Lipstick to Crayons » Video Review

Gift for a Movie Lover – and No Shopping Required!

lipsticktocrayons — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:52:16 +0000

Do you have a movie-lover on your Christmas list? Are you a movie-lover? Have you made a New Year’s Resolution to do more family-movie nights or are you having to trim your entertainment budget and you’re looking for ways to do that while still having fun? Then Blockbuster’s Total Access Online program is the answer.

I regularly rent movies at Blockbuster, and every time I’m in there, a sales associate offers me this Blockbuster Online deal. I’ve dismissed it because I didn’t GET it. I didn’t want to have to mail movies back after I was done viewing them. What a pain. Plus, I didn’t think it would save me any money. But I just found out that you can return the movies at the store! And it IS a cost savings if you rent more than one or two movies and/or video games a month.

Only Blockbuster® Online gives you the convenience of renting movies online with a choice of how to return them: send them back by mail or exchange them for new movies or discounted game rentals at participating BLOCKBUSTER® stores (up to plan limits on exchanges). You can keep movies as long as you want — there are no due dates or late fees for online rentals.

And with this special promotion, your first month is only $9.99 (plus taxes), a $10 savings from the regular $19.99! The plan includes three DVDs at a time, with up to 5 in-store exchanges per month for free movie rentals or discounted game rentals. When you’re finished watching a DVD, just send it back in the provided envelope or return it to a participating Blockbuster® store. The next available DVD in your rental queue will be sent automatically. And you can cancel your subscription ANYTIME.

This is a good deal. And here’s an even better deal – click on the button below to get your half off your first month of Blockbuster Online.

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12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

lipsticktocrayons — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 10:00:18 +0000

Think back on your holiday memories: how many of them include seasonal music? Your favorite gift-wrapping or tree trimming music? What about the carols heard on every street corner? Music is an integral part of the holiday season.

I’m hosting a “musical” 12-Days of Christmas Giveaway right here on Lipstick to Crayons. Starting Dec. 9, and going through Dec. 20, you can click on the button in the widget below (Dec. 9 being day, 1, Dec. 10 being day 2, and so on) and then leave a comment below why you want to win the prize of the day.

Today’s prize is the Ultimate AC/DC Experience: Backtracks (Standard Edition).

Arriving in two distinctly different fan-friendly editions, Backtracks spans the length and breadth of AC/DC’s career, bringing together rare songs, hard-to-find live performances and the long-awaited debut of “Family Jewels Disc 3,” a DVD showcasing the group’s music videos, live performances, and promotional clips from 1992-2009.

Manufactured in an exclusive run limited to 50,000 pieces, the deluxe collector’s edition of Backtracks includes a CD of studio rarities, two CDs of live rarities, the “Family Jewels Disc 3″ DVD, the “Live at the Circus Krone” DVD, a front-row immersion in the band’s scorching 2003 club show in Munich, Germany, and a 12″ long-playing album, struck in 180 gram vinyl, of hard-to-find studio tracks. The limited edition Backtracks includes a five-disc media carrier to house and transport the set’s three CDs and two DVDs.

In addition the deluxe collector’s edition comes with a 164 page coffee table book and an Original Memorabilia Reproductions Envelope containing an astounding array of facsimiles. It comes housed in a fully operational AC/DC guitar amplifier.

The three-disc standard version of Backtracks distills the electrifying essence of the deluxe set into one CD of studio rarities, one CD of hard-to-find live tracks, and the indispensable “Family Jewels Disc 3″ DVD.

The limited and numbered deluxe collector’s edition of Backtracks will is available direct-to-consumers exclusively through the Web site. But one lucky Lipstick to Crayons reader can win the standard Backtracks edition by leaving a comment below. But hurry — this contest closes at 11:59 p.m. Central Dec. 9.

This contest is closed. Congratulations to Cheryl, comment #5.

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Great Gift Idea for Rocky/Boxing Fans

lipsticktocrayons — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:26:31 +0000

“Rocky, The Undisputed Collection” — which is to say all six Rocky episodes — was released on Blu-ray last month by MGM Home Entertainment. And the collection would make a great gift for any Rocky fan or boxing fan. (My husband and son really enjoyed watching these movies together!)

The boxed set includes Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, Rocky IV, Rocky V and Rocky Balboa. The movie quality has been improved via the transition to Blu-ray, but the colors don’t pop as you might expect.Remember — the first of the movies were made in 1976 and 1979 and they still look better than they ever have on VHS or on DVD.

The collection also includes:

Exclusive Blu-ray interactive game called “Feeling Strong Now”
Three-part making-of documentary
Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes
Boxing Featurettes
Video Commentary with Sylvester Stallone

You can buy “Rocky: The Undisputed Collection” here.

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One of the Best Disney/Pixar Movies EVER!

lipsticktocrayons — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:44:43 +0000

I missed the Disney/Pixar movie UP when it was in theaters (that happens more and more these days), but I had heard that it was a “must see” and that it was one of those kid movies that offers as much or more for the adults as the kids. Thankfully, this delightful, heart-warming, emotion-evoking masterpiece was released on Blu-ray and DVD on Nov. 10.

UP is one of Disney/Pixar’s finest works. Within about 10 minutes, you are hooked as you begin to understand the beautiful relationship between the late Ellie and Carl — the movie’s geriatric hero.

Ed Asner voices Carl — a man with dreams of being a hero but who lacks the resources for an adventure, which has resulted in him becoming a somewhat crabby old man who may very well be waiting to die. Then, after an altercation with some folks who want to take over his house, this 78-year-old balloon salesman finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America. But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell.

I love the “follow your dreams” message of UP, as well as the “things happen when they are darned well supposed to happen” message. That’s something we all need to hear from time to time.

UP is available in a four-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack, and a two-disc DVD, which both include DisneyFile, a digital copy of the movie that can be viewed on an array of electronic devices, as well as enough bonus
features that keep the fun coming.

Up has a suggested retail price of $39.99 for the 2-Disc DVD, and $45.99 for the 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo pack. A 1-Disc DVD also is available for $29.99.

BONUS FEATURES

• Commentary by director Pete Docter and co-director Bob Peterson.
• Dug’s Special Mission – An all new original short film that follows the
misadventures of Dug as he attempts to complete his “special mission.” The
short is directed by Up Story Supervisor, Ronnie Del Carmen.
• The Many Endings of Muntz – Many ideas were hatched about how to dispose of the film’s arch villain, Muntz, and now viewers can see the many alternate endings proposed during story development.
• Partly Cloudy –The hilarious short film that preceded screenings of Up.
Everyone knows that the stork delivers babies, but where do the storks get the babies? The answer lies up in the stratosphere where the cloud Gus is a master at creating “dangerous” babies, which prove to be more than a handful for his loval delivery stork Peck. Directed by Pixar story artist, animator and voice actor Peter Sohn.
• Adventure is Out There – This action-packed documentary tells the story of the filmmakers’ own trek to the tepuis mountains of South America to research the design and story of the film.

FEATURES ONLY ON BLU-RAY VERSION

• Cine-Explore – A visual montage of concept art, clips and documentary
coverage that illustrates the directors’ commentary.
• Geriatric Hero – A character study of Carl, from research to realization including art and design, rigging, animation and story. It focuses on the issues of aging, “simplexity”, shape-language and compelling character arcs.
• Canine Companions – For anyone who ever wondered where CG puppies
come from, an introduction to the design, behavior and language of dogs.
• Russell: Wilderness Explorer – A character study of Russell from inspiration and design to finding the character arc and authentic voice for this wilderness ranger.
• Our Giant Flightless Friend, Kevin – Find out how avian research and
development at Pixar helped bring a mythical, 13-foot tall iridescent bird to life.

• Balloons and Flight – Carl’s house and Muntz’s dirigible presented the
filmmakers with two different problems—how could they make a physical
impossibility possible? And, in the case of the dirigible, how would they unearth a fallen giant and let it soar?

• Composing for Characters – Composer Michael Giacchino returns to score his third Disney•Pixar feature film. See how the Up filmmakers collaborated with Giacchino to create the memorable score and compelling musical themes.
• Married Life – The original story concept that became the powerful “Married Life” scene, showing Carl and Ellie’s love story.
• Global Guardian Badge Game – Players try to locate countries, states and
capitals around the globe in a multi-layered BD-Exclusive geography game
enhanced by BD-Live.

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New Moon Parties & Chance to Attend Advance Screening

lipsticktocrayons — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:57:27 +0000

For all those “Twilight” fans out there (yes, you can finally admit to stealing your teen’s entire series of “Twilight” books), Blockbuster is celebrating the release of the latest movie in the popular series, “New Moon,” with parties on Nov. 13 at 20 of their stores across the country, including St. Louis, Atlanta, Phoenix and San Francisco. Beyond the Twilight Saga swag you can grab and/or win at the parties, there’s a bonus that’ll definitely make it worth your while: if you’re one of the first 100 people in line for the parties on Nov. 13, you’ll receive tickets to an advance screening of “New Moon” on Nov. 19 (a day before the nationwide opening), courtesy of Blockbuster. So send your teen to stand in line for you – just make sure you take her with you to the advance screening!

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Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs Released on DVD & Blu-Ray

lipsticktocrayons — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:00:32 +0000

My family loved the first “squirrel and acorn” movie — that’s what our son called original Ice Age movie. But we never got around to seeing Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs in theaters, so we were all too happy to receive it on DVD.

The Outrageous $800 Million animated adventure was released last week on a three-disc Blu-ray Disc/DVD Combo and it is loaded with special features, including a digital story book maker, deleted scenes and exclusive shorts on making of the film.

We enjoyed this sequel almost as much as the original, as Manny, Sid, Diego and Ellie are back. Scrat is still trying to nab the ever-elusive nut (while maybe finding true love); Manny and Ellie await the birth of their mini-mammoth; Diego the saber-toothed tiger wonders if he’s growing too “soft” hanging with his pals and Sid the sloth gets into trouble when he creates his own makeshift family by hijacking some dinosaur eggs.

Of course, the movie features performances from Ice Age veterans Ray Romano (“Everybody Loves Raymond”), John Leguizamo (The Happening), Denis Leary (“Rescue Me”), Queen Latifah (The Secret Life of Bees), Seann William Scott (Planet 51) and Josh Peck (“Drake & Josh”), along with newcomers Bill Hader (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Kristen Wiig (“Saturday Night Live”), Jane Lynch (“Glee”) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead).

The Three-Disc BD/DVD Combo Pack is available on Amazon.

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New Tinker Bell DVD A Real Kid Pleaser

lipsticktocrayons — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:18:55 +0000

My husband and I have marveled that the standard package on babies these days seems to include an innate knowledge of Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell. Before we’d ever shown our toddler a picture of Mickey Mouse or that dazzling fairy, she seemed to know who they were. She squeals with delight whenever she sees Tink fly across the screen at the beginning of any Disney film. “How does she KNOW?” we’ve often asked ourselves.

Regardless of how she knows, I was pleased to receive Walt Disney’s Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, recently released in a Blu-ray and DVD combo pack.

Tink’s greatest adventure yet takes place in Autumn, as the fairies are on the mainland changing the colors of the leaves, tending to pumpkin patches, and helping geese fly south for the winter. The rare Blue Moon will rise, and when its light passes through the magical Fall Scepter that Tinker Bell has been summoned to create, Pixie Hollow’s supply of pixie dust will be restored. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right.

The biggest theme of the film is the power of friendship, and that is emphasized via the movie’s theme song by Demi Lovato’s, “The Gift of a Friend.”

The extras include a feature on how the filmmakers help transform Epcot into Pixie Hollow and never-before-seen “Pixie Goofs.” Plus, the music video of Lovato’s theme song.

If you’ve got a Tinker Bell lover in your house, you should visit Disney’s recently introduced Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow online destination where fans can create their very own personalized Fairy and and help bring about the change of seasons by making friends, playing games and and embarking on quests. To date, more than 16 million Fairies have been created.

——————

*product provided

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Snow White Diamond Edition Available on DVD

lipsticktocrayons — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:06:30 +0000

Walt Disney’s beloved animated masterpiece SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS, maintains a legacy of distinctive firsts within the entertainment industry. Though it’s been 70 years since she first graced the silver screen, SNOW WHITE still charms and thrills generations of audiences. And now, for the first time in SEVEN years, Disney is opening the vault and releasing ‘The One That Started It All’. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released in high-definition Blu-ray for the first time ever in a 2-disc Blu-ray plus DVD combo pack on Oct. 6.

My oldest daughter (now 14) probably watched Snow White on a VHS tape about 300 times. She loved the story, even though the witch scared her and she often hid behind a chair during some of the “scary” scenes. But WOW does this movie look more amazing than ever on DVD!

Before I get share details about the amazing package of bonus features included in the Snow White Diamond Edition, let me share a little Snow White trivia with you.

FAMOUS FIRSTS:

First full-length animated feature produced by Walt Disney
First film to have a soundtrack album released
First to be considered a Walt Disney Animated Classic
First American animated feature film in movie history
First Disney film theatrically re-released in seven-year pattern, starting 1944
Among first 25 featured films to be preserved in the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, 1989
First film entirely scanned to digital file, restored and recorded back to film, 1993
First video released in Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection, 10/28/1994
First DVD released in Disney’s Platinum Series, 10/9/2001
2009: the first Disney film released in Diamond Collection series (DVD & Blu-ray)

Now, here are all the cool extras in Snow White Diamond Edition, Blu-Ray + DVD Combo Pack:

BACKSTAGE DISNEY: DIAMOND EDITION

Snow White Returns – Newly discovered storyboards suggest a brand new Snow White featurette that never got made. For the first time, current Disney animators show how this short story would have played.
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall – Through BD-Live, this mirror can find the secret princess inside each viewer, then create for them a personal message from their favorite princess who will call them on the telephone.
Hyperion Studios – Audiences are digitally transported to 1937 to discover first-hand Hyperion Studios, the original studio Walt Disney himself built where Snow White was conceived and developed. Viewers will virtually walk the halls of this historic landmark, experiencing life at Hyperion Studios in the 1930s. This amazing “Backstage Disney” feature contains newly dimensionalized archival photos, never-before-heard animator recordings, archival transcripts and rare footage of Walt himself revealing how Disney’s gifted filmmakers crafted the very first animated feature.
The One That Started It All – This featurette reveals how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs forever changed the world of movies and the world at large.

MUSIC & MORE

“Someday My Prince Will Come” – Music video by Tiffany Thornton

FAMILY PLAY (GAMES & ACTIVITIES)

What Do You See? – To win this exciting interactive game, players must untangle scrambled images.
Jewel Jumble – Players put jewels from the Dwarfs’ mine in the proper order to win this game.

DVD Bonus Features

Audio Commentary with Walt Disney, hosted by John Canemaker
“The Princess and the Frog” Sneak Peek
Snow White Returns – Newly discovered storyboards suggest a brand new Snow White featurette that never got made. For the first time, current Disney animators show how this short story would have played.
The One That Started It All – This featurette reveals how Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs forever changed the world of movies and the world at large.
“Someday My Prince Will Come” – Music video by Tiffany Thornton
Dopey’s Wild Mine Ride – An interactive set-top game for the whole family
Animation Voice Talent
Disney Through The Decades – A series of video segments with celebrity hosts
“Heigh-Ho” Karaoke Sing-Along
Dylan & Cole Sprouse: Blu-ray™ Is Suite!
Learn How To Take Your Favorite Movies On The Go

The Blu-Ray 2-disc DVD combo Pack has a suggested retail price of $39.00 and is available now. The 2-Disc DVD set is available Nov. 24 and has a suggested retail price of $29.99 — both in time for holiday shopping.

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Disney Releases Jonas and Wizards DVD’s

lipsticktocrayons — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 01:45:44 +0000

On Sept. 22, Disney released “Jonas: Rockin the House” and “Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana” on DVD.

My 11-year-old son really liked the Jonas DVD, saying that “all the best Jonas episodes” from the hit Disney channel original series were on the DVD, plus a couple of “really good episodes I’ve never seen before.” Here’s a sneak preview:

The Wizards on Deck with Hannah Montana DVD includes the cast of three of our favorite Disney series: Wizards of Waverly Place, The Suite Life on Deck, and Hannah Montana. Here’s a sneak preview:

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Joyce Meyer Children’s DVD Delivers Christian Messages

Parresia — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 12:22:48 +0000

New York Times bestselling author and Christian speaker Joyce Meyer has brought another one of her most popular messages to the award winning children’s’ series”Pahappahooey Island.” In the new installment of the series, Meyer’s phrase “Do It Afraid”communicates a message of courage to a new generation of listeners. The 68-minute DVD is reviewed below:

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I liked the overall message of this children’s program: God is with you, even when you are afraid. This colorful tale, done in a puppet style similar to Sesame Street, is both funny and encouraging, with more than a little bit of randomness thrown in. It is also a musical, so if your child tends to learn best audibly there are several catchy songs with the story’s message woven throughout them.

Do It Afraid begins with four friends, a girl, a penguin, a frog and a beaver, all landing on an island in search of another who has been captured. They learn that all of them will have to face a certain fear of theirs in order to obtain one of four keys to open the door to where their friend, Miss Ruby (voiced by Joyce Meyer) is being held. They are encouraged to not back down in face of their fear, to ‘do it afraid’ anyway. Along the way they face an interesting and varied array of personal fears: two of which I feel are applicable to the audience of children watching (the fear of being laughed at, and the fear of being alone), and two that are I think thrown in for a bit kicks and giggles (fear of chickens and fear of, ironically enough, puppets).

All in all, I think this film is an entertaining story that is done well, with a Christian foundation at the center of it. However, Christian parents who are wanting a flat out, openly Biblical movie for their kids to watch may be surprised to find that this film isn’t one, per se. However, I think this is because the film has been created as an apologetic piece to reach little viewers who are not being brought up in Christian homes. By this I mean that instead of coming out and saying ‘God’, ‘Jesus’, and ‘The Bible’, terms like ‘The Creator’ and ‘The Book’ are used. Satan (here represented by an evil pink snake) is called by one of his other names, simply ‘the enemy’. I liked that for a kids’ program, the producers were still very real and upfront about the presence of Satan, addressing the very true reality of how he attacks us when we are afraid. What I liked most is that they managed to portray this without scaring the kids gratuitously.

In the end, I’d recommend this film to parents, especially if they have friends that they’d like to show God’s love to in some way.

Lipstick to Crayons » Video Review

Gift for a Movie Lover – and No Shopping Required!

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12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

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Great Gift Idea for Rocky/Boxing Fans

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One of the Best Disney/Pixar Movies EVER!

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New Moon Parties & Chance to Attend Advance Screening

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Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs Released on DVD & Blu-Ray

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New Tinker Bell DVD A Real Kid Pleaser

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Snow White Diamond Edition Available on DVD

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Disney Releases Jonas and Wizards DVD’s

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Joyce Meyer Children’s DVD Delivers Christian Messages

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