Fun Facts About The Animated Movie HOME & Kids Activity Sheets

I am a member of the Fox Home Entertainment Insiders blogger program and receive complimentary products for reviews and giveaways.

The animated feature film HOME is now available to purchase via Digital Download and will be released July 28, 2015 on Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray and DVD.  In DreamWorks Animation's HOME, Oh, a loveable misfit from another planet meets a girl named Tip.  The two unlikely friends embark on a great journey...the journey HOME. Directed by Tim Johnson (Over The Hedge, Antz), HOME features the voice talents of Golden Globe® and Emmy® winner Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory, The Muppets), Grammy® winner Rihanna (Battleship), Oscar® and Emmy® winner Steve Martin (The Pink Panther, Father of the Bride) and Golden Globe® nominee Jennifer Lopez (American Idol, Maid In Manhattan).   The movie also features a soundtrack with musical performances by Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez.

Here are 6 fun facts to keep in mind and look for while enjoying this film:

• HOME is based upon the book "The True Meaning of Smekday" by Adam Rex.  You can see the characters Tip and Oh reading the book in the end credits. In the book "The True Meaning of Smekday" Oh's name is actually J.Lo which was changed for the movie maybe because Jennifer Lopez, whose nickname is also J.Lo , voice's Tip's mother in the movie and performs the title track "Feel the Light."

• "Feel the Light" opens with the familiar chords used to communicate with aliens in the 1977 movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

• In the convenience store scene if you look closely you'll see a box of cheesy dibbles the snacks loved by the Penguins of Madagascar.

• The Boov eat metal and other everyday objects humans wouldn't consider as food.  During the final party scene one of the Boov has a drink with a screwdriver in it ... get it a screwdriver a pun on the cocktail made from vodka and orange juice.

• The Boov can change colors based upon their emotions but their primary color is purple.  Not all Boov are the same shade of purple though.  There are seven shades of the "normal" Boov skin tone shown in the movie which is a nod to "The True Meaning of Smekday."  In Adam Rex's book there are seven different genders making up the alien Boov race.

• The headlights and grill on the flying car, Slushious, that Tip and Oh use on their journey change color to mimic joy, fear, sadness, and terror.

As a Fox Home Entertainment Insider, A Geek Daddy Blog has been provided with some fun kids activity sheets and bookmarks based upon the movie HOME to share with our readers. We hope you have some fun with these!

Batman is giving out presents to celebrate his birthday

DC Entertainment has designated Wednesday, July 23, 2014 as BATMAN DAY to celebrate the caped crusader's 75th birthday.  Batman's was introduced in 1939 with his appearance in Detective Comics #27.  In recognition of the 75th anniversary of the character's origination, DC will be issuing a new version of Detective Comics #27 that participating comic book retailers will be providing for FREE on BATMAN DAY.

This FREE comic will be a modern interpretation and retelling of the original Detective Comics #27 script and artwork.  This new version is designed by Chip Kidd and scripted by best selling novelist and DC comic veteran Brad Melzer with a cover by the "Batman" monthly series artist Greg Capullo.  Also for the more avid comic enthusiasts out there I'll note that this FREE comic story has already been published this year and was included as one of the multiple stories in the New 52 Detective Comics #27 Mega Batman Anniversary Issue that was sold a few months ago.  That issue retailed for $7.99 and had a few other stories included within it beyond the "original Batman story" though in my opinion after reading it that was the best part of that particular comic book.  Based upon seeing the content already in the Mega Batman Anniversary Issue of the New 52's Detective Comics (fyi DC rebooted all their comic book series a few years ago back to issue #1 and refer to this current timeline with their titles as the New 52) I have to say that it is a real value to get this story as a FREE stand alone comic book for BATMAN DAY.  It is well worth the effort to swing by a comic book store to pick one up!

In addition to the FREE comic book, retailers are being provided with some other giveaway items to distribute on BATMAN DAY.  You can pick up bookmarks featuring cover images from various Batman graphic novels.  There will also be four poster-board Batman masks designed by comic book artist Ryan Sook highlighting variations of Batman's look during his 75-year history.  The masks include:

+Batman's very first appearance in the 1939 DETECTIVE COMICS #27 as drawn by Bob Kane;
+BATMAN '66 - Adam West's classic television series version;
+THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS as drawn by Frank Miller in the 1986 comic book mini-series;
+ THE NEW 52 BATMAN as drawn by Greg Capullo.

There will also be a Batman 75th anniversary cape handed out that I'm not sure if it is made of poster board, paper, or cloth?  From the picture provided and based upon these being giveaway items for a national promotion, I assume the capes will most likely be made with the same material as the masks.  I wonder if the masks and capes are BYOS - Bring Your Own String - so you (or your kids) can wear them.

Normally you are giving someone a present on their birthday, so it's nice that instead on BATMAN DAY someone is giving you something for theirs.  DC hosted a similar event last year for Superman's milestone anniversary that I attended with my kids.  They provided free comic books, mini posters and book marks for MAN OF STEEL DAY at comic book retailers like they are doing this year with BATMAN DAY.  It was fun to take some time off of work and use this event for a little special time with my children that was out of the ordinary.  We went out to lunch, picked up some free stuff from the comic book store, than went home and enjoyed superman ice cream.  They had fun, I had fun, we made some family memories of them spending some quality time with their geeky dad.

Don't miss out on BATMAN DAY! Pick up a free comic book, have some fun with the event, and wish the caped crusader a very happy 75th birthday ... he doesn't look a day over 40 does he?  Here's a Superman Ice Cream toast to the caped crusader may you enjoy 75 more years of adventures!

For those of you not from the Midwest United States, Superman Ice Cream is produced by STROH'S and consists of a mixture of blue moon, red pop and lemon flavors.  Several other brands have imitated it with names like Super Scoop that mix together vanilla with cherry and blue moon ice cream but nothing beats the taste of the original STROH'S Superman Ice Cream.