Despicable Me 3 Family Movie Night

Thanks to Universal Pictures Home Entertainment and Illumination Entertainment we enjoyed a fun family movie night watching DESPICABLE ME 3 which is now available on 4k Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital, Digital 3D and On Demand.  My kids always go BANANAS about a chance to enjoy the zany antic of Gru and his Minions and this newest installment of the Despicable Me franchise didn't disappoint.  Just as Gru is embarking on a career as a good guy his life begins to spin him back to his evil ways in this movie that expands on the elements that have made the past films so popular as well as introduces new high jinks and hilarity that from my family's experience seeing it are sure to make you laugh.

When Gru (Steve Carell, The Office) is fired from the Anti-Villain League for failing to take down Balthazar Bratt (Trey Parker, South Park), the latest evil mastermind to threaten humanity, Gru finds himself in the midst of a major identity crisis.  But when a mysterious stranger shows up to inform Gru that he has a long-lost twin brother -- a brother who desperately wishes to follow in his twin's despicable footsteps -- the former super villain rediscovers just how good it feels to be bad.  In addition to Carell and Parker, contributing their vocal talents to the movie are Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids), Miranda Cosgrove (School of Rock), Steve Coogan (Secret Life of Pets), Jenny Slate (Zootopia), Dana Gaier (Despicable Me 1 & 2), and legendary singer and actress Julie Andrews (The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins).



Of course home video releases always have extras in addition to the movie included with them and Despicable Me 3 packs a bunch of them for you to enjoy.  Bonus features on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD and digital include:

• All-New Mini Movie — The Secret Life of Kyle
• Minion Moments — Watch the Minions cause more hilarious mayhem with Gru
• Deleted Scene — With intro by Dana Gaier, the voice of Edith
• Character Profiles — The inside scoop on the most popular characters, from the actors who play them
• The Making of Despicable Me 3 — A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie
• Developing Dru — Behind the scenes character development of Dru
• The AVL Files — Through the lens of the Anti-Villain League’s hi-tech database, this ultra secret, interactive surveillance briefing showcases all of the agency’s amazing creations and top agents
• Freedonia Visitors Guide — Welcome to Freedonia! See all that the town has to offer with this interactive map. From its world class cheese, to its beautiful coastline, Freedonia has it all!
• Despicable Me TV — Tune in for some fabulous fun with these Despicable Me 3 infomercials. Includes “Balthazar Bratt Action Figure,” “Bad Boy Bod by Balthazar Bratt” and “Agnes’ Super Cute, Incredibly Amazing Toy Sale.”
• “Doowit” Sing-Along — Sing along with Pharrell Williams as the Minions plot their escape from prison
• “Yellow Light” Music Video — Official music video by Pharrell Williams
• Minion Mugshots — The Minions add to the long list of celebrity mugshots in their very own “rogues gallery.”
• Wanted Posters — Have you seen these Minions wanted for various crimes?

Don't miss out on a great sweepstakes opportunity revolving around the promotion of Despicable Me 3's release being sponsored by Hilton Hotels.  Enter to win a Grand Prize trip to Los Angeles, hotel stay and tickets for four to Universal Studios Hollywood!  To learn more about the contest's details, rules and how to enter please visit www.HiltonHonors.com/DM3

If you are staying at Hilton Hotels in Southern California, Houston, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco or Washington D.C. keep an eye out for some Minion fun.  Select Hilton Hotels will be displaying a special photo op backdrop in lobbies where people can take a selfie with some Minions through December 31, 2017.  These locations will also provide guests with Minion sticker sheets, luggage tags, and holiday bags while supplies last.

Disclaimer: A Geek Daddy received a Despicable Me 3 Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD movie bundle from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment for free.

Thanks CostumeSuperCenter.com for providing my Gru costume for our family movie night.  They always have a great selection of movie themed costumes in sizes for both kids and adults to choose from. Find a number of Minions inspired outfits for your own family movie night party on their website.

Minions Family Movie Night

We had a fun family movie night courtesy of Movies Anywhere watching Minions over the Halloween weekend. It is always enjoyable to pop up some popcorn, relax on the couch with my minions and watch a move that the whole family appreciates viewing.  Minions, the prequel film that leads up to the Despicable Me series of movies, is a delight to see because of the zany antics of those wacky yellow creatures that star in it who mean well but have a tendency to be really unlucky.  Of course the minions' bad luck leads to lots of humorous situations that have my family smiling and laughing throughout the movie.

Movies Anywhere provided us a digital download code for Minions and we streamed the movie in high definition to our big screen television.  Using this digital service is very easy and it makes accessing and storing your home video library very convenient.  Originally known as Disney Movies Anywhere, the service has a new name and now provides a one stop spot for people to view digital movies from Fox, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, as well as Disney.  With the Movies Anywhere app and website you can download or stream movies to watch virtually anywhere.  Stream a movie to your television like we did for our family movie night or download a film to watch on your mobile device while you are on the go.

Movies Anywhere simplifies your digital video collection by providing access in one place to movies from multiple studios purchased or redeemed through a variety of retailers.  Redeem digital copy codes found in eligible Blu-ray and DVD disc packages from participating studios and enjoy them through Movies Anywhere whenever and wherever you want.  Link your account with Amazon Video, Google Play, iTunes or Vudu and when you make a movie purchase it will instantly be available to view through Movies Anywhere.  No more having to worry about a device being compatible with the retailer you purchased a digital movie from.

It was despicable to me that you used to be locked into watching movies on certain devices based on where you bought them. Movies Anywhere bridges the gaps between retailers and hardware manufacturers giving consumers control of how they watch the movies they purchase.  Buy a participating studio's movie from retailers including Amazon Video,  iTunes, or Google Play and through Movies Anywhere it can be viewed as you desire on your choice of Amazon Fire, Android devices, Apple TV, Chromecast, iPhones, iPads, Roku and popular Internet browsers no matter where you bought it from.  If you want digital movies can even be purchased straight from Movies Anywhere. There are more than 7,300 films available through Movies Anywhere and that count will continue to grow as new releases come out.

Another nice feature about Movies Anywhere is when mom or dad want to watch a movie that is too scary for the kids or isn't age appropriate for them it can be streamed or downloaded to a device so it can be watched in private.  In fact, Movies Anywhere accounts are designed knowing families have multiple members with differing preferences.  So you can stream multiple movies simultaneously to different devices using one account. So on a night when we weren't watching something together,  I was able to download and watch Kong: Skull Island to watch on my iPad in our home office while the kids streamed The Emoji Movie on the living room television from the same Movies Anywhere account.

Movies Anywhere gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval for being an accessible and convenient option for storing and viewing your library of digital movies.  In addition to watching movies around the house, we've used the service quite a bit while traveling too.  We kept the kids amused watching movies on the app while we drove from Michigan to Florida and back on a family vacation.  On another instance, I passed the time while stuck at the airport after a flight was cancelled watching stuff from my Movies Anywhere catalog of films.  Our family really is bananas about Movies Anywhere!   For more information about this great service, please visit moviesanywhere.com

One of the ways we like to make a family movie night fun is by getting into character ourselves.  We had a blast dressing up as Gru and his minions with outfits from Costume Super Center. Costumesupercenter.com always has a great selection based upon movie costumes in sizes for both kids and adults to choose from.  Looking for a Santa suit for a Christmas party, a Jedi robe to go see Star Wars Episode VII in, or some Minions inspired outfits for your own family movie night party, Costume Super Center has a great selection to choose from that will add some extra fun to any occasion.  A Geek Daddy's minions give Costume Super Center a thumbs up!

Comical Football Helmet Mashups

Being a football fanatic and comic book aficionado the next few months are going to be an exciting time!  The NFL is back into the full swing of things for their 2017 season and our local hometown team the Lions are showing some potential for having themselves a decent season.  Plus DC Entertainment's Justice League and Marvel Studios' Thor Ragnarok are hitting movie theaters.  My friends at Costume SuperCenter had some fun creating artwork of what the NFL helmets would look like if its teams were based off of DC super heroes and villains instead of the real life AFC and NFC teams. I enjoyed looking through these images and wanted to share them with you.

One conference would include the Denver Doomsday, Miami Aquamen, Oakland / Las Vegas Two Face, and the San Diego Flash.  CLICK HERE to check out all of their AFC inspired football helmet mashups.

The other conference would include the Atlanta Batmen, Arizona Robins, Detroit Cyborgs, Green Bay Green Arrows, Tampa Bay Jokers.  CLICK HERE to check out all their NFC inspired football helmet mashups.

Looking for a football or super hero themed costume for Halloween?  Costume SuperCenter has some great selections to choose from while also providing great deals on their prices and quick, easy shipping right to your door.  Do your Halloween costume shopping from the comfort of your home computer or a mobile device.  Plus Costume SuperCenter isn't a seasonal operation, they are open throughout the year. In need a costume for a children's party, cosplay event, or masquerade party at a time other than Halloween?  You can still turn to CostumeSuperCenter.com for your shopping needs.

If you are interested in a football themed costume check out their "Football Player Riding A Cheerleader" outfit. It is sure to make you stand out and get people laughing at its goofy look!

Want to go low key to a costume party or dress up for some tailgating fun?  The "Adult Touchdown" costume is a laid back approach that lets a guy or gal show off some good spirit.

Holy Halloween Costume Batman!  Super hero fans can find DC Entertainment themed outfits for any age, body style, and price range at the Costume SuperCenter!  Check out this "Collectors Edition Batman Costume."

Marvel fans aren't left out either! They have a great selection of these super hero costumes as well.  Including my favorite Marvel comic book character, Daredevil!