WEEKEND GIVEAWAY: HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

In recognition of the November 11th home video release of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 on BLU-RAY & DVD, one lucky A Geek Daddy Blog reader will win a movie prize pack courtesy of our friends at Fox Home Entertainment.  For a chance to win this BLU-RAY/DVD/DIGITAL DOWNLOAD combo pack you must be a US or Canadian resident over 18 years old and submit one or all of the following entry methods to earn up to 3 entries prior to 11:59 pm EST on Sunday November 16, 2014:

UPDATE: Congratulations to Stephen A from Virginia Beach VA who won the prize!

 ENTRY 1:  Follow A GEEK DADDY on FACEBOOK.

 ENTRY 2:  Follow A GEEK DADDY on GOOGLE+

ENTRY 3:  E-mail thegeekdaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com your name and mailing address.  Email subject line should be DRAGONS CONTEST.  If you wish to have Entry 1 and/or 2 count to earn extra entries include the name(s) you follow A GEEK DADDY with on Facebook & GooglePlus in this e-mail. 

All valid entries will be assigned a number and one number will be randomly selected to determine the winner.  E-mails will only be used to contact the winner and deleted following the selection of a winner.

ABOUT HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

Soaring past the $500 million mark at the global box office, DreamWorks Animation’s HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 is not only one of the best reviewed films of the year, but also 2014’s highest grossing animated film to-date and one of the top ten grossing films of the year in any genre.

The thrilling second chapter of the epic HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON trilogy returns to the fantastical world of the heroic Viking Hiccup and his faithful dragon Toothless. The inseparable duo must protect the peace and save the future of men and dragons from the power-hungry Drago when Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment releases DreamWorks Animation’s critically acclaimed HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 on Digital HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2, the next chapter to the Academy Award® nominated film released in 2010, is “sensational…an instant animated classic,” proclaims Access Hollywood. A hit with audiences and critics alike, the film received an outstanding audience reaction with a coveted “A” CinemaScore® and certified 92% fresh on RottenTomatoes.com. Variety’s Peter Debruge declares the film is “Braver than ‘Brave,’ more fun than ‘Frozen’…Dragon delivers.” It’s a must-own title for the whole family!

Fans will get even more excitement, adventure and, of course, more dragons when DreamWorks Animation releases DRAGONS: DAWN OF THE DRAGON RACERS, an all-new animated adventure featuring the original voice cast. A hunt for lost sheep soon turns into a high-flying sprint in the all-new epic adventure as Hiccup and friends battle to become the first Dragon Racing Champion of Berk! DRAGONS: DAWN OF THE DRAGON RACERS will be available exclusively on the Blu-ray™ combo pack, DVD double pack and Digital HD.

While you are waiting for our winner announcement how about having your own dragon races with these fun HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 inspired paper airplanes:

 

 

 DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog will be responsible for selecting the winner of this contest, but Fox Home Entertainment is responsible for fulfillment and delivery of the prize.  By participating in this contest you waive any liability towards A Geek Daddy Blog or its publisher that may arise from your involvement with this promotion.  If you win this prize on another blog, you will not be eligible to win again.  Winner is subject to eligibility verification. Prize will be delivered by UPS or FedEx so no P.O. Boxes are allowed as mailing addresses. A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any financial compensation but did receive a review DVD for the blog and the prize that is being awarded to one of our readers for this contest.  A Geek Daddy Blog is hosting this contest as a benefit to our readers.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 Family Movie Night

My son had been getting into a little bit of trouble in kindergarten being too rambunctious and energetic during class, so I promised him if he could go a few weeks without any problems at school we would have a special movie watching night when How to Train Your Dragon 2 comes out on video.  He's lived up to his end of the bargain being a well behaved little boy at school so I'm sticking to my part of the deal and putting together a special night for the family.

The How to Train Your Dragon toys, television series, and movies are the hot thing that have captured my son's attention and imagination lately...he is so excited to be able to watch How to Train Your Dragon 2 when it comes out on dvd and blu-ray! How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a fantasy film filled with dragons and vikings produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox that appeared in theaters this summer and is a sequel to the original How to Trains Your Dragon movie that came out in 2010.  This new movie takes place five years after the events in the first film and features Hiccup and his viking friends as young adults as they meet Valka, Hiccup's long-lost mother, and Drago Bludvist, a madman who want to conquer the world by controlling dragons.

To make our family movie night special we aren't just going to throw some popcorn in the microwave and flip on the movie, we're going to have a Viking Feast while we enjoy the show.  A Geek Daddy is going to put his mastery of grilling to good use and have some fun making up a meal that would even satisfy the appetite of a dragon.  We'll have some Viking Ale (actually a child friendly concoction of butterscotch and ginger ale) grilled Turkey Legs to gnaw on, and some Viking Boats for desert.

VIKING ALE (Non-alcoholic)

Ingredients:

2 parts club soda, cream soda or ginger ale
1 part butterscotch syrup
1/2 tablespoon of butter

Directions:

Combine butterscotch syrup and butter in a microwave-safe glass;

Microwave on high for one minute or until syrup is bubbly and butter is melted;

Stir and cool for a few seconds;

Slowly fill up the remainder of the glass with cream soda or ginger ale for a fizzy treat.

TURKEY LEGS

One of the best part of going to a Renaissance Festival is eating one of those great big turkey legs they grill up for you there.  Hey you can make them at home too with just a little bit of effort on your part.

Ingredients:

**The Meat**
 Turkey Legs - you can buy these drumsticks at many markets

**Brine**
4 quarts of water
1/2 cup of sea salt
1/4 cup brown sugar

**Basting Sauce**
Honey
Barbeque Sauce
Red Wine Vinegar

Directions:

Combine the water, kosher salt and sugar and mix well. Place the turkey drumsticks in the brine so they're completely covered -- if you're making a lot of turkey legs, you may need to double the amount of brine;

Refrigerate your turkey legs, in the brine solution, over night. Remove from the fridge about an hour before cooking, so they can reach room temperature;

When you're ready to cook, remove the turkey legs from the brine and pat them dry. Brush each turkey leg lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Preheat your grill;

Combine the honey, barbeque sauce and red wine vinegar to taste. If you like yours sweeter use more honey. If you like your sauce tangier use more vinegar;

Place the turkey legs on the grill. Brush them with the sauce periodically, and turn them so they grill evenly;

Grill the turkey legs for  thirty minutes, occasionally turning and basting them. When finished wrap the turkey legs in aluminum foil for about fifteen minutes to finish cooking;

Enjoy - feast on these like a viking holding the drumstick in your hand and savoring it as you gnaw at it with your teeth like a medieval warrior.

VIKING BOATS

While you have the grill going here is a quick and tasty desert that is easy to make and kids will love.

Ingredients

Bananas

Marshmallows

Chocolate Chips

Chocolate Syrup

Honey

Aluminum Foil

Directions:

Open a banana but don't completely pull the peel off.  Slice it along its length so it looks like an open hot dog bun;

Place marshmallows, chocolate chips, and chocolate syrup within the slit you've created.  Drizzle some honey over the top of your stuffing.  Then wrap the banana back inside its peel;

Wrap the banana in aluminum foil and place it on a warm grill for ten minutes;

Unwrap the foil and the banana peel.  Ta da! You have a Viking Boat for desert! Tear into the soft warm banana filled with melted marshmallow and chocolate and devour it like a dragon.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 will be available on Blu-ray and DVD beginning November 11, 2014.  Raise your turkey leg and viking ale with your hands into the air to cheer and toast for a successful adventure and journey be accomplished by Hiccup and his loyal companion Toothless in this family friendly animated feature film.

DISCLAIMER:  As a member of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders blogger program A Geek Daddy Blog receives complimentary dvds and promotional items promoting films that are being marketed  in campaigns associated with this program.  A Geek Daddy Blog does not receive financial compensation for its participation as a Fox Home Entertainment Insider.

How To Carve Your Dragon

The hot thing that has caught my son's attention and imagination lately are the How to Train Your Dragon movies and television shows. So he was thrilled when our family included his favorite dragon, Toothless, into our Halloween activities by carving a jack-o-lantern of the character.  In fact, we switched up our Friday family game night routine last week and made it a #DragonsDay themed evening creating some fun dragon masks, carving our Toothless pumpkin and watching the original How to Train Your Dragon movie from DreamWorks Animation.


My friends at Fox Home Entertainment helped us put together our special How To Train Your Dragon night by providing templates for pumpkin carving and dragon masks that I was able to print out.  I've included these below if you'd like to incorporate them  into your Halloween festivities.

 

 

DreamWorks How To Train Your Dragon 2 will be coming out on Blu-ray & DVD on November 11, 2014 distributed by Fox Home Entertainment so incorporating jack-o-lanterns and masks into your Halloween activities can be a fun way to get your kids excited about the upcoming home video release.  My son has been asking every week since we saw this movie at theaters this summer when he could see it again so watching the original movie and including Dragons into our Halloween really built up his excitement for us bringing the sequel home in a few weeks.  It was also a reminder that he needs to keep his grades up and keep being good at school if he wants us to let him watch How To Train Your Dragon 2 when it comes out.  A little bit of carrot and stick parenting there combining reward and punishment in one simple DVD package.  My daughter enjoys the movies too but to be honest she's just not as engrossed by dragons as much as my son is.

If you don't want to wait until November 11th to enjoy How to Train Your Dragon 2 there is one way you can view it right now ...  it became available for digital download on October 21, 2014.  Our household prefers Blu-ray though for watching flicks on our big screen tv.

About How To Train Your Dragon 2

It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snotlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.

DISCLAIMER:  A Geek Daddy Blog did not receive any compensation for this post but is a member of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders Blogger program which provides this site with free movies for reviews and giveaways in exchange for promotional opportunities with our audience.

DVD GIVEAWAY: Dragons - Defenders of Berk Part 2

 UPDATE: Congratulations Pamela S. from Michigan won the DVD giveaway.

My kids are really excited to go see the upcoming feature film How To Train Your Dragon 2 at the movie theater this summer.  While waiting for the DreamWorks' movie to hit theaters on June 13th we've recently been watching the 2013 Annie Award winner for Best Animated Television Production for Children, DRAGONS: DEFENDERS OF BERK which features adventures of the films' primary characters, young Vikings and the trained dragons they ride, that take place in a time period set between the original movie and its upcoming sequel.  DreamWorks Animation and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment recently released on May 27th the second half of the episodes for its DRAGONS: DEFENDERS OF BERK television series season on DVD and has generously provided a copy for one of my blog readers to win.  Watching this animated series is a great way to build up family enthusiasm and familiarity with the characters before going to see the upcoming movie this summer.

For a chance to win a DVD of DRAGONS: DEFENDERS OF BERK PART 2 email an answer to the following question to TheGeekDaddy [at] yahoo [dot] com: What is an Annie Award?  Entries must be received by Friday, June 6, 2014 before 11:59pm EST.  One randomly selected email will win the DVD of Dreamworks Dragons: Defenders of Berk Part 2. Entrants must reside in United States or Canada and must be over 21 years old. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment shall provide fulfillment on delivery of the prize and you waive any liability towards this blog and its owner regarding such delivery or any other matter relating to this offer by your participation in this giveaway contest.

DRAGONS: DEFENDERS OF BERK PART 2 follows Hiccup and his fearless friends as they embark on new adventures and battle to protect their island home in 10 episodes of the televised animated series.  These young Vikings and the dragons they ride must put their skills to the test to defeat dangerous and surprising new enemies.  This animated television series features many of the original voice talent from the How To Train Your Dragon feature films including Jay Baruchel, America Ferrera, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

Bonus features on the DVD include the DRAGON TRACKER which features an in-depth look at dragons Skrill, Baby Thunderdrums and Speed Stinger, plus a special sneak peek at Snaptrapper who will be seen in the upcoming How To Train Your Dragon 2.  The DVD also has a featurette with visual effects supervisor David Jones who explains the history behind the new dragon Snaptrapper.  Plus there is a dragon mash-up music video called "Here Comes the Fire." For those fans who purchase the DVD another bonus is that it provides a code to get a digital download via UltraViolet and Movie Money ($7.50 value) to redeem for a ticket to How To Train Your Dragon 2 when the film opens in theaters in June.

Remember for a chance to win a free DRAGONS: DEFENDERS OF BERK PART 2 DVD email your entries before the end of the day Friday, June 6, 2014.

CONTEST RULES/DISCLAIMER:  By participating in this contest, entrants acknowledge the Giveaway Prize will be provided by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and A GEEK DADDY BLOG is  not liable for the prize to the randomly selected winner.  By submitting an entry to win this prize, winner grants the right to have his or her name published to identify them as the winner of this contest.   I did not receive financial compensation for hosting this contest or writing about the movie, but as a member of the FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT INSIDERS bloggers team I do receive a complimentary DVD review copy of the movies that I post about and host contests for on this blog, including DRAGONS: DEFENDERS OF BERK PART 2.  The opinions expressed in FOX HOME INSIDERS blog reviews are my own and I am not obligated to write a positive review.

DVD GIVEAWAY: DRAGONS-DEFENDERS OF BERK

2014 is the "Year of the Dragon" for DreamWorks Animation as the studio releases the movie How to Train Your Dragon 2 in theaters on June 13th and releases the first 10 episodes of its television show Dragons-Defenders of Berk on DVD March 25th.  In celebration of the "Year of the Dragon", we're providing one reader of this blog with a FREE dvd: DRAGONS-DEFENDERS OF BERK PART 1.

For a chance to win this DVD of Dragons-Defenders of Berk Part 1 please follow our twitter account @GEEKY_DAD.  E-mail the twitter handle you are following @Geeky_Dad with along with your name and address to thegeekdaddy @ yahoo [dot] com to be entered to win.  One entry per person and only open to USA/CANADA.  I will randomly pick one e-mail and provide the winner's information to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment for the prize's delivery. Contest entries must be received by 11:59pm EST Thursday, March 13, 2014  [We will be checking on twitter to make sure all entries are following @Geeky_Dad ] Good luck everyone!

DRAGONS-DEFENDERS OF BERK was the 2013 Annie Award Winner for Best Animated Television Production for Children.  Based on the Academy Award nominated movie How to Train Your Dragon, DRAGONS-DEFENDERS OF BERK PART 1 follows Hiccup and his dragon training friends as they battle to protect their island home.  These young Vikings must put all their dragon training skills to the test to defeat some dangerous and surprising new enemies!  In addition to new adventures and villains this Cartoon Network TV series also introduces 4 brand new dragons to the franchise in its episodes.  

The DRAGONS-DEFENDERS OF BERK PART 1 DVD has plenty of special features in addition to the television episodes to bring the exciting world of Dragons home to your family.  The Dragon Tracker bonus feature has an in-depth look at the 4 brand new dragons: Screaming Death, Fireworm Queen, Flightmare and Skrill.  A featurette by visual effects supervisor David Jones explains the history behind the new dragon Screaming Death.  The DVD also includes a Superfly Dragon Mash-up music video that should be fun if you have kids like mine that love a dance party in the living room!  Additionally, the DVD includes a code for a Digital HD UltraViolet download of its content and an exclusive offer for battle gear and one month's free subscription to School of Dragons, the online game based on the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.

Watching DRAGONS-DEFENDERS OF BERK is a great way for your family to get excited to go see How To Train Your Dragon 2 when it hits theaters on June 13, 2014.  Check out this trailer for the upcoming movie:

CONTEST RULES/DISCLAIMER:  By participating in this contest, entrants acknowledge the Giveaway Prize will be provided by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and I am not liable for the prize to the randomly selected winner.  By submitting an entry to win this prize, winner grants the right to have his or her name published to identify them as the winner of this contest.   I did not receive financial compensation for hosting this contest or writing about the movie, but as a member of the FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT INSIDERS bloggers team I do receive a complimentary DVD review copy of the movies that I post about and host contests for on this blog, including DRAGONS-DEFENDERS OF BERK PART 1.  The opinions expressed are my own and I am not obligated to write a positive review.