Movie Info:
Writer: Charles M. Schulz
Directors: Bill Melendez, Phil Roman
Cast: Bill Melendez, Peter Robbins, Christopher Shea, Sally Dryer, Tracy Stratford, Kathy Steinberg, Gail DeFaria, Lisa DeFaria, Glenn Mendelson, Ann Altieri, Ann Altieri, Chris Doran, Karen Mendelson, Geoffrey Ornstein, Jimmy Ahrens, Todd Barbee, Christopher DeFaria, Robin Kohn, Hilary Momberger, Robin Reed, Stephen Shea
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video

Release Info:
Original Release: December 9, 1965, October 27, 1966, November 20, 1973
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $33.99

It’s time for another Peanuts review. Dominick did a review for one of the DVDs released in this set, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Now it’s my turn to review the entire set. I grew up with the Peanuts. Didn’t we all? I’m pretty sure anyone who grew up from the mid-1960s onward has happy memories about watching Peanuts holiday specials while growing up. I’m a child of the 80s and I know I do.

When I had my son, one of the first movies I let him watch on VHS (this was back in the mid-90s, a little before DVD became the only thing to own) was A Charlie Brown Christmas. Since he was just a little baby, he’s been in love with Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Now that he’s 13, he still loves Peanuts and honestly, who could blame him? What’s not to like? It’s one of those cartoons that no matter how old you are you’re going to like it. Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas is pretty much an ingrained tradition in most households, ranking up there with watching It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story (which is going to be re-released this year on DVD - and I’m very excited about this) every year at Christmas.

Peanuts brings families together. I can remember gathering in front of the television with my older brother and my mom to watch the Peanuts specials. Now that I have my own family, all of us (and still my mom is with us) gather up in the living room to watch it on the big screen television. I feel something warm and tingly inside me every time I watch Peanuts holiday classics. I guess you’d call it nostalgia. It reminds me of my past, present and reminds me of how magnificent my future can be as I expand my family and allow the future children in my family to enjoy the Peanuts gang as much as I did when I was their age.

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Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn lives in her home state of Michigan with her life partner, Dominick, her 14 year old son, and her baby, the Shih-Tzu, Oliver Twist. Ashtyn is in college, going for a degree in Psychology. She plans to get her Ph.D and work as a therapist in the field of human sexuality. Ashtyn is an experienced and talented chef. She also excels at writing and has worked as a professional writer for the past five years. Ashtyn enjoys spending time with her son and four year old nephew, watching movies, listening to music, and writing works of fiction.

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Movie Info:
Creator/Writer: Ross Bagdasarian
Cast: Ross Bagdasarian, Jr., Janice Karman, Sherwood Ball, Nancy Cartwright, Tress MacNeille, Frank Welker, Vanessa Bagdasarian, Michael Bagdasarian
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
Season Episode Air Dates: Two episodes from 1988 and one from 1989
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $10.99

I’ve probably already mentioned in a previous Chipmunks DVD release that I grew up watching the chipmunks cartoons. I loved their show. It aired from the time I was almost three until I was ten. This is pretty much the perfect age range for kids to enjoy the show. I still love the Chipmunks though, so I look forward to all of the releases that Paramount (and the various other studios with rights to the Chipmunks) put out. That’s part of why I decided to do the review for Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration.

The Chipmunks have a long and prosperous history. I’ve never really touched on it in a review, but I’d enjoy telling all of you who are reading this about it now. The Chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore were created by Russ Bagdasarian Sr. in 1958. Originally a music group, the Chipmunks have won a total of six Grammy Awards throughout the years. Bagdasarian was a singer, songwriter, actor and music producer. He went by the stage name of David Seville, which we all know is the name of the chipmunks’ fictionalized guardian. In the early days though, Bagdasarian played that role, later inventing a cartoon version of Dave for Chipmunk-based cartoon specials.

Another interesting tidbit about the Chipmunks I’m sure I shared in previous reviews is that the Chipmunks were named for the executives of the first company that signed the trio, Liberty Records. The three were named after Alvin Bennett, Simon Waronker, and Theodore Keep. While the Chipmunks are all fictional characters and while Bagdasarian spent $190 of his last $200 buying a recorder that allowed him to alter the speed of his recordings, which gave him that patented Chipmunk sound, the trio released several records, starting with the infamous “The Christmas Song”.

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Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.

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TV Show Info:
Creator: Dan Schneider
Cast: Miranda Cosgrove, Jennette McCurdy, Nathan Kress, Jerry Trainor, Mary Scheer
Rating: G
Studio: Nickelodeon

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: September 8, 2007-Present
Season Air Dates: September 8, 2007-February 23, 2008
DVD Box Set Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $18.99
Episodes: A variety of 13 episodes (from within the first 16 episodes) from Season One of iCarly

I had to review a screener copy of iCarly when Nickelodeon sent it to us, before the premiere of the show last year. I decided to watch it with my then 12 year old son. It only took one episode for me to realize he loved it and I hated it. The show is annoying, obnoxious and somewhat pretentious. Miranda Cosgrove and her overacting gets on my nerves. Jeanette McCurdy seems to have some comedic ability that is wasted when Miranda tries to overact and Jeanette overcompensates to keep up with her. The only good actors on this show are Nathan Kress and Jerry Trainor.

When Carly and Sam are hosting their show, I seriously think they’re either trying to be game show hosts with their fake smiles and over-exuberant attitudes or they’re just fakey fake actresses. It’s the worst part of iCarly, and considering that’s the main point of the show, it makes me dislike this show. It isn’t necessarily that the writing is bad. Heck, I like Dan Schneider. I have ever since he was on Head of the Class and its clear he’s also the same dude who wrote a Nick show I loved All That. iCarly has the same kind of humor, but the actors ruin the show.

Of course, kids won’t mind. They really don’t pay that much attention to acting. Most of them like over the top acting anyway. My son is now 13. He loves iCarly. It is hilarious to him and if its on television, he always makes me watch it. When it comes down to it, iCarly is one of his favorite shows. I can’t say it’s all negative either because it feeds the needs of technology junkies and makes kids aware of their ability to use technology in this high tech world.

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Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Joe Sichta
Director: Joe Sichta
Cast: Frank Welker, Casey Kasem, Mindy Cohn, Grey DeLisle
Rating: G
Studio: Warner Bros.

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: Direct to DVD
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $13.99

As a kid I loved Scooby Doo. In fact, every kid that I knew loved that show. It always followed the same format, but it was a great show. It managed to incorporate pop culture, so older kids and adults would like it, and the characters were more than enough to keep kids satisfied. To this day, if that show is still on and I pass it on the television, I will stop to watch.

In the last few years, Joe Sichta has begun working on the franchise, making direct to DVD movies. We’ve reviewed one of his movies in the past. The last movie, Chill Out, Scooby Doo lacked originality. It just felt wrong to have the distinguished Scooby Doo name on that movie. Chill out Scooby Doo is similar to The Goblin King because it is a mish-mash of numerous cartoon ideas including many of the things that make Scooby Doo great. However, when you add all these ideas together with no regard for order or respect to the original series, you end up with a whole lot of wasted DVD space.

There are some big name voice talents, both familiar to the show and for this show only, but that really doesn’t help anything. These characters might look and sound like we expect them to, but it’s obvious that they are different. I am sure that the option of having another Halloween themed special was a good idea, but they could have easily dug up a selection of original shows and made a DVD that was way more pleasing than this. Kids would have loved it and adults would have, too.

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Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn lives in her home state of Michigan with her life partner, Dominick, her 14 year old son, and her baby, the Shih-Tzu, Oliver Twist. Ashtyn is in college, going for a degree in Psychology. She plans to get her Ph.D and work as a therapist in the field of human sexuality. Ashtyn is an experienced and talented chef. She also excels at writing and has worked as a professional writer for the past five years. Ashtyn enjoys spending time with her son and four year old nephew, watching movies, listening to music, and writing works of fiction.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

LI Kids is proud to be giving away three copies of Alvin and the Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of October 12, 2008, which means you have until October 11, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:
Celebrate Thanksgiving Chipmunk style with these fun-filled original episodes from Alvin and the Chipmunks. On this DVD, the world-famous Chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore perform in a play, recall famous moments in American History, take care of a kitten and face the marriage of Dave!

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Written by Janey - Visit Website
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LI Kids is proud to be giving away three copies of Alvin and the Chipmunks Classic Holiday Gift Set on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of October 13, 2008, which means you have until October 12, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:
Join Alvin and his brothers Simon and Theodore for this hilarious Halloween adventure. Alvin wants to be accepted into the Monster Club, but the Monster members seem to think its cool to be cruel. It takes Theodore’s friendship to Michael, a misunderstood outcast the other kids call Pumpkinhead, to show Alvin that being a true friend is really a lot more cool than trying to be a popular Monster! There are plenty of laughs and surprises and music, including the Chipmunk’s rendition of the hit song “Monster Mash” to make this a monstrously fun video any time of the year!

Celebrate Thanksgiving Chipmunk style with these fun-filled original episodes from Alvin and the Chipmunks. On this DVD, the world-famous Chipmunks, Alvin, Simon and Theodore perform in a play, recall famous moments in American History, take care of a kitten and face the marriage of Dave!

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Written by Janey - Visit Website
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Movie Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: David Joyner, Greg Proops, Finty Williams, Judi Dench, Michael Angelis, Martin Clunes, Jane Horrocks
Rating: G
Studio: Lionsgate

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $8.49

As Halloween approaches, it will be the goal of parents to offer their kids some good Halloween themed television shows and movies to watch to get them in the mood. As a child, the quintessential Halloween movie was It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. As an adult that has not changed one bit, but there are some other shows out there that are worth watching.

Halloween Spooktacular is a collection of animated shorts from seven television shows. Kids will get to enjoy episodes of Barney, Angelina Ballerina, Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends, Fireman Sam, Kipper, and Fifi and the Flowertots. Five of these shows are labeled as an actual part of the DVD and two of them are listed as special features. You can hear more about my thoughts on that in the sections below.

The benefit to a DVD like this is that most kids know some or all of these shows already. It also appears that Lionsgate made an effort to see that both girls and boys would have shows that they prefer. So, if you only have a son you might skip through some of these, then again, he might like all of the shows. Ultimately it will just depend on your child and their likes and interests.

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Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn lives in her home state of Michigan with her life partner, Dominick, her 14 year old son, and her baby, the Shih-Tzu, Oliver Twist. Ashtyn is in college, going for a degree in Psychology. She plans to get her Ph.D and work as a therapist in the field of human sexuality. Ashtyn is an experienced and talented chef. She also excels at writing and has worked as a professional writer for the past five years. Ashtyn enjoys spending time with her son and four year old nephew, watching movies, listening to music, and writing works of fiction.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

LI Kids is proud to be giving away three copies of Sleeping Beauty 50th Anniversary Platinum Edition on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of October 10, 2008, which means you have until October 9, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:
Restored to dazzle new fans with its pristine picture and sound quality, the final fairy tale to be produced by Walt Disney himself, the Sleeping Beauty Platinum Edition is a spectacular widescreen event that transports viewers to a magical kingdom. Filled with romance, adventure and humor, the beloved animated classic’s 50th Anniversary release celebrates the exhaustive work of The Walt Disney Studios Restoration and Preservation team who have successfully mastered the meticulous processes of creating stunning technologically-advanced Hi-Def productions from classic footage created by Walt Disney and his team in the first golden age of animation.

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Written by Janey - Visit Website
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TV Show Info:
Creators: Michael Dante DiMartino, Bryan Konietzko
Cast: Dee Bradley Baker, Zach Tyler, Mae Whitman, Jack De Sena, Dante Bosco, Mako, Jessie Flower, Grey DeLisle, Olivia Hack, Cricket Leigh
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Nickelodeon/Paramount Home Video

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: February 21, 2005-July 19, 2008
Season Air Dates: September 21, 2007-July 19, 2008
DVD Box Set Release Date: September 16, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $44.99
Episodes:

It’s with a heavy heart that I write this review. I’ve been reviewing Avatar - The Last Airbender since Book 2. I’ve been watching the show just as long. As a lover of great cartoons, Avatar - The Last Airbender was one of my favorite shows. A casualty of the writer’s strike and Nickelodeon fooling around, the third season of Avatar, Book Three, was also the last season of this Emmy-winning series. With the way Nickelodeon pushed the remaining episodes of Avatar - The Last Airbender Book Three under the rug for so long, smushing them together in  a one week long event in July, it’s no surprise the series, which was originally slated for two more seasons, ended.

I can’t say this enough. I love Avatar - The Last Airbender. It’s one of those shows I can enjoy with my kid. Our entire family watched this show together. We had a marathon during that July week in which the last episodes aired. It was sad to see this show go, but there is hope. There is a rumor going around that an animated movie will be made about the series. Hopefully it’s being made to tie up the loose ends. M. Night Shyamalan is also making a live action trilogy of the show. That should prove to be rather interesting based on his past movies.

While this season, especially the end, felt a bit rushed, the overall quality of Avatar - The Last Airbender is on par with the quality of the first two seasons. There are some corny moments, but the humor is part of the show’s charm. While Avatar - The Last Airbender has some violence (the fighting scenes), it’s definitely geared towards a younger audience, so it can be enjoyed by anyone from around the age of 6 or 7 upward until adulthood. I know I’m not the only adult who enjoys this show, so the whole family can really get into this show together.

Avatar - The Last Airbender may have been somewhat predictable at the end, but kids can learn some good moral lessons here. What’s interesting about this season is that it becomes very clear that the main character, Aang, will not compromise his values for anyone or anything. In the eternal battle of good vs. evil, good always prevails, even if it looks like evil is going to win or evil appears to be more powerful. Finally, and most importantly, any person regardless of whether they are good or evil, can change for the better. These are all of the things I’ve learned (and your kids can learn) from Avatar - The Last Airbender.

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Written by Dominick Evans - Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

LI Kids is proud to be giving away two copies of Dinosaur King: The Adventure Begins on DVD. To enter all you need to do is leave us a comment. Please be sure to only leave one. Comments are moderated to avoid spam, so it will not show up right away. People who leave multiple comments will be deleted from the contest altogether. If you do not see your comment within a day then by all means leave another one. Otherwise, do not worry as we accept comments several times a day.

To enter you need to be at least 18 years of age and a resident of the US. If you have won a contest within the last 30 days you are not eligible. Winners will be sent an email shortly after the end of the contest. To claim your prize all you will need to do is send us your address in a reply to the congratulation email that you will receive. If we do not receive a reply from you within three weeks, your winnings will be forfeited and your prize will be offered to another contestant.

We will begin emailing winners for this the week of October 8, 2008, which means you have until October 7, 2008 at 11:59 to enter.

From the Press Release:
Based on the internationally renowned arcade and collectable card game, the fantasy adventure series Dinosaur King has already evolved into a monster-sized hit. The DVD, featuring the first five episodes (Prehistory in the Making, Battle at the Pyramids, Tanks a Lot!, Bungle in the Jungle, and Rubble Trouble), an exclusive Dinosaur King playing card, and a wealth of bonus features, is certain to excite fans both new and old.

For the Dinosaur King fan that enjoys video games, SEGA of America intends to release a Dinosaur King role-playing-game for the Nintendo DS™ in September 2008. Players assume the role of either Max or Rex and take part in a quest to travel the world to collect dinosaur fossils, thwart the Alpha Gang and their evil plans and collect all the remaining pieces of the mysterious stone tablet.

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Written by Janey - Visit Website
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