Easter Eggs on DVDs

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Surely, you've heard of them? An 'Easter Egg' on a DVD is a special bonus feature which has been added to the disc but isn't easy to find without following a little trail to it.

Only this isn't those types of Easter eggs, this is the traditional small variety.

This was a very welcome sight when we got home from our Easter weekend away. The journey back on Monday involved copious amounts of precipitation on the M4 and since then April has really shown that it's going to live up to its reputation of providing plenty of showers. Chocolate and DVDs are therefore a must during the Easter holidays.

The lovely basket contained:

    • Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory: this original gem starring the inimitable Gene Wilder still entertains through the decades. No-one is quite as maniacal as him, and no Verucca Salt can be anywhere near as precocious as the original version. Can you believe this is now forty years old?

  • Charlie and The Chocolate Factory: I adore this film, mainly because of the magic combination of Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton. The visual effects, and song and dance numbers are astoundingly good, certainly enhanced by the modern age's CGI. Freddie Highmore is an absolute gem in this version, but for me he's just a tad too well-spoken for poor old Charlie. For me, this brilliant film is a different story to the original, it works just as well but on a different plain.
  • Yogi Bear: This modern take on the classic cartoon, mixing live action and computer animation features the vocal talents of Dan Akroyd and, bizarrely, Justin Timberlake. Yogi and Boo-boo must save Jellystone Park from destruction due to logging. This adventure for 7 year olds and over is packed full of crazy inventions, silly gags, high adventure, and slapstick comedy. Perfect as a present for my niece and nephew.
  • Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies: No WarnerBros parcel would be complete without the addition of one of their legendary cartoon characters. And at Easter time who better for that to be than the Easter Bunny himself? In this classic, the Easter Bunny is poorly and Bugs has to step in and help out, although Sylvester and Daffy want to help out as well. This disc also contains three interactive Looney Tunes puzzle games.

I can't wait to introduce The Boy to the wonders of The Chocolate Factory (both versions) over the next few weeks.

We were sent these items for the purpose of this post. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

I've Got Happy Feet!

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A few years ago I sat down one Christmas and watched Happy Feet with my mum and dad, and Mr. TBaM with a baby The Boy asleep on his shoulder. It is one of those loveable, modern animated films which is good for all the family to enjoy; singing, dancing, cute penguins and an underlying ethical and green issue. The film had been a firm favourite of mine since release and we even have a dancing Mumble upstairs!

On Monday 26th March, Warner Brothers released Happy Feet 2 on DVD and they sent us a copy of it, along with the original and a few other bits and pieces, to review and enjoy.

The story behind this sequel features Mumble's son, Erik who has difficulty mustering the same enthusiasm to dance as his father has. Erik needs to work out his own place in the world of singing and dancing penguins, making new friends, learning some life lessons and encountering a few ecological issues of his own along the way.

The Boy and I settled down to watch Happy Feet 2 yesterday and he was instantly captivated by the dancing penguins in the opening scenes. With Pink as Gloria and the magic of computer animation, you can't really go wrong with the song and dance numbers, and The Boy laughed at the penguins singing and dancing their way through the film. I chuckled a great deal at seeing Brad Pitt as an out-of-luck krill and the cast of many did not disappoint throughout the film.

How can you go wrong with Elijah Wood, Robin Williams, Hank Azaria, Alecia Moore (Pink), Brad Pitt and Matt Damon headlining the cast? I loved the humour, the very big green message woven throughout and the clever mix of live action filming and animation.

Happy Feet 2 is available from Monday March 26th 2012.

Going to the Oscars

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Until I recently received two super movie packages for our enjoyment, I hadn't realised just how many great films had been made by Warner Brothers. Obviously they are a major player in the film industry and have been since the early days of the great studios, but when the movies are dominated by animated spectaculars, it is reassuring to know that there are still brilliant films being produced by these giants of the silver screen.

Last week after the film extravanganza of the year, I received a themed package from Warner Brothers celebrating some of their successes at the Oscars.

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Inside this glitzy box were four Warner Brothers classics from the past and present, none of which I've seen, all of which I've wanted to:

  • Gone With The Wind: this special five-disc collector's edition celebrates an amazing seventy years since Rhett told Scarlett that 'quite frankly my dear, I don't give a damn' after the most tumultuous period romance in cinematic history. This DVD pack contains the remastered film spread over two discs, a disc about the making and restoring of the legendary film, a disc about the cast and a bonus disc with various documentaries.
  • An American In Paris: A classic from Gene Kelly and directed by Vincente Minelli (Liza's father), this tells the story of an ex-GI's long-standing love affair with the French capital and a new one with a perfume-shop clerk. This is Gene Kelly at his best; swirling, romancing, prancing and singing his heart out. Little wonder it won six Academy Awards!
  • Doctor Zhivago: Omar Sheriff is swoonsome in this film telling the tale of 'Russia divided by war, and hearts torn by love.' With epic stories and even larger scenery, this winner of five Oscars is another must for all fans of classic cinematography.
  • The Blind Side: I wanted to watch this film when it was out in the cinema, but The Boy was just a tiddler and sleep was the only thing on my mind. Sandra Bullock finally won an Oscar for her portrayal of the mum who adopts a homeless teen, helping him to become an American football star. I love Sandra Bullock and she rarely does wrong ith her films, in this film she proved her pulling power as she became the only actress to date to have a film marketed with only her name above the title which then passed the $200 million mark in domestic gross. The only issue I have is that surely she's not old enough to start with the mum roles yet?

Mr. TheBoyandMe and I will be enjoying these over the next week or two, and I may even let him share the chocolate mini-Oscar lollipops.

I was sent this package for the purpose of this post. My opinion is honest and unbiased.

A Box of Classics

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A week or two ago, we had a delivery for The Boy designed to keep him happy during half-term. As he's only two, half-term means very little to him other than having mummy around all week. However, it also means that he gets to spend more time with his older school-age cousins who were more than happy to share the contents of the parcel with The Boy.

Inside the fab package was a Loony Tunes box-set of classic cartoons, a Scooby Doo DVD, a Scooby Doo activity book and a bag of Maltesers, just perfect for munching while movie-watching.

Scooby Doo is a complete classic, which I remember fondly from my childhood. Both Boy Cousin and Girl Cousin really enjoyed the mad-cap antics of the Scooby Gang, and they were able to enjoy it as much as I was, showing what a timeless classic it is.

The Loony Tunes box has all the classics in it: Daffy Duck, Road Runner, Tom & Jerry, Tweetie Pie, Taz, Bugs Bunny, Speedy Gonzales, Porky Pig  and Wile E. Coyote, many of which are favourite of Mr. TheBoyandMe, and prompted plenty of impressions particularly of Road Runner! Boy Cousin likes Tom and Jerry the best, Girl Cousin likes Bugs Bunny, and The Boy and I prefer Tweetie Pie. Definitely something for everyone!

This collection is a perfect gift to enjoy during grey and wet afternoons snuggled down on the sofa; the old ones are the best!

We were sent this collection for the purpose of this post. All opinions are honest and unbiased.

Review: Dolphin Tale

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It's half-term; hurrah!

For me, this is a brilliant week as it means that I get to spend all week with The Boy and do lots of fun things, like play in the sand pit as we did today. However, it's also February and therefore still cold and often raining; boo!

I'm imagining that for many parents of older children, they will be stocking up on DVDs to keep their children amused this week? Craft and cooking can only go so far towards alleviating the boredom, after a while, you need a feel-good film.

That film comes in the form of Dolphin Tale! This is a delightful family film by Warner Brothers, inspired by the true story of Winter the dolphin who was found injured on a beach and taken to a marine hospital. Unfortunately her tale was badly infected and she had to have it removed. This film tells the tale of her road swim to recovery with the help of the young man who found her, Sawyer.

With a cast including Harry Connick Jnr, Ashley Judd, Kris Kristofferson and, my favourite, Morgan Freeman, the quality of acting is guaranteed throughout, and who can resist a tail of friendship and love?

Definitely something to warm the soul this week!

I was sent a copy of this for review.

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