Bob the Builder - Heavy Duty Diggers from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment

Bob The Builder – Heavy Duty Diggers: DVD Edition
Review by JAM

“Can we build it, YES we can, Can we fix it, YES we can!”

Bob and his crew enter a new age with the power of CGI animation! Join the crew for five episodes of Bob the Builder which introduce us to a new addition to the team, Scratch, the new specialized digger. Scratch takes center stage in an episode about trusting your own abilities as he is upset that the team does not need him at first, but learns that he can do something that no one else on the team can in “Scratch’s Hidden Treasures”. Scoop also finds himself questioning his place on the team as he sees the joy of art as the team proceeds to refit the museum in “Scoop the Artist”. Scrambler find out that sometimes even a good idea might not be the best idea as he tries to build by himself, and messes up the team’s primary job while doing it in “Scrambler’s Best Idea”. Finally lofty stars in two episodes, both water themed, as he overcomes his fear or rusting away in “High Tide for Lofty” and his fear of monster attacks in the surf school themed episode “Lofty and the Monster”.

Bonus Features include a music video for “Ready, Steady, Build!”.

Episode List:
Scratch’s Hidden Treasures
Scrambler’s Best Idea
High Tide for Lofty
Scoop the Artist
Lofty and the Monster

Bonus Features:
“Ready, Steady, Build!” Music Video

Even though this DVD is lacking a bit on extra features when compared to previous Bob releases, the episodes included are good ones for you and your children to enjoy. Dig your way to Amazon or your local stores to build your library on with this copy of Bob the Builder: Heavy Duty Diggers from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment, out on March 23, 2010.

Stargate: Atlantis - The Complete Series from MGM Home Entertainment

Stargate: Atlantis – The Complete Series: MGM Home Entertainment Review by JAM



Sci-fi fans unite, or should I say SyFy fans? Other than the Star Trek franchise, too often science fiction spinoffs can often get lost in the shuffle, yet Stargate: Atlantis stands strong by itself, even if it is a spinoff of a series that was a spinoff of a movie. I think that the strength of the series falls into the strong storyline of preparing for war against the Wraith as well as excellent character development throughout the series. These were characters that people could care about no matter where the storyline was evolving.



Stargate: Atlantis started as a spinoff of Stargate SG-1 where SG-1 Stargate Command sent an international team to investigate an abandoned outpost in the Antarctic that was created by the Ancients, one of the most advanced races in the galaxy. This find also puts them in immediate conflict with the Wraith, the race that had defeated the Ancients ten thousand years ago. The show’s five year run focused on stand-alone episodes that kept the overall story of the pending war with the Wraiths remaining in process. The series focuses on John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and his team investigating new worlds and galaxies through the use of Stargate technology. Many of the characters came and went throughout the seasons, but the basis of the team, John Sheppard, the Athosian (new allies of the expedition) leader Teyla Emmagan (Rachel Luttrell), and Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) lead the team throughout all five seasons, and are joined by a number of recurring characters throughout the series such as the original leader of the Atlantis expedition Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson), Ronan Dex (Jason Momoa who is rumored to be the new Conan), and Dr. Jennifer Keller (Jewel Staite). Each character in the mythos of Stargate: Atlantis made their mark in some way or other, and it seemed that the continuous growth of the story was never really stunted throughout the five years.



Season One focused on the expedition start and the survival instinct that leads them to new allies, the Athosians, and also sets them on a collision course with a new enemy, the Wraith. Seemingly cut off from Earth, the expedition quickly sets up an investigative team led by Major Sheppard to be their first contact in order to attain knowledge of other civilizations in this galaxy. Season one ends with a cliffhanger of the Wraith attacking the Atlantis base while a military contingent from Earth helps defend the city as a battleship makes it way to the battle.



Season Two continued from this point when the Wraith believe Atlantis has been destroyed, but the survivors return to maintaining some contact with Earth through the use of the new Zero Point Module (ZPM). This season introduces Ronan Dex to the team and strengthens the interpersonal relations between the characters in my opinion. It seems like you can feel the camaraderie between the actors as you are watching the scenes after he joins. This season focuses on the development of a retrovirus by Dr. Beckett (Paul McGillion) that should solve Atlantis’ Wraith problem by turning them into humans, but complications arise and the season ends with the Wraith heading for an attack on Earth itself.



Earth obviously remains safe as Season Three begins, but with the retrovirus not working, the Wraith are still a huge threat. Enter the Asurans, or Replicators if you would rather, a second enemy out to destroy the expedition. Throw in a returning Ancient crew that takes over the city, an attempted Asuran invasion and attack, and a crew lost in space in a last ditch effort to save themselves, and we have another cliffhanger of an ending.



Season Four features the return of someone very recognizable to science fiction fans as Colonel Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) joins as a regular and expedition leader. Throughout this season the Asurans and the Wraith are dealt with by turning them on each other, and Teyla’s pregnancy occurs. The pregnancy continues on into Season Five in which a rogue Wraith which had been dosed with the retrovirus previously has captured Teyla. The team rescues Teyla and her new baby, and proceeds to destroy this faction of Wraith. Atlantis eventually destroys a threat to Earth and lands in the Pacific Ocean outside of San Francisco, thus ending the series.



Thoughts on Stargate: Atlantis

The trio of Sheppard (Joe Flanigan), Teyla(Rachel Luttrell), and Ronan (Jason Momoa) were always to me the best part of this show. The interaction between these three characters who always seemed so strong by themselves, but so much stronger with each other was great. It seemed like each of them would have jumped in front of any deadly instance for the other, and then would have let everyone else know about it. This interaction made the show fun to watch and kept it light even during serious episodes.



Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) reminded me of Quentin Tarantino every time I saw his face, and I have no idea why. The character was enjoyable, and his voice was nothing like him, but I still saw Tarantino in the character for some reason. At least I did until Dr. Jennifer Keller (Jewel Staite) became his love interest, and all of a sudden Rodney was just Rodney. I have no idea why on this, but I figured I would share it anyways.



Amanda Tapping has got to be the go-to woman of science fiction television of recent time. Stargate SG-1, Stargate: Atlantis, and Sanctuary are all amazingly well done series with which she is a MAJOR contributor. Anytime I see her on the television, I’m sure I’m going to enjoy the episode that is on.



Stargate: Atlantis from MGM Home Entertainment is a fantasy cornucopia of action, character development, and plot twist that is well worth the investment if you love science fiction and the Stargate universe. This set comes Highly Recommended from JAMMovieReviews and HollywoodTeenZine.

Extras

If you enjoy extras, this is the set for you. There is a commentary on nearly episode of the five year set, featuring everyone from the directors, writers, producers, VFX supervisors, creature effects designers, directors of photography, stunt coordinators, and actors. The variety of commentators gives an amount of insight that is amazing for this set. Personally I enjoyed the VFX supervisor and the creature effects supervisor commentary as this is a group that is often not heard from, and the stuff they do is really awesome to a guy like me. For the female half of JAM, of course she likes to get into the directors’ minds and see where they were going with scenes and episodes. So I guess I could say that the commentary has something for everyone. Besides the commentary, each disc has photo galleries and production design galleries which give a picture of actual scenes from the show as well as behind the scenes filming. I love the production stills of the costumed and made-up alien races of the show, it is a cool look at behind the scenes design and costuming. Besides the photo galleries included on each disc, there is also at least one featurette included on each disc, whether describing the Mission Directive of a specific episode, deleted scenes, or even a blooper reel. There are also looks at specific characters such as with Disc 7 (Season Two Disc 2) in which they share in introduction to the character of Ronon Dex (Jason Momoa) or in Disc 16 (Season Four Disc 1) which focuses on the new leader joining the team as played by Amanda Tapping. If that isn’t enough, we also get to look inside the Visual FX Department as well as an inside look at Stargate: Atlantis stunts. Finally, on the last disc in the set, we have a feature on Stargate: Atlantis making it to episode 100, and a retrospective on Stargate: Atlantis as a whole. The episode 100 feature starts on the last day on set, September 17, 2008 and goes through the day and how hard it was. The discussion on bringing back Amanda Tapping for the finale was insightful and the dedication they gave to a “fallen soldier” from SG-1 as a ship is named the General Hammond (played by Don Davis). The Retrospective was also really good to hear the producers discuss where Atlantis came from and how they kept it different from SG-1 while maintaining a contact with the Stargate universe. Then the actors join in on the retrospective as well, discussing the times they had together and it was fun to see the truth behind actually working so much together like the cast did. It made them seem family-like rather than co-workers, so it definitely is worth the check. Like I said, definitely something for everybody.

Official Press Release from MGM Home Entertainment

PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER AND
THREE-TIME EMMY® NOMINEE

THE COMPLETE SERIES

Exploding With Special Features Including Exclusive Bonus Disc
With Never-Before-Seen Footage, And Much More, The Thrilling
Cosmic Series Lands On A 26-Disc Collectible Set March 23

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 2, 2010) – Explore the celestial wonders of an unknown world and experience the ultimate Sci-Fi adventure with “Stargate: Atlantis” The Complete Series giftset splashing on to DVD March 23 from MGM Home Entertainment. From award-winning Executive Producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, “Stargate: Atlantis” is anchored with a compelling ensemble cast including Joe Flanigan (The Other Sister), Rachel Luttrell (Imposter), David Hewlett (“The Triangle”), Jason Momoa (“Baywatch: Hawaii”) and Torri Higginson (The English Patient). Continuing the journey of "Stargate: SG-1,” television’s longest running sci-fi series, “Stargate: Atlantis” explores the great city of Atlantis built thousands of years ago by the Ancients and the new home base for an elite expedition team from earth. Overflowing with exciting quests and surprises, fans will experience every captivating, and spine-tingling mission of the Intrepid Team from their first hostile encounter to their last rescue mission.

Winner of the 2008 People’s Choice award for Favorite Sci-Fi show and three-time Emmy® nominee*, “Stargate: Atlantis” The Complete Series is the perfect gift for any sci-fi aficionado filled with all 100 episodes from seasons one through five, including a bonus disc with exclusive never-before-seen special features. The DVD giftset will be available for the suggested retail price of $199.98 U.S./$199.98 Canada.

Disc 1 (Season 1):

● “Rising” (Parts 1 and 2)
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood and Actor Joe Flanigan
● “Hide and Seek”
○ Commentary by Actors Rachel Luttrell, Torri Higginson and Paul McGillion
● “Thirty Eight Minutes”
○ Commentary by Actors Rachel Luttrell ad Paul McGillion
● Featurette
○ “Stargate: Atlantis” Set Tour with Directors Martin Wood and Peter DeLuise
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 2 (Season 1):

● “Suspicion”
● “Childhood’s End
○ Commentary by Writer Martin Gero and Actors Rachel Luttrell and Rainbow Sun Francks
● “Poisoning the Well”
● “Underground”
● Featurette
○ Diary of Rainbow Sun Francks
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 3 (Season 1):

● “Home”
● “The Storm”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero and Actor David Hewlett
● “The Eye”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero and Actor David Hewlett
● “The Defiant One”
○ Commentary by Director Peter DeLuise and Stunt Coordinator Dan Shea
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “The Storm”
○ Mission Directive: “The Eye”
○ Wraithal Discrimination: It’s Not Easy Being Green
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 4 (Season 1):
● “Hot Zone”
○ Commentary by Writer Martin Gero and Actors Rachel Luttrell, Rainbow Sun Francks and Paul McGillion
● “Sanctuary”
○ Commentary by Actors Rachel Luttrell and Torri Higginson
● “Before I Sleep”
● “The Brotherhood”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero and Actor David Hewlett
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “Sanctuary”
○ Mission Directive: “Before I Sleep”
● Photo Galleries
○ Mission Directive: Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 5 (Season 1):
● “Letters from Pegasus”
● “The Gift”
○ Commentary by Director Peter DeLuise and Actor Gary Jones
● “The Siege: Part 1”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero and Actor David Hewlett
● “The Siege: Part 2”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero and Actors Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “The Siege”
○ A look back on Season One with Writer Martin Gero
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 6 (Season 2):
● “The Siege: Part 3”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero and Actors Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett
● “The Intruder”
○ Commentary by Director Peter DeLuise and Actor Gary Jones
● “Runner”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood and Actor David Hewlett
● “Duet”
○ Commentary by Director Peter DeLuise, Writer Martin Gero and Actor David Hewlett
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “The Intruder” featuring Director Peter DeLuise
○ Mission Directive: “The Siege: Part 3” featuring Director Martin Wood
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 7 (Season 2):
● “Condemned”
○ Commentary by Director Peter DeLuise and Actor Gary Jones
● “Trinity”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood and Writer Damian Kindler
● “Instinct”
○ Commentary by Director Andy Mikita and Producer Paul Mullie
● “Conversion”
○ Commentary by Writer Martin Gero and Actors Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “Instinct” featuring Director Peter DeLuise
○ Introduction to a Character: Ronon Dex
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 8 (Season 2):
● “Aurora”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood and Co-Producer Peter DeLuise
● “The Lost Boys”
○ Commentary by Writer Martin Gero and Actors Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett
● “The Hive”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood
● “Epiphany”
○ Commentary by Director Neil Fearnley
● Featurettes
○ Road to a Dream with Writer Martin Gero
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 9 (Season 2):
● “Critical Mass”
○ Commentary by Director Andy Mikita, Actor Rachel Luttrell and Director of Photography Brenton Spencer
● “Grace Under Pressure”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero and Actors Amanda Tapping and David Hewlett
● “The Tower”
○ Commentary by Producer Paul Mullie and Director Andy Mikita
● “The Long Goodbye”
○ Commentary by Director Andy Mikita, Actor Torri Higginson and Director of Photography Brenton Spencer
● Featurettes
○ Profile On: David Hewlett
○ “Stargate: Atlantis” Stunts
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 10 (Season 2):
● “Coup D’etat”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood, Writer Martin Gero and Actor David Hewlett
● “Michael”
○ Commentary by Director Martin Wood and Supervising Producer/Director Peter DeLuise
● “Inferno”
○ Commentary by Director Peter DeLuise and Actor Gary Jones
● “Allies”
○ Commentary by Director Andy Mikita, Writer Martin Gero and Actor David Hewlett
● Featurettes
○ Profile On: Paul McGillion
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 11 (Season 3):
● “No Man’s Land”
○ Commentary by Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood
● “Misbegotten”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer Paul Mullie and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood
● “Irresistible”
○ Commentary by Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and Director of Photography Michael Blundell
● “Sateda”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer, Writer and Director Robert C. Cooper & Director of Photography Brenton Spencer
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “Sateda” featuring Director Robert C. Cooper
○ Inside the Stargate: Atlantis Visual FX Department
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 12 (Season 3):
● “Progeny”
○ Commentary by Director Andy Mikita and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela
● “The Real World”
● “Common Ground”
○ Commentary by Director William Waring and Director of Photography Brenton Spencer
● “McKay & Mrs. Miller”
○ Commentary by Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “Progeny” featuring Director Andy Mikita
○ Profile On: Rachel Luttrell
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 13 (Season 3):
● “The Return, Part I”
○ Commentary by Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Executive Producer Paul Mullie
● “The Return, Part II”
○ Commentary by Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Executive Producer Paul Mullie
● “Phantoms”
○ Commentary by Co-Executive Producer Carl Binder and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood
● “Echoes”
○ Commentary by Director William Waring and Director of Photography Brenton Spencer
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “Phantoms” featuring Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood
○ General O’Neill Goes to Atlantis
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 14 (Season 3):
● “Irresponsible”
○ Commentary by Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and Director of Photography Michael Blundell
● “Tao of Rodney”
○ Commentary by Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and Director of Photography Michael Blundell
● “The Game”
○ Commentary by Director William Waring and Director of Photography Brenton Spencer
○ Mission Directive: “The Game” featuring Director William Waring
● “Sunday”
○ Commentary by Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Director William Waring
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “The Game” featuring Director William Waring
○ Masters of the Alien
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 15 (Season 3):
● “The Ark”
○ Commentary by Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela
● “Submersion”
○ Commentary by Director Brenton Spencer and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela
● “Vengeance”
○ Commentary by Director Andy Mikita and Creature Effects Designer Todd Masters
● “First Strike”
○ Commentary by Producer/Writer Martin Gero, Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “First Strike” featuring Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood
○ “Stargate Atlantis:” A Look Back on Season 3 with Martin Gero
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 16 (Season 4):
● “Adrift”
○ Commentary by Co-Executive Producer/Writer Martin Gero, Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood
● “Lifeline”
○ Commentary by Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and Actor Amanda Tapping
● “Reunion”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer/Writer Joseph Mallozzi and Director William Waring
● “Doppelganger”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer, Writer and Director Robert C. Cooper and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela
● Featurettes
○ Continuum Trailer
○ Ark of Truth Trailer
○ Mission Directive: Doppelganger with Robert C. Cooper
○ A New Leader: Amanda Tapping Joins Atlantis
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 17 (Season 4):
● “Travelers”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer/Writer Paul Mullie and Director William Waring
● “Tabula Rasa”
○ Commentary by Producer/Writer Alan McCullough and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and Actress Amanda Tapping
● “Missing”
○ Commentary by Co-Executive Producer/Writer Carl Binder and Producer/Director Andy Mikita
● “The Seer”
○ Commentary by Producer/Writer Alan McCullough and Director Andy Mikita
● Featurettes
○ Stargate SG-1 Seasons 1-10 Trailer
○ The Doctor Is In: The Return of Paul McGillion
○ “Stargate Atlantis” Bloopers
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 18 (Season 4):
● “Miller’s Crossing”
○ Commentary by Co-Executive Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Producer/Director Andy Mikita
● “This Mortal Coil”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer/Writer Joseph Mallozzi and Director William Waring
● “Be All My Sins Remember’d”
○ Commentary by Co-Executive Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Producer/Director Andy Mikita
● “Spoils of War”
○ Commentary by Producer/Writer Alan McCullough and Director William Waring
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “This Mortal Coil” with Director William Waring
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 19 (Season 4):
● “Quarantine”
○ Commentary by Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and Actress Amanda Tapping
● “Harmony”
○ Commentary by Co-Executive Producer/Writer Martin Gero and Director William Waring
● “Outcast”
○ Commentary by Producer/Writer Alan McCullough and Producer/Director Andy Mikita
● “Trio”
○ Commentary by Co-Executive Producer/Writer Martin Gero, Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood and Actress Amanda Tapping
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “Quarantine” with Director Martin Wood
○ Mission Directive: “Outcast” with Director Andy Mikita
○ The Making of “Trio”
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 20 (Season 4):
● “Midway”
● “The Kindred”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer/Writer Joseph Mallozzi and Director Peter F. Woeste
● “The Kindred, Part II”
○ Commentary by Producer/Writer Alan McCullough and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood
● “The Kindred, Part II”
○ Commentary on “The Last Man” by Executive Producer/Writer Paul Mullie and Director/Supervising Producer Martin Wood
● Featurettes
○ A Look Back at Season 4
○ Deleted Scenes
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 21 (Season 5):
● “Search and Rescue”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer Martin Gero and Director/Producer Andy Mikita
● “The Seed”
○ Commentary by Director William Waring
● “Broken Ties”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi and Actor Jason Momoa
● “The Daedalus Variations”
○ Commentary by Supervising Producer Alan McCullough and Director/Producer Andy Mikita
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “Search and Rescue” with Director Andy Mikita and Producer Martin Gero
○ Showdown! Ronon v. Tyre
○ Bringing the Seed to Life
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 22 (Season 5):
● “Ghost In The Machine”
● “The Shrine”
● “Whispers”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi and Director William Waring
● “The Queen”
○ Commentary by Supervising Producer Alan McCullough and Director Brenton Spencer
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: ”Whispers” with Director William Waring and Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi
○ Tricks of the Trade: Submerging the Stargate
○ Joe Flanigan: A Conversation with the Colonel
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 23 (Season 5):
● “Tracker”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer Carl Binder and Director William Waring
● “First Contact”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer Martin Gero and Director/Producer Andy Mikita
● “The Lost Tribe”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer Martin Gero and Director/Producer Andy Mikita
● “Outsiders”
○ Commentary by Supervising Producer Alan McCullough and Director William Waring
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “Tracker” with Director William Waring and Executive Producer Carl Binder
○ Dr. Jackson Goes to Atlantis
○ Building a Humanoid with James Robbins and Martin Gero
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 24 (Season 5):
● “Inquisition”
○ Commentary by Director Brenton Spencer and Actor Tobias Slezak
● “The Prodigal”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer Carl Binder and Director/Producer Andy Mikita
● “Remnants”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi and Director William Waring
● “Brain Storm”
○ Commentary by Executive Producer/Director Martin Gero
● Featurettes
○ Mission Directive: “Brain Storm” with Director Martin Gero
○ The Life and Death of Michael Kenmore
○ Deleted Scenes (Part One)
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 25 (Season 5):
● “Infection”
● “Identity”
● “Vegas” (Extended Episode)
○ Commentary by Executive Producer Robert C. Cooper, Producer John G. Lenic and Editor Mike Banas
● “Enemy at the Gate” (Extended Episode)
○ Commentary by Executive Producer Paul Mullie and VFX Supervisor Mark Savela
● Featurettes
○ “Stargate Atlantis” Goes To Vegas
○ Inside the Stargate Costume Department
○ Deleted Scenes (Part Two)
● Photo Galleries
○ Photo Gallery
○ Production Design Gallery

Disc 26 (Bonus Disc):
● Mission 100: Atlantis Reaches a Milestone
● “Stargate Atlantis:” A Retrospective


Stargate: Atlantis from Summit Entertainment Two Disc Special Edition snuck onto shelves on March 23, 2010. So we suggest that you take a look at the future with the Stargate: Atlantis crew here at Amazon.com or at your local stores.

Remember check out this review and more from JAM at www.hollywoodteenzine.com for teens and tweens, and at www.jammoviereviews.blogspot.com for movies of all genres and ages.

The Princess and the Frog: Disney BluRay/DVD/Digital Copy Edition

The Princess and the Frog: Disney BluRay/DVD/Digital Copy Edition
Review by JAM



Check out the full review at HollywoodTeenZine here or check out the version as it follows.

An amazing undertaking once again by Disney as it returns to the musical, hand-drawn animation from its past and nails the time, trend, and texture of old New Orleans in the brand-new Blu-ray and DVD release of The Princess and the Frog. Hollywood Teen'Zine was given the chance to explore the movie experience special engagement held last year and now get the chance to revisit the world of The Princess and the Frog once again as it arrives on Disney Blu-Ray and DVD.

Upon our arrival in the French Quarter of New Orleans we meet two young friends, Tiana (voiced by newcomer Elizabeth M. Dampier as a young girl, and the amazing Anika Noni Rose as an adult) and Charlotte LaBouff (voiced by the bubbly Breanna Brooks as a young girl and Broadway’s own Jennifer Cody as an adult) in the outstanding musical The Princess and the Frog.

Tiana and Charlotte are two girls with a multitude of differences which do not matter as their friendship grows stronger throughout this movie. Even with her life of privilege, Charlotte is the stable pillar and friend that our main character Tiana needs throughout the movie. Tiana is the dreamer who knows that hard work is needed to achieve the dream that she shared with her father, the opening of Tiana’s Place, a family themed restaurant. This dream starts with Tiana as a young child wishing upon a star for that dream to come true and her dream continues as she puts in the hard work by working multiple jobs.

At a masquerade ball Tiana, dressed as a princess, tries to capture her dream by kissing a talking frog, but instead this little kiss flips her whole world upside down as she transforms into a frog and throws her dreams of Tiana’s Place into the distance. The receiver of Tiana’s kiss, Prince Naveen (voiced by Bruno Campos), joins her in embarking on a search through the bayou looking for someone who can help transform them back into humans. Little did they know the adventure that lies ahead in the bayou was not a safe one.

Tiana and Naveen are faced with challenges from the schemes of Dr. Facilier (voiced by the kingly Keith David) and the dangers of an alligator pack in swamp. Things begin to turn around when they meet new friends in the bayou, including a trumpet-playing alligator with big dreams named Louis (voiced by the masterful Michael-Leon Wooley) and the scene-stealing lightning bug Ray (voiced by the jovial Jim Cummings). Ray has a huge heart, an eternally optimistic attitude, and does his best to keep the frogs moving in the right direction to make their dreams come true. They all work together to find the ancient Mama Odie (voiced by the jumping Jenifer Lewis) who may be able to help them all transform into what they want to be.

With all its twists and turns, this movie will have you wondering what is going to happen next and hoping that wishing upon that star will help everyone’s dreams becoming reality! The wonderful musical scores, outstanding scenery, and diverse characters will warm your heart throughout this beautiful movie.

Seeing the movie again outside of the theater reminded me of how great Disney did on their return to hand-drawn animation. The artistic backdrops that fill the screen are amazing, especially in the high definition format of the Blu-Ray disc; from the swampy bayou to the old architecture of New Orleans the scenic backdrops try their best to steal our eyes away from the action in the film. The Blu-Ray version is breath-taking and well worth the cost of the movie even if there were no extras included. The animation feels nearly lifelike and has a tendency at times to transport you into the movie itself.

The characters are crafted in a spectacular fashion that allows viewers to buy into their world and care about what is happening to them throughout the film. The growth of the relationship between Naveen and Tiana is well scripted, never too fast yet never too slow. Tiana, even as the heroine of the piece, continues her stubborn streak for a longer time than Naveen, but still has enough time to reach her epiphany before she loses the man she has grown to love. The assistance they receive often leads to hilarious hijinks and dilemmas that help them grow even more, including their time with Louis the lively alligator and Ray the resourceful firefly. And the required villain of the piece comes off just scary enough as Dr. Facilier sends his voodoo towards our heroes. Oh yeah, and John Goodman lends his voice to the project. It is films like this that embeds the meaning of fairy tales into the minds and hearts of little girls all over the world.

The Princess and the Frog Blu-Ray/DVD/Digital Copy combination is more of an experience than just a movie, and it comes highly recommended from Hollywood Teen'Zine and JamMovieReviews.
Bonus Features:

The DVD portion has the movie and a small sampling of extras included like the deleted scenes from the movie, the Princess Portraits game, audio commentary from the filmmakers and a music video from Ne-Yo that is included on the soundtrack as well.

The Blu-Ray disc also featurettes on the making of the new princess, the conjuring of the new villain, the return to hand-drawn animation, the Disney legacy, art galleries, and more. There is also a Digital Copy of the film for your personal enjoyment on the go as well. The Extras definitely add to the film’s enjoyment. The Blu-Ray bonus features include the following:

Deleted Scenes
The Making of a Princess
Conjuring the Villain
The Return to Hand-Drawn Animation
The Disney Legacy
Disney's Newest Princess
Bringing Life to Animation
Art Galleries
Music Video by Ne-Yo
The Princess Portraits Game
And More!

The Princess and the Frog from Disney hops onto shelves on March 16, 2010. Jump off your seat and grab a copy at your local store.

Hannah Montana - Miley Says Goodbye? Disney DVD

Hannah Montana – Miley Says Goodbye?: Disney DVD
Review by JAM



Check out the full review at HollywoodTeenZine here or check out the abbreviated version as it follows.

The third season of a series that let us watch a little country girl grow up and become a huge popstar is about to come to an end, and Disney DVD lets you see the ending before it airs on television with Hannah Montana – Miley Says Goodbye? It seems like we have known Miley for so long by being a part of her life vicariously through Hannah Montana that it’s easy to forget that the girl is only 17 years old and has already taken the world by storm. But it has come time to end Season Three of Hannah Montana, Disney has done it in an interesting way by pre-releasing the finale on DVD before its airdate, and including it with five other episodes from season three to give a cross section of the Hannah Montana universe.

The premise for the finale is that Miley needs to decide whether she is going to continue her Malibu rock-star life or return to a simpler life in Tennessee with her favorite horse Blue Jeans. For a tweenish comedy that has dealt with a variety of issues throughout its lifetime while balancing between comedy and seriousness and the finale is no exception. The episodes included in the DVD give insight into some of her thinking and include appearances from David Archuleta and Cody Linley’s return as Jake. It has been an honor to see Miley grow up through the years and we are anxiously awaiting Season Four to see where the show will take her and the viewers.

Extras

Extras included with the DVD include an alternate ending to “He Could Be the One” and a behind-the-scenes look with Miley’s real-life sister. Also included is a photo frame with a shifting image of Hannah Montana changing to Miley and her horse Blue Jeans.

Hannah Montana – Miley Says Goodbye? from Disney rides its way onto shelves on DVD on March 9, 2010. Check out the end of Season Three of this tween/teen sensation and make this DVD a part of your collection!

Ponyo - Disney DVD/Blu-Ray Review

Ponyo - Disney/Studio Ghibli DVD/Blu-Ray Review
Review by JAM



For the full review of Ponyo, check out HollywoodTeenZine's review by JAM here.

For the adults with kids out there, Ponyo is a well done epic that will capture your child's attention with the amazing animation and will hold their attention with the story of a little fishgirl who wants to be more in life and the boy she loves with all her heart. Anyone that's a fan of Japanese style animation and story telling will also find this movie to be captivating as well. Oh yeah, and it's got Betty White, what more can you ask for?

My top five reasons to check out Ponyo:

1. the cast of voice actors is an A list group. Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Noah Cyrus, Frankie Jonas, Betty White, Cate Blanchett, and more make this a serious animated movie.

2. the epic sprawl of the ocean scenes and the amazing animated versions of various fish is a joy to watch.

3. the relationship between Ponyo and Sosuke is so pure and full of love for each other. His statement at the end that he would love her no matter her form is truly brilliant.

4. the fantasy and magic aspect of the movie makes for a true Disney film in which we believe miracles can happen and wishes can come true.

5. 103 minutes of movie magic with an amazing group of extras make for an amazing disc set.

Greek Chapter 4 from Buena Vista Home Entertainment

Top 5 Reasons It’s Greek to Me
(also known as Greek – Chapter Four Review)
Review by JAM





“It’s the end of the world, Cappie. What are you gonna do?”

And thus end the saga of the relationship between Casey Cartwright (Spencer Grammer) and Max Tyler (Michael Rady), the pretty girl and the perfect boy, as Casey finally determines who she wants, at least for now. Cappie (Scott Michael Foster) is left to digest the fact that Casey wants him, warts and all. Rusty Cartwright (Jacob Zachar) decides that his girl is more important than the studies he seems to be failing, until he talks to Max who tells him that the girl is never worth it. Ashleigh Howard (Amber Stevens) comes to realize she does have a backbone, even without Casey beside her. After her confrontation with Ashleigh, Frannie Morgan (Tiffany DuPont) discovers that she didn’t need to leave the Zeta Beta Zeta house, instead she needed to leave the school to head out for greener pastures. Dale Kettlewell (Clark Duke) is a confusing mess, finding physical romance with his landlady while remaining pure. And Jesse McCartney stops by as football star Andy, the mega-Greek recruit this season. It is a jam packed Chapter Four, also known as the second half of Season Two of Greek!

Greek is the college experience all over again, for those who went through it before. Or it is a prelude of things to come for those that haven’t. Think of guys, girls, parties, classes, Greek life, and camaraderie rolled into the ABC Family comical original series Greek. Cyprus Rhodes University (CRU) is waiting for you at this beginning of the new year for our favorites, and to prepare you for the pop quiz that may be awaiting you at the end, here are the Top 5 Reasons it’s Greek to me!

Number 5

The Greeks – Sorority and Fraternity friends unite! Camaraderie, back stabbing, and partying pretty much sum up the relationships between the Greeks, and the Greek organizations on a real college campus. Working together happens just as often as attempts to sabatoge, and Greek really keeps the focus on this. From a beer squirting float to the introduction of a competing sorority, the focus is on competition and dirty tricks as much as it is on the party atmosphere.

Number 4

At World’s End – Eight minutes of retrospective on what is going to happen in this season. Writers and producers share that this chapter and especially the finale launch the cast into the next season. Manhole! Okay, it’s not so funny here in print, but you’ll see why it is so important with the “end of the world” so in focus. End of the world and someone is going to make a beer can pyramid by himself. And someone is going to eat butter. What more can you ask for?

Number 3

Casey Cartwright – the “will she, won’t she” bit is normally annoying in most television series, but Casey is an interesting dichotomy of a character. She seems to have so much of her intellectual side together, but her emotional side seems to be in such flux. But she is so likeable and you want to know what is going to happen. She seems to realize now that

Number 2

Dodgeball – In the episode “Evasive Actions” Greek combines cute college girls and the awesome sport of Dodgeball! Nothing greater than a sport in which noses could be broken, eyes bruised, and lips fattened played by sorority girls who would complain about breaking a nail. Four minutes of Zeta Beta Zeta versus the dreaded offshoot Iota Kappa Iota in a furious female frenzy. Okay, maybe it wasn’t that crazy, but dodgeball and girls makes for a fun portion of this episode.

Number 1

Blooper Reel – the greatest invention on DVD has got to be the Blooper Reel. Any movie and series set of DVDs is just enhanced thanks to the Blooper Reel, and Greek is no different. Five minutes of hilarity and mess-ups just makes me feel so much better. The end is filled with bleeped out words of “wisdom” and people losing it with laughter and definitely worth the time to check it out.


Take a chance on Greek with the release of Greek: Chapter 4 on March 9, 2010, you won’t be sorry you did. Greek is from Buena Vista Home Entertainment with a rating of TV-14 (Parents strongly cautioned).