diego, Go! – “Three Little Condors” – Diego and Alicia have found a mommy and daddy Condor for three little condors (Uno, Dos and Tres) a tthe Animal Rescue Center. And Diego and Alicia must help the babies get to their new parents.
Wonder Pets – “Save the Old White Mouse!” – The Wonder Pets travel to Linny’s grandmother’s local nursing home to rescue an old white mouse who got stuck inside a cuckoo clock.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

The episodes featured in “Nickelodeon Favorites – Let’s Learn: 123s” are presented in full screen and in Dolby Digital stereo. Animation features vibrant colors and dialogue is clear and understandable. Picture quality is dependent on the series as “Dora the Explorer”, “Go, Diego, Go!” are animation-based, “Team Umizoomi” and “Wonder Pets!” tend to combine CG. While “Blue’s Clues” combines both animation and a live host. Some episodes are newer, while some were created years ago. But overall, this is for the children and the picture and audio quality is good!

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“Nickelodeon Favorites – Let’s Learn: 123s” comes with no special features but comes with a DVD cover with a “Let’s Learn 123s” sheet on the reverse side.

I have been a big supporter of Nickelodeon’s childrens shows. While my song is now grown up, having reviewed these children shows since he was young and having reviewed them as many friends and associates now have younger children, I credit these shows for aiding with my son’s development at a young age. Not only does he excel in class, I felt that these shows are what helped him receive that head start of learning ABC’s, learning his 123′s but also helping with making decisions and working as a team.

There are a lot of important lesson that are seen on each episode but most importantly, for “Let’s Learn: 123s”, your children will learn 123′s!

Fortunately, with “Team Umizoomi”, this animated series was created for children learning math and numbers, so you get two episodes from this series. You also get five episodes from popular Nick Jr. shows from “Team Umizoomi” and also “Dora the Explorer”, “Blue’s Clues”, “Go, Diego, Go!” and “Wonder Pets!” and they are all numbers-themed. So, parents looking for a DVD for their children to learn about numbers should definitely look into this DVD release.

“Nickelodeon Favorites – Let’s Learn: 123s” is recommended for parents and their children!

Filed Under: Children's DVD/Blu-ray, DVD Reviews

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