JAM Reviews Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Review by JAM

For all those kids who rue the day the naughty list was created, we can all thank Manny the mammoth (Ray Romano) from the Ice Age movies. In order to get back at Sid the sloth (John Leguizamo) for breaking the traditional Christmas rock passed down through the generations, Manny convinces Sid he has now landed himself on the naughty list. Of course this necessitates a road trip to Santa himself as Sid, Eddie (Josh Peck), Crash (Seann William Scott), and little Peaches herself (Ciara Bravo) head out through the glacial wilderness in search for a reprieve from the naughty list.

Needless to say, Ellie (Queen Latifah) does not take the news well that her little girl has gone off due to Manny’s smart mouth and joins Manny and Diego (Denis Leary) on a secondary quest to find their lost herd. Needless to say, hiijinks ensue, Christmas is ruined and then saved, and the herd comes together once again as always.

JAMS Ink on Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas Special

This is a fun new Christmas special to add to the collection, especially if you are a big Ice Age like me. The characters are al back and even in a small time frame are able to share the moments both tender and sarcastic that you come to expect from the Ice Age canon. Add to that a good Christmas message of a herd coming together in more ways than one and you have a classic that your kids will want to watch more than one time a year. You can trust me on that as it has been played quite a bit already this year in this house.

EXTRAS

Short on extras, but for a made for Christmas release, I cannot complain. There is an awesome sneak peek for the next full length Ice Age adventure Ice Age: Continental Drift that showcases the main three of Manny, Sid, and Diego along with a surprise previously unknown family member tagging along. There is also the mini-sloth choir singing a joyous rendition of Swingin’ Jingle Bells for your enjoyment.

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

HTZ's Natalia Rocks the Runway at the Nordstrom Winter Fashion Show

HTZ's Junior Reporter Natalia rocks the runway in her Rockstar Oohlala Couture dress. Check out her adorable moves in the video below.

JAM Reviews Shaun the Sheep: Season Two from Liongate and HIT Entertainment

He’s Baaaa-ck and better than ever as Shaun the Sheep, his wooly cohorts, the petulant pigs, and more come together for a brand new set of fun as the complete Season Two from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment hits shelves on DVD November 15, 2011! From the creators of Wallace and Gromit come 40 full length episodes of Shaun fun, and five of them are on DVD for the first time ever! Remember that the US versions only show 5 minute shorts on the Disney channel, but this set contains the full length antics of Shaun, the herd, the pigs, and the rest.

The Shaun the Sheep releases so often have good extras added from videos that depict how to build the characters, to fun mini games, and often lately a Timmy Time sneak peek. This set is no different as the videos, games, and Timmy episode included are a whole lot of fun for your little one. So grab a handful of wool (or at least this DVD) and have a fun time with Shaun the Sheep Season Two.

DVD SYNOPSIS:
The complete second season of Shaun the Sheep has arrived with 40 hilarious episodes of woolly shenanigans! The Oscar-winning creators of Wallace and Gromit strike again with the mischievous barnyard antics of Shaun, Bitzer, Shirley, Timmy, and those naughty Pigs next door. From fancy wheels and outrageous deals to foxy crimes and Christmas time, there’s something for everyone in this fun-filled collectible gift set of must-have treats the whole family will love!

DVD BONUS FEATURES
• Behind the Scenes Gallery
• “Sing-Along With Shaun”
• “The Mini-Making of Shaun” featurette
• “Sheep Shearing” Game
• “Whack-A-Pig” Game
• “Building A Pig” featurette
• “Meet The Animals” video
• Timmy Time Sneak Peek: “Timmy’s Tune #1” video

PROGRAM INFORMATION
Year of Production: 2011
Type: TV on DVD
Rating: NR
Genre: Children/Family/Animated
Age Target: Fans of all ages from 2-60
Closed Captioned: English
Format: Full Screen
Feature Running Time: 280 minutes
DVD Audio Status: 2.0 Dolby Digital
Program Website: www.shaunthesheep.com

Shaun the Sheep: Season Two from Lionsgate and HIT Entertainment is waiting for EWE to grab a copy off of shelves on November 15, 2011.

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

JAM Reviews Monte Carlo from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Monte Carlo: Blu-Ray & Digital Copy: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Take a recent high school graduate (Selena Gomez), a not so close step sister (Leighton Meester), a waitress with dreams bigger than they need to be (Katie Cassidy), throw them into the tourist destination of Paris and what do you get? A charming little movie about being who you are while being someone else entirely.

Grace (Gomez) is a mostly level headed high school graduate who has dreamed of a vacation to the romantic city of Paris with her best friend and crazy dreamer Emma (Cassidy). Having her parents throw her stepsister Meg (Meester) into the plans does not even phase Grace as her dreams of adventure. Unfortunately in typical comedy fashion, everything that cold go wrong does go wrong for Grace and her friends, until… conveniently, a high maintenance socialite walks into their lives and provides an opportunity for Grace to make this trip into the dream she wanted. Too bad the dream you have always wanted can often mess with the dream that you really need. Each of the girls find that out in this fun comedy with a cute message as Monte Carlo awaits you…

JAMS Ink on Monte Carlo

Selena Gomez is a star. A fish out of water, take over an identity, make sure the ending is not too cheesy type of movie needs someone to carry it, and Selena does. She has the uncanny ability to be cute but does not mug the camera, sensitive but not weak, funny but natural, and poised yet relatable. And she works well within this movie. You feel for the small town girl as you cheer her high society moments and feel for her as her fake life comes crashing around her. It is a fun film that shares the message of becoming who you truly want to be while showing the pratfalls of being who you really are not.

The scenery and backdrops of the exotic European setting for the film are definitely enhanced by the use of the Blu-ray technology. From the frenzied pace tour of Paris to the grassy fields of polo, to the exotic backdrop of Monte Carlo, the scenery on the Blu-ray is amazing. This is a movie that come Recommended for the Blu-ray format as the scenery lend to the excitement of Grace’s European adventures.

EXTRAS

For a fun little movie, they did well on not skimping on the extras. The Deleted Scenes and the Jet Setter’s Dreams were this reviewers favorite with some actual scenes that seemed to enhance the movie (maybe cut for time) and a cool little making of featurette showing the backdrop of the movie. Also included for those that would enjoy it are the Ding-Dang Delicious which highlights the male eye candy of the movie, Monte Carlo Couture highlighting of course the wardrobe and how it ties to the characters themselves, Gossip with the Girls which is pretty much as it sounds, Backstage Pass which gives a forum for makeup, wardrobe, locale, and more, and finally the Monte Carlo Match-up which is a mini quiz that tells you which character you are in the movie.

MONTE CARLO Blu-ray + Digital Copy
• Feature Film
• Deleted Scenes
o Meet Madame Valery
o Pont Des Arts Bridge
o Try on the Dior
o Owen Plays Soccer
o Owen at Sacre-Coeur
o Alicia Confronts Cordelia
o Cordelia’s Fate
• Monte Carlo Match Up
• Ding-Dang Delicious: The Boys of Monte Carlo
• Monte Carlo Couture
• Jet Setter’s Dream
• Backstage Pass
• Gossip with the Girls
• Theatrical Trailer
• Digital Copy “How To”
• Live Extras
o Theatrical Trailer
o Live Lookup
o Digital Copy

Take a fun trip through the European high society with Selena Gomez as she visits the world of Monte Carlo on Blu-ray and DVD on October 18, 2011. Grab a copy and make your life your own.

MONTE CARLO Blu-ray + Digital Copy
Street Date: October 18, 2011
Screen Format: Widescreen 1.85:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Spanish, French 5.1 Dolby Digital
Subtitles: English, Spanish
U.S. Rating: PG
Total Run Time: 2 hours, 37 minutes
Closed Captioned: Yes

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

JAM Reviews Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer: Blu-Ray, DVD, & Digital Copy: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

It is time for an imaginative young girl to take summer vacation to brand new heights as Judy Moody (Jordana Beatty) has a plan to make her summer vacation into the greatest adventure ever. That is until hit by a dose of nasty reality as her parents are called out of town and her cohorts in craziness are going away for the summer with their own families. What is a young imaginative girl to do?

Well, stir in a fun wild Aunt Opal (a fun and fitting part for Heather Graham), an annoying yet useful brother Stink (Parris Mosteller), a whole lot of imagination and prepare yourself for the greatest summer ever! The adventures keep coming, the fun never ends, and Judy finds out that sometimes the best plans should be changed as the Not Bummer Summer keeps her busy.

JAMS Ink on Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer

They picked a perfect actress to personify the Judy Moody character and they show you insight and reasons throughout the movie and the extras. Jordana Beatty ends up being the character that Megan McDonald imagined and created in text come to life in a energetic bundle of girl power.

Jaleel White and Heather Graham lend themselves to adult personas in this film who are willing to have a little fun and contribute strongly to the film while never stealing the spotlight from the kids who run the story.

Psychedelic colors and vivid imaginations lend themselves well to the clear aspects of a Blu-ray disc. The adventures that Judy and Aunt Opal find themselves in lend to the ability to keep clean vivid coloration and clear imaging. Besides, it’s packed with tons of fun stuff in the extras. So this Blu-ray comes Recommended or Highly Recommended if you have young kids.

EXTRAS

There is a good amount of extras added to keep you and your young Judy Moody fans busy on this set from pop quizzes, making of featurettes, deleted scenes, and some cool video diaries from the cast on set. It is a fun treasure stash of extras for a fun family film and adds the recommended aspect of the blu-ray set.

Take a psychedelic adventure through the mind of a young girl in search for the best summer ever in Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer out on October 11, 2011 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

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

JAM Reviews Modern Family: Season Two from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Modern Family: Season 2 Blu-ray: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

What is truly the definition of a “Modern Family”? The answer can take so many connotations throughout the myriad of families that comprise this crazy country. Biracial couples? Check. Second marriages? Check. Gay couple? Check. With an adopted baby? Check. Oh yeah, and there’s a traditional family as well.

All solid sprinkling of society’s various familial units are on display on this comedic free-for-all. Ed O’Niell as the patriarch Jay Pritchett dispenses love and advice (not always the greatest) as he faces the challenges of both a combined family with his second wife Gloria (the AMAZINGLY funny Sofia Vergara) and her son Manny (the subtle yet hilarious Rico Rodriguez) joining his grown children in the growing Pritchett family. The traditional family in the program is the bickering, conniving, loving Dunphy’s, led by Jay’s daughter Clarie (the fun Julie Bowen) and her husband Phil (Ty Burrell). Throw in three lovely and challenging kids (Nolan Gould, Sarah Hyland, and Ariel Winter) and you have the crazy challenges of the traditional family. Claire’s brother Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) his partner Cameron (Eric Stonestreet), and their little Vietnamese Lily form the final family in the crazy bunch in the Modern Family.

Favorite episode: Earthquake. From Claire getting locked into the bathroom with a plumber while Phil races to fix something that should have been done long ago to Mitchell and Cameron finding an excuse to finally cancel longstanding, non-desirable plans, an earthquake changes the day of the whole family in funny ways. Watching Phil run back and forth trying to assuage Claire while attempting to smooth things over for when she gets out is funny.

EXTRAS

Take some extended and deleted family interviews (a fun aspect of this series with it’s pseudo-documentary feel), some more deleted and extended scenes from the shows themselves, a cool intro to the households with “At Home with the Modern Family”, a fun gag reel in which Sofia Vergara is the star (she is a funny woman), and a cool table read of the Strangers on a Treadmill episode which is really cool for anyone with an interest in seeing the true behind the scenes work of Hollywood.

Modern Family: Season 2 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment hits shelves on Blu-ray and DVD on September 20, 2011. Check out the truth of the American family, Hollywood style and be ready to split your sides laughing out loud.

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.

JAM Reviews Raising Hope: Season One from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Raising Hope: Season 1 DVD: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Review by JAM

Imagine living with your parents, meeting a girl and unknowingly fathering a child, and then finding out that the mother of your child is a serial killer soon to be executed by the state. Then imagine this is one of Fox’s newest comedies and that it is truly funny.

Jimmy Chance (Lucas Neff) stars as the 23 year old new father to a cute little girl named Hope (Baylie and Rylie Cregut) that he must raise as a single father after some crazy extenuating circumstances. Luckily he has the comedic assistance of his blue collar parents Virginia (Martha Plimpton) and Burt (Garret Dillahunt) to help lead her on the “right” way? Think of this as a bit of My Name is Earl while raising a child which means it’s a little far out, but full of love along with the blue collar trailer trash-type comedy that can be expected. Even a dysfunctional family is a family that you can count on as long as the love flows freely, which it seems to with the Chances. So take a look at this crazy little family and check out what might happen next.

Favorite episode: Meet the Grandparents – as anyone knows, family is fun, frustrating, and forever, and Jimmy decides to invite Hope’s other grandparents to an impromptu Thanksgiving celebration. Of course, having a daughter that is a serial killer may mean something, especially as her parents seemed to have their own issues. Kind of puts in-laws into a better perspective when you see the craziness of the krazy kidnapping grandparents. It is fun to watch the bumbling mess-ups of family, and family once removed.

EXTRAS

We pretty much have a commentary on the pilot, the unaired pilot included for your enjoyment, and a few featurettes that are fun but a little bit on the light side. This seems the type of show that would have tons of bloopers and/or gags with the blue collar comedy involved, but they really don’t seem to share that much in the set. The Adorable Stars is cute for the little girl lovers as it shares a look at the girls who portray Hope, and the gag reel and deleted scenes actually are kind of cool, but it just seems like this set is missing the big ticket that a lot of these seasons have. Well, it is only season one so I am sure they will have lots to add as season two comes our way.

Raising Hope: Season One from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment hits shelves on DVD on September 20, 2011. It is one of those shows that will make you feel better about yourself all while laughing your butt off.

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.