I’m an AL fan. Always have been. Sure, I kind of liked the Mets back in the day, but really, my overall love for the game started with my love for the As. Don’t ask me why the As were my team, but as a 7 year old I loved them. I collected and carried around baseball cards I still have. You could buy a pack for cheap and get bubble gum in them. Now they’re like five bucks a pack!

Once I was a pre-teen I followed the crowd and liked the Blue Jays for a season. That was back in 1993. My friend had predicted they’d win the world series, so we all followed the team in eager anticipation. Once our team won the series, I found a team closer to home…the Cleveland Indians.

I always liked the Toledo Mud Hens, and by default the Detroit Tigers. I’m from Toledo, but back in the 80s (excluding 84) and 90s you never admitted to being a Tigers fan. C’mon! They sucked. Cleveland was nearby and I was old enough to totally immerse myself into the game. I got my dad into watching and he too became a Cleveland fan. We even went to a game or two back when Progressive Field was called “The Jake.” I followed the Indians through good and bad, until my dad died in 2001.

Then I lost all interest in baseball. It was one thing we’d shared and I was too sad to watch. Well, then I moved to Michigan and I got over it. I missed baseball, but Cleveland games were hard to come by, so I started out rooting for the New York Yankees. It wasn’t the right fit. My girlfriend wasn’t a big sports fan, but she was a good sport and rooted the Yanks on with me.

Then I realized something. The Tigers played on my set, all the time. I had always liked the Tigers. The Yanks just weren’t my team anymore. I wasn’t fond of A-Rod (I knew he used steroids – and well the Jose thing still shook me up) and Derek Jeter, while great at SS, was pompous. I got to know the Tigers, loved their link to the Mud Hens and now, I’m proud to say I’ve been a Tigers fan for the past four years.

It’s been a roller coaster ride for the team. I grew up in the town next to where Jim Leyland grew up, so I spend half my time cheering him on for reppin’ Perrysburg and the rest of the time screaming at him for his decisions. Last year they sucked, but this year, they’ve been bringin’ it…sometimes. When the All Star ballots were tallied and Miguel Cabrera wasn’t one of the chosen ones, I wasn’t thrilled. He’s a great player and deserved a spot on the team. I was pleased that Verlander, Jackson, Granderson and Inge made it, though.

My son has become interested in baseball, especially Tigers baseball. He’s still learning about the game and sometimes gets a little too excited. In the meantime, I yell at the TV. It’s a trait I inherited from my dad. It comes naturally to me and I do it without thought. Sometimes I get a little too excited and have to simmer down.

I couldn’t watch the All Star Game this year with my son. I just couldn’t. Between screaming at the television and maniacally “man giggling” at my computer, he would have been in sensory overload. You see, sports fans get ugly online, especially on Twitter, and I had to deal with a moron running his mouth all night.

This little piss ant had the nerve to call me son. He’s lucky to be 20 if that, and he called ‘me’ son. Uh uh whipper snapper! Then he explained to me…’its an expression’ as though I just didn’t get it. Wow, youth have no respect for their elders these days. Then he proceeded to tell me how awesome all these players were, how biased I was towards Detroit, and how little I knew about sports.

As if loser boy. I was watching sports before you even were a seed in your Mama’s tummy! Just because I don’t wish to lick Halladay’s butthole, doesn’t mean I’m ‘not knowledgeable’ about the game of baseball. As he praised Halladay, aka the jackoff who f’ed up the second inning giving the NL the lead in the game, he probably forgot his little avatar had him proudly wearing his Blue Jays cap.

This flake went on to declare multiple players the best player of the past ten years. First, it was Halladay. He’s the best pitcher of the last ten years, according to him. Then there is A-Rod. He’s the best player of the past ten years. Funny, when I brought up how I’d be the best player too if I used steroids, he didn’t have a comment. I guess cheating doesn’t count in Toronto.

Next, Joe Mauer was, you guessed it, the best player of the last ten years. He wins ‘batting titles’ all the time. Okay, twice does not equal always. He’s good, but c’mon! Then Kevin Youkilis had way better numbers then Miguel Cabrera (who had a 20+ point avg higher than Youkilis and more home runs), according to this guy, and the list goes on and on. I guess averages don’t matter in the grand scheme of baseball. The public voted Youkilis in because they wanted to see him “dance” at the plate.

He was mad that I said Justin Verlander is currently the best pitcher in the AL. His strikeout record shows that (149 before the break). That assessment is also shared with ESPN journalist, Buster Olney. He said back in June he felt Justin was the best pitcher in baseball. Since then Verlander’s been consistent. He only has losses because the offense sucked on his pitching nights. Still, I was told that I’m a Tigers fanatic and only like Tigers.

In the All Star Game I only have one desire…the AL needs to win. I don’t care who plays on the team, so long as they ensure we win. We have a rep to uphold! Still, my Tigers (who played) did good. I wish Verlander would have started not Halladay. He never would have let the NL score. Jackson pitched a shut out 1,2,3 inning, which was good and Curtis Granderson scored the winning run. All in all, my Tigers did a great job, but…had they truly sucked I would have been disappointed to see them get an All star Spot. For example, I don’t think Magglio Ordonez should have gone and he didn’t. He’s been disappointing this year.

I admitted Mauer and Morneau (as much as I hate how good they are when we play them) deserved to be at the game. I’m glad Ichiro was there, too. I even complimented Mark Buehrle, who I believe pitched phenomenally well, even though I hate the Sox. It’s the All Star Game. I cheered on Jeter and even Youkilis (even though he gave nothing to the team). That’s what the All Star Game is all about…BUT…I do believe my Tigers ARE all stars. Well, at least the four that went.

The funny thing about all this is this twitter annoyance told me that only two Tigers deserved to be there. According to him, Edwin Jackson, the same Jackson who went on to pitch a 1,2,3 Fourth, wasn’t an All Star. Sure his 2.85 ERA (at the time) was “ok” but not the lowest in the league. It was lower than most of the other pitchers at the All Star Game, which he neglected to acknowledge. Then, he said Granderson wasn’t an All Star. Yes, Curtis “triple hitting” Granderson, whose triple (almost home run) put the AL in scoring position for a sac-fly that led him home! Without him we might not have won the game. He sealed our victory.

So, as I sat there, watching the game, cursing Halladay, and laughing at my computer, especially when I could no longer be spoken to because I’m so not knowledgeable about sports according to this kid, I could hear my son’s mom in the other room telling him not to come in because…Dad’s watching baseball!

Technorati Tags: Baseball, MLB, All Star Game, Sports, Dominick Evans, Father, Son, Dad, Watch Sports, Detroit Tigers

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: January 5, 2009-March 23, 2009
DVD Release Date: June 16, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $25.99

This may be the second season of The Secret Life of the American Teenager, but it still blows my mind to see Molly Ringwald, the pretentious rich-girl from The Breakfast Club play a mother of a teenager. Sure, she’s old enough to play the part, but it’s somewhat surreal. I always think of her as the perpetual, pretty redhead next door from the 80s. Now she’s a mom and that’s cool. It’s just a little bit different. It’d be like seeing Anthony Michael Hall remake My Three Sons. It might work out, but in the beginning it would take some getting used to.

ABC Family is one of those networks that run a lot of pretty decent shows that I always forget to watch. For some reason my brain fails to make a connection with the fact that this network exists when primetime shows are on. So, I get these sets and always tell myself to watch and always end up forgetting. I figure its okay though because soon enough the new season will roll out on DVD and I will be able to pick that up for review. This is a major plus when you consider I do not have to go through the agonizing wait for the next week’s episode.

During the second season you see a lot of the same themes as you did in the first season. There is a continuation here that is necessary to finish a lot of the stories that began in the first season. You get to see what life is like for teenagers, in some respects, including one that deals with a pregnancy, a boyfriend that is not the father of said baby, a secret wedding, and family life in general. While occasionally Secret Life can border on melodrama, the show is pretty good.

The The Secret Life of the American Teenager: Season Two Plot
From what I can gather, this second season set is actually the second half of the first season. It has been marketed as a second season, but as far as I know, season two is currently airing on ABC Family. In any case, a list of all of the episodes in this set are listed below so you know what is available.

“The Secret Wedding of the American Teenager”: Amy and Ben decide to get married using fake IDs after Amy learns that the new baby is going to be her responsibility and if she wants to keep it she will need to get a job. After Ricky finds out, he gets a fake ID, as well. This starts a trend and numerous others get one, too, including Adrian, Alice, Ashley, Henry, Grace, Madison, and so on. Meanwhile, George moves into the Juergen family garage.

“Baked Nevada”: George and Leo find Amy and Ben at the wedding reception and trouble breaks loose as a result. This doesn’t matter much when Amy and Ben learn that their marriage is not valid anyway. Jack confesses (falsely) to making the fake IDs and gets community service. Anne tries to give Amy and Ben advice about what to do with the baby.

“The Father and the Son”: Ashley tries to get Reverend Stone to help her keep her parents together. Ricky’s dad is out on parole and he’s in town looking for his little boy. He visits Amy and proceeds to tell Ricky that he might sell the baby. When Anne learns that Ricky was sexually abused by his dad she thinks that the kids should seriously consider giving the baby up for adoption. Both Ben and Ricky want to keep the baby, even though they both have their own, specific reasons. Meanwhile, Anne tries to find a nice adoptive home for the child.

“That’s Enough of That”: Ricky admits the truth about being abused to Adrian and refuses to see Grace as long as his father, who keeps trying to convince him to sell the baby, remains in town. Ben suffers a blow when he learns that Amy wants to go to the doctor’s alone. Ben later makes a video of Amy and reveals that she is going to have a boy. Anne finally comes to terms with the fact that Amy really is pregnant.

“Chocolate Cake”: Ben cannot believe it when he finds out that a meeting between Ricky and Amy was planned and he was not invited. Anne talks to the Reverend about Ashley and her attempts to stop her parents from breaking up. Adrian’s father catches her and her step-brother Max in a compromising position. Meanwhile, when Jack learns that Shawna has no interest in him he tells Grace that Ricky and Adrian are still sleeping together. George learns that two of his gay co-workers want to adopt Amy’s baby.

“Unforgiven”: Amy becomes upset when Ben says he needs some space and seems to doubt their relationship. Jack and Shawna begin dating, even though she supposedly isn’t interested in him. George holds adoption interviews to find parents for the baby. Amy agrees that the gay couple should adopt the baby. Ricky informs Jack that he wants to be with Amy, not Grace or Adrian.

“Making Up is Hard to Do”: Ricky tells Dr. Fields that he wants to be with Amy and that he doesn’t want to go through with the adoption. Ashley attempts to convince Ben that he should be with Amy. Max and Adrian go on their first date. Amy and Ricky meet Donovan and Leon, who decide that it is in their best interest to be foster parents instead of adopting.

“Money for Nothing, Chicks for Free”: Anne receives a job offer. Adrian decides that she will become a virgin again by changing her style. Amy and Ben get back together and the gay couple announces that they do not wish to adopt the baby. This prompts Amy to admit that she does not want to give the baby up for adoption. Anne and Ben both pressure Amy to get a job based on her decision.

“Maybe Baby”: Both Ben and Ricky get a job, working together with Ben’s dad at his sausage shop. George is able to get a loan on a foreclosed home. Ashley becomes upset when she learns that Amy wanted to get rid of the baby and becomes angry when she learns about the tape that Ben and Amy made for the baby. Grace and Adrian want to make sure that Amy gives the baby up because that keeps her tied to Ricky if she keeps it. Later, Grace tells Amy that she got her a job at the Church and she would have both daycare services and insurance available to her. With that in mind, Anne lets Amy keep the baby.

“Whoomp! (There it is)”: As the baby approaches, a baby shower is planned for Amy. Ricky prepares for the baby by learning how to change a diaper. On the way to the baby shower, Amy goes into labor. George, who is in the process of moving out, is called to meet everyone at the hospital. Meanwhile, Ben tells Amy that she should call Ricky and let him know that she is in labor.

“One Night at Band Camp”: Amy recalls when she met Ricky at Band Camp before she got pregnant. Tom makes an attempt to get Grace and Jack back together. Amy feels bad for blaming Ricky for her pregnancy because she realizes the sex wasn’t solely his fault. Ricky admits he wants to be a good friend to Amy and to help with the baby.

“And Unto Us, A Child is Born”: Everyone gathers at the hospital to support Amy and her family. Ben and Ricky agree to be friends and talk about the future. Adrian comes to the hospital to support Ricky. Amy finally has the baby and everyone gets to see him. They decide to name the baby John. Despite her decision, Amy has a hard time adjusting to being a mom, but after Ricky sees and spends time with the baby, he likes the idea of being a dad.

Storyline/Plot: 4 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The Secret Life of the American Teenager is a newer show that is currently still airing on ABC Family. Shot in HD, the picture you receive here is about equal to the quality you see when it is on television. That means you will view this in anamorphic widescreen with a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. You can expect few errors, no dirt, and nothing annoying. The detail is high and the colors are good. It’s one of the better visual productions you will see on ABC Family, and like I said it appears just like if you were watching it on its assigned day of television.

As for the sound, the Dolby Digital 5.1 does an adequate job though this is a dialogue driven production. Being that it’s more dialogue than anything you can expect it to be fairly even and not entirely dramatic. Still, the dialogue is crisp and everything remains consistently easy to hear. In addition to standard audio options subtitles are available in both French and Spanish.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are a couple special features available for The Secret Life of the American Teenager. There isn’t anything truly special here, but fans should enjoy the secrets and the close-ups that are offered. In addition to those things, a music video for “Secret Life (You and Me)” is offered by The Strange Familiar. As you might expect, the video includes clips from the show.

“Character Secrets: The Cast Reveals All” – This ten minute look at the show has the cast dishing on the romances of the show and the drama that comes with them. While this is being discussed the family dynamic is also looked at.

“Cast Close-Ups” – This includes a series of personal videos from the various characters on the show. Michaela, a show fan, interviews the cast in each of their videos. Every video runs about three minutes and naturally some are better than others.

Bonus Features: 3 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The Secret Life of the American Teenager is a decent show, but it’s not ever going to step out of the realm of the family drama. If you love that type of show, revolving around teenagers and their problems then you should really like this show. The acting is sometimes overly dramatic, but it’s good for the most part, and the show offers topics that older kids need to hear about. If you haven’t caught this on ABC Family yet, I recommend checking out the first season first and then renting or buying both seasons as you see fit.

Overall Rating: 4.07 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Molly Ringwald, Family Drama, ABC Family, Teenager, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Season Two, TV on DVD Review, Episodes

INTERVIEW: WITH SHAILENE

INTERVIEW: WITH DAREN

TUG-OF-WAR

SECRETS

DOING THE RIGHT THING

CANDY BARS

TRAILER

Technorati Tags: Secret Life of the American Teenager, Season Two, ABC Family, Box Set, Molly Ringwald, TV on DVD, Clips, Video

Movie Info:

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: September 18, 1974, October 29, 1975, and January 24, 1977
DVD Release Date: January 20, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $9.99

One of my favorite shows, growing up, was Little House on the Prairie. I grew up watching television nearly all the time, and one of the shows I never missed was Little House. It was on in reruns by the time I was a kid, but it aired so frequently I could almost always find an episode on when I wanted to watch it. I loved following the adventures of Laura, her family and friends.

Today, I still love watching this show. It brings back such happy memories. This show is so wholesome. The acting is excellent. The cast all work well together and the storylines for every episode are engaging enough to keep a wide, diverse audience watching. I was little when I first started watching Little House on the Prairie, but my mom used to watch it with me and I know many others of varying ages who loved this show. It was something the entire family could and would watch together.

The thing I like the most about Little House on the Prairie is how unique this show was. It was funny to watch what life was like in the olden days. I giggle at the thought of Caroline (Karen Grassle) trading eggs (like money) for supplies, food, or other goods. The most amusing part is that the doctor was actually a veterinarian. He saw all the people though. Also, you didn’t have to go to school. You could work in the fields or do some other job without any type of education.

The Girls of Little House on the Prairie: Country School is a perfect reflection of the world in which the television series is set. I don’t see any reason why kids of any age wouldn’t be able to watch this. I actually read a review where the reviewer tried to find all the “un-wholesome” things that Little House offered. I can’t imagine any parent disallowing their kids from watching this show. Truth be told, we need more shows like this on television today!

The Girls of Little House on the Prairie: Country School Plot
The Girls of Little House on the Prairie: Country School features three episodes. All of them focus on the main characters and their experience at the Country School they attend in Walnut Grove. Here is a list of three episodes that are offered on this DVD and a synopsis for each of them.

“Country Girls” (from Season 1) – After Laura (Melissa Gilbert) and Mary (Melissa Sue Anderson) move to the little house on the prairie with Ma (Karen Grassle), Pa (Michael Landon) and Carrie (Lindsay Greenbush/Sidney Greenbush) they are about to attend an actual school for the first time. Their school is a small, one room schoolhouse that is located in the nearby town of Walnut Grove. Their first day in class is an adventure.

Their teacher, Miss Beadle (Charlotte Stewart), is really nice. Laura can’t read and the girls have to buy supplies to share. They meet the kids at school, especially mean Nellie Olson (Alison Arngrim), who calls them ‘country girls’ as an insult. After fighting with Nellie makes her feel worse, Laura puts all her work into her studies and tries to excel at them. Ma (Caroline) sells eggs at Nels Oleson’s (Richard Bull) shop, but Mrs. Oleson (Katherine MacGregor) tries to cheat her out of money. The icing on the episode is an essay that all of the students must write. The only problem is that Laura isn’t very good at writing just yet.

“The Spring Dance” (from Season 2) – The spring dance is approaching and Laura is the only girl at school without a date. She’s wanting a quiet boy she’s friends with named Henry to ask her, but he seems uninterested in dancing. Unfortunately, her only other option is Willie Oleson (Jonathan Gilbert). Grace Snider (Bonnie Bartlett), the woman who runs the post office wants her longtime beau to ask her, but the curmudgeon is too stubborn to ask.

On the advice of Caroline, Grace decides to deceive her man, Isaiah (Victor French) by pretending to be interested in Doc Baker (Kevin Hagen). Caroline had done the same thing to Charles, so she thought it would work for Grace, though she forgot how Charles reacted to her interest in another man. Laura overhears this and decides to pay Willie in marbles to pretend to like her, so she makes Henry (Clay O’Brien) jealous enough to ask her to the dance. Both Laura and Grace are surprised by the results of their dishonesty.

Little Women (from Season 3) – Miss Beadle announces that all of the class will partake in their own play to better learn the material they read in their literature books. Laura and Mary get stuck in Nellie’s group because their friend, Ginny Clark (Rachel Longaker), wants to see Nellie’s house. Mrs. Oleson will be writing their scene from Little Women with Nellie taking a major starring role.

Ginny is sad when her mom decides she won’t be coming to the show. She does everything she can to convince her to come to the show, even buys her a new dress. Ginny’s mom think its the nice man who has shown an interest in her mom that bought the dress and she refuses it. Bitter since her husband’s death, Mrs. Clark wants nothing to do with him, even if it makes Ginny miserable.

Storyline/Plot: 5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Country Girls is presented in a standard 1.33:1 aspect ratio. It’s television and it is an older show, so not everything is going to be perfect here. There are some moments of dirt, specks, and lines but things generally looked like you would expect. If you were to turn on the television and watch Little House you would see a similar quality on the television. The colors are decent and there are few big problems. The level of detail is similar to that of a television show, so it’s not incredibly impressive, but serves its purpose well. All in all, it’s not bad for the age and quality of the show.

The audio comes in with a Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack. Again, nothing you hear is going to blow you away. This is a show that contains mainly dialogue so everything is kept to the front for the most part. Still, everything is easy to hear and volume toggling is never necessary. Subtitles are not included, though Closed Captioning is available.

Visual: 3 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Unfortunately, no special features have been included in this small set of episodes. It would have been nice to see a little something, though Lionsgate makes it painfully obvious that people would be better off saving their money and picking up some Little House box sets instead.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Little House on the Prairie will always be one of my favorite television shows. I wish there were shows like this on television today. While I’m disappointed that this DVD only has three episodes, I’m glad to add anything from the Little House series to my collection. If you don’t own the season DVDs, this DVD offers a nice, quick fix for fans of the show. Watching The Girls of Little House on the Prairie: Country School is a great way to introduce your kids to this series. It’s time for a new generation of fans to enjoy Little House on the Prairie and this set is certainly a great way to start.

Overall Rating: 3.71 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: The Girls of Little House on the Prairie: Country School, TV on DVD, DVD Review, Lionsgate, Little House on the Prairie, Laura and Mary, Half Pint

“With Walt Disney Pictures’ legacy of groundbreaking animated films, it can sometimes be easy to forget that since the 1950s, the studio has also produced an extensive collection of lovingly made live-action films perfect for the entire family,” said Charles Tabesh, senior vice president of programming for TCM. “So it is with great pride that we will present them in all their glory in the tradition of TCM ─ uncut and commercial free. With more than 25 outstanding movies and an insightful documentary special narrated by Angela Lansbury, TCM’s salute to these live-action films is a perfect family programming event for the holiday season.”

THE AGE OF BELIEVING: THE DISNEY LIVE-ACTION CLASSICS, which comes to TCM from FitzFilm, Inc. and writer/producer/director Peter Fitzgerald, will follow the studio’s history as it ventured beyond its animation legacy to develop non-animated family fare. It is slated to premiere at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14.

The special will feature interviews with a number of people who have contributed to the studio’s live-action oeuvre, including Kurt Russell, Dick Van Dyke, Dean Jones, Tim Conway, Lesley Ann Warren and Michele Lee; former child stars Karen Dotrice and Kim Richards; director Ken Annakin; and songwriter Richard M. Sherman. The special will also feature interviews with Walt Disney Company Board Director Emeritus Roy E. Disney, film critic and film expert Leonard Maltin, film historian Les Perkins, film writer Richard Schickel, author and film expert Paul Sigman-Lowery and author Bill Cotter.

The following is the complete schedule for TCM PRESENTS: THE FAMILY CLASSICS:

Sunday, Dec. 7
Noon Treasure Island (1950) – starring Robert Newton and Bobby Driscoll.
1:45 p.m. Swiss Family Robinson (1960) – starring John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, Sessue Hayakawa and Tommy Kirk.
4 p.m. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) – starring Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas and Peter Lorre.
6:15 p.m. Old Yeller (1958) – starring Tommy Kirk, Dorothy McGuire and Fess Parker.
8 p.m. The Parent Trap (1961) – starring Hayley Mills, Maureen O’Hara and Brian Keith.
10:15 p.m. Pollyanna (1960) – starring Hayley Mills, Jane Wyman, Karl Malden, Adolphe Menjou and Agnes Moorehead.
12:30 a.m. The Barefoot Executive (1971) – starring Kurt Russell, Harry Morgan, Wally Cox and John Ritter.

Sunday, Dec. 14
Noon The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1970) – starring Kurt Russell and Cesar Romero.
1:45 p.m. The Strongest Man in the World (1975) – starring Kurt Russell, Cesar Romero, Phil Silvers and Dick Van Patten.
3:30 p.m. The Absent-Minded Professor (1961) – starring Fred MacMurray, Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn and Tommy Kirk.
5:15 p.m. Son of Flubber (1963) – starring Fred MacMurray, Nancy Olson, Keenan Wynn, Tommy Kirk and Ed Wynn.
7 p.m. THE AGE OF BELIEVING: THE DISNEY LIVE-ACTION CLASSICS – narrated by Angela Lansbury.
8:30 p.m. The Apple Dumpling Gang (1975) – starring Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Bill Bixby and Susan Clark.
10:15 p.m. The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again (1979) – starring Tim Conway, Don Knotts, Tim Matheson, Kenneth Mars and Jack Elam.

Sunday, Dec. 21
Noon The Black Hole (1979) – starring Maximilian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Yvette Mimieux, Robert Forster and Ernest Borgnine.
2 p.m. Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) – starring Eddie Albert, Kim Richards, Ike Eisenmann, Ray Milland and Donald Pleasance.
4 p.m. Return from Witch Mountain (1978) – starring Bette Davis, Christopher Lee, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann.
6 p.m. Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) – starring Angela Lansbury, David Tomlinson, Roddy McDowall and Sam Jaffe.
8 p.m. Candleshoe (1977) – starring Jodie Foster, David Niven and Helen Hayes.
10 p.m. Freaky Friday (1976) – starring Jodie Foster, Barbara Harris and John Astin.
11:45 p.m. THE AGE OF BELIEVING: THE DISNEY LIVE-ACTION CLASSICS – narrated by Angela Lansbury.

Sunday, Dec. 28
Noon The Shaggy Dog (1959) – starring Fred MacMurray, Jean Hagen and Tommy Kirk.
2 p.m. The Shaggy D.A. (1976) – starring Dean Jones, Tim Conway and Suzanne Pleshette.
4 p.m. The Love Bug (1968) – starring Dean Jones, Michelle Lee and Buddy Hackett.
6 p.m. Herbie Rides Again (1974) – starring Helen Hayes, Ken Berry and Stefanie Powers.
8 p.m. Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977) – starring Dean Jones and Don Knotts.
9:45 p.m. Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) – starring Cloris Leachman and Harvey Korman.
11:30 p.m. The World’s Greatest Athlete (1973) – starring Tim Conway, Jan Michael Vincent, John Amos and Nancy Walker.

Technorati Tags: TCM, Turner Classic Movies, The Family Classics, Commercial Free, Movie, Classics, Herbie, The Love Bug, The Barefoot Executive, The Shaggy Dog, Disney

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

From all I have seen, parents have either a love or hate relationship with the Doodlebops. I have heard complaints that one of the characters is a homosexual in real life. I have also heard complaints that the show does not offer real educational value. However, despite these claims, which I will address in a moment, small children absolutely adore this show and with good reason!

It is true that Chad McNamara is a homosexual. However, in this instance he is not playing one on television. McNamara plays the role of Rooney Doodle and he does a good job. It should not matter that he identifies as homosexual in his personal life no more than it should matter than Anne Heche kissed Harrison Ford in a movie when she was claiming to be a lesbian. It’s acting. He acts like a character that probably has little to do with his real life. Furthermore, most kids don’t even understand what homosexuality is and even less of them can spot it in a children’s show character that is playing a part, like McNamara is here.

It’s also true that the academic value of Doodlebops is low. However, the creativity value is high. Not only that, but with all the singing and dancing kids are encouraged to get on their feet, which will be good for their health. Kids also learn some type of lesson, a la Barney that may not be educational, but is still important to learn. These lessons vary depending on the episode and range from things like sharing and being a good friend to the importance of being truthful.

I wouldn’t end up watching this all on my own, but with young children it’s an incredibly fun experience. The kids adore the show and dance and sing along with the television. The characters are harmless and good natured, not to mention amusing in many different ways. It makes for a great show for young children.

The Doodlebops: We Love our Friends Plot
There are four episodes on Doodlebops: We Love our Friends . These episodes are all listed below with brief descriptions about each one.

“All By Myself”: Jazzmin has a hard time handling her too long to-do list so she enlists Audio Murphy to help her out. Unlike Jazzmin, Audio Murphy thinks that he can get the list done all alone. It doesn’t take long for him to learn it’s better to ask for help than it is to try and tough it out alone.

“Bring-A-Sound-Arounder”: Rooney invents the Bring-a-Sound-Arounder and it’s a hit. The invention gives you the opportunity to listen to sounds that occur far away. While this invention is great, Rooney isn’t able to hear his friends that are close to him, wishing that he had time to spend with them again.

“The Chicken and the Egg”: Much to the shock of the Doodlebops they learn that the resident chicken is able to answer yes or no questions based on the color of eggs that she lays. This obviously means that the chicken is a genius so they begin to look to her for answers to every question.

“Rhymes with Orange”: Jazzmin is challenged by the Doodlebops to create rhymes for a variety of words. Everyone has a great time until Moe stumps her with the word, orange. When that happens Jazzmin is unable to rhyme anything at all! Everyone has to work together to help Jazzmin get her rhyming skills back.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
Doodlebops is available at a standard 1.33:1 aspect ratio and is viewable in fullscreen mode. This is about average for a children’s show, so it’s not a problem. There are minor instances of fuzz, and slight compression errors but nothing much that the kids noticed and nothing that made viewing a problem. Overall, this was a fair visual presentation. The colors were bright and the kids loved watching it.

The audio is available in Dolby Digital Stereo with Closed Captioning. The songs are vibrant and exciting and the dialogue comes through clear and easy to hear. The levels are well balanced so volume toggling was not necessary. This was a good presentation for both audio and visual presences.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
Doodlebops: We Love our Friends offers a couple of bonus features, which is nice because so many children’s DVDs leave bonuses behind. This DVD offers Direct-Play, which is similar to Disney’s Fast Play. Parents can put this DVD into the player and not have to worry about hitting play when the time comes. The DVD will start on its own. So if you happen to be in the other room you won’t have anything to worry about and the kids won’t have to fiddle with the remote.

The other special features aren’t incredibly intensive, but the kids will be sure to love them. Included in the bonuses section are four songs that the kids can sing along with and two dance along songs. These provide plenty of fun and activity for the kids after the episodes are over. While these may not be the kids of bonus features you would expect to see on a standard DVD for young kids they are absolutely perfect.

Bonus Features: 4 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Doodlebops: We Love our Friends may not be the most educational show out there, but there tends to be a lesson learned regardless of whether or not it’s an academic one. Young children love the show because it’s high energy and there is plenty of music and dancing to enjoy. The characters may be live action, but they are certainly colorful and animated. This DVD only features four episodes, but would make for a great filler for children that can’t get enough of the show when it’s on television or for parents that want to introduce their children to the show. I wouldn’t recommend this for kids over six, but the small children really do love it.

Overall Rating: 4.14 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Lionsgate, Doodlebops, All by Myself, Bring-A-Sound-Arounder, The Chicken and the Egg, Rhymes and Orange, Jazzmin, Audio Murphy, Rooney, Kids, Music, Dancing

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”.

After Bagdasarian, who supplied the voices of all three Chipmunks, died in 1972, his son Ross Bagdasarian Jr. and Ross Jr.’s wife, Janice Karman, took over the voices of Dave and the Chipmunks. It is this duo that came up with the television show, which aired from 1983-1991. It is also these two who ultimately turned the Chipmunks into even bigger stars than they already were. it is both Bagdasarians and Janice Karman who we can thank for this DVD.

Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration Plot
The Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration DVD contains the main Thanksgiving celebration special and three episodes from the Alvin & The Chipmunks television show. Two of the episodes aired during Season Six, which ran in 1988 and one of the episodes was the first episode of Season Seven, airing in 1989.

Here is a list of the episodes/special with a description for each of them. On a side note, the DVD has a play all function, so you can play all of the episodes on this DVD at once.

“A Chipmunk Celebration” – It’s almost Thanksgiving and Dave and the Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon and Theodore) are busily preparing envelopes inviting all of their family (both Chipmunks and humans) to a major Thanksgiving celebration. Alvin is ecstatic to see his family, but Simon explains it is because Alvin is certain he is going to get the lead in the school play, which is also going to be televised. Alvin just wants everyone to see him as the star he knows he is.

When the boys come home from school a few days later they are dejected. Alvin wants to get the letters back, but its too late. They’ve been sent out and Dave’s somewhat evil Grandma is already planning to arrive. Dave tries to make the boys feel better because their teacher has decided they all need to try something new. Alvin is assigned the job of costume designer, a job Theodore wanted. Theodore is assigned the job of set technician, a job Simon wanted. Simon is given the lead in the school play.

When Alvin explains he knows nothing about costuming, Theodore knows nothing about technical aspects of theater, including lighting, and Simon hasn’t acted on stage since he embarrassed himself in a performance of “The Merchant of Venice” at the age of three, they all say that they want to quit the play. Despite Dave telling them that trying new things opens doors, with the family coming to see them, Alvin’s willing to do anything to get out of working on the play, while he can.

“Food For Thought” – The boys are all set to graduate from third grade to fourth; all of them except for Theodore. When the boys graduate, they can all go to Funland as a reward. As Simon and Alvin are discussing ways to go on every single ride at Funland, Theodore breaks the bad news to them. If he fails his American history test the next day then he is going to be held back and won’t get to go to Funland. Drastic times call for drastic measures, and Alvin and Simon set out to explain America’s history to Theodore; from the first Thanksgiving through the American Revolution. Unfortunately, the only thing Theodore can seem to remember is the food the Pilgrims ate!

“Cookie Chomper III” – When Dave is late coming home, Simon takes on parental responsibilities, but even he can’t control his fear when they hear strange noises. It turns out to be a kitten. They must hide it from Dave though, who seems to be allergic to cats. When Theodore wants to name the kitten Cookie and Alvin wants to name it Chomper, Simon comes up with a compromise, Cookie Chomper the Third (III). It isn’t long before Dave learns about the kitten and Simon is sure he can cure the allergy because he believes it is psychosomatic. However, something happens that changes the lives of all four Sevilles. Rated one of the saddest episodes, I don’t recommend you let small children watch this episode alone.

“Dave’s Getting Married” – When Dave dates a woman named Marcia the Chipmunks are worried about how serious the relationship is becoming. That is until they meet Marcia for themselves. She’s perfect in nearly every way and the three decide they’d like a mother like her. When they ask Dave to schedule a trip to the beach with Marcia and hint at a marriage proposal, they are shocked to learn that Marcia has three kids, all boys; a popular smart-aleck, a brainiac, and a boy obsessed with food. When Dave and Marcia announce their plans to marry, the six boys can hardly contain their unenthusiastic attitudes, towards one another!

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The episodes and Thanksgiving special on the Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration DVD all were made in the 1980s. You can see this. The biggest problem was instances of glare (sometimes called color bleeding). While the show had been vastly updated and improved from its original 1980s run, the 1.33:1 standard full frames quality just isn’t perfect. While colors are bright, they aren’t always sharp. There were minor instances of dirt, noise and grain, but nothing too serious. For animation that dates back 20 years, this DVD looks excellent.

The English Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound was nice. There was good use of the speakers and the sound was somewhat dynamic. I didn’t need to volume toggle. Once I set the volume at a normal level it was fine throughout the entire DVD. What I really had hoped for was a 5.1 surround track. Alvin & The Chipmunks is as much a musically driven soundtrack as it is a dialogue driven one. The 5.1 track would merely have provided a more robust sound. While this stereo track doesn’t sound bad and gets the job done (your kids won’t notice anything wrong with it and neither should you), I’m just picky when it comes to music on DVDs. While no subtitles are available, there is the option for Closed Captioning.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
I was disappointed when I found out that the Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration DVD did not have a single bonus feature on it. While I understand that Paramount puts out many different Chipmunks DVDs each year, a few bonuses would be much appreciated.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I absolutely love the Chipmunks in all their various incarnations, but especially during the holidays. Alvin, Simon and Theodore were some of the most heartfelt cartoon characters i watched in my youth. I am so glad that Paramount has been regularly releasing DVDs that offer episodes from the original series I grew up watching, as well as the holiday specials that accompanied the show. To say I recommend you purchase Alvin & The Chipmunks: Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration would be an understatement. You and your kids can enjoy the Chipmunks together.

Overall Rating: 3.86 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: Alvin & The Chipmunks, Alvin’s Thanksgiving Celebration, DVD Review, Sony Ross Bagdasarian, chipmunks, cartoons, 80s

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.

This isn’t bad as far as Halloween themed DVDs go. It’s going to suit younger kids more than anything and it will have a limited lifespan because of that. As the kids grow, they aren’t going to continue to go back to this like they would something like Alvin and the Chipmunks or Garfield. Most of the episodes are themed in Halloween, but as they are suited for younger children the themes are mild at best. What you end up with is something that most toddlers will enjoy and that parents will sit through for the sake of their kids.

The Halloween Spooktacular Plot
Rather than attempt to give you small amounts of information about each episode and have you sifting around for information, I have listed each episode and the plot of each below.

Barney
It’s Halloween night in this Barney episode. Everyone is dressed up and ready for some fun. Barney is dressed as a king, Riff is a one man band, and Baby Bop is a pirate. Young Ramone also wants to go as a pirate. However, Ramone has a problem with shyness and he’s nervous about going on all those stops saying, “Trick or Treat.”

Baby Bop offers to go along with him. She even teaches him how to say that phrase that makes him so nervous. Whether you like Barney or not you have to feel bad for Ramone when he loses all the candy in his bag due to a hole that was hiding at the bottom of the bag. Baby Bop comes to the rescue again, offering Ramone all of the candy that he has, knowing that Barney and the gang will share their candy with him.

I have yet to meet a small child that doesn’t like Barney. I know it can be hard for some parents to watch, but it has to be some sort of plus that there is only one episode here. I have a hard time sitting through an entire DVD, at times, but this one episode offers some good lessons, and the kids love it.

Bob the Builder
In this episode Bob the Builder and friends have a lot of work to get done. This time the goal is to refurbish the watermill in the town so that flour can be produced again. After inspecting the mill, Bob learns that there are bats living in the roof. Dizzy is thrilled to hear this and wants to see the bats. Bob learns that the bats will be okay while they work on the mill as long as there isn’t too much noise. It’s just too bad that Dizzy keeps making tons of noise because she is so excited. Bob goes out of his way to make sure that Dizzy gets to see her bats when he puts together a sleepover to make sure that she doesn’t miss the bats when they come out at night.

This isn’t really a Halloween episode, but I suppose you could say that the bats tie in by Halloween association. It’s sure to please your little Bob fan in the house. I didn’t mind the episode, though it was not my favorite either.

Angelina Ballerina
This show was completely new to me, but I can see where girls would love it. This episode has Angelina and her friend Alice having a camp-out in Angelina’s backyard. Trouble ensues when Sammy Watts tries to scare the girls by pretending to be the ghost of the Old Red Whiskers. The girls panic after seeing the “ghost”. Angelina ends up trampling through Mrs. Hodgepodge’s prize-winning cauliflower and everything is a big mess. The girls want to make it up to Mrs. Hodgepodge so they bake her an apology cake, but disaster ensues on this front, as well.

I was pleasantly surprised by Angelina Ballerina. The episode was cute and funny, but it offered a lesson, as well. I appreciated how the adults gave the children punishment, but made sure to forgive them as soon as the punishment had been carried out. My biggest problem is that this isn’t specifically about Halloween, again it’s more Halloween-themed.

Fireman Sam
My nephew absolutely adores Fireman Sam so I was excited to see this episode. In this episode, Dilys Price, the owner of Pontypandy’s grocery store appears to have her hands full with her son, Norman. Norman likes to get into trouble. As Halloween approaches he decides that he wants to be a vampire for the holiday. Dilys isn’t so sure she wants him scaring people like he has done in the past, but Norman pays no attention to her, as usual. Norman also prepares the huge pumpkin that goes in the store window every Halloween. However, he forgets to listen to Fireman Elvis and doesn’t blow out the candle before heading outside. He slams the door, which knocks the candle over, and sets his mom’s store on fire with her inside! Luckily, the firefighters are right there to save the day.

This episode is great because it’s about Halloween, it teaches kids an important lesson, and the characters are interesting enough to be pleasing to adults that are watching. If you’ve never watched Fireman Sam before this might lead to you seeking out his other DVDs.

Thomas & Friends
Thomas and Emily are ordered to head over to the scrapyard at night and pick up a load of steel that needs to be delivered by morning. The only problem is that it’s Halloween and Thomas was really looking forward to seeing the kids all dressed up. Percy warns of how scary the scrapyard can be, but the two fearless steam engines pay Percy no mind. However, when they get to the scrapyard they realize how scary it is. Of course, with Harry and Bert, two diesel engines, hiding and making scary noises, the scrapyard seems much worse than it is. All this excitement explodes when a tarp falls on Emily and everyone ends up thinking that she is a ghost.

Thomas fans will absolutely adore this cute, Halloween episode of Thomas & Friends. This was definitely one of my favorite episodes. It’s cute, easy to sit through and enjoy, and the kids love it. The kids may notice that this is by far the scariest on the disc, though it’s not too scary for the young kids.

Kipper
Kipper is one of the listed bonus features, though as it is on par with everything else I have decided to include it here with the other episodes. This time around, Kipper receives an invitation from Tiger to a costume party. He looks high and low through his things to find something to wear, but when nothing works out he decides to rent a costume. He doesn’t find the right look, so he is forced to create his own costume, opting for Super Dog, complete with cape. Much to Kipper’s shock it is not him that wins the top prize at the costume party.

This is another Halloween-themed, but not really Halloween episodes. It’s relatable because it’s a costume party, but there isn’t much Halloween about it otherwise. That being said, it’s not a bad episode. It’s entertaining and the characters are cute to watch.

Fifi and the Flowertots
The last episode is listed as another bonus, but for the same reason as above, I’ve decided to list it here. Fifi is half-flower and half-child. One day she is taking care of her garden when she sees some butterflies that are attempting to eat her beans. She thinks a scarecrow will keep those butterflies away, but she isn’t sure of how to make one. After talking to some friends, Primrose offers her some old clothing and Fifi makes a scarecrow. The scarecrow doesn’t work though and Primrose is not very happy that Fifi used her clothes for a scarecrow.

This was probably one of my least favorite episodes on the disc. First it had the least to do with Halloween. I get that scarecrows are associated with Halloween, but this is reaching a little, if not a lot. Had I known what this was going to be like, I would have just wanted to skip it altogether. While the other episodes are at least loosely associated with Halloween, this was just the lone episode that felt it was added for nothing.

Storyline/Plot: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 4 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4 out of 5 stars
Directing: 0.4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
The visual quality of Halloween Spooktacular offers an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 in full screen video. While each episode offers a slightly different quality, they are all decent. All of the episodes offer bright colors and they are all clear for the most part. I did not notice too many issues with compression errors. All in all, it was a good transfer.

The audio comes in Dolby Digital mono, which works for something of this sort. The levels are good, which means that volume toggling won’t be necessary. There are some moments that aren’t real dynamic, but for a children’s show such as this things work just fine.

Visual: 4 out of 5 stars
Audio: 4 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
The bonuses for Halloween Spooktacular walk a fine line. The two final animated shorts on the disc are labeled as episodes. However, I don’t really feel they qualify as they are running along the same vein as the other shorts on the disc. It seems more like the studio decided to call them bonus features in order to have something sitting in this section. Other than the two non-bonuses, there is nothing else added to this section. As for those episodes, I have added them to the plot up above.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
The biggest drawback to Halloween Spooktacular is that not all of the episodes have something to do with Halloween. The episodes are all kid friendly though and they will provide a good time for the kids. The Halloween episodes and the various associated themes end up providing a fair experience for kids looking for something to bring in the holiday with though. You might want to rent this one first, but if you are already certain the kids like these shows it’s a safe bet that you will want to own it.

Overall Rating: 2.84 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: DVD Review, Lionsgate, Halloween, Animated, Cartoon, Kids, Barney, Spooktacular, Fireman Sam, Bob the Builder

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: October 27, 1966
DVD Release Date: September 2, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $13.99

I grew up in the 80s, so like every kid who grew up from the 60s on, I grew up with Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang. I remember pouring through the Sunday comics at my grandparents’ house, just to find my favorite comic strips. Among them was Peanuts. Of course, I loved the Peanuts television specials. There was the original special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. Then there were specials for every other holiday including Thanksgiving, Easter, Valentines, and who could forget, Halloween?

Of course, my favorite Peanuts special isn’t one of the holiday specials. Don’t get me wrong. I love all of the Peanuts specials. I’m just partial to my favorite Peanuts special, Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown. Nothing really compares to Peanuts in Europe. Needless to say, I still love the holiday Peanuts. I really can’t say that any of the Peanuts specials are my least favorite. It’s really hard to choose one over the other! That’ brings me back to It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

After the success of the original Peanuts special, the Christmas special, in the mid-1960s, Sparky Schultz and Bill Melendez sat down to come up with the next big blockbuster. It wasn’t just the fact that they wanted people to like Peanuts. They were told if their next Peanuts special wasn’t a hit they might not make any more, ever again. This gave Sparky the idea for It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. This is one of the saddest Peanuts episodes and also the most hopeful. For a while, I even believed in the Great Pumpkin, just so Linus didn’t have to be alone.

You really feel for Charlie Brown in It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. I mean, seriously! How much abuse can one child take?! The poor kid not only gets treated like crud by his peers (Lucy ruins his excitement over getting invited to the Halloween party by saying it “has” to be a mistake). He also has to deal with the cruel, evil Lucy Van Pelt. Just once, you hope Charlie will kick that football, but Lucy keeps pulling it out from him.

Let’s not forget how he is treated by adults. Charlie Brown messes up his own ghost costume by putting too many holes in it. Maybe that’s how they know its him. It’s still sad when he says, “I got a rock.” While all the other kids get candy and bumble gum, ol’ Charlie Brown gets nothing more than a bag of rocks. This kid just can’t get a break!

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown Plot
Linus and Lucy Van Pelt head out into the pumpkin patch. They’re going to find the perfect pumpkin. After Linus holds up a few choices, Lucy points to the one she wants. As Linus clumsily carries the pumpkin, he eventually has to roll the thing home. Unfortunately, Linus ends up getting rolled with it! After bringing it into the house, Lucy begins to gut it, upsetting Linus, since he thinks she’s killing the pumpkin.

When Charlie Brown is outside, raking leaves with his dog Snoopy, Lucy approaches him with a paper. It’s a signed document in which she promises not to pull the football out when he’s trying to kick it. Charlie Brown isn’t sure if he can trust Lucy, but he ends up doing it anyway, with disastrous results! This is definitely one of the most abusive episodes to poor Charlie!

With Halloween approaching, Linus can think of nothing else, but the arrival of the Great Pumpkin. The Great Pumpkin is kind of like Santa Claus. Instead of climbing down chimneys and leaving toys under Christmas trees, the Great Pumpkin finds the most perfect pumpkin patch. He travels around the world to find the patch where he leaves toys for all the good little children.

Linus is so sure the Great Pumpkin is real that he writes a letter to him. Lucy is horrified. She has her image to uphold. Snoopy laughs at him. Patty denounces the great pumpkin. Even Charlie Brown is not on Linus’ side. He doesn’t believe in the Great Pumpkin either. Everyone thinks Linus is a weird little kid. Everyone but Sally who is clearly in love with him.

When Charlie Brown finds out he’s been invited to his first Halloween party, Lucy has to burst his bubble. The invite is obviously a mistake. Charlie doesn’t care. He’s going anyway. The kids all make their Halloween costumes. Charlie Brown messes his up. As all the kids head out to trick or treat (Charlie Brown only seems to be given rocks for his efforts and not treats), Sally must decide to go out with her friends or stay in the pumpkin patch to wait for the Great Pumpkin with Linus.

This episode also includes the famous Snoopy Red Baron scenes. While not exactly cohesive with the entire plot of the Halloween episode, Snoopy does come dressed up in his flying ace gear. It is a nice sequence and a major nod to the comic strip.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 5 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
It looks like Warner Bros. has cleaned It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown up quite a bit. This DVD version has been remastered from the 2000 DVD release of It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The animation looks swell. Considering this was originally animated in the 1960s it looks remarkably excellent. There are no longer any color problems. Peanuts cartoons often used to have that faded look, back in the 80s when I first saw them. Now, the colors are bright and vibrant. There is no smudging or glare. The black tones are solid and the contrast is sharp with very little if any softness.

The audio for this DVD is crisp and clear despite being English Dolby Digital Mono. The music could be more dynamic, but the sound comes through clearly and the dialogue and music have a decent balance with neither overpowering the other. There are additional audio tracks in Spanish, Japanese and Portugeuse. I guess a diverse group of people like Peanuts. All of these tracks are Dolby Digital Mono, as well. Subtitles are available in English, Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.

Visual: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
There are two bonus features on the It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown DVD. Both of them are really cool. The first is a bonus episode featuring the Peanuts gang. In It’s Magic, Charlie Brown, Snoopy finds a magic book. He decides he is going to be the great Houndini. With the help of Marci and volunteers from the audience, Snoopy performs rather mediocre magic tricks, all of which seem to been done unsuccessfully.

When Charlie Brown accidentally agrees to be Snoopy’s volunteer in the disappearing trick, he really disappears. An unexpected rain shower interrupts the show and Snoopy forgets to change Charlie back. With him invisible, Sally decides to move into his bedroom, and Charlie Brown takes advantage of this newfound freedom to get back at some of the people who teased and tortured him. In particular he decides to take on, Lucy Van Pelt!

There is also a brand new featurette included in the It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown DvD bonus section. The featurette, “We Need a Blockbuster, Charlie Brown” talks about how the idea for this Charlie Brown special came to be. The creators of the Charlie Brown specials, sans Charles “Sparky” Schultz, talk about the pressure they were under to make this a blockbuster hit, just like the Christmas special.

Sparky is mentioned fondly. He came up with the idea for having the show about the Great Pumpkin. There is a lot of discussion with his plans for the episode, the motivation behind it and they even talk to his son and widow about his vision for this Peanuts special. Overall, this is a comprehensive, engaging and interesting featurette.

Bonus Features: 5 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
I’m a Peanuts fan for life. I could never NOT recommend any Peanuts special. I really must say though that out of the many specials that have aired, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown is amongst the best. A true classic, old fans of Peanuts can relive the magic of the Great Pumpkin with this DVD. A new generation can also be introduced to Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. If you’re ensure if your child will like this (but I don’t know a kid who doesn’t like Peanuts), check out It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown when it airs this October. It airs every year (I’m pretty sure on ABC). Otherwise, buy this right away! It’s worth the purchase!

Overall Rating: 4.57 out of 5 stars

Technorati Tags: It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, Peanuts, DVD Review, Warner Bros, Warner Home Video, Charles Shultz, Sparky, Linus Van Pelt, Lucy, Snoopy, Woodstock, cartoon, kids, Halloween

Release Info:
Original Air Dates: September 1, 1985 – January 1, 1988
DVD Release Date: August 26, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $20.99

There is no other way to say what I am about to say. I love the Care Bears. I loved the television show. I love the bears. I love the cousins. I love the whole entire lot of them, every single one. Maybe it’s because I am a 80s child that had a ton of Care Bears or maybe it’s just that they are such a happy, loving kind of toy. Whatever it is, I cannot get enough of them. It makes me happy to have a child and nephew because a grown woman fawning over Care Bears might just seem a little bit odd.

The Care-A-Lot Collection features 22 of the best, heartwarming episodes that ever ran in the multiple seasons of the Care Bears television show. If you have children that are new to the show or the bears as a whole, this would be a great way to introduce them to the phenomenon. If you have kids that already love them then this is an absolute must have.

Each episode manages to teach children something about being a good citizen, a good friend, and a better person as a whole. Through the Care Bears children learn about lying, stealing, cheating and how bad those things are. They also learn about how it’s no fun to be lonely, the importance of being a good friend, and caring for the people that you love be it family or friends. There is plenty more to see beyond the life lessons that kids will learn. There is also plenty of action, with the Care Bears needing to defeat the evil villains that don’t want the world to be a caring place.

Before watching this set it had been a long time since I had connected with this television show from the 80s. What I learned by watching it was that I love it as much now as I did then. Care Bears seem to be a timeless thing that will please the children of today and the adults that were children when this franchise hit its first peak. That being said, this is a win-win family show that is bound to please nearly anyone.

The Care Bears: Care-A-Lot Collection Plot
Knowing that many parents are worried about the content that their children watch I have decided to put a brief description of each episode below for your convenience.

“The Birthday”: An unlikely party springs up when Birthday Bear and Lotsa Heart Elephant try and remember whether or not it’s Lotsa Heart’s birthday.

“The Old Man and the Lighthouse”: The Care Bears offer some warnings to some kids that want to play tricks on the old man in the lighthouse because he’s strange and the lighthouse is useless.

“The Cloud Worm”: A cloud worm endangers the Care Bear clouds by eating holes in the clouds to let the sun shine through.

“The Last Laugh”: Cheer Bear tries unsuccessfully to get Grumpy Bear to smile, but when she can’t do it she feels bad about herself.

“The Forest of Misfortune”: A Fortune-Telling Machine is planted by Darkheart and Frostbite in the Forest of Feelings. This machine is played in the forest of feelings to ensure that Good Luck Bear will fall prey to it and the bad guys can cut off the forest from Care-A-Lot.

“Daydreams”: The Care Bear Cousins step in to help Melanie, a girl that has a problem with her daydreaming. The Cousins agree to help her with her daydreams by taking her somewhere enchanted as long as she agrees to try and control the daydreaming once she makes it home.

“Drab City”: The Care Bears land near Drab City, a sad city that is grey and drab. Unsure of what the problem is, a young girl named Jill helps the Care Bears get to the source of everyone’s problem.

“Runaway”: Professor Coldheart needs some kids to power his new machine that strips the forest of everything that is warm and beautiful.

“Soap Box Derby”: Trish and Cathy are entering the soap box derby with a racing machine that is not all that it’s meant to be. However, the Care Bears stop by to give the car an overhaul, while teaching the girls that no matter what, winning isn’t everything.

“Camp”: At Camp, Sanford and Murphy are two bunkmates that are having some problems. One of them is neat and the other is messy, this prompts one of them to consider tossing the friendship out the window.

“Braces”: Joey runs away because he doesn’t want anyone laughing at him and his new braces. This prompts the Care Bears to recruit Roger, a popular kid with braces, to help Joey learn that it’s not the physical things about you that keep your friends.

“Split Decision”: Carl isn’t sure he wants to be friends with Maria anymore when he gets stuck playing baseball in the outfield and Maria is picked to be the pitcher.

“The Magic Shop”: The world begins to become an uncaring place to be when Coldheart makes a machine that makes people not care. When Tenderheart tries to stop Coldheart and his machine, Tenderheart is hit and becomes uncaring, too.

“Magic Mirror”: The team of Coldheart and Auntie Freeze attempt to use a magic mirror on the Care Bears and the Cousins. The reason they want to use the mirror on the Care Bears is because when they look into the mirror they will become the exact opposite from what they really are.

“The Night the Stars Went Out”: Maestro begins playing his violin and when he does, the Star Buddies collect in a pickle jar. With the Star Buddies gone, serious rain begins to fall. The Care Bears need to make Maestro see that the Star Buddies need to be there for everyone.

“The Lucky Charm”: Jinx Jacobs begins to believe that she is bad luck to anyone that comes near her. The Care Bears try to help by giving her a good luck charm.

“The Show Must Go On”: Patti runs away because her father misses her ballet performance. The Care Bears and the Cousin split up on this one to make sure they find Patti and find her father to make sure that he arrives at the show to see his daughter.

“Concrete Rain”: Coldheart’s newest plan is to cover the world with cement. Suzy becomes his unknowing helper because she cannot help but wish the world had more cement so she could skate in more places.

“The Girl Who Cried Wolf”: Young Susan does not understand how dangerous fibbing can be. She calls false alarms to the firemen and does not listen to her father who warns against such behavior. When she tells her friends about a treasure chest, her friends become trapped and the Care Bears need to come to the rescue.

“Dry Spell”: Joey and Elaine become upset when a dry spell prevents them from playing in the water. Share Bear tries to come to the rescue, but the three end up falling in a hole, which leads to a cave.

“Mayor For A Day”: Coldheart gets elected as Abbotsville’s Mayor for a Day. In that day he gets rid of all rules and allows everyone to be mean. The city goes downhill fast when people start being mean to everyone and no one takes care of the town.

“Wedding Bells”: Coldheart convinces the Care Bears that he is a changed man when he prepares for a wedding with Auntie Freeze. The two want to have a wedding reception in Care-A-Lot.

Storyline/Plot: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Replayability: 5 out of 5 stars
Acting: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Directing: 4 out of 5 stars

Audio/Visual:
For a show in the 80s, the Care-A-Lot Collection looks pretty decent overall. There is that occasional bout of grain and noise, but this is a show that’s over 20 years. If you love 80s cartoons you will like the bright colors and the retro feel. The DVDs offer a 1.33:1 aspect ratio in full screen mode. While it would be nice to eventually see a more refined, remastered look, I don’t have any significant complaints about this transfer.

The audio is pretty standard in English and Spanish Dolby Digital Stereo. Things sound about the way I remember them back in the day. No volume toggling was needed and though it was not overly dynamic, I had no issues with the sound. It was basic, but it works for a children’s show. Closed Captioning is available, as is Subtitles in both English and Spanish.

Visual: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Audio: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Bonus Features:
This Care Bears Collection is free of bonus features. That is too bad because I am sure that they could have come up with something suitable. Unfortunately they decided to put nothing at all.

Bonus Features: 0 out of 5 stars

Bottom Line:
Care Bears Care-A-Lot Collection is the perfect gift for your child. It’s entertaining for the whole family and children love it. There is also the added benefit that has kids learning important lessons from their favorite characters. You really can’t go wrong with Care Bears for the little ones. This is a great set and if you don’t have it, I highly recommend picking it up.

Overall Rating: 3.57 out of 5 stars

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