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What will movie theaters look like in the future?

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:10:21 +0000

After watching a movie in our friends' home theater over the weekend, I truly think that if I had that setup, there would be no reason to go to the movie theater. I can buy a 3D Blu-ray for much, much cheaper than the cost of taking our family to the movies, and my theater snacks would be healthier, more fun, and way less expensive. Plus, my theater would be filled with good friends and family. We don't need anything bigger than a 110" screen. Really.

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Has Disney Given Princess Merida a Makeover?

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:26:31 +0000

Carolyn Danckaert, co-founder of A Mighty Girl, a girl empowerment website that features the world's largest collection of books, toys, movies, and clothing for smart, confident, and courageous girls, launched a petition on Change.org just three days ago, and over 15,000 (and climbing) have signed on so far. The petition has to do with Disney's latest Princess addition, Merida from Brave. Apparently, Merida's foray into the princess collection line has involved a few changes to her look and style for some products. You can view Merida's new look on Change.org. Here is what Carolyn has to say:

"Merida inspired countless young girls by showing them that they too could go off on adventures and save the day; that it's not about how you looked that matters but what kind of person you are. With Merida, girls finally had a princess role model that looked like a real girl, complete with the 'imperfections' that made her such a unique and appealing character. By redesigning her to fit the mold of the Disney Princess line and making her skinnier, sexier and more mature in her appearance, Disney is sending the message that for girls and women to have value -- to be recognized as true princesses -- they must conform to this narrow definition of beauty. With our petition, we're calling on Disney to return to the original Merida that we all know and love and to keep Merida Brave!"

So, after reading the petition I hopped on over to the Disney Store online to see if I could find instances of the new Merida. The website was slow for me today for some reason, but after painstakingly searching around for a few minutes under the categories of "Merida" and "Princesses," I wasn't able to find anything resembling the "new" Merida. A couple of dolls and a t-shirt had a Merida that looked slightly more mature and alluring than the traditional images, but not like in the picture on Change.org.

I did find a few clothing items with all the princesses except Merida, and let me just say, I don't know how they will possibly fit one more princess on those close to begin with! They'll have to be so small you won't be able to see Merida's clothing anyway. I don't know exactly how often this new Merida will be featured in the Disney Princess Collection line. Already there are many versions of Merida and other princesses in the doll, toy and clothing lines. I hope there will not be too many that feature the off-the-shoulder dress and super skinnified waist version of Merida.

I have three little girls who love Merida. We have some Merida merchandise. I bought the bow and arrow, which was a huge success and I loved watching the girls get so excited about Archery. We had a Merida birthday party for my youngest, so I also got her a fancy nightgown and a Merida doll. I wouldn't buy a product with the Merida as designed in the photo on Change.org. And as long as there are traditional Merida products available, I probably wouldn't have been moved to start ...

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Meet the Planes

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 23:32:15 +0000

From above the world of Cars, comes an all new adventure called Planes. Sure to excite kids (I mean, have you heard the rockin' music in the trailers?), Disney/Pixar's upcoming planes movie takes the beloved anthropomorphic autos and adds another thing kids love, airplanes, in a new adventure filled with new characters and diverse personalities.

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Disneynature: Wings of Life -- Let's Talk About the Birds and the Bees!

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:17:34 +0000

"I'm sorta like a pollinator...just like the pollinators are sort of seduced into pollinating flowers based on color, taste or smell. I think, in a way, that's what nature does to all of us. We're part of that pattern where, through color, taste, and beauty, we end up falling in love with things. And because we fall in love with them, we protect them. Just like you protect your children."

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A Monster in Paris - Perfect for a Movie Party!

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:06:49 +0000

The French animated film A Monster in Paris is available today on Blu-ray (3D & 2D) and DVD. Set in Paris in 1910, the story follows a shy projectionist named Emile and his comical inventor friend Raoul as they accidentally create a monster and embark on a wild adventure around the city.

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Hasbro Kids' Shows Available on Netflix

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 09:33:52 +0000

The Hub Network features several TV shows based on HASBRO toy lines that have become highly popular among kids, and some even among adults. And if your kids are fans of two of the new Hasbro Studios shows, Littlest Pet Shop and Kaijudo: Rise of the Duel Masters, there's good news. Netflix and Hasbro have announced that the shows will be available to Netflix members in the U.S. along with already available shows My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, Transformers Prime, and Transformers Rescue Bots. New seasons of each of the shows will be available for members to watch instantly one month after their finale airs on The Hub Network.

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We Sighted Despicablimp!

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:40:07 +0000

It's a bird, it's a plane, it's....Despicablimp! In celebration of the upcoming release of Despicable Me 2, in theaters July 3, Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment have sent up an airship as a goodwill ambassador to "light up the skies and put smiles on faces." Despicablimp is making a cross country tour, and you can follow the journey at Despicablimp.com. Here are some awesome fun facts we learned about air ships and the Despicablimp when we ventured out to look at the ship and interview pilot Allan Judd (pictured below with a Minion):

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Curious George Swings into Spring

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:36:52 +0000

In the feature-length movie for preschoolers, Curious George Swings into Spring, George has a springtime adventure that introduces little ones to all the wonderful signs of the season. Like the TV series Curious George, the movie is both entertaining and educational for kids. The DVD is available in stores now, and the special will air on PBS KIDS on Earth Day, April 22 (check local listings for times).

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Sid the Science Kid: The Movie -- Airs Tomorrow -- Don't Miss It!

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:23:06 +0000

The show Sid the Science Kid airs on PBS and is an educational series for preschoolers with a focus on science and exploration. For the first time, Sid will star in a feature-length movie, which will air on PBS tomorrow, March 25, and will be released on DVD April 2, 2013.

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What Do Kids Think of The Croods?

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:19:55 +0000

The new DreamWorks Animation/20th Century Fox movie The Croods opens today! We really enjoyed the movie, and I can't wait to find out what everyone else thinks. When we attended the presentation by Chris Sanders and Kirk DeMicco, the kids in the room seemed most excited about the creatures. They had a blast when Chris and Kirk played a slideshow of all the creatures and had the kids try to guess their names. The Ramu, for instance, is part ram and part emu. My fav. is the Hippodillo.

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